Friday, August 10, 2007

EPL 2007/2008 predictions

I cannot, cannot, cannot wait for the season to start. Won't have to wait much longer, kickoff is tomorrow. This is me just messing around. Let's get to it.

1. Manchester United - As much as I hate them, there's no concrete reason to pick against The Scum, at the moment. When Tevez comes into the fold, they'll be that much more potent. As long as Carrick stays healthy, Crissy Ronaldo, Giggs, and Rooney will continue to run wild.

2. Liverpool FC - Okay, now this placement is tempered by some fandom. In terms of sheer acquisitions, no one has bettered themselves more than the Reds. The question, now, is how quickly will all that new talent gel with the old. Judging by their pre-season form, the transition seems to be going smoothly. But the questions at Anfield remain the same as ever: 1) Can we capitalize on attack in addition to dominate possession? 2) Are we mentally sturdy enough to win the winnable games, particularly on the road? 3) Can we avoid the shaky start that has plagued our last few league campaigns? The belief is that with the additions of Torres, Benayoun, Voronin, and Babel, as well as the return of Kewell, the Reds have enough depth to finally compete with the ManUres and the Chelskis of the world. A full season with Mascherano and not having to worry about Zenden mucking everything up? I'm psyched.

3. Chelsea FC - Even with the massive signing of the Frenchman Malouda (and the nearly equally important signing of Tal Ben Haim on the backline -- CFC's achilles during last season's campaign) adding to the already extensive list of talent (probably still the league's best collection of skill), there may still be trouble in the water at Stamford Bridge. Walk with me, here. While the Chelskis certainly have the talent to win the league, there's also a fair chance that the team may break down, mentally. A speed bump on the road here, an injury there, a spat between Maureen and Fergie, a draw versus Fulham, more disappointing play from Ballack, and the next thing you know have a team bitter about last season's disappointment losing focus, gripping over executing everything perfectly and coming back to championship form. Head-to-head, Liverpool certainly has the upper-hand, of late. Is Drogba still going to get all those calls?

4. Tottenham Hotspur - This one is a bit of a surprise because, frankly, it would be very easy to predict the exact same top 5 finish as last season. But Spurs finally get the monkey off their back and climb into a Champions League spot, partly because they get their act together and begin playing with some consistency (and a pairing of Bent and Berbatov will mean less reliance on the erratic Jermaine Defoe), but mostly because of the drop-off that their North London rivals will suffer. Speaking of which...

5. Arsenal FC - It's probably going to come down to the final game, but the Gooners lack of scoring punch will bite them in the end. It goes without saying how big an impact Henry's departure will have, but add Adebayor to the injured list to kick off the season and goals will be tricky to come by. Are we ready to put the spotlight on Theo Walcott? I'm not terribly impressed, thus far. Nevermind the on-going distraction of Wenger's fate at the club. He's a strong manager, but he's got his work cut out for him, this season, as he'll try to keep off-field distractions with the front office to a minimum. Van Persie will keep Arsenal in the race for a top four spot.

6. Blackburn Rovers - They've got the talent to knock off any team on any given day, without question. McCarthy is coming back, while Bentley and Derbyshire are hitting full-stride.

7. Everton - This is where the drop in quality hits with the rest of the league. The Toffees *cough -- BITTERS -- cough* always take care of business against inferior opposition and that's something not everyone in the EPL can handle. Tim Howard is one of the premier keepers in the league, David Moyes is a talented manager. This squad may even have over-achieved a bit last season, so 7th in the table seems appropriate.

8. Newcastle United - This one's a bit of an upset pick, but I'm pinning all on the arrival of one man: Big Sam Allardyce. The importance of a great manager can never be underestimated and, with Allardyce on the scene, we'll see a toughness instilled at Newcastle similar to the bruising play Bolton have become known for. But there's real talent on this team. Obafemi Martins is top flight, Scott Parker is a great player, and a healthy Damien Duff will be flying up the wing. Best of all for the Magpies, Titus Bramble is gone. Once all the drama surrounding their best player, Dyer, dies down, Sam will have the troops focused. They'll surprise a few teams.

