Oh my. He didnt just bring back the premiership predictions thread, did he?
For the 6th year running.
2002/2003
2003/2004
2004/2005
2005/2006
2006/2007
Last Year :
Code:
My Predicted Table Final Table Difference
01. Chelsea Man Utd DOWN 1
02. Liverpool Chelsea DOWN 1
03. Man Utd Liverpool UP 2
04. Arsenal Arsenal CORRECT
05. Tottenham Tottenham CORRECT
06. Everton Everton CORRECT
07. Blackburn Bolton DOWN 3
08. West Ham Reading DOWN 7
09. Newcastle Portsmouth DOWN 4
10. Aston Villa Blackburn DOWN 1
11. Man City Aston Villa DOWN 3
12. Bolton Middlesborough UP 5
13. Portsmouth Newcastle UP 4
14. Charlton Man City DOWN 5
15. Fulham West Ham DOWN 1
16. Middlesborough Fulham UP 4
17. Reading Wigan UP 9
18. Wigan Sheffield United UP 1
19. Watford Charlton DOWN 1
20. Sheffield United Watford UP 2
3 CORRECTS - one down on the last 2 years.
Overall score this year : 54
(For those who dont remember or can't be bothered reading the previous threads; the Score is your margin of error - add a point for every place you were out for every team, total it up)
2005/2006 score = 62
2006/2007 score = 58
Aiming for 50 this year
So on to this year. I reserve the right to change any prediction up until the first kick off
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01. Chelsea
I wish i didnt have to predict this or praise them but the fact remains they have the best squad of footballers in England. Probably the only way they won't win the league is if they have numerous flops and failings, or a huge injury crisis - which wont matter so much this year because of the size of their first team squad. They lost last year because they had bad injuries to Cech (and cudicini) and more importantly Terry without having any significant competent back up. This year as well as having 2 goalkeepers knocked unconscious they will need to lose 3 of Terry, Carvahlo, Alex, and Ben Haim to injury before Essien - who is a competent if not spectacular defender - has to play a bit part there. Never mind playing the odd reserve or youth team player which mourinho doesn't seem to understand isnt a crime. The team is built from the back and strong right throughout - workrates of Lampard, Ballack, Shevchenko dont matter very much when you only need to score once probably thanks to your defence, and with the amount of talent on the field, the laws of inevitability say its going to happen. The only weak area in the entire team is at right back, and i'm sure by the time i post this they'll probably conclude a deal for Daniel Alves and then everyone's ****ed for sure. Another possible weakness would be if they fail to find a winning formation this year as they failed to do last year. If they go 4-3-3 / 4-5-1 as they did early on in Mourinho's Chelsea management, its hard to see them being beat, as the central midfield trio will utilise their strength in depth of central midfielders, give their creative players free license on the wings. There is also the possiblity as he is wont to do that Mourinho could damage their chances with his reasonably consistent (and oft overlooked) overmanagement of his team; bad subsitutions, bad formations; inexplicable negativity and a plan B that goes no deeper than 'throw another striker on'.
Main Man - Didier Drogba
Drogba last year was the difference between Chelsea and 3rd - 5th. His general hold up play and link up play was exceptional and not only the quantity and quality of his goals - but the timing of them - won games that looked lost on their own. Irreplacable, and an injury to him would force a major tactical rethink.
02. Man Utd
Man Utd have strengthened and strengthened in the right areas. Ironically i think this is a better team than last season's championship winning team. Giggs waned towards the end of last season and i suspect this year he will begin the season as a starter, but will gradually hand over his position on the wing to Nani. Michael Carrick is not a Manchester United player and should in all feasibility be fazed out and sold at the end of the year after being replaced by Owen Hargreaves in the holding role. The fear of course is that Hargreaves will replace Scholes rather than carrick, which would be a fundamental mistake given Scholes pivotal role in the team - Anderson is a more likely direct swap, but this will probably be a transition that takes 2 or more years (rather than the giggs/nani 1 year i suspect). Ronaldo has grown spectacularly as a player; and with the reliable fletcher as versatile cover; man utd's midfield has more options to it than it has in some 4-5 years. Defensively their first choice line up of neville/ferdinand/vidic/evra is solid, dynamic, and vidic brings goals to the table too, but outside of Wes Brown (underrated) they lack depth - however, this presumes of course, than Ferguson isnt prepared to bleed the likes of Craig Cathcart, a strategy which has served the club for so long. With Kuszak, Van Der Sar, and Foster, they have an unfair depth in goalkeeping. However, their main problem in my opinion, is up front. Rooney is a fantastic talent and a guarenteed starter but a difficult player to play with - and who should? Saha? Questionable merits. Solskjaer? Past it. Rossi, Smith, and Larsson have gone. They are putting all their eggs in the Carlos Tevez basket - a player that will cost an absolute packet, that has been found wanting on big occassions internationally, a player that may not even get to Man Utd before the end of the transfer window, and probably most importantly, a player that doesnt look like a natural strike partner for Wayne Rooney. Both like to drop deep, and neither are really known for scoring crap goals - Tevez isn't exactly Van Nistelrooy, which doesnt mean he's a bad player - but it does mean in my opinion, he's not what man utd truly need.
