Preview of Every Team for the EPL 2011-12 Season (Part One)
So the big kick off is now just round the corner, and everyone can smell the excitement. With fans just getting over the highs and lows of last season, hopefully their hearts will be ready for the roller-coaster all over again.
Manchester United will be looking for new ways to halt the continuing assault of Manchester City, whilst Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal will hope this is their year to climb back to the top.
And how will the new boys cope? It’s been a long time since QPR and Norwich had to slug it out at this level and it’s a whole new experience for the Welsh boys from Swansea. How will they cope battling it out with eternal survivors like Wigan Athletic?
Here’s part one of my preview for the upcoming season and in my opinion how it will all fall together.
Arsenal
1 of 11In a Nutshell
2010-11, a season which promised so much for Arsenal but ultimately turned out to be a failure. It seems a statement that we hear all too often at the end of each passing football year and if the events so far this summer indicate to anything then it could be another year to forget.
At one time at the beginning of 2011, Arsenal looked like genuine contenders on course for many of the top prizes home and abroad. Then, like usual, it all fell apart after one game. The game in question last season was the league cup final defeat against Birmingham City.
This summer the drama seems to continue for the suffering Gunners fans. As I write this the Fabregas saga seems to be finally drawing to a conclusion with him apparently flying out to Spain. Nasri looks more than likely to be signing for Manchester city and the club have already taken classy full back, Clichy, off their hands.
The fans may be distraught with these departures but summer arrival Gervinho looks a great piece of business having impressed in pre-season and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is finally a big name signing (Cheap joke). However these signings are exactly the players Arsenal don’t need desperately, mainly a centre half would have been nice. Expect Cahill or Birminghams Scott Dann to move across before the windows shut, and there is still persistent talk of Juan Mata making the jump across to the Emirates if and when Fabregas and Nasri leave.
It could all lead to a very uncomfortable season for Arsene Wenger who could feel after 15 years that for the first time his job could come under scrutiny.
Key Player
It could all come down to Jack Wilshire to take the mantle of the team's main midfield orchestra and even at the age of just 19 he already seems capable of stepping into Fabregas’s boots.
Key time of the season
November going into December will be a period where Arsenal will want and will feel capable of taking maximum points going into a tiring and busy part of the season.
November- 5th West Brom (h), 19th Norwich (a), 26th Fulham (h)
December- 3rd Wigan (a), 10th Everton (h)
Betting odds for the title
9-1
My Verdict
Arsenal seem to be a team that people are starting to laugh at now as they go from one crisis to another and I can’t recall a side going into a new season with such low confidence. My opinion? A struggle of a season lies ahead and Arsenal will suffer their worst position in years. 6th
Aston Villa
2 of 11In a nutshell
The angry mob still hasn’t been silenced and Alex Mcleish will now be in no doubt about the tough job he has lying ahead for him. Of all the managers Villa could have gone for they did indeed drop the ball in going for the guy who had started to make a habit of getting their arch rivals relegated.
So with the drama of the manager over with, how does the squad shape up? Well Friedel has joined Tottenham, Young has moved onto Old Trafford, Downing is now at Liverpool, and the likes of Pires, Reo-Coker and John Carew have all left on a free.
Shay Given has been brought in and he is a more than adequate replacement for Friedel as long as he stays fit and Charles N’Zogbia has joined from Wigan and brings a bit of attacking width back to the team. However, the squad still seems to be missing a few components.
The kids could have a big say this season, and the likes of Albrighton, Bannan and Delfouneso will have to step up to the mark straight away as this year will be an important part of their careers.
Key Player
Any Aston villa success this season will fall directly onto the shoulders of Darren Bent. With there being no more Young or Downing it remains to be seen if Bent will get the regular good service he requires. He will want to impress with Euro 2012 coming after the season finishes.
Key Time of the season
The opening two months will be a good opportunity for Villa to pick up points and looking at the fixture list it seems viable. The worst thing this team could do is get off to a bad start with pressure already on the new boss before a ball has even been kicked.
