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
Manchester United
Manager: Louis van Gaal
Captain: Wayne Rooney
Key Player: Juan Mata
2013/14 League Position: 7th
In two and a half years at Chelsea, Juan Mata scored 32 times and made 58 assists in 135 appearances. At Valencia, he had 46 goals and 52 assists to his name in 174 appearances. Wayne Rooney, in the two full seasons in which he played as the main striker without being moved out wide or dropping off the front, scored 27 and 26 league goals in 11/12 and 09/10 respectively. Robin van Persie, in the two years where he was consistently fit between 2011 and 2013, scored 56 league goals, winning the Premier League Golden Boot in both seasons.
Now imagine if all three find top form at Manchester United this season. With Louis van Gaal deploying a 3-4-1-2 system to try and do just that, by playing all three of van Persie, Rooney and Mata in their preferred positions, United will be a real force to be reckoned with if the system starts to click. The talented trio could have the same devastating effect that Sturridge and Suarez had for Liverpool last season, just without a silly acronym like VPMR or any altered arrangement of those particular letters.
It is blatantly obvious that outside this attacking trio, United still need to invest significantly to get the quality of their squad back to the levels it used to be. The midfield is still weak, in terms of quality and depth, whilst following the departures of Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra this summer, the team is very short-numbered at the back. The signing of Ander Herrera has given United some much needed talent in the middle of the park, a player that can not only pass and tackle, but can also read play and break up attacks, something the Red Devils have been missing for a long, long time, but he still needs a partner next to him. Michael Carrick’s abysmal form last season has put his position under scrutiny, whilst there are still questions over Fletcher’s form and fitness after his long-term illness. Meanwhile, Tom Cleverley and Marouane Fellaini are, quite simply, not good enough for Manchester United. In defence, the current squad consists of only three centre backs, despite the system that van Gaal is playing consisting of three centre backs, leaving absolutely no one to provide cover should one get injured. Marcos Rojo, a player who can play both centre and left back, is reportedly close to signing but there is no doubt that United have once again been impotent in the transfer market. It has been well known for at least two months that Ferdinand and Evra were leaving, whilst Vidic announced his departure at the beginning of the year, leaving absolutely no excuse for the delay in further transfers, after the initial early buys of Shaw and Herrera. There is definitely still much work ahead if van Gaal is going to bring the quality of his squad to match the likes of Chelsea’s, and whilst that will take time and patience, improvement is very much needed in the next couple of weeks.
But as “SAS” aptly demonstrated last season, a potent attack can take you anywhere. There is nothing to suggest that van Persie, Rooney and Mata are any less talented than the attack Liverpool had, and there is nothing to suggest they can’t score as many goals as their rivals did last year. And whilst United’s defence is looking somewhat patched up and makeshift, Liverpool’s was hardly an exhibit of defensive solidity. In fact, their record was only the 8th best in the league (compared to a team that finished 2nd in the actual league). Manchester United may not have the squad depth to realistically go all the way in the title race, but they certainly have the potential to go far if their forwards hit form. After all, if Gerrard didn’t slip on that fateful afternoon against Chelsea, who knows who the current champions of England would be. With an easy start to the fixture list, consisting of the three promoted teams, as well as West Ham, Sunderland and Swansea, van Gaal has the perfect opportunity to build up a solid advantage right from the off. In contrast, City face three top-six teams in their opening five matches. Chelsea face two. The easier run will also offer the players the time to adapt and adhere to a new system more comfortably, giving them a chance to understand and believe in the new manager’s philosophy.
Champions League distractions will also come in for their rivals come September, and if Liverpool’s success in the league isn’t enough to prove the benefits of a full week’s break between matches, five of Chelsea’s six defeats last season preceded an European tie in mid-week. If United can get off to a good start, build some early confidence and momentum, getting their attackers into gear in the process, they could really take some catching, especially with a tactically astute manager at the helm who is capable of winning the big matches. There will, of course, have to be movement in the transfer window before it slams shut on September 1st, bringing in two or three new players, but United have a genuine shot at the title, certainly more so than people are letting on, perhaps out of fear. They will probably fall short, however; the squad depth is not strong enough yet to maintain a sustainable challenge over 38 games, even with no European distractions. A similar season to Liverpool’s last year, possibly.