9. Portsmouth - There's nothing about watching (read: suffering) through a Portsmouth game that is even remotely appealing. If Redknapp even has an inkling that his team can't match the opposition for talent, they'll buckle nine men in the back. It's dour, it's dreary, it's pessimistic... sadly, it usually comes with positive results.

10. West Ham United - The team that no one can solve. Are they quality? Are they a weekly disaster that fluked their way into almost winning the FA Cup in '06? This much is certain: Alan Curbishley will have a full season at the helm dealing with less clutter than last year's club had.

11. Bolton Wanderers - Just as Toon will thrive, Bolton will suffer for Big Sam's departure. Still the oldest squad in the league by light years, can the legs hold up under new leadership?

12. Reading - It always seems to be the pattern that after a newly-promoted club exceeds expectations, they slump in their sophomore effort. Seen it with Ipsqich, seen it with Wigan, and now we're going to see it again with Steve Coppell's men who definitely surprised out of the gate last season. This time, people will be ready and, again, their talent is relatively limited. There's no one as unlucky with the early schedule as Reading, either. They open away to Man Utd, then come home three days later to host Chelsea. It may be tough to recover after that rocky start.

13. Aston Villa - Now we start getting into relegation talk. Villa will not be one of the three going down, but we saw last season that Martin O'Neill's brilliance can only go so far. The Villains need to capitalize at home (just not tomorrow against Liverpool) if they're going to fight for a mid-table place. The talent isn't there to go higher (yes, I'm aware of the jettisoned Hammers, Reo-Coker and Harewood) and they'd better hope their keeper, Sorenson, makes a speedy recovery. Although, as I write this, they did just grab Scott Carson on loan from Liverpool, so I suppose they can forget Sorenson. If you didn't see him break out last season, by the way, keep an eye on Gabriel Agbonlahor. That kid's got talent and then some.

14. Middlesbrough - I'm sure I'm not the only one, but does anyone else look at Gareth Southgate and listen to him at press conferences and wonder, "How in the bloody hell is this guy managing in the Premier League?" Boro saw Viduka exit this summer, too. He was more or less their talisman last season.

15. Manchester City - Oh City... I cannot find anything to like about this club's prospects. Bringing Sven Goran Erikkson into the fold feels like more of a publicity stunt than anything else. Especially when the former-England manager is already on record as saying he's not terribly familiar with the players on the club. (Hey, kind of like when he coached for England!) Wait 'til Sven finds out that he's working with Micah Richards and a pile of rags. I really expected City to make bigger waves in the transfer market, this summer. They'll be fighting tooth and nail to avoid the drop.

16. Birmingham City - This isn't just any newly-promoted side. BCFC still have very vivid memories of what it's like to play and survive in the Premier League. The team is a little wiser after it's one-year hiatus from the top flight.

17. Fulham FC - Here's a squad that has the potential to get obliterated every match. Over the past three years, Fulham have lowered everyone confidence progressively to the point where, now, no one aside from their faithful should have any confidence. Just can't bring myself to put them behind Sunderland.

18. Sunderland - The Black Cats also return after just one season in the Championship and they come bearing Roy Keane. His presence alone gives them hope of survival, but do they have anyone who can score?

19. Wigan Athletic - The Latics were a whisper away from making the drop, last season. Another week of games and they'd be in the Championship. I felt like Paul Jewell's fervor on the sideline was the only thing that saved them. Now that he's gone...

20. Derby County - Sorry to say, but it's going to be a short stay for the Rams. They will be fun to watch, though, and I'll be cheering for them to grab 17th spot. Derby can score goals, but can they stop their opposition from doing the same? Doubt it.

Let the games begin.

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