All you sackers are crackers...

I’m almost at fuming level. First Steve Clarke, and now Andre Villas Boas; when’s this streak going to end? 

It’s all very well and good the Premier League being competitive, and it shows by the reactions of players, crowds and managers on and off the pitch with the noise, passion, commitment and attitude. But does it need to be shown so openly by chairmen and owners?

You get the feeling there is panic and worry among the prawn sandwich brigade when they see their team lose three or four on the bounce, so what do they do? Sack the manager.

In Clarke’s case, West Brom are hovering just two points clear of safety having picked up zero out of a possible 12 in their last four league games, failing to score in the last two. But look further beyond that, and you see a 2-2 draw away to Chelsea - which should have been a 2-1 victory were it not for a controversial penalty in the last minute that rescued the hosts - and an even more impressive 2-1 victory at Old Trafford against Manchester United at the end of September, the Baggies’ first since 1978.

To be fair to West Brom though, what do they fully expect? The loss at home to Norwich is far from acceptable, but losing 1-0 away to Cardiff isn’t a result that a manager can be judged on, especially with a home clash against Hull coming up on the weekend. Perhaps if Clarke were to lose that his position may be reviewed, but ultimately it’s got to come down to their position at the end of the season, and that is not going to be in the bottom 3.

Spurs, meanwhile, have had a more difficult time recently, but that is life in the Premier League. Ok, they should not be losing 5-0 at home to Liverpool (even with 10 men), or 6-0 away to City, but before that they had the best defence in the league! The tightest at least, and this run just seems like a blip, so was it fair for AVB to lose his job?

Let’s go back to the summer, and even the end of last season. Spurs finished fifth, one point behind Arsenal (4th) and three behind Chelsea (3rd), so not really a bad season at all given it was AVB’s first. However Bale’s form came at a price, £80million in fact as he was sold to Real Madrid, but Spurs went on to spend £100million on new players, including £30million on Erik Lamela from Roma, £7million on FC Twente’s Nacer Chadli, and £26million on Roberto Soldado. In addition to those were Vlad Chiriches, Christian Eriksen, Paulinho and Etienne Capoue. A staggering five new midfield players, and it’s no wonder the young Portugese manager didn’t know his best team.

But the question remains, just how many of those players did AVB actually want? How many of them were Franco Baldini’s signings? Perhaps the answer lies with the small number of appearances made by Lamela, Chadli and Capoue.

Excuse the pun, but one of the most striking statistics from the weekend was that Spurs registered no shots on target; surely that says something about the players more than the manager? 

But my conclusion has to fall to panic on Daniel Levy’s part, or embarrassment following the defeats to City and Liverpool. Just look at other aspects to the season; they have a 100% record in the Europa League, and are through to the last-32, a win against West Ham on Wednesday will see them through to the semi-final of the League Cup, so are Spurs really doing that badly? 

Manchester United are certainly in a worse position in the league, and have suffered embarrassing league defeats to City, West Brom, Everton and Newcastle (and were close to losing at home to Stoke too!), so why hasn’t David Moyes’ position been endangered? I think Jamie Redknapp may have had a point in blaming the Spurs board’s policies…

At this point it is probably fair to give credit to Norwich for sticking with Chris Hughton, despite their heavy losses, because having backed him in the summer, they are giving him the chance to get it right instead of moving back to square one, and that is just what Tottenham have now done, so they can forget any chances of finishing in the top four, and for me even winning a trophy. At least under AVB they had those chances.

So what now for Spurs? They need a manager, and quick, because if they don’t get settled and start picking points up soon, they will have absolutely no hope, and European football next season could be a very big ask. Not to mention their difficult start to the New Year!

So the gap at the top of the league is slowly tightening, with City’s 6-3 thriller over leaders Arsenal leaving Manuel Pellegrini’s side three points behind, and Liverpool’s 5-0 romp at White Hart Lane on Sunday taking them second, just two behind.

A narrow win for Chelsea against Crystal Palace leaves them two points behind too, and Everton are still sniffing around with 31 points after a very promising start under Roberto Martinez.

Where, then, could the Barclays Premier League trophy be leaning towards, with just four points separating the leaders and fifth placed Everton as the busy yet definitive Christmas schedule comes up?

One thing seems for certain; it wont be remaining at Old Trafford after a slow start for David Moyes. I personally feel sorry for the Scot because Sir Alex Ferguson’s legacy is so long and successful, some fans are naïve to think that the trophies would carry on coming immediately, and I imagine some of them aren’t old enough to remember that Sir Alex himself was on the verge of being sacked early on in his United days after a similar scenario.

Discounting the Community Shield (the REAL Mickey Mouse trophy), United’s best hopes for silverware are in the FA Cup or the League Cup; I’m not sure they have what it will take to win the Champions League.

1st - Arsenal (Predicted - 2nd)

Forgive me if I’m being harsh, but Arsenal thus far have failed to overcome their old selves and haven’t really come through any real tests. A slim win over rivals Tottenham and that 2-0 victory over Liverpool at The Emirates  made people sit up and take note that maybe Wenger has cracked his usual hoodoo of losing against the top teams, but defeats at Manchester United and City, and that draw to Everton have condemned him to his usual predicament; Arsenal cannot beat their rivals.

It’s been a difficult week for Arsenal, especially losing to Napoli in the Champions League which has condemned them to face Bayern Munich in the last-16,a very heavy price to pay for finishing second. Such a tough fixture may also add to the fatigue which we started to see at The Etihad on the weekend. 

Would it be wrong to suggest Mesut Özil’s honeymoon period is over? And another same-old issue has re-surfaced; the need for a striker.

However you cannot win the title whilst losing to your rivals, so they need to take their chances when they entertain Chelsea this weekend, and the Manchester clubs later in the season. And if Wenger can bring in a top striker in January, I think 2nd would be both fair and reasonable.

2nd - Liverpool (Predicted - 4th)

Perhaps a bigger surprise than Everton, Brendan Rodgers’ side have flourished this season, despite Luis Suarez missing the start of the season (and still going on to become the league’s top scorer!). His goals have only added to The Reds’ start, and the maturity he showed when captaining the side in Sunday’s 5-0 win might just suggest that he is over his behavioural mishaps.

As with the summer, the key for Liverpool in the January transfer window will be to keep hold of the Uruguayan, and it could be easier given the possibility of securing Champions League football next season. 

