It’s already been a month since Mario Gotze guided the ball past Sergio Romero in the Maracanã to seal Germany’s fourth World Cup triumph, but if you’re still suffering from a World Cup hangover, the perfect remedy is almost upon us; a new season of Premier League football and the hope, joy and agony it brings with it. As always, there’s plenty of talk about the upcoming season having the potential to be the best there’s ever been, and with the arrivals of big names such as Louis van Gaal and Alexis Sanchez, and the possibility of a four-, five-, or even six-team title race, there’s absolutely no reason why the 2014/2015 Premier League season can’t be the most thrilling, compelling and exhilarating footballing campaign in all of history. A bit optimistic, maybe, but there’s nothing like the hope and anticipation every pre-season brings, is there? Whatever happens, it’s very unlikely that you’ll find yourself bored by the Premier League season, even if you have to sit through a seemingly endless 0-0 draw between West Brom and Stoke City in the middle of March, so strap yourselves in for nine months of goals, excitement and controversy.
Predicted Table
- Chelsea
- Manchester United
- Manchester City
- Arsenal
- Tottenham Hotspur
- Liverpool
- Everton
- Swansea City
- Newcastle United
- Stoke City
- Southampton
- Hull City
- West Ham
- Queens Park Rangers
- Aston Villa
- Leicester City
- Sunderland
- Crystal Palace
- Burnley
- West Bromwich Albion
Arsenal
Manager: Arsène Wenger
Captain: Mikel Arteta
Key Player: Mesut Özil
2013/14 League Position: 4th
The majority of Arsenal fans probably felt more relief than happiness as Thomas Vermaelen lifted the FA Cup to end their nine-year trophy drought last May, and no man would have been more relieved than Arsène Wenger, finally costlessd from the torturous burden that was slowly, but surely, destroying a reputation that he had worked so hard to build. Three months have since passed and Arsène and Arsenal look stronger than ever, adding Alexis Sanchez, Calum Chambers, Mathieu Debuchy and David Ospina to their squad, and there is a sense of optimism around the Emirates that has not been felt since the days of Henry and Bergkamp, fuelled further by the Community Shield demolition of Manchester City on Sunday.
They have every reason to be optimistic too, boasting a midfield which is arguably the strongest in the league, backed by the rejuvenated confidence and belief that only winning a trophy can bring. The acquisition of Alexis Sanchez will not only provide the vertical penetration to their play that they’ve been desperately missing, but also gives them a player that can score 10-15 goals a season, as well as a hatful of assists. Many also hope that he’ll be able to get the best out of Mesut Özil, a player who has hardly started repaying the £42m Wenger spent on him last summer, by providing the runs off the ball for the German to feed with pin-point accuracy. The form of the defensive partnership between Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny will also be vital to any Arsenal success, whilst the departure of Bacary Sagna seems to have been suitably replaced by Chambers and Debuchy.
But even though the last 12 months has to be considered somewhat a success for the Gunners, there must be a lingering feeling in the hearts of Arsenal fans, knowing that they led the Premier League for almost half of last season, yet ended up, once again, finishing in 4th place. Questions over their mental strength were inevitably brought up after the collapse of their title challenge, and whilst their FA Cup success will undoubtedly give them a psychological boost, the same questions will be asked again this season. Will they handle the big matches, the battles that will invariably decide the war? Wenger’s tactics in such matches are often under severe scrutiny, and last season was no different, with hefty criticism over his decision to play high defensive lines against teams with an dynamic press and fast runners off the ball; Chelsea and Liverpool the obvious benefactors of such seemingly naive tactics with 6-0 and 5-1 wins respectively. The stats don’t look much better for the Frenchman either, with only one victory against top four opposition in the last five years. Unless that record changes, it’ll be very difficult for Arsenal to maintain a serious title challenge. There are also glaring weaknesses in the squad that needs addressing; the lack of depth in key areas such as central defence (shown by the second half line-up against Manchester City in the Community Shield, where two full backs played at centre back) and defensive midfield, as well as the absence of a true #9.
Sanchez may prove to be a short-term solution to the problem up top, but that’s all he can be, and history suggests Arsenal have very little chance of winning the title unless they acquire a genuinely top striker. The centre forwards of all the title winning teams of recent years have always had a star man up front; Aguero, van Persie, Drogba, Rooney, Henry and so on. Shoving a winger who has never scored more than 20 goals a season up front simply isn’t the answer, and Arsenal, at the end of the day, are most likely to come up short once again in their title pursuit.