Prediction: 2nd
Newcastle United
Manager: Alan Pardew
Captain: Fabricio Coloccini
Key Player: Rémy Cabella
2013/14 League Position: 10th
After two disappointing transfer windows last season, Alan Pardew hasn’t hung around this summer with nine new additions already, seven of whom will go straight into the first team squad. A crisis was slowly building at Newcastle United last season, reaching its climax when Pardew was consistently booed by his own fans towards the end of the campaign, as well as walk-outs during the middle of matches, but the new summer recruits should do enough to temporarily stem the tide. Two years on from Newcastle’s seemingly miraculous 5th place finish, things have gone somewhat sour for the Magpies, not just with results and league standings, but also with the departures of key players such as Yohan Cabaye and Demba Ba.
Hatem Ben Arfa has also been seemingly frozen out at St. James’ Park, despite public statements about his love for the club and the fact that he is probably their most technically gifted player, and it is a stance that Pardew has taken much criticism for, a key factor behind the demise of support from the fans, many of whom still want the Englishman out of the club. The reasons behind their fall-out is unknown, but Pardew will hope to replace his creativity with the summer signings of Rémy Cabella and Siem de Jong, whilst Facundo Ferreyra and Emmanuel Rivière are supposed to be the answer to Newcastle’s goalscoring woes, with Papiss Cissé still in abysmal form up front.
Newcastle’s problem of late, on top of their failure to replace departing star players adequately, has been consistency. Back-to-back victories would always be followed with a winless run. Just when it seemed Newcastle were getting in form, they slipped up again. If the Magpies are to improve on their 10th place finish last season, or even reach the Champions League places as Pardew stated as their long-term target earlier this summer, they will have to learn how to put together a streak of good results. The form of players, and especially strikers, is also notoriously inconsistent, and that too will have to be addressed if Newcastle are to progress forward. They could look back to their 11-game unbeaten run in 2011/12, just hopefully not spiralling into a two month winless streak afterwards.
With a solid defence, and Tim Krul behind them, a rare island of stability and consistency in a sea of chaos, the summer signings in midfield and attack should give Newcastle the means to push on. How quickly the new players settle will surely determine just how well the Geordies do this season, but Europe does look out of reach for now.
Prediction: 9th
Queens Park Rangers
Manager: Harry Redknapp
Captain: Clint Hill
Key Player: Loïc Rémy
2013/14 League Position: 5th (in the Championship)
Harry Redknapp admitted he was already pondering the various golf clubs he could join as Derby battered his QPR side for 90 minutes in the play-off final last May, certain that a loss and subsequent retirement was imminent, but up popped Bobby Zamora in stoppage time to spoil his plans. There would be no lazy sunsets in Mallorca, just another twelve months of action-packed football.
The wheeling and dealing has not yet reached full flow for Redknapp, with only four new signings so far, although the capture of Mauricio Isla on loan from Juventus (with an option to buy) has raised many eyebrows in surprise and appreciation. Peter Crouch, meanwhile, still waits by his phone expectantly. Jordan Mutch should prove a sturdy capture in the heart of midfield, whilst the acquisition of three new defenders for the starting XI perhaps signals Redknapp’s intention to make his side tough to beat, rather than playing flashy, but suicidal, football.
QPR’s achilles heel remains their inability to find the back of the net on a regular basis. The R's only managed 30 goals in their relegation season two years ago, far lower than even their fellow relegated teams, who managed 43 and 47. Their goal tally in the Championship was hardly encouraging either, with their 60-goal haul only the 12th best in the division. The return of Loïc Rémy from his loan at Newcastle should add some much needed firepower to their strike-force, but that surely will not be enough to keep them comfortably safe, especially as the future of Rémy remains relatively unclear, with bigger clubs rapidly circling.
The squad does look stronger than it did in their two-year stay in the top flight last time around, and certainly has more Premier League experience. There are still areas to improve in the transfer market, most notably a left back and a striker, amongst others, but it’s very unlikely that Redknapp is just sitting around twitching his thumbs. It won’t be easy, but QPR should survive with a manager and a squad that have been there and done it before.
