Crunch Time: The Title Race

We're down to the business end of the season and you can feel the anticipation and excitement around Old Trafford as a 20th league title seems closer, the one thing standing in our way... Arch rivals Manchester City.

Its for that reason that there are some slight nerves because City at this moment in time appear to be holding their own at the business end of the season with once again claiming 3 points yesterday with a 2-0 win over Bolton to put the pressure back on to United ahead of a massive game with Tottenham today at White Hart Lane.

Since December and the hectic times of the Christmas period United have picked up 31 points from a possible 39 which has included fantastic wins over the likes of Norwich last week with Ryan Giggs scoring in the last minute on his 900th appearance for the club, a valuable point was claimed at Stamford Bridge after being 3-0 down at halftime with Javier Hernandez finishing off the comeback to make it 3-3 and then there was the intense clash between United and Liverpool where United managed to win 2-1 despite all the various emotions happening that day.

Manchester City themselves have racked up 31 out of a possible 42 points after yesterdays game meaning that if United lost today the sides would have exactly the same records since then leaving them 5 points off the pace. But with Uniteds league form in 2012, one loss, one draw and 5 wins and there incredible record against Tottenham I can see us definitely getting a result today. Spurs have failed to beat United since 19th May 2001 and in all fairness they have there best chance of ending this run with the likes of Luka Modric and Gareth Bale in the side but when it comes down to crunch time United 99% of the time get the job done.

The general feel around Old Trafford is that with a win this afternoon United will go on and win the league, after Tottenham away today United and Citys remaining 11 fixtures are as follows:

Manchester United                                                                                

West Brom (H)
Wolves (A)
Fulham (H)
Blackburn (A)
Q.P.R. (H)
Wigan (A)
Aston Villa (H)
Everton (H)
Manchester City (A)
Swansea (H)
Sunderland (A)


Manchester City

Swansea (A)
Chelsea (H)
Stoke (A)
Sunderland (H)
Arsenal (A)
West Brom (H)
Norwich (A)
Wolves (A)
Manchester United (H)
Newcastle (A)
Q.P.R. (H)

With it being the Premier League no game is easy but City have the likes of Chelsea at home and Newcastle as well as Arsenal away plus the massive game at home to United and with United having all their experience and know how I can see us taking the league come May and becoming Champions again, Come On United lets get the job done today and set ourselves on our way to becoming Champions of England for the 20th time!

Glory Glory Man United! <3

Super Bowl XLVI: New York Giants vs New England Patriots.

This Sunday brings us the climax of this years NFL season as the 46th Super Bowl takes place at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. It will be contested between NFC Champions the New York Giants and AFC Champions the New England Patriots, the teams met back in Super Bowl XLII when the Giants knocked off the 18-0 Patriots in the closing moments of the game to pull off a shock upset and prevent the Patriots from achieving perfection.

As a Patriots fan myself the memories from that game still linger with me but the beauty of sport has given us the opportunity at revenge, a word that anyone associated with the team or the players themselvesnwould not use but that is pretty much what we can achieve come Sunday's game. With that being said 4 years have passed since that game in Arizona and the type of weather expected for this Sunday is not the only circumstance that will have changed. Both teams are completely different bar the Quarterbacks and other key players.

7 Patriots remain from that game in 2008 but back then the Patriots had a solid defensive unit and Randy Moss as the teams main receiving threat where as now the deep ball is not something the Pats often employ but the two athletic tight ends, record setting Rob Gronkowski (17 receiving touchdowns) and Aaron Hernandez, will be a handful even for this Giants defense. Former Super Bowl MVP Deoin Branch and long time Patriot Wes Welker will also be as useful as always for Tom Brady and who's to bet against Chad Ochocinco making a big play on the grandest stage of them all well that decision ultimately comes down to Bill Belichick. It is Belicheck's 5th Super Bowl as Head Coach of the Patriots and also Tom Brady's 5th Super Bowl as the teams Quarterback, it has been a great run for these two as they are 3-1 in the big game and with the added incentive of getting some payback for 08 I'm sure the Patriots will be more fired up then ever come kickoff.

But as mentioned before these two teams are very different from the sides that met before, the week 9 match between the two teams proved this with it being a close affair which saw Eli Manning construct a game winning drive to clinch victory for the Giants 24-20.

The Giants defense will be as strong as ever and it was them who helped a lot in pulling off that shock win in 08 and the 3 defensive ends - Jason Pierre-Paul (16.5 sacks this season) Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck will have to come up big if they are to stop Tom Brady and the Patriots from winning. On offense the Giants are a lot stronger then they were back in 08, for a start of Eli Manning has matured as a Quarterback and has proved he can mix it with the best. Plexico Burgess was the main and probably only major threat on offense in that Super Bowl winning team where as now the Giants have Ahmad Bradshaw at running back who can always rack up the yardage and 3 young and very talented receivers - Victor Cruz, Mario Manningham and Hakeem Nicks who can all cause this make shift Pats defense trouble.

Where as things have improved for the Giants since then their regular season record was still only 9-7, the playoffs is where they get it done and essentially that is where it counts but the Patriots have a lot to be optimistic about. As I mentioned previously the offense is very talented, as we all know they have Tom Brady as the teams's quarterback. A man who has been there, seen it and done it all; if the Patriots win tonight the case for Brady being the best quarterback ever definitely gains further momentum as he would have 4 rings to his name. Whatever happens he is a future hall of famer and easily one of the best ever up there with Montana, Elway, Marino and Peyton Manning.

The Patriots finished the season 13-3 with the best record in the AFC, the Giants are the slight underdogs in this one but because of the shock win last time a win tonight would certainly not be as surprising as 4 years ago. Despite all of the talent on the Patriots offense the defense will have to play great to help the team get the win tonight, the offensive line is better then it was in the last Super Bowl as they now have experience with Brian Waters joining the likes of Matt Light and then their are younger guys like Sebastian Vollmer and rookie Nate Solder who can help protect Brady to give him the time he needs to make the key throws downfield. Obviously the offenses effectiveness will be the main piece of the puzzle if the Patriots are to win as last time the amount of pressure the Giants D got on Brady and co was the reason the Pats came up short.

So we have established that Brady needs to have a big game and I believe he will, the man loves football and admitted to sometimes thinking about that Super Bowl defeat so he will be the most pumped up guy on that team and he will get the job done tonight I'm sure. Ever since that night in Arizona he has been on a mission to prove himself, not that he needs too, and the injury to his knee will only have pushed him on more to get another Championship for him and the Patriots. This season Brady has been back to his, they got over the recent playoff slide with a 45-10 win over the Broncos and then against the Ravens it was Brady's 1 yard frontflip touchdown that proved to be the deciding factor in that game clinching the AFC Title for the Pats. Brady got the 2nd most amount of touchdown passes in his career for a season this year, 39, and he broke Dan Marino's passing yards total for a season by passing for 5,235 yards so tonight I think Brady will prove that he is the best of the best and he is the definition of an elite Quarterback.

