England Vs Germany The Verdict

After an horrific result for England and their fans the post match analysis looks set to continue into the coming weeks and months. Losing 4-1 to arch rivals Germany is about as harsh as it gets for the English and it still remains to be seen as to who will become the inevitable scape-goat.

Firstly, let’s clear something up. That ‘goal’ Lampard was not given changed the game. People who think that regardless of the decision we still would have lost 4-2 are looking at this from a very narrow minded and illogical position. If England went into half-time at 2-2 the whole game would have changed. Capello would have demanded a more defensive approach and would have not thrown everybody forward looking for an equalizer. The Germans in turn would perhaps have felt the pressure and disappointment of giving away a two-goal lead and could have crumbled. Technology must be introduced, it is used in most other top sports including rugby, tennis and cricket and this does not take anything away from the greatness of these sports. This clanger cannot be ignored, now is the time to act FIFA.

This is not to say England fans should not be angry about their teams performance. Whilst many will point to ‘overpayed’ players who don’t care enough about the game anymore, the biggest disappiontment was probably the team’s head coach. Fabio Capello has to all extents and purposes has had an extremely poor World Cup. Capello never looked in control of his team and the in camp unrest should have signaled the obvious failings of the

England manager. Questions that will be asked such as; why Heskey, why no Joe Cole, and perhaps the most intriguing one of all, why keep playing players out of position, will probably never be answered.

For a man with the record of Capello England fans expected much more and rightly so.  An Italian coach with a tragically poor back-line was before today unthinkable to many football fans in the world. Capello has to go now, it is time for an English manager who can fire up the troops, this time hopefully one who has plenty of experience at the top level unlike the unwise appointment of Steve MaClaren.

Roy Hodgson is the obvious choice having managed at Inter Milan and having worked wonders at lowly Fulham. A man who gets the best out of a relatively poor squad week in week out could give the England team the lift they need in order to perform at the highest level.

As for now England fans can look forward to a summer of inquests and many nervous times wondering what the inadequate FA will do to change things. Given recent history, however, I don’t think many fans will be getting their hopes up too soon.

Manchester United – life after Ronaldo

The jury is out on whether or not Manchester United should have sold their star player Cristiano Ronaldo this summer. The £80million deal is a footballing world record transfer fee but can any amount of money really fill the void left by the awesome Portuguese play-maker’s presence. Ronaldo was United’s top goalscorer the past two seasons and was undoubtedly a huge part of the reason for their success. At times his playing style would mesmerise players and fans alike. The loss of Ronaldo is not just going to effect United but also the Premier League who have lost an iconic player to La Liga. Perhaps the best player in the world Ronaldo could go on to be one of the best ever.

Life goes on, however, and United have shown time and time again that they can cope with the loss of their main stars. Much was made of the departures of big names such as David Beckham, Jaap Stam and Ruud Van Nistelrooy at their prime but United coped with the losses and continued to build stronger squads. Sir Alex Ferguson is the master of this, somehow despite losing his best players the United boss turns his teams into better sides. This is why Sir Alex is more than happy to let go of players who he believes feel that they are too big for the club. Fergie has made it clear over the years that no player is bigger than Manchester United and that certainly no player is more powerful than the manager. Sir Alex adapts squads time and time again does it by signing great young talents who more often than not go on to produce the goods, the likes of Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand and Ronaldo himself all have proved wonderful signings. It also helps that United’s world class academy keeps throwing up players, some great stars like Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, and Gary Neville others great squad fillers like Darren Fletcher, John O’Shea and Jonny Evans. So if any fan in the world does not have to worry about the sale of their best player it is a United fan.

The problem this time, though, is that Ronaldo is just that bit more special than any other player who has played under Sir Alex. Never in Fergie’s reign has such a great talent been on show at Old Trafford, so it is a bit of an unknown as to how well United will cope. Yes, the losses of Beckham, Stam and Van Nistelrooy were big news but all of these players were expected to only have a couple of years left at the top level. Ronaldo is 24 and could have another 6-8 years of great football left in him and being so young he could even improve as a player in the next few seasons. No-one has really carried the United team in the same way that Ronaldo has done in certain games and on certain occasions. There were games last season that you felt United definitely would not have won had Ronaldo not been playing.

So the loss is huge for United and worryingly Fergie has not done too much to rectify this. The signings of Wigan’s Antonio Valencia and Newcastle’s Michael Owen are not going to inspire fans too much. Whilst they will be decent first team players, Valencia and Owen can hardly be expected to fill Roanldo’s boots. In watching Valencia’s first game yesterday it became apparent that he would need time to adjust to United, Valencia seemed to drift in and out of the game and was not exactly pounding at the defence of a very poor Birmingham side.

