Ups and Downs – New Season Predictions

With the new season only a week away the time has come to start making some league predictions. I am not brave enough to yet say that the Red Devils will win the league. However, with Arsenal thumping the blue half of Manchester three nil to win the Community Shield (or whatever they are calling it now) I have high hopes of an interesting season.

Certainly, looking at Manchester City’s transfers and their pre-season performances you have to ask a few questions, however, the Premier league season is a long one and much can change during the season.

So, it is much safer to predict the top four or five finishers than it is to make a call on the winner! Also, we have to be realistic, which unfortunately means giving Liverpool due consideration and not just dismissing their title ambitions in a moment of footballing bigotry just because of league rivalries.  The same goes for predicting those that will go down, those promoted are the usual targets but this year I am not so sure.

Okay, clearly I am procrastinating and avoiding answering my own question. Well, I will say this, despite getting Roy Keane on board as assistant coach (bit of step down for the former Sunderland and Ipswich manager) I am convinced the Villa will go down this season. They had a hell of a time last year and despite a good run at the end I don’t see them surviving, at all.

QPR have been busy in the transfer market and brought in some old hands to provide some experience ahead of a relegation scrap. I am glad to say that they have stuck with manager Harry Redknapp and he is as astute a manger as you will find anywhere in the professional game, he will avoid relegation.

Despite spending well and having a great season in the Championship I must say that Leicester will have a very hard season and I am not sure they will be able to weather the storm to stay up. Likewise, Burnley will clearly have a very difficult season back in the Premier League and I can’t see anything other than a season long battle against the drop for them.

One thing to note is that I do think that Tony Pulis at Crystal Palace did a first-rate job last year and drove them up the table by sheer determination alone! They will have a good season, mid-table but a good season nonetheless.

So, I am predicting the bottom three to be Burnley, Leicester and Aston Villa. But what, I hear you cry, of the top five? Well, I can see the Red Devils hitting the top three, I think Chelsea will struggle and be fourth or even fifth. I don’t think Everton will be able to keep up the momentum and are likely to finish in or around sixth place. Spurs won’t be able to keep up the pace and I see them battling Everton for sixth place.

Liverpool have spent well and I can see them in the top two again with Manchester City hot on their heels. Realistically, I can see both Manchester teams, Arsenal and Liverpool inside the top four with Chelsea in fifth. The champions will clearly be challenging for the title (community Shield result aside, stop laughing at the back) and so will Liverpool who have been backed with cash to buy players after the great season they had last year.

There I have said it, now watch that prediction fall apart after the first ten games… I am struggling to pick the top three placings though. I would love to say Manchester United to finish top but that is fan ambition talking, not reason. To finish last season in seventh place was not just because David Moyes was the manager, he was a good manager at a smaller team, the players clearly let the fans down last year. So a team are unlikely to be able to go from seventh to champions the following season but I do think the Van Gaal effect will carry them into the top three.

SO what are your predictions for the season? Why not try the Football Predictions Game to pit your predictions against your friends? Let us know how you get on!