The Premier League season 2011/12 is upon us!

Ok, first off, I am going to be operating this blog under a new system. I won't be updating as much because life and work gets in the way, but I will be sharing my thoughts on all the major events in the EPL and NHL several times in a month.

First up is a discussion on the new Premier League season.

Manchester United are the defending champions but their closest rivals; Manchester City, will be pushing the Red Devils all the way. I wouldn't be surprised to them both finish in the top two spots. Nothing short of a title win will please the Citizen's owners after all the cash they have spent on the squad but I don't know if they have the consistency that Manchester United enjoy to win a Premier League title yet.

So what are my predictions for this upcoming season?

1. Manchester United - I think you would be crazy not to bet on the Red Devils retaining the title this year. They were the most consistent team last year and they got stronger over the summer with quality additions in Ashley Young and Phil Jones. You can't imagine that Wayne Rooney will have as bad a year as he did last season so he should be upping his goal tally this year. 'Chicharito' Hernandez had a breakout year and looked very impressive and when you have the Premier League's 2010/11 top goalscorer warming the bench (Berbatov), you know you have plenty of goals in the team.

2. Manchester City - The Citizens will be fighting with their Manchester rivals all season for the title. They do have a real shot at winning it too. However, with players such as Balotelli in the team (what a bitch he is), consistency will be hard to find. Their best player, Carlos Tevez, also wants to leave which doesn't help the situation up front. To remedy the situation, Mancini brought in Sergio Aguero who looks like a fantastic talent but he will need to hit the ground running if City are to get the better of Fergie's men.

3. Chelsea - Chelsea are getting old and I think that will show this season. They have a talented squad but I don't think they have the legs to win consistently over a full season that involves two domestic cups and the Champions' League as well. If Torres could put the ball in the net, they might have a shot at upsetting the Manchester clubs, but I don't see that happening.

4. Liverpool - Liverpool improved so much over the last two transfer windows and when they attack I don't think there is a better team in the Premier League. However at the back Liverpool are still quite weak. Carragher is 34 and will not be able to match the pace of the Premier League all season and Glen Johnson is a liability when defending. I can see 'goals condeded' being the achilles heel of this Liverpool squad although I do see them finding their way back into the top four at Arsenal's expense.

5. Arsenal - It is the same old issue for Arsenal. They need to spend money improving the squad but Wenger won't. He is an admirable man, sticking to principles that served him well in the past but with his EPL rivals spending upwards of 30 million on the odd player, Wenger needs to realise that the game has changed and, if he wants to win any titles again, he must flash the cash too. Gervinho looks a decent signing but has every chance of going the way of Chamakh and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is far too young to carry this Arsenal team to a trophy. They need a brand new defence and a goalkeeper ideally. I can see Arsenal finishing outside the top four for the first time in many years and a possible sacking for Wenger.

6. Tottenham Hotspur - Spurs did not strengthen enough over the summer and still lack a world class striker. Rafael Van Der Vaart will need to produce a special season and steer clear of injury if Tottenham are to find their way back into the Champions' League spots this year. This is the best chance Spurs have had in a long time to finish ahead of Arsenal but a lack of goals could cost them.

7. Everton - David Moyes is the best manager in the League after Ferguson and Wenger. He has kept Everton competitive on a budget that matches most of the teams that get promoted from the Championship. His side is well drilled and disciplined. If he had a bit of cash and a larger squad, we would see Everton fight for a Champions' League spot every year. If they could get off to a better start than usual then Everton could do better than 7th.

8. Aston Villa - Villa lost two of their best players in Young and Downing. However, they have a great player in Marc Albrighton coming through the youth system and they just signed talented winger Charles N'Zogbia from Wigan. With goalscoring machine Darren Bent up front and Shay Given in net, I think Villa will do fine this year.

9. Sunderland - Sunderland have made some fine purchases over the summer but Steve Bruce changes his squad too much by bringing in so many new players all the time. I think they have the potential to get a European spot but they lack the necessary consistency.

