The post-Bale Tottenham era

How do you replace someone who's had such an impact on a franchise as Bale?

Christian Bale hung up his Batman cape in 2012 after the completion of the record breaking Dark Knight trilogy. Last week, Ben Affleck was confirmed as his successor in the role for the 2015 Batman/Superman crossover movie. Not a very popular decision amongst the fans it must be said.

Bale will be a tough act to follow

The task of replacing another popular Bale has fallen to Andre Villas-Boas and Tottenham Hotspur. Their Bale, Gareth, is the reigning, PFA Player of the Year and is considered by many to be the best footballer in England right now and ranked among the top three in the world by some.

The term 'One Man Team' is banded about a lot but it has rarely been as applicable as it was to Tottenham last season. Bale scored 26 times and provided 10 assists. Spurs won only one game in which Bale failed to score from the turn of the year onwards. Without his goals, Spurs would have finished 9th instead of 5th. No other player, not even Van Persie at United or Suarez at Liverpool was so heavily leaned-upon by his team-mates in the 2012/13 season.

Manchester United relied a lot on Cristiano Ronaldo (a player Bale has been spoken of in the same breath for some reason) between 2007 and 2009. Ronaldo was the Premier League's top scorer in 07/08 and missed out by one goal the following year. United won the league both years and reached both Champions League finals, winning one. There was also a League Cup and World Club Championship in there, not to mention two PFA Player of the Year awards and the 2008 Ballon D'Or.

Ronaldo left for Madrid for £80m in 2009 and was replaced with Antonio Valencia for £16m from Wigan. An effective player who has performed admirably since but fans would have no-doubt have preferred this war-chest to be used to litter the team with star names. As I recall United were linked with the likes of Frank Ribery that summer. Investing in stars like this may have served the club better as they missed out on the title the following season to a Drogba-inspired Chelsea.

No such issues at Spurs. AVB has already invested heavily in rebuilding for the post-Bale era despite the  massive deal to Madrid not having been finalised yet (August 29th). The imminent signing of Erik Lamela from Roma will break the club's transfer record for the 3rd time in as many months. Christian Eriksen from Ajax and Vlad Chriches from Steau Bucharest are expected to arrive in the coming days, joining Etienne Capoue, Roberto Soldado, Paulinho and Nacer Chadli taking the total outlay for the summer above the £100m mark.

I'm excited in particular about Lamela. Personally I think I've only seen him play once last year but having read quite a lot about him over the past couple of days he seems extremely promising with several Italian football experts saying he could be better than Bale. Statistically he was the most successful dribbler in Europe last season, completing almost twice as many dribbles as Bale himself, who ranked  top in the Premier League at with 59.

He's got the celebration right for a start

Soldado should give spurs what they've been crying out for for years now, a centre forward who leads the line and can rack up 30 goals a season across all competitions. Paulinho impressed at the Confederations Cup although he is unproven in Europe. Capoue impressed me against Swansea, playing the holding role in midfield. He should do a job similar to the one Scott Parker did under Harry Redknapp. Win the ball and give it to Dembele or Paulinho and let them worry about setting up attacks.

So, with these new signings all in place, can we consider Spurs to be genuine title contenders? No. Not in my opinion. But they are closer than ever before.

Spurs will most likely line up with the popular 4-5-1/4-3-3 formation depending on your view of things. Andros Townsend who has started the season brightly will rival Aaron Lennon for the right wing spot. The defence is harder to predict. No one knows if Villas-Boas will prefer Chiriches to Dawson at centre back or bring another new signing out of nowhere. It wouldn't surprise me if he did.

Central midfield I feel is where Spurs are strongest. I always look at the Liverpool central midfield trio of 2008/09 as the blueprint for any effective three-man central midfield. This trio of Mascherano, Alonso and Gerrard had everything.

