I had a nightmare with the predictions last week so hopefully this week ill get back on track!
Saturday
Man. City Vs Hull (BT Sport 1 12.45 ko)
Hull will be buoyed by their battling win against Norwich and with a lot of the game with ten men but they wont be kidding themselves about how hard a task it will be going to the Eithad even though Man City suffered a shock loss to Cardiff last week. City looked ill at ease without Vincent Kompany and also the continuing poor form of Joe Hart who was to blame for at least two of the goals. City should still have too much for Hull at home and go into the international break in good stead.
Prediction: Man City 3 Hull 1
Cardiff Vs Everton (Setanta Sports 1)
Cardiff had an amazing win over Man City last weekend and they should carry that confidence coming into this weekend against an Everton side who have yet their find their feet under new boss Roberto Martinez and the shadow hanging over the potential departures of Marouane Fellaini and Leighton Baines. They are playing nice football but have yet to to find their cutt9ng edge and if Cardiff especially at set pieces can replicate their win from last week you could fancy them for the win again this time although I think a draw would be more likely.
Prediction: Cardiff 1 Everton 1
Newcastle Vs Fulham
Newcastle need something good to happen and it could happen here. Doubts still linger about whether Yohan Cabaye is going to be at the club by the end of the transfer window but rumour has it he will be playing this weekend and could be the difference here. Fulham have been branded the laziest team in the league. They were very poor against Arsenal but also in Dimitar Berbatov and Darren Bent they could score a lot of goals as well. Think there could be a load of gals here and maybe a point is the best either can expect.
Prediction: Newcastle 2 Fulham 2
Norwich Vs Southampton.
Could be a really good game this one. Norwich were very poor against Hull last week but at home they will get a load of pints. I like the look of Southampton and it will be interesting to see how Osvaldo fits into the picture. He should have been sent off last week and will need to keep his temper in check but there is no denying his talent. I think Southampton will nick this one but would not be one hundred percent confident on it.
Prediction: Norwich 1 Southampton 2
West Ham Vs Stoke
West Ham look a very good outfit and have made a good start without conceding a goal as well which is a bonus. They wont be easy to beat at home but a lot of what they can achieve this season will be the fitness of Andy Caroll. He provides the focal point of their attack and if he is not there I think in certain games West Ham will struggle to score. It will take time for Stoke to adapt to Mark Hughes style of play and early on I fancy they will not take too many points early on in the season and also need a few more bodies up front. I see a comfortable afternoon for West Ham.
Prediction: West Ham 2 Stoke 0
Crystal Palace Vs Sunderland (Sky Sports 1 5.30 ko)
Palace and Sunderland have not made the best of starts to the premiership. Palace under Ian Holloway are already struggling and Ian Holloway has already has his odds slashed to be the first manager sacked in the premiership. It is going to be difficult to get out of the malaise they are already in even if it is two games down. Thankfully they are playing a Sunderland side who are trying to find their feet with all the new players that are in the new squad Palace might be able to sneak three points here.
Prediction: Crystal Palace 2 Sunderland 1
Sunday
Liverpool vs. Man. Utd. (Sky Sports 1 1.30 ko)
Big game for both. I do fancy Liverpool in this one. They have made a very good start and I can see them taking advantage of a United side still trying to find their feet under David Moyes. Pressure will be on Moyes more than Rogers and even though Wayne Rooney's performance was a source of relief for Moyes the lack of chances they created against Chelsea would cause alarm bells and I can see Liverpool keeping it tight and catching United on the counter and with Daniel Sturridge on the form that he is in there is no reason why he can't continue his form into this game and get the three points for the Pool.
Prediction: Liverpool 2 Man Utd.1
West Brom Vs. Swansea
West Brom have made an indifferent start to the season and missing the presence of Lukakau has hurt them for sure but with Nicolas Anelka and Matej Vydra available for this game against Swansea they might get their first win of the season. Swansea have struggled so far this season but it has been a difficult start for them but I see West Brom picking up the three points here.