10. Bolton Wanderers - Bolton did well to get to the semi-final of the FA Cup last year and many thought they would outclass Stoke. While they did not manage a Cup Final appearance, Owen Coyle has managed to transform his side from a route one team to a much better footballing side. Although the team does still revolve around the physical play of Kevin Davies, they are a much more attractive side to watch these days.

11. West Bromwich Albion - Hodgson came into West Brom mid-way through last season and turned the Baggies' fortunes around. He shored up the leaky defence and kept West Brom playing the attractive football that makes them such a fun team to watch. If Odemwingie can repeat his goalscoring heroics of last year and Hodgson can keep his defence disciplined then I think we will be surprised at how well West Brom will do.

12. Fulham - Martin Jol has plenty of Premier League experience and Fulham have a decent team. They don't have enough going forward to challenge for a European spot but they are solid enough at the back to keep most Premier League teams quiet. Their home form has always been great and, if they could sort out their abysmal away form, Fulham could find themselves much higher than 12th.

13. Stoke City - I have never made it any secret that I do not like this team. They are an ugly team to watch and they look better suited to the Rugby pitch than a football one. However, Tony Pulis has managed to create a physical team that can beat anyone on their day, they just lack the quality to do it all the time. I would love to see them in the relegation spots this year but they will most likely bully their way to a mid-table finish once again.

14. Newcastle United - Last season was such a positive one for the Newcastle. They had a good team and a huge prospect in Andy Carroll. However, once again the internal issues at Newcastle have cost the team and angered the fans. In short Newcastle have sold off all their best players and been left with an average and largley unproven squad. If they stay up it will be a successful season for Pardew and the Toon Army.

15. Queens Park Rangers - QPR have finally made their return to the Premier League and I think they will do fairly well. They have a good squad and plenty of financial backing. If they manage to stay up this year, we could see QPR become a regular team in the EPL for many years. Taarabt is their main man and they will be looking to him to continue the excellent form that got QPR promoted.

16. Wolverhampton Wanderers - Wolves, like Wigan, pulled of a 'great escape' last year. However, in contrast to Wigna, Wolves went out and improved their squad. They should have enough to stay up but that doesn't mean it won't be a long and hard season for Mick McCarthy's men.

17. Norwich City - Norwich were going to be my choice ahead of Wigan to get relegated this season but then I realised that the newly promoted sides often run on a 'nothing to lose' kind of adrenaline that established EPL teams do not. I think that will be the only reason that Norwich stay up. In fact, I will predict right now that if they survive this year, they will be relegated next year.

18. Wigan Athletic - Wigan survived the drop last year, pulling off a 'great escape' but they didn't get any better over the summer. With the loss of N'Zogbia to Aston Villa, that could be the final nail in the Latics' coffin.
 
19. Swansea City - I like Swansea because they play football the right way. However, to survive in the Premier League you need more than just pretty football, you need a competitive and large squad and the Swans simply do not have that. The first Welsh team in the top flight of English football shouldn't be up their too long.

20. Blackburn Rovers - Blackburn have not strengthened enough over the summer to avoid a relegation battle this year. They nearly fell from the top flight last season and, after losing Phil Jones to Man Utd and possibly losing Chris Samba in the coming weeks, I think Blackburn will be relegated this year.

One more day then it all kicks off, I cannot wait!

Are the wheels coming off for Wenger?

A fancy new crest, but no new players...

Mr Wenger could potentially lose Fabregas and Nasri this summer. That is not good news for Arsenal fans at all. Nasri and Fabregas are two of the top players in the Premier League nevermind on the Gunners' team. Barcelona are courting Fabregas and a number of sides are looking at Nasri, although Manchester United recently dropped out of the race for his signature. Arsenal have already lost Gael Clichy to Manchester City and they still have not sorted out their goalkeeping issues.

Should Wenger lose his two best players, who then will he recruit to fill in the massive gaps they will leave? He has signed nobody at this stage and there are few reports coming in that he will do so at any point in the near future.

