
1 Reason to Be Positive for Every Premier League Team Going into 2015/16 Season
Let's forget the acrimonious transfers, refusals to go into training and disappointing signings—the Premier League season is less than a month away now, and we're looking for positives.
The 20 clubs who'll play in the division in the 2015/16 season will all have different goals, ranging from staying in the division to winning it, but they'll all believe anything is possible before a ball has been kicked, and quite rightly so.
What is the key reason for their positivity, though?
Well, let's find out.
Arsenal: The Addition of Petr Cech
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In some quarters, paying around £11 million for a 33-year-old reserve from your rivals would be frowned upon, but no one of an Arsenal persuasion has been doing any frowning at Petr Cech's move from Chelsea.
The addition of the veteran Czech goalkeeper gives Arsenal experience in an area where they've lacked that for a while, and his influence is almost certain to improve the displays of the defenders ahead of him, as he brings a new organisation to the Gunners.
There is a growing sense of optimism at the Emirates Stadium as Arsenal look to build on what went right for them in the last campaign, and the addition of Cech has hugely ramped that up.
Aston Villa: Money to Spend
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There isn't actually a whole lot to be positive about if you're an Aston Villa fan at the moment.
Fabian Delph looked to have cheered the club by seemingly rejecting a move to Manchester City. But the on-off deal now appears to be back on again, with the BBC's David Ornstein reporting that the England international is undergoing a medical at the Etihad.
And with Christian Benteke a target for Liverpool, who the BBC are reporting have met the striker's £32.5 million buy-out clause, Villa are in real danger of losing their prized assets.
If there is a crumb of comfort for Villa, it is that manager Tim Sherwood could well have a sizeable transfer kitty to go to war with in the final weeks of the window.
Sherwood would in all probability prefer to keep Benteke and Delph, but if they do depart he could get the chance to breath fresh life into his squad.
Bournemouth: The Fixture List
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Bournemouth will be seeking a solid start to their first Premier League season, and the fixture list has given them a perfect opportunity to do just that.
The Cherries may go to Anfield to face Liverpool in their first away match at this level, but other than that, their first eight games of the season are all fairly tame, with their first four home fixtures seeing the visits of Aston Villa, Leicester City, Sunderland and Watford.
The downside to that is a tough run-in, which is set to see them face five of last season's top six during their final eight games, but Eddie Howe will believe that his team can get off to a fast start and that anything will be possible from there.
Chelsea: Momentum
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All great dynasties had to start somewhere, and Jose Mourinho will feel as though the one he is seeking to build during his second coming at Chelsea began with the Premier League and Capital One Cup triumphs last season.
Although much was made of the likes of John Terry and Didier Drogba becoming league champions again, it is what the success will do for players such as Eden Hazard and Diego Costa that should really excite the Chelsea supporters.
This was their first taste of domestic silverware in England, and they'll want more of it.
Crystal Palace: Yohan Cabaye
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In one single transaction, Crystal Palace have done so much to change the perception of the club heading into the new campaign.
Already on a high thanks to the remarkable turnaround overseen by Alan Pardew upon his arrival last season, the club-record signing of Yohan Cabaye from Paris Saint-Germain has caught the imagination of supporters both of Palace and other clubs.
As noted by ESPN FC's Dale Johnson, the former Newcastle man will bring a touch of class to Selhurst Park: "He would add true quality and an eye for goal to the midfield of a team which played superbly under Pardew in the second half of last season."
With Cabaye in the engine room, there is every reason to believe Palace will be troubling the top half of the table more than the relegation zone in 2015/16.
Everton: The Return of Gerard Deulofeu
6 of 20Everton supporters crave players who can get them up off their seats at Goodison Park, and there have been few better at doing that in recent years than Gerard Deulofeu during his loan spell at the club from Barcelona in the 2013/14 season.
With Deulofeu now back at the Blues on a permanent deal, that is why those same supporters have been in raptures and are now desperate for the season to start following a mediocre campaign last time out.
Any ill will bore toward Roberto Martinez following that season of struggle seems to have disappeared with the signing of his fellow Catalan, whom fans can't wait to see in action in a blue shirt again.