Main Man - Paul Scholes
Despite not being as dynamic in an attacking sense as often as in the past, scholes's reinvention as a footballer after his eye injury has been extraordinary - i admit i wrote him off - when Rooney came to united and started playing in the hole that Scholes had made his own, Scholes looked lost - but rather than complaining, he has adapted to become a deeper, and arguably, a more complete midfielder - and the only English midfielder that actually knows how to accomodate Wayne Rooney. Even in bad man utd games last year he was easily the best player on the field.
03. Liverpool
Liverpool have signed big this summer, but despite Mourinho's jibes, its not been big enough as of this prediction for me to be convinced of them as title challengers. Its not impossible, but too many maybes have to become definites before in a prediction you could be possibly sure of them winning the premiership. Reina came on strong towards the end of last year and is a very good keeper. Finnan has resigned and continues to be the second best right back in the league. Carragher needs no write up. Agger is good - but still too raw to be the definite starter that he is, and he cant deal with the cross ball - one of liverpools main defensive weaknesses. Hyypia can still do 'a job' but he remains the only true backup in central defence, a weakness which has so far not been plugged. Riise is an exceptional left back with an array of attacking talents. Arbeloa/Aurelio provide decent full back coverage. Now on to the interesting part - i suspect liverpool may go 4-3-3 this season (or at least i hope they do.) The biggest problem with going 4-3-3 in England is finding strikers that are able to play wide competently - but both Dirk Kuyt and Ryan Babel grew up as players doing exactly this in Holland - with them wide, and Torres playing through the middle, liverpool might be more potent in attack than they have been for many years. The 4-3-3 formation solves 2 of liverpool's other biggest dilemmas - 1/ No (4-4-2 english style) wingers of any note - babel calls himself a striker, kewell is a sack of shit, benayoun is a bit of a wanderer - pennant fits the bill best, and his crossing is excellent - i felt he came on brilliantly in the second half of the season - but when he's your premier wide player in a 4-4-2 you have no chance of winning the league. 2/ A central-midfield heavy squad which usually resorts in Gerrard being pushed out onto the right, and being under utilized. Being able to play 3 rather than 2 central midfielders allows liverpool to utilise the box to box Gerrard, gives more room for Alonso to spray balls wide, allows you to play a holding (Mascherano) or a battling (Sissoko) defensive midfielder behind them to give them more freedom, and i wouldnt suprised to see Lucas (brazil u21 captain) get a few games towards the back end of the year. However, for liverpool to win the league, they need to go 4-3-3, they need Torres to score 20 goals, Kuyt 10, and Gerrard 10, they need another center half, and they need to stop conceding goals from set pieces - if they do all this, they have a genuine chance of the league; but it just seems ever so slightly out of their reach to me, sadly.
Main Man - Steven Gerrard
When utilized properly he's pretty much the most invaluable player in world football. Can get everyone around him playing better and there are so many admirable aspects to his game both offensively and defensively.
04. Arsenal
This is being billed as a big season of change for Arsenal but personally i see it being more of the same. Want to know what an Henry-less arsenal will look like? Look at the majority of last season. No team is based around one player; Arsenal are built around a style and a core of key players, and i expect them to do just fine this year too without really challenging the top 2 (and probably not liverpool either.) Goalkeeping stability might be an issue - Lehmann has showed no signs of slowing down until now but may feel under pressure from Fabianski. Defensively they are solid and have reasonable depth. The central midfield pairing of Gilberto and Fabregas is pivotal to the way the entire team plays, offensively and defensively. But i feel they lack genuine consistent quality on the wings - rosicky, hleb, flamini strike me as misfits with some positive qualities but not enough for anything other than a european finish. Theo walcott isnt a winger just because he's fast, and any time i watch him i'm struck by his complete lack of an end product. Up front, Adebayor and Van Persie looks like a reasonably good natural strike pairing - i'm unwilling to comment on Da Silva or any of arsenals new signings because i know absolutely nothing about them - but if Wenger signed them, they'll be alright.
