2010/11 Premier League Preview
20 teams, 500 players, 34,200 minutes of football. The 2010/11 Premier League season is less than one week away and is already promising to be one of the most exciting seasons in recent memory. Tottenham Hotspur's emergence as a top four side, along with Manchester City's millions and Liverpool's decline, have really shaken things up at the top of the table, while at the bottom things will be no less competitive as last season's weakest teams have been replaced by Premier League veterans Newcastle United and West Brom. In our season preview, we break the league down into four 'mini-leagues' that we think will reflect reality as the season unfolds; Title Chasers, European Hopefuls, Mid-Table Mediocrity, and Basement Battlers. As always, your comments are welcome at mail[at]footballnation[dot]info.
Title Chasers
Champions Chelsea start the campaign as favourites for the title, and rightfully so. In Didier Drogba they have perhaps the league's only unplayable striker (29 goals in 32 games last season), while the return of Michael Essien can only improve last season's double winners further. The midfield is the only area of the team to have experienced any major change over the summer, with old heads Michael Ballack and Deco leaving the club and the highly-rated Ramires coming in. Another domestic trophy will be the minimum aim at Stamford Bridge this season, though as always European success will be at the top of Roman Abramovic's priority list.
Manchester United have kept their hands in their pockets so far this summer, with Sir Alex Ferguson seemingly content to put the foundations of a new team in place for his eventual successor while remaining reasonably competitive both domestically and in Europe. We seem to say it every year, but this could be the season when the failure to replace the likes of Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Gary Neville (combined age: 106) could really be felt. Off-the-field matters are likely continue to dominate the headlines for the forseeable future; On the pitch, however, expect Man United to be as focussed as ever as they seek both a record 19th league title as well as the third Champions' League trophy that Ferguson so badly wants.
In contrast to their cross-city rivals, Manchester City have abandoned subtlety in their transfer strategy this summer, spending big money on improving all areas of the pitch in an attempt to establish themselves at the top table of European football. There is no question that City now have both the quality and the strength in depth to finish in the top four, if not mount a serious title challenge; The question is, however, will Robero Mancini be able to mould this talented but inexperienced collection of individuals into a team, and if so, how soon? Perhaps the antithesis to City's big-spending ways, Arsenal will yet again undoubtedly be in the mix as they attempt to claim their first piece of silverware since an FA Cup victory in 2005. It could be a critical year at the Emirates; With talisman Cesc Fabregas almost certain to leave for Barcelona next summer, and Arsene Wenger increasingly showing signs of frustration at his 'project' failing to deliver tangible results. It is unlikely that this well-run club will find themselves in a similar decline to Liverpool last season; Failure to address obvious major flaws on the pitch, however - most critically in goal and in the centre of defence - before the end of the transfer window could see the Gunners in a genuine struggle to finish in the top four this season.
European Hopefuls
It has been an indecisive summer for Tottenham Hotspur, who have spent the last three months unsure of whether Champions' League football (and its associated rewards) will be coming to White Hart Lane this year. At the time of writing, however, a favourable draw means Spurs look likely to progress to the group stages of the Champions' League, and fans will be hoping for a positive end to the summer transfer window. Defensive midfielder Sandro is so far the only new addition to Harry Redknapp's squad, although it is widely expected that more business will be done. With Manchester City's likely emergence as a serious power in the Premiership, Tottenham, and chairman Daniel Levy in particular, will be aware that this could be their one and only chance to establish themselves as a 'big' club; With this in mind, finding a balance betwen European and domestic form is crucial this season. An appearance in the knockout phase of the Champions' League, combined with another top four finish, would be a fantastic result by anyone's standards; The fact that this is likely to be the minimum aim for this ambitious club means that an extremely interesting season awaits in North London.
Liverpool appear to be a club rejuvenated since the arrival of Roy Hodgson earlier in the summer, with the signing of Joe Cole in particular bringing a huge sigh of relief to an Anfield crowd used to the uber-disciplined approach favoured by Rafa Benitez. Like their talismanic forward Fernando Torres, the Liverpool squad looks talented but fragile, especially at left-back and up front, where Torres is unlikely to play even 40 games over a season. Hodgson is known for getting the best out of a small, close-knit group of players, and the likes of Jose Reina, Glen Johnson, Steven Gerrard, Torres and Cole are merely the star names amongst what is arguably the best group he has ever had at his disposal. Provided they can address their major weaknesses between now and the end of the transfer window, there is no reason why Liverpool cannot make a serious push to get back into the top four this season.
Aston Villa fans will be feeling a distinct sense of deja vu as they look set to lose an English international central midfielder to Manchester City for the second successive season; For Gareth Barry in 2009, read James Milner, 2010. Luckily for them, however, in Martin O'Neill they possess perhaps the only manager in the league capable of turning around such a setback to finish just one place behind their nouveau-riche rivals, as Villa did last season. The big question is, however, how long can it last, and how long will O'Neill be prepared to stay at what seems to have become a feeder club for the league's elite? Last season O'Neill dealt with the setback of losing Gareth Barry and Martin Laursen by putting James Milner in the centre of midfield and bringing in Richard Dunne, two of the most inspired decisions of the entire Premier League campaign. Even the most capable magicians can only pull a limited number of rabbits out of their hat, however; Should Villa lose both Milner and their top-six position this season, O'Neill may well walk away knowing he has brought the club as far as he can.
