Well, it would appear there are no Lawro's predictions this week, but I thought I'd do my own anyway
Sunderland v Aston Villa
Tough one, will the Villains be buoyant, or tired? Will Sunderland stutter or come back fighting after a fairly miserable run? I'm going for Villa to take their counter-attacking play to the Black Cats, but it could go either way
1-2
Birmingham v Blackburn
Arguably Birmingham have become the form team with four wins on the trot and three clean sheets within that, while Blackburn are one of the worst sides on the road, on paper this looks obvious
1-0
Bolton v West Ham
Basement battle time - if Bolton can play like they did at the weekend then they should see off the Hammers easily, if not, I don't think the Hammers will bring much anyway
1-0
Manchester United v Wolves
Pick a number between 1 and 10, then stick in front of -nil and you're there, United will no doubt have got a booting for the (deserving) loss to Villa, a bad time for Wolves to visit, if there was ever a good time... I've gone for four
4-0
Burnley v Arsenal
This should be interesting, how will Arsenal cope with Burnley's aggression? How will Burnley handle the four-day break? Depends on which Arsenal side shows up, I guess, Burnley showed a lot of gaps against Fulham
0-1
Chelsea v Portsmouth
Thankyou so much for that draw, Carlo - some fine defending did me very well....I expect a better performance, and even if not - it's Portsmouth, at Stamford Bridge...
3-0
Liverpool v Wigan
Surely this is one game where we can expect Liverpool to pull out a win, at home to Wigan...surely?
2-0
Tottenham v Man City
Now this is a tricky one, first instinct is naturally 'draw' after City's eight in their last nine, and either side could take this, but I've got a feeling Spurs will be resurgent after that shock defeat to Wolves
2-1
Showing posts with label Premier League. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Premier League. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
Beat Lawro 18/8/09
Mid-week fixtures, let's go:
Sunderland v Chelsea
Lawro 1-1
Tarquin 0-1
Sunderland were bright against Bolton, and Chelsea just scraped past Hull and wasted chances - could go either way, but I think the individual quality in Chelsea should shine through
Wigan v Wolves
Lawro 2-1
Tarquin 2-0
Martinez's side put Villa to the sword on Saturday and I expect the same at home against Wolves
Birmingham v Portsmouth
Lawro 2-1
Tarquin 2-0
Portsmouth aren't quite Derby level yet and they could do something here, but Birmingham are too solid and organised I think to find them a threat
Burnley v Manchester United
Lawro 0-2
Tarquin 0-1
Smart money has to be on United, even if they weren't that impressive against Birmingham - Ronaldo would be a killer here, but they still have enough quality to deal with Burnley, who are pretty one-dimensional
Hull v Tottenham
Lawro 1-1
Tarquin 1-2
Two of the most unpredictable sides, how will Spurs travel? How will Hull be at home? I have no idea, Hull looked pretty solid against Chelsea, and Spurs are good at creating, so it could go either way
Liverpool v Stoke
Lawro 2-0
Tarquin 3-0
They may have already been written off but surely they can defeat Stoke at home? Going to White Hart Lane is an altogether tougher experience, I would think Gerrard or Torres could carve something out of this
Sunderland v Chelsea
Lawro 1-1
Tarquin 0-1
Sunderland were bright against Bolton, and Chelsea just scraped past Hull and wasted chances - could go either way, but I think the individual quality in Chelsea should shine through
Wigan v Wolves
Lawro 2-1
Tarquin 2-0
Martinez's side put Villa to the sword on Saturday and I expect the same at home against Wolves
Birmingham v Portsmouth
Lawro 2-1
Tarquin 2-0
Portsmouth aren't quite Derby level yet and they could do something here, but Birmingham are too solid and organised I think to find them a threat
Burnley v Manchester United
Lawro 0-2
Tarquin 0-1
Smart money has to be on United, even if they weren't that impressive against Birmingham - Ronaldo would be a killer here, but they still have enough quality to deal with Burnley, who are pretty one-dimensional
Hull v Tottenham
Lawro 1-1
Tarquin 1-2
Two of the most unpredictable sides, how will Spurs travel? How will Hull be at home? I have no idea, Hull looked pretty solid against Chelsea, and Spurs are good at creating, so it could go either way
Liverpool v Stoke
Lawro 2-0
Tarquin 3-0
They may have already been written off but surely they can defeat Stoke at home? Going to White Hart Lane is an altogether tougher experience, I would think Gerrard or Torres could carve something out of this
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Beating Lawro...with a stick
Results
Chelsea - Hull 2-1
Villa - Wigan 0-2
Blackburn - City 0-2
Bolton - Sunderland 0-1
Portsmouth - Fulham 0-1
Stoke - Burnley 2-0
Wolves - West Ham 0-2
Everton - Arsenal 1-6
United - Birmingham 1-0
Tottenham - Liverpool 2-1
Lawro got 4 right, one perfect score = zero points
Tarquin got 4 right, two perfect scores = 2 points
Not a very good week - but it's the first one, and with 6 away wins I'd dare say four is fine
Chelsea - Hull 2-1
Villa - Wigan 0-2
Blackburn - City 0-2
Bolton - Sunderland 0-1
Portsmouth - Fulham 0-1
Stoke - Burnley 2-0
Wolves - West Ham 0-2
Everton - Arsenal 1-6
United - Birmingham 1-0
Tottenham - Liverpool 2-1
Lawro got 4 right, one perfect score = zero points
Tarquin got 4 right, two perfect scores = 2 points
Not a very good week - but it's the first one, and with 6 away wins I'd dare say four is fine
Friday, August 14, 2009
He's back..