• The workhorse. The Makelele role. A player with virtually zero attacking duties. Just win the ball, give it to someone more creative and sit in front of the defence. Mascherano did this brilliantly for Liverpool. Capoue should do this for Spurs.
• The playmaker. The player who just oozes class and creativity. He doesn't get into the box too often, preferring instead to dictate the flow of play from further back. Xabi Alonso, Andrea Pirlo and Luka Modric are the best examples of this type of player. Tottenham don't exactly stick to the blueprint here and Dembele and Paulinho's role's may overlap. I'd imagine Paulinho will be the one who gets forward more often however so I'll set Dembele as the playmaker.
• The attacking midfielder. Making late runs into the box to get on the end of crosses, and contributing a sack load of goals in the process. Gerrard was brilliant at this in 2009. Paulinho will be Spurs's attacking midfielder. I don't think he's perfect for the role just yet but can certainly adapt his game as the season goes on. He's certainly talented enough and his an eye for goal.

Clearly the Spurs trio of Capoue, Dembele and Paulinho don't match up perfectly but they will be an effective unit in their own right.

With Lamela and Townsend on the flanks supporting Soldado and a settled back four of Walker, Vertonghen, Dawnson (or Chiriches) and Assou-Ekotto, I reckon this is Spurs strongest first eleven this season. Add to this the likes of Sigurdsonn, Lennon, Eriksen, Lewis Holtby, Nacer Chadli, Defoe and the mercurial Emmanuel Adebayor, Spurs have plenty of attacking strength in depth.

The big question remains over the defence. A title winning defence needs leaders. United have Vidic and Ferdinand, City have Kompany. Chelsea have Terry. I don't think Vertonghen or Dawson or anyone really fits this role yet. Spurs will need them to grow into it if this team hopes to mount a challenge for serious honours in the future

The new look Spurs first eleven

Spurs probably won't trouble the top three this year. United, Chelsea and City all have stronger squads. They do now however look better on paper than their North-London rivals whom they will no doubt be close to in the league table. Securing Champions League football is vital for Spurs this year. The lure of the Europe's elite competition should see them able to attract even bigger names next summer as the club continues to grow under AVB's stewardship. Despite losing their star man, I think Spurs are in a much healthier position as a team than 12 months ago. The future is bright.

Survival of the Fittest: How a lack of evolution has confined Arsenal to the shadows

It is ten days until the 2013 Summer Transfer Window shuts and so far Arsenal’s transfer arrivals, typically, amount to a little known 20 year old French striker. This despite big promises at the beginning of the summer that the club could spend what it liked to ensure the big names could be lured to the Emirates. On the face of it, it’s easy to see why many Arsenal fans are now calling louder than ever for Wenger’s head.

Time is running out for Wenger

So far this summer Wenger has seen both Gonzalo Higuain and Luis Gustavo slip right through his fingers. It cannot be stressed enough how much these two types of players in particular, an enforcing centre midfielder in Gustavo and an pure goal fiend like Higuain would improve the current Arsenal side. I’ve no idea why Gustavo chose Wolfsburg over Arsenal but apparently the Higuain move broke down due to Arsenal’s unwillingness to meet Madrid’s asking price for the player – roughly £30m (what he ended up going to Napoli for). This would of course smash Arsenal’s current transfer record which, surprisingly in this day and age, still stands at the £15m paid for Arshavin in January 2009 – lower than Leeds, Everton and Aston Villa’s respective club records.

The sheer stubbornness shown by Wenger in his refusal to pay the going rate for a world class striker is one of the reasons the club has stagnated in recent years and even the fans, who were once so loyal to their messiah, are now turning on him.

I began watching football around 1997 and at this time Arsenal were just coming into power so to speak. They wrestled the league title from United’s grasp in 1998 as part of an historic double and could easily have repeated the feat 12 months later but, famously, the footballing gods were smiling on United in 1999. Then followed a lull where United ran away with the title a couple of times before Arsenal blitzed them in 2002 and claimed another double. They would have repeated the feat in 2003 but for an inspired Ruud van Nistelrooy. In 2004 they managed to go to whole season unbeaten as Wenger claimed a 3^rd Premier League crown in six seasons. Since then there has been one lucky FA Cup win in 2005 and eight barren seasons.

