Arsenal - Having finally dipped into the transfer market with a £40 million investment this could finally be the year Arsene wins the race, with RVP jumping onto a losing horse. Santi Carzola will prove to be everything Arshavin hoped. If Jack Wilshire can join the party in the New Year they may just have the impetus to win the whole thing.
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| Santi Carzola - the missing link for Arsenal |
Manchester City - Logically they would stay at the top given the finances at their disposal, but continuing to massage the egos of those not regularly playing and finding the time to manage the biggest of them all .. his own ... could see Mancini fall short this year, particularly with his extraordinary habit of signing of injury prone players.
Chelsea - An embarrassment of riches, especially in midfield, but who does he play and does he continue to depend on the 'old guard'? This could see Di Matteo becoming an early faller in the sack race ... over to you JT.
Manchester United - A weaker and ageing squad will rely on Wayne Rooney's shoulders more than ever to bear the burden. RVP or bust? A share price diving faster than Ashley Young may mean big changes are just around the corner. Worrying times.
Everton - There is no better dealer in the transfer market than David Moyes, starting out with a much stronger squad this time around, and if they start this season like they finished the last, they could be the big surprise. Not since David Bentley's agent scooted out of White Hart Lane has a there been a more impressive negotiation than the one that took Jack Rodwell to Man City. Sheikh Mansour may have leapfrogged Everton since 2009 but has also given David Moyes £40million to keep the Goodison pot stirring.
Tottenham - Can AVB take over from Harry and carry the club a stage further? A lot may depend on how Jan Vertonghen adapts to the Premier League. Spurs need a successor to Ledley King and fast.
There was a time when it appeared that an embarrassment of riches in the forward line was proving an issue with consistency. AVB and Daniel Levy have removed such issues... now only one striker of note... well... it worked for Spain.
Newcastle - There may have been some disgruntled fans around the Tyne when Newcastle last had a quiet window. With Demba Ba's contract 'clause' made fairly public ... no news was certainly good news this summer. The Magpies have done their business on their terms throughout Mike Ashley's reign and no-one will doubt the system now. Steven Taylor will be a big boost on his return and the obvious wobble by Liverpool to send Andy Carroll back there at 11pm on transfer deadline day will be satisfaction enough.
Aston Villa - Paul Lambert was the only transfer that Villa fans would have wanted this year. If last term was grim, then the silver lining was surely that youth was given a chance. Bannan, Albrighton and co. will be up for it stronger and wiser this time and with Darren Bent enjoying a summer of rest and recuperation, Villa will improve.
Liverpool - A season that has mostly been given up to style over substance awaits for the Reds. It will be important that Brendan Rodgers can get Liverpool playing in the way he had Swansea - let's just hope Roberto Martinez left his blueprint lying around while he was visiting for talks. Joe Allen will be neat and tidy and Gerrard will have some rousing days. If Suarez can keep out of trouble they should have enough to mark this down as a season of transition and will hope for a run in Europe's second tier. A year off in the Premier League is a difficult thing to manage. See life for Villa under Houllier and Newcastle under ... well there are a few.
Southampton - Ricky Lambert has to score goals .. and he probably will. Forget the styles and variables it is fair to say Saints will be more than happy to be this year's Norwich and they should manage that. Great to have them back in the big league.
Sunderland - Martin O'Neill just doesn't know when to stop. To most, Carlos Cuellar was a symbol of the boom and bust years at Villa - the mercurial but experienced manager not only didn't want to forget it every happened ... he brought him up to the Stadium of Light. More extortionate fees are directed the way of Wolves for Stephen Fletcher. Great motivators should be given smaller budgets.
Stoke - They have spent and spent to stay up and now the party may be over. Tony Pulis will do what he does but will have to work that bit harder this year to keep the Stoke train rolling. He will likely do it because nobody wants to play them and for the most part ... that's a good thing.
Wigan - Great for Latics that the main man stayed and they have certainly picked up a few good players along the way. For all the plaudits Martinez gets for getting a small town team to play with style and compete with the big boys, it should also be remembered that he gets the best out of players. Shaun Maloney and Victor Moses looked nothing early last year. By the end of the season they were inspirational.
QPR - Mark Hughes said his club would not be involved in relegation battle again and it will be true. No last day dramas - the new Fulham.
Fulham - With influential players gone, and others on the verge of leaving, we could see the Cottagers in the dogfight for most of the season attempting to hold on to Premier League status. It won't be so easy but Martin Jol has 'streaky' sides. As much as they slump they can always hit a winning streak that gets them out of it ... mainly because they can score goals.
Swansea - Joe Allen's transfer to Liverpool following his manager to the same venue, may be the straw that breaks the Swan's back and sees them returning to a level where they can regroup for another challenge. Everybody should want Michael Laudrup to do well. A likeable and educated manager as he was a glorious player - he is what the league needs. A proper icon.
Norwich - Although they were a revelation at times last season, Paul Lambert a major factor in getting the best out of Grant Holt and a side that was exposed towards the end of the season. Chris Houghton is tactically astute and they will not be easy pickings. That is why they should be able to dig deep enough to stay up.
West Bromwich Albion - Steve Clarke, with only a 2 year contract, will do well if he keeps the Baggies up this year. If found wanting, he knows that the directors at this club will waste no time in finding someone else. It all looked so stable under Roy Hodgson and the 'yo-yo' tag was about to disappear. Not anymore... we are back to the untried and untested.
Reading - With mostly only free signings coming in this a squad looks ill prepared for the quality of the opposition they will be facing, Brian McDermott has a job on his hands. If the new owners even dare question their manager during what will be undoubtedly a sticky first few months they could be dead and buried by Christmas.
West Ham - Although renowned for making his teams awkward to play against and difficult to beat, 'Big Sam' faces his biggest battle with his own fans. The Premier League is brutal, if and when the cracks that seemed evident during a promotion push appear again - the debates over style and the 'West Ham way' may cause terrible damage to morale. The Hammers will stay up if they stick together... you can draw your own conclusions.
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