Prediction: West Brom 1 Swansea 0
Arsenal Vs. Spurs (Sky Sports 1 4.00 ko)
Spurs have spent around 100 million as of today. They broke their transfer record for the third time this summer with the signing of Eric Lamela from Roma. It will be too late for him to play in the derby but that and also the impending arrival of Christian Eriksen from Ajax and AVB has built up a formidable squad for the forthcoming campaign which rightly has Arsenal fans worried. Arsenal still need to add but Arsene Wegner's press conference ahead of this game he seemed relaxed and the belief is he will get signatures before the transfer window closes which will strengthen the squad which is needed badly. This game will have loads of goals as usual but I do give Arsenal the edge simply because of the previous two games between these two at the emirates have finished 5-2 to the home side and the crowd will probably carry Arsenal through on this one as well.
Prediction: Arsenal 3 Tottenham 2
Next blog has the review of the weekends action and also a review of the super cup between Bayern Munich and Chelsea which should be a fasinating match between the two best friends of the world Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola.
Goal of the Week: Daniels Sturridge's effort was probably a better goal for Liverpool against Aston Villa but I love chips over the keeper and Danny's effort for Zenit St. Petersburg against Pacos Ferreira was one of those sweet efforts you can replay again and again.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3sC7D4r0S4
Talk next week enjoy the weekend!
Friday, August 30, 2013
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Premiership Review Chosen One vs Special One.
Yes it was the big game this weekend but it failed to deliver the fireworks that a lot of people were expecting. The ploy of playing without a recognised striker was a weird choice as Chelsea ended up for an hour of the game with four attackers and no real focal point. The United defenders had no-one to mark most of the time. Jose was trying with his attack to move the united back line around and keep them guessing but I do not think after this game Kevin De Bryune will play centre forward again any time soon. The big news for United was the inclusion of Wayne Rooney and he was the best player on the pitch involved in nearly all the good moments on the pitch for the Red Devils. The one thing that struck me was even when Torres came on Chelsea were still very negative but United struggled at the other end to create anything either but at least it seemed that they were more going for the victory than Chelsea were. You would fancy Jose and Chelsea were more happy with the point but it will be more interesting to see if Chelsea experiment again without a recognised striker. More good news as it seems Rooney won't be handing in a transfer request to force a move to Chelsea and with Jose imposing a forty eight hour deadline for Wayne to decide it seems more likely Rooney will stay with United and if he keeps producing performances consistently like he did in the Monday Night Game then it will be a boost for David Moyes and also the Manchester United support were fully behind him in the stadium even if Chelsea fans were cheekily cheering for him as well as if he was going to them!
The shock of the weekend was Cardiff's 3-2 victory over Manchester City and questions over the absence of Vincent Kompany and the alarming poor form of Joe Hart. The second and third goals from corners were very poor defensively from a City point of view and would not be surprised if they go back in for a central defender before the window shuts as I do not think Javi Garcia is the answer in that position. Great victory for Cardiff nonetheless passionate crowd and Frazier Campbell's two goals would certainly have gone done well at his former club Manchester United. Cardiff City Stadium will be a hard place to go this season.
Results: Fulham 1-3 Arsenal, Everton 0-0 West Brom, Hull 1-0 Norwich, Newcastle 0-0 West Ham, Southampton 1-1 Sunderland, Stoke 2-1 Crystal Palace, Aston Villa 0-1 Liverpool, Cardiff 3-2 Man City, Tottenham 1-0 Swansea, Man Utd. 0-0 Chelsea.
Next Blog Friday League Cup and Champions League Reviews plus Preview of the weekend including the Euro Super Cup between Bayern and Chelsea and the big double header on sunday Liverpool Vs Man Utd and The North London Derby between Arsenal and Spurs.