Feeling Invincible in May 2004

Can you imagine telling the Arsenal fans seeing their team celebrate complete an unbeaten season in May 2004 that nine seasons later their players would be dancing with jubilation on the pitch at the end of the season, delighted to have secured 4^th place? Unthinkable.

Where has it all gone wrong so? How have Arsenal gone from being the dominant force in English football to Premier League also-rans content whose aim is just to be at the top table but not to eat from it. I’m a fan of Wenger personally but unfortunately he has to take the blame. His unwillingness to evolve at the same pace the game is evolving means Arsenal are now years behind the likes of United and City. The transfer market is where the Manchester clubs have really left them floundering, even plundering them for their best players year on year. Nasri and van Persie both left North London under a cloud, feeling their best chance of winning silverware lay in Manchester. Both were proved right in the form of League title medals within 9 months.

The last eight years haven’t been all doom and gloom for Arsenal. There was a real sense of optimism around the club around 2007 when the famous group of youngsters reached the final of the Carling Cup, disposing of the Liverpool and Spurs first teams and giving Chelsea a good fight in the process. Looking in particular at the 6-3 demolition of Liverpool at Anfield in January that heralded the coming of a new young squad:

Ø  Of the sixteen man squad that night only three remain at the club. Johan Djorou, Theo Walcott and Abou Diaby.

Ø  These three, along with Denilson and the already well-established Kolo Toure are the only players to have regularly nailed down a first team place at the club.

Ø  Only one, Cesc Fabregas, has gone on to be truly world class. Not even the most biased fans can claim Theo Walcott has. Not yet anyway.

Ø  Only Kolo Toure, a member of the Invincibles of 2004 has an Arsenal honour to his name.

Bear in mind this is a group of youngsters that many people were talking about as if they were going to dominate English football for years to come. The fact that only a third of them made it as far as the Arsenal first team doesn’t exactly provide a glowing endorsement of Wenger’s philosophy in recent seasons.

To be fair to him, his policy has born some fruit in the form of Robin van Persie. Had the Dutchman not spent around 70% of the time injured between 2005 and 2011 who knows what both he and Arsenal could have achieved in that time. Buying him for under £3m pounds and transforming him into a Golden Boot winner and one of the world’s leading strikers deserves at least some recognition. Particularly when you consider around the same time, Chelsea were buying Adrain Mutu for £18m.

Robin's decision to leave is justified

In 2011, Arsenal fans had to endure one of the most frustrating summer’s in recent memory. Cesc Fabregas finally got his dream move to Barcelona. Samir Nasri announced he wasn’t renewing his contract and got a move to Man City. Gael Clichy did likewise, joining former team-mates Adebayor and Toure at Eastlands, both of whom had made the big switch two years earlier. To add to the worry of the fans, Wenger did basically no transfer business until the final week of the window. Even then his signings amounted to Mikel Arteta and Per Mertesacker. Neither cost more than £10m and, with all due respect to both, were definitely a class below some of the  big names they had been linked with that summer.

Arsenal lost four of their opening seven games in the 2011/12 season. Thankfully for them, Robin van Persie found his best form sometime after that and fired them to a rather impressive 3^rd place finish given the circumstances. Then he too decided his best chance of winning silverware was not at Arsenal and defected to United. Another Golden Boot followed, this time accompanied by the league championship he really wanted.

Back to the present day and it’s the same old problems for Arsenal. Wenger won’t invest in established stars. Karim Benzema is being heavily linked with Arsenal again as he was in 2011. Arsenal fans know that the chances of him turning up at the Emirates before September 2^nd are pretty much zero. Real Madrid’s asking price is £40m. Personally, I think Wenger would rather see his team relegated than compromise his ideals and nearly treble the club record transfer in one go for a player they really need. That is how stubborn the man is.

