Football's Top 10 Unpredictables for the 2009-2010 season

In the crazy world of football fantasies, this summer has been the most fastest and the meanest of roller coaster rides ever. Every single day of transfer window passes, twisting and turning with breathtaking excitement.

This is just the beginning of one of the most eagerly awaited season in football history, it makes you envy God, for only he knows what lies ahead and what not.

Get ready—this article is just what you want to hear happen this coming season—here are the Predictions of 10 Most Unpredictable events of the forthcoming football season [2009-2010].

[This article is pretty long you may need time and patience to read it. But I promise its worth the read.]

10. Ronaldhino COMEBACK - The AC Milan Story

Considered one of the greatest players ever to grace the beautiful game, Ronaldhino has wonderful skills and vision only few in football history can match.

Lack of motivation in Barcelona and injury concerns in AC Milan has kept him in oblivion for long. Much has been blamed on his reckless life style and samba party culture.

But Kaka's departure makes Ronaldhino the main man to put Milan back in the Champions League map. He had the capacity to singlehandedly carry Barcelona to the summit of European greatness and in my opinion he is going to do the same to Milan this year. Class is permanent.

9. Mark Hughes dismissed as the manager of Manchester City FC

This is something I really hope doesn't happen. Mark Hughes is one of the few managers in England who wants to play football the "right" way.

Manchester City played one of the most attractive passing football last season. Smooth, Slick and Eye-catching. But to break into the top they need something more than that.

Since the arrival of Arab owners however, the clubs expectations has taken a giant step forward and I really doubt if Hughes is going to be a big part of their glorious plans.

With Blackburn you are not expected to win all the big matches, no pressure at all. But with Manchester City and their newly brought stars, every single game is a must win.Now that's pressure difficult to handle.

Convincing too many stars to warm the bench and maintaining high team morale is not going to be easy. Tactical prowess comes with experience, the kind of which you learn a lot by playing against the best of Europe - Hughes is yet to experience it as a manager.

And breaking into the top four needs more than playing good football. It needs lot of mental strength and consistently high performances.

Mark Hughes will be a great manager in future, but with time running out in the City of Manchester, I really doubt Hughes will be given the chance to succeed in making his Mark.

8. Lyon Reclaim their French Crown again

Lyon lost their iron grip in the French league last season and worse—they lost two of their best in Benzema and Juninho this summer. Lyon's domination of French football may seem to be coming to a halt.

In Lisandro Lopez and Aly Cissokho however Lyon have acquired two really strong replacements.With the quality of the signings for the new season, Lyon will restart their Ligue 1 Juggernaut just where they left it the season before.

If they complete the coup of Chamakh from Bordeaux they are my certain favorites to land the French title for the 8th time.

Title rivals Bordeaux are likely to lose some of their big names and with Marseille still in a rebuilding phase, I really doubt if there are many teams in the french League with enough quality to rock Lyon's title bid .

7. Target Achieved - Arsenal Qualifies for Champions League.

Arsenal's lack of star signing in the transfer window may look foreboding for the fans, but with a team that Wenger himself has hand picked and groomed there is very little doubt about the quality of performance expected from them this season.

Adebayor's exit is not the exact tragic news that the gunners feared. But it is the lack of his replacement that's more worrying.

The "Arsenal-Way" of playing the game and their preference for youngsters in the team always has its disadvantage in the injury front.

An injury-free Arsenal team can mock any of the big names of football this season. But what really concerns me is the lack of strong leaders in the team.

How many times have we seen Vieira and Henry rally their team with sheer gut and determination. I cant imagine Cesc or Gallas or Toure doing the same. The Arsenal team of today look too soft.

For all their obvious talent and the genius of a manager in Wenger I still think Arsenal need more confident players, established stars, players like Arshavin who thrive in pressure, save their best for the big stage, players who can rally the entire team in dire situations.

Arsenal will give a tough time to all the big teams, but this season, I really cant see anything beyond a 4th place for Arsenal.

6."Franckly speaking Ribery is not for sale" - Bayern Probability

Well the picture above is one of the major reasons why Real failed to pursue the signing of the French wizard. When it comes to marketing Ribery wont suit the Madrid badge.

