So as we near the start of the 2015-16 Premier League season, I have decided to put my neck on the line and put down my predictions for next seasons standings in May. Of course the transfer window is not yet shut and so my predictions are based on what I have seen and read at this point, it could all change over the next month but I wanted to get some predictions out before the first fixtures.
20th- Watford- At the foot of the table, I think will be Watford. With successful manager Slavisa Jokanovic gone and former Getafe manager Quique Flores coming in to replace him, the team will not be the one that came 2nd in the Championship last year and while they have brought in some exciting new players such as Ettiene Capoue from Spurs and Valon Behrami from Hamburg, the team will take a while to gel and in a fast paced league such as this, all relegation threatened teams need a good start if they want to stay away from the dreaded drop zone. However there are some exciting prospects. Troy Deeney finally getting his Premier League opportunity will be fascinating and Austrian international Sebastien Prodl should help bulk up a Watford defence that conceded 50 goals in the Championship. Overall though, I think that Watford will sit rock bottom come May.
19th- Norwich- Just above Watford I think will be Norwich. With Play-off winning wonder-manager Alex Neil and some previous Premier League experience, there was potential for a good returning Premier League campaign.However with Dorrans and Mulumbu from West Brom the only notable additions to a young side, the club looks set to yo-yo back down to the Championship. One interesting observation will be if Nathan Redmond can live up to his big potential and come up with the goods in the top flight. On balance though, I think that Norwich lack the top players needed to stay up this season.
18th- Sunderland- Completing the relegated teams this year I think will be Sunderland. Whilst the return of Dick Advocaat will bring some dearly needed stability , the great escape that Sunderland are used to , may be impossible this year. I think the league is as close as it's ever been meaning every team needed to secure its transfer targets in order to rise up the league. Sunderland haven't done this. Although they have shored up the defence with the signings of Adam Matthews and Sebastian Coates, they have to inject some real quality into the midfield and the losing of crucial midfield target Wijnaldum to big rivals Newcastle could turn out to be decisive in the long-term.
17th- West Brom- Just surviving in my opinion will be West Brom. Despite a real lack of additions, I believe that if they can keep the strikeforce of Ideye and Berahino, and Foster stays fit, then under the guidance of defensive guru Tony Pulis, the Baggies will have just enough to stay up. It will be interesting to see if James McClean has a good second stint in the Premier League after time away at Wigan.
16th- Bournemouth- Of all the promoted teams I think that it will be only AFC Bournemouth that survive this season. With Artur Boruc, Tyrone Mings, Christian Atsu and Sylvain Distin, Eddie Howe has strengthened with some exciting signings that add to an already impressive side of last year that featured Harry Arter, Matt Ritchie and Callum Wilson. The latter of those has scored 41 goals in 82 appearances and it is worth watching the 23 year-old striker this year to see if he can be this season's Charlie Austin. One worry for Bournemouth is a lack of top flight experience but I think that the hard-working spirit of the team will come through and grind out results just like Stoke did in 2008-09.
15th- Aston Villa- Last years beaten cup finalists will suffer through the loss of club captain Fabian Delph and star striker Christian Benteke, however with impressive manager Tim Sherwood at the helm, I think that Aston Villa can start to improve on their league form. The addition of Micah Richards should help add experience to a young side and Idrissa Gueye, who arrives for £9m from Lille, could prove to be a strong Centre Mid. The development of Jack Grealish will be pivotal to any success.
14th- Leicester City- With the controversial yet ultimately expected departure of Nigel Pearson, the club loses a sense of familiarity and a man who guided them to safety, whoever the fans will appreciate the lack of controversy now surrounding the manager. Former Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri replaces him and whilst he has an impressive CV, it is yet to be seen how he adapts. The signings of Christian Fuchs, Shinji Okazaki and Robert Huth will strengthen the side however the loss of Legendary midfielder and Leicester's player of the season, Esteban Cambiasso, will hurt the fans and dressing room alike. All in all though, I think Leicester have the means to achieve exactly what they did last season however the lack of stability will halt any further progress.
13th- Newcastle- With uninspired manager John Carver gone, Newcastle can finally start to push forward as a club and look to the future. Despite the fans grim outlook, the signings of Wijnaldum and Mitrovic look to be promising additions and if they can gel well, then the Newcastle side should be able to look for a top half finish. However with a sense of conflict shrouding the club at all times, it seems unlikely that they can do any more than mid-table mediocrity.
