English Premier League 2009/2010
Arguably the best league in football gets underway tomorrow and it promises to be an interesting one. Will Manchester United struggle without Ronaldo? Will Manchester City buy their way into the top 4? Can portsmouth survive despite a mega firesale? can any of the new clubs survive? Here is a brief team by team preview on how I think the season will pan out.
Arsenal - Last season: 4th place
Key addition: Thomas Vermaelen
Key departure: Emanuel Adebayor
In-A-Nutshell: Arsenal look the most likely of the "big" teams to drop out of the top 4 this season. The loss of Toure is covered by the arrival of the Belgian Thomas Vermaelen but they've not really done anything to cover the loss of adebayor. The squad is still jam packed with quality but also wafer thin, all it will take is an injury to Van Persie or Walcott and they will be reduced to playing Bendtner up front, which would serverely affect their hops of remaining in the elite.
Aston Villa - Last season: 6th place
Key addition: Stewart Downing
Key departure: Gareth Barry
In-A-Nutshell: Aston Villa finally lost their talisman, Gareth Barry, when the moneybags of Manchester City came knocking, but they've added solid young talent in Downing, Delph and defender Habib Beye. They will rely once again on pace and the counter attack game, but as last season their squad still lacks the necessary depth to push on and force their way into the top 4. They looked like doing so last season but fell away late in the season due to fatigue, and though they should still be near the Europa League places its hard to see them pushing on any further this year.
Birmingham City - Last season: 2nd place (promoted from championship)
Key addition: Christian Benitez
Key departure: None
In-A-Nutshell: Birmingham have been something of a yoyo club lately and look set for another relegation dogfight this season. Towards the back end of last season in the championship they had a really poor run of results but it didnt cost them because they made a lightning hot start. They havent made any really quality signings and the few players they have signed have no real premier league experience. Their fans would settle for an ugly 16th placed finish this year but even that maybe a stretch, they may not necessarily go down but its hard to see them finishing any higher than 15th this year.
Blackburn Rovers - Last season: 15th place
Key addition: Nikola Kalinic
Key departure: Roque Santa Cruz
In-A-Nutshell: Blackburn lost their best player in the offseason in striker Roque Santa Cruz and are relying on Kalinic to fill his boots, despite not really being heard of outside of Croatia. They had a horrible defensive record last season, conceding 60 goals, but will more than likely survive because they have some real quality in players like Gamst Pederson, and they still arent as bad as some other teams expected to fill the bottom tier of the league. They shouldnt go down, but its hard to see anything other than a bottom half finish.
Bolton Wanderers - Last season: 13th place
Key addition: Zat Knight
Key Departure: None
In-A-Nutshell: Bolton shored up their defence with the excellent addition of Zat Knight and should once again safely secure their premier league place. They have a real quality midfielder in Matt Taylor, who has arguably the best long shot of any player in England, and big Kevin Davies should be able to get enough goals up front to see Bolton safe. They could be sitting pretty around 10th place come January, but their lack of financial clout will probably prevent them from pushing on towards the europa league places.
Burnley - Last season: 5th place (promoted from championship)
Key addition: Tyrone Mears
Key departure: None
In-A-Nutshell: Burnley won the playoffs in the championship last season to seal a fairytale return to the premier league after alot of years in the lower leagues. Sadly for Burnley fans they live in the shadows of both Manchester giants, and have spend very little money and havent added enough quality to stop them going straight back down. Tyrone Mears, David Edgar and Richard Eckersley are all good young talents, but have been signed with one eye on how it will affect the clubs finances if they get relegated. Credit to the Burnley board for not spending beyond their means and risking the clubs finances in the long term, but you need money to go anywhere in the league, the feel good factor will only go so far.
Chelsea - Last season: 3rd place
Key addition: Carlos Ancelotti (manager)
Key departure: None
In-A-Nutshell: Chelsea begin this season with much the same squad that ended last season, which is still absolutely jam packed with top quality players bought with Romans rupees. The announcement of Ancelotti being new coach will give a settled look to the squad, last season they were hurt by a managerial change midseason and constant questions about whether Guus Hiddink would take the job permamently after guiding Chelsea to 3rd place. There will be no such questions this season and with Ancelottis managerial know-how and the squad Chelsea have, its hard to envisage them not being there or thereabouts again in regards to the title race.