Yesterday’s 1-0 victory at home to Birmingham was less than convincing. Birmingham were very very poor and displayed little heart in their defeat and the fact that United could not score more than one goal will concern the fans. Had Ronaldo been playing yesterday you have to wonder if the scoreline would have read more like 4-0 or 5-0.

However, it is still early days. Rooney looked in good shape yesterday getting on the score-sheet and United will need him to step it up a gear this season and produce a 20 plus goal season. Players like Nani, Berbatov and Anderson all have the potential to go on and do great things but it really is time for them to reveal it. If they don’t then it is tough to see where all of Ronaldo’s missed goals are going to come from. Maybe Sir Alex will buy a forward in January, maybe not but only time will tell if life after Ronaldo will be just as sweet or if it will be sour at least for the next couple of seasons anyway.

The verdict on Ancelotti’s first game for Chelsea

Chelsea started the new season yesterday with an uncomfortable 2-1 win at home to Hull. With this match being many people’s home banker for the weekend, it will have surprised many to see that Chelsea won with a 90th minute Drogba goal.

The scoreline, however, was not a real reflection of the match. Chelsea totally dominated proceedings and with 26 shots on goal were unfortunate to only score twice. If Chelsea had not won it would have been a travesty.

So to assessing the result and Ancelotti’s first competitive match in charge. The problem with Chelsea for many parts of last season was their inability to win at home and create lots of clear-cut chances. For some reason Scolari’s men could not break down the teams who came to defend, draws against the likes of Hull, Tottenham, West Ham and Newcastle prove this.

However, this was not the case yesterday. Chelsea created chance after chance and but for some rustiness in front of goal could have scored a bag full. Drogba showed glimpses of his world class talent his Ronaldo-like free kick at the end of the first half was incredible. The link up play between the wing-backs, the midfielders and the forwards was breath-taking.

Chelsea’s shape was fantastic and even when Ancelotti made changes to the team, in the second half, the team remained as a unit and everyone played their part well. Ancelotti has perhaps incorporated a good team spirit that has been sadly lacking from Stamford Bridge in the past couple of seasons and this may have begun to change many people’s thoughts that Chelsea need a couple more world class signings to compete with the ‘big boys’.

A reality check is needed however as it was only Hull who Chelsea were facing, many people have written off Hull as certainties to go down, but in truth Hull played very well. Hull were very solid defensively and even looked a threat on the rare occasions they went forward. Boo boy Stephen Hunt was in great form on his debut and even scored to put ‘the Tigers’ into an unlikely lead.

The impressive thing for Chelsea fans was that despite Hull playing very well defensively and taking the lead, Chelsea had no problems breaking them down easily finding the gaps to create chances. If this was last season there is no way Chelsea would have won this game and it is a very positive sight to see Chelsea winning games against teams who are very difficult to play through. If you are to win the league then this ability is of paramount importance, just take Liverpool for example last season, they only lost two games compared to Manchester United who lost four yet Liverpool did not win the title.

Chelsea’s finishing was certainly rusty but that is to be expected at the start of the season, Ancelotti is sure to have the lads working on their shooting practice in training before Tuesday’s away date at Sunderland.

Obviously, it is very early days to judge teams yet. The title is certainly not won during the first game of the season and despite the positives the 2-1 scoreline is still a little disappointing. Ancelotti has passed his first test and of course the most important thing is to get the three points, which he did. Chelsea’s real test this season will be to see how they fare against the other sides in the top four. Last year Chelsea faltered against United, Arsenal and Liverpool only picking up one point from their three home games against them. If Chelsea can beat the lowly teams like today and perform well in the big matches then they have every chance of winning the league this year. However, nobody will be counting their chickens yet and it looks to be a very exciting season all around.

Serie A and La Liga Preview

Serie A Title Race

Inter Milan

Inter are looking for their 5th successive Seria A title this season and few would bet against them. Normally, the loss of a world-class centre forward like Zlatan Ibrahimovic would shatter a club but in return Inter have signed Europe’s top striker last season in Samuel Eto’o.

Possibly the best deal in history, Inter recieved £45 million plus Eto’o for Ibrahimovic. Given that Ibrahimovic is only a year younger and is not neccessarily a better striker, Inter must have snapped Barcelona’s hands off to secure the deal.