Main Man - Robin Van Persie
Looks ready to step into the shoes of the man he supposedly didnt get on very well with. A dangerous striker; and a good bet for Premiership top scorer this year.
05. Tottenham
Its the off-season, so Tottenham as usual have an unbelievable amount of media and fan hype behind them. Its not without reason, mind. For all the 16.5m signing of Darren Bent has been laughed at, if you forget about value for money, then its probably a pretty good signing. The only issue is its very difficult to know how Spurs are going to line up offensively - Berbatov is one of the best 5 strikers in the league easily, and Keane is the vice captain and a long serving player - so have Spurs spent 16.5m on a subsitute? Or are they going to change formation? (this seems less likely as it would under-utilise lennon, a natural 4-4-2 winger). This is even forgetting Jermaine Defoe and Mido - the latter they cant wait to ship out, and the former i think has been found out to a certain degree by top defences - i suspect he could still do a job elsewhere, but not for a club pushing on champions league football. My issue with spurs is the midfield, which contains a lot of talent, but absolutely no consistency whatsoever. When spurs start losing a game, a few games, it always seems to be because theyve lost the midfield battle and lost all self belief. Could a tottenham fan please stand up and tell me what their best midfield 4 is? I couldnt even begin to guess. Defensively they're really solid though; Bale/Dawson/King/Chimbonda is an excellent first choice defense with some back up too, and Robinson despite his weight is still a good keeper.
Main Man - Dimitar Berbatov
Exceptional in everything he did last year with a passive ease that suggests the best is yet to come.
06. Newcastle
They blow their own trumpet enough, and Allardyce is a dislikeable human being, but it would be extremely foolish to overlook that the barcodes actually have a good squad this year. Given is still an excellent goalkeeper. And for once, Newcastle didnt have to start QUITE from scratch rebuilding their defence in the off season - steven taylor looks like a cracking (if still raw) young center half, and solano has been a reasonably decent convert to right back. Geremi and Rozenhal should be good additions to the team; and with Big Sam at the helm i would be very suprised to see Newcastle be as leaky defensively as they have been for the last 10 years. The reliable Parker for the dynamic Barton seems to be a statement of intent in the middle of the field, and provided they can keep him out of jail Barton will do well - alongside the excellent James milner. Butt had a great season for them last year; and he seems exactly the sort of player that Allardyce will want to work with - and if he could get the best out of Damien Duff too, that would be an excellent midfield. Their options up front are impressive too - inconsistent but explosive Martins, inconsistent but incredibly gifted viduka, Alan smith - a bargain at 6m - who will want to be pushing for the england squad - and well, Michael Owen (too injury prone, his day has passed). I wouldnt even write off Luque (after good pre season form) and Ameobi (good last year before his injury) to make an impression this year either. All in all, both Newcastle and Allardyce will be looking to shake off the 'boring' tag that has dogged them in recent times and this looks like the squad to do it.
Main Man - Shay Given
Difficult one to call with all the upheaval at the club; but when in doubt, i'd single out Newcastle's consistently excellent keeper, who with all the praise on Cech/Foster et al, often gets overlooked in discussions about premiership's best keeper.
07. Everton
Everton fans will be kicking themselves that their management and board havent kicked on and signed any significant number of players this summer - because they have an excellent manager and the core of an excellent squad - which if more attacking flair was added to it - could genuinely in my opinion challenge both for the UEFA cup and for a potential champions league spot. Andy Johnson is an excellent striker - Anichebe and Vaughan (injured) behind him in the queue are great prospects, but too raw for Everton's ambitions and league position - McFadden is an enigma, sublime on his day, but too often indifferent. Its hard not to be impressed by their midfield however - Arteta was unbelievable last year - Cahill is the best out and out attacking midfielder in the league (injured though) - Fernandes showed glimpses of amazing strength and skill - Osman is turning into a very well rounded premiership midfielder - and Phil Neville has done a brilliant job reinventing himself in the holding role. They do lack a bit of strength in depth though - Van Der Meyde hasnt done much since his move - Carsley is on the verge of being shipped out. Perhaps Steven Pienaar will do a job, but his confidence will be low after a crap last season. Defensively Everton are solid - a couple of high profile mistakes aside, Lescott had a good first season - Yobo has long been sought by Wenger - and Stubbs is still doing a job despite all logic. Howard is good between the sticks. However the problem with Everton isnt their first team - its their unadventurous style of play, and lack of squad depth - i expect to see them remedy it before the transfer window shuts but this might mean panic buys.