Prediction: 4th
Aston Villa
Manager: Paul Lambert
Captain: Ron Vlaar
Key Player: Christian Benteke
2013/14 League Position: 15th
You don’t have to search too far back in the memory bank to find a time when Villa were happily chasing Europe every season, backed by strong finances and stable management. Unfortunately for Villa fans, it is all they can do to reminisce about such times in the hope of forgetting the grim situation the club finds itself in currently. Two seasons of lower mid-table stroke relegation battles have worn out owner Randy Learner, who has expressed his desire to sell the club in the most blatant and public way possible, resulting in a complete lack of stability in the infrastructure of the club, with the position of Paul Lambert as manager still very uncertain.
The state of the playing squad hardly looks much better, and their summer signings have barely calmed the fans’ concerns. The acquisition of Aly Cissokho perhaps drew rounds of laughter and/or head shaking from even the most faithful of Villa supporters, whilst Philippe Senderos and Joe Cole had very few running down the street in celebration.
The signing of Carlos Sanchez, a stand-out performer at the World Cup, has raised eyebrows, however, and should he settle quickly, Villa would have a very solid midfield three of Sanchez, Westwood and Delph. Ron Vlaar, another star in Brazil, will also look to replicate his World Cup form in the Premier League, something he didn’t quite manage last season. A number of other players will also have to step up their game if Villa are to have a successful season, such as Charles N’Zogbia, who has done next to nothing since his move from Wigan Athletic three seasons ago, and Gabby Agbonlahor.
Perhaps the most glaring problem of all for Paul Lambert’s side is the complete dependence on Christian Benteke to provide the goals. Villa only had 10 different goalscorers last season, the lowest in the division, and if Benteke’s team-mates don’t start chipping in with a few of their own, the lack of firepower may see Villa dragged into a relegation dogfight very quickly. If Benteke hits a lean spell or gets injured, as he is currently, goals may be very much a premium and Villa simply don’t have a solid enough defence to afford misfiring at the other end of the pitch. The future looks bleak, but they should have enough to survive; their squad is, after all, stronger on paper than their relegation rivals. Just.
Prediction: 15th
Burnley
Manager: Sean Dyche
Captain: Jason Shackell
Key Player: Danny Ings
2013/14 League Position: 2nd (in the Championship)
Even at a glance, there is an undeniable lack of Premier League experience in Burnley’s squad. For those that only follow the Premier League, it may be difficult to recognise the majority of Burnley’s players. For that reason, the Clarets probably sit at the foot of most predicted tables of fans and pundits alike, but they won’t care. They were very much unfancied for promotion last season, yet they ended up with 93 points, a tally that would normally crown a club champions, only for Leicester’s three figure haul of 102 to deny them that title.
The 41-goal haul of Danny Ings and Sam Vokes were crucial to their success, and this season will be no different, although they will be aided by new signings Lukas Jutkiewicz and Marvin Sordell, and all four forwards will have to make the step up if Burnley are to survive the drop, especially as Vokes is out injured until Christmas. The mastermind behind it all, Sean Dyche, one of the most hotly rated managers in English football, will certainly have no fear and will be relishing the chance to do battle at Old Trafford and Anfield. Considered very tactically astute by many, how Dyche sets his team up to combat the better teams in the division will be intriguing to say the least, and if he can make Burnley a tough side to break down, possibly similar to how Crystal Palace were last season, they might just stay clear of the relegation zone.
The midfield does look a particularly weak area, however, and although Michael Kightly may prove to be a very stellar capture from Stoke City, the centre of midfield might get constantly dominated by technically superior opposition. At the back, although Burnley boasted the best defence in the Championship last season, with captain Jason Shackell a key figure at the heart of it, it remains to be seen whether he, and his fellow defenders, who are devoid of Premier League experience, can make the step up. Sadly, it just seems that there simply isn’t enough quality or depth in the side to avoid relegation, and the Clarets’ time in the top-flight is likely to be short-lived. They will unquestionably fight to the end though, and hope can be taken from the fact that everyone expects them to finish bottom, because very rarely in Premier League football does that team actually finish 20th, as Palace expertly demonstrated last season. Logically, survival looks highly unlikely, but since when did football follow logic?
