Saturday 31 August 2013

Vuelta a Espana 2013 : Stage 9 Preview

STAGE nine is classed as a medium mountain stage. But the last kilometre will see gradients as high as most climbs across the entire Vuelta.

The stage itself is one of the shorter ones, at just 163.7km long, so could be one of the quicker ones. It takes the riders from Antequera to Valdepenas de Jaen and only crosses one categorised climb, the category 2 Alto de los Frailes.

That climb is around 6km long and averages in the region of 5.5% to 6%.

It is a steady climb and with it's summit just 16.2km from the finish it is the perfect place to soften the peloton up at the very least.

The descent is fairly quick without too many technical sections so anyone who can descend well will be able to put some under a whole lot of pressure.

One man who can descend well is Vincenzo Nibali. I wouldn't imagine he will put too much hurt on the other favourites but he will be at the front of them all come the final slog up Valdepenas.

Having said that he didn't look good up the final part of today's climb, although there were reports of a slipped chain which hindered his progress.

The last 2km sees the road climb at an average of 6% but with the final kilometre hitting parts above 10%.

It is a finish which shares a lot of characteristics to those in Belgium and Holland and that are seen along the route of some of the Northern Classics like Liege-Bastogne-Liege and the Tour of Flanders.

Nibali will be a very good bet for this stage as would the Colombian pairing of Carlos Betancur and Sergio Henao.

Joaquin Rodriguez and Roman Kreuziger are another two who have both been victorious in the Spring Monuments and will like the look of this finish. Kreuziger though wasn't comfortable today and unless he was taking it easy he may not be up for this.

For outsiders the two contested the finish a few days ago, World Champion Phillipe Gilbert and Zdenek Stybar are both more than capable of doing something here as is Nicolas Roche.

Roche took the red jersey today after a superb effort to latch on to the Ivan Basso attack. He has looked in the best form of his career and after promising so much in grand tours over the last few years could this be the time he actually delivers?

I get the feeling though that a breakaway may contest the finish today. Always hard to predict who will manage to get in there but riders from Vaconsoleil (maybe Tomasz Marcynski) and Euskatel (Igor Anton or Egoi Martinez?) will want to be part of it and Caja-Rural will always look to put somebody in there.

It is another stage which won't decide the destiny of this Vuelta. But it will put the hurt on a lot of riders. And that could be crucial come the last week.

Friday 30 August 2013

Vuelta a Espana 2013 : Stage 8 Preview

STAGE Eight sees the focus switch from the sprinters back to the overall contenders.

The riders will travel a total of 166.6km from Jerez de la Frontera to Estepona - Alto Penas Blancas.

The climb up to the finish climbs 960m at an average gradient of 6.6% although after 2km it maxes out at a gradient of 12.5%.

It does level out somewhat after this but the final 8km has an average gradient of 7.8%. And it climbs for the last 5km at an average gradient of 6%.

It means that if one team can get the speed high and keep it at that level, then it will be a very reduced peloton.

Movistar are the obvious team to do this. They have brought a squad filled with climbing super-domestiques, the likes of Sylvester Szmyd, Eros Capecchi and Pablo Lastras.

They should be able to keep the speed up to allow Alejandro Valverde to make his move.

The problem will be how many of his rivals will they get rid of.

Vincenzo Nibali should be able to stay with them. Joaquin Rodriguez should also manage to handle the intensity. However after that it depends on how much people have recovered.

The likes of Sammy Sanchez, Sergio Henao and Carlos Betancur have all been suffering with various ailments. Henao blamed stage two's travails on the 'knock'. Betancur has been ill and not raced since the Giro. Sanchez is another that hasn't raced much and is struggling for form.

But they have now had a week to recover and have the ability for certain to be close.

It will be very interesting to see how the Saxo-Tinkoff trio of Nicolas Roche, Roman Kreuziger and Rafal Majka go. All three, and Roche in particular, have looked very good so far. Roche is having his best tour of his life and this may not be the stage he struggles on.

Others to look out for are Euskatel's Mikel Nieve, who may be heading towards the leadership of his team, and Caja-Rural's David Arroyo. This shouldn't be the stage where we see them make their big moves but if they are there for the finish, expect them to have a go for the stage win.

