Posted August 2, 201311 yr That time of year again :D New Season of top flight football is two weeks away, obviously there's just under a month left of the transfer window left but a good chunk of the signings have already been completed. 1. Manchester City 2. Chelsea 3. Manchester United 4. Spurs 5. Liverpool 6. Arsenal 7. Swansea 8. Norwich 9. Everton 10. Fulham 11. Southampton 12. West Brom 13. West Ham 14. Newcastle 15. Stoke City 16. Cardiff City 17. Aston Villa 18. Hull 19. Sunderland 20. Crystal Palace Golden boot winner: Aguero First manager to be sacked: Pardew I feel Manchester City have increased their squad depth this season massively. So when their key players have hit and miss with form they can easily switch them up. I don't thini they'll run away with it, but I expect they'll win. I still feel they could perhaps do with another striker as there will be a lot of pressure on Negredo, although I expect Aguero to have a fine season. Chelsea will do well under the Mourinho effect initially. They'll do well with or without Rooney. I'm still not convinced by David Moyes, at all. Honestly his tenure so far reminds me so much of Roy Hodgson at Liverpool. PR gaff after PR gaff so far. Their getting rebuffed about all their transfer targets. I think everyone knows they will end up with Fellaini (sp?). I think their big tests will come against the top teams. Ferguson had a very good record against the top 6 teams, but Moyes' record against the top teams is terrible. It will be interesting. I expect the battle for 4th to be won by Spurs. Liverpool will do better this season, although a lot of that will be dependent on whether Suarez stays or not. Both will probably reinforce in January too. Spurs will be significantly weaker if Bale does leave, more so than if Suarez leaves Liverpool. Arsenal need to strengthen, what they have was pushed last season by Spurs and Spurs have reinforced heavily. I still feel they need 2/3 signings, and 4/5 if they have any ambition f going for the title. After that it's hit and miss really. Swansea have bought wisely so I'm expecting them to do well again. Likewise with Norwich. I think they'll be the dark horses this season, they've bought some really smart players. Everton I expect will take some time to adapt to their new philosophy, they'll probably struggle or be very inconsistent in the early part of the season. The same goes for Stoke, although I'm not sure how you can really teach some of their players to play football on the ground! Crystal Palace are certs to go down, I wouldn't even be surprised if they got close to the record low points tally. I've tipped Sunderland to go down because I'm not sure what Di Canio will be like over a full season. I think they could surprise people and do really well. They'll be very hard to beat at home, but I'm not sure where all their goals will come from. But anyone could go down from 10th onwards. Cardiff have bought some good players, I thought they would be certs to go down aswell but now I'm not quite sure.
August 2, 201311 yr I would put Newcastle 17th or 18th. Everyone around them has improved the team in some way but Newcastle have the exact same team as last year.
August 2, 201311 yr I think Arsenal will still get Top 4. Liverpool won't be challenging at all; they're just not a good team anymore. 6th or 7th place at the highest. I agree Arsenal need to strengthen (I think they will) and I'm sure they'll get Top 4 again. Tottenham have a good chance as well. Manchester City and Chelsea will battle it out for the title. Crystal Palace and Hull will likely go down with one of Aston Villa, Norwich, Stoke or Sunderland joining them. Edited August 2, 201311 yr by ConnorVICKERS
August 2, 201311 yr Author I think Arsenal will still get Top 4. Liverpool won't be challenging at all; they're just not a good team anymore. 6th or 7th place at the highest. I agree Arsenal need to strengthen (I think they will) and I'm sure they'll get Top 4 again. Tottenham have a good chance as well. Crystal Palace and Hull will likely go down with one of Aston Villa, Norwich, Stoke or Sunderland joining them. I admit I'm slightly biased about Liverpool, but this we don't have a good team belief is rubbish. Our squad right now is good enough to compete for the Top 4. A lot of Liverpool's problems are to do with mentality, which this summer we've gone some way to addressing. Not convinced Arsenal will make the signing's they need to.
August 2, 201311 yr I'm not convinced that Arsenal will finish top four this season. They've not improved their squad while Liverpool have. I agree regarding Swansea to qualify for Europe again this season (7th?), their team Is better than Everton's and the strike force of Michu and Bony sounds incredible! Everton have not really bothered to expand their squad either!