With possibly the most talented manager in the world in Jose Mourinho, Inter will feel they have the fire power to win the league and will also be desperate to give a great showing in the Champions League. Inter’s main aim will be to win in Europe and owner Massimo Moratti has repeatedly reminded everyone of this for a few years now.

Inter’s strength will be the depth of their squad, the likes of :

Vieira, Suazo, Cambiasso, Stankovic, Quaresma, Zanetti, Cordoba, Samuel, Materazzi, Chivu, Militio, Mancini, Muntari, Maicon, Cesar, Toldo, Motta and Eto’o, will strike fear into any opponents next season. Not many clubs can boast 18 such well known established players in their squads, if any.

Inter need to deliver this season especially in Europe because although they have won 4 Scudettos in a row, the black and blue have always struggled in the massive European games.

Prediction 1st

A.C. Milan

The underachievers of recent years have lost their talismanic manager Carlo Ancelotti to Chelsea. Having appointed the inexperienced Brazilian club legend Leonardo as the new boss, Milan have taken a risk but maybe one they feel they have to take.

It will take a monumental effort to unsurp Inter and selling Kaka has all but ended any real hopes that they may do so. Kaka was sold for £56 million and whilst the money will be great for the club, the loss of the player could be detrimental to their title chances, Kaka’s apparent replacement Klaas Jan Huntelaar is not a player in the similar mould. Huntelaar will score goals but does not have the same ability to drive teams forward and win matches that Kaka was so adored for.

An aging squad last season has just got a year older, Milan seem in decline and owner Silvio Berlusconi has conceded that the club cannot compete financially will the biggest clubs in Europe anymore.

Prediction 4th

Roma and Juventus should be stronger this year and should fight it out for 2nd and 3rd places.

La Liga Title Race

Real Madrid for thoughts on Real in the new season please visit this link on an article written last week https://sportsportsport.wordpress.com/2009/08/10/madrid-the-real-deal/

Barcelona

The most beautiful football team in the world have signed Zlatan Ibrahimovic this summer. The forward is a welcome addition to the squad and his nonchelant style should suit the free flowing creative football of the Nou Camp.

The loss of Eto’o however may be bigger than expected. To sell a 35 goal a season player is always a risk, no matter who you bring in. Whilst Mourinho has procliamed ‘Ibra’ to be the best player in the world, there are a few who prefer Eto’o and actually feel he is the better forward.

Regardless of this Barcelona still have a squad capable of winning the league. Guardiola has kept his squad together and the likes of Henry, Xavi, Iniesta and of course wonderkid Messi should help Barca secure another title. Real will take time to gel their squad and so will need a season or two before they can become world beaters.

Prediction Barcelona 1st, Real Madrid 2nd

Atletico Madrid have done very well to hold onto Diego Forlan and Sergio Aguero and as such should take 3rd place. The other team to have done well to hold their squad together is Valencia, with Silva and Villa still there they should finish 4th.

Premier League Preview: Tottenham Hotspur-Wolves

Tottenham Hotspur

The proverbial underachievers, Tottenham have really found a great manager in Harry Redknapp. Redknapp has been hugely successful wherever he has gone and finally got his chance to manage at one of the biggest clubs in the country early last season. Taking Tottenham from the bottom of the table to 8th was an incredible achievement.

Tottenham however always want more, they believe they should be in the Champions League. Whilst many fans of other teams think that this is an unrealistic goal, it seems that Tottenham and their fans will not be happy until they achieve it. Having been in Europe a few times they feel ready to make the next step and as a result old Harry will have to conjour up some more magic this season.

Selling your top scorer is not always the best move for a club but not many Tottenham fans seem too bothered to have lost Darren Bent, the £14 recieved has helped fund a move for Harry’s old faithful Peter Crouch as well as a couple of young Sheffield United starlets Kyle Walker and Kyle Naughton for a combined £8 million.

Crouch will add an aerial threat but Spurs will have the same old problem of too many strikers, let’s hope that Jermaine Defoe, Roman Pavyluchenko and Robbie Keane do not mind sitting a few out. Without too many changes in the squad Spurs should be where they were last season.

Perhaps, Tottenham’s huge desire for success comes from other clubs like Everton and Aston Villa who have been unlikely contenders for Champions League places in the past couple of seasons. Perhaps, also their hunger is a result of fierce rivals Arsenal’s consistant top 4 finishes. Whatever it is Tottenham should not expect Champions League football and should be more than happy with a Europa Cup place which is a possiblilty.