He hath returned with more foolish predictions - and that can only mean that Beat Lawro is back for it's first full year
I'll keep it brief today as I'm in a rush:
Chelsea - Hull - Lawro 2-0, Tarquin 3-0
Expect the obvious here, Hull look ropey and are unlikely to provide any threat away like they did a year ago
Villa - Wigan Lawro 2-0, Tarquin 1-0
Difficult to predict, the teams have changed considerably since May, I expect a stodgy, low-scoring affair
Blackburn - City Lawro 1-1, Tarquin 1-1
Mark Hughes returns to Ewood Park, but I doubt his team will have gelled much yet, and Big Sam will no doubt hold his ground - long ball anyone?
Bolton - Sunderland Lawro 1-1, Tarquin 1-0
Can Steve Bruce inspire the Black Cats to a win over toughies Bolton? I doubt it
Portsmouth - Fulham Lawro 0-2, Tarquin 0-1
Can Fulham actually start with an away win this year? Probably their best chance against a threadbare Pompey side
Stoke - Burnley - both 2-0
No matter the hype round Burnley, I still expect Stoke to provide a tough resistance at home, at least against the lower sides
Wolves - West Ham, Lawro 2-1, Tarquin 1-0
A false dawn for Wolves perhaps?
Everton - Arsenal, Lawro 2-1, Tarquin 1-1
May be a good opportunity for Arsenal to get this out of the way early, but I don't think they'll be quite good enough to beat a solid Everton side
United - Birmingham Lawro 2-0, Tarquin 2-0
Stick to what you know - a rather fortunate time to be playing a newly promoted side at home when half your back four are missing, you never know, there could be an upset...
Tottenham - Liverpool Lawro 1-1, Tarquin 0-1
Tottenham still look weak at the back, although Bassong has just been drafted in, you'd be forgiven for thinking this is a golden opportunity to take three points from the Lane, Gerrard is a doubt though
Scoring:
Perfect = 3pts
Correct Draw = 2pts
Correct GD = 1.5pts
Correct outcome = 1pt
Wrong utcome = -1pt
Join in below
I'll keep it brief today as I'm in a rush:
Chelsea - Hull - Lawro 2-0, Tarquin 3-0
Expect the obvious here, Hull look ropey and are unlikely to provide any threat away like they did a year ago
Villa - Wigan Lawro 2-0, Tarquin 1-0
Difficult to predict, the teams have changed considerably since May, I expect a stodgy, low-scoring affair
Blackburn - City Lawro 1-1, Tarquin 1-1
Mark Hughes returns to Ewood Park, but I doubt his team will have gelled much yet, and Big Sam will no doubt hold his ground - long ball anyone?
Bolton - Sunderland Lawro 1-1, Tarquin 1-0
Can Steve Bruce inspire the Black Cats to a win over toughies Bolton? I doubt it
Portsmouth - Fulham Lawro 0-2, Tarquin 0-1
Can Fulham actually start with an away win this year? Probably their best chance against a threadbare Pompey side
Stoke - Burnley - both 2-0
No matter the hype round Burnley, I still expect Stoke to provide a tough resistance at home, at least against the lower sides
Wolves - West Ham, Lawro 2-1, Tarquin 1-0
A false dawn for Wolves perhaps?
