Premier League Preview 2009/10 - Part 2
10/08/09 01:34 Filed in: Football
LIVERPOOLConventional wisdom
“The long wait for the title goes on. Another season without silverware for Rafa.” - Fanhouse
Low-Life opinion
The loss of Alonso is a huge blow both to fans of footballers with neatly trimmed beards and to Liverpool’s hopes of finally knocking Man United off their f**king perch. Last season Alonso was the bridge between the back four and their more attack minded midfielders and Rafa Benitez will have to decide whether he wants new signing Alberto Aquilani to slot into this role or whether he’ll will have to tinker with his tactics to accomodate the new arrival. Tinkering take time and in the past few seasons teams in the Big Four which have started slowly have found it difficult to catch up with their title rivals
Last season Liverpools bid for the title faltered last season due to their inability to break down opposition who came to Anfield to ‘park the bus’. Benitez has built a team built on persperation rather than inspiration and when Gerrard or Torres aren’t available to work their magic it’s difficult for them to unpick the league more resolute defences. The loss of Alonso will make that even more difficult and because of this we believe that Liverpool will once again fall short in the league, finishing second to Manchester United.
Player you need in your Fantasy League team
Fernando Torres - but you knew that already don’t you?
MANCHESTER CITYHigh-brow opinions from Bitter and Blue
Are you pleased with Man City's transfer activity over the summer?
Yes, all the players who have arrived strengthen the squad, and those that have departed would not realistically threaten the strongest XI.
Are there any youngsters who you think will make a big impact for Man City this year?
The ex-Academy players Micah Richards, Nedum Onouha and Stephen Ireland will continue to feature, whilst Michael Johnson will return after 08/09 was ruined by injury. Breakthrough player could well be winger Vladimir Weiss. He made his debut at the end of last season and has seen some playing time pre-season.
What's the minimum Man City have to achieve this season in order for it to be considered a success?
Top six. European qualification is a must to continue progressing and developing but I think top 4 is still unrealistic unless one of the incumbents (hello Arsenal) implodes. We should be the 'best of the rest' though.
Will Man City win the Premiership in the next five years?
You have to say it will be difficult. It would take a seismic shift away from the current order who hold the power at present. Why not though? We have an opportunity we could only have dreamed of and the owners appear to have a dose of realism about them in that it won't be an overnight success. A trophy and top four is clearly the first aim though.
Name one player you'd like Man City to sign before the transfer window closes.
As a realistic signing, Joleon Lescott as we are still one defender shy of a sound looking squad. Fantasy signing? David Villa would bring the 'pure' goalscorer we still lack.
Where will Man City finish in the league?
Fifth. Realistically we are a little off the overall quality of the top four.
MANCHESTER UNITEDHigh-brow opinions from Truly Reds
Are you pleased with Man United's transfer activity over the summer?
Not really. We could do better considering the 60 million transfer budget.
Are there any youngsters who you think will make a big impact for Man United this year?
Federico Macheda , Rafael Da Silva and Danny Welbeck.
What's the minimum Man United have to achieve this season in order for it to be considered a success?
Keeping the Premiership trophy at Old Trafford and winning the FA Cup.
What kind of reception will Carlos Tevez get on his return to Old Trafford?
After what we saw from him, I am sure no one will welcome him!
Name one player you'd like Man United to sign before the transfer window closes.
After the pre seasons injuries of some defenders, I would like to see a world class right back like Maicon.
Will Man City finish in the top four?
I don’t think so!
Where will Man United finish in the league?
If we have no injuries, we will finish as a champions!
PORTSMOUTHConventional wisdom
“Portsmouth is a club that lost several key players and will be one of that will be fighting till the last week” - The 90th Minute
Low-Life opinion
It’s not been a pleasant twelve months for Pompey fans as their 2008 FA Cup winning team has been dismantled in order to get money in the bank and high wage earners out of the door. While the clubs owners they have managed to get decent money in for the players they’ve sold, it’s difficult to see how the Portsmouth will be able to put out a eleven players each week of sufficient quality to keep them in the Premier League. When your big summer signing is Steve Finnan on a free you know you’re in trouble. It’s going to be a long hard season at Fratton Park and we predict that unless the clubs new owners are prepared to invest heavily in January this will be Pompey’s last season in the top flight.
Player you need in your Fantasy League team
Niko Kranjcar, the creative Croat could be a Fantasy League bargain if he can stay fit.
