For weeks I have been putting writing this off because I was waiting for the big transfers to go through (Rooney, Bale and Suarez) as it would naturally affect how I wrote this preview. Here we are sitting a night before the season starts and not even one of them has moved (gutted). Something almost unthinkable a fortnight ago has surprisingly happened as all three players are still at their respective clubs. Funnily enough at the current moment it looks like Bale is still going, Suarez is staying and Rooney may be staying (although I personally doubt it).
This year is building up to be the most exciting Premier League season ever, with three out of three of the top clubs bringing in new managers, ultimately giving the league a large amount of uncertainty which is usually doesn’t have (especially on the Man Utd side). There isn’t only an amount of uncertainty at the top, there is also a large amount of uncertainty at the bottom with what seems like a large number of teams who are too good to go down.
Premier League Champions
Manchester United
The current Premier League champions walked the league last year, winning it by a massive 11 points which in reality could have been around 20 if Utd hadn’t stopped playing after they were certainties for the title.
This is the first ever Premier League season where Utd will start a season without Alex Ferguson in the dugout, and that is where the biggest question mark about their ability to retain their title comes from. David Moyes has his first season at one of the biggest clubs in the world and he has never won a major title. Is this an issue? To an extent yes, because you can have really talented people who are unable to win regardless of how hard they try. Winning is not something you are born with, winning is something you learn; and as a manager Moyes has won nothing. I however think that these fears are over exaggerated; people say things like ‘he should have at least have won an FA Cup in all his time at Everton’, but when you look at it only Wigan and Portsmouth (both of whom got relegated soon after ironically) have actually won the FA Cup out with the big teams (Utd, City, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea) since 1995 when Everton won it. I think the concerns over Moyes are exaggerated because he is undoubtedly a talented manager (look at what he did at Everton) and he is walking into a squad that knows how to win.
The other major concern that Utd are suffering from is that of Wayne Rooney. The Rooney saga has ran and ran, and became the distraction that Utd haven’t really wanted. I have wrote about it previously and most of the views are still relevant. I really don’t think Rooney will see the end of the transfer window at Utd, and the perfect time for Utd to sell him would be after the Chelsea game.
When you look at the current Utd squad it is almost identical to the squad that walked the league last year; the natural concern if you are a Utd fan however is the lack of movement in the transfer market. There is a massive hole in the Utd midfield next to Michael Carrick and Utd have not filled it despite their numerous attempts. Outside of central midfield Utd are looking good, with a good young goalkeeper, a strong well depthed defence, good young wingers (Januzaj, Lingard and Zaha all look to have great potential) and with Rooney the best strike force in the league.
Utd are one big signing away from being the league favourite and retaining their title. Whether that be a Ozil, a Ronaldo, a Modric, a Fabregas or even a Fellaini, that is all that would be required for Utd to win their 21st league title.
Manchester City
After what was a truly awful defence of their title, Man City are back with a new manager and a new outlook on life. The best move City made this summer was to get rid of Mancini and bring in Pellegrini. Pellegrini brings the calmness and tactical intelligence that Mancini never had and he should be able to take City to that next level. I do find it interesting that nobody is talking about how Pellegrini hasn’t won anything, when everyone goes on about it all the time with Moyes; but much like Moyes I don’t think this is a big issue, because Pellegrini is a talented manager and unlike Mancini (who always got an easy ride from the press) seems like a genuinely nice guy.
City has been very busy in the transfer market; but the area that I think they did the best in was getting rid of the problem makers. Not only did Mancini leave, Tevez also left (a man who should never have played another game for the club, if the club had any respect for itself), Maicon was sold (always looked overweight) and Kolo Toure (also looked over weight and seemed to cause problems behind the scene). This is the biggest issue that City still have with the squad, they have a lot of big names and players on high wages that aren’t considered first team; this is fine but when you are half way through the season and these players aren’t happy they cause locker room disharmony and there is nothing worse for morale than this. The players I refer to are Nasri, Dzeko, Kolarov, Lescott, Pantilimon and to a lesser extent Barry and Richards. All excluding Barry and Richards have previously shown their displeasure at their position at the club and this will be further heightened because it is a World Cup year, and no player will want to play second fiddle when they believe they have a chance of playing in Brazil.
City have been by far the busiest of all the Premier League teams in the transfer market, spending around £90 million. With that they have bought Fernandinho (a player who I struggle to comment on because I have never seen him play, but he is 28, has played most of his career in Ukraine and has managed only 5 caps for Brazil; doesn’t sound like a £35 million player to me), Jesus Navas (who I think is a good player and for £15 million seems like a bargain; but he has in the past suffered from serious homesickness and Manchester is no Seville, he is very slight and can only play on one side (without a left foot), he does however offer City the width they were seriously lacking last year), Stevan Jovetic (a bit over rated but a good enough young player who will be reasonably happy to sit and play more of a squad role) and Alvaro Negredo (who is never worth £25 million and feels like a carbon copy of Dzeko, odd signing).
Chelsea
The big news this year at Chelsea was the return of Jose Mourinho to the club, in a ‘I wanted the Man Utd job but I settled for you because they didn’t want me and I couldn’t get another job cause I have upset too many people’ and a ‘I wanted Pep Guardiola but didn’t get him and was left with no option but you because I didn’t want to have to keep Rafa Benitez’.
Chelsea are by far the most over rated team in the league. Could someone explain to me how the signing of Andre Schurlle and the comeback of Mourinho has made Chelsea so many peoples favourite for the league? They shouldn’t be favourites with their current squad, they will challenge to an extent but by the end of the season they won’t be there. It isn’t that Chelsea don’t have an ok squad, but for the top that is all they have, an ok squad. Cech is past his best, there are major defensive questions which are being ignored (poor centre back [Terry is past it, Luiz can’t defend and Cahill isn’t good] and Cole hasn’t been good for about 4 years), they only have one good wide player (Schurlle) which isn’t ideal for a manager that likes to play width, there are no good holding midfielders which is useless for a manager that must play holding midfielders and they have a total lack of strikers (Torres has been guff for years, Ba has shown that he isn’t good enough for this level and Lukaku couldn’t play regularly for WBA last year [although he does have potential]). The one area that Chelsea do have an abundance of players is in midfield, to the extent that they probably have the best midfielders in the league. This however shouldn’t make them favourites because the rest of their squad is rotten.
As far as the Rooney thing goes, maybe I am wrong but it very much seems like Chelsea may be getting themselves into another Fernando Torres situation (overpaying for a player past his best). Until (or if) he moves you can’t really tell if it was a mistake, but even if Rooney were to go to Chelsea it would not be enough to propel Chelsea beyond Utd or City.