Belkin's Laurens Ten Dam, by his own admission, found the opening climb tough. He has been coming into form so may look at this as being a stage to go for.

Lesser names to look out for are Domenico Pozzovivo and Ivan Santaromita.

But for outsiders look towards the Sky duo of Henao and Rigoberto Uran. The younger Colombian lost a lot of time of stage two and is now in 41st position, 2.59 behind Nibali. His more experienced team mate has taken the de-facto leadership of Team Sky and sits 7th, just 28 seconds behind. If anybody wants to disrupt Movistar's train then these two could be the ones to do it.

Expect Henao to go and if he gets caught close to the line, expect Uran to jump and go for the win.

Thursday 29 August 2013

Vuelta a Espana 2013 : Stage 7 Preview

ONE thing we haven't seen a lot of in this Vuelta has been crashes.

Now don't get me wrong. Of course that's a good thing! But it is very rare for a grand tour to be without pile-ups and for pictures of various riders sporting 'road rash' to be seen.

This stage could change that.

The route itself is another one which should end up in a cavalry charge from the bunch and the sprinters taking the honours.

It is 205.9km long and heads to Andalusia, travelling from Almendralejo to Mairena del Aljarafe, a small town just outside of Seville.

Again there is no categorised climbs along the route and nothing that should prevent the peloton arriving into the last 5km together.

But it is that last 5km which will be crucial.

Just under the 5km to go banner there is a right hand bend followed by a full 360 around a roundabout. 

A number of roundabouts will follow before a 90 degree left hand turn with 2.5km to go.

Another 90 degree turn happens with 1.5km to go with a final sweeping bend with 800m to go.

Positioning will be vital, not just for the sprinters teams but also for the overall GC riders who will want to stay out of trouble.

This will create plenty of nerves and I think it will be very surprising if everyone gets through unscathed.

But if fate is kind then we will be in for another sprint and the last one for a week.

Maximiliano Richeze took second again for the second successive stage and has been impressive so far in this tour. Can he finally go one better tomorrow?

Michael Matthews has been the quickest sprinter this week but his chaotic lead-out could only bring him sixth today. Expect better tomorrow.

Tyler Farrar did well today and finished fourth. His lead-out looked a little bit more organised and he has the speed so he could end up top five again at least.

Gianni Meersman ended eighth today but considering team tactics that may not be a bad result. Another who should expect better tomorrow and at least a top 10 finish.

I did speculate that a break may make it all the way today, although I didn't expect such a move and such an effort by Tony Martin. With the mountains appearing again on Saturday the favourites will not want to over exert themselves so I don't imagine an escape succeeding today.

But then successes tomorrow may just be returning in one piece.

Wednesday 28 August 2013

Vuelta a Espana 2013 : Stage 6 Preview

AFTER a very tough opening to this years Vuelta a Espana, the overall contenders can definitely have a quiet day today.

Stage six will follow the usual fare for an opening week grand tour stage.

It's 175km long and takes the riders along the western edge of Spain from Guijuelo to Caceres.

No categorised climbs either to tax the field so expect the usual structure of breakaway followed by chase and catch as the sprinters look to take the honours.

The finish is slightly uphill so if it does come down to a bunch sprint it will be one more suited for the stronger sprinter.

It is also a tight and twisty finish with a number of 90 degree corners and roundabouts to deal with.

The final 90 degree bend comes with about 600m to go so it will be important to be in a good position coming out of it. Again being in the first half dozen places or so will be vital.

Favourites are pretty much the same names as mentioned yesterday.

Omega-Pharma-Quickstep will look to Gianni Meersman while others will be Tyler Farrar, Anthony Roux, Nikias Arndt and Edvald Boassen-Hagen.

Today's winner though probably tops the list. Michael Matthews has looked the fastest in the peloton so far and all things being equal should take another win tomorrow.

However there is the possibility that a break may make it all the way. Astana just have to keep the break in check, it will be up to the sprinters teams to get organised and finish the job off.

OPQS have experience of leading a charging peloton and if they feel Gianni Meersman has a chance they will be able to bring things back together.

But if they think it is a forlorn task then responsibility will fall elsewhere and there doesn't seem to be many who will want to take up the mantle. Garmin-Sharp maybe but that will depend on the legs of Farrar.