Naturally consistency will also be a factor, and as the season wears on, experienced players like Steven Gerrard will be crucial to keeping the side level headed and stop them making mistakes that could cost them points. Fourth will be a good finish for them they aren’t quite title winners, but they aren’t a million miles off.

3rd - Chelsea (Predicted - 3rd)

It’s been tossed around a lot this season, ‘you shouldn’t go back’, and I wonder if that is starting to go through Jose Mourinho’s head.

Two points off the top you can’t say it’s been bad, statistically. But having watched them, there is something not quite right with the team, and the pure quality of individuals seems to be keeping them going, something Mourinho will look to change given time.

A Champions League draw against Galatasaray, with former striker Didier Drogba spearheading their attack, may give them hope in Europe, and they will not have written off their chances in any competitions despite Jose’s confession that he doesn’t expect to win a trophy this season.

That said, I think those frailties within the team will result in a third place finish, although I’d fully expect them to pick up a trophy, whether that be the dream Champions League, or the other commonly adopted Mickey Mouse cup.

4th - Manchester City (Predicted - 1st)

Not a very flattering position for the League’s top scorers, especially after massive wins over United, Tottenham and Arsenal, but there has been a problem on the road, and points have amazingly been dropped against the lower teams (Sunderland, Villa, Stoke, Cardiff…).

But City now have a good run behind them, and a good run of fixtures ahead of them, so that momentum could see them rise to the top of the table. With a juicy tie against Barcelona coming up in the Champions League in February, Pellegrini will now see this period as more crucial than before so he can build up points and potentially a gap so that he can play his best squad against the Catalan giants.

With or without progression in Europe though, I expect City to take the title because of strength and depth in squad, and the shrewdness of Pellegrini as a manager.

5th - Everton (Predicted - 5th)

Wow. Who would have thought this? Despite being relegated with Wigan at the back end of last season, Roberto Martinez has now shown his quality as a manager with a very good squad at Everton. Some will point to Romelu Lukaku as the salvation for the Toffees, but you’ve got to look back too. 

Gerard Deulofeu was looking dangerous, although he now faces a spell on the sidelines with injury, but Gareth Barry, Ross Barkley and Seamus Coleman also look very sound and secure in the midfield, and are working well.

But it is about keeping it up all season, and this season has thus far been a reverse to Everton’s usual pattern of starting off poorly and getting stronger, so fans will be sincerely hoping to avoid their team dropping off, and central to that will be keeping players fit. A successful season would be fifth and a spot in the Europa League, although it will be a battle with former manager David Moyes and his United side.

Barclays Premier League: Preview

I know I've been a *ahem* 'slight' while, but I hope to blog more this season! 

This weekend the Premier League returns, and what a season we have ahead - even though it will most definitely be shorter with the loss of Fergie Time...

As one of the greatest ever managers retires from the game after over quarter of a century in charge, another great one must take his place, or a Special one.. But it is back to the affluent streets of SW6 Jose Mourinho will return, while another Glaswegian will take the reins at Old Trafford. 

And where the noise is loud in West Manchester, it is even louder noise in the East. Manuel Pellegrini is the new man in charge of City after Roberto Mancini was sacked at the end of last season, and the Chilean soon made his mark with the signings of Jesus Navas, Alvaro Negredo, and Stevan Joevtic, while United are yet to add to their title-winning squad. So with managerial changes at 3 of the top 4, we could be in for some surprises..

Other managerial changes have come at Everton - where Roberto Martinez has replaced David Moyes - and Stoke, where former Man City and QPR boss Mark Hughes has been appointed following the departure of Tony Pulis.

This year we welcome Cardiff City, Hull City Tigers (yes, Tigers) and Crystal Palace to the top-flight to replace Reading, Wigan and QPR, so we shall see how they fare among the elite, and whether any of them can survive to have a go at beating ‘second season syndrome’.

Arsenal (4th)

The Gunners haven’t spent any money so far this window, but have had a £40,000,001 bid for unsettled Liverpool striker Luis Suarez rejected, and missed out on Real Madrid’s Gonzalo Higuain, who opted for a move to Napoli. However what is key for them is they haven’t sold their best players; perhaps they are in their best position to win a trophy for the first time in 8 years.. The losses of Gervinho and Andrey Arshavin aren’t the end of the world as long as Wenger has the players to replace them; France U-20 striker Yaya Sanogo has joined on a free from Auxerre.

Predicted Finish: 4th - While they are in such a good position, I just cannot see Wenger’s men challenging for the title - they still lack that something at times which sets them apart from the top 3, however if they manage to capture either Suarez or Rooney, they could push for 2nd or 3rd.. Either way, expect a trophy!!

Aston Villa (15th)

Or should that be ‘Christian Benteke - 15th’? The young Belgian’s 19-goal haul is generally accepted to be the main reason Villa survived the transition season last year, as Paul Lambert took over and looked to bring youth into the Villa setup. He has been the subject of tension at Villa Park though after handing a transfer request in amid gossip linking him to bigger European clubs, but in a dramatic twist of events he signed a new contract for Villa 10 days later.. 

Lambert has continued his youthful philosophy into this window, with not one of the six players signed being over the age of 23. But Jores Okore, a centre back signed from Nordsjaelland, looks to be a solid fixture at the back, while Aleksandar Tonev will bring pace and skill to Villa’s wings.

Predicted Finish: 14th - I reckon Villa will be better this season after a torrid time last year, having had some time to gel, and mature as players in some cases. Despite having a decent cup run last season, losing to Bradford in the semi-finals of the League Cup, this season Villa should be aiming for a solid league campaign more than anything else.

Cardiff City (1st - Championship)

We will be having a new derby in the PL this year when newly-promoted Cardiff face Swansea, so that will be a fixture to look out for, but while the Swans will be looking for a European run and a top-10 finish, Cardiff’s priority must be survival, and they have spent heavily in an attempt to secure that.. Around £30million has gone into the purchases of Andreas Cornelius, Steven Caulker, Gary Medel and John Brayford as Malky Mackay seeks to keep the Bluebirds up, and it isn’t £30million wasted either. Cornelius was courted by several PL clubs, as was Brayford, while Caulker has been touted as England’s future #1 centre-back, and Gary Medel will bring pace and skill to the wings, as well as some drama both on and off the pitch..