Prediction: 19th
Chelsea
Manager: José Mourinho
Captain: John Terry
Key Player: Diego Costa
2013/14 League Position: 3rd
Chelsea’s swift business in the transfer market has earned them the title of pre-season favourites, and José Mourinho will have to justify that tag if he is to keep his job at the end of the season, having gone trophy-less last time around, something Roman Abramovich generally doesn’t consider acceptable from his managers. With a net spend of over £200m since Chelsea last won the title in 2010, failure to deliver the Premier League trophy this time around will surely see the Portuguese manager out of a job.
The signs are positive for now though, with weaknesses in the squad speedily addressed in the market, adding Diego Costa, Cesc Fabregas, Filipe Luis and club legend Didier Drogba; there would be no repeat of the Wayne Rooney saga of last summer. Finding the back of the net was evidently Chelsea’s main stumbling block last season, but the goalscoring record of Costa with Atlético should give fans confidence that he is the answer to their problems. Thibaut Courtois has also returned from his loan at Atlético Madrid after a series of strong performances to provide competition for Petr Čech in between the sticks. The squad seems to have the perfect balance of experience and youth; the likes of Cech, Drogba and Terry will have the know-how of how to win a title race, even if they might not reach the standards they used to on the pitch, whilst Hazard, Oscar and co. are coming to the primes of their careers in their mid-twenties.
It would be wrong to suggest that Eden Hazard has struggled in the two years he’s been at Chelsea, but he certainly hasn’t reached the height of his powers yet, the powers that might come close to rivalling the likes of Messi and Ronaldo, and after a relatively disappointing World Cup, the Belgian might feel it is really time to finally prove his worth. The fans are expectant; he is already tipped as the early favourite for the PFA Player of the Year award. His team-mates will also need to improve too, most notably attacking midfielder Oscar, who has hardly set Stamford Bridge alight since his move from Internacional in 2012. Like Hazard, his performances have hardly been dreadful, and there has been flashes of brilliance from the Brazilian, but he has not reached the level Mourinho needs him to be at if they are to challenge the very best in Europe. On several occasions last season, Chelsea struggled to break down teams who set up with a deep defensive block, ‘parking the bus’ as the overused cliché goes, ultimately causing the demise of their title challenge. A bit more creative edge in midfield is definitely needed, undoubtedly helped by the addition of Cesc Fabregas in the centre of the park, whilst Costa up front is renown for his clever runs, pulling defenders out of position and stretching the back line, as well as his instinctive finishing.
At the other end of the pitch, Chelsea arguably have the best back five in Europe, topped with the expert defensive organisation of Mourinho, something many consider his best attribute. His game plan may not be aesthetically attractive, but Mourinho still remains the best at setting a team up to get a result. Courtois, probably one of the top three goalkeepers in the world, behind a back four of Azpilicueta, Cahill, Terry and Luis is somewhat resembling of a brick wall, and that’s without even taking Cech, Ivanovic and Kurt Zouma into consideration. In front of this metaphorical brick wall lies another brick wall in Nemanja Matić, the man tasked with fulfilling the ‘Makélélé role’ that Makélélé himself carried out during Mourinho’s first spell in charge at Stamford Bridge. The stats suggest he’s doing a pretty good job of it too; Chelsea conceded just eight goals in the 17 Premier League matches Matić featured in last season following his arrival in January.
On the other hand, there is still a clear, potentially fatal flaw in this Chelsea squad. The strike-force at Chelsea has gone through a summer of upheaval, with Drogba and Costa replacing Demba Ba and Samuel Eto’o whilst the troubled Fernando Torres kept his place. Drogba and Torres would provide satisfactory back-up to Costa, perhaps coming on with 20 minutes to go with the scores level, but should the former Atlético man sustain a serious injury, perhaps ruling him out of some key fixtures, Chelsea would find themselves in deep, deep trouble. Although Drogba is unquestionably one of the best strikers the Premier League has ever seen, he does turn 37 this season and after the criticism of the age of 33-year old Samuel Eto’o last season, it is pretty clear that Mourinho does not intend to use the ageing Ivorian as a regular starter. Torres, meanwhile, is still successfully shooting down the arguments of anyone who claims that “form is temporary, class is permanent”, with the goal-scoring of his Liverpool days seemingly light years away.