Sky have the firepower but will they want to save some legs for the big mountain stages?

If it does come back together though and you want an outsider then look to Maximiliano Richeze of Lampre. The Argentinian took second place today and may be able to do enough to upset the favourites.

Tuesday 27 August 2013

Vuelta a Espana 2013: Stage 5 Preview

FINALLY!

After four very difficult opening days the day that all sprinters have wanted has finally arrived.

Usually the start of a grand tour is recognisable from the number of flat, sprinters stages.

This year's Tour of Spain has been different. The uphill finishes have meant the pure sprinters have had to disappear into the safety of the autobus while they waited for their time to shine.

Tomorrow should see them spread their wings and fly.

I say should as although the race book says it is a flat stage, it isn't exactly pan flat.

From the start in the beautifully named town of Sober the route races 174.3km to the Lago de Sanabria. Along the way the route crosses two Cat 3 climbs, topping out 1,030m higher than the start town before finishing 720m above Sober.

The climbs of Alto de Cavela and Alto de Padornello may see one or two drop of the back but with 31km to go from the final summit to the finish line, they shouldn't be enough to destroy the chances of the quick men.

This Vuelta does not have the likes of Mark Cavendish or Marcel Kittel in the peloton. So the victory on this stage should go to one of the lesser lights.

My favourite yesterday was Omega-Pharma-Quickstep's Gianni Meersman. He ended up finishing fourth and despite his quickness he isn't fast enough to pip the real big sprinters. If the big boys don't make it over the climbs however Meersman could be the man. Whatever happens expect a top 10 finish.

The Belgian was beaten across the line by Michael Matthews of Orica-Greenedge today and the Aussie is another who should be guaranteed a top 10 finish tomorrow. He will definitely be able to get over the climbs and his 'victory' over Meersman will give him confident.

The real quick men in this tour are the likes of Garmin-Sharp's Tyler Farrar and FDJ's Geoffrey Soupe. Both have the ability to be there at the finish but neither have shown a lot of form recently.

There are two outsiders for the stage in my eyes.

The first is Vanconsoleil's Barry Markus. All of the Dutch squad are looking for rides next year as the sponsor is pulling out of cycling. Markus is one they could benefit from both the lack of the real quick men and that desire to do well.

The second 'outsider' isn't one that would normally fall into the category.

Sky's Edvald Boassen Hagen crashed out of the this year's Tour and is using this race as a reintroduction to the pro peloton. His form is therefore a subject for debate. Even before the crash he wasn't in the best of shape and results haven't gone his way.

However a sixth place today may indicate a return to better fortune so do not write him off.

One thing that shouldn't happen today is a change in the race leader.

But I said that today and a small split in the front group meant Chris Horner's tenure in red was short-lived. Vincnezo Nibali is now back in the leader's jersey and all things considered, he should not let it go for a little while.

Monday 26 August 2013

Vuelta a Espana 2013 : Stage 4 Preview

AFTER three tough days the organisers of this years Vuelta seem to have gone easy with stage four. In the roadbook it has this stage classified as flat.

But as we know from experience 'on paper' doesn't always match reality.

The stage marks the last day in Galicia and starting from the town of Lalin it will travel 189km to Finisterra. It's name comes from the Latin 'finis terrae' meaning end of the world. And that gives you a clue as to the locale of the finish line.

Sitting on top a rocky outcrop sticking out into the Atlantic, the final 2.5km will see the riders climb almost 100m up another narrow road.

There should be a fairly reduced peloton even by the bottom of the climb as a third category climb just 36km from the end should send a few riders out the back door.

As far as the stage win goes though it will be those last few kilometres which will de the key.

Speeds will be high on the run in and as the course hugs the coast, any crosswind could split the field.

For me this has Gianni Meersman written all over it. He can get over the lumpy stuff and has the speed to vanquish most of the others. The big question is whether OPQS can deliver him into a good position.

The stage itself is also not enough to challenge the main contenders and won't result in big time gaps.

However with the time bonuses that are available in this years tour it is possible the red jersey may change hands again.

Chris Horner took the jersey from Vincenzo Nibali following a well timed attack today and those extra seconds on offer over the line.