Prediction: 14th
Southampton
Manager: Ronald Koeman
Captain: José Fonte
Key Player: Jay Rodriguez
2013/14 League Position: 8th
Even if you’ve been living on some extra-terrestrial planet for the last few months, you’d probably still know that this summer has been one of massive upheaval for Southampton, with the departures of key players like Adam Lallana, Luke Shaw and Dejan Lovren. £100m of talent has already been shipped out, with the futures of Morgan Schneiderlin and Jay Rodriguez still unclear, but business in the market is very much unfinished despite over 14 first team transfers (both in and out) concluded to date, with a large portion of that £100m income yet to be re-spent. The rebuilding has begun though, with no less than seven new arrivals so far: Shane Long, Dusan Tadic, Graziano Pelle, Fraser Forster, Florin Gardos, Saphir Taider and Ryan Bertrand.
The spending is still probably far from over, and if Ronald Koeman and his scouting staff choose and invest wisely, Southampton may be able to recover and produce a strong season against the odds. The squad will obviously need time to gel, with a new manager as well as new players, but there is still plenty of talent in the squad and they certainly won’t be clear relegation candidates as some are suggesting. The goalscoring records of Tadic and Pelle in the Dutch Eredivisie are highly promising, with 16 and 23 goals respectively last season, whilst both players chipped in with a number of assists. Shane Long has also done a solid job at Hull and West Brom in recent years and should take the pressure off Pelle to bear the goalscoring responsibilities alone.
The numerous departures should give other squad players their time to shine, and one player expected to do just that is James Ward-Prowse. An academy graduate, Ward-Prowse has been at the club since the age of eight and is already making considerable progress at the age of 19, featuring regularly in the first team last season, impressing fans with his passing range and pin-point set pieces. Koeman is also renown for having faith in young players, which bodes well with the club’s philosophy, so don’t be surprised to see more youngsters come through from their infamous academy into the first team during the season.
It might take a while to get going with a new squad needing time to get to know each other on the pitch, but the relatively easy start to the fixture list gives them a perfect opportunity to do just that, bar the opening day trip to Anfield. The Saints probably won’t challenge for Europe like last season, but they won’t be troubled by relegation either.
Prediction: 11th
Stoke City
Manager: Mark Hughes
Captain: Ryan Shawcross
Key Player: Marko Arnautović
2013/14 League Position: 9th
No one quite knows how Stoke City managed a 9th place finish last season. Stoke were never contending a place in Europe and always seemed to be closer to the relegation zone than the top half, but Mark Hughes somehow managed to guide the Potters to their highest finish in Premier League history, largely thanks to a run from February to the end of the season in which they only lost three games.
There were cautious warnings of “Be careful what you wish for” when Stoke fans grew tired of ‘boring’ Tony Pulis last summer, calling for someone new in the hot seat, but successor Mark Hughes has embraced the challenge with both arms and is slowly, but surely, introducing a passing game at the Britannia Stadium, mixed in with the resolve and tenacity of the Pulis-era. Marko Arnautović is the key creative spark in a new-look Stoke and he will need to replicate the fine form he showed last term if the Potters are have another first-rate campaign. Steven Ireland and new signing Steve Sidwell will complement the Austrian from deep, whilst Bojan has been brought in to give Stoke some cutting edge up front. The Spaniard has hardly lived up to his potential since he first broke into the Barcelona first team, making his debut just 19 days after his 17th birthday, with a poor goalscoring ratio in La Liga and then Seria A after his move to AS Roma in 2011, where he scored just 7 league goals in two years. For a man who holds the record for the most goals at La Masia, Barcelona’s infamous youth academy, with over 400 to his name (yes, more than Lionel Messi), few could have seen a career move to Stoke on the cards. Hughes will hope that the striker, who is still only 23, can recapture the form that had him labelled as the next big star and produce the goals on a regular basis at the Britannia, something Stoke have consistently struggled at doing.