Rob Gronkowski's fitness will be a major factor for the Patriots has he is the main option in the passing game, the 17 receiving touchdowns for a tight-end speaks for itself but if he doesn't get as much time as he would like or isn't as effective or gets hurt then the Patriots will have prepared for this. I think the secret weapon tonight is the Patriots running game as back in 08 the Pats didn't have that guy to help open up from the backfield and then provide the play-action for Brady and open up the deep passes as well as the no huddle offense which is also key for the Pats as it has worked well all season for Brady and co and if its effective it will catch the Giants off guard and could seal the game for the Patriots. BenJarvus Green-Ellis has never fumbled in his NFL career and this season his production has gone to he next level with 9 rushing touchdowns as well as 667 yards which is impressive in predominantly passing offense so look for the lawfirm and the likes of Danny Woodhead, who can catch and gain plenty of yards after the catch, and even Stevan Ridley who both have great speed to tire out this Giants defense.

Overall I'm just hoping for a Patriots victory, I've been waiting all week for this moment and I am buzzing with excitement. I hope the Patriots get the job done because I feel the team definitely deserve it and it would be a very fitting way to end the season following the passing of Mr Kraft's wife Myra. Good luck Patriots and lets do this!!!

Let's Go Pats! PatsNation!

Patriots Super Bowl bound after 45-10 romp against Broncos

The New England Patriots had a lot to prove on Sunday and oh did they come up with the goods, Tom Brady led them to a 45-10 thrashing of the Denver Broncos and in the process the 2 time Super Bowl MVP tied a playoff record of 6 passing touchdowns in a game. The win ended a 3 game straight losing streak in the playoffs, following all the hype around Broncos QB Tim Tebow sunday night was a big game for the Patriots.

Since the Super Bowl loss to the New York Giants back in the 2007 season the Patriots have experienced a few playoff woes. 2008 saw Tom Brady get injured for the season on the opening day of the campaign against the Kansas City Chiefs but shockingly the team rallied together and went 11-5 for the season but became the first team since the expansion to 12 teams in the playoffs to not make the playoffs with 11 wins.

Tom Brady then returned for the 2009 season and helped the team regain the AFC East Title before crashing out to the Baltimore Ravens 33-14 who the Patriots meet this Sunday for the AFC Championship and a place in Super Bowl 46 but before we get on to that I'll continue with this. Brady looked back to his best last year, 2010 season, as the Patriots finished with the best record in the league, 14-2, but lost to rivals the New York Jets. The Patriots had hit a low, 2 home defeats in their opening games in the playoffs two years straight.

This is why Sunday's game against the Broncos was so important but within 2 minutes of the game Brady hit Welker and the Pats were up 7-0. Brady threw a pick at 14-7 which could of been a changing point to make the game closer but the Pats D was all over Tebow and with Brady on fire New England went in at halftime 35-7 ahead. Brady had broke a record for Touchdowns thrown in the first half of a playoff game, 5.

Brady who threw for 5,235 yards this season and 39 Touchdowns certainly looks just as good as he's ever played. With main receiving threat Rob Gronkowski on fire, he caught 3 of the 6 Touchdows on Sunday, and the likes of Welker, Branch and other tight en Aaron Hernandez all playing great in this unique looking Patriots offense the team could make their 5th Super Bowl in 11 seasons with a win over the Ravens this coming Sunday.

The Gronkowski-Hernandez combination suits Brady so well, it ensures that the offence is unpredictable and with both tight ends being able to catch them ball so well it make them a mismatch for any defence in the NFL. The Patriots could be on to something very special, as a Patriots fan myself once the Broncos game ended it was somewhat revenge seeing as Denver had beaten us in the last playoff game the teams played back in the 2005 season 27-13.

With them being swept out the way on Sunday the Patriots now have the chance to get revenge on the Ravens for that embarrassing home playoff loss two seasons ago, the Patriots and Ravens have had their war of words over the past few years which adds to the tension and excitement of this AFC Championship game. The obvious battle between the two sides is this amazing Patriots offense against an extremely strong Ravens defence who themselves finally managed to clinch the AFC North title for the first time in 5 years over rivals the Pittsburgh Steelers and were the 2nd seeded team in the AFC for the playoffs.

So the game on Sunday involves the 2 best teams in the AFC, I hope and I believe that come Sunday night here in the UK I will be celebrating a New England victory and a trip for the Patriots and all the PatsNation to Super Bowl 46 on February the 5th in Indianapolis. Hopefully the Giants get a win in the NFC Championship game over the 49ers to set up a Super Bowl rematch with the Patriots so that this time we can win the Vince Lombardi trophy and will exercise our demons from previous years to because Super Bowl Champions!

Let's Go Patriots!

Manchester United: A transition period or just a setback?

After the end of last season all those associated with Manchester United including myself were on cloud nine, ok we lost to Barcelona in the Champions League Final but to be fair they are possible one of if not the greatest team of all time. The goodtimes were rolling at Old Trafford, a 19th league title was claimed on the 14th May 2011 and after years of waiting Manchester United could finally say that they are the most successful club in English football.

Anticipation as well as expectation was sky high  at the start of the season, a pre season win over Barcelona followed up by a stunning comeback against Manchester City in the Community Shield to win 3-2 appeared to set the tone for another memorable campaign. United's league form saw them achieve wins over West Brom, Tottenham and an amazing 8-2 win over Arsenal at Old Trafford. It appeared as though the calls for a new midfield maestro had been silenced as youngsters such as Tom Cleverley, Phil Jones and Danny Welbeck stepped up to the plate to help guide United to an amazing start. Even an entertaining game that could of gone either way swung in United's favour when we defeated Chelsea 3-1 on the back of a 5-0 drumming against Bolton. Confidence was sky high, there was wins and a few draws against the likes of Stoke, Liverpool and in the Champions League at home to Benfica but then the biggest blow of the season came on a day all United fans would love to forget and pretend it never happened. Manchester City came to Old Trafford and cruised to a 6-1 win, it exposed United's weaknesses and proved we still lacked a playmaker in midfield and someone extra to change the game when required.

5 successive wins in all competitions following that humiliation and it appeared we had turned a corner but another Champions League home blunder against Benfica meant we had draw at home to them and Basel and needed a draw on Wednesday night just gone to qualify for the knockout stags. I never mentioned anything to anyone that night but in my head I was still haunted by 2005 at the Stadium of Light when we lost to Benfica and came bottom of the group, my fears came true as we lost to Basel and fell into the Europa League which is the only competition Manchester United have never won even when it was the Uefa Cup. No disrespect but we don't want to win that trophy, if come next May we did I wouldn't be unhappy but I doubt I'd be able to boast well I guess it would give us United fans something else to brag about seeing as we could say we've won every club competition available haha.