Last but not least Romario and his best goals for Barcelona.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfVBnVZyQN0
The shock of the weekend was Cardiff's 3-2 victory over Manchester City and questions over the absence of Vincent Kompany and the alarming poor form of Joe Hart. The second and third goals from corners were very poor defensively from a City point of view and would not be surprised if they go back in for a central defender before the window shuts as I do not think Javi Garcia is the answer in that position. Great victory for Cardiff nonetheless passionate crowd and Frazier Campbell's two goals would certainly have gone done well at his former club Manchester United. Cardiff City Stadium will be a hard place to go this season.
Results: Fulham 1-3 Arsenal, Everton 0-0 West Brom, Hull 1-0 Norwich, Newcastle 0-0 West Ham, Southampton 1-1 Sunderland, Stoke 2-1 Crystal Palace, Aston Villa 0-1 Liverpool, Cardiff 3-2 Man City, Tottenham 1-0 Swansea, Man Utd. 0-0 Chelsea.
Next Blog Friday League Cup and Champions League Reviews plus Preview of the weekend including the Euro Super Cup between Bayern and Chelsea and the big double header on sunday Liverpool Vs Man Utd and The North London Derby between Arsenal and Spurs.
Last but not least Romario and his best goals for Barcelona.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfVBnVZyQN0
Friday, August 23, 2013
Premiership Preview
Saturday
Fulham Vs Arsenal (BT Sports 12.45 ko)
After their loss last weekend to Villa and all the negativity about their lack of signings at the club fans and manager alike were relived of the three-nil win against Femerbache which will get Arsenal into the champions league proper for the sixteenth time in a row which is some sort of achievement. The problem over lack of signings is still there and business will need to pick up next week if there is any chance they will win anything this season. They face a tricky tie against a Fulham side which recorded a rare away against Sunderland and with Dimitar Berbatov in their side against a patched up Arsenal defence in particular they will prove a threat and traditionally these are tight derby matches. I would still fancy an Arsenal win though but it will not be easy.
Prediction: Fulham 1 Arsenal 2
Everton Vs West Brom (Setanta Sports 1 3.00 ko)
Everton should be favorites for this one as they would have been disappointed about dropping two points to Norwich last weekend. West Brom struggled last week in losing to Southampton and even though it was a last minute penalty and goal they conceded it was deserved victory for Southampton and Roberto Martinez's first home game in charge the Everton team should be motivated and too good for West Brom.
Prediction: Everton 2 West Brom 1
Hull Vs Norwich (3.00 ko)
Hull would not have probably learned much in their loss to Chelsea last week except maybe the much higher quality of the better teams in the Premiership. They will be up for this, their first home game against a team they will probably think they can beat . A good draw for Norwich in their first game with Ricky Van Wolfswinkel scoring on his debut and also the arrival of Johan Elmander has boasted their striking options even further. A high scoring contest is on the cards I would reckon here.
Prediction: Hull City Tigers 2 Norwich 2
Newcastle Vs West Ham (3.00 ko)
Newcastle's first home game of the season should be interesting with the turmoil over Joe Kinnear's appointment, and the absence of Yohan Cabaye after Arsenal's bid and subsequent improved bid from Paris St. Germain raises questions as to if Cabaye is staying at the club. They need a win here to get the fans on their side and the way the fans react to to the team could be important in this match. West Ham got off to a solid start against Cardiff last weekend and looking to extend their good run this weekend. Their away form was poor last season and with only one fit striker at the moment they could struggle to score at St. James Park. I do think West Ham can win this one simply because Newcastle have worst problems.
Prediction: Newcastle 1 West Ham 3
Southampton Vs Sunderland (3.00 ko)
Southampton had a good win over West Brom last weekend and have since added Daniel Osvaldo from Roma which could be a very good signing indeed. Sunderland were poor against Fulham and Paolo Di Canio might take a while to figure his best team out since there are a lot of new faces at the Stadium of Light and I think Southampton can take all three points in their first home game of the season.
Prediction: Southampton 2 Sunderland 0
Stoke Vs Crystal Palace (3.00 ko)
Stoke were decent and compact in their 1-0 defeat to Liverpool but were lightweight upfront. Palace struggled against Spurs and one-nil was quite flattering to them. Stoke if they reproduce their intensity of the Liverpool performance with a bit of better quality in the final third will surely win this one out.
