Storts' premier league preview

[Storts]

•     Chelsea
  The 2009-10 season proved to be the most  successful in Chelsea's  history, securing the historic league and cup double. This wasn't with the ease  it perhaps should have been though after title rivals Manchester United losing  arguably their best player that summer. Ancelotti has seemingly yet to find his  best eleven of players in their preferred positions, but these questions will  be answered the longer the Italian is at the Bridge.
  Maintaining the level of success achieved last  season won't be an easy feat, and Chelsea  are yet to significantly strengthen. Benayoun has been bought in for his  versatility and to add a creative spark following the departure of Joe Cole,  while there has been somewhat of a clear out in midfield with Ballack and  Belleti leaving, and Deco set to depart. A suitable midfield replacement may be  on the cards though, in Brazilian Ramires but bringing another attacking player  may be key for any success Chelsea  have next season.
  Verdict: 1st. Despite their transfer  activity being relatively minimal thus far, others who finished in the 'top  four' last season haven't strengthened too much either and Chelsea still hold  onto the best squad in the league, and with the return of a fresh looking  Michael Essien, another title could well be on its way to Chelsea next year.
  
  Manchester United
  Another premier league season went by and United  were, as always, in contention for the title until the final day. Many people  had tipped them to struggle last year but they defied the odds to remain title contenders  and we feel that once again they will be towards the very top of the league.  With Ferguson  still at the helm and a very much unchanged side it would be madness to suggest  anything other than a title challenge.
  However they have failed to strengthen  significantly in key areas and have not produced the marquee signings that the  fans have been asking for in order to try and win back their title. Instead,  Fergie has turned to the youngsters and has purchased Chris Smalling from  Fulham, as well as two strikers in the Mexican, Javier Hernandez and the recent  signing of Bebe from Portuguese side Vitória de Guimarães.This policy suggests that United do not have much  money available and that Fergie is trying to build for the future again.
  Verdict: 2^nd. It wouldn’t be a premier league season without a United title  challenge. They are also lucky that the teams below them do not seem to have  made enough inroads in the transfer market for their place to be in jeopardy  and therefore it is logical to suggest that they will be second again behind Chelsea.
  
  Ars*nal
  Another season without trophies marked another  disappointing campaign for an ever stronger team, however it didn't go without  optimism after finding themselves very much in the title race three quarters way  through the season. But, in typical Ars*nal fashion the season collapsed  domestically and their European adventure came to an abrut end after losing  heavily to Barcelona.
  So, what has Wenger done to try and break this  re-emerging pattern? Firstly, he bought in Marouane Chamakh on a free transfer,  which should bulk up their strikeforce, add more depth and offer a good option,  probably from the bench. Laurent Koscielny was the next arrival, again from  Ligue 1 after a very good season with Lorient  and is tipped to do well alongside the ever solid Vermaelen next season.  However, one should still be skeptical of whether or not Ars*nal can mount a  real challenge right until the end - they still lack cover for Alex Song, a top  class goalkeeper and are still fairly light in the centre back position.
  Ars*nal will also be relying on key players such  as Robin Van Persie staying fit throughout the season and whether or not they  hold onto Fabregas, they will be once again fully relying on his creativity  from the midfield.
  Verdict: 3rd. Another consistent top  four finish should be on the cards for Ars*nal, however that alone won't be  enough to please most.
  Tottenham Hotspur
  A fantastic season for Tottenham last year saw  them claim the much coveted fourth champions league spot and therefore clinch a  tie against Young Boys of Bern in the Champions League play offs.
  Although this summer promised to be a big one for  Tottenham in the transfer marker, they have yet to strengthen significantly  with the only signing of note being that of Sandro, a defensive midfielder,  from Tottenham’s partners in Brazil,  Internacional. However last season saw Tottenham go from strength to strength  and the emergence of Bale into one of the leagues best players and this seasons  resurgence of young Mexican Giovani Dos Santos leaves Tottenham with plenty of  fresh options.
  Tottenham are able to boast a lot of quality  players with the likes of Modric and Huddlestone excelling in central roles,  and with a settled team they look like challenging once again. We expect  Tottenham to be busy in the coming weeks making final adjustments to their  squad but as it stands it is still a very good time to be a Tottenham fan.
  Verdict: 4^th. Although signings have yet  to emerge, Tottenham have a very strong first team and strength in the depth  and the added factor of being a settled side that are used to playing with each  other. Tottenhams player will not need time to settle in and will be able to  perform from the off, something that could be vital in such a close season.
  