Overall
It saddens me to say it but as things stand Man City look like they will win the league. As I have already said, if Utd make that marquee signing then my opinion on who will win the league will change, but as it stands I think City are deservedly favourites because of the signings they have made, the players they have sold and the manager they now have. Chelsea would have to sign Rooney, Ronaldo and Jesus to even be considered in my opinion.
Champions League Place
Arsenal
Could Arsenal have had a more embarrassing transfer window than this? It seems every year I ask the exact same question. You know you are doing something wrong when a Brazil international who is desperate for first team football for the World Cup would rather play for a mid-table German side than a Champions League playing one.
Every year Arsenal uses the same line that there is lots of money to spend, but it never actually gets spent; which I know in talking to Arsenal fans is a constant frustration. Instead Arsenal partakes in the farce that is their pursuit of Luis Suarez. I find it hard to believe that Arsenal would want a player who has been banned for racism and biting on several occasions, he doesn’t seem to fit the Wenger prototype of a player. It is sad but it wouldn’t shock me if they actually had no real interest in Suarez but put the bid in because it was public and would make their fans think they were actually doing something.
The biggest mistake which Arsenal made in the transfer market was not firing Arsene Wenger. What is happening at Arsenal this year (and the last few years also) is why Arsenal need new blood. When did it become ok for a club the size of Arsenal to finish fourth and that to be considered an achievement?
Tottenham Hotspur
Spurs’ challenge for 4th depends on one big thing, whether or not Gareth Bale is going to be playing at White Hart Lane this season. Spurs have done very well in the transfer market this year adding players to strengthen their squad (Soldado, Paulinho, Chadli and Capoue), and all these players have made Spurs a better team, however it all won’t matter if Bale is not there.
Spurs look very strong in midfield, they have a good keeper and if neither Defoe nor Adebayor leaves they have a good strike force. What I really don’t understand is why AVB has totally ignored the defensive frailties that Spurs suffered so greatly from last year. To make it even worse, Spurs then sold Caulker to Cardiff in a total bone head move.
Overall
If Spurs keep Bale (which I doubt they will) then they will walk to 4th and possibly even challenge higher up. However if Bale were to leave then it would be a very tight contest which I think Arsenal would just edge.
Top Half Finish
Everton
The big change this year for Everton is that no longer will David Moyes be sitting in the dugout; instead they will have the very talented Roberto Martinez. Everton are interesting because with Martinez there is a great deal of uncertainty. Will they continue to push into those European places? Or will they slip down the table under new management? It is hard to say, because Martinez worked wonders at Wigan (winning the FA Cup, yes the FA Cup) but he also got them relegated with exciting football which lacked in defending. It will be interesting to see what Martinez can do with a group of much better players, but a lot of this will depend on whether or not he can hold onto his two best players (Fellaini and Baines), either way Everton will finish in the top half.
Liverpool
The once great giants of the game have taken another step towards the unknown under Brendan Rodgers this year. There are so many problems at Liverpool and they are at every level as well; the board has constant infighting and at times doesn’t seem to know what they are doing, the management seem to be headless chickens often unable to handle the easiest of situations (Rodgers seems very much out of his depth) and they have a squad who isn’t fit to wear the shirt. Unluckily for the Liverpool fans things this pre-season haven’t changed at all, as the club has handled the Suarez situation atrociously. Have Liverpool fallen so far that a player who slags the team, the players and the fans off so blatantly still cannot be sold? The answer is yes, and it continues the fall of a once mammoth of the game of football.
West Bromwich Albion
West Brom did well last season but tailed off towards the end of the season, I expect them to do much the same this year. They have a good squad with plenty of depth and a good first team. They haven’t lost anyone except for Lukaku (who wasn’t first team anyway) and have improved the squad slightly, although I would question the Anelka signing. It looks like Steve Clarke (good manager) will lead WBA to another strong season.
Swansea City
Swansea finished 9th last year, and it felt like they played so much better than that. Another season into his role as manager, Michael Laudrup has made Swansea a much better squad again. The signings of Jonjo Shelvey (why did Liverpool sell him?) and especially Wilfred Bony have made Swansea a team which could potentially push for 6th in the league. With Bony and Michu up front, Swansea could potentially have the most lethal strike force in the league, this combined with a good midfield and a solid defence make me believe that the League Cup holders are heading for another good season.
West Ham United
A team that plays a good old fashioned British style and make it work very well for themselves. Nobody wants to play at Upton Park, the atmosphere is excellent and West Ham play a physical game and Big Sam has helped create a fortress. Big Sam has also done well in the transfer window raiding Liverpool for their cast offs; adding Downing and Carroll, two players who will fit in at West Ham very well and make the team better. I expect West Ham to build on their successful season last year with another strong showing.
Fulham
Fulham should have finished higher than 12th last season, but somehow found themselves in the relegation mix with 5 games to go. Fulham took their foot off the pedal (like so many teams do) and paid the price. Fulham have however bettered themselves through the transfer market with excellent signings such as Maarten Stekelenburg, Adel Taraabt and Darren Bent. Fulham shouldn’t be threatened by relegation and if they play the whole season should push for a top half finish.
Mid-Table
Norwich City
I thought Norwich was a certainty to go down last year and they proved me wrong. This year I think that with the signings they have made once again they are heading for a mid-table finish. They don’t have the best squad, but they have cleared out a lot of the deadwood this year and replaced it with good quality signings like Van Wolfswinkel, Hooper and Garrido. Norwich currently look like they are establishing themselves as a Premier League mainstay.
Aston Villa
Villa flirted with relegation all of last season and that experience will stand them in good stead for this season. Villa has a good young team and by retaining Benteke as well as adding others to the squad they will have improved greatly. Lambert is a talented young manager and given time I am sure he will be able to take Villa back to the top half of the table where they belong.
Newcastle United
The biggest anomaly of the season is what is happening at Newcastle United? They have a squad that is comparable to Everton and Liverpool, yet you get the feeling that because of how poorly the club is run and the whole Joe Kinnear thing that they will struggle again this year. I doubt Alan Pardew will see the end of the season, and sadly for Newcastle fans everywhere it seems his most likely replacement is Joe Kinnear, and if that is the case then relegation is a possibility.
Cardiff City
Of the promoted teams Cardiff City are the ones who are built most ready for a successful first season of Premier League football. They won the Championship fairly easily last year, and have a very solid squad. The squad has only been improved by the signings of Steven Caulker (why did Spurs sell him?) and Gary Medel (bit nuts but a good player). I think that Cardiff will take the momentum that they gained from winning the Championship and take it into a solid first season in the Premier League. Look out for the first Welsh derby in the Premier League, could be very tense.