But it his unparalleled talent and aggression in the pitch which makes him one of the hottest talents in Europe. No wonder Bayern are so rigid in holding onto him.

He can terrorize any defense in the world with his pace, trick and talent. But with the player himself looking for an exit it would have been wiser for Bayern to cash in. But the trouble is there are not many players of his quality available in the market.

Take Manchester United for example, for all the money they have there aren't many players who could replace the likes of Ronaldo.

And things have changed since last season. The German Bundesliga has become much stronger. Champions League qualification has become tougher and tougher.

The likes of Wolfsburg, Stuttgart, Hamburg, Berlin are all breathing down Bayern's neck.

One more title slip up will be disastrous for the German giants. It is for this reason I expect Bayern to desperately hold onto Ribery for they need him more than he needs them.

But I still don't see Bayern winning the Champions League. And when it comes to the German Bundesliga its going to be close, I really don't see them as the clear favorites in it either, at least not yet.

5. End of Man United's Love Affair with the Premier League

How bold a prediction to make. End of Manchester United's Love affair with the Premier League? Not easy, not easy at all. I know there are people out there this very moment reading this article and hating me right away...

I should be totally mad to think Sir Alex would be generous enough to give away his most prized possession. And yet there is that doubt...What with Ronaldo and Tevez gone?...

Still not easy. The likes of Rooney and Fletcher will sweat, bleed but never give up. They have two rocks for a defense in Rio and Vidic

And to think of Nani and Anderson, with the Owen "Back-from-the-Dead" Hargreaves and the evergreen Giggs you can never count them out, can you?. More importantly for them Berbatov must click.

But it is the lack of availability of quality world class replacements for Man Utd in the market that makes me feel, may be, there is some chance that Man Utd's Love affair with the Premier league may finally be coming to an end.

Are Owen and Valencia the right answers for the Ronaldo question? Trust Sir Alex and his 20 years of football experience to pull an absolute rabbit out of the hat.

4. Chelsea's Champions League Duck Continues

Chelsea look like a forgotten side. For all the might of the Russian Rubles players just don't want to come to Chelsea.

Lack of passionate fans? Age old stars? Ugly boring football? Lack of trust in managers? High expectations? Stardom in single day? Lack of class and vision? Lack of respect for referees? Moaners and Whiners? you can tell a number of negative things about Chelsea, but say whatever, on the pitch Chelsea fight their way to results and that's what matters most in football.

But I don't know what it is about Chelsea something tells me this is not going to be their year. Of course Lampard will be the first one to disagree.

But him apart I don't see a lot of passion coming from the players. Terry for example has not been the same since the Man City rumors. No categorical denial of his links with City is quiet unlike him.

Drogba had flirted with Inter and AC whole of last season. Essien and Carvalho woudn't mind leaving. Joe Cole gets easily crocked. John Obi Mikel still needs to learn. Cech is not your Mr Dependable anymore.

A lot of things seems to be changing at Chelsea. I really doubt if they have a Gerrard or a Rooney who can hold the club with passion. Terry and Lampard did the job earlier but now there are doubts all over.

The appointment of Ancelotti shows Chelsea's intense desire to win the Champions League for the first time in their history.

But a winning team is not just about the manager. How well the players respond to Ancelloti is the bigger question.

And the Premier League is a knife in the neck. Any slip ups in the league position, Ancelotti may as well pack his bags to Italy.

It is really difficult for a new manager to come to Premier League and win both the Premier League and the Champions League in his first season and sadly that's the minimum expected of a Chelsea manager to save his job. How unrealistic.

With the shadow of the "Special One" still looming large in the Chelsea trophy cabinet, it is really difficult to withstand the pressure of the toughest league and yet manage to win the Champions League and this year I don't see it happening at Chelsea.

3.The Star Wars - Galacticos vs Team Barcelona

It is the Spanish League which is most eagerly expected this season and there is one team which has absolutely dominated football headlines this summer —Real Madrid.

Barcelona won the treble last season, an extrordinary feat ever achieved by a spanish team, but it is Madrid which has stolen the limelight with an incredible array of stars heading to Bernabue this summer.

The Galacticos Era under Florentino Perez is back. What most football fans would call a dream team is happening for Real at Madrid.