Bonus seconds are available for those crossing in the top three places. With 10 seconds on offer to the winner the likes of Alejandro Valverde and Joaquin Rodriguez could see this as the last chance until the weekend to reduce the deficit to Nibali, who despite losing the jersey today remains the de facto leader of this Tour.

Movistar have been the biggest aggressors in keeping the pace high in the peloton but RadioShack should help in that respect tomorrow.

For the outsiders look towards Argos-Shimano's Micheal Matthews or Simon Gerrans. Neither have been in great form but this finish may be ideal for them.

And if RadioShack don't have to put too much into any chase of the breakaway there is a chance Ben Hermans may be up there,

Final outsider is Belkin's Luis Leon Sanchez. After a difficult season he finished 17th yesterday and he will like the look of this finish.

It's warming up in Spain and I don't just mean the temperatures!

Sunday 25 August 2013

Vuelta a Espana 2013 : Stage 3 Preview

STAGE 2 answered a few of the questions about who is or isn't in form.

And in the case of Sammy Sanchez and Sergio Henao the answer is clearly that they are not in form.

Both were distanced on the final climb and rolled in 2.41 behind stage winner Nicolas Roche.

As it is still so early in the race neither man can be considered out of contention for the overall win but both now find themselves in the 'very unlikely' category.

Another Colombian Carlos Alberto Betancur finished in the 'bus' losing just under 10 minutes, proving that, as expected, the illness and lack of racing means he will not be a contender for the overall victory.

They will hope for a quiet day hidden in the peloton as they lick their wounds and try to regain some form.

And for the most part they should find it. Stage three runs 184.8km  from Vigo to Mirador de Lobiera and follows a fairly flattish route around Galicia.

The finish however takes the riders up a cat 3 climb starting around 4km from the finish.

Their are a couple of tricky bends just before the finish which people will want to get into first.

It is very similar finish to what you find in most classic races in Northern Europe, maybe without the extreme steepness.

It will lend itself to the opportunists and classic riders as well as those sprinters who can go up hill fairly well.

This would mean the likes of Gianni Meersman of Omega-Pharma-Quickstep and Janse van Renesburg of Argos-Shimano.

Both finished in the bus today but both will have had one eye on tomorrow.

From the classic riders point of view there are a few potential winners, including the new race leader.

If it was a bad day for Sanchez and Henao then it was a good day for Vincenzo Nibali who has inherited the leaders red jersey from his team mate Janez Brajkovic.

The Italian finished in the front group and now leads Roche by 8 seconds.

Tomorrow's finish would normally be ideal for a rider like him. However he may be more content with just shadowing his rivals, people like Alejandro Valverde who is also suited to this type of finish. 

Saxo Tinkoff will look to make it two wins from two as Chris Anker Sorensen is more than capable of jumping away here. If not Chris Anker then look to young Pole Rafal Majka.

But for a bit of outsider I quite like the look of BMC pair Ivan Santoromita and Dominik Nerz. The finish does suit someone outside of the main contenders so Nerz, who is quick and can get up a climb, should be near the front.

If not Nerz then his Italian team mate Santoromita may get the nod. He will like this finish and finished comfortably in the main group today. Not a major challenger of Nibali yet so may be given a small amount of freedom.

It shouldn't see a change in the leaders jersey unless Astana want to give it away. If they do then a break has a chance of making it.

Mind I could be way out as, much like the riders, I am just finding my feet in this Tour!

Saturday 24 August 2013

Vuelta a Espana 2013 : Stage 2 Preview

THERE is definitely no gradual riding yourself in to this Tour, as stage two shows.

It's 177.7km from Pontevedra to Baiona Alto Do Monte Da Groba. For 167km it seems like a standard opening stage of any grand tour. An inevitable break will go up the road but be reeled in before the finish.

Along the way there is one 3rd category climb to overcome which has it's summit over 100km from the finish.

However it is the final 10km which will prove to be crucial.

The climb of Alto do Monte da Groba rises 620m at an average gradient 5.6% although it does reach a maximum gradient of 10%.

It could go one of two ways.

The first scenario is the big favourites may want to test each other out and gain as much time as possible over the others.

The second option is that nobody will want to lose too much time so it may be a case of everybody just looks at each other and doesn't attack until the stage victory is in sight.

Either way it will still be a reduced peloton that crosses the line.

The opening TTT has thrown up few surprises.