The rest of the squad is not devoid of talent either, with several players playing at the World Cup, and a top half finish should be on the cards again for the Potters. Europa League spots look a long way out of reach, yet so does the relegation zone; it looks to be another comfortable season in mid-table for Stoke.
Prediction: 10th
Sunderland
Manager: Gus Poyet
Captain: John O’Shea
Key Player: Adam Johnson
2013/14 League Position: 14th
Sunderland’s miraculous survival from relegation last season must surely go down as one of the most incredible escapes of all time. A 2-1 home loss against West Ham left them seemingly dead and buried, at the foot of the table in April with Tottenham, Everton, Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea still to play. How they ended seven points clear of safety in 14th place is beyond logical explanation.
The Black Cats were always playing catch-up last season after Paolo di Canio’s madness saw them with just one point after eight games, despite sacking the Italian in the middle of that run, so it is imperative that they do not make the same mistake this season. Two games at relegation rivals West Brom and QPR sandwich a trip to Old Trafford in their opening three games, and although very few believe they can replicate their heroics at the Theatre of Dreams again, winning the matches against those around them will be vital, something they consistently failed to do last season. It’s all good beating the big boys but you’ll be back to square one if you lose to the poorer teams.
Two regulars in the Sunderland midfield in Ki Sung-Yueng and Jack Colback have left the club, whilst their joint-top goalscorer in all competitions last season, Fabio Borini, has also gone back to Liverpool following the conclusion of his loan. Jack Rodwell has been brought in from City for £10m, but it remains to be seen how much his development has stagnated due to a lack of game time at the Etihad, whilst it seems that Connor Wickham is being handed the goalscoring duties that Borini has left. After spending half the season out on loan at Sheffield Wednesday and Leeds, Wickham came back to score five vital goals to lift Sunderland to safety, and he will have to carry that form into the new season if he wants to avoid relegation again. There’s no Borini to help him this time though; the pressure is all on his shoulders. Adam Johnson will look to provide some goals from midfield but he often blows hot and cold, something Poyet really can’t afford if he is to steer his team clear from relegation, with the rest of the squad looking very weak. The other summer signings are hardly inspiring, with two Championship acquisitions in Will Buckley and Jordi Gomez, whilst Costel Pantilimon has been brought in to provide competition for Vito Mannone between the sticks.
Sunderland’s great escape last season may have been nothing short of a miracle, but it’s unlikely to happen two seasons running. The squad lacks invention, with no one except Johnson having the capability to drive the team forward and unlock defences, whilst their pool of strikers offer meagre threat. Wickham has no track record of delivering over a full season, something Sunderland need him to do if they are to stay up. Their own defence has hardly been improved despite having the fifth worst defensive record in the league last time around, and Sunderland could be in for a long, long campaign unless there is some serious investment in the transfer market. Will they have enough? It’ll be tight.
Prediction: 17th
Swansea City
Manager: Garry Monk
Captain: Ashley Williams
Key Player: Wilfried Bony
2013/14 League Position: 12th
It was a strange season for Swansea City last time around. The lack of squad depth made their ventures into the Europa League hard to balance with domestic football, Michael Laudrup, a hero following the Swans’ Capital One Cup victory the season before, left midway through the season to be replaced by Garry Monk, a club legend but with no managerial experience, and after flirting with relegation for a good number of months, the club finished the season comfortably in mid-table. It may have been a disorientating season, but now Monk, with the full backing of the players, has a solid foundation to build on and look ahead.
The club have made strong ventures into the transfer market, bringing in Gylfi Sigurdsson, a fans’ favourite after his first spell at the club, and Jefferson Montero to boost their midfield, whilst taking back Ki Sung-Yueng after his loan at Sunderland last season. Add the existing Jonjo Shelvey and Nathan Dyer and you have a fantastic midfield five. It contains balance, provided by Ki sitting deep, allowing Shelvey to venture further forward, and enough creativity to adequately supply Wilfried Bony. If Monk can get the midfield to connect well together, we might once again see the Swansea of 2012/13, the Swansea that brought every fan in the Premier League to their feet. In Bony, Swansea have one of few strikers in the league who can genuinely score over 20 goals a season; his pace and power are somewhat similar to the traits of Didier Drogba, and if Swansea can keep him fit all season, they could be a real force to be reckoned with. Bafétimbi Gomis should provide suitable cover for Bony, although not a prolific striker, he does know where the goal is and had a scoring rate of roughly a goal every three games in France.