Everton - Arsenal, Lawro 2-1, Tarquin 1-1
May be a good opportunity for Arsenal to get this out of the way early, but I don't think they'll be quite good enough to beat a solid Everton side
United - Birmingham Lawro 2-0, Tarquin 2-0
Stick to what you know - a rather fortunate time to be playing a newly promoted side at home when half your back four are missing, you never know, there could be an upset...
Tottenham - Liverpool Lawro 1-1, Tarquin 0-1
Tottenham still look weak at the back, although Bassong has just been drafted in, you'd be forgiven for thinking this is a golden opportunity to take three points from the Lane, Gerrard is a doubt though
Scoring:
Perfect = 3pts
Correct Draw = 2pts
Correct GD = 1.5pts
Correct outcome = 1pt
Wrong utcome = -1pt
Join in below
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Season ahead preview
August is upon us, and I shall finally be returning to my football blog in earnest (transfer speculation can only interest me so far)
So I shall embark on a club by club preview, with my predictions for their fate this season
Arsenal
last season - 4th
It's been four years without even a hope of a trophy (yes, two years ago they went on an early run, but they collapsed, as we all predicted) - Arsene's reliance on the young has left his squad threadbare and without many strong characters - the loss of Adebayor and Toure has only added to his dilemma, while we all admire Wenger's philosophy on growing a team, he still hasn't formed a formidable side - he needs to flash the cash and stop being so proud, he has several players who he has brought up, but he needs some solid signings to back them up
Strengths: With Rosicky and Eduardo back this season, alongside the likes of Fabregas, Walcott, RVP and Arshavin, the Arse have no shortage of attacking talent
Weaknesses: The defence is a major concern, Arsenal need a strong leader at the back and Gallas ain't it - whether the young Belgian, Vermaelen, will be a success is open to debate, but they need to ditch Diaby, there are also rumours of Patrick Viera returning, could be a wise move
Conclusion: Arsenal still have the talent they are famous for but don't have the strength or depth at present to really challenge, if injury hits them again they have no one but themselves to blame - they should be prepared for such a likely scenario. Previously they might have been guaranteed fourth, but it really does depend on how the mini-galacticos of City perform
Prediction: 4th
Aston Villa
Last season: 6th
Much like Arsenal, Villa have talent but lack the depth to go the distance - last year they got tired in the second half of the season, and the loss of their talismanic workhorse, Barry, will undoubtedly affect them heavily. They need to keep of Agbonlahor and Young, while O'Neill desperately needs to invest in order to fight a European campaign and challenge the top 4. The purchase of Stewart Downing (who won't even play til xmas), seems a tad redundant if it's going to be the only significant purchase
Strengths: They still have bags of pace, and one of the best managers in Europe
Weaknesses: All over the pitch - the squad is paper thin, they desperately need to shore up the central defence with the loss of Knight and Laursen, obviously Barry has left a hole which needs filling, and another reliable foward wouldn't go a miss either
Conclusion: Unlikely to be going anywhere this year without any further investment from Lerner
Prediction: 7th
Birmingham City
Last Season: Championship 2nd place
Seemingly a like for like swap with the Baggies, can the Blues cling on this time? It would seem they haven't lost too much as they've come straight back up, a rock-solid defence saw them tackle the championship, and the loaning of Joe Hart will ensure they have a quality keeper - but they will need some goals this season and will need new-signing Benitez to come through for them
Strengths: A solid defence has been reinforced by a well-prepared McLeish, always the best tactic for teams trying to stay up
Weaknesses: There may not be enough players up to premier league quality, possibly needs more of a goal threat
Conclusion: Are going to be reliant on their defence to stay up, they have a good chance, but they need to take their chances against lower opposition when it comes around
Prediction: 14th
Blackburn Rovers
Last season: 15th
Arguably the loss of Santa Cruz shouldn't really matter, as he was injured most of last season and only scored 4 times, one would think if they can find a goalscorer with that many in them they'll be fine, if not spectacular
Strengths: ummm...they still have a reasonable defence
Weaknesses: Need some goals, and a bit of depth to replace the part-timers that have just left (Derbyshire, Oijer, Tugay)
Conclusion: Doubt there will be much to watch here, but they are unlikely to repeat either the chaos they had last year with Ince, nor repeat the dreams of Europe they had with Hughes, but keep an eye on what Allardyce finds on the cheap
Prediction: 12th
Bolton
Last season: 13th
Megson has bought in a variety of solid, if mediocre players to shore up the side (Knight, Robinson, Sean Davies, Ricketts) - just about sums up Bolton really, but they remain lacking up front and need some goals, and like serveral other clubs, need to find them on the cheap
Strengths: the squad is only improving, with several decent aquisitions and few departures, stability is a virtue in this game