Leicester City: Ranieri's Relationship with Cambiasso and Huth
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On the face of it, Claudio Ranieri's appointment as the new Leicester City manager is an odd one, but that's before you consider his previous working relationships with two of the Foxes' key players.
The Italian trusted in a young Robert Huth back when the pair were together at Chelsea over a decade ago, and with the German now permanently signed up at City after a hugely impressive loan spell last season, that familiarity could certainly come in handy.
Additionally, Ranieri worked with Esteban Cambiasso for six months at Inter Milan, and with the Argentinian still holding out on signing a new deal at the King Power Stadium, Ranieri's influence could be crucial in persuading him to stay.
Liverpool: James Milner's Determination
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Barely a week has gone by since James Milner's free-transfer move to Liverpool in which the Englishman hasn't stated his desire to play in central midfield and prove himself in the position, such as here in the Independent.
It is that desire and the passion to play and play well in his favoured position from which the Reds look set to benefit, as Milner settles into a midfield shorn of Steven Gerrard but housing a rapidly developing Jordan Henderson.
A Liverpool midfield featuring Milner as its elder statesman will surely be a much more dynamic proposition than the one we saw last season. Having the ex-Manchester City man at the centre of things promises to serve the Reds well.
Manchester City: An Injection of Youth
9 of 20A vast and surely overly expensive sum it may have been, but Manchester City's £49 million signing of Raheem Sterling from Liverpool has at least given an ageing squad a much-needed injection of youth this summer.
The 20-year-old arrives as the likes of Milner and Frank Lampard depart, and the England international could provide the spark in a squad that looked more than a little ponderous at times last season.
This summer represents the first time Manuel Pellegrini has really needed to conduct something of an overhaul at the club, and it is to be hoped Sterling's isn't the only fresh face arriving at the Etihad Stadium.
Manchester United: The Return of the Swagger
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Following what seemed like years of missing out on transfer targets and then paying over the odds on fees and wages for Angel Di Maria and Radamel Falcao, there has been something pleasingly ruthless about Manchester United's transfer dealings so far this summer.
Their fans seem to share that view, and as Edward Woodward has become an unlikely hero for securing the signatures of key additions such as Bastian Schweinsteiger, that old swagger and confidence seems to have returned to United as they prepare for their return to the Champions League.
Some would call it arrogance, but then their fans would probably like that.
Newcastle United: Steve McClaren's Desire to Seize His Chance
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Eight years after being sacked as England manager, Steve McClaren returns to his country's top division for the first time since leaving his job as Middlesbrough boss in 2006.
The interim years at FC Twente, Wolfsburg, Nottingham Forest, Queens Park Rangers as a coach under Harry Redknapp and Derby County will have all had their various highs, but none were in the Premier League, and McClaren will have been waiting for this opportunity to show his country he really can cut it at the top level.
He takes over a Newcastle United side in dire need of direction but with the talent to respond to his coaching methods, meaning that it promises to be a fascinating campaign on Tyneside.
Norwich City: Alex Neil's Ambition
12 of 20From the moment he arrived at Norwich City in January, manager Alex Neil seemed to cast a spell over the clubs' supporters, and positivity was the outcome.
The Scot guided the Canaries to Wembley and victory in the Championship play-off final, but far from revelling in that success, Neil has instead been telling his players that it is only the start, with a ruthless preparation regime in place for a campaign in which his side are likely to be fighting near the foot of the table.
Neil told the Eastern Daily Press: "You need to enjoy it on a personal level, but for me in the summer when I went away it was about looking to kick on now, because regardless of what I managed to help do here last year or what the team did last year, if we don't do well this season then it won't matter."
That is exactly the sort of thing you want your manager to say.
Southampton: Why Be Scared of Players Leaving?
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Nathaniel Clyne might have left for that well-trodden path to Liverpool, and Morgan Schneiderlin has gone to Manchester United, but after the season they had last time out, why would Southampton be afraid of what will happen to them after losing some of their best players?