Another example of Wenger’s stubbornness: Arsenal bid for Yohan Cabaye this week. A surprisingly low £10m. Well below the asking price and because of this he may well go to PSG for around £15 - 18m. A fair enough price for a very talented midfielder. I seem to recall a similar case in 2012 when Gary Cahill was available. Wenger refused to up his bid of £5m and a few days later Cahill signed for Chelsea for a hardly excessive £7m. Four months later he was starting and playing brilliantly in a Champions League final.

Arsenal are a huge club, 2^nd or 3^rd biggest in England. They have guaranteed Champions League football this year, something Liverpool and Tottenham have not. In theory they should be able to attract the big names to come and play there. I’m sure Benzema and Angel Di Maria among others would much rather be among the main men at a title-contending Arsenal than warming the ever more luxurious bench at the Bernabeau.  

A question that sums up Wenger’s transfer ideals: Who would Arsenal fans rather sign: Benzema or Thomas Ince from Blackpool? And which of the two are they more likely to get?

To sum up, football is changing and Arsenal FC are not changing with it. In nature, the animals that can adapt best to the changing environment are the ones who survive. This is where Sir Alex excelled at United and why he was so successful for so long. Wenger has been given a lot of time to adapt, justifiably in respect of what he has achieved at the club. But unless he is willing to accept the obvious fact that his philosophy isn’t working, I’m afraid it’s time for him to leave. Arsenal need a manager to lead them into the modern day and he just isn’t that man.

PL Power Rankings Week 1

20. Newcastle (L)

A shocking start to the season for the Magpies at the Etihad on Monday night. While they can’t really expect to get anything points-wise from a trip to City, there was very little Pardew could take from this mauling. In all honesty they were lucky it stayed at only 4-0. Injury to Gutierez and a suspension coming up for Taylor will only add to his woes. Then there’s the Cabaye saga that has obviously unsettled the player. He will want a move if Arsenal persist. Install Pardew as the favourite to be sacked first this season if he’s not already.

19. Cardiff (L)

None of the newly promoted teams had easy games but Cardiffs was certainly the least difficult of the three. Yet they didn’t even look like getting something from their visit to West Ham. A lot of the team has PL experience already so naivety isn’t the issue. Improvement is needed.

18. Crystal Palace (L)

Their squad is not a Premier League quality squad and by the looks of things they will be heading straight back down to the Championship come May without major investment. Holloway worked well with a weak Blackpool squad in 2010/11 however and very nearly kept them up (took them to the last day and only defeat at Old Trafford sent them down). Don’t write them off, but it looks like they need to invest if they want to compete at this level.

17. Arsenal (L)

Sure they were the victims of some awful refereeing decisions at the Emirates on Saturday but Wenger is now paying the price for a summer of complete negligence in the transfer market. The targets he has identified are sound. They need a striker (Higuain) and a midfield enforcer (Gustavo) yet he has somehow managed to let both these targets escape despite both of them being keen to sign according to reports. Cabaye would be a start (he will need to pay more than the offered £10m) but not enough. Not nearly enough. I’m a big fan of Wenger but his naivety in the transfer market these days is making it harder and harder to defend him when Arsenal fans call for his head. On the pitch, the primary concern will be making sure the disappointment of a home defeat to a team that looked certain to be relegated last season does not carry over to Wednesday night in Turkey.

16. Stoke (L)

Mark Hughes Stoke are not a whole lot different to the Tony Pulis version. To sum up, essentially no flair players exist and the only real goal threat comes from set pieces. Ultimately it didn’t look so bad as they were only a missed Johnny Walters penalty (he does miss a lot) away from escaping Anfield with a point but that does not nearly tell the whole story of Liverpool’s dominance. One thing Stoke have on their side is that Asmir Begovic is still under contract there. If they are to have any chance of survival it is essential that this is still the case on September 2^nd.