August 2, 201311 yr I admit I'm slightly biased about Liverpool, but this we don't have a good team belief is rubbish. Our squad right now is good enough to compete for the Top 4. A lot of Liverpool's problems are to do with mentality, which this summer we've gone some way to addressing. Not convinced Arsenal will make the signing's they need to. OK, that's personally your opinion. I don't think your squad is good enough for Top 4. Mignolet is a good signing but I don't think Toure, Aspas and Alberto will make much difference. Also, you'll be weakened if you lose Suarez which is still a big possibility. I think Arsenal will and they'll have too. The Emirates Cup is this weekend and the supporters will make it clear This is said every season about Arsenal not being able to do it and they always do. I expect it too continue. Edited August 2, 201311 yr by ConnorVICKERS
August 2, 201311 yr I'm not convinced that Arsenal will finish top four this season. They've not improved their squad while Liverpool have. But once Arsenal's improvements from last season got going (and Wenger realised Vermaelen should never play if Mertesacker & Koscielny are fit) they were as good as anyone. Equal points with Man Utd and ahead of everyone else from New Year IIRC. I can't see them finishing outside of the top 4. I shan't do PL predictions until nearer the start of the season (though I agree with Roo that Swansea & Norwich will be top of 'the rest') but I did write a Championship preview last weekend. 01 Watford 02 Reading - 03 Wigan 04 Forest 05 Bolton 06 Ipswich - 07 Derby 08 Blackburn 09 Leicester 10 Millwall 11 Leeds 12 QPR 13 Barnsley 14 Brighton 15 Middlesbrough 16 Sheffield Wednesday 17 Huddersfield 18 Charlton 19 Bournemouth 20 Birmingham 21 Yeovil -- 22 Doncaster 23 Blackpool 24 Burnley Peterborough and Bristol City to come straight back up from League 1, the former to storm to the title. Edited August 2, 201311 yr by RabbitFurCoat
August 2, 201311 yr They should be too good to fail, but their squad is still full of expensive flops who don't want to be there and cloggers, and they should've been too good to go down last season but were going down from match 1. Richard Dunne and Clint Hill as a central defensive partnership, signing Karl Henry. Glad I'm not paying to watch that.
August 3, 201311 yr Author OK, that's personally your opinion. I don't think your squad is good enough for Top 4. Mignolet is a good signing but I don't think Toure, Aspas and Alberto will make much difference. Also, you'll be weakened if you lose Suarez which is still a big possibility. I think Arsenal will and they'll have too. The Emirates Cup is this weekend and the supporters will make it clear This is said every season about Arsenal not being able to do it and they always do. I expect it too continue. Fair enough. I disagree, I think all the players we've signed are upgrades on the people who have replaced us. We might lose Suarez, but I don't think it will be as bad will be made out if we lose him. I think the end of the last season showed we have enough goals in the team now. Arsenal will be strong as usual, but Spurs and Liverpool have both strengthened and Arsenal have yet to. They won't get Suarez unless they pay the £55m.
August 5, 201311 yr 1 Manchester United 2 Manchester City 3 Chelsea 4 Tottenham 5 Arsenal 6 Liverpool 7 Everton 8 Swansea City 9 West Ham United 10 Southampton 11 Fulham 12 Norwich City 13 Aston Villa 14 Newcastle United 15 Cardiff City 16 West Bromwich Albion 17 Stoke City 18 Crystal Palace 19 Sunderland 20 Hull City The top three order (and winner) is an absolute lottery right now. Not a clue how any of them will fare following the summer upheaval. Don't think any other team are even remotely close to winning the league or challenging for top three however. Think Spurs and Crystal Palace will give it a good go at opposite ends of the table, mixed fortunes.
August 6, 201311 yr 01 Manchester City 02 Chelsea 03 Manchester United 04 Arsenal 05 Tottenham 06 Liverpool 07 Swansea 08 Everton 09 Southampton 10 West Brom 11 West Ham 12 Norwich 13 Aston Villa 14 Fulham 15 Newcastle 16 Cardiff 17 Sunderland 18 Stoke 19 Hull 20 Crystal Palace It's always dangerous to write United off but I think City's attacking firepower will be too much and they'll simply win too many games. Chelsea as well to an extent, Mourinho won't know his best team at the start of the season but they have a lot of options. It seems odd but I think Arsenal will make 4th again even without Suarez. Their squad is still stronger than Spurs' and it shouldn't have been as close last season as it was, I think Bale will go but Spurs' first team is better than Liverpool's - the latter will be a lot closer to the top 5 but they have a star player who doesn't want to be there and Coutinho won't sustain his form over a whole season. Swansea have impressed me with their signings and their squad now looks really good, Everton are more of a settled unit but Martinez won't be able to get them playing his way straight away. Southampton and West Brom have bought well, I think we'll finish lower than last season despite Adrian and Rat being great signings, Norwich will score goals with Van Wolfswinkel and Hooper but I'm not sure about their defence and Hughton isn't a manager to take a team further than midtable. Villa will see the benefit of Lambert having extra time with his squad, I can't see Fulham being in any danger either. Newcastle seem to be intent on imploding but if even a horrific run of injuries last year couldn't send them down then I don't think they'll go this season either. Cardiff have made a couple of clever signings, they're the only one of the three promoted sides I think have any chance of surviving. Sunderland are a disaster waiting to happen but Giaccherini is a great signing and no matter how destructive Di Canio is, I simply think Mark Hughes is a worse manager. How he's convinced so many teams to employ him is beyond me and hopefully this will be the end of him and Stoke. Hull and Palace may as well be already gone.