Relegation
Stoke City
I think Stoke are going to really struggle this year. Tony Pulis has left after a long spell in charge and although he spent a lot of money, he never actually created a very good squad. Mark Hughes isn’t what I’d describe as a good manager either and has struggled in the past to maximise a large squad to its full potential. It is made worse by the fact that Stoke haven’t really signed anyone of notable extent. It is going to be a long season for Stoke, one which I believe will end in relegation.
Southampton
Southampton had a good first year in the Premier League, but often the second year is the hardest. Mauricio Pauchettino replaced Nigel Adkins during last season and made a very good initial impact, however the team dropped off towards the end of the year and it will be interesting to see how well they cope with higher expectations this year. One of the best signings of the transfer window so far was Southampton’s signing of Victor Wanyama from Celtic. Wanyama was a beast for Celtic last year and probably should have been signing for a top of the table side; a steal for Southampton.
Sunderland
I don’t know what they are drinking up in the north east, but something isn’t right. Paolo Di Canio is what I would kindly describe as someone who is unstable; it seems that he falls out with a player every fortnight and has some of the oddest rules in football. As a player I imagine that it is awful to play under Di Canio, because he is very incessant. He has a good squad and much like Newcastle they should be a top half team, but they are lacking in strikers and are consistent under achievers. Expect another long season if you are a Sunderland fan.
Hull City (or whatever they are getting called now)
Not a great team, were incredibly lucky to be promoted in front of Watford last season. Hull have signed a lot of new players and released a whole bunch of others; there will be large growing pains for Hull this season and the worst thing that could happen for them is a slow start. This is not a Premier League squad; expect to see Hull back in the Championship next year.
Crystal Palace
I’m not quite sure how Crystal Palace was able to win the play-offs, considering they were the 4th best team in them. This is a team that should never have been promoted to the Premier League and then on top of that have lost by far their best player in the transfer window. Palace has by far the worst squad in the league and I think it will show early on. If Hull are going back down this season, then Crystal Palace will be there before them. 19th would be an achievement.
Conclusion
Currently I am leaning towards City winning the league, but all it would take is a couple of transfers and I could have a different opinion on the matter. Spurs will take 4th if they keep Bale. Palace and Hull will be relegated and then it will be a tight fight for 3rd bottom and I am thinking that Stoke will be filling that place.
1st –Man City
2nd –Man Utd
3rd -Chelsea
4th -Spurs
5th -Arsenal
6th -Everton
7th -Swansea
8th– Liverpool
9th -WBA
10th –West Ham
11th -Fulham
12th -Newcastle
13th –Villa
14th -Cardiff
15th -Norwich
16th– Southampton
17th -Sunderland
18th -Stoke
19th -Hull
20th –Palace
Naturally I wouldn’t be shocked if the teams in the middle of the table all interchanged with each other. I think it will be a Manchester 1-2, and the champions will depend on how Utd finish the transfer window. Spurs should take 4th with their current squad but without Bale Arsenal are the favourites. I don’t see Hull or Palace having a chance, with both struggling heavily. The 3rd relegation place is much harder to predict but I feel that Stoke are currently the team that look the most likely to go down.
So let me know what you think about the Premier League season and how you think it will go. Send me your opinions on who the champions, European and relegation teams will be. All comments are welcome, and let’s hope for an exciting season.
bm23 sports reviews 
LIVERPOOL 8TH?????? What the f*** are you smoking exactly??? So LFC have a worse squad than Arsenal, Swansea And Everton??? And yh mayb Suarez should be sold BUT definatly not to ARSENAL who are the only team to have bid for him that would be unsurmountable!!!
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Well here are Liverpool’s last four league finishes: 7th, 8th, 6th, 7th. So can you then tell me where a prediction of them finishing 8th is ridiculous? It wouldn’t shock me if they finished 6th, but they won’t finish any higher than that. Arsenal definitely have a better squad than Liverpool by the way.
As far as the Suarez thing, think what Liverpool could do with £40+million, (if they didn’t waste it on players similar to Carroll and Downing) with £40+ million Liverpool could sign 2-3 very good players with high potential that would help the squad more than one excellent player who seems to get suspended all the time.
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so arsenal should get 3rd or 4th if you’re going on past records
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The comment on past records was because of the guy saying that Liverpool are too good to finish 8th almost as if it could never happen. So I commented that their previous league finishes say differently. The Arsenal point is valid to an extent but I think that 3rd is a step too far. 4th is definitely available to them, and with the high chance of Bale leaving Spurs it brings the two teams closer together. It will depend now on what kind of signings either team make before the end of the transfer window. At the moment I would edge towards Arsenal finishing 4th and their past record does agree with that, after all Spurs haven’t finished above Arsenal for 18 years.
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just an opinion,lets teh game begin……
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They’re all opinions, somebodies got to be wrong….
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Such a stupid analysis…
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Kind of hard to respond to that when you make such a stupid comment…. Why don’t you explain why you think is is such stupid analysis?
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Im sorry, but this analysis just seems off. I can’t blame you for bias, since we have our own, but so much seems off here that I can’t even imagine where to begin…sorry! Again, no hard feelings, just not a well written or well informed analysis.
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for the record this is what I think the top half will look like (I won’t even attempt the bottom…too much varies)
1. Chelsea
2. Man U/City
3. Man U/City
4. Spurs/Liverpool
5. Arsenal/Liverpool
6. Spurs/Arsenal
7. Everton
8. Swansea
9. West Ham
10. West Brom
City and United are too close…not talent wise, but you can’t really write United out considering their reputation. The reason Spurs has a 2 rank jump depends on Bale. I understand that they are not a 1 man team, but similar to Liverpool if Suarez leaves, they have a very slim chance of repeating last seasons form, even with that wicked midfield.
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I wouldn’t worry about it I don’t really mind criticism, although the table I made was based on current squads so I agree that a major transfer (like Bale) would have a large effect on how I see the league. Also the top 10 you made has the exact same teams that mine had, granted in different positions.
As far as the not well written or well informed thing, naturally I disagree, and without further information into what you mean I can’t really comment on it further.
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If you look at the table from past seasons, arsenal have been 3rd then 4th then 3rd then 4th. I think this is their year to be third.
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stfu spurs will get 4th or 3rd and arsenal will be relegated
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Bit of a silly comment but I imagine Spurs will probably get 4th and Arsenal won’t get relegated (I’m pretty sure about this one).
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An interesting pattern of finishes, it is odd how long this has went on for but I think this is the year that Arsenal may come up short. Maybe they will make some big signings that will make me think differently but at the moment it feels more like Arsenal’s final league position will depend more on what Spurs are doing (Bale saga rather than what they themselves do. I really don’t see them getting 3rd.
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where do you think they will finish?