On a more serious note I saw people on sky sports forums and twitter calling for Fergie's head, saying he had lost the plot and it made me feel sick. It's stuff like this that proves people are Glory Hunters, Sir Alex has done so much for the club and has endured many transition periods in his time as manager. When he first joined he took us from the relegation zone in the old first division to stablise the club over a few seasons and win his first trophy in the 1989-1990 season with a 1-0 win over Crystal Palace in a FA Cup Final replay. The winning mentality had been implemented into the club once again but it took 3 seasons for the wait for a League title to finally end with Manchester United winning the Championship in the 1992-1993 season with the league now being re-branded into the "Premier League". It was 26 years since United had lifted a league title but from that moment on Ferguson's Red Devils never looked back, that year they had a young Ryan Giggs to thank as he lit up the Premeirship and went on to win the PFA Young Player of the Year award and the likes of Mark Hughes up front, Paul Ince in midfield, reliable centre back Gary Pallister and Eric "The King" Cantona (King Eric) who had signed from arch rivals Leeds to help add something special up front for United.

Alex Ferguson received the Manager of the Year award, it was great recognition for Uniteds achievements that year, back to the point this proves Fergie has overcome obstacles before and mainly during the early stages of his United managerial career. In 1994-1995 United missed out on the title on the final day of the season, the media criticised Fergie as he didn't replace key players who were sold such as the likes of Mark Hughes, Paul Ince and Andrei Kanchelskis. Even Alan Hasen said "you'll never win anything with kids" but Fergie's men proved everybody wrong, it was that 1995-1996 season where the likes of David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and the Neville brothers became key players at Old Trafford and all contributed significantly in helping United go on to win the double that season with an amazing comeback to take the title from Newcastle who lead the title race for the majority of the season, Ferguson got under Kevin Keegans skin and his infamous mindgames played a huge factor in helping United win the league. The double was completed that season with a win over Liverpool in the FA Cup final and in the following season, 1996-1997, Manchester United went on to win their fourth Premier League Title in five seasons.

Arsene Wenger took the double with his Arsenal side next year to set up a fascinating rivalry with Ferguson and the 1998-1999 season would prove to be something special. Thriving under the pressure of another Arsenal challenge Manchester United went on to win the Premiership that year but the success story doesn't stop there, as everybody knows and all United fans know the 98-99 season is one of the greatest in the clubs history. It was the first and only time that an English side has gone to win an unprecedented treble with Ferguson adding the FA Cup again to his honours list and finally the Uefa Champions League. As it was one of the clubs most historic seasons it was characterised by highly dramatic matches. The Champions League semi-final second leg saw United conceded two early goals away to Italian giants Juventus however Roy Keane inspired a Manchester United fightback despite recieving a yellow card earlier in the game ruling him out of the final if United were to progress there. The win saw United reach their first European Cup final since 1968,  the FA Cup semi-final was just as dramatic as United faced close rivals Arsenal and once again appeared to be heading for defeat when Keane was sent off. The odds were stacked against the Red Devils once again as Arsenal were awarded a last-minute penalty but the Great Dane Peter Schmeichel saved Mark Overmars' spot-kick to send the game into extra time then up steps Ryan Giggs, the Welsh Wizard ran the length of the pitch to score perhaps the most memorable goal of his career to win the match as he took on numerous opposition players before firing past David Seaman into the top corner. They went on to Wembley where they defeated Newcastle United 2–0 in the FA Cup Final thanks to goals from Teddy Sheringham and Paul Scholes. The European triumph was the most incredible of all and summed up United's whole season, a never say die spirit was in that side as they never knew when they were beaten. They had fought of many obstacles so far not only domestically but in Europe like that night in Turin. 90 minutes were on the clock and we were 1–0 down to Bayern Munich at the Nou Camp in Barcelona following a Mario Basler free kick, Bayern themselves were seeking the treble and it appeared they had done it but in 3 minutes of injury time allowed by referee Pierluigi Collina, Teddy Sheringham, a substitute, equalised and extra time looked certain. But United won another corner, David Beckham went over to take it and it was definitely the last attack of the game as there were just seconds left on the clock, Sheringham got to the ball again and flicked it on for super sub Ole Gunnar Solskjær to score the winning goal and history was made. Manchester United were the Champions of Europe again and the best footballing side on the planet, it was a moment that would put them in history forever and it proved why Ferguson was an outstanding manager. His achievements were recognised with him receiving a knighthood shortly after the end of the season for his services to the game.

Into the 21st century and Manchester United's Premier League dominance continued with another league title in the following season, 2000-2001. It was United's third successive title since the year of the treble, Old Trafford was domestically on a high but in the past couple of seasons had failed to achieve success in Europe again, nevertheless Fergie was going as strong as ever. Into the 2001-2002 season saw Ferguson announce that he was planning to retire, around this time United found themselves suffering a big dip in form and despite a late run of wins once Fergie had announced he planned to stay for another 3 years it was Arsenal who won the league that season. Rio Ferdinand signed from rivals Leeds for 30 million pounds to provide stability at the back and now that the likes of Ruud Van Nistelrooy had settled in Manchester United were once again a formidable force, this was proven towards the end of the 2002-2003 campaign as with 2 months to go the Manchester club trailed Champions Arsenal by 8 points but in what Ferguson described as his most satisfying triumph ever United came back to pip the North London club to the title with an excellent win of 10 wins and 1 draw from their last 11 matches which included a 4-0 victory over rivals Liverpool and a 6-2 smashing of Newcastle. Manchester United were unbeaten since boxing day, the season turned out to be a great achievement for the club.

That summer saw David Beckham leave to join Real Madrid's Galaticos and after Ferguson failed to sign Ronaldinho he brought in young Portugese Starlet Cristiano Ronaldo. United won the FA Cup that season, 03-04, but finished 3rd in the league and were knocked out in the first knockout round of the Champions League to eventual winners FC Porto. Despite a League Title and an Fa Cup success in the past two seasons Manchester United were still somewhat in a transition period. The summer leading up to the following season, 04-05, saw English teenage sensation Wayne Rooney sign for Manchester United in a deal worth more then £20 million. The view of the transition period came to be true as United failed to win any silverware that season and in 05-06 was similar in the transition sense despite United winning the League cup, they were knocked out at the group stages of the Champions League and finished bottom which lead to an outburst by club captain Roy Keane about the clubs youngsters playing a role in him leaving by mutual consent. Ruud Van Nistelrooy also departed but in the summer and joined Real Madrid to reunite with former United team-mate David Beckham.