August- 13th Fulham (a), 20th Blackburn (h), 27th Wolves (h)
September- 10th Everton (a), 17th Newcastle (h), 24th QPR (a)
Betting odds for title win
400-1
My Verdict
McLeish needs to work hard to not only win the fans over, but also the players. With a weaker looking squad and fan unrest it’s looking like a long hard season ahead. My Opinion? 14th
Blackburn Rovers
3 of 11In a nutshell
Last November Blackburn were having a relatively decent season by their standards, avoiding being dragged into a relegation battle and gaining valuable points. Then Venkys, chicken magnates from India, came in and took over. The fans of Rovers must have thought their luck was going to improve even more but how wrong they were.
Sam Allardyce was sacked just six weeks into their regime and replaced with his right hand man, the inexperienced Steve Kean. Everyone was stunned by this move but then soon felt sorry for Kean, when Venkys said they expected a top six finish and handed him a whopping £5 million to spend.
Blackburn managed to avoid relegation last year even though they managed a 10-match winless streak from February to April. So just what’s going to happen next?
Still a struggle to pull the fans in, this modest club is now owned by owners who are best described as bonkers and a manager who I rate will be gone by October. Goodwillie has been brought in but Blackburn aren’t making the signings that would signal the so called ambition of their owners. What happened to them signing Ronaldinho? Keep dreaming guys!
In the departures lounge, the talented youngster Phil Jones has moved onto Manchester United, and Blackburn must fight tooth and nail if they are to keep hold of such stars like Christopher Samba.
Key Player
Paul Robinson. The focal point of quite a rock of a defence which includes, Samba, Nelson and Givet. Keeping all these together could decide Rovers fate.
Key time of the season
The first four games are games where points could be picked up by Blackburn, if they don’t hit the ground running then it could be the job centre for Steve Kean.
August- 13th Wolves (h) 20th Aston Villa(a), 27th Everton (h)
September- 10th Fulham (a)
Betting odds for title win
2,500-1
My Verdict
I cant see anything but a relegation scrap for Blackburn from start to finish and I would also suspect Kean to become the first managerial casualty of the season. My Opinion? 17th
Bolton Wanderers
4 of 11In a nutshell
What has Owen Coyle done to Bolton? Granted they still have a physical aspect to their game (no team committed more fouls last year) but now they play some good football with a commitment to attack. Injuries derailed them towards the end of last season where they finished in 14th and suffered a horrific day at Wembley when they played Stoke City in the FA Cup semi-final and lost 5-0.
The real success in the squad for Bolton last year was the loan from Chelsea, Daniel Sturridge. The youngster really impressed during his spell at the Reebok. It is a testament to how good his season was that Chelsea see him as too valuable to send out this time round. Bolton have also lost another striker this season in Elmander, who had always struggled to justify his £8.2 fee that they paid out for him. The main scoring threat will be Kevin Davies who isn’t renowned for being a big scorer and also at 34 years of age must be a concern for Coyle. I would highly expect them to bring in another striker before the window slams shut.
Bolton have managed to bring in Reo-Coker on a free which is a good signing whilst the likes of Chris Eagles and Tyrone Mears who have come in from Burnley have never really impressed me greatly at this level. The American Stuart Holden was a massive player for Bolton last year and when he was injured it was no coincidence that their season took a turn for the worse. When he’s fully fit again he’ll seem like a new signing for them. It’s just a shame that there exciting winger, Lee Chung-Yong, has broken his leg and is out for 9 months. On his day he is one of the most exciting wingers in the league.
Key Player
When you’re playing attacking football you need a good defence to repel any counter and Bolton have one of England’s finest younger defenders in Gary Cahill. If he stays at the Reebok it remains to be seen. Even if he does move Bolton can expect a large fee for his services with a reported £17 million buyout fee in his contract.
Key time of the season
A tough start to the season for Wanderers but after that they have a good run up to Christmas with games against similar teams. They just need keep the Reebok like the fortress it usually is if they want a good start.