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With Bale looking like he is leaving Spurs, I think Arsenal will finish 4th, but that could change if Spurs make a top notch signing. At the moment it is hard to judge because the window is still open but when it closes it will all be much clearer. Still edging towards Arsenal finishing 4th.
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lovin it
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If by loving it, you mean that you are lovin the post….Then yes I to am lovin it!
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arsenal champions!!!
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Yeah I think Arsenal have as much chance of winning the league as I do of getting a job at the Guardian. Also if you break Arsenal into phonetics it is Ar-se-nal not Arse-in-all, or maybe you were making a joke, I guess I will never find out……how sad for me.
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I’m a bit confused about your rating of Chelsea. I don’t know who you’re a fan of,
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I’m not sure if your question is meant to be sarcastic (it’s hard to tell in text) but I am a Man Utd fan.
What I am saying about Chelsea is that last year they finished 14 points off of Utd, which would have been much more if Utd hadn’t stopped playing with about 8 games to go. You then look at the squad and they have added Schurlle, van Ginkel and gotten Lukaku and de Bruyne back from loan. All of whom I think are good players and have very good potential. However the addition of Mourinho plus these players is not enough to make up approximately 20 points on Utd (I’ve bumped it up for aforementioned reasons) and a much improved City. They have the best young midfielders in the league (Mata, Hazard, Oscar, de Bruyne) but they all play the same position and there are only so many attacking midfielders you can have in one team.
I still think that they are the 3rd best team in the league and will challenge to an extent, but not when it gets down to the gritty part of the league. Maybe I’ll be wrong and will have to thoroughly eat my words at the end of the season, but currently as things stand they in my opinion aren’t as close to the Manchester clubs as they are being made out to be by the pundits and bookies. That is why they are in my opinion the most over rated team in the league.
I hope that has made it clearer as to my comments about Chelsea within the post.
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wow,you can’t be more bias than this can’t you?would have been much more if Utd hadn’t stopped playing with about 8 games to go?BULLSH*T.like you said,if chelsea didn’t stop playing with about 38 match ago,we would definitely win the league.Chelsea was poor after first 7 games,and MANu was poor for 8 games before the end of campaign,well it’s their form,so you can’t say that MANU would lead about 20 point if they didn’t stop playing 8 matches.have you forget the referee decision in MANU vs Chelsea match?In Chelsea vs Liverpool match, 2 point was rob by the referee?you ignore this little detail about chelsea and emphasize the so called 8 match that MANU didn’t play well.Do you think you have been fair to chelsea?
SECOND, with last season squad, we were 14 point behind MANU,but our current squad is way deeper than previous season squad.In DM,we have additional in VanGinkel and essien.In 3 midfielder, we have Schurlle, KDB,And Lukaku in striker. While MANU new addition is Zaha,but scholes is gone now,so i don’t think MANU squad is better than last season,and not to forget unsettled Rooney.Manager wise, MANU had a poorer manager compare to last season,while Chelsea definitely had a better manager than last season.So based on pure analysis,how is MANU better than Chelsea?Unless Howarb Webb is still on your team (If you know what i mean).
To be honest,i think City will finish as champion, and Chelsea will come 2nd.
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Ok first off I am not sure how a Utd can be biased when he then goes and predicts City to win the league. Surely you cannot deny that Utd at the end of the season when the league was all but confirmed, Utd put in a number of lackluster performances because the league was over. If you disagree with that then that is up to you.
You can sit and talk about refereeing decisions in individual games all you want, but you bring up the Utd-Chelsea game. I assume you refer to the 2nd Torres yellow (which wasn’t a yellow) but it did look like a dive. The offside Hernandez goal (which was offside) didn’t look offside until the replays, and do you honestly think that Utd wouldn’t have scored again against 9 men with 20 minutes left?
I’d agree that Chelsea have made better additions to their squad this season than Utd, but Utd had a better squad prior to this season than Chelsea. I wouldn’t disagree with your comments on the managers, however Mourinho isn’t know for working with young talent but rather known for working with established players and getting the most out of them. The Howard Webb comment is stupid (as I’m sure you know) and is the typical anti-Utd silliness that you always get.
Am I harsh on Chelsea? Yes but to be quite frank the reason I put them down so much is because I believe they are vastly over rated, and the additions that they have made (including the manager) are not nearly enough to have closed the gap between themselves and the two Manchester clubs.
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Sorry accidentally posted the first time^. I don’t know who you’re a fan of, but I find your assertion that Chelsea is overrated to be unfounded. I agree with you that Man City will probably win the title, but I think Chelsea has the quality to challenge them very closely and will probably come in 2nd. They have a very young squad that will keep improving each year, (Hazard, Oscar, Lukaku, Azpi, Van Ginkel, Schurrle, etc.) so they should only improve in talent and consistency under a fantastic manager like Mourinho this year.
As for the players you consider old and washed-up, I don’t know what games you’ve been watching, but Cole is still one of the best LB’s in the EPL, Terry was out injured last season but is still very much a top CB. Luiz is a better defender than a lot of people give them credit for, and Cahill is looking to have a breakout season, he’s improved tremendously of late. Chelsea definitely has the best attacking midfield in the league.
As for Lukaku, he started out as a super-sub for West Brom, but this was certainly not the case as the season went on, and his 17 goals were absolutely vital to their success last season; they will certainly miss him. Torres may not score many goals but as evidenced in the Hull game, his link-up play is fantastic and helps the rest of the team score goals. Your ratings of a lot of these players have the look of a person that hasn’t actually seen them play.
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I have already answered a chunk of your comment from your first accidental comment and happened to cover some of the stuff you went on and said.
However on the other stuff, of course I have watched Chelsea play, many times and for many years. Cole has always been over rated and hasn’t been the same player since the year before his last year at Arsenal where he was constantly hampered by injuries. He is at best the 3rd best left back in the league (Baines and Evra are currently better, maybe even Enrique). John Terry has lost so many steps that it isn’t worth putting a number too (exaggeration) although is still good in the air. However he is constantly beaten for pace and found out of position (something that never used to happen because he had pace). He wasn’t injured most of the time last year, he quite simply wasn’t played. Did you see Cahill get skinned by Kenny Miller in the Scotland game? If you know anything about Kenny Miller then you know that it should be considered a total embarrassment. Ivanovic is a good player and is by far there best centre back. I like Luiz but the guy can’t defend. I know he plays their for Brazil and I think would be a good centre back for a team like Barca but for Chelsea and in the Premier League you can’t be so rash. He does however make a very good midfielder.
