Four Balls Blog

Monday, 24 August 2015

If I Were Always Right... - Premier League Table After Round 3

Premier League - Weeks 1 & 2 Review

Arsenal

With Alexis Sanchez absent from the starting line-up for the season opener against West Ham, Arsenal seemed to struggle to find their feet despite a promising pre-season. Fans would have been filled with hope after their Community Shield victory against Chelsea, but may have been left unsure after the opening game as the Gunners disappointed in a 2-0 opening day loss. Olivier Giroud struggled throughout the game and Wenger could well go back into the transfer market to look for a new striker to lead the attack. Talk of Karim Benzema arriving has simmered down to mere whispers which may upset the Arsenal faithful. Petr Cech’s competitive debut was less than convincing, however I’m sure it was simply a blip in form and he will prove his worth in the upcoming fixtures. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was possibly the Gunners’ only bright spark during the game, however Sanchez’s return following his rest after the Copa America saw him return to the bench for the match against Crystal Palace.

West Brom - Weeks 1 & 2 Review

Tony Pulis’ West Brom side will have been hoping to start the season with an upset against a Manchester City side improved by their £49million signing of Raheem Sterling. The atmosphere at the Hawthorns was dampened after 9 minutes, as Yaya Toure’s shot ricocheted in off David Silva’s legs, giving the Sky Blues an early lead. Toure got on the scoresheet later on in the game and Kompany rounded off the performance with a third, his second half header completing their domination of an underwhelming Albion side. A 3-0 loss would not have been how the Baggies wished to start their campaign, but it would have taken something special against a Man City side playing with this much quality.

Watford will have wanted to start the season well in order to have a chance of staying up following their promotion to the Premier League on the back of an impressive performance in the Championship last campaign. They did just that, Miguel Layun’s half-volley opening their account after 13 minutes in what could have been a tricky away fixture against Everton. The toffees drew level late in the second half, Ross Barkley’s strike beating Watford goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes after 78 minutes. Watford responded well, as Odion Ighalo put the Hornets ahead once more, only for his goal to be cancelled out by Arouna Kone’s composed finish late on in the game. The travelling fans will be happy with their side’s performance, a 2-2 draw probably the right result.

Manager Mauricio Pochettino will have been hopeful that star man Harry Kane could reproduce his form from last season for Tottenham when his team visited a renovated Manchester United side at Old Trafford in the opening Premier League fixture for the season. Chances came at a premium for the striker and the first real chance of the game fell to midfielder Christian Eriksen – his dinked effort beat United goalkeeper Sergio Romero, but fell onto the roof of the Argentinian’s net. Shortly after, Red Devils’ striker Wayne Rooney found the ball caught under his feet in the Spurs area, only for Kyle Walker’s last ditch tackle to trickle into his own net. The game remained at 1-0, with the few chances Spurs had kept out by Romero.

A strong performance from Garry Monk’s Swansea City side saw them come from behind twice in their opening fixture against reigning champions, Chelsea. A resolute attitude throughout the team meant Swansea’s perseverance and good decision making in attack brought them through the game, to leave Stamford Bridge with a point. A composed finish from new boy Andre Ayew brought Swansea level after 29 minutes, however the joy was short lived as a Fernandez own goal brought Chelsea level just 1 minute later. In the second half, Swansea continued to threaten Chelsea’s goal and striker Bafetimbi Gomis won a penalty early on as Chelsea’s goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois saw red. Gomis dispatched the penalty to draw them level once more. Swansea couldn’t take advantage of the situation, but will be pleased to leave with a point.

Questions rose about the solidity of Sunderland’s defence as they fell short in a 4-2 defeat away to Leicester City in their opening fixture of this Premier League season. Dick Advocaat’s men had little to shout about at half time, conceding three goals in the opening 30 minutes of the game. New signing Younes Kaboul seems to have struggled to settle in his new role leading the Black Cats back line, as John O’Shea’s omission from the starting line-up may have surprised some after a solid 2014/15 campaign. Advocaat will have been happier at full-time than half-time, despite the loss, following his side’s attempt to drag themselves back into the game with goals through strikers Jermain Defoe and Steven Fletcher.