August- 13th QPR (a), 20th Manchester City (h), 27th Liverpool (a)
September- 10th Manchester United (h), 17th Norwich (h), 24th Arsenal (a)
October- 1st Chelsea (h)
Betting odds for title win
1,000-1
My verdict
The ever improving Bolton can continue this year but it is essential that they bring a goal scorer in, it could make the difference if they want to become a regular in the top half of the league. My Opinion? 10th.
Chelsea
5 of 11In a nutshell
So it’s all up to a young Portuguese manager to steer Chelsea to English and European glory. Sound familiar? It doesn’t matter how much Chelsea try and make us think he’s not, Andre Villas-Boas feels like Jose Mourinho number two. Having been Jose’s assistant whilst he was in charge at Stamford Bridge and coming over from Porto after domestic and European success it’s easy to see why people are making comparisons.
Villas-Boas may still be in the inexperienced category with only one season under his belt, but the Porto side he built was all about flair with them scoring over 100 goals and winning their domestic league and cup and also the Europa League on the way. But the pressure of succeeding a Ancelotti, who is a well respected manager who had only won the double the year before for Chelsea must be daunting. Villas-Boas appears nothing but confident so far.
Unfortunately it’ll take more than confidence to win over a notoriously frosty dressing room. Win them over and a special bond between manager and players is formed (Ask Jose). Fail to win the respect of them and you could find yourself an early casualty amongst sacked managers (ask Scolari).
So what about the team? No major changes have occurred yet, Zhirkov has gone whilst young players Romeu and Courtois have been brought in and Belgian striker Lukaku looks set to have a great career in front of him. Chelsea have been linked with some big names. None have materialised as of yet and it seems that they are being ridiculously over priced for Luka Modric, but this is a team that’s familiar with each other and knows their own strengths.
Chelsea need to find a solution to the Torres problem. Playing him alongside Drogba is not the answer. They need someone a bit deeper and creative, a bit like how Liverpool utilized him and Gerrard. Is Modric the answer? And at £35 million? I think that’s too much for him, you're reasonably looking at £20-25 million but that’s the market nowadays. Either way, Torres should be looking to the first few fixtures which are really games that he should be scoring in. If he doesn’t impress the new boss straight away, it won’t be long till Sturridge and Lukaku get their chance. Because as all Chelsea managers know, time is never on their side.
At the back, a returning from injury Alex should bolster the backline further by partnering up with Terry whilst David Luiz can continue to impress even if moved to right back.
Key Player
John Terry will have to be at his rousing best if Chelsea want to avoid a blip in form like last year and he will also be a key figure in Villas-Boas battle for the changing room.
Key time of the season
Recent seasons the title has gone to the wire and Chelsea have a tricky run in during the last few games with trips to fellow title challengers and also a local derby.
April- 21st Arsenal (a), 28th QPR (h)
May- 5th Liverpool (a)
Betting odds for title win
5-2
My verdict
Villas-Boas will bring excitement back to Chelsea again and his attacking flair should bring him many admirers, but Chelsea still need that signing to compliment Torres and the likes of Lampard and Drogba aren’t getting any younger. My Opinion? 3rd
Everton
6 of 11In a nutshell
It must surely feel like the summer of 2010 again for Evertonians. A summer which saw Jermaine Beckford arrive at the club from Leeds United hardly signalled intention to the Everton fans and this summer seems to be playing out pretty much the same as no signings have been made by the club.
The problems facing the club are now well documented, the debt is growing for Everton and they are crying out for investment of any kind but it just seems they are failing to attract any potential buyers.
The major plus point for Everton is that they already have a good squad. They seem to be able to keep the wolves at bay when they come circling for their top players and must owe to the great harmony clubs like Everton create.
Keeping this team together till the window shuts will be vital. Arsenal have already had two bids for Jagielka rejected and with others looking at Baines and Rodwell it could be a struggle for them to keep saying no with the money problems worsening.