Predicted Finish: 16th - while it doesn’t sound particularly flattering, I think Cardiff will be comfortable in what will be a very tough fight in the Prem this year. They need to focus on survival, although a cup run wouldn’t be the end of the world so long as they don’t follow Wigan and win a cup, but get relegated days later...

Chelsea (3rd)

Mark Schwarzer; free. Marco van Ginkel; £8million. Andre Schurrle; £18million. But wait, where’s the madly big transfer? Still at Manchester United. Jose Mourinho has stated that Wayne Rooney is his biggest transfer target, and the unsettled striker is keen on a move away, although he is yet to hand a transfer request in. Either way, Chelsea win because they either get a talented English striker on their side, or a moody English striker creating a gloomy mood in the United camp. With or without Rooney, they still look like a formidable squad, and their pre-season form has been almost as formidable (P7, W6, L1). 

With Jose back at the helm, Blues fans must expect one trophy, whether that’s the Champions League, the FA Cup, or the PL; they certainly have the squad depth and talent, and the way they handled it last year, the same must be expected this year.

Predicted Finish: 1st - Many people are expecting Chelsea to win the title, and they have reason to think that as Jose knows what it takes to win the PL. In addition, having not dramatically over-hauled the squad, there aren’t many excuses that it’s taking time to settle; they’ve had an almost full pre-season together, and with 2 home games to start with before facing United at Old Trafford, they have the opportunity to take an early advantage.

Crystal Palace (5th - Play-Off Winners - Championship)

Ian Holloway will yet again be battling against the odds to try and keep his side in the top flight, and he will certainly want to avoid the disappointment of relegation again; this will be backed up in the dressing room by former Blackpool players Elliot Grandin, Kevin Phillips and Danny Gabbidon. But whatever happens, Palace have to brace themselves for the absence of Wilfried Zaha, who was highly influential in their promotion push despite signing for Manchester United in January. The young English-man may well find himself lining up against his former club as he is part of David Moyes’ plans.

The signing of Jerome Thomas on a free from West Brom is a sensible one as the midfielder will bring PL experience, and Stephen Dobbie will add a small amount to that too following his stints at Swansea and Blackpool. Jose Campana, the Spanish U-20 international signed from Sevilla, is a decent investment for the future although how much he will feature is to be seen. On the other hand, Marouane Chamakh has signed from Arsenal, and it will be interesting to see how he performs after his disappointing stint in North London. Dwight Gayle is another former Gunner joining their ranks this summer.

Predicted Finish: 19th - I’m sorry Palace fans, but I’m not convinced that you will have enough to survive. Darren Bent’s name has been thrown around recently, and he would be a fantastic signing, but at the end of the day I still don’t think there would be enough to survive, but It’ll be a tough scrap at the bottom.

Everton (6th)

This will be a big season for Everton with the departure of David Moyes to Manchester United, and Roberto Martinez filling the vacant spot. What the Scot achieved in his 11 years at Goodison far exceeded people’s expectations, so it will be an interesting watch to see if they slip back down to mid-table, or whether Martinez can keep them contending for 5th. The squad is capable of doing well in the PL, and especially with Fellaini, Jagielka and  Baines they are certainly well equipped of finishing up there; they just have to hang on to them! They will be missing skipper Phil Neville though, who has retired from playing and joined Moyes as the first team coach at United.

Martinez has put his stamp on the team though, bringing with him Antolin Alcaraz, Joel Robles (from Atletico Madrid) and Arouna Kone from Wigan. Kone stunned many last year with his goal haul, 11 in 34 matches for The Latics, and he will be hoping to improve on that this year; with a better team around him, he may do just that.

Predicted Finish: 8th - There will be some stiff competition for fifth place this year as Spurs, Liverpool and Swansea all look strong, so any slip ups from The Toffees could be very costly; Martinez almost needs to hit the ground running.

Fulham (12th)

My honest opinion is that Fulham could struggle this season. Maarten Stekelenburg is a good signing from Roma, and behind Brede Hangeland there is some strength in the Fulham defence. Sascha Riether has also joined from Cologne having spent last season on loan. The issue could be at the other end though. Since selling Bobby Zamora, Clint Dempsey and Andy Johnson, they have struggled to score, and while Dimitar Berbatov is still an incredibly talented player, along with Adel Taarabt, they only play well when they are in the mood. This will have to change if Fulham are to reach the European levels once more. 

Mohamed Al Fayed decided to sell the club to Shahid Khan this summer, so that might provide some more money for Martin Jol to use on buying quality players instead of loaning them in, but as of yet they haven’t made a marquee outfield signing. Perhaps the money has been spent on the floodlights so they don’t go out again...

Predicted Finish: 17th - It’ll be a close one, but unless Jol can bring in a consistently performing striker, I can’t see where Fulham’s goals are going to come from. But their experience will keep them up. Just.

Hull City (Tigers) (2nd - Championship)

Hull City TIGERS? Am I really hearing this? The commercialism of football is becoming ridiculous if clubs are going to start adopting names like this - American names. Cardiff may be at it as well with rumours circulating about them becoming Cardiff City Dragons. At the end of the day, football is about the game, not selling shirts in the Far East.

In terms of that, Hull look to have slightly overhauled their squad, with 9 new players signed. Steve Bruce appears to have raided his former clubs, signing Curtis Davies from Birmingham, Ahmed Elmohamady and Danny Graham from Sunderland, and Maynor Figueroa from Wigan. In addition, George Boyd has been signed from Peterborough having spent the second half of last season on loan, and scoring 4 goals in 13 games. To finish the spree, Goalkeepers Allan McGregor and Steve Harper have joined from Besiktas and Newcastle respectively, and the best signing is perhaps Tom Huddlestone from Spurs. The only issue remaining is whether they will all gel. To get promoted and then change your squad doesn’t work, just ask Tony Fernandes at QPR...

Predicted Finish: 20th - Quite simply, I can’t see past Hull going straight back down for the reason I just said; too many changes. 

Liverpool (7th)

Last season was very much a transitional season for The Reds, yet they still finished a place higher than the season before. The stability bought in by Brendan Rodgers seems to be getting the best out of the squad. Saying that, Pepe Reina has left to join Napoli on loan with no intention of returning, and Luis Suarez? Well no more needs to be said about that. The latest twist in the drama is that he is staying at Liverpool - “for the fans”. 