Stoke fans have plenty to be optimistic about this season as Mark Hughes proved his side could compete with some of the top sides for the big names, signing Ibrahim Afellay from Barcelona – the winger starting the opening game against Liverpool. A late moment of brilliance from Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho took the draw away from the Potters in a well contested match at the Britannia Stadium. Hughes will look for his side to be more clinical moving forward, with only one shot on target in the match. Despite the loss, Stoke proved they have what it takes to go toe to toe with the big boys this season and could shock a few.

England striker Jay Rodriguez made his return in a 2-2 away draw against Newcastle, as Southampton sought to build on the good foundations they laid down in last season’s impressive 7^th place finish. An opening goal from striker Graziano Pelle after 24 minutes will have filled Saints fans with hope, but it was short lived as goals from Papiss Cisse and Georginio Wijnaldum gave the Magpies a lead early in the second half. Rodriguez’s replacement, Shane Long, grabbed a late equaliser for Southampton after 79 minutes which will give the travelling fans something to cling onto.

The 2015/16 season began with a match that will leave Canary fans with a bitter taste lingering in their mouths. A few contentious decisions saw the game run away from them in a 3-1 home defeat to Crystal Palace. Having gone 2-0 down, Norwich responded well as substitute Nathan Redmond pulled one back after 69 minutes. Striker Cameron Jerome then scored what would probably be the greatest goal of his career, expertly hooking the ball over his head, only for it to be taken away for a “high boot”. Although the foot was high, it seemed to have no impact on surrounding players, suggesting the goal should have stood. A potential turning point in the game got away from the Canaries and they went on to concede another, beginning their Premier League return with a defeat.

In manager Steve McClaren’s return to the Premier League, Newcastle faced a tough opening day fixture against last year’s surprise package, Southampton. The match was hard fought, with the Magpies having plenty to shout about as they ploughed on through to a 2-2 draw at St James’ Park. One particular moment will stand out from the game as summer signing Georginio Wijnaldum buried his header to take the game to 2-1. An astute acquisition from McClaren, one which has slipped a little under the radar. The Newcastle boss may be disappointed to see his side fail to hold on to the win, however has many positives to take from the match.

After Louis van Gaal’s clear out over the summer it was important for the Red Devils to get off to a quick start this campaign. It wasn’t quite that easy though as they stumbled through their opening fixture against Tottenham Hotspur. A first half Kyle Walker own goal was all United fans could shout about after the game with a less than convincing performance in their 1-0 victory. With an abundance of new signings it may take a short while for the squad to pull together fully, but despite a poor performance, van Gaal will be pleased to escape with 3 points. New signing Sergio Romero started in goal amidst uncertainty over last year’s star man David de Gea’s future, and was instrumental in keeping Spurs out all game, including a late Christian Eriksen effort.

As Raheem Sterling made his debut following a £49million move to Manchester City, the Sky Blues romped home to a 3-0 win against West Brom at the Hawthorns. Yaya Toure inspired the City side throughout, grabbing the second goal of the game, sandwiched between talisman David Silva’s opener and Captain Vincent Kompany’s second half header. Manuel Pellegrini’s men impressed throughout the game and looked at ease as they tore apart the Baggies. After a particularly effective first half, man of the match Toure may have worried some City fans as he left the field of play with a groin injury in the second half. Star striker Sergio Aguero made an appearance from the bench late on but had little impact following his return from the Copa America.

Having survived against the odds last season, Leicester will be looking to get a fast start to this campaign, doing just that in a 4-2 opening day victory against Sunderland. New manager Claudio Ranieri seems to have injected some new found belief into the Foxes with Algerian Riyad Mahrez impressing, scoring a brace in the first half of the game. An early head from striker Jamie Vardy, alongside the Mahrez goals, saw Leicester enter the break with a convincing 3-0 lead. Sunderland worked hard in the second half trying to drag the game back in their favour, however Marc Albrighton’s strike after 66 minutes put the game out of reach and the Foxes took their first 3 points of the season.

Having spent heavily in the transfer window, Brendan Rogers will have been looking for his Liverpool side to gel quickly this campaign. Stoke City away will not have been the fixture Reds fans wanted to start with after an embarrassing 6-1 defeat in Gerrard’s departing match at the end of last season, despite Rogers’ claims. Christian Benteke made his Liverpool debut as they seek to find an answer to their attacking problem following Luis Suarez’s exit in 2014. However it was Philippe Coutinho who secured the 1-0 victory as his thunderbolt on 86 minutes rifled into the back of Jack Butland’s net. With so many debuts across the Liverpool team, they will be happy to have left the Brittania Stadium with 3 points.

