Hi Everyone,
Not long now until the start of the new Premier League season so even though there are bound to be plenty more comings and goings in the transfer market, I thought I would share my thoughts on how I see the new season unfolding.
Premier League Winners And Top Four Places
My initial thoughts are that whilst the Premier League is seen around the world as a very competitive league with any team capable of beating any other, the fact is that Manchester City have won five out of the last six titles and I can't see anybody stopping them from making it six out of seven this time around.
They have made one or two changes but overall very little has changed. They've swapped out Ilkay Gundogan and brought in Mateo Kovacic which I think is a very good bit of business. I remember speaking to Rafa Benitez when he had just left Real Madrid and I asked him which players were really impressive and the first name he mentioned was Mateo Kovacic. I think Manchester City's style of play will suit him and while Gundogan is a top player, he is getting on in years and there is always a need to move players on at some stage. All in all, no major changes at Manchester City; they seem to be at the peak of their powers and with a manager who is arguably the best in the world, I can't see anything but another Manchester City title win.
If predicting Manchester City to win the Premier League is pretty straightforward, deciding who will finish in the next six or seven spots in the table, is anything but!
Arsenal chased home Manchester City last year and I think their business in the transfer market has been exceptional. They've got rid of one or two players but have really gone for top quality in the players that they've brought in. Obviously, Declan Rice is a huge marque signing and in a position that they really needed to strengthen. I also like the signing of Kai Havertz from Chelsea who I think they might play in an advanced midfield role in front of Rice because they've already got quality strikers up front in the likes of Jesus, Martinelli and Bukayo Saka. They have also signed Jurrien Timber from Ajax who looks a top player in a position that they needed to strengthen. Given the signings they've made and the fact that they pushed Manchester City close last season, I fancy them to go well again this time around. They seem to be the genuine up and coming team and I don't think last season was just a flash in the pan, so I am going for them to finish in second spot again this season.
I also think Chelsea could have a decent season; certainly way better than their last one! They finished twelfth last season and I think a big part of the reason for that was a squad that was way too big. I think any manager would find it difficult to manage a squad of that size and in the end, it saps all your energy. A manager spends a great deal of time trying to get a settled side, playing in a certain style and before you know it, there are 15 unhappy players knocking on your door and generally moping around the training ground because they're not featuring on match days. As a result, I think buying players left right and centre was a huge mistake and trimming the squad was essential. However, I am a little surprised at some of the players they off-loaded such as Havertz, Mason Mount and Kovacic who are all top players but they do have an excellent manager in Mauricio Pochettino who I'm sure will do well. I see him improving the team throughout the season and I've actually gone for Chelsea to finish third.
In the final Champions League spot I've gone for Liverpool but it was a very tight call between them and Manchester United.
I've got big question marks about Liverpool this season. I'm worried that losing Jordan Henderson and James Milner will leave a big hole in the dressing room as far as instrumental leaders are concerned. They've obviously tried to replace them with Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister and that is an area that has looked like it needed strengthening for some time. With Fabinho also looking as though he might move on, it really will be a brand-new midfield and it's obviously too early to say how that might work out. Another concern for me is that Liverpool were undoubtedly the best at what they did and the way they played with a high press, high line and bags of energy. It was a unique style in the Premier League and set them apart from the rest. Obviously, nothing lasts forever but I worry they have become like every other team and with their tactical changes around the way they employ Trent Alexander Arnold interchanging between full back and midfield they seem to be following something that Pep Guardiola started three or four seasons ago. Time will tell if this new style of football will bring success, but I loved the fact that they had their own style and were the very best at it whereas now they seem to be conforming to what a lot of the other top teams are doing.
Manchester United are a team who flattered to deceive a little last season and, in my opinion, their results were better than their performances would suggest. They've made a couple of good signings in Mason Mount from Chelsea and Andre Onana from Inter Milan. David de Gea was a brilliant goalkeeper for them over a number of years but if Erik Ten Hag wants to play out from the back then Onana looks to be an excellent acquisition. I still think they desperately need a centre forward and time will tell if anything transpireson that front but as things stand, I think Manchester United are still a way away from challenging for the title. They had a very solid season last time out, winning the Carabao Cup, reaching the final of the FA Cup and qualifying for the Champions League but unless they make one or two major moves in the transfer market, I can't see them bettering that.
UNITED
Newcastle United had a great season and fully deserved to qualify for the Champions League. They have a very, very strong squad and an exceptional manager and they really do look to be building something special up in the North East. I fancy them to have another good season in the Premier League, but my only concern is the added amount of games they will face now they are competing in Europe. Last season they were able to focus entirely on domestic competitions and they may need to add one or two players to their squad to cope with the additional demands this season will bring.
UNITED
The last team I fancy to be in contention for a top four finish is Tottenham Hotspur. They've been in the doldrums these last few years and I think they have appointed too many managers that just didn't fit the club. Too many of their recent managers, whilst having impressive CVs, have had a defensive mindset and that isn't a style of football that the club's fans want or demand to see. In Angelos "Ange" Postecoglou I think they have finally appointed the ideal man for the job. I love the way his teams play, and I can't wait to see what he can do with the squad at his disposal.
Relegation
Due to the huge gulf in finances and sponsorship opportunities between the Championship and the Premier League these days, it's very difficult to initially look anywhere but at the three promoted teams for an immediate return to the Championship. I am struggling to make a case for Sheffield United or Luton to survive and that's purely because they probably need time to adjust to operating in the Premier League and time is the one luxury that isn't afforded by the most demanding league in the world!
Of the promoted teams, I fancy Burnley to just avoid relegation because they've only spent one season out of the Premier League since their relegation at the end of season 2021/2022. Prior to that, they had been ever present in the Premier League since 2016 so they won't need that usual period of adjustment. They also have an excellent up and coming manager in Vincent Kompany. Having rebuilt the playing squad in his first season in charge, they play a possession-based style of attacking football and secured their promotion from the Championship with seven games to spare!
So if Burnley stay up, I am going with Bournemouth to join Luton Town and Sheffield United in being relegated at the end of this season. I was amazed to see Bournemouth sack Gary O'Neill after he came in and kept them in the Premier League. I thought he did an incredible job in the short time he was at the club and whilst I don't know the background to his dismissal, I do think they may live to regret it. They have appointed Andoni Iraola, who has never worked in the Premier League, as his replacement. I think it's asking a lot of a young manager, despite his achievements in Spain, to come in and move the club forward in his first year.
Top Scorer
Top Goalscorer is an easy pick this year. It's amazing to think that Erling Haaland was being questioned by many after the Community Shield last year. When I first saw him playing for Dortmund, he was very much a direct striker feeding off over the top balls and I did think he would need to adapt his game at Manchester City. Almost every team that plays City sits deep and leaves no space in behind, but Haaland can literally play in any way and really is the complete striker. The way that he has adapted his game to now be brilliant on crosses, finding space against any team and scoring all type of goals, it doesn't matter how teams set up against him, he will find an answer. When you add that to the fact he is playing in a Manchester City team that create so many chances, it's going to be almost impossible for anyone else to come close to his tally. If he does face competition, the obvious candidate is Harry Kane who scored an incredible 30 goals in the Premier League and that was in a team that generally struggled throughout the season. There is a lot of speculation as to whether Kane might move on before the season starts but if he does stay and with the new manager at Spurs, I would see him as the man to finish second behind Haaland in the Premier League goal-scoring charts.
Premier League Predicted Finishing Positions
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