Everton desperately need a goal scorer, without one it’s difficult to see how they are ever going to progress with them relying too much on goals from a usually injury hit midfield. But with no money where does one come from? Expect to see unproven youngsters thrown into the mix as the season goes on, and we all know Everton have a good record on that account.
Key Player
Mikel Arteta is back from his knee injury and if he can get back to his form from 2009 he could once again become Everton’s main creative weapon, creating and scoring the majority of their goals.
Key time of the season
Everton haven’t lost two games in a row since November 2009, a span of 55 matches. A run of games from September to October could test that record
September- 24th Manchester City (a)
October- 1st Liverpool (h), 15th Chelsea (a), 22nd Fulham (a), 29th Manchester United (h)
Betting odds for title win
300-1
My Verdict
Everton are always competitive and a top-half side. It will be a case of same old Everton this year but without a serious goal scorer progress will fail to be made again. My opinion? 7th
Fulham
7 of 11In a nutshell
Fulham endured a terrific season last year. They finished in the lofty heights of 8th and secured a European spot. After being in the relegation zone at Christmas time, this was a great turn around for the London club. So just how can they improve on that?
Fulham have built a good squad over the years and the arrival John Arne Riise is a great coup for Fulham and it wouldn’t be surprising to see them repeat the feats of last year after just minimal changes to the side.
The likes of Danny Murphy, Dempsey and Zamora will still be the main attacking focal points whilst Hangeland will continue to be a rock at the back unless Arsenal make a bid for the reliable defender before the window closes.
Mark Hughes left in the summer which surprised many, but in Martin Jol, Fulham have got themselves a respected coach who already has European and Premiership experience.
Fulham are already full swing into their season with the Europa league qualifiers so a lack of depth in their squad could come back to hurt them in the latter stages of the season.
Key player
Clint Dempsey hit 12 goals last season and it seems strange that he never gets linked with a bigger club. A cracking player who causes the opposition all sorts of nightmares when they come up against the American.
Key time of the season
The first two months will prove a perfect time for Fulham with games against teams they’ll have confidence in picking up points against.
August- 13th Aston Villa (h), 20th Wolves (a), 27th Newcastle United (a)
September- 10th Blackburn Rovers (h), 17th Manchester City (h), 24th West Brom (a)
Betting odds for title win
1,000-1
My Verdict
Fulham can continue to grow in the league and keep winning fans along the way. Always playing football the right way with a good backing from the board, other clubs must look with envy. This could be a tiring season for them though, with legs getting weary near the end. My opinion? 9th
Liverpool
8 of 11In a nutshell
Last year’s start to the season was a start to forget for Liverpool fans, financial uncertainty and Roy Hodgson fighting with one hand tied behind his back led to the club finding itself in the relegation zone. Fast forward to January and John Henry had taken over the club, Kenny Dalglish was back in charge and brought in such players as Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez. Liverpool ended up finishing in 6th place which didn’t seem likely in the first half of the year.
So is the drama over? It seems so, Dalglish has had a busy summer bringing in Henderson, Adam, Downing and now Jose Enrique to the team and whilst the attacking element seems full strength the defence is still lacking.
Liverpool could probably do with finding a good experienced centre back, after some shocking defensive displays being shown last season which helped to their 14 league defeats. I would expect them to make a move for one more player in the coming weeks, and it needs to be a defender.
Dalglish did well bringing in a good influx of kids into the first team who did impress. Liverpool are starting to not just build a good English core to the side but also a great batch of home grown players, which is important. Carroll and Suarez could become the best partnership in the league, with Suarez impressing already during his spell at the club. Exciting times indeed for Liverpool.
Key player
This could be a big year for Andy Carroll. He needs to justify his hefty £35 million price tag and also keep his place in the England team for Euro 2012. With the likes of Downing and Adam joining Gerrard in midfield, Carroll will have no excuses about a lack of service.
Key time of the season
Coming out of the tough festive period, February and March will prove a test to Liverpool if they are indeed making a push for the title.