Even without the league’s second highest scorer, Liverpool may still be a force to be reckoned with. At the end of last season, we saw Daniel Sturridge and Phillippe Coutinho begin to flourish, and there is evidence to suggest they could become a very formidable striking duo given time, and the return to fitness of Fabio Borini coupled with the signing of Iago Aspas could give them some depth in talent up front following last year’s shortage.  

One ‘fixture’ that will be missing though is Jamie Carragher, who retired from playing at the end of last season to take up a job alongside Gary Neville on Sky Sports. Don’t worry though, Stevie Gerrard is still around.

Predicted Finish: 6th - I think Liverpool are better than last season, but due to the quality Spurs have, I think they will yet again be pipped to 5th so another season without European football may ensue unless they win a cup, or one of the top 5 do.

Manchester City (2nd)

Another high spending summer for City with Fernandinho (£30m), Stevan Jovetic (£22m), Jesus Navas (£14.9m) and Alvaro Negredo (£20m) all joining Pellegrini’s ranks. While Maicon, Wayne Bridge, Kolo Toure and Roque Santa Cruz have all left, the quality they have been replaced with is unquestionable.

While harsh, Mancini’s sacking wasn’t particularly surprising in today’s PL. To lose the League by 11 points to your closest rival, to not make it past the group stage in the Champions League, and to lose the FA Cup final in added time against Wigan sealed Mancini’s non-existent future as City manager in the eyes of the board. This season with Pellegrini, they will be hoping for more, and with the squad he has at his disposal, there is no excuse for ending the season with no silverware. Perhaps under a new manager, the players will play with more conviction too, something they seemed to lack last year after the highs of winning the league. Factor in United’s new start too, it will be a race to see who settles quicker, so when the clubs meet in the fifth game of the season there will be a lot to play for.

Predicted Finish: 2nd - I only say this because I think Chelsea will hit the ground sprinting, and will keep the momentum up throughout the season - a quick start from City could challenge that though. United’s status as “Champions” may also help their league bid as City should be seeking to take the title back.

Manchester United (1st)

There is a saying, “If something works, don’t mess with it”, and credit to David Moyes as he is yet to make a ‘marquee’ signing. I mean, what’s the rush, or the need? This is Manchester United, the Champions of England, why tinker with it? Because while they won the title, it wasn’t through having an awesome season rather it was a mixture of two factors. Firstly, a certain Robin van Persie chipped in with 26 goals, and secondly, come the last couple of months, there was just the league to concentrate on.

Yes it was one over City, and a 20th title to wave Sir Alex off to, but at some point, Moyes will need to make his mark on the squad to avoid being accused of leading Ferguson’s team. There will be no Paul Scholes in the side this season, so a central midfielder to accompany Carrick is needed really (Kagawa is more of a CAM than CM, so his role could be between the striker and midfield more than a midfielder..). United have so far failed with three bids for Cesc Fabregas and one for Fellaini, and time is running out.

Add to that the Wayne Rooney saga, and Moyes may well find himself in need of another striker too. Despite this much publicised desire to leave, Rooney is yet to hand a transfer request in, so until a deal is done, nothing is settled.

Predicted Finish: 3rd - Excluding the Community Shield, United could be in for a trophy-less season as they adjust to the new regime and style. A domestic cup would keep the fans happy though, especially if the league isn’t achievable, and fans may have to be patient as Fergie sugested. For this season at least, I think the Champions League is beyond consideration, for any English clubs.

Newcastle United (16th)

“Le Toon Army” lacked cohesion last season, and struggled; some would say they are lucky to still be in the top flight. Luckily for them, there were three teams not as good as them, and then Sunderland who finished 2 points below.

There hasn’t been the massive influx of players this summer like there was in January, so there is perhaps going to be more stability that last season. Loic Remy is the only first team signing, albeit on loan, so he should help cover Papiss Cisse following Demba Ba’s departure in January. There isn’t the distraction of the Europa League on Thursday nights either this year, so players should be fresher for the league games than last year; at times they looked knackered. 

There has been some activity during pre-season though. Firstly the appointment of former manager Joe Kinnear has been met with a wave of discontent from fans, even before he went on to mispronunciate half of the squad’s names and claim he was more intelligent than the fans. Watch this space.. 

Secondly was the Papiss Cisse saga, in which the Senegal striker pulled out of the club’s pre-season tour after refusing to wear the shirt with “Wonga” emblazoned on it - due to religious beliefs that discouraged lending - but he did a U-turn after being pictured in a casino and joined up with the first team again.

Predicted Finish: 15th - Another difficult season lies ahead for Newcastle I fear, with anger expected from the fans regarding Kinnear’s appointment, and it still remains to be seen if the team will finally gel.

Norwich City (11th)

Chris Hughton has been busy in the transfer market, spending £24.6million addressing issues that plagued The Canaries last year; goals. Ricky Van Wolfswinkel has signed for £8.5million, Gary Hooper from Celtic for £5million, and young winger Nathan Redmond from Birmingham for £3.2million. Javier Garrido and Martin Olsson have arrived to sure up the defence, and Dutch international Leroy Fer has joined from FC Twente, so not bad at all really!

Some may argue that an 11th placed finish was overly flattering for Hughton’s side following their poor start to the season, but the important thing for them was that they survived. This season they can look to kick on, and with their additions they have given themselves a great opportunity to do so.

Predicted Finish: 11th - The fight in the middle of the table will be a tough one, but Norwich look well equipped to battle it out, and could even achieve a top-10 finish with a good string of results. One thing though, they need to be safe before the end of the season because their closing run is Liverpool (H), Manchester United (A), Chelsea (A), Arsenal (H)...

Southampton (14th)

After beating the drop, Southampton have spent in an attempt to avoid the second season syndrome like Norwich. Mauricio Pochettino has fought off competition from a number of PL clubs to sign Celtic’s highly rated defensive midfielder Victor Wanyama, for a fee of £12.5million, and has added to his defence by signing Dejan Lovren from Lyon for £8.5m. It appears he understands that while The Saints did survive, the defence needed sorting out, so with those players in place, he can begin to make Nigel Adkins’ team his own, and the fans are starting to come over to his side as well so they could be on course for a solid season.