With only a month until the new Premier League season, it seems to me that Arsenal are going to have to move fast to improve their squad and I don't see them bringing in enough talent in the short amount of time they have available. However, as per usual, I do see Wenger buying another couple of Chamakh-esque players to chew up money in wages and warm the bench.

It seems to me that Wenger is losing his ability to find gems for cheap (are there any more Thierry Henry's around?) and he has to realise that he has to spend some money on good players now if he wants to compete with United, City and Liverpool who are all spending plenty of cash this summer. Arsenal in fourth next year? Maybe lower? With no big new signings and the potential loss of Nasri and Fabregas? I wouldn't be surprised.

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To Spend Or Not To Spend? EPL's Top Four Teams

Now that the football season is over and we have our full line-up for the 2011/12 Premier League season, I thought it would be a good idea to take a quick look at all the teams who will be fighting for EPL glory come August and see where, if anywhere, they need to improve.

Manchester United

Manchester United are interested in several EPL players such as Gary Cahill and Ashley Young, but I doubt they will make significant moves for them. Man U need a goalkeeper first and foremost now that Van Der Sar has retired. They are perfectly capable in midfield and up front but they could do with some defensive help though as Rio Ferdinand is looking increasingly frail at the back and is fairly injury prone. Perhaps they could tempt Brede Hangeland away from Fulham?

Chelsea

Chelsea desperately need to bring in some youth. If you look at their top players; Lampard, Drogba, Terry and Cech, they are all over 30 now. They need to bring through a new team. I'd love it if they tried to do it from within or through buying English players, but they will probably look for foreign talent instead. They have been rumoured to be interested in Gary Cahill but it isn't likely the Bolton star will head to Stamford Bridge. Brazilian left-back Neymar is also a prime target for the Blues.

Manchester City

Where do you start with Man City? They have all the money in the world and they can buy any player they want. They have spent a lot of money over the last couple of years and I think the best thing for them to do is shed the driftwood at the club and try to keep the best players together to try and get past the inconsistency that plagues them because they rotate their squad so much.

Arsenal

I admire Wenger for trying to build a squad without spending money and concentrating on bringing youth players through the Arsenal system. However, the football world has changed and if Arsenal want to compete for trophies again then they have to spend money. There are several players that could better Arsenal's fortunes next year including, Gary Cahill, Dimitar Berbatov, Ashley Young, Scott Parker. More than anything Arsenal need a great goalkeeper and two great centrebacks so look for the Gunners to be busy over the summer. 

Keep checking back for the next set of teams!

The 2010/11 Premier League season is over!

Another season has finished and it's time for a quick round-up of how things finished at the top and bottom of the table. 

As we already knew, Manchester United are Premier League champions once again with Chelsea finishing in second place and Manchester City coming in third. Arsenal, who only a few weeks ago were challenging for the title, fell into fourth place winning only one of their last six Premier League games. Things need to change at the Emirates for Arsenal to recapture the glory of the late 90s and early 00s. Tottenham Hotspur edged out Liverpool to finish fifth and qualify for another year of European football, albeit the Europa League and not the Champion`s League.

The other big story at the end of the season concerns the teams that have been relegated. Falling at the last hurdle this year were Birmingham and Blackpool who join West Ham in preparation for the Championship.

Blackpool had started the season so well and were high flyers in December, looking at possible European qualification. However, as I predicted, those good times did not last long and Blackpool started to plummet down the table. Their gung-ho style of football was never going to work in the long run with the squad they have.

Birmingham fans will be looking back on a bittersweet season that saw them capture the Carling Cup (defeating Arsenal in the process) and get relegated. I think if you ask most Birmingham fans, they would trade the Cup for Premier League status but at least they have something to smile about. I had predicted that Birmingham would struggle to stay up despite their Cup success because the squad was playing like a team who believed it had done its job after winning a major trophy. They simply failed to find the same form in the Premier League as they had in the Carling Cup.