Everton - Last season: 5th place
Kay addition: Jo (On loan for another year)
Key departure: none (unless they cave and sell Lescott to Man City)
In-A-Nutshell: Evertone had another excellent season last year on a shoestring budget but its hard to see them being as impressive this year given the amount of money other midtable teams have spent. They have one of the best midfielders in England in Mikael Arteta and will once again be hard to beat, but they only have 3 decent strikers, and its hard to see Yakubu and Saha staying healthy for the entire season. Should still be another top 10 finish this year but more than likely a couple of places below last years finish.
Fulham - Last season: 7th place
Key addition: None
Key departure: None (Unless Brede Hangeland is sold)
In-A-Nutshell: Fulham may well be a victim of their own success last season, they did excellent to finish in 7th place but now the added games they will play in the europa league will hurt their squad, which is a really small bunch of tight knot players. They were one of the best defences in England last term and were hard to break down, they must keep hold of Hangeland if they are to repeat last seasons successes. They will be safely around mid table this season I think, the extra european games will cause massive fatigue in the small squad, especially if they advance to the latter stages of the competition.
Hull City - Last season: 17th place
Key addition: None
Key departure: None
In-A-Nutshell: Hull shocked everybody last season with a lightning quick start and were sitting around 5th place at christmas time. Manager Phil Brown seemingly lost the plat just after that and after giving his players an embarrassing dressing down on the pitch at half time against Man City things were never the same again, and they only won 2 more games all season. They have not added any quality and now teams know how they play they will struggle all season. Its going to be really close at the bottom half of the league and I reckon Hull are going to slide through the relegation trapdoor.
Liverpool - Last season: 2nd place
Key addition: Alberto Aquilani
Key departure: Xabi Alonso
In-A-Nutshell: Liverpool have kept faith with pretty much the same squad that finished 2nd last year, apart from signing Aquilani to replace the Madrid bound Xabi Alonso. Rafa "the Spanish waiter" Benitez showed signs last year of abndoning his rotation policy and it paid dividends as they nearly overhauled an 8 point deficit to just fall short of Manchester United. El Nino Torres will once again score the goals and if he stays fit all season Liverpool have an excellent chance at finally winning the title for the first time in 14 years because they have a solid and settled squad.
Manchester City - Last season: 10th place
Key addition: Gareth Barry
Key departure: None
In-A-Nutshell: Manchester City have spent bucketloads of arab money in their attempt to break into the top 4 but its hard to see it happen, you cant just throw a squad of players together and expect them to gel and Mark Hughes has his work cutout keeping everybody together. They have no shortage of strikers with Santa Cruz and Adebayor joing the likes of Robinho and Bellamy already at Eastlands, and while the signing of Gareth Barry is an excellent move to shor up the midfield, its hard to see their defence being good enough to threaten the top 4. They'll score goals and concede goals and every game will be an experience. They'll improve on last seasons finish but I dont think they are good enough to finish in the champions league spots.
Manchester United - Last season: 1st place
Key addition: Antonio Valencia
Key departure: Crisitiano Ronaldo
In-A-Nutshell: The Ronaldo transfer saga was finally ended this offseason when he signed for Real Madrid, and whereas no play is irreplaceable, Man Utd have signed Valencia to replace him on the back of one good season at Wigan, expecting him to step up for the champions is a big ask. Alex Ferguson always has a knack of surviving whenever he sells big players so they will be right up there in the title race, but they need guys like Anderson and Nani to step up big time now Ronaldo has gone, and guys like Giggs and Scholes are getting old and unable to play every game. They are still rock solid at the back with Van Der Sar in the sticks and Vidic and Rio Ferdinand in front so they wont concede many goals, but for the first time in a few season there are serious questions about Man Utds title chances.