Prediction 8th

West Ham

What a job Gianfranco Zola did last season. He took a dwindling club on the edge of disaster and turned them into a footballing wonder. Ok maybe that is a slight over statement but the little man from Italy has won over the Hammer’s fan’s hearts with their attractive football and good performances.

A 9th place finish was nothing short of brilliant after the sacking of Alan Curbishley, unease over resources and ownership had threatened to send the club down to the Championship. Zola stepped in and in only the way the little magician could he turned things around.

Davis Di Michele was signed and had an instant impact scoring twice on his debut, Zola even started to get the best out of serial underachiever Carlton Cole which has culminated in him being called up to the England squad.

Zola’s genius however can only go so far, with the only signing of the summer being Inter’s Luis Jiminez on loan, Hammer’s fans must be wondering if their team can progress this year. Jiminez is a class young act but cannot push the team forward on his own.

The loss of club captain Lucas Neill is huge and with no replacements coming in it is tough to see where West Ham will push on. If Cole reproduces last seasons form then the Hammers could repeat last seasons results.

Prediction  10th

Wigan Athletic

It all looked doom and gloom for the ‘Latics’ as they lost inspirational manager Steve Bruce. Bruce got them to an impressive 11th in the table and will forever be remembered for his time at the club. However, the up and coming young Roberto Martinez got the manager job and Wigan could be in for another decent season and most importantly they should stay well clear of relegation.

Many fans will be glad Martinez got the job as he did so well at Swansea but he is unproven at the level. Having never managed in the Premier League it is a gamble and one that does not always come off, as shown by the appauling performance of Paul Ince whilst managing Blackburn last season.

Martinez however has something about him, a certain sense of class and knowledge that fans love. The signings of Swansea goal machine Jason Scotland and Chelsea youth starlet Scott Sinclair could prove to be great aquistitions in the coming months.

The loss of Antonio Valencia and Henri Camara will be a test but Martinez has the tactical nouse to produce some surprisingly good results this season.

Prediction 11th

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Wolves stormed the Championship last year and after making a lot of signings and managing to keep all of their best players they will believe they can stay up. Kevin Doyle is a great signing for a club this size and is guaranteed to bag a few vital goals, combined with the great Championship talent that is Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, Wolves could score plenty of goals.

With no significant losses Wolves will look to get stuck in this season and maintain their Premier League status. A team who do so well in the Championship usually have an edge in the survival picture and Wolves should score enough goals to just about hang on in the Premier League.

Prediction 17th

Norwich City: The laughing stock of the football league!

Bryan Gunn was sacked as manager of Norwich City football club today. Just one league game into the season, the Norwich board have decided to disgracefully axe the club legend.With huge debts, practically a new team of players and no manager it is not a great time to be a Norwich City fan.

Where on earth has it all gone wrong for Norwich City? Fifteen years ago ‘the canaries’ were flying high in Europe, smashing Bayern Munich along the way and still the only British club to have beaten Bayern in Munich.

Today Norwich are languishing in the third tier of English football, their first game of this season was a humiliating 7-1 defeat at home to of all clubs Colchester. With the summer transfer window drawing to a close and virtually no transfer funds, even a new manager will not be able to improve or transform his squad.

How can you appoint a manager like Gunn who had no previous experience and then give him the job personally after getting the club relegated? And furthermore how can you appoint a manager and then sack him after one league game at the start of the season? It is crazy.

But Norwich fans will not be surprised, the club has been a shambles for years. Nothing makes sense about the way the board approaches running the club, there have been some horrific manager choices recently including serial failure Glen Roeder and unexperienced former player Peter Grant, all with disasterous consequences ultimately ending in relegation last season.

So to the sacking of Gunn. Once he had been given the job despite fans uproar and huge disagreement, you would expect the board to give him a chance. The 7-1 loss on Saturday was a sham but the fact is it was the first game of the season, there are bound to be a few rusty players and it is tough for a manager to know his best eleven on the first day given the amount of changes there were in the squad. Also, Gunn turned it around on Tuesday night by changing a few players, with Norwich acheiving a very respectable 4-0 away win at Yeovil. Over at the other side of the country Yeovil is certainly not an easy place to win at. Given City’s dreadful cup record it was a fantastic result for the club. So the manager has lost his job on the back of a 4-0 win, how ironic it is then that he was given the job after a 4-0 win earlier in the year.