After being overshadowed by Chelsea and Arsenal for a couple of seasons 2006-2007 saw United reclaim the title, signings such as Nemanja Vidic, Patrice Evra and Michael Carrick bought new stability to their positions and Edwin Van Der Sar had settled between the sticks to prove he was a keeper worthy of playing for United. That year was United's 9th Premier League Title but they did lose out in the FA Cup final at the New Wembley to Chelsea in extra time 2-1. Still despite this and a Champions League semi-finals exit at the hands of AC Milan United were back and would build on this successful season to go on to greater things in the 2007-2008 campaign, Carlos Tevez, Owen Hargreaves, Anderson and Nani were all bought it to freshen things up and a deadly strikeforce of Ronaldo, Rooney and Tevez was now ready to take on Europe's best. The FA Cup eluded Manchester United once again that season in a game which saw defender Rio Ferdinand have to go in goal for a penalty as they lost to eventual winner Portsmouth and United had a very good penalty shout themselves with infuriated Sir Alex. Despite this and United having their worst start to the season under Ferguson they went on to win their 10th Premier League title and met Chelsea in the Champions League Final in Moscow. That night was a very entertaining game that went down to the lottery of a penalty shootout, following top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo's missed penalty Chelsea's club captain John Terry had a chance to win it but slipped in the rain to only hit the post. It was a huge relief for United and it went on to cost Terry's side as Edwin Van Der Sar saved Anelka's penalty in sudden death to clinch Manchester United's 2nd European Cup under Ferguson and their 3rd in the clubs history, United had dominated Europe again and Ferguson was back to being on top of the footballing world

Being on top of the footballing world wasn't just a cliché as United went on to win the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup to officially become the best team in the world, that season saw United win the Premier League title again to take their overall total to 18 now joint with arch enemies Liverpool and they won the League Cup but that was to be it for the silverware that season as back to back Champions League's didn't happen following a 2-0 defeat to Barcelona in Rome. United started the new season seeking to finally surpass Liverpool's overall amount of league titles but this was thwarted by Chelsea who went on to win the league on the last day of the season leaving United to finish the season with one trophy, the League Cup once again. It was the 2010-2011 season where history was made, new signing Javier Hernandez proved to be a great difference to the side up front and United's squad seemed to have grown accustom to not having Cristiano Ronaldo in the side since he left after the 2-0 defeat to Barcelona back in 2009 to join Real Madrid for a world record fee of £80 million pounds. Hernandez formed a great partnership with Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov was also a force upfront as the 3 had become the latest set of goal scoring strikers to fire United to a league title, away from home United were not great but they went 29 games unbeaten by showing lots of resilience and winning 18 of their 19 home games, on the 14th May 2011 a 1-1 draw away to Blackburn was enough for United to win the title once again and more importantly their 19th league title seeing them become the most successful team in English football!  

Barcelona got the better of United in the Champions League final once again at the end of that campaign defeating them 3-1 at Wembley but Ferguson went on a summer shopping spree to try and tackle Europe's best once again and dethrone Barcelona, after the history run down and a summary of Ferguson's managerial time at Manchester United I take you back to the start and to the point of this blog post which is to ensure everyone that United are not done for and that despite bowing out of the Champions League at the first hurdle this current crop of United players can go on to achieve things, 5 of todays side that took part were 21 or younger. The 4-1 win over Wolves was a great way to bounce back following Wednesday's humiliation but Sir Alex has been in this job long enough and dealt with enough obstacles in the way, will he buy in January? Probably not but I feel that we do need someone like Luka Modric in the side to give us that extra dimension in midfield, whatever happens nobody can disagree with the fact that we have had terrible injury problems this season which has disrupted the jelling of the current squad. Club Captain Nemanja Vidic is out for the season and Javier Hernandez is out for the Christmas period, the back 4 has been reshuffling all season but we are only 2 points behind City and come next May could still win the title, I'm sure Sir Alex has told all the players how he feels and mentioned the fact that in a time of trouble now is the exact time to prove that you are good enough to play for a club like Manchester United! Only time will tell who proves good enough and what will happen come the end of the campaign but I'm United until I die and we will be back, infact who said we ever left.

Glory Glory Man United! Champ19ns!

Skye's Premier League Season Preview:

After losing it all once here I am writing the teams season previews again. It could be better it could be worse, either way I hope you enjoy my season preview and of course thanks for reading

Arsenal

After 6 years without a trophy Arsene Wenger sets out to try and end the drought at the Emirates this season. His unwillingness to spend has led to increasing unrest with the supporters of Arsenal, Wenger's "kids" policy has not brought any trophies since the FA Cup in 2005 and a time that saw the side known as the "invincibles". Wenger must take the blame for the team's lack of silverware but after another mid-season collapse last season so must the players as they seem to lack the mentality it takes to be able to compete for numerous trophies on the European and Domestic front. With the Cesc Fabregas saga dragging on once again into this summer, Barcelona announced negotiations are taking place with Arsenal regarding the transfer, the lack of success has led to other key players starting to question their own futures at the club. Samir Nasri has a year left and could soon be on his way to Manchester City, Manchester United or Chelsea. If these two leave it will create a huge gap in the Arsenal team and the likes of Jack Wilshire and Aaron Ramsey will have to step up to the plate, they could become a great centre midfield partnership if some key signings were brought in to help steady the ship. Keiran Gibbs will slot in perfectly for Gael Clichy after his departure to Manchester City so now Wenger needs to look at a centre back to partner Vermaelen and a striker to partner Van Persie, he could consider playing Walcott up top this year which would probably suit Theo himself, Arsenal and England. Wojciech Szczesny's emergence last season means that the goalkeeper worries may now have been taken care of so the only other reinforcements required would be midfielders to replace Fabregas and Nasri if they depart, Gervinho is a good signing but it's not the type of signing that strikes fear around the league or signals any major intent. If Wenger isn't careful this season could be the year that Arsenal drops out in the top 4, if he uses the funds that have reportedly been available for a number of seasons on the areas of the team that need improving then maybe he can rebuild Arsenal but if he doesn't splash any cash again then it could be another disappointing season for all those associated with the Gunners.

Season prediction: 6th



Aston Villa

Following the controversial appointment of former Birmingham City manager Alex McLeish this season is key for everyone associated with Aston Villa. If McLeish's side start badly then the fans will immediately be on his back but he'll take the challenge in his stride and will probably do a good job but it all depends on how he uses the money gained from the sales of last season's key players Ashley Young and Stuart Downing as he looks to bring in reinforcements to the side. Shay Given has been signed to replace Brad Friedel who joined Tottenham and as everyone knows Shay is a great goalkeeper with lots of Premier League experience so Mcleish's first bit of business appears to show positive signs for Villa, they have a small squad so the signings they make are key especially in midfield as that is the area that they'll need to focus on rebuilding. Scott Parker is rumoured to be a target but the 7 million reportedly offered is ridiculous for one of the best players in the Premier League last season, besides new signings the other key target for McLeish will be to hold onto Darren Bent as he will guarantee the side with a double figure goal return which will be key. I think Randy Learner will expect Villa to challenge for a Europa League spot but I'd say top 10 would be an achievement based on how things stand at the moment, whatever happens it will be interesting to see how this new era at Villa Park plays out.

Season prediction: 10th

Blackburn Rovers 

Blackburn won the Premier League back in the 1994/1995 season, now they are being managed by Steve Kean. He's still at the point where some people reading will say who? Well this is his first managers job in football and credit is due as he did steer Blackburn to safety at the end of last season but I still don't think Kean is cut out for Premier League management and his first full season in charge should expose that. Blackburn have lost young starlet Phil Jones to Manchester United and it appears his central defence partner Christopher Samba could be on his way out to as he seeks football at a higher level. This could be the start of some serious cracks at Ewood Park, Kean needs to focus on realistic signings and not the likes of Ronaldinho with whom Blackburn were linked with back in January. The new Venky owners do have cash to help improve the squad but I think whatever happens no major squad changing players will be brought in and if the management remains the same up until next May Blackburn fans shouldn't expect anything better than this season's 15th place finish and will probably face being part of the relegation battle again come next May, I'd even go out on a limb and say that former manager Sam Allardyce's new side West Ham will win promotion and swap places with Blackburn at the end of the season.