12th- Crystal Palace- Alan Pardew guided Palace to 10th in the League and with Yohan Cabaye in the side, I think this year that Crystal Palace will once again see no threat from relegation. With a fortress of a home ground and a very quick attacking team, the Eagles should be able to once again mount a top-half challenge.However the defence still needs some improvement for me to be convinced that Palace can maintain that top-half finish.
11th- Everton- After a disappointing season which saw a tired Everton side unsuccessfully try to juggle Europa League and the Premier League, the Toffees will be looking to press on and reach for the heights they reached in the 2013-14 season. Gerard Deulofeu returns from Barcelona, however this team on a permanent basis, and with him he brings an attacking style and some much needed flair. However unless Lukaku starts to hit form and Howard gets back to his best, I can't see Everton back up in the top half due to the progress the other teams have made.
10th- Stoke- The top-half begins with Stoke who under Mark Hughes are now a well-oiled attacking unit rather than a thuggish long ball team. This has gained them the respect that they deserve and with former Barcelona men Bojan and Ibrahim Afellay on the wings, Stoke should once again be in the top-half. However the departure of star keeper Asmir Begovic to Chelsea will hit hard and despite the arrival of veteran Shay Given, it will be up to young Englishman Jack Butland to step up to the plate. In time I think he will reach his potential but this season may require fans to have some patience as young Butland makes a big step in his career.
9th- Swansea- Garry Monk took the Welsh side to 8th place last year despite the departure of Wilfried Bony in January, and this speaks volumes to his managerial capabilities. And with some astute signings such as Andre Ayew and Eder (who I have written about previously) the Swans should once again be able to hit the same heights. However will they be able to repeat some remarkable results such as doubles over Arsenal and Manchester United? Only time will tell.
8th- Southampton- The miraculous defiance of doom sayers by Southampton last year left fans and pundits alike stunned, after many predicted the Saints would struggle after losing so many players. This season Koeman has less talk of relegation around him, however the sale of big names has continued with Clyne and Alderweireld being snapped up after an impressive season for the Saints' defence. And although Juanmi and Soares have been brought in , the burden of European football may prove too much , making anything more than a repeat of last season, near-impossible. But when it comes to Southampton, impossible is nothing.
7th- Liverpool- Now we move on to the big guns and this one may prove controversial. This has been a summer of change at Liverpool. In the departure lounge there is Steven Gerrard who has gone to LA and Raheem Sterling who has got his move to Man City. Coming in are attacking options Firmino, Benteke, Ings and Milner whilst Clyne, Bogdan and Gomez have been brought in to provide some much needed protection. However without a big name to replace Suarez and attacking threat Sterling gone, the team may again struggle for goals. This combined with a lack of the Gerrard aura and the time needed for the side to gel, makes me think that this year Liverpool may struggle to hit the heights that the fans expect. It will be interesting to see how Ibe does in the absence of Sterling.
6th- West Ham- This one is my shock prediction. West Ham go into their final season at Upton Park and they go into it with a new manager. Big Sam is gone and in his place is former player Slaven Bilic. With him he brings the prospect of attractive football which Hammers fans have been crying out for. He has wasted no time in bringing in players, with exciting winger Dimitri Payet joining from Marseille for around £11m, powerful midfielder Pedro Obiang joining from Sampdoria and towering centre-back Angelo Ogbonna arriving from Juventus. Deadwood such as Stewart Downing has also been cleared out. These three add to an already strong squad and I think that if they gel quickly then West Ham could be pressing for a place in the Champions League.
5th- Spurs- With Toby Alderweireld, Kieran Trippier and Kevin Vimmer joining, Spurs are strengthening their back line whilst maintaining a quick, exciting front-line that features England's golden boy Harry Kane. After a hugely impressive season, Spurs fans will be hoping Kane can once again lead the line with bags of goals. If he can then with Chadli, Eriksen and to a lesser extent Lamela starting to really develop into really good players then Spurs will be a dangerous outfit that will not be far off of the Champions League places.