STOKE CITYConventional wisdom
“Stoke will struggle. They probably won't finish within five points of Manchester City this season.” - Football365
Low-Life opinion
Many pundits think that Stoke will get “found out” this year. They believe that Premiership teams will no longer underestimate them and will be aware of the threat of Rory Delap and his mighty throws. However, anyone who watched Match of The Day any time last year would have been aware of the threat Tony Pulis’s team pose from set pieces. Figuring out how to stop them is another matter entirely.
Ultimately Stoke survived due to the business done by Pulis in the January transfer window, the goals scored by Kevin Beattie ensured that the club were never in serious danger of being drawn into a relegation fight and they end up finishing impressively in 12th place . Stoke have managed to keep their squad together over the summer and as long as they don’t get complacent we think the Potters will hang around in the Premiership for a few more years yet.
Player you need in your Fantasy League team
Abdoulaye Faye - plays every game and will pick up a few Man Of The Match performances along the way.
SUNDERLANDHigh-brow opinions from salut! sunderland
Are you pleased with Sunderland's transfer activity over the summer?
Yes. I think Steve Bruce has done well in overcoming the won't-play-in-the-north-east arrogance of so many players, or is it their Wags? Did Peter Crouch consider in his wildest dreams coming to Sunderland, or was he just using us to spur (pun intended) another club into action? As I write, Darren Bent is reportedly about to sign and that is a mightily welcome addition to those already acquired (da Silva, Campbell and Cana - respectively an international skipper, a bright Man Utd prospect and the captain of OM, who went so close to winning Ligue 1. We're showing real ambition.
Are there any youngsters who you think will make a big impact for Sunderland this year?
I'd love to see the likes of Martyn Waghorn, Jack Colback and Jordan Henderson come through and show themselves to be Premier standard after all they've done in the youth scheme.
What's the minimum Sunderland have to achieve this season in order for it to be considered a success?
It seems an age since Peter Reid had two successive seventh top finishes. It wasn't a better team in every department and the positions have mahe flattered to deceive, but it did have the formidable Quinn-Phillips strike pairing. Ellis Short, our owner, has top 10 as his target. That may sound over-ambitious after the disappointments of our first two seasons back in the Premier, but last season was so tight in the division that we would have got there with just a few more wins. OK. five more wins! I'd be happy with 10th
Were you pleased when Steve Bruce was appointed as manager?
I had hoped for an exciting appointment from overseas, but was 80 per cent convinced Bruce was a good choice. The reservations may have had irrational tribal origins. Everything so far suggests I should be allowing that percentage to rise, not fall. I think we will progress under his management.
Name one player you'd like Sunderland to sign before the transfer window closes.
I would love to see Marouane Chamakh come from Bordeaux if only to annoy Laurent Blanc, who - as I have reported has been making idiotic noises in the French press about Sunderland not being a big enough club for him. What exactly are Bordeaux? Deserved champions, but in France. Unlike our Quinn-Phillips side back in Reid's days, they'd have struggled to finish seventh in England.
Will Man City finish in the top four?
I don't have anything against Man City. In fact I quite like them and would be happy to see them break into the top four, especially if it were at Chelsea's expense. However much we - and I include myself - rattle on about proper clubs, proper football, every fan is pleased when his or her club attracts rich investors. Not sure if it means I have an interest to declare but I have already said as much in the Abu Dhabi paper for which I write. But I'll stick my neck out and say they won't make it this season.
Where will Sunderland finish in the league?
Let's stick to the above and say 10th, while hoping for sixth.
TOTTENHAM HOTSPURHigh-brow opinions from Spurs For Life
Are you pleased with Spurs's transfer activity over the summer?
So far so good with the addition of Peter Crouch and the two lads from Sheffield United. I would still like to see a new central defender signed.
Are there any youngsters who you think will make a big impact for Spurs this year?
Not really, only possibilities at present are Danny Rose, John Bostock and Jake Livermore. The latter scored against Barcelona in pre-season
What's the minimum Spurs have to achieve this season in order for it to be considered a success?
A place in Europe.
Do you think Spurs would be a better side now if they'd stuck with Martin Jol as manager?
No. Jol lost the plot towards the end of his spell in charge.
Name one player you'd like Spurs to sign before the transfer window closes.
Ashley Young. With him and Aaron Lennon on the wings, it would frighten opposition defences.
Will Man City finish in the top four?
No, too many new signings. It will take them time to gel.
Where will Spurs finish in the league?
Around 6th.
WEST HAM UNITEDConventional wisdom
“In order to head further up the table the Hammers will have to learn resolve when they are unable to dominate games or if they fall behind in a game. If they manage that and the squad stays injury-free, a top-half finish is the absolute least to expect.” - A DIfferent League
Low-Life opinion
Given everything which happened in the background at the Boleyn Ground last season it was little short of miraculous that Zola and Clark managed to steer the Hammers to a 9th place finish in the league.