The defence does remain a problem for Swansea, however, especially at full back where they have, so far, failed to replace the outgoing Ben Davies. The right back position has hardly been nailed down by Àngel Rangel or Dwight Tiendalli either. Chico Flores has also left the club without a replacement, leaving Monk with a lot of work to do before his team is complete. The defence will need a complete shake-up if they are to be competitive this season, and there are only two weeks left of the transfer window to do it. The squad still needs abundance of squad players to provide cover too, even without the distractions of European football this time around.
The signs are promising though, and Swansea should be set for a strong season, as long as they address their defence in the next fortnight. Monk’s managerial inexperience may hold them back, but Swansea ultimately have the quality to finish comfortably in the top half, most likely battling Newcastle for 8th place. The firepower Bony provides might just give them the edge.
Prediction: 8th
Tottenham Hotspur
Manager: Mauricio Pochettino
Captain: Michael Dawson
Key Player: Christian Eriksen
2013/14 League Position: 6th
Now that the tactical genius that was Tim Sherwood has finally gone, Tottenham fans are looking ahead to the new season with their tails up and a spring in their step, knowing that their new boss will probably appreciate the need to play defensive midfielders every now and again. Mauricio Pochettino might have come at just the right time; Spurs are, once again, playing European football and the post-Bale squad is finally starting to gel nicely - it seems a fantastic foundation to build on. There were signs of promise towards the latter stages of last season, especially from young Christian Eriksen, and the same progress is expected of Érik Lamela this season, the club’s record signing from AS Roma last summer.
The Argentine playmaker had a frustrating season filled with injuries and never really got a chance to settle, but with his fellow countryman now in charge, he should get ample opportunity to make his mark. Pochettino has made no attacking additions to his squad so far, but the Tottenham squad already has a collection of attacking talent that just didn’t quite hit form last season. It is now Pochettino’s job to decide which ones are good enough and make them click, hopefully collectively replicating the effect Bale had in the 2012/13 season.
Spurs’ defensive incapabilities last season, which saw them get hit for four, five or six on numerous occasions, have been quickly looked at in the transfer window with the arrival of three new defenders already, with Pochettino reportedly still in the market for another. Meanwhile, the signing of Michel Vorm will provide strong competition to Hugo Lloris for the #1 jersey. The strike-force remains a slight concern for Tottenham fans, with Roberto Soldado still showing no signs of turning into a goalscoring machine, but they will be hopeful that Emmanuel Adebayor can step up to the plate and continue his excellent form from last season.
On paper, Tottenham’s squad has enough strength in depth to be competitive in the league as well as in Europe, with the added incentive of Champions League qualification for the Europa League winners. Pochettino has the opportunity to build something special here, but that will take time and Spurs are still not quite at the level they need to be to seriously challenge the top four - Arsenal’s squad simply have more quality, world class players - and this is likely another transitional season.
Prediction: 5th
West Bromwich Albion
Manager: Alan Irvine
Captain: Chris Brunt
Key Player: Claudio Yacob
2013/14 League Position: 17th
Another season, another manager. That seems to be the new motto at West Brom, and the latest man to take the helm is Alan Irvine, the former Preston and Sheffield Wednesday boss. He is the fourth man to sit in the dugout in 12 months at the Hawthorns and there is unfortunately little to suggest that he will last much longer than his three predecessors.
The club only survived relegation by the skin of its teeth last season, finishing just one place above the drop zone, and their activity in this summer transfer window has left very little to suggest that this season will be much different. A mass exodus of players have left, nine to be precise, and Irvine’s inexperience in management has led to a difficult time in attracting players of a higher calibre. Consequently, their signings have been rather pragmatic; cheap, if not costless, purchases that have little risk or invention to them, with the exception of Brown Ideye, an unproven striker at top level that Irvine deemed good enough to smash the club’s transfer record for. If Ideye struggles to settle after his move from Eastern Europe, the Baggies will be left in huge trouble on the attacking front. Their joint-top goalscorers in the league last season scored a measly five, and without the firepower to consistently score goals, they certainly don’t have the defence to grind out results and keep them up.