Prediction: Stoke 2 Crystal Palace 0
Aston Villa Vs Liverpool (5.30 ko Sky Sports 1)
Villa have been good in the first two games and look a very decent side judging by the first two performances. Liverpool were also good although they should have put the game to bed and nearly lost two points but a Mignolet save, saved the win for the reds. Villa could have a real good chance of getting the three points but if Liverpool do improve in the finishing department it could be a very good game indeed. Villa to edge it but I could not say that to a reasonable degree.
Prediction: Aston Villa 2 Liverpool 1
Sunday
Cardiff Vs Man City (4.00 ko Sky Sports 1)
Cardiff had a bit of a struggle last weekend against West Ham not registering a single shot on target. Their new signing Andreas Cornelius might get a run out this weekend and could help them up front. City were very good against Newcastle and I think if they play to the same level against Cardiff there is only going to be one winner.
Prediction Cardiff 0 Man. City 3
Tottenham Vs Swansea (4.00 ko)
Tottenham had a good European victory during the week to go along with the victory against Crystal Palace and they are in good shape. With the inevitable departure of Gareth Bale Spurs are planning the future without him although it looks as though Willian deal has fallen though which will be a blow to them although if they do get Eric Lamela it will still be a boost to them. Swansea want the transfer window to end now as there is a still a threat of them losing both Michu and Ashley Williams which will be a blow to them. They were unlucky losing 4-1 to Man Utd last weekend and a good European victory has showed what a good team they are but I do think Spurs will be too good for them on the day.
Prediction: Spurs 3 Swansea 1
Monday
Man Utd. Vs Chelsea (8.00 ko Sky Sports 1)
I always hate the fact that big games like these are on very early on in the season as I do not think they mean as much as if they played it lets say middle of October. A loss for either side wont really do either any harm. United have Robin Van Persie on fire as usual. Chelsea might jig their team a little bit. It will not surprise me if this is a draw and both teams move on a quickly as possible.
Prediction: Man Utd 1 Chelsea 1
Goal(s) of the week. Real Sociedad scored two crackers in Lyon to nearly guarantee them qualification into the group stage in the Champions League.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUNZW6fgo9k
See ya Monday enjoy the action over the weekend. Also looking forward to the return of Formula One as well. I hope Fernando Alonso pulls something out of the bag but it is probably between the Red Bulls and Mercedes again.
Fulham Vs Arsenal (BT Sports 12.45 ko)
After their loss last weekend to Villa and all the negativity about their lack of signings at the club fans and manager alike were relived of the three-nil win against Femerbache which will get Arsenal into the champions league proper for the sixteenth time in a row which is some sort of achievement. The problem over lack of signings is still there and business will need to pick up next week if there is any chance they will win anything this season. They face a tricky tie against a Fulham side which recorded a rare away against Sunderland and with Dimitar Berbatov in their side against a patched up Arsenal defence in particular they will prove a threat and traditionally these are tight derby matches. I would still fancy an Arsenal win though but it will not be easy.
Prediction: Fulham 1 Arsenal 2
Everton Vs West Brom (Setanta Sports 1 3.00 ko)
Everton should be favorites for this one as they would have been disappointed about dropping two points to Norwich last weekend. West Brom struggled last week in losing to Southampton and even though it was a last minute penalty and goal they conceded it was deserved victory for Southampton and Roberto Martinez's first home game in charge the Everton team should be motivated and too good for West Brom.
Prediction: Everton 2 West Brom 1
Hull Vs Norwich (3.00 ko)
Hull would not have probably learned much in their loss to Chelsea last week except maybe the much higher quality of the better teams in the Premiership. They will be up for this, their first home game against a team they will probably think they can beat . A good draw for Norwich in their first game with Ricky Van Wolfswinkel scoring on his debut and also the arrival of Johan Elmander has boasted their striking options even further. A high scoring contest is on the cards I would reckon here.
