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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Congrats to Manchester City and Manchester United!

Both sets of Manchester fans will be celebrating hard tonight as The Citizens have won the FA Cup Trophy (their first success in 35 years) and Manchester United have won the Premier League title once again (making them the most successful club in English history).

Well done!

There is one game left in this 2010/11 Premier League season but remember to stick with Your Armchair Pundit throughout the summer to hear all the latest news and views on transfer dealings. It promises to be a big summer as clubs such as Liverpool, Arsenal, Man City and Newcastle all look to spend money improving their squads. 

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The Reds get their man

It is official, Kenny Dalglish is going to continue on as Liverpool manager for at least the next three seasons. I think this is great news for the club and the fans. Dalglish was at the helm at the time of Liverpool's dominance in the 80s before they relinquished their top dog status to Manchester United. Since then Liverpool have been a shadow of their former selves, hiring average coaches and buying average players. While they have won memorable trophies such as the FA Cup, League Cup, UEFA Cup and the Champion's League in the last 20 years, they have not captured the Premier League title once since it's introduction back in 1992/93.

As of today, Liverpool have also lost their place as the most successful English club of all time to their great rivals, Manchester United. With the return of Dalglish, Liverpool's fans and board will hope that the rebuild of their massive club is well and truly underway. It will take time for sure but I guarantee that both the players at the club and the fans who flock to Anfield for every home game believe that they now have the right man in charge to try and bring back League successes.

Along with Dalglish, Steve Clarke also signed a three year contract which is more positive news for Liverpool. Clarke is one of the best coaches in the game right now and was one of the biggest reasons for Chelsea's successes during his time there between 2004 and 2008. Along with Dalglish, Clarke is also credited for turning Liverpool's season around.

Club captain and Liverpool native Steven Gerrard is very pleased with the latest news, “"Before he [Dalglish] came in everyone knew it was a difficult time as results were not going well, but sometimes all you need is a change. The last six months has been a lot more positive.”

Will 'King Kenny' make Liverpool a force once more?

The big question is, can Dalglish take the Merseyside club back to the top of English football? In his last tenure, Dalglish led the club to three league crowns - and fans will be desperate for him to add to that tally. I can see positive things in Liverpool's future but I can't see them winning the title in the next three years, not with Manchester City improving so rapidly and Manchester United still as dominant as ever. Even Chelsea and Arsenal are a little way ahead of The Reds right now.

They do have some fantastic talent at the club with Suarez, Carroll, Miereles, Reina and Gerrard, however Dalglish still has some catching up to do!