Season prediction: 18th

Bolton Wanderers 

After a positive first half of the season under Owen Coyle Bolton suffered key injuries within their team which unfortunately coincided with a dip in form and ended up finishing in the bottom half of the table but they, although like most, will be optimistic come the start of the new season. Owen Coyle has brought a new style of football to the Reebok and they could finish in the top half of the league come next May but there are some factors that need to be considered before deciding where Bolton will finish. The squad is small but they know how each other play, reaching the semi-finals of last season's FA Cup proved that the squad are more then capable of competing and that Coyle has what it takes to try and get Bolton places. The only issue at the moment for the Trotters is that they need at least two strikers. Johan Elmander has left for Galatasaray whilst Daniel Sturridge has returned back to Chelsea following a hugely successful loan spell, Gary Cahill could possibly be on his way out as potential suitors like Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham appear to be keeping tabs on the centre back. If he leaves Coyle needs to bring in an adequate replacement and sign two strikers, Danny Welbeck doesn't look like he'll be joining on loan from Manchester United so attentions will focus firmly on Daniel Sturridge which could lead to him returning to the Reebok if Chelsea feel he would benefit from another season away from the club. The thought of both would actually be interesting but it probably won't happen, either way Coyle knows his needs and will have targets in mind to hopefully guide Bolton to a top half finish and ensure that they can be consistent this season in order to stand a chance of that top half finish and maybe even get Bolton back into Europe.

Season Prediction: 9th

Chelsea

Chelsea is a team that everyone has had their say on since Roman Abramovich brought the club back in 2003. Since his takeover Chelsea have won 3 Premier League titles, 3 FA cups and 2 League Cups but the Champions League still eludes the Russian billionaire and he has become obsessed with winning the trophy. His obsession has led to a manager roulette at Stamford Bridge since he took over, Jose Mourinho was replaced after huge success at the club following a 2-2 draw to Rosenborg in the Champions League and was replaced by Avram Grant who took Chelsea to the final in Moscow during that same season where they lost to Manchester United on penalties. Grant's successor Scolari proved unsuccessful and left after just 7 months in the job, Guus Hiddink won the FA Cup during his temporary role as clubs manager and then along came Carlo Ancelotti who guided Chelsea to their first ever domestic double in his first season as the clubs manager but following a trophy-less campaign last year he was sacked and has now been replaced by Andre Villas-Boas. Villas-Boas won 4 trophies in his first season at FC Porto which caught the attention of Abramovich, Villas-Boas has been compared to the "special one" Jose Mourinho but Boas himself has been quick to play down these suggestions. His Porto side went unbeaten in the league last season and won the title by a staggering 21 points over 2nd placed Benfica, he comes into Chelsea with big expectations and with all those involved with the club optimistic with what he'll do during his reign at the Bridge. There are not many additions needed at Chelsea, a new centre back to partner John Terry is considered a possibility but midfield is the key area for change especially since the news that Michael Essien will be out for around 6 months. A defensive midfielder is now an aim and as Mikel hasn't proved to be a hit Scott Parker has been linked with a return to his former club, a creative midfield is also on Villas-Boas wish list as Luka Modric has been the subject of 2 bids from the club but both have been rejected. Tottenham appear unwilling to sell but Chelsea will probably continue to test their London rivals resolve as the Croatian is clearly on top of the Blues transfer targets, if Spurs manage to keep their man Chelsea may look to Joao Moutinho who would fit into the Villas-Boas perfectly following his key role in his Porto side last season, Falcao has signed a new deal with the Portuguese club so Drogba and Torres appear to be the 2 main strikers for the upcoming season where as Hulk remains a slight possibility. All the fans will be excited for the new season as they hope Villas-Boas can bring them some silverware in his first season but as the start of the season draws closer the questions of whether he can hack it as a Premier League manager will soon be answered. 

Season Prediction: 2nd

Everton

Everton are another of those Premier League sides who have a tight knit squad and David Moyes has done a superb job as manager since he took over back in 2002. He has always worked on a tight budget but has also always managed to mainly make good signings with the resources given, back in 2005 Moyes' men reached the Champions League qualifiers but fell at the first hurdle and in the past 5 years they have managed to finish in the top 8. In 2009 Everton reached the FA Cup final and even though Louis Saha scored the quickest goal ever to be scored in an FA Cup final they eventually lost 2-1 to winners Chelsea but all of this shows how great of a job David Moyes has done, for the season coming he will look to add 1 or 2 quality players that can make a big difference as they hope to push on for a place in Europe. Everyone who follows Everton would probably say what is to stop them maybe grabbing 4th place again, well that is very optimistic but with a fresh squad who knows as the likes of Tim Cahill have now returned from injury and with the team usually putting in good performances against the bigger sides all those at the club will be eager for the new season to start. Everton tend to start slowly so that will be Moyes' main objective as he knows a good start is key to a successful campaign especially as the league is now closer than ever but whatever happens I think it's safe to say that come the end of the season Everton will once again finish in the top half of the league.

Season Prediction: 7th

Fulham

Following the heights that Roy Hodgson took Fulham to in his 3 seasons in charge at Craven Cottage you could say that this season is a big year for the club as they hope to press on as a team and achieve some more. Hodgson guided Fulham to the Europa League final where they lost to Atletico Madrid 2-1 in extra time but it was the clubs most successful season in its history, Roy went on to take over at Liverpool which proved unsuccessful and Mark Hughes became the clubs new manager. Under his management and with injury problems, mainly to key striker Bobby Zamora, the club finished at a very positive 8th place and gained entry into the Europa League via the fair play system but despite this Hughes resigned in the summer and was replaced by Martin Jol. It is Jol's second experience as a Premier League manager following his run as Spurs manager a few years back and he will be keen to prove himself as a Premiership manager following spells at Hamburg and Ajax before his return. Competitive football under Jol has already started as their Europa League campaign started recently, the team got through the first round comfortably and they hold a 3-1 away aggregate lead in their second round match against Crusaders. Not many additions are needed to the Fulham side other then what Jol sees fit and probably a new strike partner for Bobby Zamora, John Arne Riise has come in from Roma which shows what the lure of European football can do as Riise has bags of experience to offer. This season could be another success for Fulham as they hope for another long European venture and another top 10 finish in the league.