In their season opener at Goodison Park, Everton took a while to feel their way into the game against a resolute Watford side. Striker Romelu Lukaku only had 14 touches of the ball in the first half and it took until 76 minutes into the game for Ross Barkley to break to seal for Everton, equalising after Miguel Layun’s opener after 13 minutes. Late goals from Watford’s Odion Ighalo and Everton’s Arouna Kone ended the game at 2-2, probably a fair result at the end of a good contest between the two sides. Roberto Martinez will be looking for an improvement however after disappointing campaign last season as they finished 11^th. A lot of pressure will be resting on 21-year-old Ross Barkley’s shoulders as he looks to translate expectation into reality, so he will be happy to have opened his account against the Hornets.

Eagles boss Alan Pardew will be happy with the way his side have started this season, with an opening day 3-1 away victory against Norwich City. The Canaries threatened the Palace goal on various occasions, however as a result of strong defending a little bit of luck Palace withstood what was thrown at them. Pardew’s astute acquisition of Yohan Cabaye from Paris Saint Germain is considered by many to be the best Premier League signing of this transfer window and the manager will be pleased to see his star man on the score sheet as he secured the victory with a late goal. Goals from Wilfried Zaha and Damien Delaney will provide Palace fans with a lot of hope or the coming few fixtures.

Reigning champions Chelsea faced a Swansea side who have hit the ground running this season and battled through for a 2-2 draw. Last year’s “best defence in the league” struggled massively throughout this match, with weaknesses exposed in right-back Branislav Ivanovic and Captain John Terry. Having lead twice, Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho will be disappointed his side let the 3 points get away from them. He’ll be left further frustrated by Thibaut Courtois’ sending off as he brought down Bafetimbi Gomis, giving away the penalty which allowed Swansea to score their second equaliser of the game. Despite their appeal, the Belgian’s ban stood as the FA saw no reason to overrule the red card. Mourinho managed to shift the blame for the defeat onto his medical staff who ran onto the pitch as Eden Hazard went down late in the game, reducing Chelsea to 9 players for a period of time. Overall it was a strong Swansea performance and leaky Chelsea defence that brought about the draw and the Blues were lucky to get away with a point.

Rudy Gestede looks to be a fantastic signing for Aston Villa, his strength in the air highlighted as he grabbed Villa’s winning goal in their season opener against Premier League new boys Bournemouth. The Cherries’ attacking mentality has been expected to test defences this season and the Villa defence, now lead by ex-Manchester City defender Micah Richards, managed to withstand all that was thrown at them. The 1-0 away victory will please manager Tim Sherwood, who is looking for an improvement this season despite the losses of former captain Fabian Delph to Manchester City and star striker Christian Benteke to Liverpool. With over half of their starting line-up making their Villa debuts it was important for the team to gel quickly and they appear to have done just that, securing an important 3 points.

England’s Predicted World Cup Squad

Props: Joe Marler, Mako Vunipola, Dan Cole, David Wilson & Kieran Brookes

Joe Marler, Dan Cole and David Wilson have been sure selections for a while now given their form over the last year, so they are an obvious inclusion. Mako Vunipola has had a great season for Saracens and on Saturday proved he doesn’t just have to play the impact role for England. The selection of Kieran Brookes over Alex Corbisiero has been made simply due to the late back injury that Corbisiero has suffered. Brookes has been great off the bench for England in the past, and his ability to cover both loose and tighthead prop gets him in the squad.

Hookers: Tom Youngs, Rob Webber & Jamie George

Since Dylan Hartley’s dismissal from the World Cup training squad, the position of hooker has been England’s greatest concern. The obvious choice to start now must be Youngs, even with questions over his ability at the lineout on the international stage. Webber has been in and out of the England squad for a while now, and although he isn't in great form, the lack of depth in this position should be enough to get him in. Jamie George could be England’s answer to their problems in this position; he has been fantastic in the loose and in the set piece all year. In addition to this, he is set to make his debut this weekend, so hopefully he can impress. Unfortunately for Luke Cowan-Dickie this world cup has come too soon, proved by last weekend when he really struggled in the set piece.