Main Man - Mikel Arteta
Without doubt the best set piece man in the premiership just now - from corners and free kicks his delivery is exceptional, and it fits right into Everton's 'clog it out' strategy - arguably in team of the year last year.
08. Aston Villa
Another club who were expected to push on more than they have done, but have been strangely inactive in the transfer market. However, on closer inspection, it appears they have at least the core of a very good team if some players kick on and improve, and if they play an adventurous 4-3-3 or even fluid 4-2-2-2 formation they could get the most out of their attacking options. Carew settled very fast in England and will play the target man for the quicker strikers - and although the transfer was ridiculed, as his rotational partner, marlon harewood should do a fine stand in job. With the pace of Young/Maloney/Moore/Agbonlahor playing alonside, or on the wings Aston Villa have a large number of different attacking options to resort to. The middle of the field is less clear cut - who plays alongside Barry? (Incidentally, a 4-3-3 would more likely suit Barry better than a 4-4-2 as he doesnt have the pace to play left wing but his talent is best served in the midfield). Petrov flopped badly, Berger is aging - which puts a lot of Pressure on the under fire new signing Nigel Reo-Coker - this is his career year, and will determine whether he is actually worthy of the amount of praise heaped on him 2 years ago, or whether he's quickly become one of the whiniest frauds in premiership history. The defence is average if not exceptional, Bouma probably being the pick of the bunch in front of Sorenson, but Cahill has come on as a player too. For me they are a very light squad though and will be found out by teams who win the midfield battle against them.
Main Man - Gareth Barry
Basically because he's about the only constant in the team, and the villa fans love him so he'll give his all. Not good enough for england though.
09. Blackburn
Blackburn have had a relatively quiet summer, which i guess in many ways will suit them just fine. Theyve kept McCarthy just now, which many thought they wouldnt do, and added Santa Cruz and the impressive dutch u21 winger Rigters. I actually quite like blackburn - the way they play, and the way Hughes conducts himself. They play hard, and they dont always play fair - but theres a large number of reasons to continue to watch them - alongside McCarthy you have the injury prone (but still very useful : see wigan two seasons ago) Jason Roberts, and the brilliant Matt Derbyshire who had an amazing season last year and has just the right attitude towards football. The midfield is both solid and Dynamic - rigters joins Pedersen and Bentley - great competition on the wings and great entertainment - And with savage coming back from injury, blackburn will have their steel back. Nelsen/Warnock are excellent defenders, the rest - well, maybe less so - but with Friedel behind them, they'll be alright. A very well organised and disciplined team who could even creep into europe - however, overall squad depth isnt great, and there is a few too many iffy players still in the squad - the likes of ooijer, dunn etc.
Main Man - Benni McCarthy
Not many mid table teams have a 15 goal a season striker in their squad, it makes a huge difference.
10. Bolton
Wherever i predict bolton, they always finish higher. So i might as well predict them low to leave me greater scope for compromised dissapointment. Rather than any transfer details the biggest thing obviously to happen to Bolton this year is the loss of Fat Sam Allardyce. This is Sammy Lee's first season in charge and theres nothing about him that suggests to me he will be anything other than totally out of his depth. I dont see them getting in Europe. The squad still looks good - Jaaskaleinen is an excellent goalie, Meite a great defender, Campo still gets by - who knows about cid and michalak? They seem like Allardyce rather than Lee signings though so they'll probably do a job. Alongside Kevin Nolan and Stelios in the middle of the field they have a lot of options - Diouf can play on the wing, Speed still does a job in the middle, and the likes of Faye and Tal get a lot of playing time - who knows what alonso jr. or dzemalli will do? Between Davies and Wilhelmsson they should find someone to grab a few goals alongside Anelka - who seems set to stay at the Reebok (i wouldnt have predicted that)
Main Man - Kevin Nolan
A Genuinely dynamic 2 way central midfielder. Epitomises the way Bolton play, and unlucky not to be in England squads.