15. Sunderland (L)

If not playing well and getting a result is the hallmark of champions then playing well and losing is surely the hallmark of relegation candidates. On that form, Sunderland look like relegation candidates indeed. Fulham, traditionally, aren’t great away from home and yet managed to grab all three points at the Stadium of Light despite being outplayed for most of the game. Sunderland do look a vastly different side from the disorientated mess that Di Canio inherited towards the end of last season, but the next few weeks will be tough on them. A gruelling run of home games will leave them looking to their away fixtures in order to pick up points, starting at Southampton next week.

14. Hull (L)

Totally dominated for the opening 45 minutes against Chelsea but managed to improve in the second half and create a few chances. Of course Chelsea were in total control and never going to let the lead slip but there were encouraging signs there for Hull. Robbie Brady does not look at all out of his depth at this level which will please Irish and Hull fans alike.

13. West Brom (L)

Like Sunderland, probably had the better of their opening home game but still walked away with nothing. Had an excellent home record last season so will be disappointed by their opening day failure. I think they will pushing for the Europa League this year and an opening day loss will not be a massive blow to these ambitions. Expect them to buy again before the window closes.

12. Swansea (L)

Despite losing 1-4 at home, Swansea fans should not be downhearted after the first weekend. For about 30 minutes they matched the champions, stride for stride and had chances to break the deadlock. The two goals in two minutes killed off any realistic chance they had of getting something from the game. They didn’t roll over and die however and troubled the United goal on occasion. Wilfred Bony took his goal very well. He will score for fun in this league and if Michu stays and contributes even half of what he did last year Swansea will be fine.

11. Everton (D)

Interesting to see how the post David Moyes era progresses. He turned Everton from relegation candidates (16^th in 2002) to Champions League qualifiers (4^th in 2005) to regular top 6 finishers (07, 08, 09, 13). Martinez has inherited a decent group of players even if the squad is a bit thin and it’s great to see him put trust in youth in the form of Ross Barkley. The most important thing for Everton to do between now and September is to keep hold of Baines and Fellaini. Martinez managerial history suggests he would return to Wigan to replace them with Emmerson Boyce and James McCarthy. Decent players but not of the quality Everton require to stay in the top 6.

10. Norwich (D)

Seem to have picked up where they left off last season which they closed by winning at the Etihad. Ricky Van Wolfswinkel looks an amazing coup and when Gary Hooper, Anthony Pilkington and Robert Snodgrass are fit and ready to join him and Wes Holohan in the attack Norwich will cause more than a few teams problems this year.

9. Fulham (W)

Massive boost to return from the North-East with all three points, something they will need to do a lot more of this year if they are to cement a top half spot. I think Berbatov and Bent is a fascinating partnership (unless I’m mistaken Jol bought them both for Spurs too) and between them Fulham will not lack for goals this year. There is creativity too in the form of Duff and Taarabt. Fulham look good.

8. Aston Villa (W)

Got lucky against Arsenal, the second penalty was very soft and the red card equally so. However perhaps this is karma for the misery and misfortune they suffered throughout last season. Agbonlahor looked a lot sharper on Saturday than he did at any point last season and Benteke has already managed to notch two goals without being particularly effective. They have a young side and should expect to build on last year. A trip to Stamford Bridge awaits on Wednesday night. Anything out of that game is a bonus when Mourinho is the man in the home dugout.

7. Southampton (W)

Winning away at West Brom in the manner that they did will do wonders for confidence at the club. It is difficult not to feel anything other than delight for Ricky Lambert at the moment. An England goal with his first touch in international football followed by a 90^th minute winner three days later. The signing of Pablo Osvaldo from Roma will provide Lambert with support/competition and that can only be a good thing for the club. Good time to be a Saints fan after so much misery in recent years.

