EPL: 10 Not-so-Bold Predictions for the New Season

I have seen many slideshows on this site and other sites that claim to offer bold predictions for the new season. However, upon reading the content, it appears there is really nothing bold about those predictions.

Therefore, I will make it clear from the outset that you will not find anything earth-shattering in these predictions.

But hopefully with that all being said, it will still prove to be an enjoyable read. if you enjoyed reading my predictions, please follow me on twitter,  for all my latest updates.

Manchester United to Win the Premier League Again!

If there is one thing that Manchester United know how to do, it is to win Premier League titles. Sir Alex Ferguson has bought well again, and his new signings have already settled in. Ashley Young, in particular, looks a terrific signing. Rooney, Hernandez and Berbatov will surely score goals for fun again while Phil Jones and Chris Smalling look like an exciting central defensive partnership for years to come.

The bottom line is, Manchester United have the squad and the manager who knows how to win.

The only slight concern will be the early-season form of David de Gea. However, the young goalkeeper is likely to grow in confidence as the season goes on and show what a great goalkeeper he is. Also, Manchester United won't be too worried by the odd mistake as long as the team is winning games.

Chelsea to Win the Champions League

Andre Villas-Boas seems like a top-class manager and it would be nice if he could hold on to his job for longer than one year. After spending over £13 million on compensation, you might think that Chelsea sees this as a long-term appointment. However, I think that that would be naive thinking—Chelsea managers simply don't get time and if Villas-Boas expects to stick around, he simply must be successful, and quickly.

Chelsea will be strong this season and push Manchester United hard, but I believe it will be the Champions League where Chelsea taste success rather than the Premier League. And surely winning the Champions League keeps Villas-Boas in his job for at least another 12 months.

Liverpool to Break into the Top Four

There seems to be a real strategy going on at Liverpool these days. The youth system is prospering again and Liverpool showed last January and this summer that they are not afraid to spend money. Furthermore, the owners are targeting the Premier League title in the near future.

The squad is looking healthy and certainly look to be a club moving in the right direction. This season, they may go without winning a trophy, but breaking back into the Top Four would be a massive step in the right direction.

Manchester City to Win a Cup

Manchester City have strengthened their squad again, and this season look to be a force to be reckoned with. They will push hard for the Premier League and Champions League, but will probably fall just short on both counts.

Therefore, their best chance of success this season will come in the two domestic cup competitions. After winning the FA Cup last season, they will believe they can do that again and may also target the League Cup.

Arsenal Will Continue to Refuse to Spend Big on a Established Player

Arsene Wenger has a certain way he likes Arsenal to be run. He can express that he is not afraid to spend big money all he likes, but he still refuses to do so. So far this summer, Arsenal have splashed out on Gervinho and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, but both players are works in progress. They are not the finished article.

Arguably, Wenger's biggest quality is his ability to develop players, and to be fair to him, he is probably the best manager in the Premier League at doing that.

The problem, though, is his Premier League rivals don't do the same. Manchester United, Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool are all prepared to spend big on established players. The problem at Arsenal isn't restricted to a lack of team strengthening, they have also lost established first-team players: Emanuel Eboube, Gael Clichy and Cesc Fabregas—and Samir Nasri is expected to complete a move to Manchester City in the next few days.

Arsene Wenger will be rightfully concerned about the situation, but he will not compromise his principles and will invest the money in future talent rather than sign the established international superstar Arsenal fans want.

Tony Fernandes to Steady QPR

QPR did not look like they were going to enjoy an extended stay in the Premier League. The club's manager Neil Warnock has been doing the job virtually with his hands tied behind his back. There is no secret that the team needed investments but Warnock has only been allowed to spend money on one player thus far. Tony Fernandes knows how important it is to stay in the Premier League and with reports that QPR has bid £4 million for Scott Parker, he is prepared to spend money.

However, it remains to be seen if QPR can put a squad together in time and if Neil Warnock is a good enough manager to make it happen. The takeover, though, seems to have given them a chance.

Norwich & Swansea to Entertain

It remains to be seen if either of these two clubs will be able to survive in the Premier League. They both face an uphill task, as we know. However, they both like to play football in the right way and, despite their lack of household names, will give Premier League survival a right good go like Blackpool did last season.

Norwich in particular are a fearless side away from home and won't be as intimidated about going to big Premier League football grounds as some might think. Both clubs, though, have some quick and exciting players and will play some good football throughout the season. Brendan Rodgers and Paul Lambert are also two of the brightest young managers around.

At Least 1 of the Newly Promoted Club Will Go Down

As much as we would like to see all the newly promoted clubs surviving, statistics say that seldom happens. It is likely that a minimum of one of them will be relegated. The positive is that one of them at least has a great chance of staying up. So who are you backing?

No Surprises in the Relegation Battle

There will be no real surprises in the relegation battle this season, there will be a number of teams that are expected to struggle. So take your pick from Wolves, Wigan, Blackburn, Norwich, Swansea, QPR and possibly Newcastle. Unless a huge surprise happens, three of those teams will be relegated at the end of the season.

Big Money Spent in January

We saw it last season with Liverpool and the January window never offers value for money. Therefore, in the last few days of January 2012, expect the big Premier League clubs to be doing significant business and paying over the odds for players.