Astana, and Vincenzo Nibali in particular, were the big winners, taking the stage and opening some big gaps on the rest.

He now has 22 seconds lead over Sergio Henao, 29 seconds over Alejandro Valverde, 32 seconds over Roman Kreuziger and a whopping 59 seconds over Joaquin Rodriguez.

Others fared even worse. The Euskatal trio of Mikel Nieve, Sammy Sanchez and Igor Anton find themselves 1.14 down and Dan Martin of Garmin is already 1.41 back.

I can imagine Astana trying to keep the jersey for the moment. Janez Brajkovic is more the capable of recording a good ride overall and they won't want to surrender their well earned advantage,

I also imagine it will be tough for some to break clear and be allowed to stay there. One man who might is David Arroyo of Caja Rural. The small Spanish side will be active on most days as they attempt to get their name of TV as much as possible.

But in Arroyo they have a man who is more than capable of making the top 10 and even higher. Be warned. His is a name I will mention a lot during this tour as there is definitely a stage win somewhere along the line with his name on!

However he might be a little high profile to be allowed to get away so easily. In which case look to team mate Amets Txurruka as a potential winner of this stage. A good climber he will be on the break at least once and this stage could be made for him.

But it is still more likely to be one of the big guns who takes the honours. So Valverde, Rodriguez or Henao could be the ones with their arms aloft by the end.

Still so much racing ahead and still so many questions unanswered. Enjoy it though!




Friday 23 August 2013

Vuelta a Espana - Stage 1 & Overall Preview

Just five weeks after Chris Froome raised his arms in triumph on the Champs-Elysees, the final grand tour of the year kicks off in the North West corner of Spain.

The Vuelta a Espana is probably the lesser of the three grand tours but it is possibly the toughest. Where the Tour de France had seven flat stages, the Vuelta has only six. 11 medium & high mountain stages in France are replaced by 13 in Spain.

The Vuelta will also see 39 mountain passes including some like the Alto de L'Angrilu, a 12.2 km long climb with an average gradient of 10.2% and a staggering maximum of 23.5%.

All in all it means a hard, tough but wide open race.

Giro d'Italia winner Vincenzo Nibali leads the potential winners but has company in the likes of Alejandro Valverde, Joaquin Rodriguez, Sammy Sanchez, Carlos Betancur and Sergio Henao.

This is by no means an exhaustive list because the likes of Domenico Pozzovivo, Rigoberto Uran, Mikel Nieve, Igor Anton, Jacob Fuglsang, Bauke Mollema, Laurens Ten Dam, David Arroyo, Ivan Basso, Thibault Pinot, Dan Martin, Michele Scarponi, Roman Kreuziger and Rafal Majka are all more than capable of recording a top 10 place, or higher.

A lot will depend on riders form. Some like Valverde and Rodriguez have come out of the Tour so questions exist in whether they have kept their fitness up. Others like Betancur and Nibali haven't raced much, or in Betancur's case at all, since the Giro so may be a little race rusty to begin with.

As I sit here now I cannot pick a winner, it is that open.

It is possibly why the organisers have thrown a difficult start at the peloton. The first chance for the sprinters doesn't appear until stage six. There are summit finishes which should stretch the time gaps out and give the GC guys plenty to aim at.

It all starts though with an evening Team Time Trial over 27.4km. Last year Movistar took the honours and have come to the Vuelta with a very strong team so it would be a massive surprise to see them out of the top three.

Other potential winners will be Garmin-Sharp and Orica Green-Edge who shocked everyone by winning the TTT in the Tour.

For me though Team Saxo Tinkoff look like the boys to beat. Kreuziger, Majka, have also got a strong team behind them with the likes of Nicolas Roche, Chris Anker-Sorensen and Nicki Sorensen and should put in a very strong performance.

It will be an interesting start to what should be a fascinating tour.

Friday 16 August 2013

Premier League Preview : 2013-2014

After what seems a very long time the new Premier League season is upon us. Fans up and down the country and gearing up for what maybe 'their year'. But what has the league got in store for us this year? Who will be the success story? Who is facing the trapdoor of relegation? And who will take the top honour?

I've had a look at what I think might happen. As any who read my Tour de France blog will know, sometimes I'm bang on the money. On other occasions, well let's not mention them too much eh!