Kaka and Ronaldo, that's two of worlds best wearing the Madrid whites this season. In addition they have in Benzema the next biggest star in French football. When it comes to individual talents Madrid has the best at present. Making a team out of them is the biggest challenge for Pellegrini.

"Team" Barcelona fight as a team under Guardiola. To me they are the greatest team in the world currently. The way they dominate possession and the beautiful incisive passing, Barcelona are absolutely out of the world.

The understanding between their players is simply mind boggling. To trash United like that in the Champions League, Barcelona are definitely a step higher than any other.

In the art of football, Barcelona is a Master piece. And it would be a shame if I were to mention Messi or Iniesta I think its only "Team" Barcelona that broke records last season rather than any individuals.

El Classico is The Single Most footballing event I am looking forward to most this season. The Predominantly two team fight for the title between Barcelona and Real will continue.

But I really doubt any of them would win the Champions League. Barcelona where at their best last season, and still Chelsea where just two minutes away from dumping them.

No English bias, but Tactically strong teams like Chelsea and Liverpool will make a meal out Barcelona. I don't see Barcelona or Real Madrid winning them again despite the addition of a physically strong Ibrahimovic.

But when it comes to the La Liga title, its going to be absolutely nail-biting, edge of the seat stuff next season—Let the Star wars Begin

2. The "Special" One's Mission Impossible Possible

Jose Mourinho is a born winner. In his time with Chelsea, Mourinho introduced an entirely new dimension to the English game.

His tussles with Sir Alex, Rafa and Wenger have been nothing short of legendary. He is the Master of Mind games.His organizational skills and tactical acumen are second to none [or may be 2nd only to Rafa].

His passion to win and the confidence and energy he infuses in his players, be it Chelsea or Inter, Jose Mourinho's team are always one of the toughest to beat. No wonder Inter retained their Italian title in his first season with style.

Beating the likes of Juventus and Milan is no mean task in Italy. But with Mourinho you can expect anything to happen, nothing is impossible.

Mourinho's success story remains incomplete without a Champions League trophy he last won with Porto. It is his failure to deliver the Champions League at Chelsea that is believed to have cost his job.

Mourinho is back with Inter and winning the champions League is his top priority. It is my firm belief that Inter's failure to perform in the European stage is finally about to end this season.

The recent acquisition of Eto is Mourinho's biggest gamble. But who would bet against him to bring out the best in his players, definitely not me.

Eto has the end product which Zlatan always deceived to deliver in the big stage. If it clicks Inter are my strongest contenders for Champions league this season.

1. Liverpool 19 year wait for the "Holy Grail" is over

The number one prediction in my this seasons Prediction list is: Liverpool FC the Champions of England.

Liverpool where undoubtedly the strongest team last season and came closest yet to win the league. They thrashed Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Breached Chelsea's Stamford Bridge record. Humiliated Madrid at Anfield. And were unlucky not to win against Arsenal in Emirates.

To me they were the best team in England last season. Most of Liverpool's problems stem off the pitch. It is easy to blame the owners for their broken promises and lack of financial support, but the truth is Liverpool is the team most affected by the economic crunch in the US.

Liverpool lacked the strength and depth in their bench which cost them both the Premier League and the Champions League. They had draws one too many and in the absence of Gerrard and Torres they need players like Ryan Babel to step up and score the goals to help the team.

With the addition of Glen Johnson Liverpool now have increased their attacking intent especially against the smaller teams where they have struggled to break a 10 man strong defense.

Where Manchester United and Arsenal have gone backwards in the transfer window, Liverpool have been successful in retaining their big stars.

Torres and Gerrard have signed new contracts. The likes of Kuyt, Agger have also added more stability to the team. One more key attacking signing in the likes of Alvaro Negredo or David Silva, Liverpool are my favorites to lift the 19th League title after 19 years.

Liverpool's ability to retain Mascherano is the biggest challenge for the coming season. Though Alonso is one of Anfield favorites it is highly likely that he may join the Madrid Revolution. In that case Liverpool must use the profits from his sales to strengthen the attack.

A Manchester United without Ronaldo, a Chelsea team with a new manager and an Arsenal team still rebuilding, this season is Liverpool's best chance ever to be the English Champions.