Weaknesses: A lack of real talent and a goal threat means they won't be getting very far
Conc: It's Bolton, nobody notices Bolton
Pred: 11th
Burnley
Last Season: play-off winners
Ah, the little side that could - for Burnley, see Hull c.2008 - they will need a lot of luck and determination to stay up, and will need new signing Stephen Fletcher to provide the goods - this will, much like Hull, be dependent on keeping the team close and motivated, and we all know how close Hull came to losing it
Strengths: A close-knit championship team unit has worked for teams like Reading, Stoke and Hull in the recent past, and if they can remain as solid as they were in their various top-flight encounters last season they will have at least a chance
Weaknesses: Lack of quality really
Conclusion: Need to really punch above their weight and keep the morale high to stand a chance of staying up
Prediction: 18th
Chelsea
last season: 3rd
Chelsea have done well to keep hold of Terry, probably far more important than any transfer - and the only significant addition has been the leftie Zhirkov - so it seems little will have changed from last year, so the onus is on Ancelotti to get his team more points than United
Stengths: A stable, balanced team packed with talent
Weaknesses: Barely any, perhaps some more new blood would have been useful, and both main forwards have a tendency for the unpredictable (and diving)
Conclusion: Chelsea should be the favourites to challenge for the title, hopefully this latest managerial appointment can get the team working to its full potential - if not, well, it'll be amusing
Prediction: 1st
Everton
Last season: 5th
'Steady as she goes' is the Everton mantra - they will return once again with the same decent football from the likes of Arteta and Cahill, and even Phil Neville - but their inability to buy anything more is going to keep them out of the title race again, the only real issue is if they lose Lescott - which will need addressing
Strengths: Consistency, and good football, and a manager who knows what he's doing
Weaknesses: Lack of money - they need more depth to progress in Europe or at home, Tim Cahill can only carry them so far, should they lose Lescott they will be losing a vital piece of the puzzle (I've been hearing 'Senderos' - dear god, no)
Conclusion: Moyes may need to fix up the defence early on, but you can expect the usual from the Toffees
Prediction: 6th
Fulham
last season: 7th
Fulham have finally found some quality with Hodgson at the helm, and their solid defence is vital to that - they need to keep hold of Hangeland and they will be fine in the league - but they really need to add depth for their European adventure, and they won't be heading up the table without some better goalscorers than Zamora
Strengths: Stable squad, solid defence
Weaknesses: Thin squad and a lack of goal threat
Conclusion: Watch out for Fulham throwing spanners in the works of the big boys again, but don't expect much improvement on last year
Prediction: 9th
Hull
last season: 17th
Phil Brown really needs to fix his squad up after last season, but it would seem noone wants to go to Hull - they have offloaded some players and bought bugger-all, no doubt they will find someone - but don't hold your breath
Strengths: None that I can see...maybe Michael Turner?
Weaknesses: The team that virtually collapsed after new year is getting even weaker
Conclusion: this looks like being a long, hard season for the Tigers, they can't say they haven't been warned
Prediction: 19th
Liverpool
last season: 2nd
What with today's inevitable news that Alonso is off, Liverpool now face a massive hole in the middle - the loss of Alonso could have only been trumped by the loss of Stevie G himself - they need an influential string-puller and quick, and now they haven't even got the 'bargain' Gareth Barry to go for
I don't have a huge amount of faith in Rafa, who seems to move with all the speed of a teenager after a heavy night out - it took him years to realise the need for proper wingers and all he goes for is Glen Johnson - decent right back he may be, but if that's his best signing of the summer he's in trouble - Liverpool exceeded expectations last season, even without Torres for half of it, but they need to stop relying on Gerrard and Torres, brilliant though they are, even if the two play every game - I await with baited breath to see if Aquilani works out, and what Rafa will spend his remaining 13mil on
Strengths: Gerrard and Torres, naturally
Weaknesses: An Italian needs to fill Alonso's rather large boots, still lacking width!
Conclusion: Watch out for Rafa's spending - if he can get targets like David Silva then maybe they'll be ok, but they may be too reliant on their overworked talismans
Prediction: 3rd
Manchester City
last season: Not good enough! (10th)
City, City , City...- no doubt this year's big interest story, either they'll flop and it'll be hilarious or they'll actually be good enough to surpass Arsenal - I think the former, but Hughes is a good manager and will know what he's doing, he's bought some level-headed and committed players in Barry and Tevez, and some quality goal-scorers in Adebayor and Santa Cruz, while maintaining a decent bedrock of former players like Ireland, Richards and Dunne, but probably still needs a commanding centre-half. Also watch out for a team that has a lot of quality forwards and midfielders - sure to be some tantrums and weird tactical decisions
Stengths: Isn't it obvious?