Everton round off our likely top eight, and will be anxious to shake off their recently-earned reputation of being a stable yet serially-unlucky side. A poor start to last season's campaign was cancelled out by a strong finish - Everton's 2010 form so far would see them qualify for the Champions' League if maintained over a whole season, and with a fully-fit squad, David Moyes will be keen for his side to continue that form into the new campaign. For a club such as Everton, who can beat anyone on their day but do not have much strength in depth, it is vital that key players such as Phil Jagielka, Phil Neville, Tim Cahill and Mikel Arteta avoid injury, as they simultaneously failed to do last year. As always, Moyes' side will both entertain the Goodison Park fans and punch above their weight in the league table; Hopefully this will be the season when we will finally see just how far above their weight they can punch with a fully-fit team.
Mid-Table Mediocrity
Birmingham City will be hoping to avoid the infamous second-season syndrome, and appear to be well-prepared for a comfortable, if unspectacular, Premier League campaign. New signings Ben Foster and Nikola Zigic will be key; If Foster manages to live up to his obvious potential by living up to the standards set by Joe Hart last season, relegation should not be a worry, and if Zigic can provide the goals that Christian Benitez and Cameron Jerome failed to deliver last season, another top ten finish is a definite possibilty.
Fulham will be happy to consolidate after two season of gross overachievement under Roy Hodgson. Fortunately for Mohammed Al Fayed and co., new boss Mark Hughes made his reputation by getting above-average results on both a limited budget (at Blackburn Rovers) and a limited talent pool (when in charge of Wales), both of which will apply at Craven Cottage. Hughes will, at least, not be under the same pressure of expectation as he was during his time in charge of Manchester City; The majority of Fulham fans are aware that last season's Europa League run was most likely a once-in-a-lifetime event, and will be happy with matching, or preferably improving on, last season's 12th place.
It may come as a surprise to many fans that Blackburn Rovers were a top ten side last season, and will be hopeful of a similar result this year. While Blackburn fans won't be expecting much excitement at Ewood Park, most will be happy about the way Sam Allardyce is running their side, keeping them well away from the foot of the table while staying off the radar of both the media and bigger clubs. Key players such as Paul Robinson, Chris Samba and David Dunn in particular consistently manage to put in good performances without being coveted by more fashionable sides. A new striker is a must between now and September however; provided whoever comes in can improve on the nine goals scored by last season's leading scorer David Dunn, another comfortable season awaits Rovers.
Stoke City have settled in to their top-flight surroundings well, and although their style of football has not won them many fans over the last two years, few can argue that they have not earned their place at football's top table in that time. Don't expect any major changes this season; Last season's experiment with creativity came in the form of Turkish striker Tuncay, who spent most of his time on the bench, and is unlikely to be repeated, while the likes of Emile Heskey and Carlton Cole seem to be the favourites to replace the out-of-favour James Beattie should Tony Pulis find a buyer for the want-away striker.
Basement Battlers
As always when discussing relegation, the three promoted sides will always feature heavily. By their own manager's admission, Blackpool appear to be the worst-equipped side for a top flight campaign this season, and are rightfully favourites for the drop. Stranger things have happened, however, and Ian Holloway's side will find inspiration from the likes of Hull City, who recently survived their first season in the Premier League after promotion via the playoffs. Yo-yo club West Brom will be anxious to finally establish themselves in the Premier League (so that they will stop being called a yo-yo club more than anything else), and it is hard to argue that the league will not be improved by Roberto Di Matteo's side, who will need to add a streak of ruthlessness to their passing game if they are to be taken seriously this season. Newcastle United are perhaps the least likely of the three promoted sides to return to the Championship; After a disastrous 2008/09 campaign, they united last season to prove that they were far too good for the second tier, coming up as champions in their first attempt. A swift return to mid-table before expectations become unrealistic again seems the most likely outcome for the side with the third-highest average home attendance in the league.
Wigan Athletic and Wolves find themselves in a roughly similar position this season; Both are in the Premier League on merit, yet the two clubs are usually amongst the first mentioned by those arguing for a reduction in the size of the league. Improvements will have to be made if these two sides, and their respective managers, are to feature in this article next year. For Roberto Martinez, attractive, attacking football is not much good when it is also losing football, and being played in front of an empty DW Stadium. Mick McCarthy takes a different kind of risk; He has invested selectively this summer, but it remains to be seen if buying players who were unable to save their respective clubs from relegation last season (in the form of Stevens Fletcher, Hunt and Mouyokolo) is the best way to spend his club's money.
West Ham United, Bolton Wanderers, Sunderland complete our season preview and look set to simply make up the numbers in this season's Premier League. They are all almost certain to fall under the category of 'There are at least three worse teams than them' and survive to fight another season in the top flight, while a push for even a place in the top half of the table is unlikely. What all three sides have in common, however, is that in the last twelve months they have all made fundamental changes with a view towards long-term stability and prosperity (it is not just coincidence that they have all appointed new managers in this time). Bearing this in mind, consolidation will be the aim for Messrs. Grant, Coyle and Bruce this season, who will all be aiming to provide a solid foundation on which to build over the next five years or so.
Predicted League Table:
1. Chelsea
2. Manchester United
3. Manchester City
4. Arsenal
5. Everton
6. Liverpool
7. Tottenham Hotspur
8. Aston Villa
9. Blackburn Rovers
10. Birmingham City
11. Fulham
12. Stoke City
13. West Ham United
14. Newcastle United
15. Bolton Wanderers
16. Sunderland
17. Wolves
18. Wigan Athletic
19. West Brom
20. Blackpool
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