As far as Lukaku is concerned I like him I think he has a lot of potential, but to say he was vital to WBA last year is not exactly true. He started 20 games and was a sub in 15, hardly stats of a vital player. I do agree they will miss him as he is a good player, but was by no means a first name on the team sheet starter. The ‘oh look at Torres’ link up play’ line is stupid. So Chelsea paid £50 million for a guy that links the ball up pretty well? I doubt it, they paid that for a player they thought could score goals, which if you look at his league goal scoring record 1 (half a season to be fair), 6 & 8. Hardly great scoring for your main striker. Chelsea bought Torres to score 20+ goals a season, he is not nearly the player he once was.
I assume (maybe wrongly) that you are a Chelsea fan, and I understand your comments because you obviously feel Chelsea have a genuine chance this year. However as I have shown in this reply and the previous one as well, I believe that this is a team that has got an excellent midfield with lots of hungry young talented players, but you don’t win a league based on one set of players. You need a midfield, a defence, a strike force and a keeper. Chelsea in my opinion only have 2/4 and that plus a manager who does a lot of talking (although again is very talented) is not enough to win the league.
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OMG!i agree with whatever you said about terry,luiz and cahill. but after mourinho come back, their defensive ability had raised,it’s mourinho tactic. Tactically,this season defense will be different from last season, whatever you said about cole is simply unthinkable.Evra better than cole?c’mon dude, seriously?last season might not be cole best season, but he isn’t overrated at all.no offence but,you article is massively overrated. To you,seems like every CHelsea player,stuff,manager is overrated.and please stop saying you like this chelsea player or that, you are just trying to hide you biasness and hateness against chelsea. Go home buddy, you are super drunk.
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In theory under Mourinho Chelsea should be better defensively I agree. We clearly disagreee over the Cole thing but last season Evra had a better season than Cole. Can I not like Chelsea players? It isn’t like me saying something racist and then going ‘oh no it’s ok I had a black friend once’. I can like players that don’t play for the club I support. There is no biasness here I wrote this based on where Chelsea are being placed by the media and where I actually believe they are, that is why it comes across as highly critical.
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So much bias. I guess you are a Manchester fan (A truly deluded one). Your criticism of Chelsea and Mourinho is just too much. I’ll just bookmark this website and comeback after Chelsea finish ahead of your United.
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Chelsea are a good team, at no point deny that they are that. Mourinho is a good manager, at no point do I deny that. What I comment on is that this current Chelsea side is not good enough to win the league and because they are being tipped so heavily by both the bookies and the press it makes them very over rated.
Feel free to come back if Chelsea are to win the league and criticise me as much as you feel like, because I will deserve it. However I wouldn’t write this if I didn’t believe what I was saying, and I think people who write opinion pieces but aren’t willing to take risks in their predictions are cowards.
Before the final round of the PGA I guaranteed that Furyk (who was leading) would not win because I really believed that he wouldn’t, and I was right. I am doing the same thing here with Chelsea. There are two outcomes; either I’m right and good for me, or I am wrong and then I deservedly have egg on my face and deserve all the abuse I would receive. Whether I am right or wrong, when I write the season review I won’t be shirking from my comments that I made in this preview because I am not scared of being wrong.
What I showed is not bias, it is an opinion. If I was bias then would I write that Man City were my favourites for the league? No I would have selected Utd. A team I hate. Is that something someone with bias would write? You know the answer, so feel free to come back after reading this reply to your comment and do what you know should be done. Your welcome.
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true said , that too a united fan completely praising united and giving biased opinions on city and chelsea. Sir, you suck
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I shall say it again because you seem to be struggling to read, how can I have a bias against City when I predict them to win the league? I have a natural bias towards Utd, however both the City and Utd analysis or of a similar level. I shall accept that I am most harsh on Chelsea, however like I have said before I think they are the most over rated team in the league. So because of that I ran down the reason that they shouldn’t be considered favourites, all of which are fine. I grant you that I didn’t break down their positives in a major way, but I did say that they have an abundance of midfielders and then if you were to read other comments I have replied to then you would see that I further extended on this. The point I was making and you obviously missed because you yourself obviously have a bias towards Chelsea is that I think that Chelsea are over rated and with their current squad don’t have a chance of challenging either Manchester side for the title. Maybe I am wrong, maybe I am right; I guess we will find out eventually, feel free to come back and slag me off like your friend above.
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Southampton will do better than your placing,and Swansea are going to be the team to surprise this season regardless of their opening day defeat !
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I agree with Swansea (I placed them 7th). Who knows with Southampton obviously they have signed Osvaldo since I wrote this so they have a better team now but they will finish mid-table but I would imagine not in the relegation fight, which is the hardest part of the table to predict. They could easily finish 10th or 16th because there isn’t that much of a gap between the mid-table clubs.
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I will agree with most of the people that commented here, you are biased against Chelsea but other than that great review mate 🙂
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Thank you, it seems that I have managed to upset everyone who has commented on this, nice to get a positive comment. As far as the Chelsea thing (which I think has upset the most people), I do think they are a good team, but I just don’t think they have the same quality and depth of squad as either Utd or City. The one area that I don’t think that this is the case is in midfield, where they have an abundance of good young attacking midfielders. However that isn’t enough in my opinion, because you can’t win a Preamier League title with just attacking midfielders (this isn’t La Liga). As things stand I am sure they will finish 3rd, but disagreements are what makes sport great.
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Great analysis,if Man Utd can strengthen the midfield I would make them favourites,I think their is trouble ahead at Chelsea no way would Mourinho ask one of europe’s best midfield to play to the strength’s of Fernando Torres,he is Abramovich’s £50 million brain child and why they have not got rid can only be the Russian’s inability to admit he should stay away from any football decision’s,and those two ego’s are ticking time bomb.Lambert’s Aston Villa are a young side who will do well this year,a lot more experienced now and Benteke is one of the best strikers in the league,I think your right about Hull and Palace I will be backing them to go down and I put Newcastle to join them !
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Thanks, it is very surprising the amount of negative feedback I have had about the Chelsea opinions but I think people are ignoring the flaws in the squad because they just assume that Mourinho will make it all alright. Mourinho is an excellent manager, but he needs to spend money to succeed and so far at Chelsea he hasn’t really spent money.
Who knows what is going on with Torres and Chelsea, I can only assume that Abramovich thinks that if he keeps getting played then maybe eventually he will justify his £50 million transfer fee. To do that he will need to improve his game vastly.
Villa have started the season very well, especially if you consider that they started away to both Chelsea and Arsenal. They were also unlucky to not get at least a draw against Chelsea, but I am sure if you offered them 3 points from the two games they would have taken it.
Palace and Hull seem certainties to go down. As far as Newcastle go, if they play like they did against City for the rest of the season then they could be in serious trouble.