Club by club guide:


Arsenal


It has been a frustrating summer for Arsenal fans. The likes of Gonzalo Higuain and Luis Suarez have all been the subject of bids but have chosen to head to Napoli and stay at Liverpool respectively. On the plus side Oliver Giroud has shown flashes of form in preseason and Jack Wilshire will start this year but the locals will still be hoping Arsene Wenger can pull off at least one big name before the window closes. If not it may be another long, hard, and trophyless season for the Gunners.


Prediction: 5th
Keyman: Oliver Giroud


Aston Villa


Paul Lambert has again relied on young, fairly unknown players to bolster his squad. Villa will be hoping that the experience gained last year, couple with this influx of enthusiasm, will be enough to get them comfortably into mid table. And keeping Christian Benteke may prove to be one of the signings of the summer.


Prediction: 15th
Keyman: Christian Benteke


Cardiff


The name of the game is survival for last years Championship winners. In Steven Caulker they have signed a very good centre half who they can build their defence around. In Craig Bellamy they have somebody with Premier League experience and who can create chances. And the crowd in Wales will be raucous and intimidating. Whether that is enough for them to stay up remains to be seen.


Prediction: 18th
Keyman: Craig Bellamy


Chelsea


There are a lot of big personalities at Chelsea but none are bigger than the new Manager. Jose is back and ready to launch Chelsea towards another title but they can't just rely on the 'Mourinho effect'. A lot will depend on how Fernando Torres plays this year and whether Eden Hazard and Oscar can improve on last year. Hopes are high but it may not be enough to propel the Blues back to the top.


Prediction: 2nd
Keyman: Fernando Torres


Crystal Palace


Play off winners can be swept along by the excitement generated by their special day. Ian Holloway will certainly be hoping so and he does have the experience of coming up via that route with Blackpool. Dwight Gayle became the club record signing but it will be a big step up for the former Peterborough man. Marouane Chamakh brings top flight experience but despite this it should be a fairly quick return to the Championship.


Prediction: 20th
Keyman: Dwight Gayle


Everton


After many speculated what he would be like at a bigger club than Wigan, Roberto Martinez has finally been given the chance. Everton have for the most part been solidly top half of the table under David Moyes and will hope the Spanish influence of Martinez can push them on. Arouna Kone and Antolin Alcaraz are good if unspectacular signings from Wigan but the capture of Gerard Deulofeu has raised a few eyebrows. Expect a season of bedding in but another top half finish.


Prediction: 7th
Keyman: Arouna Kone


Fulham


Fulham are one of those teams that never seem to be doing much but often make the top 10. They have lost Mark Schwarzer but in Maarten Stekelenburg they have a more than able replacement. Adel Taarabt has arrived on loan from QPR and on his day he can be a match winner. Darren Bent is close as is Scott Parker. However that has been about it for the Martin Jol's summer dealings. Survival should achieved without too much problems. But I fear another season of mediocrity beckons.


Prediction: 14th
Keyman: Dimitar Berbatov


Hull


Of all the three promoted teams Hull seem to have invested wisely. Danny Graham, despite his poor spell at Sunderland, can score goals at this level and in Tom Huddlestone and Jake Livermore they have two solid English Premier League players. It will be close but Steve Bruce may be doing his own version of Phil Brown's Karaoke by the year end.


Prediction: 17th
Keyman: Tom Huddlestone


Liverpool


The future of Luis Suarez has prompted many column inches in the national press but it looks like the volatile Uruguayan will be staying at Anfield for the time being. He will be suspended for the opening few games of the season but if he can avoid trouble he can single handled push Liverpool towards the top half of the table. Simon Mignolet is a decent goalkeeper and while Jamie Carragher will be a miss, Steven Gerrard remains. However they are still too far behind the rest to make that elusive top 4 spot again.


Prediction: 6th
Keyman: Luis Suarez


Man City


After a poor season last year and relinquishing their title rather meekly, and to their arch rivals of all people, city have used their financial clout over the summer to land Fernandinho, Steven Jovetic, Jesus Navas and Alvaro Negrado, for a combined price of £105m. A lot will depend on how they bed in but with the likes of David Silva and Sergio Aguero already used to the Premier League it should be enough to bring the title back to Eastlands.