Prediction: Hull City Tigers 2 Norwich 2
Newcastle Vs West Ham (3.00 ko)
Newcastle's first home game of the season should be interesting with the turmoil over Joe Kinnear's appointment, and the absence of Yohan Cabaye after Arsenal's bid and subsequent improved bid from Paris St. Germain raises questions as to if Cabaye is staying at the club. They need a win here to get the fans on their side and the way the fans react to to the team could be important in this match. West Ham got off to a solid start against Cardiff last weekend and looking to extend their good run this weekend. Their away form was poor last season and with only one fit striker at the moment they could struggle to score at St. James Park. I do think West Ham can win this one simply because Newcastle have worst problems.
Prediction: Newcastle 1 West Ham 3
Southampton Vs Sunderland (3.00 ko)
Southampton had a good win over West Brom last weekend and have since added Daniel Osvaldo from Roma which could be a very good signing indeed. Sunderland were poor against Fulham and Paolo Di Canio might take a while to figure his best team out since there are a lot of new faces at the Stadium of Light and I think Southampton can take all three points in their first home game of the season.
Prediction: Southampton 2 Sunderland 0
Stoke Vs Crystal Palace (3.00 ko)
Stoke were decent and compact in their 1-0 defeat to Liverpool but were lightweight upfront. Palace struggled against Spurs and one-nil was quite flattering to them. Stoke if they reproduce their intensity of the Liverpool performance with a bit of better quality in the final third will surely win this one out.
Prediction: Stoke 2 Crystal Palace 0
Aston Villa Vs Liverpool (5.30 ko Sky Sports 1)
Villa have been good in the first two games and look a very decent side judging by the first two performances. Liverpool were also good although they should have put the game to bed and nearly lost two points but a Mignolet save, saved the win for the reds. Villa could have a real good chance of getting the three points but if Liverpool do improve in the finishing department it could be a very good game indeed. Villa to edge it but I could not say that to a reasonable degree.
Prediction: Aston Villa 2 Liverpool 1
Sunday
Cardiff Vs Man City (4.00 ko Sky Sports 1)
Cardiff had a bit of a struggle last weekend against West Ham not registering a single shot on target. Their new signing Andreas Cornelius might get a run out this weekend and could help them up front. City were very good against Newcastle and I think if they play to the same level against Cardiff there is only going to be one winner.
Prediction Cardiff 0 Man. City 3
Tottenham Vs Swansea (4.00 ko)
Tottenham had a good European victory during the week to go along with the victory against Crystal Palace and they are in good shape. With the inevitable departure of Gareth Bale Spurs are planning the future without him although it looks as though Willian deal has fallen though which will be a blow to them although if they do get Eric Lamela it will still be a boost to them. Swansea want the transfer window to end now as there is a still a threat of them losing both Michu and Ashley Williams which will be a blow to them. They were unlucky losing 4-1 to Man Utd last weekend and a good European victory has showed what a good team they are but I do think Spurs will be too good for them on the day.
Prediction: Spurs 3 Swansea 1
Monday
Man Utd. Vs Chelsea (8.00 ko Sky Sports 1)
I always hate the fact that big games like these are on very early on in the season as I do not think they mean as much as if they played it lets say middle of October. A loss for either side wont really do either any harm. United have Robin Van Persie on fire as usual. Chelsea might jig their team a little bit. It will not surprise me if this is a draw and both teams move on a quickly as possible.
Prediction: Man Utd 1 Chelsea 1
Goal(s) of the week. Real Sociedad scored two crackers in Lyon to nearly guarantee them qualification into the group stage in the Champions League.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUNZW6fgo9k
See ya Monday enjoy the action over the weekend. Also looking forward to the return of Formula One as well. I hope Fernando Alonso pulls something out of the bag but it is probably between the Red Bulls and Mercedes again.