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I read somewhere at the start of the window Abramovich told Mourinho he would’nt be allowed to spend money the way he did last time he managed Chelsea but instead he wanted to see something back from the investments he has made in youth.This could be a problem for Chelsea as Mourinho usually buys the best around and is not known for trusting in young talent,maybe the financial fair play rules are starting to take effect !!
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FFP could be having a major effect on the way Chelsea are spending, although I believe as things stand Chelsea (unlike City) are within the boundaries. I think it might also be that since Abramovich bought Chelsea they have spent a lot of money on youth development, but had absolutely no return on it. The only player to come through the youth system and have any real impact on the squad is Ryan Bertrand, and he isn’t very good.
Currently Chelsea haven’t spent that much money (maybe around £25 million) but if they were to sign Willian and Rooney then they could be up to around £100 million by the end of the transfer window. It will be interesting to see if they do that if they will have to sell some of the players that Mourinho doesn’t seem too keen on (Mata, Luiz).
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Regarding your comments on Crystal Palace being the 4th best team in the play offs , obviously not as they won it !!!! Of course Palace are the favourites to go down, but again look at the play offs. ….. Palace thrive at being the underdogs and they will surprise a few premiership teams this season. Mark my words.
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Just because they won the play-offs doesn’t mean they were the best team. Wigan won the FA Cup, are they the best team in England? No. The play-offs aren’t a good example of how a team can stay up because it is essentially a cup competition. I assume you are a Palace fan and I can understand that you obviously think they will be able to stay up, but they do have the worst squad in the league and to be honest would have been better off staying in the Championship another season, although I doubt that this squad would have been automatically promoted this year either (if they were in the Championship).
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nonsense. i think hull are worse, anyway cp have chamakh who is better than any of hulls players(except huddlestone).
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I don’t think Hull are very good either, they are by far the two worst teams in the league. Also Chamakh sucks, he’s scored 8 goals in 3 Premier League seasons, hardly statistics of a good player.
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i didn’t say chamakh was good, i just said he is better than most hull players
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I disagree, but not by much. There isn’t really much quality in that Hull squad at all, it’s full of a lot of Championship lifers and those players who bounce about the relegation sides from season to season.
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How can you claim that the winners of the playoffs were the 4th best team in it? Complete rubbish. Palace worked hard for their playoff victory, a dramatic win in the semis against their rivals, and a resilient performance in the final, yet you dismiss that and imply that Palace have no right to their place in the prem? It irritates me when someone writes such rubbish and puts it on the internet as if they are some sort of respected pundit, or admired commentator. You clearly know very little about any team outside of the top 4, so maybe just stick to writing about the big boys in future.
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When did I say that they had no right to be in the Premier League? They won the play-offs fair and square and did well in the play-offs as well. However going into the play-offs they were the worst team based on both squad and form.
I assume that you are a Palace fan, so I am not going to attempt to pretend that I know more about your club than you do, however not being a fan of Palace allows me to look at the club with a completely neutral view (something you have not) and they do have the worst squad in the league. In many ways they remind me of when Blackpool were in the league because they are totally out of their depth.
Who knows, maybe Palace will stay up and I will be wrong and if that is the case then feel free to come back and insult me accordingly, however I very much doubt that Palace are better than 3 teams in the league. As I have already said, if Palace finish 19th they will be doing well.
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Not sure how going down on 39 points (which most seasons is usually enough) on the last day of the season constitutes ‘totally out of their depth’.
Strong memory/ research mate.
They only remind you of Blackpool because we’re favourites to go down and are managed by Holloway.
Just because we’re favourites to go down doesn’t mean you should make sweeping (and insulting) statements, before in fact you’d even seen us play this season.
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You misunderstood what I was trying to say, Blackpool did very well when they were in the Premier League and were in the end unlucky (you could say) to go down, because they fought so well to stay up. The comparison is that of the similarities in their squads. Palace are full of players who are life long Championship players, much like Blackpool. Nobody expected Palace to get promoted, much like Blackpool. The fact that Holloway is there is merely coincidental to the comparison, it also seemed less insulting than calling them a Derby.
As a Palace fan do you honestly think you are going to stay up? You are maybe better than Hull (maybe), who are the 2 other teams you are better than and will finish above? To stay up Palace will need two other teams to have absolute stinker years, as well as play well above the squad abilities, which is asking too much.
I’m not sure the statements I made about Palace are insulting but rather very honest. I wrote this before seeing any teams play a competitive match, but I don’t need to see Palace to know they are a bad team; much like I don’t need to see City to know that they are a good team. I understand as a supporter you obviously think that they have a chance to stay up, but your vision is clouded because of your loyalty to the club, which is fine, and maybe that underdog spirit will push Palace to 17th, who knows. Feel free to come back and berate me if I am wrong because I will deserve it, but I doubt it will happen.
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So you admit that you thought that Blackpool were ‘totally out of their depth’ but they shocked everyone and very nearly stayed up. I don’t think any team that finishes on 39 points is out of their depth so they clearly proved you wrong. So you would think that would perhaps warn you from claiming another team is totally out of their depth.
That was the insulting comment I was referring to.
And no, honestly I believe us and Hull are favourites to go down, but anything can happen.
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Whether they almost stayed up or not is irrelevant, at the start of that season I said Blackpool would be relegated and they were. At Christmas when everyone was jumping on the Blackpool bandwagon, I still said they would go down. I agree that Blackpool was out of its depth, yet took it to the last day of the season which was admirable. The same could be said about Hull the last time they were in the Premier League (08/09) and stayed up against all the odds when their squad was out of their depth. Anything could happen, you never know, but there is no point going half measures when you are making a prediction.
At the end of the season when I write the review, I will quote from what I have said in this and compare it to what actually happened. I’ll either look really stupid or really good; either way I won’t hide from what I have said.
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You said Palace were the worst team in the playoffs, not going into them. Zaha is a very good player, young, skillful and fearless, but he wasn’t hands down our best player. You admit that you haven’t watched Palace ”but don’t need to see them to know they are a bad team” so how can you judge that Zaha was by far our best player? The fact that Zaha was signed by Utd and the likes of Jedinak were not only reflect his youth and potential.
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Is it not the same thing? I felt that Brighton were the best team in the play-offs but Palace beat them thanks in part to a magnificent individual performance from Zaha. I’m sure you know more about Palace players than I do so I’m not going to disagree with you comments on Zaha not being easily your best player. I did see Palace play around 8 times last season, what I meant was that I don’t need to see them play this season to know that they are going to seriously struggle in the Premier League. I watched them against Spurs and thought they played ok against a Spurs side that seriously lacked a cutting edge, and although 1-0 is respectable Palace never really looked like they would score.
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southhampton relegated???? I cannot agree
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I have Southampton finishing 16th, not being relegated. I think they have signed good players this window (signed Osvaldo after I wrote this) and it wouldn’t shock me if they finished as high as 12th.