All in all, with the manager they have and the players in their squad, anything less than the title would be a failure for Chelsea. The football won’t be particularly pretty but you can expect plenty of 1-0 and 2-0 wins. Once they take the lead, Chelsea will be incredibly hard to break down, and with that comes a remarkable psychological advantage, not just boosting the confidence of the Chelsea players but as a fear factor for the opposition too. Their fans will just have to hope that Diego Costa can stay fit for nine months.
Prediction: 1st
Crystal Palace
Manager: TBC
Captain: Mile Jedinak
Key Player: Joel Ward
2013/14 League Position: 11th
Crystal Palace’s season is somehow in turmoil before it has even started. Even for a club used to instability and unpleasant surprises, this latest setback will be a hard blow to take. Just two days before their meeting against Arsenal in the league, manager Tony Pulis has resigned after a row over transfer funds, and Palace will be manager-less for at least the opening game of the season. It’s not just the timing of the news that will hurt, it’s the fact they’ve arguably lost the best manager they’ve had in many years over a petty dispute over pride. Lets not forget that Pulis was picking up his Premier League Manager of the Year award just three months ago, after seemingly working miracles to drag Palace up the table from 20th to 11th. The squad he inherited was already relegated in November according to many, with odds as short as 1/10 for relegation, yet the Eagles ended the season 12 points clear of the drop zone. If the season hypothetically started when Pulis took over, Palace would’ve finished eighth. He achieved results that even the most optimistic of Palace fans wouldn’t have even dreamt; a win against Chelsea, a draw against Liverpool, a victory at Goodison Park. He even briefly made Jason Puncheon play like Lionel Messi.
Without the defensive solidity and organisation that Pulis brings, Crystal Palace look like a club that is doomed. Without Pulis, the team is simply not Premier League standard. The squad is weak, with just four new additions this summer despite the departures of over ten players, and there is minimal strength in depth. With the exception of Joel Ward and Mile Jedinak, and perhaps Julian Speroni as well, the rest of Palace’s squad is mediocre at best. In those three, Palace have a trio whom you could genuinely consider amongst the league’s best in their respective positions, but without a strong coach to guide them, their efforts will most likely be futile, with the rest of the team prone to dragging them down. Despite left backs Jonathan Parr and Dean Moxey leaving right at the start of the summer, a suitable replacement has still not been acquired. Kagisho Dikgacoi was a regular starter in midfield last season, yet there’s been no signs of a replacement since he left the club. Tom Ince’s loan has finished, leaving Palace a winger short, but has there been any movement in the market? You can guess the answer to that one.
Palace’s 33 goals last season was the third worst in the league, only ‘beaten’ by relegated Cardiff and Norwich. Frazier Campbell, being brutally honest, isn’t going to the answer to that problem. So their game plan was going to be the same this season, focussing entirely on being hard to break down, and without that, they’re effectively nothing. There are very few managers available to them who can set a team up like Pulis did, and even if Palace bring in a manager who can, defensive organisation is a process that takes weeks on the training ground to perfect. It takes a team willing to work and fight for their manager. Every player has to know their exact duties, and every player must be prepared to carry out those duties. Who knows how long it will take for the new boss to win the trust of the players? By then, it’ll probably be too late.
For a club that only stayed up because of their manager last season, letting that one saviour go will turn out to be a huge mistake, whoever the eventual replacement turns out to be. Steve Parish might just regret not giving Pulis the transfer funds he wanted, because the cost of relegation to the Championship will be a whole lot more.
Prediction: 18th
Everton
Manager: Roberto Martinez
Captain: Phil Jagielka
Key Player: Ross Barkley
2013/14 League Position: 5th
Champions League qualification may have been a bridge too far for Everton last season, but the Merseyside outfit far exceeded expectations with their 5th place finish and there will be a sense of fresh optimism as the new season begins. Fears of losing Gareth Barry and Romelu Lukaku, both of whom were on season-long loans, were quickly quelled by Roberto Martinez by securing the pair on permanent deals. The club have also managed to retain wonderkid Ross Barkley for at least the near future, and the young Englishman will be a crucial part to any success Everton have this season. Another young star with the potential to shine this season is John Stones, who has impressed both fans and neutrals alike since making his first team breakthrough last season. Stones, 20, will provide cover for an ageing Sylvain Distin in the centre of defence, whilst he is also capable of playing at right back. Boasting the third best defensive record in the division last season, defensive solidity is the foundation upon which Martinez builds his team and this year will be no different. Goalkeeper Tim Howard will be fresh from his heroics at the World Cup, which earned him a personal telephone call from Barack Obama, and Martinez, who likes to develop attacks right from the back, starting with the goalkeeper, will need Howard in top form both with his hands and his feet. He will also hope the stellar defensive pairing of Distin and Jagielka will continue to show the form it did last season, both defensively and with offensive distribution.