4th- Man City- Manuel Pellegrini has managed to keep his job and this summer has splashed out £49m on Raheem Sterling and £8m on Fabian Delph in order to make the Citizens title contenders once more. However despite these signings increasing City's home-grown quota, they actually seem to be some uninspired signings, and without the promised big name additions like Pogba and De Bruyne, this summer has not been that successful. Delph could struggle to get matches and Sterling is under immense amounts of pressure to live up to his price tag. Also with City still lacking some world class defenders I can't see City keeping up with the other front runners especially if injuries strike Aguero, who now only has Bony to cover him.
3rd- Chelsea- The champions have had a quiet summer, bringing in only a back up keeper in Begovic and a back up striker in Falcao who himself is a gamble given his poor form last season. The departure of Cech is one that upset many of the Blues' faithful and may hinder them in the long run. Additionally with Drogba leaving, some of the dressing room experience has left in a time where the pressure will be more than ever, as Chelsea look to defend their Premier League title of last year. If injuries and form go their way then they will win the title but in my opinion they are lacking at the back and don't have sufficient cover for Costa if his hamstring causes him problems. But never count out Mourinho.
2nd- Arsenal- FA Cup winners Arsenal are being touted as title favourites by many this season and their pre-season victories have indeed been impressive. Shrewd manager Arsene Wenger has opted to stick with his squad with only goalkeeper Petr Cech joining from London rivals Chelsea. Many see this as the missing piece of the puzzle and given the Community Season victory over Chelsea, they may be right however in my opinion unless the Gunners bring in a top quality striker such as Benzema or Cavani then they lack the firepower to win the Premier League title. If Ozil and Sanchez can reach the world class levels we've seen before and the others can stay fit then maybe Wenger will be lifting the Premier League trophy come May but in my eyes, Arsenal are just not quite at that level yet.
1st- Man Utd- Louis Van Gaal promised a summer of big spending and he hasn't dissapointed. With Memphis Depay, Morgan Schneiderlin, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Sergio Romero and Matteo Darmian joining so far with more arrivals expected, the Red Devils are building an impressive squad full of flair, experience and world class talent. They still need one more world class striker, as Falcao and Van Persie have departed, in my opinion and if De Gea leaves they will need to fill that void, but seeing how LVG has managed business so far, I'm sure we're in for some more arrivals. With this great squad being led by an immense manager, Manchester United are my early season title favourites.
But there's still a whole month of drama to unfold in the transfer window and i'll be summing it alll up when the dust settles, right here on my blog.
Thanks for reading,
James
Like my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/anotherquestionofsport
20th- Watford- At the foot of the table, I think will be Watford. With successful manager Slavisa Jokanovic gone and former Getafe manager Quique Flores coming in to replace him, the team will not be the one that came 2nd in the Championship last year and while they have brought in some exciting new players such as Ettiene Capoue from Spurs and Valon Behrami from Hamburg, the team will take a while to gel and in a fast paced league such as this, all relegation threatened teams need a good start if they want to stay away from the dreaded drop zone. However there are some exciting prospects. Troy Deeney finally getting his Premier League opportunity will be fascinating and Austrian international Sebastien Prodl should help bulk up a Watford defence that conceded 50 goals in the Championship. Overall though, I think that Watford will sit rock bottom come May.
19th- Norwich- Just above Watford I think will be Norwich. With Play-off winning wonder-manager Alex Neil and some previous Premier League experience, there was potential for a good returning Premier League campaign.However with Dorrans and Mulumbu from West Brom the only notable additions to a young side, the club looks set to yo-yo back down to the Championship. One interesting observation will be if Nathan Redmond can live up to his big potential and come up with the goods in the top flight. On balance though, I think that Norwich lack the top players needed to stay up this season.
18th- Sunderland- Completing the relegated teams this year I think will be Sunderland. Whilst the return of Dick Advocaat will bring some dearly needed stability , the great escape that Sunderland are used to , may be impossible this year. I think the league is as close as it's ever been meaning every team needed to secure its transfer targets in order to rise up the league. Sunderland haven't done this. Although they have shored up the defence with the signings of Adam Matthews and Sebastian Coates, they have to inject some real quality into the midfield and the losing of crucial midfield target Wijnaldum to big rivals Newcastle could turn out to be decisive in the long-term.
17th- West Brom- Just surviving in my opinion will be West Brom. Despite a real lack of additions, I believe that if they can keep the strikeforce of Ideye and Berahino, and Foster stays fit, then under the guidance of defensive guru Tony Pulis, the Baggies will have just enough to stay up. It will be interesting to see if James McClean has a good second stint in the Premier League after time away at Wigan.