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
The Midweek Blog Episode 1 Yes It is About Arsenal
First of all my apologies for the delay in the last two Premiership Previews of the season being done after the season actually started and in this blog it will be the first of the midweek blog which will concentrate on last leagues action. This will usually be done on a Monday and then the weekend blog will be done on a Friday previewing what is coming up at the weekend.
So this first one is dedicated to Arsenal. I was at the game at Aston Villa and you all seen the game or highlights of it and seen the negative reaction after the 3-1 loss. This was my seventh time at the ground and any little thing that goes wrong in a match some of the supporters really can turn on the team and this was when at times we were winning games comfortably! This was the first time I have experienced a loss when seeing Arsenal live and the negative reaction this time sadly has been justified. When Ivan Gatzidis said in a statement at the start of June that Arsenal had money to spend all us supporters presumed wisely that there were deals for players that were just about done for and will bring this team back to where it should be and that is challenging for the Premiership and the Champions League. What has happened instead is that the club has got rid of a lot of the fringe players and dead wood but have not replaced them with better quality players which has left the squad very thin indeed and a few injuries and Arsenal will be struggling to field a first team never mind the bench.
Have Arsenal completely lost the ability to sign decent quality players altogether? From the Luis Suarez saga to letting Gonzalo Higuain slip trough our fingers to be let go to Napoli, to the half halfheartedness of bids for Luis Gustavo and Yohan Cabaye fans must be wondering what is going on? Arsene Wegner has always payed what he though the value of a player is and that is not necessarily what the seller thinks the player is worth. It is an admirable quality no doubt but what has handicapped Wegner in trying to come up with valuations this season in particular is the fact that Gatzidis said the money was there to spend and now clubs are always going to demand more money than what the player is necessarily worth because they know the money is there for Arsenal to spend. Whatever signings Arsenal make between now and when the transfer window closes if any at all will seem to be a desperation signing no matter what way you look at it. If Arsenal fail to beat Fenerbache in the Champions League play offs there will be more pressure on him and it could be the beginning of the end for him at the club which will be sad if he does bow out like that. The man who transformed Arsenal football club from top to bottom would deserve a better dignified ending than the one that many are predicting for him at this present time. Hopefully Arsenal can still get the recruitment we need and get the results needed especially in the Champions League in particular and things will go back in the right direction.
PL Results Week 1:(Sat) Liverpool 1-0 Stoke, Arsenal 1-3 Aston Villa, Norwich 2-2 Everton, Sunderland 0-1 Fulham, West Brom 0-1 Southampton, West Ham 2-0 Cardiff, Swansea 1-4 Man. Utd. (Sun) Crystal Palace 0-1 Tottenham, Chelsea 2-0 Hull, (Mon) Man City 4-0 Newcastle (Wed) Chelsea vs Aston Villa
Ill have a few tidbits on Friday about last weekend and also preview this weekends games talk then!
So this first one is dedicated to Arsenal. I was at the game at Aston Villa and you all seen the game or highlights of it and seen the negative reaction after the 3-1 loss. This was my seventh time at the ground and any little thing that goes wrong in a match some of the supporters really can turn on the team and this was when at times we were winning games comfortably! This was the first time I have experienced a loss when seeing Arsenal live and the negative reaction this time sadly has been justified. When Ivan Gatzidis said in a statement at the start of June that Arsenal had money to spend all us supporters presumed wisely that there were deals for players that were just about done for and will bring this team back to where it should be and that is challenging for the Premiership and the Champions League. What has happened instead is that the club has got rid of a lot of the fringe players and dead wood but have not replaced them with better quality players which has left the squad very thin indeed and a few injuries and Arsenal will be struggling to field a first team never mind the bench.