Muhamed Bešić, who impressed at the World Cup with Bosnia & Herzegovina, was also attained on a relatively cheap deal of £4m whilst Christian Atsu was brought in from Chelsea on loan. The partnership of Gareth Barry and James McCarthy in central midfield was one of the best in the league last season, but with extra games coming in the form of the Europa League this time around, the rotation Bešić will be able to provide will be vital to maintaining fresh legs for the duration of the season. Such depth will be needed all over the park if Everton are to sustain a serious domestic push for the top four whilst advancing as far as they can in Europe, so don’t be surprised to see a few more new faces come through the door before the window slams shut. A suitable back-up to Romelu Lukaku stands out as an obvious target; Everton constantly struggled to find form or goals when the young Belgian went through a barren run last season.
The extra Europa League games may mean that Champions League football is still a couple of seasons out of reach, especially with a squad that is smaller than their rivals for fourth place, but Everton, with a stable squad that Martinez is gradually building stronger, will definitely be in and around the European places as they continue to progress onwards and upwards.
Prediction: 7th
Hull City
Manager: Steve Bruce
Captain: Curtis Davies
Key Player: Tom Huddlestone
2013/14 League Position: 16th
Their FA Cup run last season may have cost Hull City some poor league form, with just one win in their last eight Premier League matches, but with the prize of European football at the end of it, it’s unlikely that their supporters cared too much, knowing that an away day to Greece or Croatia was just around the corner. The FA Cup final may have ended in defeat with a heartbreaking extra time goal, despite leading 2-0 within 10 minutes, but there was a satisfying sense of progression and achievement in simply reaching that stage of England’s biggest domestic cup competition, something Hull had never managed before in their 110 year history.
Looking ahead at the new season, there is an unmistakable sense of excitement and anticipation for their upcoming European journey, but also a hint of caution, knowing that the extra matches may have the same calamitous effect that their FA Cup run had, possibly even dragging the team down into a serious relegation battle. The sale of Shane Long just days before the start of the season will hardly calm the fans’ nerves, especially as the club had the fourth worst goalscoring record in the Premier League last season, only netting 38 times in 38 games. A suitable replacement to partner Nikica Jelavić is imperative, with Yannick Sagbo (2 goals) and Sone Aluko (1 goal) barely pulling their weight on the goalscoring front. The fact that their joint-top goalscorers last season, Jelavić and Long, ended up with four goals a piece isn’t particularly encouraging, especially now that one of them has left the club.
Midfield looks undoubtedly Hull’s strongest area, with Tom Huddlestone and Robbie Brady boosted by the signings of Jake Livermore, Robert Snodgrass and Tom Ince, but the five-man defence with wing backs looks increasingly comfortable too, with Steve Bruce’s son, Alex, at the heart of it.
One thing Hull are clearly lacking in their squad, however, is depth. Swansea City demonstrated last season the detrimental effect the additional distraction of European ties (with the dreaded Thursday-Sunday-Thursday schedule) can have on a team with a small squad, and unless Bruce adds some cover in positions such as centre back and wing back, as well as resolving the aforementioned problems they have up front, the players may find themselves completely knackered by the Christmas period.
Hull probably do have enough quality in their squad to keep them relatively clear of the relegation zone come May, but the squad certainly needs strengthening. If Bruce doesn’t address the problems he faces, his team may find themselves in a bit of trouble, but with the £12m raised from Long’s sale ready to be re-spent, it’s unlikely that fresh faces won’t come in before September 1st.
Prediction: 12th
Leicester City
Manager: Nigel Pearson
Captain: Wes Morgan
Key Player: Kasper Schmeichel
2013/14 League Position: 1st (in the Championship)
After storming their way to the Championship title last season around, scoring 83 goals and accumulating 102 points, Leicester City will feel more than prepared to take on the country’s big boys after a 10-year absence from the Premier League. Business in the market has been ruthless and efficient from manager Nigel Pearson, removing any deadwood by releasing 12 players and selling a further 5. Players coming in through the door include Leonardo Ulloa, the man they hope will provide the goals to keep them up, for a pricey £8m, whilst Matthew Upson and Marc Albrighton have also put pen to paper, two players who should provide some invaluable Premier League experience to a squad lacking exactly that.