Scott Parker will be on the move

West Ham were relegated a week or so ago and it has been a long time coming for the Hammers. They have been on the verge of relegation since they came back to the Premier League a few years ago. Hammers' captain, Scott Parker, will be highly sought after over the summer so it should be interesting to see who bags him. Arsenal could really do with a player like Parker who can keep running hard for 90 minutes and put in a strong tackle. 

 

Come back in a couple of weeks to find out who has been promoted to the Premiership along with QPR and Norwich and how the new teams stack up. 

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Where did Chelsea come from??

Just a few weeks ago we were condemning Chelsea to a battle for a Champion's League spot. The race for the Title was between Arsenal and Manchester United only. However, in true Arsenal style, they choked at the wrong moment and have seen their season implode on itself. When that happened we practically gave the Title to Man Utd. However, Chelsea have come out of nowhere to challenge the Red Devils and tomorrow the two teams will go head to head in a game that will decide who takes top spot in the League with only two games to go.

It was only two months ago that Chelsea were 15 points behind Manchester United and seemingly out of the Title picture. In fact, Chelsea have not been in first place since Nov. 22^nd. However a run of great results have allowed Chelsea to creep back up towards United who have faltered several times recently including a massive loss last week to Arsenal. Typical of Arsenal to leave it til it is too late for themselves to actually win an important game.

Anyway, Arsenal's win has made tomorrow's fixture a make or break game for Chelsea. Ancelotti has stated that, “For us (Chelsea), it's like a final.” Ancelotti looked to be on his way out of Stamford Bridge at the end of the season because of how disappointing Chelsea's season has been up to this point. However, if he were to win the EPL then you would think his job would be secure.

Ancelotti: Can he save Chelsea's season?

Ancelotti's opposite number, Fergie, believes Manchester United will win the Title should they beat Chelsea tomorrow afternoon. Fergie is banking on the Red Devils' home form to be the deciding factor between the two sides, "Our home form is a big advantage. That's the reason we're there [on top].”

As well as Chelsea have done to get themselves back into this position I think getting a win at Old Trafford against a United side that always finish the season very strong is just a bridge too far. I think United's midfield are stronger and have a better work ethic and, if they can stay strong at the back I don't see Chelsea getting many chances.

This will be a closely fought game and emotions will run high. Because of that, I wouldn't be surprised to see a red card.

My Prediction: Manchester United 2 – 0 Chelsea.

Manchester United Favourites For Title

This title will not come as a huge surprise to many of you that follow the EPL but I think, even after today's 0-0 result with Newcastle United, that the Red Devils are pretty much guaranteed the Premier League title. Man Utd have always been a team that finishes the season very strongly and they find themselves ahead of Arsenal by seven points. Yes, Arsenal have a game in hand but that will only take them to within four points of United if they win (which, at the moment, is not exactly a guarantee). They also have to play United once more before the season ends and I can't see anything but a win for Fergie's men in that game.

How have United forced their way into the advantageous position they find themselves in? Well, I'm not entirely sure. United fans would be the first to tell you that they have not played fantastically well this season. They have been solid without being spectacular and they owe their league position in a big way to how bad Chelsea have been for parts of the season and how inconsistent Arsenal have been for the entire season. Liverpool were never anywhere near the top four and Manchester City still look a fair way from being a team that can challenge for the title over a full season.

Berbatov: Inconsistently brilliant.

You just have to look at the stats that the Manchester United squad have put up this season to see that it wasn't their best season. Wayne Rooney has only managed 10 goals and Javier Hernandez has only managed 11. To be fair to Hernandez, he has been a bit part player for Sir Alex in his first season and has looked very dangerous when he has played. Dimitar Berbatov leads the United scorers, and the Premier League's scorers with 21. While that sounds impressive, it is still five goals short of the total Rooney got for United last year and it is eight goals short of the tally Didier Drogba reached to take the Golden Boot last season.

United have also conceded more goals this season than they have in the previous five. Perhaps that is because they had to deal with injuries to key players at various times during the season.. Ferdinand and Vidic were both out for a while and they are two of United's best players.