Portsmouth - Last season: 14th place
Key addition: Mark Viduka
Key departure: Peter Crouch
In-A-Nutshell: Pompey are in all kinds of trouble as the owners embark on a firesale to reduce the wages and make the club more appealing toforeign investment. They struggled to score goals at all last year, and there are rumblings that Niko Krankjcar isnt happy about the team direction and wants out. They sold Peter Crouch, Glen Johnson and Sol Campbell and havent spent any money on really solid replacements to bolster a poor squad. The only thing I can see saving Portsmouth is if they get investment in the early part of the season and the new owners throw some money at the team to bolster their survival hopes.
Stoke City - Last season: 12th place
Key addition: None
Key departure: None
In-A-Nutshell: Stoke did excellent last season to defy most peoples predictions and secure a mid table finish. They have made no real signings so are relying on the same group of hard working players and the mega long throws of Rory Delap to get them goals. They should be ok to survive on the back of their home form which was excellent as they turned the Britannia Stadium into something of a fortress, where even the big teams didnt enjoy playing. They wont finish as high as 12th again I dont think, but I cant see them getting relegated.
Sunderland - Last season: 16th place
Key addition: Steve Bruce (Manager)
Key departure: None
In-A-Nutshell: Sunderland pulled off arguably the coup of the summer by signing probably the best English manager at present, Steve Bruce. This will bring settlement to the squad after appointing rookie manager Ricky Sbragia for last season and barely avoiding relegation. They struggled for goals last term but the additions of Darren Bent and Frazier Campbell should see them climb the league table nicely. I Think Sunderland will have a solid first season for Steve Bruce and can easily see them finishing a lot higher than they did last season. They probably arent good enough to finish in the top 8, but 10th place isnt beyond the realms of possibility.
Tottenham Hotspur - Last season: 8th place
Key addition: Sebastian Bassong
Key departure: None
In-A-Nutshell: Tottenham have once again opened the chequebook to try and break into the top 6. They did excellent under Harry Rednknapp in the 2nd half of last season to finish 8th after being rooted in the bottom 3 at christmas time. The signings of Peter Crouch and, more importantly, Sebastian Bassong are shrewd signings, the latter being a vital addition due to the injury pronce Woodgate and King inevitably missing alot of playing time. Spurs will kick on under Harry Redknapp this season and although they arent breaking the top 4, they will finish in the Europa league places.
West Ham United - Last season: 9th place
Key addition: Luis Jimenez
Key departure: None
In-A-Nutshell: West Ham overcame plenty of off-field adversity last season to finish respectably in the top half of the table, despite their main sponsors going bankrupt and their main owner having all his money tied up in collapsed Icelandic banks. On the field they have a solid nucleaus of young players, but lack of fire power up front will probably cost them, Carlton Cole is the only striker who can really be relied upon to play 35 games. The enigmatic Zola is still learning the trade and his enthusiasm is infectious to a group of young players. I Feel West Ham will finish somewhere around the same position as last year.
Wigan Athletic - Last season: 11th place
Key addition: Roberto Martinez
Key departure: Steve Bruce
In-A-Nutshell: Not much has changed so far as the Wigan playing squad goes, apart from the departure of Antonio Valencia to Man Utd. Although he was an excellent player last season I think it was a great bit of sell-high business by the board and the team will be better for it in the long term. With Steve Bruce heading to Sunderland the Latics signed promising young manager Roberto Martinez from Swansea, where he was known for getting his teams playing attractive, attacking football. They have a bit too much reliance on unproven foreign imports this season but I think Martinez can lead them to safety again as there are far worse teams down at the bottom end of the league.
Wolverhampton Wanderers - Last season: 1st place (promoted from championship)
Key addition: None
Key departure: None
In-A-Nutshell: Wolves are coming into this season with pretty much the same squad that destroyed the championship, and its a very big squad at that. They have plenty of options across the board but there is no real proven premier league players in there, just foreign unkowns and players who have only played well against lower league teams. They do have a real quality striker in Sylvain Ebanks-Blake and it will be interesting to see how he makes the jump to top-flight football. I think they have enough in their squad to survive, just I might add.
THE FINAL WORD: I think the title is going back to Chelsea this year, they have a better squad than anyone in the division and I think the departure of Ronaldo will hit Manchester United a fair bit, fancy Liverpool to finish 2nd and United 3rd. At the bottom end I think the off field problems will see Portsmouth relegated, with Burnley joining them due to lack of funds and Hull City because Phil Brown has lost the dressing room and the respect of some senior players in the squad.