  Manchester City
  Despite their target of finishing in the top  sixth last season looked on course, they opted for change and brought succesful  Italian manager Roberto Mancini in following a succesful spell at Inter Milan.  Although this top six aim was achieved, many argue it was still a disappointing  season for City as they failed to reach a Champions League spot.
  This, however, wasn't to deter them from  appealing to some of the best players in Europe  this summer. They have added depth to their defensive line with the additions  of the versatile Jerome Boateng and the impressive Kolarov, along with bulking  up their midfield with Yaya Toure and adding a creative spark in David Silva.  It was quite evident at the end of last season their central midfield options  were fairly limited, so Mancini has done well to address this. Many are  expecting further business from City this summer, however on who exactly  remains to be seen. So, where does FSF think they'll finished after their  summer of spending?
  Verdict: 5th. Once again, just outside the  Champions League spots. There is a real lack of a leader figure in the team, a  problem which very few of the surrounding clubs have and this could lead to a  very individualistic approach. Despite their excellent squad and first eleven,  it is yet to be seen if they can become a real consistent force as a team.
  Liverpool
  The previous season was a disaster for Liverpool, finishing seventh and scraping a place in the  Europa league. The summer has seen a lot of upheaval at Anfield with Benitez  leaving to be replaced by Fulham manager Roy Hodgson.  This has caused expectations to rise amongst Liverpool fans with a renewed optimism about the season  ahead.
  With Gerrard and Torres, Liverpool have two of  the finest players in the league, but with Torres’ injury record and Gerrard’s  lack of form in recent times they are leaving a lot to be desired.
  They also are still in deep financial trouble,  with two owners that are not wanted at the club and being in huge debt.  Although talks are ongoing with potential buyers, a deal still seems a while  away and there is no guarantee that another foreign owner will be any better  for Liverpool.
  During the summer they have purchased Joe Cole, a  quality player on his day, but like Torres has injury worries. He also is on  massive wages which is a problem should he fail to find his fitness. Other  signings include the defensive midfielder Poulsen from Juve who has not played  much football since his move there, youngster Danny Wilson from Scotland and Jovanovic on a free from Belgium. These  are signings that would not be made by Liverpool  teams of old and would be more associated with Hodgson’s previous team Fulham.
  Verdict: 6^th. We therefore think that  although there will be a slight improvement on last season, we do not see Liverpool regaining their place in the top four yet as  they still haven’t got the quality in their squad that others have.
  Everton
  David Moyes’ team suffered greatly last season  from long injuries to key players and subsequently it took them a long time to  get going. However a late push during the final months of the season saw them  climb the league and finish in a very respectable eight place.
  This season should see them return to challenging  among the elite of English football as their squad is full of exceptionally  gifted players. The big news for them is Arteta signing a new five year deal  and therefore making sure they have one of the leagues best midfielders in  their team. Alongside him in midfield, Fellaini, Cahill, Pienaar and Rodwell  makes sure he is not lost with plenty of quality in the team.
  Verdict: 7^th.  A very solid seventh place for Everton who  will only be undone by their lack of potent strikeforce and their inability to  spend big in the transfer market. They could quite easily finish higher however  depending on their luck on the injury front and Moyes getting his tactics spot  on.
  Aston Villa
  Another successful season for Villa saw them once  again threaten to break into the top four, only to fall away on the penultimate  game of the season, losing against challengers Manchester City.  However they finished sixth, ahead of Liverpool,  and for the third straight season showed they were able to compete with the  best.