Despite their struggles (OK they aren't really struggles...) they have still gotten the job done and you have to say that Sir Alex always gets exactly what he needs from his players. United have just about proven that they are the best in England once again.

However, what will United do when Van Der Sar is gone? What about when Giggs and Scholes eventually retire? Interesting questions that Sir Alex will need to answer...

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Blackpool Showing Their True Colours.

The boys in orange took the first half of this Premiership season by storm and at one point they were sitting in the top half of the League table looking at possible European qualification. Their attacking style of play took plenty of the Premier League's ever-presents, and pundits, by surprise, allowing The Seasiders to record victories over Liverpool (twice), Tottenham, Sunderland and Stoke. However, these big wins have been too few and far between in the second half of the season. The element of surprise has been lost and the honeymoon period is well and truly over.

The same Blackpool side that were looking to get into Europe are now staring at possible relegation as they sit just one place and one point above the relegation zone with games against Arsenal, Stoke, Tottenham, Bolton and Manchester United to come. A massive six point, must-win game against Wigan Athletic is coming up on the 16^th of this month and you have to say that if they fail to win that, things will look very bleak indeed for Ian Holloway's side.

Why have Blackpool suffered so much recently? I think it's simple. Blackpool play a very attacking but very risky game. To highlight this, Blackpool have scored more goals than any club in the bottom half of the table with 45. However, they have the second worst GD (Goal Difference) in the Premier League with -18. Only bottom placed Wigan are worse. They have also conceded the most goals out of every club, letting in 59 goals in just 31 games. That is nearly 2 per game.

There is a reason why many clubs who get promoted to the Premier League play a conservative style of football in their first year at least. They are looking to win games by one goal or play for draws against the powerhouse teams by packing men behind the ball or flooding the midfield with bodies. In contrast, Blackpool have attacked in every game and, while that is admirable, it has not helped the club in the long run as they look to secure their Premier League status.

Holloway: Too inflexible?

I am loathe to blame managers for the player's performances but in this case, most of the blame has to lie with Ian Holloway. It is his system that the team is playing and it is his lack of flexibility that has cost the team greatly. When things started to go wrong for Blackpool, Holloway should have changed to a more conservative style of football. Instead, he continues to pile men forward, leaving gaps at the back which have been exploited on too many occasions this year.

I worry for Blackpool and I think they are favourites, along with Wolves and Wigan to go down. You have to admit that for the first half of the season The Seasiders were playing well beyond themselves and things were bound to get worse.

What do you think?

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Daily News: NHL and EPL

 NHL News:

Phoenix and Atlanta on the brink of a move – The Coyotes and the Thrashers are both on the brink of moving. But which franchise will end up in Winnipeg?

Canucks win President's Trophy for the first time, poised to make more history too – The Vancouver Canucks are enjoying their best ever season.

Pronger out til playoffs – Flyers' captain, Chris Pronger is out until the playoffs while he recovers from hand surgery.

McCreary refs final game on Saturday – Veteran ref, Bill McCreary will officiate the final game of his 26 year refereeing career tomorrow night when the Caps take on the Sabres.

Wideman in hospital, no telling when he will return – Washington Capital's defenceman Dennis Wideman is in hospital suffering from a leg hematoma.

EPL News:

Saha to miss the remainder of the season – Everton striker Louis Saha will miss the rest of the EPL season after having undergone surgery.

Hodgson believes he never stood a chance at Anfield – Former Reds boss Roy Hodgson has stated that he never felt wanted at Anfield.

Arsenal join the hunt for Al Habsi – Arsenal have joined the race, along with Liverpool, Aston Villa and Celtic, to sign Bolton goalie, Ali Al Habsi. They desperately need him too.

Mancini warns Balotelli – Man City boss Roberto Mancini wants Balotelli to improve his behaviour on and off the pitch.

Spurs' Hutton out for a month – More injury woe for Spurs as right-back Alan Hutton is sidelined for a month with a knee problem.

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More news on Monday!