Locks: Joe Launchbury, Courtney Lawes, Geoff Parling & Dave Attwood

Lawes has been one of England’s stand out performers over the last year and is another player who has a place nailed down. Although Joe Launchbury has been out of the game for a long time due to a neck injury, having had a few games for Wasps at the end of the season the young lock looked like he hadn’t been away, and having been given a starting spot this weekend it is likely he will make the final cut. Some may feel George Kruis is unlucky to miss out, and they wouldn’t be wrong but with England’s strength in depth in this department his exclusion is understandable. Having been on a winning tour with the Lions, Parling is a man with a wealth of experience, and could be a vital member of England’s squad. Much like the other locks selected, Attwood has a great work rate around the pitch, and large physical presence.

Back Row: Chris Robshaw, James Haskell, Tom Wood, Billy Vunipola & Ben Morgan

The England Captain Robshaw is a certain pick, as is Vunipola, who was exceptional throughout the 6 nations, and all year for Saracens. Haskell is probably the next likely to make the squad with his ability to cover all back row positions, as well as being the most experienced pack member. Hopefully he has learnt to avoid posts since February. Tom Wood has been involved in this England squad for a number of years now, and having been made Captain last weekend its clear Lancaster has a lot of belief in him. Ben Morgan is probably the most unlikely, but if he can find the form he had prior to injury he would walk into the squad.

Scrum Half: Ben Youngs, Danny Care & Richard Wigglesworth

There is little debate over Ben Youngs being England’s first choice scrum half after a stellar 6 nations. Similarly Danny Care’s experience and Wigglesworth’s superb tactical game gives them an easy selection. If it were not for an end of season injury this position could have had more competition coming from a flying Joe Simpson, but unfortunately for himself and England this was not meant to be.

Fly Half: George Ford & Owen Farrell

Much like at scrum half, the 10s for this world cup are pretty certain. Ford has been one of the best players in Europe over the last year, and is England’s first choice 10, while Farrell has plenty of experience at the top and seems to be rediscovering his form at the right time. Some may think Cipriani will be unlucky to miss out, which is true to a point. However, he would not make it over these two as an out and out 10 and although he can play fullback, there are other players that cover multiple positions (Goode and Slade).

Centre: Jonathan Joseph, Sam Burgess, Henry Slade & Brad Barritt

England have struggled to find a lasting centre partnership for a while due to many factors. However, the latest dilemma is a positive one, with many quality players putting their hands up for selection. After being one of the 6 nations top performers this year it seems Joseph pretty much has the 13 shirt nailed down. So the question is who will play 12 along side him? Until recently, it was thought to be Barritt, with the South African born 12 having a wealth of experience and being known as a rock in defense. However, after last week Burgess has shown that, despite what many people thought, he can handle Union at the top level. Not only this, but he showed he does not only provide the brick wall Barritt does, but he also offers more going forward with ball in hand. Of course there will be doubt over his experience and reading of the game, but I think his leadership and persona on the field outweighs this, along with playing inside his Bath counterparts. The final centre to make the cut is Henry Slade, edging out Burrell and Twelvetrees, who both have not been showing the form they have in the past. Although inexperienced, Slade’s looked very comfortable at the weekend, impressing many. Additionally to this he can genuinely compete for the 10,12 and 13 shirt, showing the range of his skills.

Back Three: Jonny May, Jack Nowell, Anthony Watson, Mike Brown & Alex Goode

The remaining players were quite easy to select given the players already cut from Lancaster’s training squad. Nowell having had a good 6 nations has another chance to impress this weekend. Watson was sensational last weekend, and May, having been proclaimed as England’s best trainer in Denver, makes him likely to be selected. At fullback, Goode looked much more comfortable at the weekend than he did during the 6 Nations, and hopefully Brown has made a full recovery since his head injury, as we have seen how important he can be for England.

Bournemouth started their opening game as many may have predicted with a fast-flowing, attacking brand of football. They threatened the Aston Villa goal on various occasions in the early stages of the match and more clinical finishing could have seen a far different result. Eddie Howe was full of praise for the performance of his side despite the 1-0 loss at the small Vitality Stadium. Howe made some smart signings over the summer, perhaps most notably the permanent signing of goalkeeper Artur Boruc, who played a huge part in Bournemouth’s promotion to the Premier League following a particularly successful loan spell last year. Another stand-out signing would be that of Max Gradel, the Ivorian winger looking to impress upon his return to England after 4 seasons in France with Saint-Etienne. He had limited time to make an impact, used as a substitute in the Villa match, however expect to see him play a bigger role in other fixtures.