Have Arsenal completely lost the ability to sign decent quality players altogether? From the Luis Suarez saga to letting Gonzalo Higuain slip trough our fingers to be let go to Napoli, to the half halfheartedness of bids for Luis Gustavo and Yohan Cabaye fans must be wondering what is going on? Arsene Wegner has always payed what he though the value of a player is and that is not necessarily what the seller thinks the player is worth. It is an admirable quality no doubt but what has handicapped Wegner in trying to come up with valuations this season in particular is the fact that Gatzidis said the money was there to spend and now clubs are always going to demand more money than what the player is necessarily worth because they know the money is there for Arsenal to spend. Whatever signings Arsenal make between now and when the transfer window closes if any at all will seem to be a desperation signing no matter what way you look at it. If Arsenal fail to beat Fenerbache in the Champions League play offs there will be more pressure on him and it could be the beginning of the end for him at the club which will be sad if he does bow out like that. The man who transformed Arsenal football club from top to bottom would deserve a better dignified ending than the one that many are predicting for him at this present time. Hopefully Arsenal can still get the recruitment we need and get the results needed especially in the Champions League in particular and things will go back in the right direction.
PL Results Week 1:(Sat) Liverpool 1-0 Stoke, Arsenal 1-3 Aston Villa, Norwich 2-2 Everton, Sunderland 0-1 Fulham, West Brom 0-1 Southampton, West Ham 2-0 Cardiff, Swansea 1-4 Man. Utd. (Sun) Crystal Palace 0-1 Tottenham, Chelsea 2-0 Hull, (Mon) Man City 4-0 Newcastle (Wed) Chelsea vs Aston Villa
Ill have a few tidbits on Friday about last weekend and also preview this weekends games talk then!
Premiership Preview: West Ham
West Ham
In
Razvan Rat (Shakhtar Donetsk) Free
Adrian (Real Betis) Free
Andy Carroll (Liverpool) Undisclosed
Danny Whitehead (Stockport County) Undisclosed
Stewart Downing (Liverpool) Undisclosed
Out
Carlton Cole Released
Gary O'Neil (Queens Park Rangers) Free
Robert Hall (Bolton Wanderers) Undisclosed
Positives: West Ham are always going to be a difficult side to beat under Big Sam Allarydce and also with the permanent signing of yes Andy Carroll they can cause mayhem in the opposition back line any time he is on the pitch. Problem is how many times can he play as if he is not playing they do not have many other options up front. The signing of Downing is an interesting one. Can Big Sam resurrect his career like he has Joe Cole's? West Ham will do well to get into the top ten but would not rule it out.
Negatives: The lack of options up front and their back line is suspect to pace although the arrival of Razyan Rat from Shaktar might solve that problem.
Prediction: 12th
In
Razvan Rat (Shakhtar Donetsk) Free
Adrian (Real Betis) Free
Andy Carroll (Liverpool) Undisclosed
Danny Whitehead (Stockport County) Undisclosed
Stewart Downing (Liverpool) Undisclosed
Out
Carlton Cole Released
Gary O'Neil (Queens Park Rangers) Free
Robert Hall (Bolton Wanderers) Undisclosed
Positives: West Ham are always going to be a difficult side to beat under Big Sam Allarydce and also with the permanent signing of yes Andy Carroll they can cause mayhem in the opposition back line any time he is on the pitch. Problem is how many times can he play as if he is not playing they do not have many other options up front. The signing of Downing is an interesting one. Can Big Sam resurrect his career like he has Joe Cole's? West Ham will do well to get into the top ten but would not rule it out.
Negatives: The lack of options up front and their back line is suspect to pace although the arrival of Razyan Rat from Shaktar might solve that problem.
Prediction: 12th
Premiership Preview: West Brom
West Bromwich Albion
In
Nicolas Anelka Free
Goran Popov (Dynamo Kiev) Loan
Diego Lugano (Paris St Germain) Free
Matej Vydra (Udinese) Loan
Zoltan Gera (Unattached) Free
Out
Marc Antoine-Fortune (Wigan Athletic) Free
Gonzalo Jara (Nottingham Forest) Free
Jerome Thomas (Crystal Palace) Free
James Hurst (Crawley Town) Free
Positives: A very good first season from Steve Clarke would have brought a bit of optimism to the Hawthorns for the coming season. A solid base of players which includes Ben Foster in goal and Gareth McAuley and Jonas Olsson at centre-back, with Claudio Yacob and Youssouf Mulumbu shoveling the coal in the midfield engine room with Shane Long a constant menace up front. They have the ability to finish top half this season with the acquisition of Matej Vydra the one to watch out for since he was voted championship player of the year last season with Watford.
