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Premier League Preview

  • Jordan Tavener
  • Jul 29, 2016
  • 11 min read

The new Premier League season is only 2 weeks away and with the introduction of new managers and over 50 new players already in the 20 sides, there could be a different set of results and final standings come the end of the season. Manchester City currently boast the title of favourites for this seasons crown but how do I think they will fair, and who do i predict to beat the drop come May, all will be revealed. In this, I will list who I feel will finish where, from bottom to top, let's see what I think.

#20 - Hull

The pre-season period has been a disaster so far for 'The Tigers' and the supporters at the KC Stadium could be in for a season of disappointment. It's not often you see a team gain promotion to the Premier League and part ways with their manager shortly after, I know Watford did last term but that is the only one that springs to mind. The attention of Steve Bruce seemed to sway to the England job and shortly before England announced Sam Allardyce as their new manager, Bruce had gone. The fact there are no new faces also causes an alarm in the camp as the squad that finished third in the championship have made no changes for a Premier League season, surely this is just crying out for Hull being a yo-yo club.

#19 - Burnley

Another yo-yo team for me, they do not have the financial backing of other clubs and simply cannot compete. They have signed two players so far and they both played for relegated outfit from the championship of Charlton last season. They always gain a lot of appreciation from neutral fans as they are seen as an underdog. I hope for Sean Dyche and the club that they can have a good season but the squad may just not be good enough to compete with the other relegation candidates.

#18 - West Brom

They may have a manager who never fails to stay up but their squad has not been updated enough and the mood in the squad seems to be strange with the ongoing speculation about Berahino's future. It is hard to know exactly what is going to happen with them but in my opinion they could have a troubled start that sees Pulis leave the club and it won't go well after that, but he could just pull it out the bag.

#17 - Sunderland

Another side who haven't signed a single player, Sunderland have lost their manager and need to rebuild under David Moyes. I think he is a good manager and was unlucky with the situation he has been in for the last few years. This is a whole new chapter however, and he has inherited an average squad who need fresh faces and to have a bit more enthusiasm and fight in their game. Moyes may not bring the most attractive football but he will need to bring something fast because the recurring situation of avoiding the drop late may just happen again.

#16 - Bournemouth

What an amazing job Eddie Howe has done here. I cannot believe he managed to keep them up so safely last season, although they have had some investment and have had more this season. This season could provide a similar task as Howe has a similar task on his hands to beat the drop this time around. The signings they have made are with a youth policy in hand, such as Hyndman from Fulham, Jordan Ibe from Liverpool, Lewis Cook from Leeds, Nathan Ake on loan and Lys Mousset. This may give them a good squad in the coming years but this season may be slightly more difficult. The worst thing may be the buy-back clause set on Jordan Ibe from Liverpool, so if it goes well for him, there could be a problem.

#15 - Swansea

I don't feel they have done enough in the transfer window so far and the squad they have was not as good last season as it has been the last few seasons. They need to spend if they're going to bolster this team and Leroy Fer is not enough. A striker and a midfielder is needed without a doubt and they really missed out on not re-signing Joe Allen in my opinion. I am not too sure on their manager but this is the defining season because last season he inherited a decent side where I actually really like Garry Monk as a manager, but only time will tell with this Swansea side.

#14 - Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace have made a couple of decent signings and they have a couple of talented players but I don't feel that Alan Pardew really knows what he wants at his club. Steve Mandanda was a great coup and Andros Townsend is someone who wants to prove himself on every occasion and he still has not really established himself. The club still need a striker and the signing of James Tomkins for £10million really shows there willingness to spend and over-spend on players so if they still work in the transfer market they will be fine but the start is vital for them after the dreadful calendar year they have had.

#13 - Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough have really impressed me in the fact they have signed outstanding players for a team that you would have thought they had been fighting relegation this season. Alvaro Negredo and Victor Valdes are the main acquisitions that show their intent to consolidate a place in the Premier League and perhaps push for a mid-table finish. Coming into the Premier League you always need a goalscorer and they have addressed that, you also need a large squad and they have also addressed that, the signing of Marten de Roon could be good with Aitor Karanka praising him already. It would be hard to see them struggling this season.

#12 - Watford

The end of last season was disappointing for 'The Hornets' and Quique Sanchez Flores departing the club sees them appoint yet another manager. The club have some good players including Ighalo and Deeney and they seem positive that they will not let either leave the club, even with a bid of around £35million coming in from China for Ighalo. That could be a statement from them as they look to build on last season but the signings they have made might not exactly bolster the starting eleven and it seems more like they are bothered about the future which is not necessarily a bad thing. I could be very wrong about this but I just think others have done better business but they will be safe from the drop ad if they get off to a good start like they did last season they things will be good for them.

#11 - Stoke

Stoke are likely to have another solid season but they never seem to push on, they never challenge for the top 6 and they need to really because they are plateauing massively. They have made good signings in the last few years with Shaqiri and Imbula but they need to start flowing as a club. The news of Arnautovic signing a new deal is good for them because he was without a doubt a top performer for them last season. The two signings they have made so far are good, Joe Allen will give them a passer of the ball, someone good technically in the middle of the park, possibly to go alongside Imbula. Sobhi is a different one who will give them some youth and athleticism, but I cannot see him making too much of an impression this season.