  Unfortunately in recent days the club has been  faced with a mountain of problems just days before the season starts. Their  manager Martin O’neill has walked out on them after a disagreement with owner  Randy Lerner and their wage bill is at an astronomical level. Average bench  warming players are on massive salaries and this issue has to be addressed or  else face further financial problems down the road.
  Villa have yet to sign anyone this summer, with  another lengthy transfer ordeal in progress with Manchester City  over their star player James Milner. This deal is expected to go through with  Villa getting Steven Ireland coming the other way.
  Villa need to make a managerial appointment in  order for him to be able to get a few players in to improve the team and squad  and make sure they don’t lose touch of those above them
  Verdict: 8^th. We predict a tough season  ahead for Villa and there will be plenty of ups and downs. However they have a  very good first team and as long as they can keep hold of star players such as  Young and Agbonlahor they will be there or thereabouts come May.
  Fulham
  Fulham  under Roy Hodgson were able to enjoy one of the best seasons in their history  during 09/10 thanks to a wonderful run in the Europa League taking them to the  final in Hamburg.  Unfortunately there was no fairy tale finish, losing out to Atheltico Madrid but even still  they did manage a very secure finish in the league.
  The summer has seen them lose manager Hodgson to  Liverpool and the subsequent appointment of former Manchester City  manager Mark Hughes. This is a very good appointment by Al Fayed and Fulham  have been left in capable hands.
  So far only one signing has come to Fulham in  Swiss central defender, Phillipe Senderos, but there promises to be more  activity to come, with Craig Bellamy looking likely to rejoin his old manager  for Blackburn, City and Wales.
  Verdict: 9^th. We feel that Fulham, with  a settled side and without the distraction of Europa league football this  season, will be able to achieve a top half finish. As long as key players such  as Zamora,  Hangeland, Duff and Murphy are kept hold off and have seasons similar to the  last, then they will win more than they lose, especially at Craven Cottage  where their form has been excellent in recent years.
  Stoke City
  Stoke improved on their position of 12^th  in 08/09 by finishing in 11^th last season. They enjoyed important  wins such as that of a 1-0 win away at Tottenham and thus have been able to  secure themselves comfortably as a premier league side.
  They have continues to build under Tony Pulis and  have a very decent side, strengthened recently by the arrival of striker Jones  from Sunderland for a record fee of £8  million. This signing adds an extra dimension to their attack and should mean  more goals for Stoke next season. At the back they have a very strong pairing  of Rob Huth and Ryan Shawcross which means that defensively they are very  solid.
  Throughout the team they work very hard, summed  up by Dean Whitehead who shows how Stoke are able to get results, through hard  work and determination, alongside the extra bit of quality they have with  players such as Tuncay.
  Verdict: 10^th.  It is logical to  suggest that they will keep getting better after finishing 12^th and  11^th previously, 10^th seems to be where they are destined  to finish. With a settled solid squad and the arrival of a big name striker  they are looking to have another great season.
  Wigan Athletic
  Wigan finished a disappointing 16^th  last season after suffering humiliating defeats away at the hands of Tottenham  and Chelsea yet they are still a premier league team after also managing to  beat Chelsea, Liverpool and Ars*nal at home.
  During the summer they have made the purchase of:  Argentinean striker Mauro Boselli; defenders Alcaraz and Gohouri; young  Scottish midfielder James McArthur; and Dutch right back Ronnie Stam. These signings  have given Wigan an improved line up and  better reserves.
  In N’Zogbia, Rodallega and Boselli, Wigan possesses a front three that any team in the league  would be proud of. There is talent in abundance there and if Martinez  can get the best of them Wigan are in for a  great season.
  Verdict: 11^th.  Although some media  outlets are suggested they might struggle this year, we on the other hand  believe that they could do very well with a young talented squad, a good  manager and the necessary experience.
  