16th- Bournemouth- Of all the promoted teams I think that it will be only AFC Bournemouth that survive this season. With Artur Boruc, Tyrone Mings, Christian Atsu and Sylvain Distin, Eddie Howe has strengthened with some exciting signings that add to an already impressive side of last year that featured Harry Arter, Matt Ritchie and Callum Wilson. The latter of those has scored 41 goals in 82 appearances and it is worth watching the 23 year-old striker this year to see if he can be this season's Charlie Austin. One worry for Bournemouth is a lack of top flight experience but I think that the hard-working spirit of the team will come through and grind out results just like Stoke did in 2008-09.
15th- Aston Villa- Last years beaten cup finalists will suffer through the loss of club captain Fabian Delph and star striker Christian Benteke, however with impressive manager Tim Sherwood at the helm, I think that Aston Villa can start to improve on their league form. The addition of Micah Richards should help add experience to a young side and Idrissa Gueye, who arrives for £9m from Lille, could prove to be a strong Centre Mid. The development of Jack Grealish will be pivotal to any success.
14th- Leicester City- With the controversial yet ultimately expected departure of Nigel Pearson, the club loses a sense of familiarity and a man who guided them to safety, whoever the fans will appreciate the lack of controversy now surrounding the manager. Former Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri replaces him and whilst he has an impressive CV, it is yet to be seen how he adapts. The signings of Christian Fuchs, Shinji Okazaki and Robert Huth will strengthen the side however the loss of Legendary midfielder and Leicester's player of the season, Esteban Cambiasso, will hurt the fans and dressing room alike. All in all though, I think Leicester have the means to achieve exactly what they did last season however the lack of stability will halt any further progress.
13th- Newcastle- With uninspired manager John Carver gone, Newcastle can finally start to push forward as a club and look to the future. Despite the fans grim outlook, the signings of Wijnaldum and Mitrovic look to be promising additions and if they can gel well, then the Newcastle side should be able to look for a top half finish. However with a sense of conflict shrouding the club at all times, it seems unlikely that they can do any more than mid-table mediocrity.
12th- Crystal Palace- Alan Pardew guided Palace to 10th in the League and with Yohan Cabaye in the side, I think this year that Crystal Palace will once again see no threat from relegation. With a fortress of a home ground and a very quick attacking team, the Eagles should be able to once again mount a top-half challenge.However the defence still needs some improvement for me to be convinced that Palace can maintain that top-half finish.
11th- Everton- After a disappointing season which saw a tired Everton side unsuccessfully try to juggle Europa League and the Premier League, the Toffees will be looking to press on and reach for the heights they reached in the 2013-14 season. Gerard Deulofeu returns from Barcelona, however this team on a permanent basis, and with him he brings an attacking style and some much needed flair. However unless Lukaku starts to hit form and Howard gets back to his best, I can't see Everton back up in the top half due to the progress the other teams have made.
10th- Stoke- The top-half begins with Stoke who under Mark Hughes are now a well-oiled attacking unit rather than a thuggish long ball team. This has gained them the respect that they deserve and with former Barcelona men Bojan and Ibrahim Afellay on the wings, Stoke should once again be in the top-half. However the departure of star keeper Asmir Begovic to Chelsea will hit hard and despite the arrival of veteran Shay Given, it will be up to young Englishman Jack Butland to step up to the plate. In time I think he will reach his potential but this season may require fans to have some patience as young Butland makes a big step in his career.
9th- Swansea- Garry Monk took the Welsh side to 8th place last year despite the departure of Wilfried Bony in January, and this speaks volumes to his managerial capabilities. And with some astute signings such as Andre Ayew and Eder (who I have written about previously) the Swans should once again be able to hit the same heights. However will they be able to repeat some remarkable results such as doubles over Arsenal and Manchester United? Only time will tell.
8th- Southampton- The miraculous defiance of doom sayers by Southampton last year left fans and pundits alike stunned, after many predicted the Saints would struggle after losing so many players. This season Koeman has less talk of relegation around him, however the sale of big names has continued with Clyne and Alderweireld being snapped up after an impressive season for the Saints' defence. And although Juanmi and Soares have been brought in , the burden of European football may prove too much , making anything more than a repeat of last season, near-impossible. But when it comes to Southampton, impossible is nothing.
