And without a moment to spare, the new Premier League season is upon us with all the hope and aspirations of millions looking forward to a fresh campaign from their home sides. With a mediocre level of activity in the transfer markets, we pick up many of the same story lines from the EPL where we left them at the beginning of the summer. New faces on many teams including a handful of managerial adjustments will make it an interesting launching point for numerous clubs looking to resurrect past glory or find a new identity under a new banner of leadership. Well then, lets get right into it.
Team of the Year
All personal inclinations aside, I firmly believe Manchester United will run away with the 2011/12 EPL title. There will be threats from the other contenders, largely in the form of Manchester City and Chelsea, but no one will match the calm and pace of the United side that will march on to a successful title defense. The Red Devils have added the likes of Ashley Young, Phil Jones, and David De Gea, all very young and very promising newcomers who will surely find plenty of first team exposure going forward. The attacking front four led by Hernandez and Rooney can be very fluid at times as was witnessed with Nani’s first goal in the Charity Shield, and this should give many a restless night in England. Although they have yet to fill in the void in center midfield, the combination of Young, Nani, Valencia, and Giggs can hold that space well at least in terms of league play. This will remain a soft spot when it comes time to play a Barcelona like team in European competition. Time will tell how Young, Nani, and Valencia will divide time in the rotation but I suspect they’ll figure a pretty formidable combination, barring any serious injury, that will make this years Manchester United side stronger and more exciting than the 2010/11 title holders.
Player of the Year
The player of year I think will come from the team that will have made the most progress from where they were a year ago this time, and that would be Luis Suarez from Liverpool. Suarez made short shrift of his mid season entrance to the league after last years winter transfer window and his attacking prowess and creativity made him a nuisance for every team he faced. With Liverpool out of all European competition this season, Luis Suarez will flourish in the Premier League with great group around him in the form of Andy Carrol, Raul Miereles, and newcomers Stuart Downing and Charlie Adam. Suarez will pick right where he left off, having a great summer with Uruguay in Copa America, and he will be one of the spearheads of Liverpool’s 2011/12 league campaign.
Surprise of the Year
Two of the three promoted Championship sides this year will stay up, and one of those two will have a very successful return to the top flight by all standards. Queens Park Rangers return to the Premier League for the first time in 15 years and with the money and momentum going forward, QPR will have a a strong season and finish easily clear of relegation. Neil Warnock will be itching to make the most of his return to the Premier League after a bitter relegation with Sheffield United in 2007. Retaining the services of Algerian front man Adel Taraabt and the additions of DJ Campbell, Kieron Dyer, Danny Gabbidon, Jay Bothroyd, QPR will make respectable case as a team that could not only stay but succeed in the Premier League for years to come. Talk of new ownership in the summer has cause a bit of a stir in the London camp but all is well these days at Loftus Road as they look to secure a more permanent position in the league.
Disappointment of the Year
This will be a familiar tone for the some time, and perhaps its just the popular thing to do these days, but Arsenal will not succeed to secure a place in the top four, and will struggle to hold on to even the fifth spot. This has been a negative summer for the Gunners with the impending departures of Samir Nasri to City and the surprising transfer of Fabregas to Barcelona, Arsenal has been caught flat footed for much of the summer, defending their right to called among the best on the league will trying to levy talk of a disastrous disintegration of what had seemed to be Wenger’s vision of his young guard finally coming into fruition. The Arsenal team of Van Persie, Fabregas, Nasri, Arshavin, and Rosicky should have been at their prime by now but instead three of these mentioned are likely on their way out and Arsene Wenger finds himself having to rebuild for a future that should already have been here. With the additions of Gervinho and Oxlade-Chamberlain in the summer window, Arsenal have continued to grab good young players that will work for them in time, but Wenger seems still be deaf to the cries for a more bolstered defense, a glaring weakness in the London side which has only become more glaring with the departure of Gael Clichy to Man City. Arsenal will not be title contender this year, although they should have been. Arsenal will not qualify for a Champions League spot, which they should have. Sometimes it all about timing, and Arsenal has gotten all their timing wrong this time around. Time will tell whether Wenger will be there on the other side of a painfully unproductive season for a team that should be peaking right about now.
Players to Watch
Odemwigie had a great 2010/11 season for West Brom and I suspect we can expect more of the same as much of that team remains unchanged, if anything, bolstered with Zoltan Gera and Ben Foster. Stuart Downing and Charlie Adam can be a new page in the story of Liverpool’s climb back to the top, and this is all good news for Andy Carroll who will undoubtedly benefit from the improved midfield service. Chicharito will be back to his old ways in front of goal, as soon as he returns to the lineup that is, as will Rooney who shows no signs of that poor form we saw early last season. I predict Torres to be a sub-20 goal scorer for Chelsea, although depending on what else Chelsea can conjure from the rest of the team, that may be enough, but for £50 million I’m not so sure. Aguero will be productive in front of goal this season, as will Edin Dzeko, much to the delight of City fans. Newcastle will surprise some with the new French additions of Yohan Cabaye and Sylvain Marveaux as well as Demba Ba. These three can form a new core in Newcastle which they desperately need after losing the heart of their talent in the last 15 months. Finally, James Vaughan of Norwich and Jay Bothroyd of QPR are both primed for a productive season to keep their respective sides afloat in the Premier League.