It would be wrong to suggest that Irvine hasn’t addressed the problems with his squad, because he has. It’s just the solutions he’s come up with, i.e. the players he’s brought in, are just plainly not good enough. The squad isn’t lacking in defenders, they actually have plenty, but none of them actually have the quality to keep them in the Premier League. The squad has midfielders too, with Claudio Yacob the standout player, but it lacks any sort of creativity at all. There’s no one with the potential to unlock defences, a toxic mix when combined with the lack of a proven goalscorer up front. Saido Berahino looks a talent worth nurturing, but he can’t be expected to single-handedly drag the Baggies out of relegation. George Thorne, a star of the Championship last season, was allowed to leave the club permanently by Irvine, a decision that has baffled many and one they may come to regret, with many tipping the 21-year old for the national team one day.
The fixture list generator hasn’t been kind to West Brom either, with a ferocious-looking end to the season. Their last five matches: Liverpool, Manchester United, Newcastle, Chelsea and Arsenal. The sort of run-in that had ultimately finished Norwich. The side would effectively have to be safe by the middle of April, and with the squad they currently have, that looks an incredibly unrealistic target, especially with a manager who has been completely unsuccessful at lower levels, let alone the Premier League. Two years of stagnation in the transfer market and a failure to develop a core of players has ultimately cost West Brom and survival will be a massive ask this year.
Prediction: 20th
West Ham United
Manager: Sam Allardyce
Captain: Kevin Nolan
Key Player: Andy Carroll
2013/14 League Position: 13th
To think that Sam Allardyce would still in charge of West Ham this season was an incongruous thought last winter, but Big Sam is somehow still here and West Ham are somehow still in the Premier League, something many considered an improbability at some point last season. The manager has promised “more attacking football” but the game plan is unlikely to change - long balls and knock downs are still very effective on their day.
The manager will be concerned about their dependance on Andy Carroll but he will have a chance to put his fears to the test early on, with Carroll already ruled out of the start of the season by injury. New signings Mauro Zárate and Diafra Sakho will be given an early chance to prove their worth, but Enner Valencia is still regaining match fitness and will subsequently need time before he’s ready to make his debut. The ambition from Allardyce is promising though, with three new strikers added already this summer, meaning that if Carroll hits a dry patch like he did last season, he will have plenty of options to fall back on. The big Englishman has not hit a regular goalscoring run for a couple of years now, partly due to bad luck with injuries, but he will be keen to prove his worth this season after missing out on England’s World Cup squad. Goals are usually something of a premium for West Ham, scoring just 40 goals in the league last season, but with such a wide array of strikers to choose from, the ball must surely hit the back of the net more often this season, even if it’s down to using a scattergun approach to selecting strikers.
Ravel Morrison remains the spark in midfield and if Big Sam allows him to flourish by not completely restricting his creative costlessdom, he might yet turn out into a world class player that could really drive the club forward. Matt Jarvis and Stewart Downing will be looking to build on solid seasons but Kevin Nolan will want to regain his finest form, something he failed to show on a regular basis last time around. With these players in midfield, as well as Mohamed Diamé, West Ham have the means to play a successful passing game on the deck if they want to show some variation in their play, and there were glimpses of such football last season, although it was largely restricted due to the rigid system that Allardyce sets up with.
Boring it may be, it is the rigid system that allows West Ham to do what they do best: defend. As Big Sam claims almost robotically, West Ham had the best clean sheet record in the league last season (well they did for a while, anyway) and a large part of that is down to the organised, defensive manner in which Allardyce sets up, often with two defensive midfielders sitting in front of the back four. Much of the same can be expected this season, just with a bit more costlessdom in attack to allow for the more exciting football the fans demand. The Hammers should be comfortably safe with a solid defence and improved attack, but if things go downhill, Allardyce will be out of the door before he can say “hoof”. He’s already the bookies’ favourite to be the first managerial casualty.
Prediction: 13th