6. West Ham (W)

The Hammers made a solid start on Saturday against Cardiff. Big Sam has the bones of a very effective unit at Upton Park with Downing on the wing and Joe Cole and Kevin Nolan contributing plenty of goals from midfield as they did on Saturday. If Andy Carroll can get fully fit and rediscover the form that convinced someone somewhere that he was worth £35m once then they will be a force in what will be a fascinating scrap for the minor places in the top half (7^th- 10^th).

5. Spurs (W)

Two watershed moments for Spurs this weekend. They were awarded a Premier League penalty for the first time in 15 months. They also managed to win a game without the help of a Gareth Bale goal for only the second time in 2013. In the absence of Bale (I presume he’s Tottenham’s penalty taker?), Bobby Soldado stepped up to give Spurs a win at Crystal Palace. It is fixtures like these where Spurs came unstuck last season, particularly towards the end. Now they are being linked with a £26m move for Wilian from the sinking ship that is Anzhi Makhachkala and from what I hear are the favourites to secure his signature. Should they succeed in those attempts and also manage to keep hold of one G-Bale, Spurs can begin to aim higher than just 4^th spot this season.

4. Liverpool (W)

So typical of Liverpool in recent seasons. Batter the lesser opponent. Take the lead. Rattle the frame of the goal multiple times. Concede an 88^th minute penalty and end up with 2 dropped points. However on Saturday lady luck (and Simon Mignolet) was on their side and they managed an opening day win at Anfield for the first time since 2002. Dominating Stoke does not make you top 4 contenders. Most teams will dominate Stoke in much the same manner this season. Liverpool have a long way to go to challenge near the top again but they are off to a decent start. I still think they should cash in on Suarez and his staying would be a mistake for both parties.

3. Chelsea (W)

Jose Mourinho received a hero’s welcome upon his return to Stamford Bridge on Sunday and rightly so. It very much had a feel of the prodigal son coming home. Recall that one of the reason’s he was sacked/resigned was his refusal to give into Abramoivch’s demand for Barcelona-style fluid football the owner craved. Chelsea were awesome for most of the first half against Hull. They could and should have scored 4 or 5. However in typical Mourinho fashion, 2-0 was quite alright. It reassured me that not a whole lot has changed since he left and we can be sure of a few things this year:

A.      Chelsea will win 15-18 of their home league games.

B.      Chelsea will have the best or second best defence in the league.

C.      Chelsea will have the worst goal difference out of the ‘big three’ owing to Mourinho’s reluctance to risk conceding a goal in order to give the lesser teams a hiding.

Chelsea will probably be in the running for the title come the final weeks of the season but don’t expect to see beautiful football at Stamford Bridge all year round, especially not in the big games despite the ridiculous amount of talent on show. Personally I’d rather see my team win 5-2 than 2-0. But maybe that’s just me. United and Chelsea have had some classics since Mourinho left in 2007, most notably last year where two classics in the space of 3 days produced 14 goals. Don’t expect anything like that from next week.

2. Manchester United (W)

Business as usual for the champions. The real test will come next week when Chelsea come to visit next week. United never dominated Swansea and could have had only minor complaints if that game finished a draw. However when you have a striker like Robin van Persie in that kind of form you’re always assured of a goal or two. They still need to buy. Big time. Cleverley is not of the standard required and his time is fast running out. Playing central midfield for a team like United means stamping your authority all over games and he just does not do that. It was nice to see Welbeck double his entire Premier League goals tally for last season in an hour. I don’t see him as Van Persie’s partner in the long term this season (I’d prefer Kagawa at the no.10) but he has a big part to play, especially in the unlikely case that Rooney is allowed to leave. Next week’s game with Chelsea is absolutely massive.

1. Manchester City (W)

Who said foreign imports needed time to settle in the Premier League. As I recall, Yaya Toure needed about ten minutes in 2010, Aguero even less a year later and now Navas and Fernandinho  have practically slotted in seamlessly to the Manchester City machine. They were awesome against Newcastle on Monday night. And their strength in depth was also evident with the ability to bring the likes of Negredo and Nasri off the bench. And Jovetic hasn’t made his debut yet. It looks like City will have little or no trouble gelling together quickly and if that is the case the rest of the league will be pretty much powerless to stop them.