West Ham could not have started their season in a better way as they stormed through to a 2-0 away victory against a favoured Arsenal side in their opening fixture of the season. Goals from Cheikhou Kouyate and Mauro Zarate allowed the Hammers to leave the Emirates with 3 points in their first Premier League game under new manager Slaven Bilic. Summer signing Dimitri Payet impressed massively, providing the assist for Kouyate’s opener and could surprise a few this season. Youngster Reece Oxford performed awesomely, the 16-year-old protecting the Hammers defence immensely well, completing the game with a 95% passing accuracy – the highest of any player on the pitch. Bilic will be hoping the youngster continues to play with such authority in their coming fixtures.

2015/2016 English Premier League Team Previews

Arsenal:

Arsenal need to continue the great form shown at the end of last season, and build on their second FA Cup win in a row. The fantastic signing of word-class Petr Cech is a weight off of Arsene Wenger's mind, and all he has to do now is concentrate on allowing his other brilliant players to flourish; Mesut Ozil needs to prove that he is one of the best players in the world after a poor showing last season, Alexis Sanchez simply needs to do exactly what he did all season whilst Olivier Giroud needs to avoid injury and keep up the form that earned him 14 goals in an injury-hit season. He could definitely pass 20 this year if he can stay on the pitch. Arsenal are set for a great season, and in the predicted table I have them finishing 2nd, which would be a great platform for them in their title quest the season after. This year is just too soon for them though.

Judging by their 2015 so far, the Hammers have little to be confident about after a poor second half of last season left them finishing in 12th after a fantastic start. When they played well they looked to Enner Valencia for the goals, but his 12 week injury could leave the West Ham fans facing more despair. However, signings such as Ogbonna and Payet will give Bilic's men talent and experience, and will be enough to secure 13th place, one spot below where they finished last year. Bilic needs to find that purple patch of form they hit early in last season or West Ham could be keeping one eye on the relegation battle, fearing the worst.

Some will say that predicting the Baggies to finish 15th is a bit harsh, considering Tony Pulis's managerial magnificence, but like Tottenham they relied largely on one man to score most of the goals, and it is a huge ask of Berahino to repeat his performance of last year, and that's if they don't lose him to Spurs later on in the transfer window. They lost out on the move for Diaby, but did secure James Chester and Rickie Lambert, who can both definitely add some stability to this side that secured a famous victory against Manchester United, but also lost 4-1 on the last day of the Premier League season. A fall of 2 places from last season is what we have predicted, and West Brom should feel no shame in that, and look forward to a bright future under Tony Pulis.

The Hornets, with players such as Deeney, Ighalo and Vydra, have some firepower, and have added well to their squad since the end of the Championship season. Capoue, Holebas, Gomes and Britos are all very good signings, and now the squad has the depth to compete well in the Premier League. However, it looks as if they will fall just short, lacking the quality needed to stay up. The strikers won't be afforded the same freedom in the Premier League as they had last season, which will take a lot away from Watford's game. A closely fought battle with Leicester and Bournemouth will probably see Watford come out bottom of those 3, and taking 19th place.

If Harry Kane can repeat his heroics of last year, then Spurs could compete for a top 4 place. However, I don't see him having quite the effect he did last year, so I think 5th is a spot too high for Tottenham, although with players such as Christian Eriksen and Hugo Lloris, Spurs are never going to be too far away. That is why we have them down as 6th place finishers for the forthcoming season. Pochettino still needs to add to this side to turn them into genuine Champions League contenders, and so far this Summer he has failed to make the signings that can push his team to the next level.

Andre Ayew is a big addition to the Swans this year, and with Gomis up front filling a similar role to Bony last year, Swansea may hope to finish near where they did last time, in 8th position. However, whilst Monk proved himself a good tactician and good with the squad, I find it hard to see Swansea repeating last year's form, and have them down to finish in 14th. I'm unsure how lethal that attack really is, although Sigurdsson is brilliant at adding to the strike force, and the midfield doesn't seem to have a cutting edge, just a lot of pace. The defence may struggle too, and Swansea could find themselves facing more difficulties this year than expected.