During the summer West Ham have been quiet on the transfer front and their biggest signing has been bringing Chilean international Luis Antonio Jiménez in from Inter Milan on loan. However, the lack of new faces may not be a problem for the management team at West Ham as last season they proved that they’re able to make the most of the resources available to them. They helped Scott Parker to his best season since leaving Charlton and performed an incredible feat of alchemy by turning Carlton Cole into an international striker.
Due to their lack of financial clout it’s unlikely that West Ham will have the resources to challenge for European spot this year but they should comfortably finish in midtable.
Disclaimer - As West Ham are a club which is utterly incapable of having a dull, straightforward season, as soon as this article is posted they’re bound to be taken over by a rich owner/threatend with insolvency/charged with grand larceny etc...etc..etc.. so please ignore the above prediction
Player you need in your Fantasy League team
Carlton Cole - he just might be that good again this season.
WIGAN ATHLETICConventional wisdom
Mid-table finish not out of the question. But more likely a repeat of 2006-07 when the club avoided relegation on goal difference. - Fanhouse
Low-Life opinion
So is Roberto Martinez is the new David Moyes or the new Paul Ince? The step up from the Football League to the top flight is a big one, especially as Martinez didn’t experience at life in the top flight of English football during his playing career. It remains to be seen whether will be given the time he needs to mould the team into the same sort of sleek passing machine he assembled at Swansea.
We’re a naive bunch here at LLO and believe that Dave Whelan will give the new manager time to adapt to the Premier League and his faith will ultimately pay off. After a shaky start the Latics will finish in 13th place and Martinez’s stock will rise even higher.
Player you need in your Fantasy League team
Jordi Gomez - a product of the Barcelona youth team who scores goals ahoy from midfield.
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERSHigh-brow opinions from Wolves Blog
Are you pleased with Wolves's transfer activity over the summer?
I think Wolves have done some good business, but whether it's enough to keep us up, I'm not sure. The arrivals of Nenad Milijas and Kevin Doyle show we mean business and can attract players that other established Premiership clubs have shown interest in. Some of the other signings such as Surman, Halford and Zubar have been greeted with mixed opinions. As I write this we're still hoping for at least one or two experienced premiership players to complement our young squad and we're definitely short a quality centre-half. I think it's a 7/10 so far.
Are there any youngsters who you think will make a big impact for Wolves this year?
Well, most of our squad are youngsters. In terms of players coming through our own academy, I can't see too many getting games. We've got some promising kids though and the names Scott Malone and Zeli Ismail might become much more familiar over the next couple of years.
What's the minimum Wolves have to achieve this season in order for it to be considered a success?
17th place, simple as that. If Wolves stay up, then this season has to be considered a success. We'd like to do as well as Stoke did last season and finish closer to midtable but in reality, we know we're in for a long, hard scrap to survive.
Who will be the key players whose form will dictate where Wolves finish next season?
Well, first off there's Sylvan Ebanks-Blake. Goals win games and we're pinning our hopes on our number 9 to bang a few in. I'm certain that if he gets the service he'll get goals and an England cap isn't beyond the realms of possbility.
Then there's Michael Kightly. For me, the only question mark over this guy is his fitness. If he can get up to full speed and remain injury-free, his quality is there for all to see. He creates, he scores and he works incredibly hard for the team. Without doubt, when he's at full tilt, he's our star performer.
We also need our young goalkeeper to have a big season. Wayne Hennessy hasn't convinced all Wolves fans just yet, but he's a fantastic shot-stopper. The only problem is that he doesn't command his area and with such a big question mark over our defence, we really need him to take charge.
Name one player you'd like Wolves to sign before the transfer window closes.
As I've stated, we need a strong centre-half. Names we've been linked with are Michael Mancienne at Chelsea and Richard Dunne at Man City. I'll go for Dunne from City. His experience and leadership would make him a massive coup for Wolves.
Will Man City finish in the top four?
For me, it depends on Arsenal. I think City will have a good season but I still feel Liverpool, United and Chelsea will be too strong and consistent. Arsenal have lost key players and Wenger needs to bring in one or two to ensure they're competitive with the other big boys. I'll go for City to finish 5th.
Where will Wolves finish in the league?
I don't think finishing 15th is beyond us, which would mean we effectively win the mini-league at the bottom of the table. It would be very easy to be cautious and say 17th (I can't possibly predict we'll go down) but I'll put my neck on the line and say 15th.