7th- Liverpool- Now we move on to the big guns and this one may prove controversial. This has been a summer of change at Liverpool. In the departure lounge there is Steven Gerrard who has gone to LA and Raheem Sterling who has got his move to Man City. Coming in are attacking options Firmino, Benteke, Ings and Milner whilst Clyne, Bogdan and Gomez have been brought in to provide some much needed protection. However without a big name to replace Suarez and attacking threat Sterling gone, the team may again struggle for goals. This combined with a lack of the Gerrard aura and the time needed for the side to gel, makes me think that this year Liverpool may struggle to hit the heights that the fans expect. It will be interesting to see how Ibe does in the absence of Sterling.
6th- West Ham- This one is my shock prediction. West Ham go into their final season at Upton Park and they go into it with a new manager. Big Sam is gone and in his place is former player Slaven Bilic. With him he brings the prospect of attractive football which Hammers fans have been crying out for. He has wasted no time in bringing in players, with exciting winger Dimitri Payet joining from Marseille for around £11m, powerful midfielder Pedro Obiang joining from Sampdoria and towering centre-back Angelo Ogbonna arriving from Juventus. Deadwood such as Stewart Downing has also been cleared out. These three add to an already strong squad and I think that if they gel quickly then West Ham could be pressing for a place in the Champions League.
5th- Spurs- With Toby Alderweireld, Kieran Trippier and Kevin Vimmer joining, Spurs are strengthening their back line whilst maintaining a quick, exciting front-line that features England's golden boy Harry Kane. After a hugely impressive season, Spurs fans will be hoping Kane can once again lead the line with bags of goals. If he can then with Chadli, Eriksen and to a lesser extent Lamela starting to really develop into really good players then Spurs will be a dangerous outfit that will not be far off of the Champions League places.
4th- Man City- Manuel Pellegrini has managed to keep his job and this summer has splashed out £49m on Raheem Sterling and £8m on Fabian Delph in order to make the Citizens title contenders once more. However despite these signings increasing City's home-grown quota, they actually seem to be some uninspired signings, and without the promised big name additions like Pogba and De Bruyne, this summer has not been that successful. Delph could struggle to get matches and Sterling is under immense amounts of pressure to live up to his price tag. Also with City still lacking some world class defenders I can't see City keeping up with the other front runners especially if injuries strike Aguero, who now only has Bony to cover him.
3rd- Chelsea- The champions have had a quiet summer, bringing in only a back up keeper in Begovic and a back up striker in Falcao who himself is a gamble given his poor form last season. The departure of Cech is one that upset many of the Blues' faithful and may hinder them in the long run. Additionally with Drogba leaving, some of the dressing room experience has left in a time where the pressure will be more than ever, as Chelsea look to defend their Premier League title of last year. If injuries and form go their way then they will win the title but in my opinion they are lacking at the back and don't have sufficient cover for Costa if his hamstring causes him problems. But never count out Mourinho.
2nd- Arsenal- FA Cup winners Arsenal are being touted as title favourites by many this season and their pre-season victories have indeed been impressive. Shrewd manager Arsene Wenger has opted to stick with his squad with only goalkeeper Petr Cech joining from London rivals Chelsea. Many see this as the missing piece of the puzzle and given the Community Season victory over Chelsea, they may be right however in my opinion unless the Gunners bring in a top quality striker such as Benzema or Cavani then they lack the firepower to win the Premier League title. If Ozil and Sanchez can reach the world class levels we've seen before and the others can stay fit then maybe Wenger will be lifting the Premier League trophy come May but in my eyes, Arsenal are just not quite at that level yet.
1st- Man Utd- Louis Van Gaal promised a summer of big spending and he hasn't dissapointed. With Memphis Depay, Morgan Schneiderlin, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Sergio Romero and Matteo Darmian joining so far with more arrivals expected, the Red Devils are building an impressive squad full of flair, experience and world class talent. They still need one more world class striker, as Falcao and Van Persie have departed, in my opinion and if De Gea leaves they will need to fill that void, but seeing how LVG has managed business so far, I'm sure we're in for some more arrivals. With this great squad being led by an immense manager, Manchester United are my early season title favourites.
But there's still a whole month of drama to unfold in the transfer window and i'll be summing it alll up when the dust settles, right here on my blog.
Thanks for reading,
James
Like my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/anotherquestionofsport