Narrowly avoiding relegation last year, Sunderland know it will be tough again this year, but I think they can hover outside the relegation zone once again, finishing in 16th place this time around. Younes Kaboul looks to be a great signing as a rock at the back, while Jermaine Defoe will look to bang in the goals again. Advocaat did a brilliant job last season, and I'm sure he can repeat his heroics this year, hopefully more comfortably than last time around.

If only Stoke had acquired Xherdan Shaqiri, then there would be no doubt as to the signing of the summer. However, they have made some really good acquisitions in the form of Joselu, Afellay and Johnson ,and will be happy to have built on a squad that gave them a great finish of 9th place last season. A great campaign of consolidation last year will see itself repeated this year, some wise additions to the squad in January and next summer will help Stoke push on in the future, but for now they will finish in 9th place again.

Southampton have once again lost players to their rivals, Clyne has been pinched by Liverpool whilst Schneiderlin moved to Manchester United, yet this transfer window seems more optimistic than last summer's as we know that this Southampton squad can perform at the highest standard. Last season we didn't know how many players would do, but Dusan Tadic performed well, the defence was rock solid, and now Jay Rodriguez has returned from injury, so Southampton will be optimistic. Having said that, I don't see them repeating their heroics of last year. Ronald Koeman made some great signings last year, and has added a couple again this year, but I feel Southampton will have to settle for a mid-table 10th position this year, and be happy that they have re-established themselves as a solid Premier League club.

Norwich fought hard to get up into the Premier League, and they will fight hard to stay up, but the squad's lack of quality will sadly make all effort fruitless as they will finish bottom of the table. Mulumbu is a good signing for the Canaries, and they have a few players there that performed adequately the last time Norwich were in the top flight, but the strength of the teams at the bottom of the table seems to have grown in this recent transfer window, and Norwich will struggle to be outside of the relegation zone at any stage this season, and will find themselves in the Championship once again at the end of this season.

I really like the signing of Wijnaldum for this Newcastle side, and believe that McClaren's side will have a much better season this time around, improving largely on their 15th placed finish of last season. John Carver almost ruined the club after taking over when Newcastle were in 9th position, but now with McClaren in charge Newcastle will be hoping for more, and it looks like the signings they have made will help the Toon vastly, and restore confidence to the side that looked hapless towards the end of last season. This may shock many, but I believe Newcastle can finish 7th with Steve at the helm, he will certainly be under a lot of pressure to succeed but I think with Newcastle he will be able to provide what many in the historic city have been searching for; a reliable, consistent season.

The Reds have spent big, and with massive signings such as Bastian Schweinsteiger and Morgan Schneiderlin, LVG has looked to bolster his central midfield options, and have attacking flair out wide in the form of Memphis Depay. It will be interesting to see how these signings gel together, LVG brought in Di Maria last year, one of the best players in the world, and he looked distinctly average in this United side, along with world-class striker Radamel Falcao. Question marks have therefore been raised about Van Gaal's ability to manage the great players of the world, and it will certainly be very intriguing to see how the new boys work together in this side. Darmian looks to be a good signing, and hopefully he can produce something that this United side have lack for the past couple of years. Unfortunately for fans of the Red Devils, I still have my reservations about LVG as a manager, and I can't see them performing better than Chelsea, Arsenal or their rivals Manchester City. I do think European football is on the cards for them next year however, with a closely fought 4th place finish.

Pellegrini could well be looking at his last season in charge of Manchester City, especially as they seem to have lined up Guardiola for the role. However, there is still the present to look forward to, and with the quality of players such as Aguero, Silva, Toure and Kompany, Manchester City will always be up towards the top of the table. Something seemed to be missing last year though, and I doubt very much that Fabian Delph will fix those problems, but Raheem Sterling, despite all the controversy, could add a little something to this City side, and help inspire them, something that Pellegrini failed to do last season. I think once again City will be in for a disappointing season given the calibre of their players, and will finish 3rd this season.

This will be an interesting season for Liverpool. An impressive 2013/2014 season was then marred by a disappointing 2014/2015 season, and this year I see Brendan Rodgers leading his men to somewhere between those points, to an average 5th place. New men such as Milner and Firmino look like great additions to the squad, and Rodgers will be hoping Benteke has something of the Luis Suarez in him, although that seems a tad optimistic. Bringing in Clyne after a great season last year seems like a solid purchase, but Liverpool still need to stop leaking goals so often, and will need to keep an eye on that throughout the season. They will improve on last year's disappointments though, and a fit Daniel Sturridge will help guide them through to 5th place, narrowly missing out on that top 4 spot.