February- 4th Tottenham Hotspur (h), 11th Manchester United (a), 25th Everton (h)
March- 3rd Arsenal (h)
Betting odds for the title
10-1
My Verdict
Without the distraction of European football, Liverpool could make a real tilt towards the title this season. Dalglish is building a young side and this season might just be a little bit too early, but the glory days must not be too far away again for Liverpool. My Opinion? 4th
Manchester City
9 of 11In a nutshell
Well that’s two hurdles down, only the big one left. Winning their first trophy since 1976 and securing Champions league football, City can now genuinely begin to believe they can win their first league title since 1968.
Manchester City seem to have overtaken Chelsea as Manchester United’s main rivals and also as the chief spenders in the Premiership even though they have spent significantly smaller than in the past two seasons.
Tevez is still at the club and I have a suspicion he won’t be going anywhere for the time being. If Tevez and Aguero spearhead the City attack it could work wonders. With Tevez dropping deep to battle and win the ball like he does and then with the dangerous Aguero playing more forward terrorising defenders with his powerful runs, the two of them will surely bring plenty of goals this season. And if Mancini can get the best out of Balotelli and Dzeko finds the form he had in Germany, then City could well have one of the best attacks in Europe.
The joint best defence in the league last year with Chelsea has been tweaked slightly with the arrival of Savic and Clichy to challenge for the left back berth but with Hart between the sticks and one of the best central defenders around in Vincent Kompany you can expect them to be quite stingy again this time around.
Nasri seems set to join the club any day and City will be blessed with an almost complete midfield with last season’s new stars Yaya and David Silva impressing along the way. This City side is almost there.
Key player
David Silva really impressed last year with a sweet left foot, he has a lot of quality attacking options now that his creativity can feed.
Key time of the season
A nice start for City which could see them have an early lead and pull away from the pack.
August- 13th Swansea City (h), 20th Bolton Wanderers (a), 27th Tottenham Hotspur (a)
September- 10th Wigan Athletic (h), 17th Fulham (a), 24th Everton (h)
Betting odds for title win
7-2
My Verdict
They’re well on their way now after removing the burden of not winning a trophy and securing European cup football, the fans are expectant but will it be this year? My opinion? 2nd
Manchester United
10 of 11In a nutshell
Apparently it was the worst United side of recent years but that still didn’t stop them taking a record 19th title and also make it into the European cup final. Unfortunately, Barcelona showed them just what’ll take to become Europe’s best, so hopefully lessons have been learned.
The will he won’t he saga of Wesley Sneijder will continue to the hour the window shuts it seems, but United should still feel confident that their blend of youth and experience is good enough to claim a 20th title.
Jones and Young are solid signings and De Gea has all the potential to become a great goalkeeper. When that’s added with the likes of Rooney, Vidic, Nani and last season’s star signing Javier Hernandez, it’s easy to see that Sir Alex Ferguson is building a team to carry on another period of English domination.
Question marks were raised about the midfield department last year and now with Scholes retirement, questions will no doubt be asked again. Sneijder would be the world class signing a lot of United fans are craving and could fix the problem. But it could all be about the kids, with the likes of Cleverley and Pogba impressing on outings so far. United will no doubt be lifted by the return of Darren Fletcher after a mystery bug ruled him out for the last half of last season.
Key player
It’s no coincidence that United’s form hit its peak when Rooney found his best form, and there will be no player who will want to make a big impression after the shambles at the beginning of last season.
Key time of the season
In the title run-in there is a spell of games that United should be taking maximum points from and that will be crucial at that time of the season.
March- 10th West Brom (h), 17th Wolves (a), 24th Fulham (h), 31st Blackburn (a)
April- 7th QPR (h), 9th Wigan Athletic (a), 14th Aston Villa (h), 21st Everton (h)
Betting odds for title win
7-4
My Verdict
They have bought well and could be about to buy big but are they more concerned about the league or Europe? Either way it’ll be a very close finish which I can see United taking, but their noisy neighbours won’t go quietly. My opinion? 1st