Thoughts? Opinions? STFUs? Predictions on how the biggest league in the world will pan out?
Over to you guys
Arsenal - Last season: 4th place
Key addition: Thomas Vermaelen
Key departure: Emanuel Adebayor
In-A-Nutshell: Arsenal look the most likely of the "big" teams to drop out of the top 4 this season. The loss of Toure is covered by the arrival of the Belgian Thomas Vermaelen but they've not really done anything to cover the loss of adebayor. The squad is still jam packed with quality but also wafer thin, all it will take is an injury to Van Persie or Walcott and they will be reduced to playing Bendtner up front, which would serverely affect their hops of remaining in the elite.
Aston Villa - Last season: 6th place
Key addition: Stewart Downing
Key departure: Gareth Barry
In-A-Nutshell: Aston Villa finally lost their talisman, Gareth Barry, when the moneybags of Manchester City came knocking, but they've added solid young talent in Downing, Delph and defender Habib Beye. They will rely once again on pace and the counter attack game, but as last season their squad still lacks the necessary depth to push on and force their way into the top 4. They looked like doing so last season but fell away late in the season due to fatigue, and though they should still be near the Europa League places its hard to see them pushing on any further this year.
Birmingham City - Last season: 2nd place (promoted from championship)
Key addition: Christian Benitez
Key departure: None
In-A-Nutshell: Birmingham have been something of a yoyo club lately and look set for another relegation dogfight this season. Towards the back end of last season in the championship they had a really poor run of results but it didnt cost them because they made a lightning hot start. They havent made any really quality signings and the few players they have signed have no real premier league experience. Their fans would settle for an ugly 16th placed finish this year but even that maybe a stretch, they may not necessarily go down but its hard to see them finishing any higher than 15th this year.
Blackburn Rovers - Last season: 15th place
Key addition: Nikola Kalinic
Key departure: Roque Santa Cruz
In-A-Nutshell: Blackburn lost their best player in the offseason in striker Roque Santa Cruz and are relying on Kalinic to fill his boots, despite not really being heard of outside of Croatia. They had a horrible defensive record last season, conceding 60 goals, but will more than likely survive because they have some real quality in players like Gamst Pederson, and they still arent as bad as some other teams expected to fill the bottom tier of the league. They shouldnt go down, but its hard to see anything other than a bottom half finish.
Bolton Wanderers - Last season: 13th place
Key addition: Zat Knight
Key Departure: None
In-A-Nutshell: Bolton shored up their defence with the excellent addition of Zat Knight and should once again safely secure their premier league place. They have a real quality midfielder in Matt Taylor, who has arguably the best long shot of any player in England, and big Kevin Davies should be able to get enough goals up front to see Bolton safe. They could be sitting pretty around 10th place come January, but their lack of financial clout will probably prevent them from pushing on towards the europa league places.
Burnley - Last season: 5th place (promoted from championship)
Key addition: Tyrone Mears
Key departure: None
In-A-Nutshell: Burnley won the playoffs in the championship last season to seal a fairytale return to the premier league after alot of years in the lower leagues. Sadly for Burnley fans they live in the shadows of both Manchester giants, and have spend very little money and havent added enough quality to stop them going straight back down. Tyrone Mears, David Edgar and Richard Eckersley are all good young talents, but have been signed with one eye on how it will affect the clubs finances if they get relegated. Credit to the Burnley board for not spending beyond their means and risking the clubs finances in the long term, but you need money to go anywhere in the league, the feel good factor will only go so far.
Chelsea - Last season: 3rd place
Key addition: Carlos Ancelotti (manager)
Key departure: None
In-A-Nutshell: Chelsea begin this season with much the same squad that ended last season, which is still absolutely jam packed with top quality players bought with Romans rupees. The announcement of Ancelotti being new coach will give a settled look to the squad, last season they were hurt by a managerial change midseason and constant questions about whether Guus Hiddink would take the job permamently after guiding Chelsea to 3rd place. There will be no such questions this season and with Ancelottis managerial know-how and the squad Chelsea have, its hard to envisage them not being there or thereabouts again in regards to the title race.