Quick Premier League Predictions 2013/14

Arsenal

Quiet summer in terms of transfers, despite big talk from Wenger and the board. I don’t for one minute believe they had any intention of ever signing Luis Suarez. Missing out on Higuain and Gustavo will have been disappointing for the fans. Can see them being slightly better than last season but Spurs should pip them to 4^th spot this time around.

Verdict: 5^th

Aston Villa

Keeping hold of Benteke for another season was the best bit of business they’ve done since they got £20m for Stewart Downing and close to that again for Ashley Young. The relegation battle, if there is one, shouldn’t be as dangerous as last year where they were in real trouble. Can’t see them making the top half.

Verdict: 15^th

Cardiff

Without doubt the most promising of the newly promoted sides. Some good additions, particularly Steven Caulker means they shouldn't be in too much trouble with regards to relegation. That’s not to say survival won’t be the ultimate goal for them. It will. And they should get it.

Verdict: 16^th

Chelsea

This is a squad of players who up until late October of last season looked unstoppable in the Premier League. Then came the defeat to United, RDM being sacked, Rafa being appointed and the absolute turmoil that followed. Yet the season still ended in a trophy and a 3^rd place finish. Add Mourinho (his effect on a squad of players is undeniable), Lukaku (hopefully he gets a proper chance) and perhaps one other forward and they should be champions.

Verdict: 1st

Crystal Palace

I have to say I know very little about the Palace side that won promotion last year other than it was managed by Ian Holloway and heavily influenced by Wilfred Zaha. Holloway is still there. Zaha is gone. Marouane Chamakh is in. That can’t be good.

Verdict: 20th

Everton

Now that Moyes has gone I think Everton’s title of ‘Best of the Rest’ after the top 6 could soon follow (although it is worth noting they have beaten Liverpool the last two years).  Personally I can’t see it being a seamless transition and there will be some bedding in. Mirallas is class.

Verdict: 8^th

Fulham

Darren Bent has just signed so it will be interesting to see how he and Berbatov link up. They have a few other decent signings in so should be a better side than last season. Teams won’t like coming to the Cottage but they are notoriously bad travellers and until they sort this out they won’t realistically have a hope of challenging for the lower European spots. A good cup run is a strong possibility.

Verdict: 12^th

Hull

Renamed the Hull City Tigers as the Premier League gets more and more ‘Americanized’ every year. They have made a few decent signings and should finish ahead of Palace but it will be straight back down to the Championship for Brucey (in the off chance he lasts the full season). I hope Robbie Brady does well.

Verdict: 19^th

Liverpool

I can’t imagine even Liverpool fans like Luis Suarez anymore.  The lack of respect he and Wayne Rooney have shown to the two biggest clubs in the land is appalling in my opinion. Liverpool need not fear however as Danny Sturridge should be world class if he realises his potential, Aspas looks a decent buy and Coutinho is a magician. This won’t be the year they break back into the top 4 but they will be closer.

Verdict: 6^th

Man City

Mancini, Tevez and Balotelli are gone so City can’t blame a lack of harmony for their failures this season. They’ve spent big this summer on a number of players which can only be seen as a statement of intent. I think with the amount invested this summer they must win the title this year or Pellegrini will go the way of his predecessor.

Verdict: 3^rd

Man United

The most uncertain summer in recent memory for the champions. Failed bids for Baines and Fabregas, Rooney not willing to play, would this have happened under Fergie? Maybe. Maybe not. Fergie is gone now however and there is another grim faced Scot in charge. The squad is the same as the one that walked the league last year. Add Wilfred Zaha and potentially another midfielder and they still look like champions to me. However the Fergie effect cannot be ignored. Moyes has never been through squeaky bum time before. Mourinho has. That will make the difference.