Hardly surprising though given how poorly the club is run. The owner is a TV chef who is better known for her drunken half time ‘let’s be ‘avin ya’ rants than her boardroom knowledge. Perhaps it really is time for Delia Smith to go before she causes anymore damage, surely it could not get any worse. Yes, Delia has put a lot of money into the club but this does not justify some dreadful decisions and playing in the third tier of English football. Aside from Leeds United, Norwich City are the biggest club in League One and should on this merit run away with it this season. Not many fans believe that is likely to happen.

The only possible salvation would be a big takeover and a decent investment of cash but as always a lot of talk about such things has merely been rubbish in recent months. Another way the club may restore some dignity is if they appoint a great manager to take the reigns and shake up the club, but who in their right mind will want this job now. Anyone who is worthy of a good manager job would not take it and that just leaves Norwich City with the scraps and unsuccessful managers to choose from.

Possible candidates to take over are current caretaker Ian Butterworth, who will be blighted by being part of the Gunn regime, Mark Robins, a former player who has had some success in managing at this level, and the man most City fans would love to have in charge, Aidy Bothroyd. Bothroyd a former academy boss has the skill and the nous to lead a promotion charge but even if he gets the job he will not be able to bring in many players and is pretty much stuck with the current untested City squad.

This is all very worrying for Norwich City and rather than harbouring promotion ambitions, most fans have already given up hope, mid-table may be the best city can get this season, the board needs to rectify this situation quickly or they will have a City riot on their hands.

Premier League Preview: Manchester United-Sunderland

Manchester United

A strange off season for the ‘red devils’ has seen the world’s most expensive player leave the club. The big talking point of the summer for most United fans has been the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo, the footballing sensation leaving for an amazing £80 million. Losing Ronaldo can only be seen as a huge blow to the team, there were many times last season when Ronaldo single handedly won them games and looked the best player in the world. However, £80 million is a lot of money even to a massive club like Manchester United and given Alex Ferguson’s track record of signings the money will almost certainly be well spent. So there are definitely two sides to the argument on the sale of Ronaldo, some fans are gutted at losing perhaps the best player in the world, whilst others believe the money will help Fergie strengthen his squad to be better than it was even with Ronaldo.

The strange thing is Ferguson has had no intention of spending the money this summer. Earlier in July Ferguson announced he had made all the signings he wanted to and was happy with the squad he had. The only really notable signings being Antonio Valencia from Wigan for £16 million and the surprise signing of Michael Owen on a free transfer from Newcastle. Fans are unlikely to believe that either of these players can fill Ronaldo’s boots.

Michael Owen is a world class forward when fit, the problem is he is hardly ever fit. Ferguson has taken a gamble on him but should Owen get injured United’s squad begins to look a bit bare. With the loss of loanie Carlos Tevez, United’s forward line is weaker than it was. Berbatov has not justified his big money move yet and Rooney will need to score a lot more goals if United want to win the title for the 4th season running. Ronaldo’s goalscoring will be sorely missed and some players will have to step up and fulfill their potential to help United lift more trophies this season.

Always strong at the back, Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand will be hard to get past, there is no reason to expect any different.

The nucleus of the team has been kept but the holding core has been withdrawn, it is hard to see how this will not draw the other teams closer this year. This season may be one too many for United to win the title and without some more world class signings they may lose out.

Prediction 2nd

Portsmouth

What on earth has happened to this club? Last season talk was rife of massive foreign investment, rumours of an Arab takeover and even talk of Sven Goran Eriksson taking charge. Whilst this has failed to happen the club has hit a downward spiral, reporting massive debts and scrapping plans for stadium expansion, it is tough to see how the tide can turn.

The sale of Glen Johnson and Peter Crouch for a combined £26 million may seem acceptable but none of the funds have been invested in new players. With two star players gone it looks like this season will be a real struggle for Pompey. Fans are seething and with such a passionate following the club will be in for a rough ride should they not perform this season.

A shame perhaps because manager Paul Hart has done such a wonderful job since taking over, he has saved the club from almost certain relegation in the hands of Tony Adams. Portsmouth may just have enough in their ranks to survive this season but their future looks bleak and it probably will not be too long before they are relegated.

Prediction 16th

Stoke City

The heroes of last season return to fight again. Stoke were undoubtedly the overachievers of last year finishing a fantastic 12th having come up from the Championship the season before. Perhaps not the most beautiful football team to watch but they could not be criticized for their resilience and incredible home form. The Britannia Stadium was a fortress last year and if Stoke can repeat this then there is no chance of relegation.

