Preview of Every Team for the EPL 2011-12 Season (Part Two)

Haven't seen part one? Check it out here.

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. So how will they cope battling it out with eternal survivors like Wigan Athletic?

Here’s part two of my preview for the upcoming season and in my opinion how it will all fall together.

Newcastle United

In a nutshell

Given Newcastle’s past seasons in the Premiership, the fans would have been quite happy with the way it ended up last year.

Their first season back in the premiership after spending a year in the Championship left them finishing in a stable position of 12^th without ever being in any real danger, and all this was achieved with newly signed Ben Arfa breaking his leg in October, star striker Andy Carroll being sold in January and Chris Houghton being sacked and replaced with Alan Pardew.

Can Newcastle improve on that this year? If French international Ben Arfa shows the form he showed before he got injured, he will bring great imagination with a fluid play to the team along with Jonas and also newly signed Demba Ba, who looked impressive on a poor West Ham team last year.

Cabaye and Marveaux are two new attacking midfielders brought in, while club captain Kevin Nolan left to join West Ham and Joey Barton has had a slightly difficult summer after being told he could leave St James Park on a free but now it seems he might be staying after all. Jose Enrique has finally left the club; the talented left back was linked with every club in England this summer but joined Liverpool a couple of days ago.

Key player

Demba Ba seemed to know where the back of the net was at West Ham and can take up the mantle left by Andy Carroll as chief goal scorer.

Key time of the season

April appears a good month for Newcastle to be able to pick up points.

April 7^th Swansea City (h), 9^th Bolton (h), 14^th Chelsea (a), 21^st Stoke City (h), 28^th Wigan Athletic (a)

Betting odds for title win

1,000-1

My verdict

Performed above expectations last year, but how will his new signings do this year? Relative unknowns and Gabriel Obertan, Pardew will be hoping they pay off. My opinion? 15^th

Norwich City

In a nutshell

Two years ago Norwich were playing two divisions below the Premiership in League one, and on the opening day of the season they lost at home in a derby to Colchester 7-1. Fast forward two years, and after two successive promotions here they sit in the Premiership.

It’s been six years since they were last here, and I can’t see it playing out any differently than last time. The two successive promotions may have been too soon for Norwich and they may find themselves out of their depth at this level due to the quick rise.

Paul Lambert is a likeable young manager who could have a big future in the dugout. This summer he’s signed unproven players at this level, but they’ll all match his hunger to do well. And if Norwich can play like the well organised effective side from last year, then a few teams could be leaving Carrow Road without the points they were expecting.

Key player

Captain and Player of the Year two years running Grant Holt will have to score double figures, like he has done in the last few years, if Norwich is to survive this season.

Key time of the season

Norwich will want to have enough points on the board by the time the last two months come about, not a favourable run-in.

April- 7^th Everton (a), 9^th Tottenham (a), 14^th Manchester City (h), 21^st Blackburn Rovers (a), 28^th Liverpool (h)

May- 5^th Arsenal (a), 13^th Aston Villa (h)

Betting odds for title win

5,000-1

My verdict

Could be this year’s Blackpool, playing football the right way and winning supporters across the Premiership, but this season could just prove too much. My opinion? 19^th

Queens Park Rangers

In a nutshell

It was a crazy year for QPR: wacky owners, a threat of a points deduction, a manager close to being sacked after winning the league and, to cap it off, a return to the Premiership after a 15 year absence. If there’s one thing you need to survive in this league it's stability. And the one thing QPR haven’t got? Stability.

QPR have some of the richest owners around, it’s just a shame that they don’t want to spend any money on the team. But if the team is struggling in January, expect one of the bulging wallets to open and bring in some new faces.

Adel Taarbet was a real force in the Championship last year, and it’ll be exciting to see just how he copes in the Premiership. But QPR won’t want to be seen as a one man team, so Jay Bothroyd and DJ Campbell will want to impress from the start with their share of goals, and if Kieran Dyer can stay fit, his experience could be vital.

Key player

Well despite all the rumours, Taarbet is still at Loftus Road and all QPR fans will be pinning the hopes on the player who became captain at the age of 21.

Key time of the season

A lot like Norwich, QPR also have a nightmare run of games from March to April which could effect their survival hopes.

March- 3^rd Everton (h), 10^th Bolton (a), 17^th Liverpool (h), 24^th Sunderland (a), 31^st Arsenal (h)

April- 7^th Manchester United (a), 9^th Swansea (h), 14^th West Brom (a), 21^st Tottenham (h), 28^th Chelsea (a)

Betting odds for title win

3,000-1

My verdict

Seems to be unrest all through the club which stems from being badly run from the board. Expect them to struggle throughout.  My opinion? 18th

Stoke City

In a nutshell

Finishing 13^th last year just three points off tenth, runners-up in the FA cup and therefore earning themselves their first European run since 1974 points to the fact that by all means Stoke had a pretty decent season last year.