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You watched Palace 8 times? How? I’m just curious because sky certainly don’t show 8 Palace games per season, at least not when we were in the Championship
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It’s an estimation of how many games I watched, but 3 play-off games, plus an FA cup tie against Stoke. I’m guessing I saw about 4 league games throughout the season, maybe more maybe less because I didn’t mark them off on a calendar, so I don’t really know for sure.
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The big news this year at Chelsea was the return of Jose Mourinho to the club, in a ‘I wanted the Man Utd job but I settled for you because they didn’t want me and I couldn’t get another job cause I have upset too many people’ and a ‘I wanted Pep Guardiola but didn’t get him and was left with no option but you because I didn’t want to have to keep Rafa Benitez’.
One word: Bullshit.
Lukaku couldn’t play regularly for WBA last year.
14 not good enough for you?!?!
Luiz can’t defend and Cahill isn’t good and Cole hasn’t been good for about 4 years),
Luiz is good. Cahill is dominant, and Cole is still the best Left-back in the PL
They only have one good wide player (Schurlle).
Ok, just go f@#% yourself now. Hazard????
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So you are telling me that Mourinho was Chelsea’s first choice as manager then? We both know that isn’t true. We also both know that Mourinho wanted the Utd job, regardless of what he says.
Lukaku started 20 games in the league last year for WBA, sounds like a regular to me…..
Cahill is dominant? Is this the same guy that got skinned by Kenny Miller? Cole isn’t even the best left back who is English.
I don’t see Hazard as a winger, I see him more as an attacking midfielder but if he consider him a winger then they have two wingers.
I could explain many more points over and over and have done so in the comments section with several others. Feel free to point out any other points you disagree with in regards to Chelsea or any other team.
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I hope palace shove those words right down your throat, 4th best team in play off’s Just exactly how when we finished above Brighton you utter turbomong
.
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Well feel free to come back and shove them down my throat if Palace do stay up, just a reminder in your dreams does not count. The year Newcastle got relegated from the Premier League they were a better team than Hull, even though they finished below them. You Palace fans need to stop getting your panties in a twist over nothing, do you realistically think you are going to stay up? If you do you are deluded.
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Arsenal have to sign jesus to be champions
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Jesus could play up front for the goals, but who would deliver the balls to him? They need more than Jesus to be champions. They need Moses, Joseph Smith and all of the other Super Best Friends to have a chance of winning the league.
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Arsenal Starting XI
—————Jesus————–
Paul—John—Moses—James
Peter—David—John the Baptist—Judas
————GK-Samson——————
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Don’t play Judas at right back, he will just score loads of own goals and then kill your top player by selling him to Man Utd behind the rest of the teams back. Also how come there’s only 10 of them? Are they so good the extra player is the holy spirit or something?
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Arsenal(revised) Starting XI
—Samson——Thomas——–
Paul—John—Moses—James
Peter—David—John the Baptist—Andrew
————GK-Jesus——————
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Ah you can’t put Jesus in nets because he wouldn’t ever concede, so that is surely unfair…
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Then put Sczcesny in net and have Jesus coach him and give him competition for his postition
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Yes that would make sense.
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I am not really concerned but some people may consider that not really PC !!
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What a joke! Every Crystal Palace fan knows that we will struggle this season but to say “we were the 4th best team in the play off’s” is one of the most pathetic things I have ever heard, the kind of thing I would expect from a Brighton fan not some so called pundit. Need I remind you that we spent the majority of last season in the playoff’s and thoroughly deserved the right to be there and ultimately win them. We’ve picked up some good signings and there will still be more to come. Once the team gels together we will be better then we were against Spur’s and we were hardly outplayed then were we?
As for your comments on Southampton, even before they made their signings they were never going to struggle this season. They are definitely a team on the up and will be pushing the top teams this season.
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Going into the play-offs Palace were the 4th best team, I thought that, the pundits thought that and the bookies thought that. I never said you didn’t belong in the play-offs at any point.
I thought Palace played well against Spurs, but Spurs were very lackluster and lacked a cutting edge. Even though Palace put up a good effort, at no point did it seem like Spurs were actually under any pressure of conceding a goal.
I think Southampton will struggle to an extent because they have a number of very good players, but then there is a lot of ordinary players behind them. All it would take is a couple of injuries and they could be in trouble, however by the end of the season I’m sure they will be fine. I agree they are on the up and Pochettino seems like a good young manager, but often the 2nd season is harder than the 1st.
I don’t know what you mean by pushing the top teams, I assume you mean in individual matches. If that is the case then I would point out that last year they pushed most of the big teams to tight results and should probably have gotten points off of both City and Utd in the first few weeks of the season.
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do you think aston villa will finish near the top? they look pretty good right now.
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I think it is maybe a season to early for them to crack the top 10 but they have started the season very well. My only issue with Villa is that they seem to have an over reliance on Benteke.
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I still think they could break into top ten. For me they rank higher than at least West Ham and Newcastle. Maybe West Brom too.
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I agree, at the moment after 1 game they look much better than Newcastle. They could push for top 10 but I think they would need a clean bill of health for most of the season to do so.
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can’t believe arsenal missed out on david villa
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Seems odd considering they were in for him last January, yet this summer they aren’t for some reason. All very odd when you consider he only would have costed about £5 million, which is a bargain for a player of his ability.
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maybe wenger has a player he’s buying that is better? or maybe it’s just yaya sanogo.
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It feels like that latter to me.
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Spurs will still be 5th not 4th and maybe even liverpool will get 5th or 4th.
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I wrote this when they still had Bale, at the moment I would agree that they will finish 5th unless they sign somebody to make me think otherwise. Liverpool are at best 6th, although I still think 7th or 8th is more likely.
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what happens it they get willian
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First off I doubt he is going there because it looks like Chelsea will get him. If Spurs do get him then yes I would put them 4th but all it would take is a good signing from Arsenal and I would not have that opinion.
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who do you reckon will be promoted this year
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I like Leicester, I think they have a very good squad but fell away terribly to end last season. I also like Forest who also have a good squad and will push for automatic this year. The third is up in the air and could be one of a number of clubs (Wigan, QPR [both of whom have Premier League caliber first teams], Watford or Bolton) but I hope Leeds come back up and I think they have a chance as well (a team I very much dislike but feel the Premier League misses them and they are too big a club to not be in it).
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i don’t think chelsea at third will happen. i think you are underestimating jose mourinho and his mental strength so i think second or first will happen.
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I don’t doubt Mourinho’s ability as a manager, what I do doubt however is the quality of his squad as a whole. There are major question marks in defence and up front which haven’t been dealt with. That is why in my opinion they are the 3rd best team in the league, because they lack the overall roundness the two Manchester clubs have.