Manager Tony Pulis was probably the manager of the season in the Premier League and although his tactics are not liked by many they get the results and at the end of the day that is all that matters.

Probably the least busy team in the transfer market this off-season, Stoke have only signed Sunderland’s Dean Whitehead for £3 million. The only sale being Seyi Olofinjana to Hull again for £3 million. This will not worry fans however as last years team has more than enough battling qualities in them to survive this league.

Stoke will look to capitalize from some poor sides down at the bottom this season, not just promoted teams but also the Hull’s and Portsmouth’s who really look set to struggle. Staying alive should be no problem for Stoke this year.

Prediction 13th

Sunderland

Sunderland fans should be buoyed by the signing of manager Steve Bruce. One of the best out their with mediocre teams on limited budgets Bruce could finally be the man to help Sunderland reach the heights their fans so desperately crave. With one of the best chairman in the game in Niall Quinn, there is no reason Sunderland cannot start to think about Europe in years to come.

Darren Bent is a great signing for Sunderland, a bit pricey at £16.5 million but he is a proven goalscorer anywhere he goes and guarantees you at least a few each season. Lorik Cana is again not cheap at £5.4 million but the former Marseille player could be a star of the future is he develops well.  Frazier Campbell has also been signed and fans will be hoping this former Manchester United youth starlet can fulfill his promise. Bruce does have the knack of picking out players of great potential, look at Antonio Valencia, Wilson Palacios and Amir Zaki all top class players who were found by Bruce.

Selling Michael Chopra, Dean Whitehead and Greg Halford will not set alarm bells ringing in the North East, Sunderland have done well to hang on to their main stars.

This is a big season fro Keiran Richardson, Manchester United’s academy product has always had the potential to be a quality player and certainly showed glimpses of that last season. If Bruce can get the best out of him then Sunderland will be a creative attacking force. Sunderland should also benefit from Bruce’s defensive knowledge making them a tough team to beat.

Relegation is not an issue that Sunderland will have to deal with but this is a building season and fans should be happy with a mid-table finish looking to push on next season.

Prediction 12th

Premier League Preview: Fulham-ManCity

Fulham

Roy Hodgson was one of the managers of the season last year. Getting Fulham into Europe is no easy task, en route Fulham beat Manchester United again no easy task. With a limited transfer budget it is tough to see Fulham matching their exploits of last season but with such a solid squad atmosphere and very proffesional players who knows?

Having signed Bjorn Helge Riise for 1.5 million and Stephen Kelly for an undisclosed fee and no key departures this summer it it is not easy to make a case for Fulham improving as a side. However, continuity would be more than enough for Hodgson this season.

Prediction 9th

Hull City

Wow, what a season Hull had last year. Their first season in the Premier League was less a roller coaster and more a large mountain. After a wonderful start, winning at Arsenal in the process there was even talk of European qualification for the ‘Tigers’, however, after a mauling by Manchester City and that infamous half time team talk on the pitch Hull fell dramatically perhaps a little fortunate to stay up on the last day of the season.

Having signed Steven Mouyokolo and more importantly Stoke’s Seyl Olofinjana, Hull will hope they have enough to survive again. The reality, though, is that if they do not significantly strengthen further they can only go one way…down. Manager Phil Brown has complained that players do not seem to want to sign for Hull and this could ultimately be their downfall.

They have kept the nucleaus of their squad but this does not seem enough to rectify the fact that during the last half of the season Hull were the worst team in the division.

Prediciton 19th

Liverpool

This is a massive season for Liverpool. If they fail to capitalise on last season and do not improve to take the league title then you have to wonder how long Torres and Gerrard will put up with it. The two stars seem to be carrying the team and with the loss of Xavi Alonso a huge blow, Alberto Aquilani will have to be one hell of a replacement to help improve the side.

The signing of Glen Johnson should provide a boost to the attacking elements of Liverpool, however, he is yet to convince defensively and at £17 million he could prove another costly mistake a la Craig Bellamy and Jermaine Pennant.

With apparent financial worries this may be the last year Liverpool can hold their players together and you have to think that if the season does not go to plan players will leave in the summer. Also Benitez may buckle under the pressure and decide to move on should a top job in Spain beckon.

Keeping Gerrard and Torres fit will be the key, if they do this they could make a real title challenge, if not they will most likely be well off the pace.

Prediction 3rd

Manchester City

A year on from the Dubai big money take over, it is still a shock to many to see Mark Hughes as manager. Hardly known for his elegant teams Hughes has somehow kept his job despite a disappointing first season in charge. He will have to deliver the goods this season to keep his job and if he fails to do this transfer budgets cannot be the excuse.