  
  
  Bolton Wanderers Despite  a rather downbeat first half to the season, things started to slowly change as  Owen Coyle took over the job in January. This proved to be a good decision for  Coyle, and Bolton made improvements throughout  the course of the second season and finished in a very respectable 14th  position which left much optimism flying around the Reebok Stadium.
   
    Their transfers so far have been encouraging, despite two of them coming on  free transfers. Martin Petrov, when fit, has proved to be one of the leagues  best left wingers who's a technically excellent player and Robbie Blake will  add experience and further depth to their squad. After a reasonable first  season for Bolton in whic he scored 8 goals,  Ivan Klasnic has signed on a permanent deal and Marco Alonso, a young defender,  has been bought in from Real Madrid who may turn out to be a very good  prospect. With increasingly more emphasis on a change of style at Bolton, with  attractive, passing football thought to be preferred nowadays, more transfer  activity to suit this new style of play should be expected. However, it will  take something radical to fully distance themselves from the rather defensive  (yet effective) football they played under Sam Allardyce.
   
    Verdict: 12^th. Bolton will continue making positive progress next  season, however immediate results shouldn't be expected.
  Blackburn Rovers
  Blackburn finished an  encouraging 10^th place last season under Big Sam and they were never  really in danger of being anywhere other than mid table. The stand out  performer was David Dunn who was crucial to their successes.
  During the summer they have yet to  spark into life, signing Diouf on loan from United to replace Di Santo who went  back to Chelsea.  Other than this they have been fairly inactive although all could still change  in the next few weeks.
  The one to watch this season is  Nikola Kalinic, the Croatian striker bought before last season. He is a very  talented individual and if Sam can find him a partner then he could score a lot  of goals for Blackburn.
  Verdict:  13^th. They have a solid side, too good to be involved in a  relegation battle but not quite good enough for anything higher. A push for a  second season in the top half is possible if Big Sam plays his cards right.
  
  Birmingham CityAlex  McLeish's team were last seasons surprise package without a doubt. A well  organised and strong defensive unit with the excellent Joe Hart between the  sticks led Birmingham to conceding just 48 goals  last season, the 8th best record in the Premier League, ahead of sides  associated with a very solid defensive base such as Everton and Stoke City.  However, questions will always be raised as to whether or not the old 'second  season syndrome' will kick in...
   
    One way of ensuring it doesn't is to add quality to your side. Ben Foster  should be more than capable to replace Hart, whilst Zigic provides another  option upfront, and although he may not be the most natural of finishers, will  certainly be a handful for Premier League defenders next season. Valles is  another, who may be a less of a known quantity than the other two, but could  still be an effective buy down the left wing. Further names will probably be  added, and despite having such a solid base, Birmingham will certainly hope to find more  goals from their players next season.
   
    Verdict: 14th. A comfortable mid-table finish next season, and although  they may not reach the heights of last season, as long as they can retain their  solid defensive displays they should be far away from relegation.
  West  Ham United
  Last season was a struggle for  West Ham, missing out on relegation only due to the poor quality of the sides  below them. They suffered from financial troubles and the lack of strikers and  it showed in their final finish of 17^th.
  Zola was sacked from West Ham due  to poor results and replaced by Avram Grant, the former Chelsea and Portsmouth manager and  this is thought to be a very astute piece of business.
  This summer has seen the owners  try to freshen up the squad bringing in experienced players to help their  cause. We have seen Tal Ben Haim, Frederic Piquionne, Thomas Hitzlsperger,  Winston Reid and Pablo Barrera all join the club in order to try and have a  better season.
  Verdict:  15^th. Although the new signings will make sure they are not so  heavily involved in a relegation battle this season, they still haven’t  addressed the issue of where the goals are going to come from and therefore  they will remain in the lower part of the league.
  Sunderland AFC
  Sunderland finished 13^th  last season which will disappoint them after a very good start to the year.  Unfortunately they had a horrendous winless run mid season that derailed their  attempts to finish in the top half. The main plus for the season was the  emergence of young Jordan Henderson as well as the goals of Darren Bent which  kept them out of danger.
  The summer has not been a good one  for the black cats so far. They have lost inspirational captain Lorik Cana to Turkey for just  £5 million and also have been unable to agree a fee for on loan Tottenham Right  back Alan Hutton. As well as this they recently sold striker Kenwyne Jones to  Stoke for just £8 million after turning down double that just a few months  earlier.
  They have  brought in: a young ‘keeper from Belgium called Simon Mignolet; Angeleri an  Argentinean international; Titus Bramble from Wigan; Paraguayan star Riveros;  United youngster Danny Welbeck; Manchester City defender Nedum Onouha; Lyon  centre back John Mensah; and finally Egyptian international Al-Muhammadi. These  signings, although increasing the depth of the squad significantly, do not  inspire too much confidence as they are untested in the league, and rumours are  rife of several being unsettled. Another problem is the injury to first choice  goalkeeper Craig Gordon, and with reserve Marton Fulop being sold to Ipswich it means Mignolet will be thrown straight into  the action.
  
  Verdict: 16^th. They will have a long hard  season unless signings can be made in the next few weeks that add to the  quality of the first team and not just for squad depth. They need to find  themselves a partner for Bent and a creative player in the middle.
  