Kasper Schmeichel, a keeper that was linked with a host of big clubs including AC Milan, seems to have been successfully retained by Leicester, arguably their biggest challenge in the transfer market this summer, and he will need to replicate some of the form his father showed at Manchester United all those years ago if Leicester are to survive the drop. In front of him, there is an alarming lack of proven Premier League quality in both defence and midfield, but the players will be ready and motivated for their big break. Players like Danny Drinkwater, the metronome at the heart of midfield last season, and Matty James will be even more determined to make the cut at the highest level after failing to break through at Premier League clubs previously.
Leicester play a somewhat old-style 4-4-2 with quick direct wingers in Anthony Knockaert and Riyad Mahrez to provide the service to David Nugent and Jamie Vardy up front. They’ll be kept on their toes by new signings Albrighton and Ulloa, who will offer genuine competition for their place in the starting XI. The side will be organised and the players will know each other’s games well, but the lack of Premier League quality and experience means it’s unlikely to see Leicester too far above the drop zone.
Prediction: 16th
Liverpool
Manager: Brendan Rodgers
Captain: Steven Gerrard
Key Player: Daniel Sturridge
2013/14 League Position: 2nd
Every now and again, late at night with nothing to do, the minds of Liverpool fans must drift and wonder what life would be like if Steven Gerrard did lift the Premier League trophy on May 11th 2014. What if he hadn’t slipped against Chelsea, or if they smashed Palace for six, with the subsequent pressure being too much for City, causing them to lose to Villa and draw to Newcastle, handing Liverpool the league title for the first time since 1990. Would that have been enough to convince Luis Suarez to stay?
It must seem to Liverpool fans that their favourite Uruguayan is now a distant memory, a mythical legend that once delighted and dazzled the Anfield crowd. He is now long gone, and Liverpool have ultimately failed to replace him, or even buy a player that plays in the same position as the controversial striker. Seemingly oblivious to what happened to a post-Bale Spurs in 2013/14, Brendan Rodgers is going about spending the money received from Suarez’s transfer on good, but certainly not world class, players. Trying to replace a Ferrari by reassembling the broken parts of various different Toyotas, Nissans and Fords simply isn’t going to work. No, you must go out and buy another similar car which can fulfil the same duties that the old one did. Before killing this car analogy any further, let’s get back to football and say that Liverpool need to replace Suarez with another striker. That much is obvious. Spending the £75m received from Barcelona on Emre Can, Lazar Markovic and Adam Lallana simply isn’t going to replace the 31 goals Suarez scored last season. Some would argue that no one can replicate the impact Suarez had on Liverpool last year, but Rodgers must at least try. Even if you can’t buy another Ferrari, get a BMW. It’s something different, and it might have different uses, but it will go some way to replacing the Ferrari, even if it isn’t one. Instead, Liverpool aren’t replacing him at all. And it will cost them. Just like it cost Spurs, but worse. Because Spurs tried to replace Bale with Lamela and Chadli, and that might pay off in time, but Liverpool have replaced Suarez with absolutely no one. Rodgers is effectively taking away half of his team’s attacking threat by not signing another striker, because although he is a great player with heaps of potential, Lazar Markovic isn’t going to score 31 goals this season. Neither is Lallana. Sturridge will continue to score, but they will still be missing Suarez’s goals. Unless Liverpool sign a striker in the next two weeks, they shouldn’t even think about Champions League football next season.
On the plus side, Lallana and Markovic are really good players. They will both give Liverpool something different in midfield, Markovic with his lightning pace to run in behind defences and Lallana with his fantastic technique on the ball. Raheem Sterling looks like he’s improving every day, and you just need to look at his pre-season form to see that he is going to be big this season. A defensive midfielder is probably still needed in there to do the role Lucas used to do so well, but with Steven Gerrard, Jordan Henderson and Philippe Coutinho all available as well, Rodgers will feel he has a midfield that is capable of competing with the very best in the division. In defence, Rodgers has acted in the market marvellously. Both full backs have been upgraded in the form of Javier Manquillo and Alberto Moreno, whilst Dejan Lovren has bolstered the heart of defence. Add in either Sakho, Agger or Skrtel, and Liverpool will have significantly improved their defence, the area which ultimately let down their title charge last season, with their 50 goals conceded only the 8th best figures in the division. If you want to win the title, that is simply not good enough. The new signings should, on paper, lower those numbers.