The talk of the off-season (bar Real Madrid), Manchester City have spent big and have got everyone talking. Not least by their signing of former Manchester United player Carlos Tevez, it is strange to see City have the financial advantage over their fierce rivals but they fought off apparent interest from Chelsea and Liverpool also to secure Tevez’s signature.

Arsenal also seem to have given in to City selling two of their best players in Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Adebayor. City will now feel they have a chance of taking the ‘Gunners’ expected last Champions League place.

Another coup is the signing of Gareth Barry who last season said he would only leave Aston Villa for Champions League football, however, it turns out that money is more of a factor and after rejecting Liverpool last year. £12 million could look a bargain come the end of the season.

The most expected transfer of the summer also happened as Roque Santa Cruz’s sulking finally won through and Blackburn let him go for a cool £18 million.

With so many forwards it is hard to see where they will all fit in. Tevez and Adebayor are unlikely to accept anything other than starting roles and Robinho and Santa Cruz won’t be expecting to miss out either.

Reinforcements at the back are still needed and should City sign Lescott then they could possibly challenge for Europe. However, missing out on John Terry, Samuel Eto’o and Kaka could prove their undoing as most of their signings will not be majorly feared by the top clubs. Adebayor, Toure and Santa Cruz had poor seasons last year and Tevez was mainly a substitute at United.

Prediction: 6th

Premier League Preview: Bolton-Everton

Bolton Wanderers

This season will probably turn out to be another also-ran season for Bolton, which is not a bad thing. Gary Megson has done a brilliant job of continuing the club’s Premier League status after the loss of Sam Allardyce.

Having picked up the likes of Zat Knight, Paul Robinson and Sean Davis, ‘the Wanderers’ have signed experienced Premier League players who will play good solid football but are unlikely to inspire the fans. Bolton will be expecting another season of grinding out enough results to stay up, with no real notable losses to the first team squad it should be pretty much as you were.

Prediction 15th

Burnley

Having come up from the Championship last year Burnley have bought in a lot of players, although no real stand out stars. The play-off winners look set to struggle in the Premier League and without spending more money it is hard to put up a real case for them surviving.

It seems Burnley have no intention of spending big and will try to punch their way through matches much like Stoke did so successfully last season. Burnley have kept almost all of their squad from the Championship and will hope that everyone can perform to their best.

The likes of Robbie Blake and Chris Eagles will have to step it up to the big time and play their hearts out to give Burnley any chance this year, although even that may not be enough.

Prediction: 20th

Chelsea

With a new world renowned manager in Carlo Ancelotti, Chelsea have looked a refreshed force in the pre-season. No more so than evidenced by their Community Shield winning performance against Manchester United.

There have not been many changes to the team, the additions of Yuri Zhirkov and Daniel Sturridge may prove to be good signings but they are hardly the massive names that have been constantly linked with the club over the summer. Ancelotti himself has said he does not want to make anymore signings and whether you believe this or not it seems that Chelsea will have the familiar line up of last season.

The lack of creative flare that has stumped Chelsea over the past few seasons has not been resolved and if Chelsea want to win the league title they will have to use all their strength and power to overcome their rivals. A good creative midfielder would seem a must but perhaps Abramovic is still having nightmares about the signing of Deco to even consider signing another.

The reccession may have stopped Chelsea’s spending but there is still a feeling of optimism around Stamford Bridge, the sale of Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo has given all the big clubs a sense of opportunity this season. Ancelloti is a wise head and if given the freedom to manage properly he could become one of the greatest in the club’s history.

If the likes of Drogba, Ballack and Essien stay healthy Chelsea could again be the force they were a few years back. Lampard and Terry should provide the leadership in an aging squad. Should Chelsea not win the league this year then there will be many people calling for wholesale changes and the need for a better youth development system.

Prediction: 1st

Everton

No matter how well David Moyes does he never seems to get gifted with decent transfer funds to spend. After another 5th place finish Everton fans must be wondering if they can ever go any higher without serious investment. Moyes immediate concerns must be that his side will drop down the table this season as free spending Manchester City look set to charge towards the Champions League places.

Without any major changes to the squad thus far Everton will be heavily relying on top scorers Marouane Fellaini and Tim Cahill. Keeping these two fit will be the key. Everton must also hope that someone elses shines through this season and has a breakout year.