Everton - Last season: 5th place
Kay addition: Jo (On loan for another year)
Key departure: none (unless they cave and sell Lescott to Man City)
In-A-Nutshell: Evertone had another excellent season last year on a shoestring budget but its hard to see them being as impressive this year given the amount of money other midtable teams have spent. They have one of the best midfielders in England in Mikael Arteta and will once again be hard to beat, but they only have 3 decent strikers, and its hard to see Yakubu and Saha staying healthy for the entire season. Should still be another top 10 finish this year but more than likely a couple of places below last years finish.
Fulham - Last season: 7th place
Key addition: None
Key departure: None (Unless Brede Hangeland is sold)
In-A-Nutshell: Fulham may well be a victim of their own success last season, they did excellent to finish in 7th place but now the added games they will play in the europa league will hurt their squad, which is a really small bunch of tight knot players. They were one of the best defences in England last term and were hard to break down, they must keep hold of Hangeland if they are to repeat last seasons successes. They will be safely around mid table this season I think, the extra european games will cause massive fatigue in the small squad, especially if they advance to the latter stages of the competition.
Hull City - Last season: 17th place
Key addition: None
Key departure: None
In-A-Nutshell: Hull shocked everybody last season with a lightning quick start and were sitting around 5th place at christmas time. Manager Phil Brown seemingly lost the plat just after that and after giving his players an embarrassing dressing down on the pitch at half time against Man City things were never the same again, and they only won 2 more games all season. They have not added any quality and now teams know how they play they will struggle all season. Its going to be really close at the bottom half of the league and I reckon Hull are going to slide through the relegation trapdoor.
Liverpool - Last season: 2nd place
Key addition: Alberto Aquilani
Key departure: Xabi Alonso
In-A-Nutshell: Liverpool have kept faith with pretty much the same squad that finished 2nd last year, apart from signing Aquilani to replace the Madrid bound Xabi Alonso. Rafa "the Spanish waiter" Benitez showed signs last year of abndoning his rotation policy and it paid dividends as they nearly overhauled an 8 point deficit to just fall short of Manchester United. El Nino Torres will once again score the goals and if he stays fit all season Liverpool have an excellent chance at finally winning the title for the first time in 14 years because they have a solid and settled squad.
Manchester City - Last season: 10th place
Key addition: Gareth Barry
Key departure: None
In-A-Nutshell: Manchester City have spent bucketloads of arab money in their attempt to break into the top 4 but its hard to see it happen, you cant just throw a squad of players together and expect them to gel and Mark Hughes has his work cutout keeping everybody together. They have no shortage of strikers with Santa Cruz and Adebayor joing the likes of Robinho and Bellamy already at Eastlands, and while the signing of Gareth Barry is an excellent move to shor up the midfield, its hard to see their defence being good enough to threaten the top 4. They'll score goals and concede goals and every game will be an experience. They'll improve on last seasons finish but I dont think they are good enough to finish in the champions league spots.
Manchester United - Last season: 1st place
Key addition: Antonio Valencia
Key departure: Crisitiano Ronaldo
In-A-Nutshell: The Ronaldo transfer saga was finally ended this offseason when he signed for Real Madrid, and whereas no play is irreplaceable, Man Utd have signed Valencia to replace him on the back of one good season at Wigan, expecting him to step up for the champions is a big ask. Alex Ferguson always has a knack of surviving whenever he sells big players so they will be right up there in the title race, but they need guys like Anderson and Nani to step up big time now Ronaldo has gone, and guys like Giggs and Scholes are getting old and unable to play every game. They are still rock solid at the back with Van Der Sar in the sticks and Vidic and Rio Ferdinand in front so they wont concede many goals, but for the first time in a few season there are serious questions about Man Utds title chances.
Portsmouth - Last season: 14th place
Key addition: Mark Viduka
Key departure: Peter Crouch
In-A-Nutshell: Pompey are in all kinds of trouble as the owners embark on a firesale to reduce the wages and make the club more appealing toforeign investment. They struggled to score goals at all last year, and there are rumblings that Niko Krankjcar isnt happy about the team direction and wants out. They sold Peter Crouch, Glen Johnson and Sol Campbell and havent spent any money on really solid replacements to bolster a poor squad. The only thing I can see saving Portsmouth is if they get investment in the early part of the season and the new owners throw some money at the team to bolster their survival hopes.