Season Prediction: 11th

Liverpool

"King" Kenny returned home to Anfield this past January as Liverpool's new manager. He has the task of trying to restore Liverpool to the top of English football following Manchester United's 19th league title success last season, Dalglish second spell in charge has proved to be successful already as he took the club to 6th place following a very poor start to last season. Fernando Torres left for a staggering 50 million pounds to Chelsea so Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll were brought in as the clubs new look strikeforce, it created a real buzz around the club as it proved that a new era at Anfield has begun. The clubs new owners, New England Sports Ventures, obviously have faith in Dalglish as they have given him a handful of cash to spend as they promised when they took over. It's been a busy summer for Liverpool which has seen them bring in 3 big signings as part of a new look midfield, Jordan Henderson was brought from Sunderland, Charlie Adam has arrived from Blackpool and most recently Stuart Downing was acquired from Aston Villa. All three are British which shows Dalglish is sticking to his roots as it was a predominantly British side that saw him achieve success during his previous spell in charge back in the 80's, you could say Downing and maybe Henderson are over priced at 20 million each but then again Adam is a bargain at only 9 million but either way in an over inflated transfer market transfer fees are going to be high no matter what. Some Liverpool fans will feel Dalglish's new look side can challenge for the title this year now that they'll have captain Steven Gerrard fully fit and especially since the second half of last season saw them clock up more points than everyone else apart from eventual Champions Manchester United and second placed Chelsea. I'm sure Kenny feels they can challenge for the title too after his team's impressive performances since he returned and now that the players are use to his system but the clubs first aim will be to get them back in the Champions League where they feel they belong. This season will be exciting for all at Liverpool as they have reason to hope for success now that their hero has returned home and they'll mainly be hoping that they can make up ground on the pitch with Manchester United now that their arch rivals are the officially the main team in the country. With no European commitments to worry about the Reds can focus solely on domestic affairs, with a good start to a season and a lesser fixture list at the back end of next season come May 2012 who knows where Kenny's Liverpool side could finish.

Season Prediction: 3rd

Manchester City

Last season was Manchester City's most successful since the club was purchased by the extremely wealthy Abu Dhabi United Group who are led by Sheikh Mansour. They managed to finish 3rd in the league and even finished on even points with 2nd place Chelsea, the finish means that they automatically qualify for next season's Champions League which has been the clubs aim since the takeover of the club back in 2008. More high profile signings are expected now that they are in Europe's most elite competition but so far that has not been the case, the Carlos Tevez soap opera continues to surround the club with twists and turns happening every day. The Argentinian wants to leave Eastlands as he is "homesick" but City were desperate to keep their captain following his influential role throughout the majority of last season, he was the main man as he was a key contributor in them winning the FA Cup and he scored 33.3% of the teams league goals. It appeared they had conceded defeat in keeping Tevez since his old club Corinthians came in with an offer to bring him back to South America worth 40 million pounds, it was announced by City but Corinthians denied this and with the Brazilian transfer window rules meaning that clubs dealing with those abroad ends shortly a deal with them seems dead. Those at the top of the club have stated Tevez will only be sold for 50 million if it is a transfer to a European rival, besides that it appears a bid is imminent for fellow countryman Sergio Aguero but the pursuit of the Atletico Madrid star will probably have some link to how Tevez's future plays out whilst Samir Nasri has also been confirmed by Roberto Mancini himself as one of the clubs summer targets. Manchester City do need to improve the squad, Gael Clichy has been signed which is a good start but they have players like Lescott and Gareth Barry who are out of their depth as they are just little fish swimming in a big pond. They need a centre back to partner Kompany and someone to replace Barry, another striker will probably come in as there are question marks regarding Mario Balotelli's long term future at the club and Edin Dzeko hasn't exactly been prolific since he arrived in January but with the amount of money at their disposal the fans and Mancini will feel the team can challenge for the title after finishing just 9 points off rivals Manchester United. It remains to be seen how City will cope with the trials and tribulations of competing in Europe and trying to also challenge for honours back at home. Whatever happens Mancini will be delighted that the club won a trophy last season after 35 years without silverware and following that the Italian will now feel his side have the belief to carry this on and the minimum aim for the club will be to maintain their Champions League status come the end of the season.

Season Prediction: 5th

Manchester United 

Last season saw Manchester United surpass their great rivals Liverpool as the most successful side in English football, this conquering moment saw United win their 19th league title, 12th in the Premier League era. Sir Alex Ferguson has knocked Liverpool off their perch and now he prepares for the new season as he bids to add more trophies to his honours list that now currently stands at 36 during his 25 years in charge, come November. This summer has been busy at Old Trafford as Ferguson aims to build another great side capable of challenging for numerous trophies on the domestic and European front. Ashley Young has been signed from Aston Villa and he will surely continue to develop into a top footballer at the Theatre of Dreams, Young playing for United regularly will also probably see him cement himself on the left hand side of Fabio Capello's England side. Fellow Englishman Phil Jones was brought from Blackburn and he has the potential to build a future Manchester United and England centre back partnership with Chris Smalling. The third signing is David De Gea from Atletico Madrid, the goalkeeper has the task of filling the literally huge gloves of Edwin Van Der Sar following his retirement at the end of last season, De Gea has bags of potential and is considered one of football's brightest young shot stoppers and with Ferguson signing him it proves that he has faith in the young Spaniards ability to succeed at the club. These signings are all a huge signal of intent from Manchester United as they bid to win a 20th League title and look to bounce back from the disappointment of losing a second Champions League Final to Barcelona, it was this loss at Wembley which probably lead to Ferguson going on a summer shopping spree as he feels a club of Manchester United’s great stature need and deserve more success at European level as the 3 cup success' don't represent the club well enough seeing as there are other European sides who have 5 or more European Cups. Paul Scholes' retirement and the loss itself to the Catalan club has exposed United's need for some midfield creativity, Wesley Sneijder has been linked with the club and would be a great signing but Sir Alex has played down reports that have linked the club with the Dutch international. He would cost lots of money and Ferguson is probably observing other targets or even has faith in his squad that he now has at his disposal, Luka Modric and Samir Nasri would also add lots are creativity but again they would come at a big cost. Ashley Young could be employed in the creative midfield role as he did that job on plenty of occasions at previous club Aston Villa, whatever happens regarding the rest of United's summer activity one things for sure Sir Alex Ferguson will have full confidence in his side come the start of the new season with the likes of Javier Hernandez and Wayne Rooney looking to set the Premier League alight once again. This season could potentially see a 6 horse title race so it could be one of Ferguson's toughest but Manchester United have had many challenges in the past and taken so many of them in their stride, it's competition that drives United and Ferguson fills his sides with the hunger and desire that he has to ensure that they continue to challenge for and more importantly win trophies and as everyone knows that is what Manchester United will continue to do especially whilst Sir Alex is in charge at Old Trafford. 

Season Prediction: 1st

Newcastle 

Chris Hughton was wrongly sacked during the middle of last season, he guided Newcastle back to the top flight at the first time of asking but then Mike Ashley decided to not offer him a new contract and replaced Hughton with current manager Alan Pardew. The appointment didn't exactly create waves of excitement around St James Park but Pardew got his side to finish at a very respectable 12th place, this was without key player Andy Carroll who left during the January transfer window for 35 million to Liverpool. Following that record sale the fans and Pardew himself will be expecting that money to be reinvested into the team, so far there haven't been any big signings for Newcastle and they have lost fan favourite Kevin Nolan to West Ham. Demba Ba has been brought in on a free transfer as a new striking option whilst Marveaux and Cabaye have also been purchased from the French league, these 3 signings have barely touched the clubs finances as two were frees and with rumours circulating regarding other top players such as Joey Barton and Jose Enrique, Mike Ashley should look to give his manager some funds or Newcastle could face a relegation battle. The club want to move forward not backwards so until deadline day the fans will be watching closely to see if any activity takes place at the club, if none does then come next May who knows where Newcastle will be.