They turned the Britannia stadium into a fortress, picking up 34 points there (only three less than Arsenal). With Stoke growing every year as a Premiership football club you will once again expect the bigger teams to start fearing the journeys to Stoke.

The club has made two shrewd free signings in Woodgate and Upson, and it will be interesting to see them utilized with Huth and, if he remains on the team, Shawcross.

Where can Stoke go from here then? With a added European run this season it will either tire out the players slightly more or will spur them on to make sure they can stay at that level. Either way the club still needs to invest a bit more because they were too reliant on Pennant and Etherington last year.

Key player

When Huth plays he’s like a rock at the back and can also weigh in with a few goals, Stoke is doing well.

Key time of the season

November seems to be a good month where they can pick up points.

October- 29^th Newcastle (h)

November- 5^th Bolton (a), 19^th QPR (h), 26^th Blackburn (h)

Betting odds for title win

3,000-1

My verdict

Stoke will continue to be a steady team in the Premiership and, coupled with a good run in Europe, will have a slight improvement on last year. My Opinion? 11^th

Sunderland

In a nutshell

Too inconsistent last year and, whilst injuries didn’t help, the fact that Sunderland finished in 10^th was seen as a disappointment. Sunderland were very much in the relegation battle until they regained their form in the last few matches and ended up in a position they didn’t really deserve.

Steve Bruce has took notice of his team frailties in depth last year and has acted accordingly. No other Premiership club has brought in more players this summer, and they look like very good pieces of business.

The two arrivals from Old Trafford, John O’Shea and Wes Brown will bring a great deal of stability and experience to a defence that was leaking goals all over last year. Connor Wickham is a great striking prospect who rejected Liverpool to sign for Sunderland. Ji Dong-Won is a South Korean striker who, along with Wickham, will relieve some of the pressure off Gyan this year. Seb Larsson and Craig Gardner arrive from Birmingham and now it’s clear to see why some pundits are thinking Sunderland could be a surprise package this season.

Key player

Sunderland struggled after Darren Bent left the club, but with a fresh start this year, Asamoah Gyan will lead the line and should score a few.

Key time of the season

With a tough start to the season, Sunderland will hope to win their first home game of the season against Newcastle to start with confidence.

August- 13^th Liverpool (a), 20^th Newcastle (h), 27^th Swansea (a)

September- 10^th Chelsea (h)

Betting odds for title win

1,000-1

My verdict

I’m tipping Sunderland to have a good year. They’ve bought well, already had the foundations of a good squad and are going to be a big handful for teams this year. Maybe qualify for Europe or win a cup this year. My Opinion? 8^th

Swansea City

In a nutshell

A very attacking team last year in the Championship, it’s unlikely that’ll change when Swansea kicks off in the Premiership with a nothing-to-lose mentality.

They play attractive attacking football with width, as was evident with their star winger Scott Sinclair netting 22 league goals last year including a hat trick in the playoff final. There is also a good backline for Swansea too, having conceded the second fewest amount of goals in the league last season.

They’ll play with a lot of pride owing to the fact that they are the first Welsh club to play in the Premiership, along with the hopes of shocking a few teams with their fast pace of football. Added to Scott Sinclair is new signing Danny Graham, who was the Championship's top scorer last season. There are goals in this team.

It will remain to be seen if Swansea will swap their usual tactics to a much more defensive approach or if they truly think they can outplay some of the bigger teams in the league.

Key player

If Scott Sinclair can show his form from last year, not only will it be a huge benefit to Swansea, it could also be a huge benefit to Sinclair’s next career step.

Key time of the season

Whilst the other promoted clubs have a horrible last couple of months of fixtures, Swansea have a real chance of collecting points from theirs.

April- 7^th Newcastle (h), 9^th QPR (a), 14^th Blackburn (h), 21^st Bolton (a), 28^th Wolves (h)

Betting odds for title win

5,000-1

My Verdict

Expect to see them pick up some big defeats with the way they play, but that will also help them surprise some teams and nick points. Will that be enough to stay up? My opinion? 16^th

Tottenham Hotspur

In a nutshell

The tired legs due to a good Champions league run started to take effect on the Spurs towards the end of last season. Bale and Van Der Vaart, who were the two key players throughout the season, looked to be getting weary, and Tottenham were ultimately knocked out of Europe and finished in 5^th place, missing out on Champions League football.

Tottenham are desperate to get back into the football elite, and this year will prove to be even harder than the last. Liverpool and Manchester City have both significantly improved their squads, and when you put Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United into the mix it’s hard to see how they can break back into the top four.

Tottenham still have a strong squad but they are missing a top class striker which the other top five clubs all have. They are still struggling to keep this team together with Chelsea still sniffing around Modric and Bale. One positive this summer is the capture of Friedel, who even at his later years will be a good option instead of the mistake-prone Gomes.