Weaknesses: Lots of new, highly-paid stars, may not be the most stable of teams, also watch out for tetchy owners pulling the plug too quickly
Conclusion: It'll be hard to miss City this year, and their games will certainly be interesting, I don't think they'll be challenging just yet with a rag-tag collection of big names, but interesting nonetheless
Prediction: 5th
Manchester United
last season: 1st
Can they do it again? Four consecutive titles? I hope not, it's just getting depressing as the other teams simply fail to step up - the lack of Ronaldo and Tevez is the obvious elephant in the room - it may weaken them sufficiently to give Chelsea or Liverpool a real chance (although it tends to be all their own doing anyway) - but no doubt they'll be just as formiddable with Rooney, Vidic, Carrick and co. - Fergie seems to be having a bit of a play by buying Owen and testing out the young Valencia - this looks like a team in a bit of transition now, with the loss of two huge players, some new boys and the decreasing influence of Giggs and Scholes
Strengths: As ever, the omnipresent Ferguson will send out a great team every time
Weaknesses: Few, but the loss of Ronaldo and Tevez may be enough, Fergie seems to be resting on his laurels for now - as if to say 'bring it on, boys'
Conclusion: United are nowhere near indestructable, but it will be up to the other teams (primarily Liverpool and Chelsea) to prove that - they remain the most balanced, quality side in the league, but are perhaps a bit cock-sure
Prediction: 2nd
Newcastle...sorry, Portsmouth
Last season: 14th
Pompey are up sh*t creek with out a paddle, and perhaps a canoe - they've lost everyone, and unless they start putting the money from Crouchy and Johnson somewhere soon they're in deep trouble - Derby trouble
Stengths: They have a manager now!
Weaknesses: They've lost pretty much their whole first team
Conclusion: Bet on Burnley when the two meet, or perhaps even Hull
Prediction: 20th
Stoke
last season: 12th
Stoke are looking to build on last season, and keeping their giant squad together is key - they have also made a few select purchases, Whitehead being the most prominent - definitely need another forward to join up with Beattie, but otherwise little to rock the boat
Stengths: Stable squad, who average about 6'6
Weaknesses: Not many options, need some more presence up front to improve drastically
Conclusion: Unless Stoke suffer badly from second season syndrome expect more of the same
Prediction: 13th
Sunderland
last season: 16th
Looks like more of the same from the sole remaining north-east club - they may have more cash now, and Steve Bruce, but they've done little to improve on last year's pretty poor performance - bringing in young Frazer Campbell and some other cheap blokes for Cisse, Halford, Whitehead, and Chopra
Strengths: A good manager and a (hopefully) steady ship
Weaknesses: Nobody wants to go there...
Conclusion: Sunderland may not be in real trouble but they are in transition and don't look completely safe, once again they might be in the dog-fight
Prediction: 16th
Tottenham
Last season: 8th
'Arry is still working his magic, looking for more players to bring in, preferably cheeky cockneys like himself - he needs to sort out his defence, Bassong is a rumour, and no doubt he will - look out for late transfers, wildly optimistic yids and a cup run - all the usual dramas at Tottenham
Strengths: they finally have have some sort of a squad, with decent, trusted forwards
Weaknesses: defending...
Conclusion: Although last season's position of 8th was respectable they were at the top of the bottom rather than the bottom of the top - this year they will be hoping to fight it out with Villa, Everton, Fulham and City...rather than Bolton and Stoke - probably one of the more entertaining sides this year
Prediction: 8th
West Ham
last season: 9th
The Hammers are struggling for cash and have shipped a load of players, while bringing in mostly tripe, so you can't expect much from them - in fact this year they sound even more boring than Bolton, I wouldn't be surprised if they went from top 10 last year to relegation hopefuls this year
Strengths: dunno, I don't even notice West Ham any more
Weaknesses: No money and third-rate players none of us have heard of
Conclusion: Mediocrity of the highest order!