Keeping hold of Luke Shaw is an important step in that defence as the highly-rated youngster will only improve at a club where he will play, so Pochettino must ensure one of his finest talents isn’t tempted away. At 31, there is no danger of Rickie Lambert leaving, but Southampton could perhaps do with another striker just to have that peace of mind about firepower, because a lack of it will sting any team.

Predicted Finish: 13th - Saints fans must be happy with any finish in the top 17, even if it is below 14th because the second season is all about survival. Top 10 may be a little ambitious, but Southampton look to be going the right way.

Stoke City (13th)

It’s all change in The Potteries as Tony Pulis was replaced by former Man City and QPR boss Mark Hughes, and reports so far have been positive, although goals have continued to be a problem. A slight overhaul of the squad has seen former England internationals Matthew Upson and Michael Owen leave The Britannia, the latter through retirement, as well as Dean Whitehead, Rory Delap and Carlo Nash. Jermaine Pennant was also released, although days later was offered a new contract in a regime that looks to be more forgiving than the former one.

Another thing Hughes has bought is a better calibre of players; who would have thought two years ago that Stoke would be signing a Dutch international, or a Spanish U-21 from Barcelona? Erik Pieters at left back offers a more attractive style of play at the back, while Marc Muniesa is an investment for the future, but either way both are evidence that Stoke are looking to move up and away from the middle of the table. Juan Agudelo is another young player signed by Hughes, although the USA international wont be joining until January when his current contract with New England Revolution expires. In the mean time, I still think Hughes needs another winger and a striker; Scott Sinclair and Darren Bent would be my choices.

Predicted Finish: 12th - A mid-table finish would suit me, and I think that’s credible in a transitional season. The key to Stoke remains home form, and fans need to give Hughes time to settle and make his mark - the new style of play is just the start, but patience is part of this transition.

Sunderland (17th)

A tricky season for The Black Cats may be followed by another. Paolo Di Canio criticised Sunderland’s fitness after his appointment, and rumours are that he has had players doing 2 fitness sessions in the morning, with a football-based one in the afternoon during 9-6 days.. To some it may seem excessive, but it is a long season so fitness will come into it at some point. What’s more excessive though is the amount of players Di Canio has bought in. He almost has a whole new starting XI made up of European players who need to prove themselves in the Premier League - a risky tactic to say the least, but if it works, Sunderland may be ok.

Their problem last year was scoring goals after Steven Fletcher picked up an injury, and January signing Danny Graham failed to score a single goal in 13 appearances. Di Canio has signed Jozy Altidore from AZ Alkmaar, but the 23-year-old American may be a gamble after scoring just one goal in 28 appearances for Hull when he was on loan in the 2009/10 campaign.

Predicted Finish: 18th - Di Canio’s Black Cats make up my relegation trio because I think he has bought in too many changes. Then as he has shown throughout his career, he doesn’t like it when things don’t go his way, and if that happens then there could be dressing room tensions which will only make survival more difficult, and Sunderland could easily find themselves in free fall. 

Swansea (9th)

Michael Laudrup’s side were most certainly the surprise package last season, winning the Capital One Cup - subsequently qualifying for the Europa League - and finishing 9th in their second season in the PL. The signing of Michu for a fee of around £2million proved to be a masterstroke as the Spaniard went on to score 18 league goals, and this season he will be partnered by Wilfried Bony, the £12m signing from Vitesse Arnhem. Jonathan De Guzman has returned on another season-long loan from Villareal, whilst midfielders Alejandro Pozuelo, Jose Canas and Jonjo Shelvey have signed from Real Betis and Liverpool respectively, and defender Jordi Amat from Espanyol.

Bony made a good start to his Swansea career by scoring a brace in the 4-0 hammering of Malmo in the Europa League qualifying round, and the Swans looked very fluid in that match - a promising sign going into the new season. Keeping hold of Michu and captain Ashley Williams are also significant of Swansea’s ambition to do well this season.

Predicted Finish: 7th - European commitments may be the difference between Swansea and Liverpool this season in the league, but I wouldn’t expect Swansea to be as affected by Europe as Newcastle were last year, especially after their demise in form following their League Cup win, so they should still be up there competing in the upper reaches of the league.

Tottenham Hotspur (5th)

Another summer drama, this time in North London, involves Gareth Bale and Spanish giants Real Madrid. After the Welshman caught people’s eyes in the Champions League a couple of years ago, he had a fantastic season last year, chipping in with 21 goals in the process. Step forward Madrid with an obscene amount of money, reported to be between £85m and £100m, against Daniel Levy, Spurs chairman reluctant to sell, and the result? Bale is still at Spurs, but is rumoured to have said he will never play for the club again, while Florentino Perez has claimed Madrid won’t pay that amount of money, and Carlo Ancelotti has begun mind games by sarcastically saying he won’t comment on the saga out of respect to his “fellow manager”. Like with everything else, until the deal is done, it’s not worth thinking about. If Bale was that desperate, he would have handed in a transfer request, but like Rooney, he hasn’t.

AVB made a decent start to his Spurs career, guiding them to fifth, one point behind Arsenal and a Champions League spot, but it was still the highest ever points tally accumulated by Spurs. With the problem last year being consistency and more goal scorers, AVB has bought in Paulinho from Corinthians to solidify the midfield, and Nacer Chadli and Roberto Soldado to add attacking opportunities to his team. They will again be competing in the Europa League, so squad strength and depth will be important, and perhaps a trophy would do nicely too.

Predicted Finish: 5th - I still think Spurs will be lacking that something to get into the top 4, especially if Bale leaves. While that will be their target, I should hope that AVB will want a trophy, whether that be the Europa League, FA Cup or League cup.

West Bromwich Albion (8th)

Steve Clarke’s men surprised many with their eighth place finish last season, but it was well deserved (and that’s coming from a Stoke fan!) because their attitude and integrity was simply outstanding - it was epitomised by their final day 5-5 draw with Manchester United where they came back from beyond the grave to claim a result.

One thing missing for them this season though will be the presence of Romelu Lukaku. The young Belgian is staying at Chelsea this term to try and break into the first team, and why shouldn’t he after a 17 goal haul last season? Instead it will be in veteran Nicolas Anelka and youngster Matej Vydra Baggies fans place their faith, while Uruguay captain Diego Lugano should provide some more solidity and organisation at the back, so West Brom could find themselves looking at matching last season’s heroics.