Verdict: 2^nd

Newcastle

I hate Joe Kinnear. Everything about him. Hate him. My theory is that he was only brought in to force Pardew to resign because they don’t want to pay off the remaining seven years of his contract. On the pitch they look about as good as they did last year but that didn’t serve them well. Essentially the same squad that finished above Chelsea in 2012, chances are they won’t this time.

Verdict: 13^th

Norwich

Surprise package of last season. The most in-form team throughout the Autumn, Chris Hughton has built a team that is difficult to beat. A few good signings, especially Ricky Van Wolfswinkel and they should not have to worry about a  relegation scrap at all.

Verdict: 14^th

Southampton

I like Southampton. Most clubs are content just with consolidation once they get into the Premier League but the Saints seem to be intent on pushing for Europe. Good to see. Lovren and Wanyama are already on board. I’d expect more to arrive before September and I expect Southampton to break the top 10 this year.

Verdict: 10^th

Stoke

I don’t like Stoke. I can’t be the only one who was happy to see Tony Pulis go. Effective as his tactics may have been in their early years in the PL they didn’t win over many fans. I don’t rate Mark Hughes as a manager and hopefully this will be the year Stoke do the decent thing and go down.

Verdict: 18^th

Sunderland

No one else to talk about other than Paolo Di Canio really. The controversial Italian who inspired them to a 3-0 win at Newcastle to help secure Premier League status for another year can be a bit hit and miss. I can see him deciding one morning (perhaps inspired by a wayward Adam Johnson shot in training) that he’s had enough and Sunderland aren’t worth his time anymore.  If things click and all works well Sunderland could be comfortably mid-table. I don’t think they will though.

Verdict: 17^th

Swansea

Successfully avoided the mass murderer that is ‘Second Season Syndrome’ last year to finish in the top half and win the League Cup. The main priority this summer has been be adding to the depth of the squad to lessen the effects of competing in Europe. I think their adventures across the continent on Thursday nights will have an adverse effect on their league chances and they will struggle. Wilfred Bony looks a decent player however.

Verdict: 11^th

Tottenham

It looks like they may keep hold of Gareth Bale for another year.  Maybe someone at Madrid realised the utter stupidity of paying £100m for a footballer who isn’t Lionel Messi or Maradonna 1986 version. Expect Spurs to be less of a one man team this year with the addition of Soldado and Paulinho, lessening the load on G-Bale (wish that name would catch on a bit more…). A return to Europe’s top table is there for the taking.

Verdict: 4^th

West Brom

I like Steve Clarke. He’s done a great job in his first season and looks set to build on that in his second. They won’t miss Lukaku’s goals as much with Anelka there to add a bit of firepower. Hopefully from an Irish point of view Shane Long will hit some decent form. They are Europa League contenders, no doubt.

Verdict: 7^th

West Ham

It’s easy to forget (as in I just did until I looked it up) West Ham went into last season as a newly promoted side. With a fully fit Andy Carroll (later on in the year), Kevin Nolan (complete pub footballer, but effective) and Stewart Downing (this is his level, he will be good) West Ham have a very English/Allardyce-ish core to their attack. I reckon they’ll stay in the top 10.

Verdict:9^th

Table

1.      Chelsea

2.      Man United

3.      Man City

4.      Spurs

5.      Arsenal

6.      Liverpool

7.      West Brom

8.      Everton

9.      West Ham

10.  Southampton

11.  Swansea

12.  Fulham

13.  Newcastle

14.  Norwich

15.  Villa

16.  Cardiff

17.  Sunderland

18.  Stoke

19.  Hull

20.  Palace

Others

FA Cup: Chelsea

League Cup: Man City

Best English side in the Europa League: Spurs (Quarter Finals)

Best English side in the Champions League: Chelsea (Semi Finals)

Surprise Package: Cardiff could shock a few.

Individual

Player of the Year: Eden Hazard

Young Player of the Year: Wilfred Zaha

Golden Boot: Robin Van Persie