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Good review. I agree with most parts of your predictions and just to be clear, I am a City fan – since we somehow can’t have a friendly discussion online without slinging accusations against each other. Anyway, I actually do agree that with one or two major signings, United has a very good team to win again. I would consider a top midfielder to be United’s priority and after that, well – game on. City needs some working to do and I think Pellegrini will be a good man for the job, but he does require some time. Cardiff certainly showed our weaknesses, but I think it’s what the players and Pellegrini will do from now that really counts. Otherwise, I really do think people might be taking Moyes too lightly since even at Everton, I’ve always considered him a very astute manager and observer of the game. If there are growing pains, I believe Moyes have the character to push through. You’ve got yourself a good manager and old Fergie’s eyes rarely makes mistakes in terms of talent.
Chelsea… well, Mourinho is always entertaining isn’t he? haha, i’ll watch Chelsea for his commentary and they certainly do have a strong mid, but there are question marks in D and an inconsistent forward team. Like City, I think it’ll often be how they’ll perform against the middle and lower teams throughout the season than the major highlight games.
Anyway, good luck on the derby! With all due respect and humour, I hope you lose! 😉 hahaha, or at least, I believe it’ll be one hell of a game.
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Holy shit is this the first occurrence of a Utd and City fan agreeing with each other on the internet? Probably.
I think the game against Cardiff showed that City still have some weaknesses, especially in defence (3 centre backs isn’t enough for a full season, and Hart is making people begin to ask questions). I think the result showed a little bit of naivety from Pellegrini; this isn’t Spain, the small teams don’t just role over. I think he is a very good manager and it will actually be beneficial to him as a manager to have suffered his first defeat so early, it will keep him on his toes and will teach him more about the Premier League more than a win ever could.
It will be interesting to see the signings that both Utd and City make in the last week of the transfer window. Whether either team signs someone or not, it is setting up to be a very exciting season.
Let’s hope for a good game in the derby and that the best team wins (and hopefully that team will be Utd).
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Yeah, this was a historic moment. A City and Utd fan agreed online. huh. This does kind of feel weird….
*sigh*…. Cardiff. It’s still early so we have time. I think I actually saw Pellegrini thinking behind his quiet demeanor that he might have misjudged Cardiff a little bit. Still, we still got some time for last minute plugs. If rumours are true, what’s another 5 or so mill out of 90? hahaha
Hart… Not sure if Pellegrini wants to rock the boat of such a personality in England and in the team, esp. with Kompany sidelined. His poker face response tells me he’s considered possibilities, but would probably find ways to work on Hart rather than send a message. But yes, those mistakes need to be mended asap.
But yeah, it looks to be a ridiculous season (wait, we agreed again?!)….
And yeah, see you at the derby. I believe you’ll feel rather blue….
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Someone should call the UN!…..or not, either way a historic moment indeed.
I agree with the last minute plugs, Javi Garcia is not a centre back as he has shown once again. Centre back is a must for City and maybe another winger, but beyond that I think the squad is set.
Hart is a weird case, because he was excellent for 3 straight seasons but has shaded off quite dramatically this past season and so far this year, it almost reminds me of Paul Robinson’s fall. I think the best thing that could happen for Hart is if City (and England) brought in competition, because I think that he is too comfortable at the moment and it has caused his game to slip.
Yes the derby….I get the feeling your face is going to be red…….too many puns……..
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Excellent post with great Analysis. As a ManUtd fan I hope your prediction is wrong but I can see why you are making it, though I will remind you, myself and those in the footballing sphere that a bet against United is often a risky one. Other than that though, good stuff. I completely agree though that Chelsea is clearly over-rated, and I think that has been evidenced by their poor performance against United today.
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Don’t get me wrong, I hope that City also don’t win the league. I do find it funny that almost nobody at the start of the season was backing Utd despite the fact that they won the league so comfortably last year. I also agree that a lot of people will have had their eyes opened by Chelsea’s performance against Utd, but on the flip side of that Utd did show their desperate need for more creativity in the midfield and an anchorman.
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Michael Carrick is a great example of why everyone has written off Man United for the Title,while the likes of City and Mourinho’s Chelsea are,… in City’s case spending lots of money and in Mourinho’s case manipulating the press. United like Michael Carrick just get on with business in style,the crowd the other night suprised Mourinho by getting behind Rooney and not falling for his tricks,I am not a psychologist but if I was I would probably come to the conclusion that Mourinho is in Love with Man Utd and not in the healthy way I am !!!!
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It’s funny because there is no doubt in my mind that Mourinho wanted the Utd job (and still does). I can’t blame him because Utd are one of the biggest clubs in the world and are a team that everyone throughout the world dreams of one day playing for or managing. You can’t honestly tell me that Mourinho grew up wanting to manage Chelsea, because who did (other than Chelsea fans, which 10 years ago there wasn’t too many of [in comparison to today]).
I think Carrick is a great analogy for Utd because he is ever present and does his job in a classy manner. Chelsea in comparison would be John Terry because he is brash, arrogant and will probably sleep with your wife if given the chance, much like Chelsea.
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HAHA ,Who was it wrote the article of going into John Terry’s house being similar to entering Madame Tusuards he has manakins dotted about wearing the shirts he wore during certain triumphs etc and medals and posters on show letting everyone know just how great and important a man he is,wheras Ryan Giggs had all his in a box room out of the way somewhere LOL !!!
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Lol, somehow that doesn’t surprise me.
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HA Chelsea the Man Utd of the south ! Remember that one !
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This is one of the most embarrassingly horrid pieces of football “journalism” I have ever had the displeasure of laying my eyes on. I really have read some shameful efforts before, however this particular one has really managed to push the boat out. Unless you are actually just a 15 year old budding journalist, writing from the squalor of your parents’ Macclesfield home, please put a plug in the outlet of this nauseating filth.
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Um…thanks for the positive feedback… I know you will never come back and reply to what I’m about to say because you put in a made up email address, but despite that I’ll give you a lovely reply anyway (I’m a nice guy).
First off this is a year old and it is so easy to sit back and talk about how shit something is when you know exactly what happens and to be honest when I wrote this at the time it turned out to not be too far off.
Secondly when did I ever say or even pretend to be a journalist? It’s a blog…anyone can set one up and write whatever they like on it…it’s called the internet…
Thirdly what’s wrong with Macclesfield? I’ve never been there personally but I doubt it’s that bad, maybe I’m wrong…
Fourthly I wouldn’t mind the put a plug in it line so much if you had written your comment on this years Premier League preview but it makes you look a bit silly when you write put a plug in it on a post which has been followed up with another 100 or so…but hey, maybe that’s just me…
Love and kisses!
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