August 6, 201311 yr 1. Chelsea 2. Manchester City 3. Manchester United 4. Spurs 5. Arsenal 6. Liverpool 7. Swansea 8. Southampton 9. Everton 10. Norwich 11. West Ham 12. West Brom 13. Aston Villa 14. Fulham 15. Newcastle 16. Stoke City 17. Cardiff City 18. Hull 19. Sunderland 20. Crystal Palace Its an interesting one with the top three this year especially considering we're still on the first page and all three have been touted as the winner in these predictions already! With or without Rooney I think Chelsea have the edge over the rest and the Mourinho effect will last for at least the majority of this season. Losing Fergie is a big blow for United but I think Moyes was the right choice to succeed him, however the lack of his presence plus Chelsea & City strengthening more than him don't bode well for us. Spurs are now genuine title contenders and even without Bale should get the champions league spot but I've always been a fan of Wenger so there are still lingering doubts in my mind about that one. I've been impressed by the progression of Swansea, Southampton and Norwich over the summer and expect them to improve. Not expecting much from the promoted teams but Cardiff will easily do the best and I think they'll survive and push on from there. Others: Championship: P: Wigan, Reading, QPR (Yes all promoted clubs to go straight back up but I'd consider swapping QPR for Bolton) R: Blackpool, Doncaster, Millwall League One: P: Bristol City, Brentford, Peterborough R: Coventry, Shrewsbury, Gillingham, Carilisle League Two: P: Chesterfield, Fleetwood, Scunthorpe, Oxford R: Accrington, Dagenham & Redbridge
August 6, 201311 yr 1. Chelsea 2. Man City 3. Man Utd 4. Liverpool 5. Spurs 6. Arsenal 7. Newcastle 8. Swansea 9. West Ham 10.Everton 11.West Brom 12.Villa 13.Sunderland 14.Norwich 15.Southampton 16.Cardiff 17.Stoke 18.Fulham 19.Hull 20.Palace Golden Boot - Lukaku First Manager Sacked - Jol This is based on the assumption that Suarez stays, Rooney stays, Bale stays Spurs will be there or their abouts but i think our defence will leak too many goals to make CL Liverpool will score for fun with Sturridge and Suarez, enough to make CL Newcastle surprise package of the season, Remy will get 20 goals for them if fit
August 6, 201311 yr Author Gotta admit Craig I'm surprised Spurs haven't strengthened in defence. Surprised you've not gone for Baines.
August 6, 201311 yr Gotta admit Craig I'm surprised Spurs haven't strengthened in defence. Surprised you've not gone for Baines. We have bid for Baines but he doesn't want to go, only wants to play for Utd or stay where he is We have been unlucky losing Vertonghen and Dawson to bad injuries in the space of a few days and Kaboul getting another knock on his knee in training But then again when do we get any luck :(
August 7, 201311 yr Oh boo hoo, everyone gets injuries. With the exception of the odd horrific run and "injury dip" is just a result of bad planning and depth.
August 7, 201311 yr We have bid for Baines but he doesn't want to go, only wants to play for Utd or stay where he is We have been unlucky losing Vertonghen and Dawson to bad injuries in the space of a few days and Kaboul getting another knock on his knee in training But then again when do we get any luck :( Serves Spurs right for selling Caulker!
August 7, 201311 yr 01 - Man City 02 - Chelsea 03 - Man Utd 04 - Arsenal 05 - Liverpool 06 - Spurs 07 - Swansea 08 - Norwich 09 - Everton 10 - Fulham 11 - West Ham 12 - Aston Villa 13 - Stoke 14 - Southampton 15 - Cardiff 16 - Newcastle 17 - Sunderland 18 - West Brom 19 - Hull 20 - Palace Teams I'm looking forward to watching most are Norwich, Swansea, Fulham and Villa. Taarabt, Berbatov and Ruiz attacking with Karagounis, Boateng and Sidwell in midfield is going to be a DELIGHT! Feel for West Brom this season. They've lost over half their goals from last year (assuming Odemwingie goes), lost more players than they've signed from an already small squad and their only significant signings are Anelka and Lugano, neither are particularly needed.
August 7, 201311 yr Serves Spurs right for selling Caulker! He demanded to leave, wanted to be an automatic starter at a club, unlike Bale he was not seen as indispensible so we didn't stand in his way. We had a Romanian centre half lined up, agreed terms but then for some reason the owner of Steau Bucharest pulled the plug at the last minute, this guy was going to be Caulker's replacement We will buy a centre half but probably not before the Palace game
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