Season Prediction: 12th

Norwich City

Last season saw Paul Lambert's Norwich side achieve back to back promotions and return to the top tier of English football after a 6 year absence. Back to back promotions can often lead to a reality check once your mixing in with the big boys and Lambert must realise this as he has added no less than 6 players to his side since the transfer window opened, he'll probably continue to press on with some more additions to help the Canaries compete come the start of the season. Norwich's hopes rest on the likes of Grant Holt, he was the clubs top scorer last season and they'll be hoping he can reach double figures in the teams bid for survival but it can't all come down to one man so a strike partner is required. James Vaughan has been brought in from Everton so he could be the man to try and form a partnership with Holt, Lambert should also consider the possibility of resigning Dani Pacheco on loan from Liverpool as the young Spaniard proved to be a successful member of the squad and helped Norwich achieve the automatic place in the Championship that has seen them reach the Premier League this season. As with all three of the newly promoted sides things will be tough and there will be tough stages in the season where things look all doom and gloom but come the end of next season will Lambert's men be celebrating holding on to their Premier League status or will the reality check happen for those at Carrow Road.

Season Prediction: 20th

Queens Park Rangers

Some teams who win the Championship often end up being the ones who struggle once the Premier League season starts, it's not a given of course as each year the three new sides all have different qualities and philosophies that either work or don't in the big time. Well this year I would say that QPR probably have the best chance of survival over the two fellow promoted sides Swansea and Norwich, QPR won the league by 4 points and avoided a points deduction to ensure that they were Champions. The money that chairman Gianni Paladini and other key members of the board have invested has paid off and now the Hoops will hope to establish themselves as a Premier League side, many would say their hopes of this rest of the likes of Adel Taarabt as he was influential last season during the teams promotion campaign and they are right but he has potential suitors onlooking across Europe. PSG appear to be close to signing Taarabt as they have tabled an offer of 15 million pounds while Taarabt himself has made it no secret that he wants to play on a bigger stage, even claiming that the big teams in England are interested in him. If he is convinced by the French sides new Qatar owners of their ambition then Adel could end up in France but if he has his heart set on joining one of the big clubs in England he should try to prove himself in the Premiership and seek a move elsewhere in January, this would suit QPR and manager Neil Warnock perfectly but whatever happens with the Moroccan the team need to build on free transfer signings Jay Bothroyd and Kieron Dyer by adding a bit more quality to the side to help aid Taarabt and co or replace him so that the West London club are capable of competing in the Premier League and for them hopefully maintain their top flight status. Warnock himself will be desperate for a good start as there are rumours about his own future and with a bad start he could be the most likely manager to get the chop first.

Season Prediction: 16th

Stoke City

Back in June 2005 Tony Pulis was sacked as Stoke City manager only to return to the helm a year later, since then Stoke have reached new heights under Pulis. In the 2007/2008 season the team gained automatic promotion to the Premier League and have finished in respectable positions of 12th, 11th and 13th. Last season's league form took a slight dip towards the end but for a good cause as Pulis' men reached the FA Cup final, it was the first in the clubs history but they lost 1-0 to Manchester City. The defeat wasn't all bad as finishing runners up has meant that Stoke will get to compete in the Europa League, this should help them attract some players to help the club push on for maybe a top half finish this term. Pulis' side has good depth and would probably like one player in each outfield position, defensively Jonathan Woodgate has been signed on a free but has major fitness issues so only time will tell how that plans out. Carlton Cole's move to the Britannia stadium collapsed due to personal terms so now the Potters will most likely continue their pursuit of Birmingham City striker Cameron Jerome, if he comes then another 3 signings at most will probably arrive unless more depart. Stoke's close group of players could achieve well this year like last and they will want to continue to prove that they are now an established Premier League side and hopefully enjoy a good run in Europe for the clubs supporters.

Season Prediction: 13th

Sunderland

This season will see Sunderland in the Premier League for the 5th consecutive year. Stability has finally arrived at the Stadium of Light regarding their league status and it appears to be the same for the manager's position, this campaign will be Steve Bruce's 3rd in charge. Bruce will be aiming to bring European football to the Stadium of Light, during the early periods of last season it appeared that it was maybe a possibility but some bad form hit at a time where there were key injuries and star striker Darren Bent moved to Aston Villa in January, thankfully for Bruce the likes of Asamoah Gyan, Danny Welbeck and Jordan Henderson helped guide the Black Cats to a top half finish. This was a good achievement for Bruce's men and Sunderland's summer activity shows they have high hopes for the new season, following the sale of Henderson to Liverpool and the remains of the Darren Bent deal the cash has been made available for transfers as 8 new players have joined to help provide depth to the squad in all areas of the team,. Young English striker Connor Wickham was snapped up from Ipswich while the likes of Sebastian Larsson, Craig Gardner, and David Vaughan have joined from teams who were relegated last season in hope of continuing to prove their ability in the top flight. The other 4 signings include the experience of former Manchester United defensive duo Wes Brown and John O'Shea whilst goalkeeper Keiren Westwood has joined on a free from Coventry and finally one of the stars of Sunderland's second half of the season, Ahmed Elmohamady, has joined the club permanently. A top half finish will be the minimum aim for Sunderland and now that they are under good ownership and good management, the fans will be hoping that Steve Bruce will be able to take their team to the new heights.

Season Prediction: 8th

Swansea City

Swansea City are the first ever Welsh side to play in the Premier League since it began back in 1992, the Swans won promotion to the top tier of English football through last season's playoffs. Over the past few years Swansea and rivals Cardiff had both been pushing to reach the Premiership and it's Swansea who have done so, Brendan Rodgers' side will have to endure long trips across England as they bid for survival whilst all the other teams in the league will have to travel over to Wales at least one stage in this season (cup commitments). Since the clubs move to the Liberty Stadium the club have reached new heights but this year will be the clubs toughest challenge, they like all the promoted sides will be looking to improve their team so that it's capable of competing with the big boys. Following Dorus De Vries' departure a goalkeeper was top of the clubs transfer targets, they have signed Jose Moreira from Benfica so he appears to be the new number 1 come August. Besides that Danny Graham has been signed from Watford to provide some presence up front and as all the survival hopefuls know goals are key in the race to try and secure your top flight status. Whatever happens this season all those associated with the Welsh club can be proud of their achievements but come the end of the season they'll be hoping that they are celebrating another season in the top flight of English football.