Predicted Finish: 9th - I do believe The Baggies are in the upper reaches of the ‘middle’ group in the PL, and it is a very tough battle to win, but with some solid performances there is no reason they can’t finish higher up. Unfortunately, I think there are one or two teams who will be better off than them, and that’s the reason I say 9th.

West Ham United (10th)

The ‘big’ news - if you will - is that Andy Carroll signed permanently for the club after impressing during his season-long loan last year (albeit in the latter stages). The Hammers again surpassed expectations last season to finish tenth, and I think Big Sam is beginning to improve his reputation of being a ‘survival’ manager, and like Harry Redknapp is becoming a manager capable of building a solid team to compete in the upper reaches of the PL. He already has a good team with Kevin Nolan being the centre-piece, backed up by Mo Diame, and with Andy Carroll up top and James Collins at the back, there is a strong central skewer. 

Stewart Downing has joined, also from Liverpool, to add some more pace and width to the skewer, and he will be able to ping the balls in to Carroll, perhaps getting some goals himself too. There are also some promising youngsters coming through, like Dan Potts, so it would be good to see Allardyce use them when possible.

Predicted Finish: 10th - In a more competitive PL, I think The Hammers will do as well as last season, but there is still some quality to be bought in before they can start competing higher up. Solidity will be the key for them, which is guaranteed at home, so pick up a couple of results away from home to take points off their rivals, and they could do a little better!

Magic of the FA Cup

The 'magic' of the FA Cup returned last weekend for some lower league teams, although one tie isn't over yet..

Non-league Luton achieved a marvellous 1-0 victory away to Norwich, with chairman Nick Owen on a cruise in the Caribbean or something, and were rewarded with a home tie against Milwall. A great achievement it must be said because it is rare clubs of Luton's level make it past Round 3, but it can be done - just look at Crawley Town a couple of years ago, Havant and Waterlooville..

Milwall themselves beat Premier League strugglers Aston Villa 2-1, courtesy of a late winner. The loss puts more pressure on Paul Lambert, who will want to forget last week as quickly as possible having also gone out of the League Cup to Bradford (see last week's post).. He played almost his strongest team as well, and for the first 20 minutes, Villa looked to be in control, but Milwall got back into it and in the end, I think they deserved a victory.. On the bright side for Villa, they can concentrate on Premier League survival now, and with the transfer window all but over, they will have to do it as they are.

Brighton, Macclesfield and Aldershot's runs were all halted on Saturday, but all three pushed their opponents to the limit. Brighton TWICE came back against Arsenal before they were ultimately defeated 3-2.. Like Villa, they can now concentrate on the league, and promotion to the Premier League is looking possible for Gus Poyet's men, via the Play-Offs..

Macclesfield narrowly lost 1-0 at home to Wigan, after they knocked Championship flyers Cardiff out in the last round.. An early penalty was enough for Roberto Martinez's men, so if anything it was almost unlucky for Macclesfield, although had they achieved a draw, I'm not convinced they could have won at The DW.

Aldershot had possibly the closest run tie.. They scored an equaliser at Middlesborough in the 89th minute, and looked to have secured a replay, but Lukas Jutkiewicz's 96th minute winner was too much for the League 2 side..

Sunday was the 'upset' day though if ever there was one. The action started in London, where Brentford TWICE went ahead against Champions of Europe Chelsea, but an equaliser from Fernando Torres (yes, that is correct) 10 minutes from time will see the League 1 club visit Stamford Bridge in a replay.

Meanwhile, a drive up to Elland Road provided yet more drama as the Championship side achieved a 2-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur, although when Spurs got one back in the 58th minute there must have been some worry among the Leeds supporters. Nonetheless, their team held on to set up a tie with England Champions Manchester City.

The biggest shock came across the Pennines in a town called Oldham, where the League 1 strugglers held on to beat FA Cup royalty Liverpool 3-2. I watched the end of the game, and I did wonder 'how have they managed that', but the fact is, they did. Joe Allen's volley in the 80th minute set up a nerve-wracking finale, and when Steven Gerrard's shot rattled off the bar, Oldham must have known it was their day.. They now face that other Liverpudlian team, Everton.

Oh, and Blackburn beat Derby 3-0.

In other news, Manchester United signed Wilfried Zaha for a fee reported to be around £10million, with £5million worth of added fees, after the young England star passed a medical.. I hope Ryan Giggs wasn't around to see his T-Shirt with Imogen Thomas on the front!

Wesley Sneidjer stunned the world of football by choosing Turkish side Galatasaray over a whole host of Premier League suitors, and his arrival was followed by that of a certain Didier Drogba.. They better win the Champions League next year!

The biggest news though, that broke just before I started writing, is that (awful accent on) 'Super-Mario' (accent over) Balotelli is moving to AC Milan from Manchester City in a deal worth a reported £20million.. Was that picture of somebody weeing on his camoflage car the final straw? Anyway, it is a distraction that I'm sure Roberto Mancini will be glad to be rid of, so he can now concentrate on winning the League with those other 24 players at City. AC - good luck.

All I have to say for now, depending on what happens on Deadline Day, I may or may not do a January special, just keep your eyes posted..

Ciao.

Drama. Or Football?

Where to begin this week? As the title suggests, this week was pretty incredible for football on the pitch, and on the side..

Bradford, from League 2, showed Aston Villa (and the football world really) that there is as much magic in the League Cup as the FA Cup - they managed to beat them over 2 legs in the semi-final to reach the promised land: a final at Wembley. 

For the Bradford fans it is a fantastic day out, and for the players it is a potentially once-in-a-lifetime experience to savour and enjoy in what has been a fantastic acheivement for the club.

For Villa fans though, it raises serious question marks over either the efforts of their squad, or the ideas of Paul Lambert.. They are struggling in the league, and this was a really good chance for Lambert to show Villa that they are going places, but they scuffed it. 

I watched the match and in the first half, Villa were cruising as expected (I think the possession was something silly like 72-28), but they weren't clinical enough, and that gave Bradford confidence that they could actually go through, which is exactly what they did.

People are saying that Villa need to buy some more experienced players to support the youngsters Lambert fields, but if you look at their squad, players like Charles N'Zogbia, Stephen Ireland, Ron Vlaar, Richard Dunne, Gabby Agbonlahor and Fabian Delph, they have played at a high level for a long while. Goodness knows what is going on with Darren Bent..