Although lacking in top quality fire power, Jo and Yakubu are quality forwards who could have good seasons, if they work well together up front Everton should be ok.

Everton are always a solid team. Moyes has built a side that is so tough to break down, rarely do they get thrashed even against the big boys. This season should be no exception and should they hold onto star defender Joleon Lescott and Mikel Arteta it looks as though a repeat of last season is very much possible.

Prediction 5th

Premier League Preview: Arsenal-Blackburn

Arsenal

Arsenal football club have been one of Europe’s best for some time now. This is greatly thanks to Arsene Wenger who has really established his policy of bringing through the world’s best youth talent. Wenger also has the great managerial gift of being able to get the best out of under-performing players, remember Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira were nothing more than averagely good players at their previous clubs.

However, a worrying trend is beginning to emerge. Arsenal are starting to sell off their best players leading many to believe they are becoming a selling club. This all started with the sale of Henry and Vieira, admittedly when they were believed to be declining players. More worrying though is the recent sale of Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Adebayor, again two players who have prospered greatly under Wenger, to their main rivals for the fourth Champions League place Manchester City. There is a feeling aroung the Emirates that this may come back to haunt them in later weeks.

Arsenal have not really strengthened in the off season, the £10 million signing of relative unknown Thomas Vermaelen is hardly likely to have inspired the fans but Wenger has been known to do well in the transfer market so only time will tell.

Two major pluses, however, are the return of Tomas Rosicky and the first full season for Andrei Arshavin. Both of these players are world class and whilst they are injury prone if they can be kept fit Arsenal could challenge for honours this season. After holding onto Cesc Fabregas, Arsenal with their great youth system are still well placed to make a challenge. Defensively, though, they are still weaker than the rest of the top four and this could ultimately prove to be their downfall. Arsene really needs a solid centre-back in before the end of September.

Prediction: 4th

Aston Villa

Martin O’Neill will always play down Villa’s chances. He seems content to settle for European qualification, which given Villa’s budget is still an achievement. However, a part of every Villa fan would love to see them playing Champions League football and for a while last season it looked as if they would. If not for a major downturn in results after Christmas O’Neill’s men could have been playing Europe’s finest.

It certainly looks tougher for Villa this year, with Manchester City spending millions to try and claim that elusive Champions League place you have to wonder where Villa will fit into the mix.

A thin squad at the best of times it is probably a little disappointing to the fans to see more more exits this summer than arrivals. The loss of Martin Laursen is huge, Gareth Barry likewise and Zat Knight not pleasing.

Stewart Downing and Fabian Delph will have huge holes to fill but could prove good signings in time. However, their youth factor has to cast a shadow of doubt over whether they can be stand out performers this season.

Another team that really needs some central defensive cover before the end of September, which is not easy to come by in the modern day over-inflated market.

Villa will still probably be one of the best of the also rans.

Prediction: 7th

Birmingham City

Newly promoted Birmingham have made a habit of flip-flopping between the Championship and the Premier League. Whilst this season looks like it will be a struggle Birmingham have spent a bit of cash and will hope that they have invested enough to stay up. After watching the heroics of Hull and Stoke last season they know that anything is possible.

With many players coming in Birmingham seem to be going from strength to strength, although one of the key factors of their season will be how expensive £9.2 million striker Christian Benitez performs on unknown European soil. Relative unknowns Roger Johnson and Scott Dann will have to step up a gear to play in the Premier League but Barry Ferguson could be a wise acquisition at only £1.25 million. Lee Bowyer on a free is worth a gamble and the experienced midfielder could help his new side side to survival. That said it looks like a tough season ahead which may well end in failure.

Prediction: 18th

Blackburn

Blessed with one of the best low-budget mangers in the league in Sam Allardyce, Blackburn escaped almost certain relegation. When Allardyce took over Blackburn last season they were in dire straits but the ‘grinder’ big Sam got the team playing again and they survived comfortably in the end.

There is no real reason to expect anything else this season. The loss of Roque Santa Cruz is a huge blow but many Blackburn fans would argue that he was not really playing for the team last season anyway. The want-away striker making it clear he did not want to stay. Somewhat more surprising is the sale of Matt Derbyshire, the young talented English forward had impressed in his limited appearances for the first team often popping up with vital goals.

A few usual low-key signings will probably turn out to be good enough. It will be interesting to see how highly rated Gael Givet and Nikola Kalinic perform in the Premier League. Though it is hard to see anything other than relatively easy safety for Blackburn this season.

Prediction: 14th