In a post earlier this week I said that Manchester United and Chelsea remain the teams to beat. They have dominated the league for the least five years so they have the right to be labeled 'the big two'. That being said, I would not put my money on either to continue that domination.
The chasing pack has grown and intensified and I think this season's winner may well emerge out of this second group of four teams – Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool and Tottenham.
United and Chelsea will always be in contention but for some reason, which I would struggle to explain, I lack the confidence to say that either will win. They are too vulnerable in certain positions and overly reliant on key players.
I think that Manchester City will do well but not win it. I would say they need time to gel but I am not even sure that time will help their current squad gel. Mancini has bought in big names from across Europe but few seem to add any extra strength to the team.
Their best players last season were Tevez and Bellamy because of their work rate. Do the new players such as David Silva or James Milner and Mario Balotelli (who seem set to sign for the club in the next 48 hours) greatly add anything to the team? Not dramatically.
Spending huge amounts of money on these players may do more harm than good in the long run. It will be an interesting to see how the dressing room full of massive egos on enormous wages coexists. The talent in the squad means City will do well but I think they will lack the unity to put together a serious title challenge.
As the case is every August, many think Liverpool could have a good season. I am almost tempted to agree. Hodgson has kept Gerrard and Torres while adding Joe Cole and Poulsen (both of whom I think are very good signings). The squad looks good and Hodgson could mobilize the team for a successful season.
For me, they still lack strength in depth. Gerrard and Torres are key. If injured Liverpool will struggle more than most teams do when their big players are absent. As such, it is hard to see them having enough quality to finally win the Premiership this time but I think they will do a lot better than they did last season.
I do not believe Tottenham will pose any threat to the bigger five teams. Redknapp has a good team but it is not nearly good enough. They should have a solid campaign but to think they can win the title seems foolishly optimistic. I believe that, with the extra factor of playing midweek Champions League games this year, they will struggle to finish in the top four this time round.
My tip for the title would be Arsenal. With Fabregas staying at the Emirates they should be able to build on last year's success and make a strong bid for the trophy. Good value at around 6/1.
It could well be a break through season for emerging star Jack Wilshire and the signings of Chamakh and Laurent Koscielny have given the squad a healthier look. It is still a young team but is improving all the time. I think this could be their year.
It is very difficult to call this year. No one team stands out. Moments of luck or misfortune could decide the title. Each team will need the likes of Rooney, Fabregas, Torres and Lampard to stay fit. Injuries to key players could prove pivotal. Ultimately, it is great that we look set for an exciting title race this year that seems certain to involve more than just 'the big two'.
My Prediction:
1. Arsenal
2. Manchester United
3. Chelsea
4. Liverpool
5. Manchester City
6. Tottenham
7. Everton
8. Aston Villa
9. Stoke
10. West Ham
11. Fulham
12. Blackburn
13. Birmingham
14. Newcastle United
15. Sunderland
16. Wolves
17. Bolton
18. West Brom
19. Wigan
20. Blackpool
I would love to hear your predictions over the weekend...
Absolute Codswallop, i feel Bolton will finish in the top 10 with the new signing of Petrov a quality player and the enigma that is Elamnder , mark my words.
ReplyDeleteNot forgetting the likes of Chungyong Lee and Ivan Klasnic, they are really are the Arsenal of the North.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Liverpool are never going to finish 4th, 5th would be a good season for them, finishing above a Tottenham side that has also failed to make any real improvement to last season's 4th place side. Poulsen isn't exactly a step forward from Mascherano, and they are still heavily reliant on an injury prone Torres. Joe Cole is a very good signing, but that's offset by the prospective loss of Mascherano and of course Benayoun. I don't believe they have enough strength in depth to last the 4 competitions they'll be competing in. A Carling Cup win at best.
West Ham will likely still be languishing at the bottom of the league - where have they improved that suggests they can finish above Birmingham, Fulham or Blackburn?
I'm tipping Blackpool not to be relegated - Brett Ormerod is going to come good this year, with a 20 goal haul.
Man City will certainly compete for the title, even though they will not be favourites to eventually take it. While I doubt Milner would make much of an impact (when compared to the loss of Stephen Ireland), Kolarov, Silva, Yaya Toure and Balotelli should surely boost our chances. Look at who they will be replacing. Wayne Bridge/Sylvinho at left has been a weak link in defence, while Kolarov is strong both defensively and, perhaps even more so, in an attacking role. David Silva replaces an ageing Craig Bellamy, who despite making as much effort as any player in the Premier League, lacks the same skill and deft touch of David Silva. Silva also sports awesome facial hair. Finally Yaya Toure is an anchor in midfield that Barry just cannot compete with, and the relationship between Yaya and Kolo can only be a positive on the field. We have improved by an order of magnitude in defence, with Kolarov, Toure, Lescott, Kompany, Richards, Boateng , Zabaleta and Onouha with the opportunity to make a solid back four in front of 2 of the Premier League's best goalkeepers. Offensively, Balotelli is a much needed third striker to play alongside the goal machine that is Carlos Tevez and to provide some young competition for the impressively voiced Adebayor.
I'll admit that the team needs time to gel, but with a manager with 3 successive Serie A titles to his name at the helm, you cannot deny they are a force to be reckoned with.