Bradford's opponents in the final, Swansea, also came through a 'shock' elimination as they beat Chelsea 2-0 on aggregate, having actually scored both goals in the first leg at Stamford Bridge. It was a game that Swansea were happy to sit back and defend in, but it was effective as it kept Chelsea at bay and they failed to get a goal.

The 'drama' of the game came in the 77th minute when Eden Hazard appeared to 'kick' one of the ball boys in an attempt to get the ball back and speed the game up with Chelsea chasing an equaliser.. At first I, like many, was convinced he'd actually kicked him in the ribs for no reason, but then I saw how the ball boy wouldn't give the ball back, and fell on top of it, so if anything credit to Hazard for not kicking him harder, in the face, or doing worse.

The saga got better as people sought out this 'poor boy's' Twitter account, only to find out a) he planned to cheat and time waste, and publicly announced it on the social media site, and b) he's an underage drinker at 17: hardly a boy. But if you do read this Charlie Morgan, Tom Daly would give you 10/10 for diving, and Hollywood 10/10 for acting..

Nonetheless, all credit to Swansea for progressing to the final, comiserations to Chelsea.. Some are surprised Rafa is still in a job!

I know these events are quite late this week, I do concede I've been too busy in my own fairytale on FIFA, with Accrington Stanley defeating Preston, West Brom, Southampton, Arsenal then Newcastle in the final of the League Cup, so Bradford: it is possible!

And I thought January was for transferring players...

Another manager. Gone.

Well done Southampton for sacking the manager who got you back-to-back promotions, and has lost just one of the last seven in the Premier League, including coming from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 at Stamford Bridge. Real stupid decision there.. To add to it, I think as well as your fans turning against you, a lot of the country will now look down on you and despise you.

Of course we wish Mauricio Pochettino all the best, because there isn't anything he's done wrong, it's down to the Board, but it will be hard for him to win the respect of the fans and the players; just look at Rafa Benitez at Chelsea...

Another managerial shift was at Blackburn, where Henning Berg lasted 57 days, before being sacked and replaced by who Michael Appleton, who was appointed at Blackpool just 65 days ago after Ian Holloway left for Crystal Palace.. I think it was wrong of Blackburn to tempt him away from Blackpool, and even more wrong for Appleton ot take the job, but hey-ho.. (That good enough Dan?)

Anyway, rant over! FA Cup replays are over, and no shocks or surprises unfortunately.. Bournemouth were defeated by Wigan, and Fulham left it late to overcome Blackpool, but that is all forgotten now as clubs look ahead to the next round...

Oh, and happy 150th to the FA.

Football aside, there were 2 other sports that made big headlines this week (yes, I do navigate away from the football page occasionally!).

Lance Armstrong, stripped of his 7 Tour de France titles and Olympic medals, admitted on the Oprah Winfrey show that he used prohibited performance-enhancing drugs in all of his TdF victories, and apologised. Many people have come out and attacked him, branding him all sorts from "a cheat and a liar" to "disgusting" to "****ing ******". 

Whilst I don't condone what he has done, if those sweet, innocent people are telling me they have never cheated to try and win, then they are lying because it is human nature to do that, and that - to me - is disgusting.

As a result of this, members of the IOC have reportedly discussed eliminating Cycling events from the Olympics. I don't think they will, and I hope they don't because there is very little need or reason to.. But does anybody else think that it's strange, they're going to eliminate the sport that Team GB could potentially dominate in Rio? Quite convenient..

The other 'big' sport this week has been Golf. After signing a bumper deal with Nike, Rory McIlroy got off to a poor start this year; he failed to make the cut in Abu Dhabi with his new Nike-endorsed clubs, and his driving in particular was off. On the second day he even resorted to using his OLD putter and still couldn't improve.. Perhaps he is a little rusty after spending the winter swanning around with Caroline Wozniacki? I doubt the 'new clubs are useless' argument will last long!

I'm a little pressed for time this week, hence the short entry, but I'll improve for next week!

Happy reading people. =)

FA Cup 3rd Round

"One of the most magical weekends in English football" - It can only be the FA Cup third round.

There's always upsets, memories, controversies and 'part-time support' for the lower league clubs that survive the odds, anyone remember Crawley Town making it to Old Trafford after beating Newcastle? Or Havant and Waterlooville earning themselves a replay at Anfield against Liverpool?

Well it almost happened for The Reds again this year as they played Mansfield Town of the Conference National. If the referee had spotted Luis Suarez's handball in the build-up to Liverpool's second goal, the match theoretically would have finished 1-1, and Mansfield would have had the honour of visiting Anfield. Anyway, I have received enough abuse regarding the situation, so I shall leave that one there. Liverpool face League 2's Oldham Athletic.

The 'part-time supporters' will no doubt be following Luton Town and Macclesfield Town, after they both knocked out Championship opposition, despite being non-league.

Luton sealed a late win over struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers - who sacked manager Stale Solbakken after the game - and now face a trip to Norwich, while Macclesfield produced a fantastic late display to beat Championship leaders Cardiff, and will face either Wigan Athletic or Bournemouth.

Another giant killing as such was Brighton's victory over Newcastle United. The Seagulls aren't doing too bad in the Championship, just three points off the play-offs, so some people aren't keen on calling it a giant killing. Nevertheless, it was a good win for Gus Poyet's men, and they earned a home tie against either Swansea or Arsenal. 

Aldershot Town face a trip to Middlesborough after a 3-1 victory over Rotherham United, but for Southend or Brentford, the winner will have a home tie against European Champions Chelsea to look forward to.

Unfortunately for Hastings United, Middlesborough was a step too far, and they valiantly lost 4-1. Which leads me onto the other element of the FA Cup, the days out for the fans. This is more so for lower league teams, such as Hastings, going to bigger clubs, however if your team reach the final (as Stoke did in 2011), there is nothing better than the excitement of going to Wembley - even at 16!

As I mentioned in my last installment, the January transfer window is upon us.

Liverpool, as we all thought, signed a striker in Chelsea's Daniel Sturridge. He scored his first goal in the FA Cup match against Mansfield, and looks like he will thrive in Brendan Rodgers' flowing system.