Conclusions
Now lets tie this all up. Chelsea will not be as good as people think, not because they lack any amount of talent or management, but because this will be the pivotal year for both high profile transfer Fernando Torres and manager Andre Villas-Boas and the key of them will have to be team blending. They will comfortably finish top four, but they will struggle to get any higher than 3rd. Liverpool will live up to the hype and will make a strong push into the top four. They will qualify for a Champions League spot, and may even top Chelsea for the 3rd spot. I would love to see Ferguson and Dalglish duke it out for the next few years, just like old times. Sunderland and Stoke will have surprisingly successful seasons finishing in the top half. West Bromwich Albion will be a steady mid-table finisher this year while retaining last years squad and enlisting the services of Zoltan Gera and Ben Foster. Wolves will be safe from relegation, while both Norwich and QPR retain their spot on the top flight. Swansea will struggle to keep up with the pace and strength of Premier League mainstays and will accompany Blackburn and Wigan into relegation. The top four will be a battle all season, but in the end, Manchester United takes the title with conviction while Man City will show that they have not only improved from last year, but that they will be in the title conversation for the next several years.
So here is the Futbolintellect final EPL table for 2011/12:
1. Manchester United
2. Manchester City
3. Liverpool
4. Chelsea
5. Arsenal
6. Tottenham
7. Fulham
8. Everton
9. Stoke City
10. Sunderland
11. Bolton
12. West Brom Albion
13. Newcastle
14. QPR
15. Wolves
16. Aston Villa
17. Norwich
18. Swansea
19. Blackburn
20. Wigan
And there you have it. Speculation, speculation, speculation but all in good fun. The anticipation the eve of the season is a feeling all football fans can relate to and the assertions we make today may not hold for even the first few weeks of the new season. Nevertheless, good luck to all the sides, and let the football banter commence.
2011/12 EPL Preview
- Tom Thomas
And without a moment to spare, the new Premier League season is upon us with all the hope and aspirations of millions looking forward to a fresh campaign from their home sides. With a mediocre level of activity in the transfer markets, we pick up many of the same story lines from the EPL where we left them at the beginning of the summer. New faces on many teams including a handful of managerial adjustments will make it an interesting launching point for numerous clubs looking to resurrect past glory or find a new identity under a new banner of leadership. Well then, lets get right into it.
Team of the Year
All personal inclinations aside, I firmly believe Manchester United will run away with the 2011/12 EPL title. There will be threats from the other contenders, largely in the form of Manchester City and Chelsea, but no one will match the calm and pace of the United side that will march on to a successful title defense. The Red Devils have added the likes of Ashley Young, Phil Jones, and David De Gea, all very young and very promising newcomers who will surely find plenty of first team exposure going forward. The attacking front four led by Hernandez and Rooney can be very fluid at times as was witnessed with Nani’s first goal in the Charity Shield, and this should give many a restless night in England. Although they have yet to fill in the void in center midfield, the combination of Young, Nani, Valencia, and Giggs can hold that space well at least in terms of league play. This will remain a soft spot when it comes time to play a Barcelona like team in European competition. Time will tell how Young, Nani, and Valencia will divide time in the rotation but I suspect they’ll figure a pretty formidable combination, barring any serious injury, that will make this years Manchester United side stronger and more exciting than the 2010/11 title holders.
Player of the Year
The player of year I think will come from the team that will have made the most progress from where they were a year ago this time, and that would be Luis Suarez from Liverpool. Suarez made short shrift of his mid season entrance to the league after last years winter transfer window and his attacking prowess and creativity made him a nuisance for every team he faced. With Liverpool out of all European competition this season, Luis Suarez will flourish in the Premier League with great group around him in the form of Andy Carrol, Raul Miereles, and newcomers Stuart Downing and Charlie Adam. Suarez will pick right where he left off, having a great summer with Uruguay in Copa America, and he will be one of the spearheads of Liverpool’s 2011/12 league campaign.