Nigel Pearson led Leicester through an incredible season, looking bereft of confidence at bottom of the table, somehow Pearson got his boys to finish 14th in the table. However, with him out of the picture now, when you look at the squad you have to say it looks weak, even compared to the newly promoted teams. It is with a heavy heart then that I say Leicester will go down, finishing in 18th, and it will be a shame to see the team that so famously toppled Manchester United leave the Premier League, but it will take another mini-miracle to keep this side in the league.

Everton will be delighted to see Gerard Deulofeu return to the club, and they will need many of their star players to return to their former selves, after a disappointing last season. Romelu Lukaku for instance really needs to step up his game and start banging the goals in again, while Barkley, Mirallas, Stones and McCarthy need to have strong, impressive campaigns, provided that Everton can hold on to them. I have said Everton will improve on last season's performance, but not quite up to the standards of the season before that, and will finish in a respectable 8th position. Martinez will have dreams of Europe, but those dreams will have to be put on hold briefly as Everton try and regain their confidence after a poor season.

With Alan Pardew at the helm, and the backing from their usual backing from the stands, Palace will be looking for a good mid-table place, and I have them finishing in 12th. Pardew rejuvenated the side and led them to 10th, a fantastic achievement, yet the mid-table competition will be much stronger this year, and although Yohan Cabaye could be the signing of the season, the quality of the player's isn't up to the standards of those around them. It will once again be a spirited campaign from Palace, and one I'm sure that will have it's ups and downs, but 12th place is nothing to be ashamed of and will help to improve Palace's worldwide reputation and potentially attract the kind of players that will help them push up the table, players more similar in quality to the brilliant Yohan Cabaye.

Can Chelsea win the title again? Yes, yes they can. This world-class squad is still world-class, and Falcao has joined the squad looking to prove that his spell at Manchester United was a blip in an otherwise stunning career. If there is one manager that can get the best out of Falcao, you'd think it would be Mourinho. Tactically brilliant, technically flawless, and proven winners, Chelsea will show once again why they are one of the best sides in the world by winning the title. They will need to be wary of Arsenal braething down their necks, and the usual threats from Manchester, but this side looks so calm and drilled that it would require something special to knock the champions off of their perch.

Newly promoted Bournemouth have made some smart signings, guys like Mings, Atsu and most importantly Distin could just give them the quality stay up, although the battle at the bottom of the table will be tightly contested. The Football League Manager of the decade Eddie Howe will use this new platform to impress further, and do what he always has done with Bournemouth, and keep shocking people. 17th place is where I think Howe will make his mark in the first year of Bournemouth's Premiership career, and the defence will need to be very tight, although new signing Artur Boruc can protect the goal pretty well. The pace up top could see Bournemouth snatch a few surprise points and this season every point will count.

With Tim Sherwood at the helm, the Villains will be more optimistic this season than last, and despite the loss of Christian Benteke and captain Fabian Delph, the money is there for them to improve as a squad and with 7 signings made already it is clear to see that Sherwood is doing just that. Ayew looks like a great signing for Villa and fans will be hoping he flourishes early on. Despite the 4-0 loss in the FA Cup Final to Arsenal, the Villains can be pleased that they made it that far, Tim Sherwood guided them there brilliantly and they came up against a brilliant Arsenal side in good form. I have Aston Villa finishing in mid-table, 11th place, not shocking anyone but comfortably away from the relegation zone, which will please the fans of the side that finished 17th last year.

Arsenal need to continue the great form shown at the end of last season, and build on their second FA Cup win in a row. The fantastic signing of word-class Petr Cech is a weight off of Arsene Wenger's mind, and all he has to do now is concentrate on allowing his other brilliant players to flourish; Mesut Ozil needs to prove that he is one of the best players in the world after a poor showing last season, Alexis Sanchez simply needs to do exactly what he did all season whilst Olivier Giroud needs to avoid injury and keep up the form that earned him 14 goals in an injury-hit season. He could definitely pass 20 this year if he can stay on the pitch. Arsenal are set for a great season, and in our predicted table we have them finishing 2nd, which would be a great platform for them in their title quest the season after. This year is just too soon for them though.

Monday, 24 August 2015

Saturday, 22 August 2015

Friday, 21 August 2015

Wednesday, 5 August 2015