Negatives: Romelu Lukaku is a loss to them. He scored 17 league goals for them last season and even though they have replaced him with Vydra and also the Nicolas Anelka they don't offer the brute physicality that Lukaku offered which was a lot of times last season their main focal point of their attack. Also a genuine lack of pace may hurt them in some games when they would not offer a genuine counter attack to teams who would have a lot of the ball for example. Still 10th place I think is a good reasonable bet for them.
Prediction: 10th
In
Nicolas Anelka Free
Goran Popov (Dynamo Kiev) Loan
Diego Lugano (Paris St Germain) Free
Matej Vydra (Udinese) Loan
Zoltan Gera (Unattached) Free
Out
Marc Antoine-Fortune (Wigan Athletic) Free
Gonzalo Jara (Nottingham Forest) Free
Jerome Thomas (Crystal Palace) Free
James Hurst (Crawley Town) Free
Positives: A very good first season from Steve Clarke would have brought a bit of optimism to the Hawthorns for the coming season. A solid base of players which includes Ben Foster in goal and Gareth McAuley and Jonas Olsson at centre-back, with Claudio Yacob and Youssouf Mulumbu shoveling the coal in the midfield engine room with Shane Long a constant menace up front. They have the ability to finish top half this season with the acquisition of Matej Vydra the one to watch out for since he was voted championship player of the year last season with Watford.
Negatives: Romelu Lukaku is a loss to them. He scored 17 league goals for them last season and even though they have replaced him with Vydra and also the Nicolas Anelka they don't offer the brute physicality that Lukaku offered which was a lot of times last season their main focal point of their attack. Also a genuine lack of pace may hurt them in some games when they would not offer a genuine counter attack to teams who would have a lot of the ball for example. Still 10th place I think is a good reasonable bet for them.
Prediction: 10th
Friday, August 16, 2013
Premiership Preview: Sunderland
Sunderland
InCabral (Basle) Free
Modibo Diakite (Lazio) Free
Valentin Roberge (Maritimo) Free
David Moberg Karlsson (IFK Goteborg) Undisclosed
Vito Mannone (Arsenal) Undisclosed
Jozy Altidore (AZ Alkmaar) Undisclosed
El Hadji Ba (Le Havre) Free
Emanuele Giaccherini (Juventus) Undisclosed
Ondrej Celustka (Trabzonspor) Loan
Out
Titus Bramble Released
Matthew Kilgallon (Blackburn Rovers) Free
Ryan Noble Released
Simon Mignolet (Liverpool) Undisclosed
Ahmed Elmohamady (Hull City) Undisclosed
Danny Graham (Hull City) Loan
Alfred N'Diaye (Eskisehirspor) Loan
James McClean (Wigan Athletic) Undisclosed
Positives: With all the Ins and Outs that has gone on over gthe summer at Sunderland this is Di Canios team and they have made some good signings with the most eye popping one the signing of Emanuele Giaccherini from Juventus. No dount Di Canio and his Italian connections made that one possible. With stories emulating from their pre-season camp abiut some of their fitness training they should be the fittest team in the premiership if nothing else. Also should be motivated by the sheer presence of Paulo Di Canio and lack of motivation has hindered Sunderland teams of the recent past.
Negatives: Paulo Di Canio can snap at any moment and his temper has lead him into trouble several times as a player and as a manager while he was at Swindon.His unpredictable volatile nature could affect the team in the worst way and players could lose confidence in their manager pretty quickly from there. If he can reign in himself from such tantrums than it should not be an issue. It could take time ti blend in all the squad as well since there are many new faces in so expect a slow start. Overall though I think Sunderland with Giaccherini especially in the side can finish top half and get a decent cup run as well.
Prediction: 9th
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