Season Prediction: 17th

Tottenham Hotspur

Like their biggest London rivals Arsenal, Tottenham are at a bit of a crossroads. One of their key players Luka Modric appears to want out, this is on the back of the club failing to secure a second season in Europe's elite competition the Uefa Champions League. Despite this last season was a memorable one for Spurs as they reached the last 8 of the Champions League where they were knocked out to none other than the most successful side to ever compete in the European Cup, Real Madrid. Other positives include Gareth Bale’s emergence as one of the brightest stars in Europe with dazzling performances capturing the attentions of even those in Italy and Spain, this has led to rumours about his future as well but Bale unlike Modric appears to be willing to keep faith with the North London club and help to try and lead the club to some silverware. Under Harry Redknapp's management this is possible, the wheeler-dealer has done a great job at Tottenham and would love to bring some success to the club before he leaves, when this will happen is uncertain as he is being touted by many as the next England manager but if he doesn't take the job then I'm sure club wise Harry will stay put. For the season ahead everyone at Spurs will be hoping 'Arry and co can challenge for the title or at least gain entry to the Champions League for a second spell, the likes of Rafael Van Der Vaart will be key to any success the team has with the likes of Modric and Bale who were mentioned previously. A bit of added quality up front would be the main addition required at White Hart Lane and maybe a defender to add to a midfield that has depth, 40 year-old American Brad Friedel has been signed from Aston Villa so it appears he will challenge Brazilian Gomes for the starting jersey between the sticks, as for the striking options the likes of Giuseppe Rossi and Emmanuel Adebayor have been linked with a move to Tottenham and either would help add the goals the side lacked last season and that is what they need to be able to push on and match their ever growing ambitions. Whether these objectives will be reached or are even achievable remains to be seen, factors such as their consistency with form especially against the lesser sides, having a 15-20 goal a season striker and if they can stop Modric joining Chelsea are key but overall it will mainly come down to this season in proving if Spurs are really ready to carry on mixing it with the other top clubs or if they will fade away into the distance.

Season Prediction: 4th

West Bromwich Albion

Roy Hodgson is now the manager at The Hawthorns, he steadied the West Brom ship following Roberto Di Matteo's slightly controversial exit in February. However the fans felt regarding their former managers sacking, Hodgson took West Brom to a very respectable 11th place finish in their first season since returning to the Premier League. It's evident that Hodgson does much better at smaller clubs following his success at Copenhagen a decade ago and his successful spell at Fulham before the not so good spell at Liverpool, he'll be hoping to build on his achievements at West Brom in the short space of time he's been at the Midlands club. The Baggies haven't done much this summer in terms of buying players and will probably be looking for a new goalkeeper following the departure of Scott Carson to Turkish side Bursaspor, besides that their other aim will be to hold onto Peter Odemwingie as he is attracting attention from other clubs in the Premiership due to his good start in English football. "Woy" will add any players he feels that could freshen up as well as benefit the side and now that the team appear to have some stability they will hope to not continue their slight tradition of being a yo-yo club between the Championship and the Premiership so come the end of the season West Brom should finish somewhere around or just below the mid table area and more importantly for them secure another season in the Premier League.

Season Prediction: 14th

Wigan Athletic

2005 was the year that saw Wigan reach the big time, Paul Jewell helped the club establish themselves in the Premiership and even guided them to a Carling Cup final only to lose to Manchester United 4-0. Following his departure they endured an indifferent spell under Chris Hutchings before Steve Bruce took over the managerial position, Bruce left the Latics after two successful seasons and was replaced by the current manager to date Roberto Martinez. Martinez's men have secured survival in the latter stages of his 2 years in charge, both have included coming back from 2 goals down at home and winning a game with the first being against Arsenal in 2010 and the most recent being against West Ham this season. Those two victories spearheaded the clubs road to securing their top flight status with confirmation of this feat happening on the last day of this season following a 1-0 away win at Stoke. Martinez turned down the Villa job to remain at Wigan as he hopes he can take the club to the next level, to do so he needs to hold on to the likes of Hugo Rodallega and Charles N'Zogbia with N'Zogbia himself ironically appearing to be on his way to Villa Park. Martinez needs to add to a bit more quality throughout the squad, Ali Al Habsi is the only signing to date, after surviving by the skin of their teeth once again most will believe it's likely that the club will endure another relegation battle but with all the pundits against them again come May it's possible that Wigan could have sprung another surprise on the Premier League.

 

Season Prediction: 19th

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Mick McCarthy has finally caught a break in Premier League management, before Wolves' first year of survival in Premier League the season before last McCarthy had suffered two appalling spells in the top flight as Sunderland boss which lead to relegation for the Black Cats. Now McCarthy is looking to build on two successive years in the Premiership and start to establish Wolves as a top flight side, Wolves themselves had a tough time in their debut season in the Premiership finishing bottom back in the 2003/2004 season so McCarthy and Wolves are well suited. They have both proved the doubters wrong and Mick has added two good signings this summer in Jamie O'Hara and Roger Johnson so next season could see his side maybe push on more towards the mid table positions providing they continue to add players and not lose them as the likes of Kevin Doyle have been linked with a move away from the club. The main aim for Wolves will be to build on positive results last season against the top sides which even saw them end Manchester United's 29 game unbeaten run, if they are able to pick up more points off those in and around them it should ensure that they don't end up in another relegation scrap as the season draws to a close and it will mean that they will remain in top flight for another year.

Season Prediction: 15th

Final Table: I've put my predictions into the table below. I've gone out on a limb and said what I feel will happen based on everything at this moment in time. Manchester United and Chelsea will definitely be the top 2 but I think United just edge it at this moment in time so expect them to capture their 20th League title, as for 3rd-6th it's anybody's but I do feel this is the year Arsenal will fall outside of the Champions League places. Liverpool could get back into the top 4 whereas I think Man City could start to crumble in the league if they reach the knock-out stages of the Champions League. If Spurs reach the latter stages of say the FA Cup then they might not get a Champions League place but I feel they have a shot at winning one of the two domestic cups. Everton, Bolton and Sunderland should all get their spots in the top half of the league with one getting into the Europa League depending on how the season works out. 10-13th could easily switch around and I feel all the sides up to 15th will be safe come May, Norwich would be my number one pick to go down with the other 4 sides battling it out for the last 2 safety spots, usually not all of the promoted sides go down like this year only 1 did so that's why I've gone with new boys Swansea and Q.P.R. to stay up with Wigan and Blackburn going down after they both narrowly avoided the drop last year. Finally I'd say any of the top 9 has a shot at the FA Cup and one of them will run out eventual winners, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham would be my 4 main picks. The Carling Cup could go to anyone but someone like Everton will probably be at Wembley for that if they take it seriously. Finally the Champions League will have Manchester United and Chelsea in at least the last 8 and you can't bet against Barcelona so I would go out on a limb again and say the last 4 sides will be Real Madrid, Manchester United, Barcelona and Chelsea with either of them 4 winning it. Once again thanks for reading, come May let's hope I got at least 10 places right to avoid looking like a fake smart-ass haha :)

Pos	Team
1	Manchester United (C)
2	Chelsea
3	Liverpool
4	Tottenham Hotspur
5	Manchester City
6	Arsenal
7	Everton
8	Sunderland
9	Bolton Wanderers
10	Aston Villa
11	Fulham
12	Newcastle United
13	Stoke City
14	West Bromwich Albion
15	Wolverhampton Wanderers
16	Queens Park Rangers
17	Swansea City
18	Blackburn Rovers (R)
19	Wigan Athletic (R)
20	Norwich City (R)