Prediction: 15th
Wigan
last season: 11th
Wigan are strangely one of the most positive outfits this season, lots of money and a new, swanky, Spanish manager - one to watch
Strengths: Some quality players
Weaknesses: It's Wigan...and that bloody pitch
Conclusion: They might be a bit more interesting to watch than usual, few worries of relegation
Prediction: 10th
Wolves
last season: Championship winners
Oh dear, Mick's back - Wolves are as bad as the Baggies at this, and they play much the same - they will probably be punished more than Birmingham, despite their better goal threat - they have invested in new players, like Halford, Doyle and Hanhemann, keen to avoid the drop once again - but whether it's enough time will tell
Strengths: decent football, some quality players
Weakness: Not enough quality, open style of play a risk
Prediction: 17th
So I shall embark on a club by club preview, with my predictions for their fate this season
Arsenal
last season - 4th
It's been four years without even a hope of a trophy (yes, two years ago they went on an early run, but they collapsed, as we all predicted) - Arsene's reliance on the young has left his squad threadbare and without many strong characters - the loss of Adebayor and Toure has only added to his dilemma, while we all admire Wenger's philosophy on growing a team, he still hasn't formed a formidable side - he needs to flash the cash and stop being so proud, he has several players who he has brought up, but he needs some solid signings to back them up
Strengths: With Rosicky and Eduardo back this season, alongside the likes of Fabregas, Walcott, RVP and Arshavin, the Arse have no shortage of attacking talent
Weaknesses: The defence is a major concern, Arsenal need a strong leader at the back and Gallas ain't it - whether the young Belgian, Vermaelen, will be a success is open to debate, but they need to ditch Diaby, there are also rumours of Patrick Viera returning, could be a wise move
Conclusion: Arsenal still have the talent they are famous for but don't have the strength or depth at present to really challenge, if injury hits them again they have no one but themselves to blame - they should be prepared for such a likely scenario. Previously they might have been guaranteed fourth, but it really does depend on how the mini-galacticos of City perform
Prediction: 4th
Aston Villa
Last season: 6th
Much like Arsenal, Villa have talent but lack the depth to go the distance - last year they got tired in the second half of the season, and the loss of their talismanic workhorse, Barry, will undoubtedly affect them heavily. They need to keep of Agbonlahor and Young, while O'Neill desperately needs to invest in order to fight a European campaign and challenge the top 4. The purchase of Stewart Downing (who won't even play til xmas), seems a tad redundant if it's going to be the only significant purchase
Strengths: They still have bags of pace, and one of the best managers in Europe
Weaknesses: All over the pitch - the squad is paper thin, they desperately need to shore up the central defence with the loss of Knight and Laursen, obviously Barry has left a hole which needs filling, and another reliable foward wouldn't go a miss either
Conclusion: Unlikely to be going anywhere this year without any further investment from Lerner
Prediction: 7th
Birmingham City
Last Season: Championship 2nd place
Seemingly a like for like swap with the Baggies, can the Blues cling on this time? It would seem they haven't lost too much as they've come straight back up, a rock-solid defence saw them tackle the championship, and the loaning of Joe Hart will ensure they have a quality keeper - but they will need some goals this season and will need new-signing Benitez to come through for them
Strengths: A solid defence has been reinforced by a well-prepared McLeish, always the best tactic for teams trying to stay up
Weaknesses: There may not be enough players up to premier league quality, possibly needs more of a goal threat
Conclusion: Are going to be reliant on their defence to stay up, they have a good chance, but they need to take their chances against lower opposition when it comes around
Prediction: 14th
Blackburn Rovers
Last season: 15th
Arguably the loss of Santa Cruz shouldn't really matter, as he was injured most of last season and only scored 4 times, one would think if they can find a goalscorer with that many in them they'll be fine, if not spectacular
Strengths: ummm...they still have a reasonable defence
Weaknesses: Need some goals, and a bit of depth to replace the part-timers that have just left (Derbyshire, Oijer, Tugay)
Conclusion: Doubt there will be much to watch here, but they are unlikely to repeat either the chaos they had last year with Ince, nor repeat the dreams of Europe they had with Hughes, but keep an eye on what Allardyce finds on the cheap
Prediction: 12th
Bolton
Last season: 13th
Megson has bought in a variety of solid, if mediocre players to shore up the side (Knight, Robinson, Sean Davies, Ricketts) - just about sums up Bolton really, but they remain lacking up front and need some goals, and like serveral other clubs, need to find them on the cheap
Strengths: the squad is only improving, with several decent aquisitions and few departures, stability is a virtue in this game
Weaknesses: A lack of real talent and a goal threat means they won't be getting very far