Key player

Rafael Van Der Vaart was a bargain buy at £8 million, and he didn’t disappoint weighing in with 15 goals. Spurs fans will be hoping for more.

Key time of the season

March time is usually when the table begins to take shape, and with a tough run of fixtures, Tottenham will have to work hard to pick up points.

February- 4^th Liverpool (a), 11^th Newcastle (h), 25^th Arsenal (a)

March- 3^rd Manchester United (h), 10^th Everton (a), 17^th Stoke (h), 24^th Chelsea (a), 31^st Swansea (h)

Betting odds for title win

50-1

My verdict

Pretty much the same as last year for Tottenham, until they sign a striker who is a major goal threat. My opinion? 5^th

West Bromwich Albion

In a nutshell

Shock, horror! West Brom actually stayed up! The yo-yo club of the Premiership actually had a good season finishing 11^th and may now be able to actually to plan as a permanent fixture of the Premiership table.

The sacking of Di Matteo was inevitable as West Brom was staring into the oblivion once again, but when Roy Hodgson rolled into town the mood lifted at the Hawthorns and the Albion played like a team with confidence.

West Brom have signed well this summer. With Scott Carson heading off to Turkey, Albion quickly brought in Ben Foster on loan as his replacement. Shane Long arrives on the back of a reputation as being a goal scorer in the Championship, but whether he can carry it on at this level remains to be seen.

Key player

Peter Odemwingie, who says he could only get better, was a great piece of business by West Brom, scoring 15 times in the league.

Key time of the season

December seems to throw up a lot of winnable games for the baggies.

December- 3^rd QPR (a), 10^th Wigan (h), 17^th Blackburn (a), 21^st Newcastle (a), 26^th Manchester City (h), 31^st Everton (h)

Betting odds on title win

1,500-1

My verdict

Will be pretty much the same for West Brom fitting into a closely packed mid table. My opinion? 12^th

Wigan Athletic

In a nutshell

Another season gone and another season where Wigan just managed to hold on to their Premiership status. But how long can that last for? Small crowds seem to indicate that this is indeed a small club trying to punch above its weight.

Charles N’Zogbia has moved on to Aston Villa, and if the rumours are true about Hugo Rodallega leaving, it spells bad news for Wigan who would have then lost their two top scorers.

Wigan have to rely on cheap or unheard of signings, and whilst new signing David Jones is a decent midfielder, he is hardly going to be the answer in keeping them up this year.

Key Man

If Rodallega ends up staying then his goals will be important, just like his goal on the final day which kept them in the top flight.

Key time of the season

The first month will see Wigan take on the three promoted clubs, if they fail to take points in them then that could be a clear indication of how the rest of the season will play out.

August- 13^th Norwich (h), 20^th Swansea (a), 27^th QPR (h)

Betting odds for title win

2,500-1

My verdict

I think this could be the last season in which we see Wigan. There is only so long they can fight off the inevitable. My opinion? 20^th

Wolverhampton Wanderers

In a nutshell

This is now the Wolves' third consecutive year in the Premiership and that is the first time since 1982, but this year they have to progress from relegation candidates because they are better than that.

Operating with no debt, Wolves have managed to build a good side for the Premiership, and creating a strike partnership between Kevin Doyle and Steven Fletcher could pay dividends this year now that they’re getting used to each other. Matt Jarvis is proving to be a great player with a bright future in front of him and will want to impress with Euro 2012 right around the corner.

Roger Johnson, who is a commanding centre back, has joined the club from Birmingham and he has already been given the captaincy. Johnson stated after his move that he was hoping to break into the England set up, so expect a big year from him. Jamie O’Hara joins after impressing on a loan spell at the club, and goalkeeper De Vries joins to battle for the number one spot with Hennessey.

Key player

If Steven Fletcher can keep up his form from the end of last season when his goals kept Wolves up, then his goals will be key to just how far Wolves can go.

Key time of the season

December and January look like tough months for Wolves so the two following months will be vital.

February- 4^th QPR (a), 11^th West Brom (h), 25^th Newcastle (a)

March- 3^rd Fulham (a), 10^th Blackburn (h)

Betting odds for title win

2,500-1

My Verdict

I would expect to see Wolves pull away from the bottom three as they have the squad capable of a mid table push. My opinion? 13^th

My Final Table

So just to recap here is the final table of how I predict it will all end up.

1. Manchester United
2. Manchester City
3. Chelsea
4. Liverpool
5. Tottenham Hotspur
6. Arsenal
7. Everton
8. Sunderland
9. Fulham
10. Bolton Wanderers
11. Stoke City
12. West Bromwich Albion
13. Wolverhampton Wanderers
14. Aston Villa
15. Newcastle United
16. Swansea City
17. Blackburn Rovers
18. Queens Park Rangers
19. Norwich City    
20. Wigan Athletic

Hope you all enjoyed and let me know your thoughts on the season ahead!