Surprise of the Year
Two of the three promoted Championship sides this year will stay up, and one of those two will have a very successful return to the top flight by all standards. Queens Park Rangers return to the Premier League for the first time in 15 years and with the money and momentum going forward, QPR will have a a strong season and finish easily clear of relegation. Neil Warnock will be itching to make the most of his return to the Premier League after a bitter relegation with Sheffield United in 2007. Retaining the services of Algerian front man Adel Taraabt and the additions of DJ Campbell, Kieron Dyer, Danny Gabbidon, Jay Bothroyd, QPR will make respectable case as a team that could not only stay but succeed in the Premier League for years to come. Talk of new ownership in the summer has cause a bit of a stir in the London camp but all is well these days at Loftus Road as they look to secure a more permanent position in the league.
Disappointment of the Year
This will be a familiar tone for the some time, and perhaps its just the popular thing to do these days, but Arsenal will not succeed to secure a place in the top four, and will struggle to hold on to even the fifth spot. This has been a negative summer for the Gunners with the impending departures of Samir Nasri to City and the surprising transfer of Fabregas to Barcelona, Arsenal has been caught flat footed for much of the summer, defending their right to called among the best on the league will trying to levy talk of a disastrous disintegration of what had seemed to be Wenger’s vision of his young guard finally coming into fruition. The Arsenal team of Van Persie, Fabregas, Nasri, Arshavin, and Rosicky should have been at their prime by now but instead three of these mentioned are likely on their way out and Arsene Wenger finds himself having to rebuild for a future that should already have been here. With the additions of Gervinho and Oxlade-Chamberlain in the summer window, Arsenal have continued to grab good young players that will work for them in time, but Wenger seems still be deaf to the cries for a more bolstered defense, a glaring weakness in the London side which has only become more glaring with the departure of Gael Clichy to Man City. Arsenal will not be title contender this year, although they should have been. Arsenal will not qualify for a Champions League spot, which they should have. Sometimes it all about timing, and Arsenal has gotten all their timing wrong this time around. Time will tell whether Wenger will be there on the other side of a painfully unproductive season for a team that should be peaking right about now.
Players to Watch
Odemwigie had a great 2010/11 season for West Brom and I suspect we can expect more of the same as much of that team remains unchanged, if anything, bolstered with Zoltan Gera and Ben Foster. Stuart Downing and Charlie Adam can be a new page in the story of Liverpool’s climb back to the top, and this is all good news for Andy Carroll who will undoubtedly benefit from the improved midfield service. Chicharito will be back to his old ways in front of goal, as soon as he returns to the lineup that is, as will Rooney who shows no signs of that poor form we saw early last season. I predict Torres to be a sub-20 goal scorer for Chelsea, although depending on what else Chelsea can conjure from the rest of the team, that may be enough, but for £50 million I’m not so sure. Aguero will be productive in front of goal this season, as will Edin Dzeko, much to the delight of City fans. Newcastle will surprise some with the new French additions of Yohan Cabaye and Sylvain Marveaux as well as Demba Ba. These three can form a new core in Newcastle which they desperately need after losing the heart of their talent in the last 15 months. Finally, James Vaughan of Norwich and Jay Bothroyd of QPR are both primed for a productive season to keep their respective sides afloat in the Premier League.
Conclusions
Now lets tie this all up. Chelsea will not be as good as people think, not because they lack any amount of talent or management, but because this will be the pivotal year for both high profile transfer Fernando Torres and manager Andre Villas-Boas and the key of them will have to be team blending. They will comfortably finish top four, but they will struggle to get any higher than 3rd. Liverpool will live up to the hype and will make a strong push into the top four. They will qualify for a Champions League spot, and may even top Chelsea for the 3rd spot. I would love to see Ferguson and Dalglish duke it out for the next few years, just like old times. Sunderland and Stoke will have surprisingly successful seasons finishing in the top half. West Bromwich Albion will be a steady mid-table finisher this year while retaining last years squad and enlisting the services of Zoltan Gera and Ben Foster. Wolves will be safe from relegation, while both Norwich and QPR retain their spot on the top flight. Swansea will struggle to keep up with the pace and strength of Premier League mainstays and will accompany Blackburn and Wigan into relegation. The top four will be a battle all season, but in the end, Manchester United takes the title with conviction while Man City will show that they have not only improved from last year, but that they will be in the title conversation for the next several years.
So here is the Futbolintellect final EPL table for 2011/12:
1. Manchester United
2. Manchester City
3. Liverpool
4. Chelsea
5. Arsenal
6. Tottenham
7. Fulham
8. Everton
9. Stoke City
10. Sunderland
11. Bolton
12. West Brom Albion
13. Newcastle
14. QPR
15. Wolves
16. Aston Villa
17. Norwich
18. Swansea
19. Blackburn
20. Wigan
And there you have it. Speculation, speculation, speculation but all in good fun. The anticipation the eve of the season is a feeling all football fans can relate to and the assertions we make today may not hold for even the first few weeks of the new season. Nevertheless, good luck to all the sides, and let the football banter commence.