Conc: It's Bolton, nobody notices Bolton
Pred: 11th
Burnley
Last Season: play-off winners
Ah, the little side that could - for Burnley, see Hull c.2008 - they will need a lot of luck and determination to stay up, and will need new signing Stephen Fletcher to provide the goods - this will, much like Hull, be dependent on keeping the team close and motivated, and we all know how close Hull came to losing it
Strengths: A close-knit championship team unit has worked for teams like Reading, Stoke and Hull in the recent past, and if they can remain as solid as they were in their various top-flight encounters last season they will have at least a chance
Weaknesses: Lack of quality really
Conclusion: Need to really punch above their weight and keep the morale high to stand a chance of staying up
Prediction: 18th
Chelsea
last season: 3rd
Chelsea have done well to keep hold of Terry, probably far more important than any transfer - and the only significant addition has been the leftie Zhirkov - so it seems little will have changed from last year, so the onus is on Ancelotti to get his team more points than United
Stengths: A stable, balanced team packed with talent
Weaknesses: Barely any, perhaps some more new blood would have been useful, and both main forwards have a tendency for the unpredictable (and diving)
Conclusion: Chelsea should be the favourites to challenge for the title, hopefully this latest managerial appointment can get the team working to its full potential - if not, well, it'll be amusing
Prediction: 1st
Everton
Last season: 5th
'Steady as she goes' is the Everton mantra - they will return once again with the same decent football from the likes of Arteta and Cahill, and even Phil Neville - but their inability to buy anything more is going to keep them out of the title race again, the only real issue is if they lose Lescott - which will need addressing
Strengths: Consistency, and good football, and a manager who knows what he's doing
Weaknesses: Lack of money - they need more depth to progress in Europe or at home, Tim Cahill can only carry them so far, should they lose Lescott they will be losing a vital piece of the puzzle (I've been hearing 'Senderos' - dear god, no)
Conclusion: Moyes may need to fix up the defence early on, but you can expect the usual from the Toffees
Prediction: 6th
Fulham
last season: 7th
Fulham have finally found some quality with Hodgson at the helm, and their solid defence is vital to that - they need to keep hold of Hangeland and they will be fine in the league - but they really need to add depth for their European adventure, and they won't be heading up the table without some better goalscorers than Zamora
Strengths: Stable squad, solid defence
Weaknesses: Thin squad and a lack of goal threat
Conclusion: Watch out for Fulham throwing spanners in the works of the big boys again, but don't expect much improvement on last year
Prediction: 9th
Hull
last season: 17th
Phil Brown really needs to fix his squad up after last season, but it would seem noone wants to go to Hull - they have offloaded some players and bought bugger-all, no doubt they will find someone - but don't hold your breath
Strengths: None that I can see...maybe Michael Turner?
Weaknesses: The team that virtually collapsed after new year is getting even weaker
Conclusion: this looks like being a long, hard season for the Tigers, they can't say they haven't been warned
Prediction: 19th
Liverpool
last season: 2nd
What with today's inevitable news that Alonso is off, Liverpool now face a massive hole in the middle - the loss of Alonso could have only been trumped by the loss of Stevie G himself - they need an influential string-puller and quick, and now they haven't even got the 'bargain' Gareth Barry to go for
I don't have a huge amount of faith in Rafa, who seems to move with all the speed of a teenager after a heavy night out - it took him years to realise the need for proper wingers and all he goes for is Glen Johnson - decent right back he may be, but if that's his best signing of the summer he's in trouble - Liverpool exceeded expectations last season, even without Torres for half of it, but they need to stop relying on Gerrard and Torres, brilliant though they are, even if the two play every game - I await with baited breath to see if Aquilani works out, and what Rafa will spend his remaining 13mil on
Strengths: Gerrard and Torres, naturally
Weaknesses: An Italian needs to fill Alonso's rather large boots, still lacking width!
Conclusion: Watch out for Rafa's spending - if he can get targets like David Silva then maybe they'll be ok, but they may be too reliant on their overworked talismans
Prediction: 3rd
Manchester City
last season: Not good enough! (10th)
City, City , City...- no doubt this year's big interest story, either they'll flop and it'll be hilarious or they'll actually be good enough to surpass Arsenal - I think the former, but Hughes is a good manager and will know what he's doing, he's bought some level-headed and committed players in Barry and Tevez, and some quality goal-scorers in Adebayor and Santa Cruz, while maintaining a decent bedrock of former players like Ireland, Richards and Dunne, but probably still needs a commanding centre-half. Also watch out for a team that has a lot of quality forwards and midfielders - sure to be some tantrums and weird tactical decisions
Stengths: Isn't it obvious?