11. Man City
A difficult team to predict because of the amount of players they are signing on an almost dailly basis now; must be careful not to become the Hearts of England. You need to remember that Sven might have a shit load of contacts as manager, but his tactical nous is questionable at best and he's still trying to gel together a large number of different nationalities in about, 8 days, and thats not generally the best way to develop understanding or team spirit. I'm going to keep this short because it would be stupid of me to say 'oh x has good form in the bulgarian leagues' because frankly, ive never seen them play. What i will say though, is aside from Stephen Ireland, Micah Richards, and Emile Mpenza (and Barton obviously), their whole team last year was pure Gladys Knight and how they didnt get relegated last year under Pearce is just absolutely astounding. Therefore, signing an entirely new team to me seems like a pretty good idea. A complete wildcard, could finish ****ing anywhere.
Main Man - Elano
Now theres a player i actually have heard of and know about - especially with the departure of Barton they'll need him to live up to his hype and play to his international form if they're to have some stability in the middle of the field.
12. West Ham
This is about the very highest i see West Ham finishing - losing Tevez, and Benayoun - blows. Reo-coker wasnt great last year but you still need to replace them - and signing parker isnt exactly a statement of attacking intent, to be honest - though its probably stability that West Ham need this season - lets not sugar coat this - what West Ham need to do this year is play as a team, and successfully avoid being pulled into a relegation scrap, because the wheels could come off at any moment - they survived last season purely on Tevez's brilliance, and many fans/pundits have already forgotten how abject the rest of the team were. Green is a decent keeper, and hopefully from their point of view Upson and Neill will get a chance to play a bit of football this year - and Ferdinand will stop being an idiot. The midfield looks competent if not outstanding - Parker will play deep, Etherington will be looking to regain some form, Bowyer will be needed to replace Reo-Coker's energy, Boa Morte will have to contribute more goals than he did in a dissapointing first season as a hammer - Faubert? Who knows - he misses the first half of the season anyway. The one bright spot in the midfield will probably be Mark Noble, his energy and determination was impressive last year, and he has the fans on board. Up front, replacing tevez isnt easy (or possible) but Zamora did really well last season - and with Dean Aston returning alongside the newly signed Craig Bellamy, they have at least a few attacking options. Team morale is going to be crucial - as this is a side that could go any way.
Main Man - Craig Bellamy
Theres a Tevez shaped hole at Upton park in the team and in the fans hearts as well. If he can rediscover his newcastle/blackburn form and chip in with 10-15 goals then Bellamy will be a hit here - he seems to do better as the big fish in the small pond.
13. Portsmouth
I don't mean to be horrible but i just cant care about portsmouth. i have little or no emotional attachment to them as a football club in the premier league which is partly due to the dismal football i've been subjected to whenever i bother to watch the last match on match of the day. Defensively they are excellent - naturally - with James, Campbell, Lauren and Primus making 4 excellent players in a back 5 - the left back is pretty much unimportant. The rest of the team reeks of indifference to me - flashes of brilliance from Mendes, Taylor etc - Krancjar is a good player, and i'm reliably informed the new guy Muntari is meant to be a very good midfielder - but i wouldnt know, really. Up front you have 4 strikers at different stages in their careers - Lualua is in his prime but has hit a slump - Kanu got a lot of goals with pretty bad performances - Benjani put in good performances without being prolific - and Nugent - well, what has happened to his momentum? Both Everton and Sunderland passed him up, Portsmouth fans have their reservations, and he seems sluggish. Is he another fluke? I'd predict them lower but a good defence will see you right throughout the course of a season.
Main Man - David James
An exceptional influence, the much maligned James was probably the best english keeper in the league last season and theres no reason to suggest he wont be this year too.