  Newcastle United
  After Newcastle’s  shock relegation from the premier league, many thought they could do a ‘Leeds’ and struggle to return immediately to the top  flight. However they proved many people wrong and under Chris Hughton they  stuck to their task and won the league at a canter.
  After winning promotion they have  gone about strengthening the squad, bringing in James Perch from Nottingham Forest and Dan Gosling from Everton, as  well as signing experienced defender Sol Campbell after his Ars*nal contract  expired. These signings add strength to the squad and with the possible arrival  of Hatem Ben Arfa they will not be left short.
  However it is, like West Brom, a  team that is full of players that sent them down two seasons ago and there is  guarantee they will do better this team around in the league. Hughton is  largely untested as the main manager in the premier league and he will learn as  the season goes on, but with very demanding fans it is unclear whether he will  be given the chance to complete the season should things start badly.
  Verdict:  17^th. Newcastle  will have just enough in the squad to be able to avoid the drop and this will  mean they can have a summer of rebuilding as a premier league side.
  
  West  Bromwich Albion
  West Brom continued to  show why they are called a ‘yo-yo’ team by many after winning promotion  straight back to the premier league after their relegation the year before.  They were second only to a very good Newcastle  side and showed themselves to be too good for the second tier.
  The summer months have seen three  new arrivals follow with Goalkeeper Boaz Myhill coming in from relegated Hull City,  alongside defensive midfielder Ibanez Pablo from Spanish side Athletico Madrid and Nicky Shorey, a left back from rival Midlands club Aston Villa.
  However, fundamentally it is a  very similar to side to that which was relegated two years ago with the main  difference being the manager. Di Matteo has never managed in the premier league  before and so this will be a new experience and learning curve for him.
  Verdict:  18^th. Although they will battle hard and pick up points along  the way, ultimately they will not have enough to avoid the drop and will see  themselves with heartache on the final day after narrowly missing out on  safety.
  Wolverhampton Wanderers
  Wolves' first season in the Premier League  finished rather well in 15th place. Despite not reaching the heights of their  fellow newly promoted Midlands team Birmingham,  they finished a cool 8 points away from relegation.
  Of course, safety will be on the agenda once  again next year, as it will be for many clubs but Mick McCarthy, unlike others  has been very quick to add numbers and improve his squad. They will hope Steven  Fletcher creates an excellent partnership with Doyle upfront, while the likes  of Steven Mouyokolo and Belgian international Jelle van Damme provides further  options in defence amongst other signings. Wolves will want to continue  strenghtening in August to try and ensure another year of survival in the  Premier League.
  Verdict: 19th.  After a decent first year we think that they  will not have enough in their second season and that relegation back to the  championship is looming.
  Blackpool
  The seaside Lancashire  town had a fantastic season in 09/10 winning the Championship play offs after  finishing sixth and securing their first season in the top flight since the  1970/71 campaign. It will also complete a climb of four divisions in nine years. They hold the record for being  the first club in English football to be promoted through all four divisions  via the playoffs.
  Fans of Blackpool  have waited all summer without a signing until suddenly they have fifth within  a 24 hour period. They have strengthened signing experienced premier league  forward Marlon Harewood, French players: Malaury Martin; Ludovic Sylvestre; and  Elliot Grandin as well Manchester United reserve player Craig Cathcart. These  signings have given them better strength in depth, but three are completely  untested in the English leagues and the two others are limited.
  Although anything can happen with  a newly promoted side, Holloway has so far not done enough to suggest anything  other than an immediate return to the league below.
  Verdict:  20^th. We fell that Blackpool  have not made enough signings in key areas to suggest that they will be able to  pick up the points to keep them up. They scraped into the play offs mainly due  to the goals of loan signing DJ Campbell and without a prolific striker they do  not stand much chance.

[Biggs]

Nice write up mate  was a good read

[dedleysting]

Aye good interesting thoughts there mate.

Nice 1 :-)

[RiffHard]

Very good preview. I'm personally not sure about ManC, they might win the league or turn out to be a bunch of money-grabbing egomaniac primadonnas and suffer hard. Of course, the latter would be the best option. Therefore I'm not sure they can finish 5th.