Weaknesses: Lots of new, highly-paid stars, may not be the most stable of teams, also watch out for tetchy owners pulling the plug too quickly
Conclusion: It'll be hard to miss City this year, and their games will certainly be interesting, I don't think they'll be challenging just yet with a rag-tag collection of big names, but interesting nonetheless
Prediction: 5th
Manchester United
last season: 1st
Can they do it again? Four consecutive titles? I hope not, it's just getting depressing as the other teams simply fail to step up - the lack of Ronaldo and Tevez is the obvious elephant in the room - it may weaken them sufficiently to give Chelsea or Liverpool a real chance (although it tends to be all their own doing anyway) - but no doubt they'll be just as formiddable with Rooney, Vidic, Carrick and co. - Fergie seems to be having a bit of a play by buying Owen and testing out the young Valencia - this looks like a team in a bit of transition now, with the loss of two huge players, some new boys and the decreasing influence of Giggs and Scholes
Strengths: As ever, the omnipresent Ferguson will send out a great team every time
Weaknesses: Few, but the loss of Ronaldo and Tevez may be enough, Fergie seems to be resting on his laurels for now - as if to say 'bring it on, boys'
Conclusion: United are nowhere near indestructable, but it will be up to the other teams (primarily Liverpool and Chelsea) to prove that - they remain the most balanced, quality side in the league, but are perhaps a bit cock-sure
Prediction: 2nd
Newcastle...sorry, Portsmouth
Last season: 14th
Pompey are up sh*t creek with out a paddle, and perhaps a canoe - they've lost everyone, and unless they start putting the money from Crouchy and Johnson somewhere soon they're in deep trouble - Derby trouble
Stengths: They have a manager now!
Weaknesses: They've lost pretty much their whole first team
Conclusion: Bet on Burnley when the two meet, or perhaps even Hull
Prediction: 20th
Stoke
last season: 12th
Stoke are looking to build on last season, and keeping their giant squad together is key - they have also made a few select purchases, Whitehead being the most prominent - definitely need another forward to join up with Beattie, but otherwise little to rock the boat
Stengths: Stable squad, who average about 6'6
Weaknesses: Not many options, need some more presence up front to improve drastically
Conclusion: Unless Stoke suffer badly from second season syndrome expect more of the same
Prediction: 13th
Sunderland
last season: 16th
Looks like more of the same from the sole remaining north-east club - they may have more cash now, and Steve Bruce, but they've done little to improve on last year's pretty poor performance - bringing in young Frazer Campbell and some other cheap blokes for Cisse, Halford, Whitehead, and Chopra
Strengths: A good manager and a (hopefully) steady ship
Weaknesses: Nobody wants to go there...
Conclusion: Sunderland may not be in real trouble but they are in transition and don't look completely safe, once again they might be in the dog-fight
Prediction: 16th
Tottenham
Last season: 8th
'Arry is still working his magic, looking for more players to bring in, preferably cheeky cockneys like himself - he needs to sort out his defence, Bassong is a rumour, and no doubt he will - look out for late transfers, wildly optimistic yids and a cup run - all the usual dramas at Tottenham
Strengths: they finally have have some sort of a squad, with decent, trusted forwards
Weaknesses: defending...
Conclusion: Although last season's position of 8th was respectable they were at the top of the bottom rather than the bottom of the top - this year they will be hoping to fight it out with Villa, Everton, Fulham and City...rather than Bolton and Stoke - probably one of the more entertaining sides this year
Prediction: 8th
West Ham
last season: 9th
The Hammers are struggling for cash and have shipped a load of players, while bringing in mostly tripe, so you can't expect much from them - in fact this year they sound even more boring than Bolton, I wouldn't be surprised if they went from top 10 last year to relegation hopefuls this year
Strengths: dunno, I don't even notice West Ham any more
Weaknesses: No money and third-rate players none of us have heard of
Conclusion: Mediocrity of the highest order!
Prediction: 15th
Wigan
last season: 11th
Wigan are strangely one of the most positive outfits this season, lots of money and a new, swanky, Spanish manager - one to watch
Strengths: Some quality players
Weaknesses: It's Wigan...and that bloody pitch
Conclusion: They might be a bit more interesting to watch than usual, few worries of relegation
Prediction: 10th
Wolves
last season: Championship winners
Oh dear, Mick's back - Wolves are as bad as the Baggies at this, and they play much the same - they will probably be punished more than Birmingham, despite their better goal threat - they have invested in new players, like Halford, Doyle and Hanhemann, keen to avoid the drop once again - but whether it's enough time will tell
Strengths: decent football, some quality players
Weakness: Not enough quality, open style of play a risk
Prediction: 17th
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