Prediction: 1st
Keyman: Sergio Aguero


Man Utd


One of the big questions of the season is how will Manchester United fare without Sir Alex Ferguson at the helm. It is a massive role that David Moyes has taken on and despite his credentials it may be a step too far. The Rooney saga hasn't been what he needed and the lack of signings is a worry. People point towards the players winning mentality but it will need the senior pros like Ryan Giggs to make it work for United this year. I don't think it will and it may even see Moyes out of a job come May.


Prediction: 4th
Keyman: Robin Van Persie


Newcastle


Yet another summer dominated by off field issues. Joe Kinnear arrived as Director of Football to the disbelief of most fans and the appointment hasn't yielded a plethora of incomings. Loic Remy will finally don the black and white stripes after agreeing a loan move but the lack of a striker is worrying. However with the new signings that arrived in January now bedded in it should be enough for the Magpies to avoid a repeat of last years struggles.


Prediction: 9th
Keyman: Papiss Demba Cisse


Norwich


Chris Hughton is starting to mould this Norwich team in the manner he wishes. Out has gone Grant Holt and in comes record signing Ricky van Wolfswinkel and long term target Gary Hooper. This will improve Norwich's goal ratio but it may not be enough to help the Canaries improve on last year's 11th place. Same again I think.


Prediction: 11th
Keyman: Gary Hooper


Southampton


A lot was made about Mauricio Pochettino's arrival at St Mary's but performances were on the whole impressive. With a season behind them the likes of Rickie Lambert, Gaston Ramirez and Adam Lallana should improve and with the signings of Victor Wanyama and Dejan Lovren the Saints have a very good chance of making the top 10. It would certainly be a surprise to see them involved in the relegation battle.


Prediction: 10th
Keyman: Gaston Ramirez


Stoke


After a poor campaign last time out Stoke have moved to appoint Mark Hughes as the new manager ahead of Tony Pulis. Hughes' last appointment was his ill-fated tenure at QPR and he will be hoping for better luck in The Potteries. However the goalscoring problems that plagued Pulis remain and for Stoke to avoid the drop this year they need to address this quickly.


Prediction: 19th
Keyman: Peter Crouch


Sunderland


It's all change at Sunderland as Paulo Di Canio shapes the team in his vision. No less than 12 new players have arrived at the Stadium of Light with Italian Emanuele Giaccherini, arriving from Juventus the most high profile. With any changes of this magnitude it will take time for his team to gel but the return from injury of Wes Brown may be vital. Expect them to fare better than last year.


Prediction: 13th
Keyman: Emanuele Giaccherini


Swansea


Very impressive upto and including their League Cup Final win yet went off the boil after that. With Europe to contend with this season they may find their sqaud size stretched to capacity. However new signings Wilfried Bony and Jonathan de Guzman are an improvement on what was available last year so expect another top 10 finish this time around.


Prediction: 8th
Keyman: Wilfried Bony


Tottenham


Like Liverpool with Suarez and Man Utd and Rooney, Gareth Bale has never been far from the headlines this summer. Yet with days to go he remains a Spurs player and if they manage to retain his services for another year, he will line up against some impressive new signings. Paulinho, Nacer Chadli, Roberto Soldado and Etienne Capoue have all joined the North Londoners and the spending spree doesn't appear to be over. It is an array of talent which may finally see Tottenham break into the top four for good.


Prediction: 3rd
Keyman: Roberto Soldado


West Brom


West Brom had an excellent 2012 finally finishing 8th. However their form after Christmas wasn't the best and will be cause for concern. Romelu Lukaku has gone back to parent club Chelsea so the Baggies have to turned to experience in the form of Nicolas Anelka. They have also snapped up Matej Vydra on loan from Udinese after the Slovakian impressed on loan at Watford last year. It may not be enough to avoid a relegation scrap but they will ultimately retain their Premier League status.


Prediction: 16th
Keyman: Nicolas Anelka


West Ham


West Ham had a decent first season back in the top flight and have added more players with Premier League experience this summer. Andy Carroll has made his move from Liverpool permanent while former team-mate Stewart Downing has also moved from Merseyside. The defence stills looks a little thin however so while they will be pushing for another top 10 finish, they may fall just short.


Prediction: 12th
Keyman: Andy Carroll