#10 - Southampton

The ongoing problem of losing their players and managers seems to have happened again. With Ronald Koeman leaving it leaves another problem for them but they seem to do well with appointing managers, but how long is it until it doesn't go well for them. The new manager Claude Puel is not a household name but he has managed better teams than I first thought. He is deemed a loyal person, spending 24 years at Monaco as a player and coach and six years at Lille also. This could be slightly better for 'The Saints as they look to build rather than create revenue. They do still have a good squad and that should help them do okay but it should be the first step rather than an impressive first season where they challenge the top four. The signings of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Nathan Redmond show they are going for youth and that could see more revenue but also to build for the future so Puel and his players might build something over the next three or four years.

#9 - Leicester

Last season was nothing short of a miracle. The club have gained so much praise and rightly so, they have lost their most important player in Kante and Mahrez could also move away, but Vardy staying and the arrival of new players should make them be fine. I don't feel that they can finish in the top four because others have built and not really lost their best players. Also with the arrival of some of the best managers in the world, it will be hard for them to compete again. I hope it goes well for them and also in the Champions League but I can not see them replicating what happened last season. Ahmed Musa will give them added quality up front and the other signings have given them much needed depth though so they will still challenge for a spot in Europe.

#8 - West Ham

Slaven Bilic's first season as a Premier League manager could not have gone much better. Inheriting an average squad, he made good additions with most notably Payet, and that has occurred again with the signings of Sofiane Feghouli, Gokhan Tore, and Havard Nordtviet, of which spending very little money. They do, however need to add more players still, perhaps a striker and maybe one more. The squad is large and they may want to move a couple on to free up some space and add extra quality. The move to a new stadium will undoubtedly raise the club and if they get it right it could be the start of something good, especially with an impressive academy.

#7 - Everton

They may not have signed anyone so far but that doesn't necessarily mean anything as the best signing will be Ronald Koeman. The future of some of their players will be questioned as it has for some time now, with the likes of Stones and Lukaku forcing a move away but I am sure that Koeman will eventually add to his squad and put his stamp on the club. If they keep Lukaku then they can have a really good season, I wouldn't be bothered about keeping Stones, they can get someone else in and get rid of any deadwood. They have had a takeover in the last year and should be willing to spend so maybe Koeman can be the man to really start a generation of challenge and excellence at Everton, in which they have been crying out for it for years.

#6 - Liverpool

I feel this could be harsh to put Liverpool at sixth because Klopp is really finding his feet at the helm and he is the perfect manager for their players. They have made good signings but they are similar to what they already have with the likes of Mane and Wijnaldum joining, and over-paying for both as well. The signing of Joel Matip is a good signing and they have made some under the radar signings which bolster their squad, and they will challenge for the top four but there is tough competition there and I'm sure he would keep his job with a top six finish. They could easily claim a top four spot, just watch out because they could be serious dark horses.

#5 - Tottenham

Take away the last four games of the season and you have one of the most consistent side in the Premier League and one of the most entertaining too. However, the finances will not allow them to spend too big and build their squad as good as their rivals, the overhaul of money is not needed as much as the aspiration is not necessarily to win the title but investment would help. They have addressed the problems and missing spots in the squad but they may need to sign a couple more players just to add depth, but the starting eleven picks itself. The biggest doubt for me would be how they start the season as the players had a tough summer at the Euros, especially the English contingent, and the Belgium too. So they need to quickly get over that and try to enjoy a new campaign with a tougher challenge, but as a spurs fan I hope to see a successful Champions League campaign to spur them on for the entire season.

#4 - Arsenal

Arsenal are seriously on the ropes and if they don't sign a centre-back and a striker they won't finish in the top four but I think they will. Arsene Wenger tried to sign Vardy so the intent is there but they need to be more ruthless in their approach, if they have to spend big, they should do it. The problem in defence is ongoing, they need to sign a top-class centre-back to partner Koscielny. Mertesacker and Gabriel are not good enough to win a title and Rob Holding is a player for the future. They have a good keeper, good play-makers and now have a good holding midfielder, they just need extra quality to make them a force or Wenger could see this being his final year.

#3 - Manchester United

I was debating between Manchester United and Chelsea for this second spot but I feel Manchester United may take some time to adjust as a top-class squad, they are making big changes straight away and that is not always the best thing to do, even if you are Jose Mourinho. I don't feel Manchester United have the best squad and if Pogba joins for a world record fee, I am not sure he will live up to it. He failed to live up to the hype at the Euros and the pressure will be on him to be the best player in the league and I don't know if it will happen, he is a technically gifted player and he is good when it comes to a montage of skills and goals on YouTube. Obviously Ibrahimovic and Mkhitaryan are huge purchases and they can lift the side into the top four, but I just don't feel that they can win the league, give it another year and it could happen but I could be proved wrong.

#2 - Chelsea

I highly rate Antonio Conte as a tactician. He may deploy a new formation at Chelsea, but I think he is grasping the English League by signing N'Golo Kante and also realising they have very good players at his disposal already. They do need to strengthen in defence and refresh some of the squad in order to keep the squad motivated. Conte will not bring the most attractive football but he has good players that will attempt to work for him in a structured team. He usually works well in big games and this is crucial in the match-ups with Manchester clubs and London derbies. I feel the players will give into him because he really knows how to build a team, but for me they will just miss out on the title.

#1 - Manchester City

The best coach in the world, working with some of the best players in the league. Manchester City can boast, probably the most talented player in the league in Aguero, Kompany and Otamendi can form a good partnership. Nolito is a good signing as he was a cheap player that should score goals and assist from wide. The signing of Gundogan may be good as he's a good player but he will likely miss the first 15 games. They already have a good side however but I thought more would have gone than they actually have, I thought Yaya Toure would have gone and he hasn't yet and I thought some others could go and think they should to refresh the squad but I have no doubt that Pep will get it right and win the league this coming season.


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