Stoke City - Last season: 12th place
Key addition: None
Key departure: None
In-A-Nutshell: Stoke did excellent last season to defy most peoples predictions and secure a mid table finish. They have made no real signings so are relying on the same group of hard working players and the mega long throws of Rory Delap to get them goals. They should be ok to survive on the back of their home form which was excellent as they turned the Britannia Stadium into something of a fortress, where even the big teams didnt enjoy playing. They wont finish as high as 12th again I dont think, but I cant see them getting relegated.
Sunderland - Last season: 16th place
Key addition: Steve Bruce (Manager)
Key departure: None
In-A-Nutshell: Sunderland pulled off arguably the coup of the summer by signing probably the best English manager at present, Steve Bruce. This will bring settlement to the squad after appointing rookie manager Ricky Sbragia for last season and barely avoiding relegation. They struggled for goals last term but the additions of Darren Bent and Frazier Campbell should see them climb the league table nicely. I Think Sunderland will have a solid first season for Steve Bruce and can easily see them finishing a lot higher than they did last season. They probably arent good enough to finish in the top 8, but 10th place isnt beyond the realms of possibility.
Tottenham Hotspur - Last season: 8th place
Key addition: Sebastian Bassong
Key departure: None
In-A-Nutshell: Tottenham have once again opened the chequebook to try and break into the top 6. They did excellent under Harry Rednknapp in the 2nd half of last season to finish 8th after being rooted in the bottom 3 at christmas time. The signings of Peter Crouch and, more importantly, Sebastian Bassong are shrewd signings, the latter being a vital addition due to the injury pronce Woodgate and King inevitably missing alot of playing time. Spurs will kick on under Harry Redknapp this season and although they arent breaking the top 4, they will finish in the Europa league places.
West Ham United - Last season: 9th place
Key addition: Luis Jimenez
Key departure: None
In-A-Nutshell: West Ham overcame plenty of off-field adversity last season to finish respectably in the top half of the table, despite their main sponsors going bankrupt and their main owner having all his money tied up in collapsed Icelandic banks. On the field they have a solid nucleaus of young players, but lack of fire power up front will probably cost them, Carlton Cole is the only striker who can really be relied upon to play 35 games. The enigmatic Zola is still learning the trade and his enthusiasm is infectious to a group of young players. I Feel West Ham will finish somewhere around the same position as last year.
Wigan Athletic - Last season: 11th place
Key addition: Roberto Martinez
Key departure: Steve Bruce
In-A-Nutshell: Not much has changed so far as the Wigan playing squad goes, apart from the departure of Antonio Valencia to Man Utd. Although he was an excellent player last season I think it was a great bit of sell-high business by the board and the team will be better for it in the long term. With Steve Bruce heading to Sunderland the Latics signed promising young manager Roberto Martinez from Swansea, where he was known for getting his teams playing attractive, attacking football. They have a bit too much reliance on unproven foreign imports this season but I think Martinez can lead them to safety again as there are far worse teams down at the bottom end of the league.
Wolverhampton Wanderers - Last season: 1st place (promoted from championship)
Key addition: None
Key departure: None
In-A-Nutshell: Wolves are coming into this season with pretty much the same squad that destroyed the championship, and its a very big squad at that. They have plenty of options across the board but there is no real proven premier league players in there, just foreign unkowns and players who have only played well against lower league teams. They do have a real quality striker in Sylvain Ebanks-Blake and it will be interesting to see how he makes the jump to top-flight football. I think they have enough in their squad to survive, just I might add.
THE FINAL WORD: I think the title is going back to Chelsea this year, they have a better squad than anyone in the division and I think the departure of Ronaldo will hit Manchester United a fair bit, fancy Liverpool to finish 2nd and United 3rd. At the bottom end I think the off field problems will see Portsmouth relegated, with Burnley joining them due to lack of funds and Hull City because Phil Brown has lost the dressing room and the respect of some senior players in the squad.
Thoughts? Opinions? STFUs? Predictions on how the biggest league in the world will pan out?
Over to you guys