14. Reading
This could just be me showing a bit of ignorance - showing disrespect to Readings achievements last year by placing them so much lower. Coppell is a great manager and has kept together the majority of his team - minus sidwell, of course - presumably because he doesnt want to tinker with a formula that worked so well. The reality is though, sophmore syndrome does exist, and Reading are going to seriously struggle to maintain their position of last year as they havent strengthened their team enough whereas teams that finished below them last season, have. Mid table in the premiership is so tight that 3 wins can be equal to about 5 or 6 positions come the end of the year, so perhaps predicting them this low isnt as dramatic as it looks. Shorey is the best defender they have - Hanemahn / Bikey / Ingimarsson / De La Cruz are all flawed in different ways, and shipping goals could be a serious problem this season against most reinforced premiership attacks. The midfield could best be described as 'enthusiastic', with convey and hunt likely to be lively - but it isnt clear that anyone is ready to step up and take Sidwell's role in the team. Upfront they do have options - Lita/Doyle/Kitson all bring different skills to the table - and they'll need to. Coppell will bring out the best in this team, but i wouldnt rule them out as potential relegation candidates either.
Main Man - Kevin Doyle
His goal return last season was fantastic, and it'll need to be similar this year if Reading are to stay out of trouble.
15. Middlesborough
Make no mistake about it, Boro are going to be dreadful this year. The defence is pretty good - Schwarzer sits behind Young / Woodgate / Huth / Taylor, so that should probably keep them safe. The problems will start when Woodgate gets injured (inevitable) and they have to get someone else to perform hilariously awesome heroics for them. The midfield isnt terrible by any means - but its just a little ordinary - Downing is essentially the attacking star - which is a real, real problem. Cattermole/Arca/Boateng do jobs, but with the improvement in quality in the Premiership you have to wonder whether this is enough. In terms of striking options though, alongside Yakubu (who needs to regain his form) they have either the consistently underachieving Aliadiere, Dong Gook, and Tuncay - who should do well, but has a lot of pressure on him to perform. Middlesborough just arent very dynamic and chance creation is going to be really difficult for them you feel. The #1 problem they have as well is the manager, Southgate hasnt demonstrated any level of competency to make you convinced that he knows what hes doing. I suspect he'll be out the door by Christmas and Boro will make a late season recovery that sees them pull just clear - this year, anyway.
Main Man - Jonathan Woodgate
Easily their best player, and well worthy of his England place - saved games for Boro on Bravery alone last season.
16. Fulham
It seems a lot of people are tipping fulham for the drop: something which has seemed like a case of when rather than if for a large number of seasons now - but i dont agree. I think Lawrie Sanchez has taken a conservative strategy of bringing in known quantities. Niemi is a good but waning keeper, and his defence looks a little ropey to me - Baird, and in particular, Konchesky look like solid acquisitions to strengthen things up. The midfield is unspectacular and lacking a bit of genuine flair - but what people are forgetting is that last years big signing for Fulham - Jimmy Bullard - will finally get to play his first full season for them after starring for Wigan. Alongside Smertin this should be a decent midfield combination - but the lack of genuine exciting wingers is going to be an issue. Up front, despite being thrown in, Healy and Kamara should do well, alongside the ultimate pro, Brian McBride. It isnt a particularly deep squad, or great first team, but Sanchez knows the players hes working with and will get the best out of them to avoid relegation after a dogfight.
Main Man - Jimmy Bullard
Difficult to call him the Main man given his limited time in a Fulham shirt, but hes really the best of a very inexperienced and average team - good driving runs, good energy.
17. Sunderland
A lot of people are going over the top about Roy Keane. Yeah, he did a fantastic job last season - but im not convinced as of yet that Sunderland are bollocks. This is a team who the last 2 times they were in the premiership scored 19 and then 15 points. That 2 year combined total of 34 would have relegated them last season. Lets not forget that last time they came up they were runaway champions, too. As for Keane's management - i think maybe people are presuming that because he was a great player, battler, and shouter, he'll make a similar manager - i seem to recall about this time last year stuart pearce had just shouted his way to a successful first season as manager and he was blessed with the same characteristics as Keane. I am just playing devils advocate here - im not saying hes a crap manager - im saying people are counting their chickens too fast before looking at the cold facts. If i gave a manager £10.5 million to spend i'd really hope he'd come back with something a little better than Michael Chopra + Kieran Richardson. I'd also hope he signed Russell Anderson as a center half rather than a right back - this isnt clear. The acquisition of Gordon will make a major difference as he is ready to prove he is a world class keeper - lets just hope he doesnt shine in the same way Foster shined for Watford - in a losing effort. There isnt a lot to pick between many of their players - hardly any of them are what you would call genuine premiership class. I would not be suprised at all to see them go down.
Main Man - David Connolly
When in doubt and out of options, pick the top goalscorer. He will need to be firing on all cyllinders if they want to have a chance.
