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Manchester City are invariably the biggest talking point of the Premier League
with unprecedented investment
seemingly looking like it will never end. What they do do is make the transfer
market interesting and more the intrigue they create is a good thing for
football, maybe not so for the players that have been at the club awhile.
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So will their new acquisitions lead them to the promised land after coming so
close last season? I would say so, simply for the reason that the calibre of
players they are signing now are much higher than the Premier League-class of
last season. Silva, Jerome Boateng, Yaya Toure and Alexsandar Kolorov less-so
would improve any squad and they will take some beating once they all settle.
Of course there are a couple of stumbling blocks - namely the Europa League and
Roberto Mancini, who hasn’t been entirely convincing. Still they have a mighty squad which should take in
all the new challenges and with possible January reinforcements, it would take
something mightily wrong to upset this applecart.
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No-one would have been smarting more so than Alex Ferguson after only bringing
home the Carling Cup, still the loss
of Cristiano Ronaldo was always going to hit hard and the Red Devils pushed
Chelsea all the way last time. This season, I can see Sir Alex finally breaking
Liverpool’s long-standing record and finally acheive the mantra he originally set out to.
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Ferguson has made his usual smart signings in Javier Hernandez and Bebe, though
whether Chris Smalling turns out to be anything more than another expensive
flop remains to be seen. There have been a lot of exits at Old Trafford too
from the lower regions of the squad and that can only help the likes of
Federico Macheda, Tom Cleverley and Darron Gibson break through.
In what could be the final swansong of the Golden Generation, the likes of Ryan
Giggs, Paul Scholes and Gary Neville will be there to remind the young bucks
exactly what playing for Manchester United means and I can see them ending it
all on top come the season’s end. They could well be a threat in Europe too.
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Mike Ashley may be revered in the North East as the man that took Newcastle
down, but Chris Hughton has steadied
the ship and anyone who saw the Magpies in the Championship last term wouldn’t deny that they were worthy winners. Back in the Premier League, things won’t be easy, particularly with the lack of investment that was made in the club in
the summer.
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Still Hughton has managed to capture promising youngster, Dan Gosling and James Perch on frees and also stalwart Sol Campbell - who did well in his
spell for Arsenal last year. As long as Sol doesn’t decided to up sticks again, that could be the sort of signing that makes the
difference between relegation and survival.
And it will be survival, even with the likes of Kevin Nolan and Andy Carroll,
United will struggle but I can’t see them going down with the quality still remaining at the club - though as
we have seen with Toon before, that doesn’t always make a difference.
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If David Moyes is the finest Premier League manager, then surely Tony Pulis can’t be that far behind with the
wonders he has worked at Stoke. Innovative Pulis is not afraid to take chances
and also doesn’t suffer fools as James Beattie’s swift disposal has proven.
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The signing of Kenwyne Jones is a smart one and a real statement of intent.
Anyone who watched the Trinidad and Tobago international at Sunderland last
year would know that either he had serious issues with manager Steve Bruce or
he had seriously began to stagnate as a footballer. Stoke’s style of play will support the physical style of Jones and I can see him
challenging for the Golden Boot if all goes well.
It will be a big ask to improve on last season’s impressive finish but it is a challenge that I believe Stoke can and will rise
to. Their style of play has long frustrated the purists and their record
against the Top Four shows that the club are making serious strides in the
right direction.
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If you were going to have a punt on the first Premier League manager to get the
boot this season, you could do worse
than stick a few quid on Steve Bruce. Progress at Sunderland has been somewhat
in short supply and last season’s finish was flattering if you take out the form of Darren Bent - who was
carrying the team numerously.
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Sunderland have sold Kenwyne Jones to Stoke, which is probably due to the fact
Bruce clearly wasn’t getting the best out of him. Bruce has mainly looked to shore up his defence
with the signings of Titus Bramble and John Mensah. Still Mackems fans will no
doubt be wondering where the goals will come from with only two recognized
strikers on the books.
Whilst their defence may improve, you seriously wonder who will put the ball in
the net and if Darren Bent has a bad season they could be in serious trouble.
Of course you would expect them to sign a striker by the end of August, but I
can’t see the side improving on last season with the moves made so far.