Tipped to struggle by many following the losses of the likes of Adam Lallana, Dejan Lovren, Luke Shaw and more last year, the club instead embarked upon a memorable first campaign under Ronald Koeman that ensured they are in Europe this time around.
Same again, Saints?
Stoke City: The Arrivals of Yet More Creative Players
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There are still those who indulge in lazy stereotypes and accuse Stoke City of an overly physical approach, but the arrivals of Joselu, Marco van Ginkel and even Glen Johnson this summer are a continuation of the club's gradual evolution under Mark Hughes.
Spanish forward Joselu, in particular, looks to be an intriguing addition, and with Liverpool visiting the Britannia Stadium on the opening weekend fresh from their 6-1 humiliation there in May, the reasons for positivity around the Potteries are numerous, even if the loss of Steven N'Zonzi is a blow.
Sunderland: Dick Advocaat's U-Turn
15 of 20After remarkably and emotionally leading Sunderland to Premier League safety at the tail end of the 2014/15 season, Dick Advocaat took Mackems fans from ecstasy to agony by announcing his intention to leave the club and retire, as reported by BBC Sport.
However, an almost immediate U-turn saw the respected boss opt to stay at the Stadium of Light for the forthcoming season, with fans now hoping the respected Dutch boss can build on their impressive end to the campaign to ensure it is the middle reaches of the table in which they end up making their presence felt and not the bottom.
Swansea City: Garry Monk's New Deal
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He's been attracting rave reviews, which have only been getting louder and louder the longer he's been in the job, and Garry Monk's new contract at Swansea City—signed this summer—will allow the club's former defender to really get his feet comfy under the table at the Liberty Stadium.
As reported by Wales Online, Monk likes to mix things up in his training sessions and always keep his players on their toes, and it is that clever approach that led the Swans to their best Premier League points tally last season, with the promise of even better to come this time around.
Tottenham Hotspur: Alderweireld's Bond with Vertonghen
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Tottenham Hotspur's signing of Belgian defender Toby Alderweireld makes sense on many levels—he picked up Premier League experience at Southampton last season, was relatively cheap and, at 26, is a good age—but perhaps the most vital ingredient in his signing is his union with Jan Vertonghen both at Ajax and at international level.
Sky Sports News HQ demonstrated the familiarity the two defenders have with each other.
The duo promise to make a formidable barrier for opposition defences and bolster Spurs in an area where Vertonghen and his team-mates were often found wanting last season.
Watford: Quique Sanchez Flores' Promise
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Changing managers after you've been promoted to the top division is never too common a move, but after going through five different bosses in the last 18 months, you almost expected it of Watford.
Quique Sanchez Flores is the latest and most high-profile name on that list, and his pledge to Watford supporters upon his arrival, reported by the BBC, is bound to excite fans about what promises to be an exciting period in their history.
Flores said: "In my mind I have an idea of the new team, of Watford. I will work very hard to achieve something special. The idea is to create a team the fans can connect with."
What's not to like about that?
West Bromwich Albion: A Full Season Under Tony Pulis
19 of 20When Tony Pulis was appointed as West Bromwich Albion boss midway through last season, the reaction of many was to claim the Baggies had pretty much secured Premier League safety, with the addition of the Welsh boss who has never experienced the drop also viewed as guaranteeing survival.
Initial misgivings over Pulis' playing style were soon dispelled when he led the club to fine results, such as wins over Manchester United at Old Trafford and Chelsea at the Hawthorns, and the club's fans will be hoping to never have any relegation worries in the coming campaign.
West Ham United: The Return of Slaven Bilic
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He wasn't there for very long as a player—just one-and-a-half seasons before a move to Everton—but there is something about the character of Slaven Bilic that seems to fit in with West Ham United, where he has been welcomed with open arms by a club whose fans endured a rocky relationship with previous boss Sam Allardyce.
The Croatian has brought in exciting additions such as Dimitri Payet, Pedro Obiang and Angelo Ogbonna, and with Europa League football to look forward to, there are high hopes at West Ham ahead of the club's final season at Upton Park.











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