Another club in need of a striker was Chelsea, and they too acted qucikly by snapping up Demba Ba from Newcastle for £7.5million. He too made an immediate impact by scoring a brace in The Blues' 5-1 victory at Southampton, and Fernando Torres' face - back on the bench - made the picture of the weekend as he sat almost sulking.

Man City are looking at a £45million move for Napoli's Edison Cavanni, prompting suggestions that Mario Balotelli IS on his way out, and his bust up with Mancini hasn't helped anything, so I wouldn't be surprised if that goes through.

That's all for now, New Year Resolution going well so far..

Ciao!

January

Happy New Year!

Not managed to write for a while, been a busy Christmas period in Football so I've been keeping up with my Manchester United correspondence for Quays News, feel free to search it!

United will be happy to be going into the New Year seven points clear at the top of the Prem, and rivals City, yet they will not have forgotten yet how easily they threw away an eight point lead at the end of last season to concede the title.

The defence looks to have tightened up a little, despite leaking three goals to Newcastle at home, but two clean sheets in a row against West Brom and Wigan will be more reassuring for Fergie.

At this time of year, football entusiasts don't celebreate 12:00 with 'Happy New Year', instead the resounding 'Happy Transfer Window opening' can be heard, with fans hoping for their clubs to sign players to plug any gaps, to help avoid relegation, or to kick on a push for the title or a place in Europe.

For other clubs, they will be hoping to hang on to some of their best players, like Everton or Stoke.. But here's a quick guide to what clubs need to do what..

Arsenal - Need a 'keeper, perhaps a CB.. Perhaps they could even sell both Chamakh and Gervinho, and bring in a more consistant forward.

Aston Villa - More experienced players. Lambert is building a very young squad, and the Villa fans can see what it is he is trying to do. In Andy Weimann, he has a potentially very good striker, and Benteke isn't bad either, but his commitment to Villa is questionable. However to survive, I feel that they need an experienced CM and/or CB or two to help develop the youngsters, and keep the Villains in the Prem.

Chelsea - With Daniel Sturridge on his way to Liverpool, Chelsea definitely need a striker or two. It would be a mistake to bring Romleu Lukaku back to the club in January because he is doing well at West Brom. Something else they need to do urgently is offer Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole new contracts because they are both fantastic players. I can only guess something has gone on behind the scenes..

Everton - They might need a CB or a full back, but their priorities are to keep hold of Marouane Fellaini and Leighton Baines.

Fulham - Martin Jol's side lack consistency, their home form keeps them up, but on the road they struggle. A good win a West Brom was down to spirit, but the Cottagers need just a bit more quality at the back, and flair in midfield because as Dimitar Berbatov said, feed him the ball and he will score.

Liverpool - Striker. End of.

Man City - I agree with people who say they need to sell Mario Balotelli, he's not done enough for how much they paid for him.. Until he grows up, they wont get anything out of him. I think they need to inspire Aguero, Dzeko and Tevez into firing more regularly instead of spending on new players.

Man United - A better goalkeeper really, De Gea hasn't performed, and rumours are that Real Madrid are interested in him.. I think Fergie will wait until the summer to do his defensive transfers, unless a particular deal comes up that he can't refuse or improve.

Newcastle - The Magpies have been unlucky this season. They did the right thing in not buying a load of new players, and putting faith in the squad that did so well last year. But it has backfired as that squad has let them down in quality, but also through injury, which is unfortunate.
They need to keep hold of Demba Ba, but that looks unlikely, as Chelsea have already pounced to sign him.

Norwich - Chris Hughton has turned the team round from the team who started the season, and they are playing really well at the moment. Russell Martin has played really well recently, so Hughton will need to keep hold of him, but in terms of signings, maybe a more creative CM is needed to hold up play and distribute the ball forward, but otherwise they will be ok.

QPR - Where to start? The squad has some players who should be Premier League quality, but unfortunately they can't play together, and I'm not sure even Harry Redknapp can keep them up. They need at least a striker, a winger, a CM, a new defence..

Reading - Like Villa, they could do with some more experienced Premier League players to keep them up. They haven't been too bad, and put in some good performances, but need some more consistent results and goals.

Southampton - They've finally found some consistency, and their home form is good. I think they could do with a tighter defence, and perhaps another striker to score the goals.

Stoke - My team, always perfect? Not quite.. I think Pulis could do with bringing in a full back; as much as I love Wilko, he's not consistent enough sometimes, and Shotton isn't Prem quality.. I'd like to see a more consistent striker too, Darren Bent would be ideal if Villa want him sold. My biggest hope though is that Shawcross, Huth or Begovic aren't sold!

Sunderland - Martin O'Neill has changed Sunderland's fortunes around, and they are doing alright. They need a striker to get some more goals in the net, and perhaps a CB because they need to tighten up their defence.

Swansea - Michel Laudrup has made The Swans his own team, despite many who thought he'd carry on Brendan Rodgers'.. Miguel Michu has been the signing of the season for me, at just £2.2million, so the Swans need to keep him among their ranks. I think a co-striker for him is what they need, especially since they struggled a bit without him!

Spurs - Not sure what they need.. The defence could do with a bit of consistency, and I think a striker to induce some competition in Defoe and Adebayor.

West Brom - They've got some great creative players in the middle, and like with many, they need more consistency.. James Morison has stopped performing, and the strikers are at times struggling to hit the target, so perhaps a more consistent striker, which is hard to find these days!

West Ham - They need a winger and a striker. Andy Carroll, surprise surprise, hasn't performed, Carlton Cole isn't doing too well, so they just need someone to pop in the goals, and create a bit more.

Wigan - I think they need a striker, but not much else because I expect them to kick on as they usually do.

So there's my thoughts, I think it's still too early to say who's going down, but QPR are in serious trouble..

The first major sports trophy, yes Darts is a sport, was won by none other than Phil 'The Power' Taylor, his SIXTEENTH world title, in an incredible final with Dutch star Michael van Gerwen.

He lost the first two sets, came back to 2-2, lost the next two (4-2), then won five in a row to win 7-4.

The incredible thing about darts, other than the atmosphere and the fans, is the way the momentum can change so quickly, and the mental strength needed is incredible - definitely worthy of being called a sport!

Finally, New Year's Resolution #1 - Blog more regularly!

Speak to you soon!