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Tottenham go from fighting relegation one season to securing a coveted Champions
League position the next, with
very similar personel. Sure Harry Redknapp has done a great job but whether they
can challenge further and beyond seriously remains to be seen.
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Usually a club with a revolving door of purchases, Spurs have only signed the
Brazilian Sandro, who was announced before the end of last season and this
doesn’t bode well for a team that is now looking to challenge on the biggest stage of
all. Out have gone a fair few squad players but the Lilywhites will still
struggle to name a comprehensive 25-man squad in accordance with the new
Premier League rules.
Some are speculating that Tottenham can go for the title, fans of the club will
know that realism is a dish best eaten when entertaining optimism.
Realistically, there is no way they can win the league and I would be mightily
surprise if they can repeat last season’s heroics if they qualify for the Champions League.
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Roberto Di Matteo’s West Brom stormed the Championship last season and pushed Newcastle hard for
top spot. A
team that is rightly referred to as a yo-yo team, they have a strange hybrid of
Premier League and Championship quality players.
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Di Matteo has made some good moves in the transfer market and has wisely
recruited Premier League experience in Nicky Shorey, Boaz Myhill and Steven
Reid. Releasing Robert Koren was slightly odd but I can’t see that one move having a major impact on whether they maintain their
reacquired top-flight status.
This time around I think it’s safe to say that a season of struggle is ahead but there’s a fair amount of Premier League experience, nous and know-how about the club.
Whilst Di Matteo may be relatively new to the management game, he has proven at
both Brum and MK Dons that he can build a successful side. They could surprise
us all and cling on but someone has to go and unfortunately I think it will be
them.
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Franco Zola, possibly the nicest man in management, didn’t turn out to be that great a manger, or so the motormouth
owners of West Ham, “lifelong fan” David Gold and David Sullivan would have you believe. There were many other
factors at play and Avram Grant will walk into a club with a good nucleus of
players and now receiving some much-needed investment.
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The Hammer (Hitzlsperger), Frederic Picquionne and Tal Ben Haim are proven
Premiership players and should fit in well. Expensive acquisitions Pablo
Barrera and Winston Reid may struggle in the new surroundings but all-in-all
some good signings have been made and if they can get £20 million for Carlton Cole they will be laughing.
This time around I can’t see the same old problems rearing their ugly heads as this is a team that is
finally receiving the reinforcements Zola so desperately needed. A mid-table
mediocre finish would probably go down well in east London considering the
problems of last year.
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Wigan, Wigan, Wigan... a club owner Dave Whelan openly admits is a selling club,
just a shame they couldn’t quite
get potential suitors crazy enough to part with 8-figure sums for the services
of the decidedly-average Hugo Rodallega. Well Dave should know selling clubs’ time in the top flight is usually borrowed and this season with the vastly
inexperienced Roberto Martinez at the helm, I can see a trip back down where
they came from.
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Wigan have spent big - £9.5 million is one of the league’s highest outlays, but as we have seen with Middlesbrough, this doesn’t guarantee survival. Mauro Boselli comes with a big reputation, but that doesn’t mean he can save them from doom.
If Martinez doesn’t get the sack first I’ll be mightily surprised but Wigan could upset my doom and gloom by coming good
- they are of course the ultimate Jekyl and Hyde team and many sides won’t relish a trip to the <insert sponsor> stadium.
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Mick McCarthy has really given so much to football. Certainly in the Premier
League he was by far my most amusing
manager of the season and his contributions in the World Cup commentary box on
the BBC didn’t go unappreciated either.
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Wolves have actually spent a fair few bob this close season with the signings of
Steven Fletcher, Stephen Hunt, Steven Mouyokolo (I think Mick likes blokes
called Steve), Jelle Van Damme and Adlène Guedioura all adding to a vastly experienced squad. The dead wood at the club
reminiscent of its lower league origins seems to have been shifted too and most
of these additions should fit in well (particularly Stephen Hunt).
I’d be mightily shocked if Wolves dropped out the elite this season as McCarthy
has clearly made intelligent signings and seems to be gradually progressing the
team. Whether they can improve on last season remains to be seen but it’s not out the realms of probability.