18. Birmingham
Impressed everyone by trashing Newcastle at Barcode Park last year, then fell away terribly. But the core of a team threatening to be competent still exists. Despite losing Upson the defence isnt as terrible as it could be - Quedrue is a very good addition - Jaidi is a solid center half - Tebily i remember being terrible at Celtic but has come on - and they have adequate if not amazing back up. The midfield is a bit weak, but Kapo Larsson and Muamba could suprise a few people if they build a solid partnership. Upfront, there are a lot of players with question marks surrounding them - Vine, McSheffrey, Jerome, have all underperformed since hyped moves - personally, i really want to see Garry O'Connor make a starting berth his own as i think he can develop into a very complete center forward (and boy do Scotland need a complete center forward). There is potential in the team, but very very fragile potential, and it really could go any way. More strengthening needs to be done, to the wings especially if they are to stay clear of danger. I think they have a fighting chance though.
Main Man - Raidi Jaidi
This is just a shot in the air really. I dont know too much about the stability of their squad so i just picked a massive defender who might get them a few goals as well.
19. Wigan
I'm angry that they are still up and angry that i have to predict them to go down for a third year in a row because im going to look like an idiot if they dont. Looking at their first team i actually think its not as bad as a few of the teams above them - but im remembering the quality of football they played last year and its making me cry. They dont have any center halfs worth noting (bramble), and have 4 keepers of dubious qualities. Scharner is a very good jagielka-esque utility player, and Heskey (yes, emile) still does a job for a team in Wigan's situation - so should Henri Camara. Koumas is meant to be a decent player, though at a vastle inflated fee, and i guess Valencia and Landzaat are decent enough midfielders, but nothing special. Sibierski / Todorov are more players youd expect to be 'doing a job' as the 4th choice striker at a club with options, rather than glamorous summer signings. I dont know much about their new boys, but with Leighton Baines on his way soon, i'd say Wigan will be on their way too.
Main Man - Paul Scharner
Only because of his versatility and ability to get goals from anywhere on the field. Reliable too; unlike most of this tripe.
20. Derby
So i had a look at their team and its not as bad as i thought. Its merely terrible. I dont think they really want to stay in the league. Theres a few SPL rejects (and i mean rejects rather than they just happened to play in the SPL) - gary teale, bob malcolm, mo camara, stephen pearson (although i still hold affinity for his performances against barcelona in the uefa cup) - and a few players like todd, griffen, and macken, that have had their day / never had a day. I guess the most promising thing you can say for them is they havent spent big so they wont suffer too badly if they go back down - and keeping the same team together might end up with them gelling better than some of the teams who have flooded with new recruits. Still - i dont see them lasting more than 1 season this time around.
Main Man - Giles Barnes
Because i heard he's good and that a lot depends on his fitness. Which probably means a january transfer window move to a fellow struggler looking to buy their way out (boro maybe?).
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01. Chelsea
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02. Man Utd
03. Liverpool
04. Arsenal
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05. Tottenham
06. Newcastle
07. Everton
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08. Aston Villa
09. Bolton
10. Man City
11. Blackburn
12. West Ham
13. Portsmouth
14. Reading
15. Middlesborough
16. Fulham
17. Sunderland
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18. Birmingham
19. Wigan
20. Derby
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And thats it.
My final thought would be that i really hope this is an excellent season, being as ive never found the football off season as long as i did this summer - it was horrible. Most teams seem to have been adventurous and attack minded with their signings and have used the extra TV money well and it could be an amazing season.
What would really make it for me (objectively) would be if this season saw a winner with a points total closer to 80 than 90 points. The domination of the big 2, and big 4 has been pretty ****ing boring, and when i looked at the squad lists this year i thought to myself that there really isnt any easy games. I want away games in the premiership to be difficult and 3 points gained on the road to be awesome, rather than routine - a premiership where Chelsea are supposed to go to ewood and anything less than 3 points is a disaster - similar for man utd at eastlands, or arsenal at upton park etc - is not good watching, and spoils the game and the league - the best example of this is Scotland, where if you are a rangers or celtic fan, european games are the only ones you feel any sort of positive emotional investment in because theres actually something to win as well as something to lose - not just shame and embarrassment because you cant be seen celebrating a win over St Mirren.
I'm interested in any comments and i want to see your own tables too given how much work i've put into this.
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