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!