But the fact of the matter remains that Liverpool have, so far, failed to replace their main attacking threat in any way, shape or form with a competent striker who is capable of getting at least 15 goals in the league, and that’s still only half of Suarez’s figures last season. Sturridge can perhaps step up his game even further, possibly aiming at 30 goals this season, but he will still need more goalscoring support than Rickie Lambert can provide. Lambert, although fantastically gifted with the ball at his feet, was surely signed to be an impact substitute, considering his age of 32, meaning a strike partner for Sturridge is still evidently needed. Until they find him, the title will just be a distant dream.
Prediction: 6th
Manchester City
Manager: Manuel Pellegrini
Captain: Vincent Kompany
Key Player: Yaya Touré
2013/14 League Position: 1st
After two titles in three years, Manchester City have fully established themselves as a serious domestic threat but the toughest job for Manuel Pellegrini lies ahead: building on the success to create a team that can dominate for years to come, something his predecessor Roberto Mancini failed miserably at.
The early signs are good though, with strong moves in the transfer window so far. Capturing Bacary Sagna, one of the best full backs in the Premier League, on a costless has to go down as bargain of the summer so far, whilst the signing of Frank Lampard not only adds to their home-grown quota, but also sends a harsh blow in the face of title rivals Chelsea. Fernando will provide some much needed depth in the centre of midfield whilst Eliaquim Mangala has been chosen as the long-term partner for Vincent Kompany at the heart of the defence. In terms of age and potential, Pellegrini seems to be building a talented young squad which has the capacity to get even better, a frightening thought for their rivals. The strength in depth in defence is simply stunning, with sterling cover all across the back four, whilst City’s pool of strikers is only matched, there or thereabouts, by cross-city rivals United. City’s best business this summer, however, has perhaps been in the last few days, in which Vincent Kompany, Yaya Touré and Sergio Agüero have all been tied down to long-term contracted. That spine of the side is arguably one of the best in Europe, blending a potent mix of power and precision, and if that trio can be kept fit all season, City will be very hard to stop.
Unfortunately for Pellegrini, that is yet to happen and it always seems that when one is fit, the other two are injured. More care with their training workloads and playing times may be needed to keep all three healthy. There are also concerns about the balance in midfield for City. Yaya Touré’s defensive work rate has dropped significantly during the past couple of years, and Fernandinho (although the same would apply for Fernando), in City’s 4-4-2 system, is often left isolated and outnumbered when there is a quick turnover of possession. Whilst this is fine when playing the likes of QPR and Burnley, such naive ignorance to defensive solidity will be duly punished against the better teams, especially those that are exceptionally quick in transition, something Chelsea, in particular, excel in.
City are still yet to progress further than the round of 16 in the Champions League, and an early exit simply won’t be accepted by the Arab owners anymore. Pellegrini will certainly have to put more focus into the Champions League; after all, if City are to be the best team in Europe, there’s no more excuses for losing out to the likes of Bayern Munich and Barcelona. This extra distraction might prove detrimental to their league challenge, especially considering that the squad has never had to balance European and domestic football towards the latter stages of a campaign, when muscle fatigue is really taking its toll. Chelsea have been there and done it before, United won’t have Europe. City, on the other hand, will be expected to enter territories of the Champions League that they’ve never reached before, resulting in extra travel, training and matches. The previous injury records of key players such as Agüero and Kompany are hardly comforting either.
Given that no team has successfully defended the Premier League since 2009, winning back-to-back titles in England is clearly one of the most difficult tasks in the game. Whilst City have the financial backing to make such an achievement possible, the reduced size of their squad in Europe will inevitably have an effect, reducing the amount of rotation that Pellegrini can impose, and with extra emphasis placed on success in the Champions League this season, having done all that’s possible domestically, their league form might just suffer. It’s always psychologically tougher to retain a title, whilst the players will also crave success in Europe that little bit more than domestic accomplishments they’ve already achieved. They’ll still be right up there in the title race, but they might just fall short this time around.
Prediction: 3rd