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

Paulo Di Canio & All That Jazz!

One man was sacked from his job as a Premier League football manager on Saturday night. Within 24 hours another man was appointed as his successor.

It's a story that happens around 10 times a year. Yet rarely has it sparked such a polarisation of opinions and rarely has it opened avenues into other arenas little seen in footballing circles.

Martin O'Neill's sacking came as a surprise. Sunderland's recent run of form has not been brilliant and Saturday's 1-0 defeat at home to Manchester United left the Black Cats just one point above the relegation zone. Yet nobody predicted the Irishman's departure and with just seven games left in the season it seemed a bold and possibly foolhardy decision by chairman Ellis Short.

Everyone did expect a quick appointment though. Steve McLaren was an early front-runner and there was even rumours of David Moyes being linked. However Short decided to go for a man who was currently out of work and available. In stepped Paulo Di Canio.

Di Canio has always cut a somewhat controversial figure and is rarely away from the media spotlight. His playing career was noted as much for an 11 match ban for pushing referee Paul Alcock over as it was for stunning goals. One moment summed up his maverick nature. Playing for West Ham at Goodison Park in 2000 Everton's keeper Paul Gerrard went down injured just outside the penalty box but West Ham carried on playing. The ball was played into the penalty area towards Di Canio and with the net empty a goal was expected. Yet instead of scoring he caught the ball and waved for the physio to come on and treat Gerrard. For that he received the FIFA Fair Play Award.

His first foray into football management could be labelled a success. In just over 18 months he took Swindon Town out of the bottom tier of English football as champions and had them sitting second in League One. But also had it's controversial moments. He left the club after Matt Ritchie was sold without his knowledge or consent and he was involved in more than one public spats with some of his players.

Yet despite all of this previous 'baggage' his installation at Sunderland is looking to be the most controversial moment of his career.

His links to Fascism and the far right have been strong ever since a 'Hitler salute' to Lazio fans in 2004. He has also spoken in his autobiography of his admiration of Benito Mussolini.

These beliefs, or apparent beliefs - they still haven't been truly confirmed - lead to the resignation of David Milliband MP from his role as vice chairman.

The political side to the story has engaged sports journalists who have been asking questions over his fascist leanings. This approach has saw a backlash from certain Sunderland fans who see this as akin to a 'witch-hunt'. Their stance is if the story went unreported during his time at Swindon why is it news now.

It's a question I've asked. Surely it can't be just the fact he is now a premier league manager but the lure of the league to foreign investors and it's worldwide audience does seem to be a factor. However the high profile board resignation has also played its part.

For me Milliband's resignation is a non-starter. I believe his new role in New York following his decision to step down as MP will demand a lot of his time. He had originally said he would stay on at the football club but I do think they would have parted company at some point sooner rather than later. The appointment of Di Canio gave him an earlier than expected escape route.

The fascism issue is a big thing. But for Sunderland fans it is something that has overshadowed the key issues in their eyes. And that is will Di Canio keep them up? And long term is he the right man to take the club forward?

A lot of Sunderland fans don't like his appointment, more because of a footballing viewpoint than a political one. A lot took to Sky Sports over the weekend to announce their uncertainty. However their opinions may have been swayed by a vote of confidence from a former favourite.

Midfielder Tommy Miller played under Di Canio at Swindon and believes he could well be a success. He talks quite enthusiastically about Di Canio's time there and how he believes the Italian has helped prolong his career. Di Canio is a strict disciplinarian who will not bend the rules for anyone. He takes a very active role in training and believes in fitness and a strong defence. Miller does say that once you buy into what he wants it makes for a fun and fulfilling environment to play your football in.

Just how some of Sunderland's players will take to this strict regime remains to be seen and no doubt there will be some that will come out in the press against the new manager. But the new manager does in my eyes have enough about him to pick the players up and get them across the safety line.

His long term future is somewhat undecided. He was clearly building something at Swindon but this is the premier league, a whole different kettle of fish. Managers rarely get time to build and so how Sunderland start next year, assuming they do avoid the drop, will be pivotal.

You have to remember this is only his second managerial job and his first in the spotlight of the Premier League. But as most bosses at this level will tell you it is a results business. Di Canio however has been at this level before and the media spotlight is never far away from him. He could flourish just as likely as he could fail.

But just like the Fascism story it is a guaranteed certainty that we will hear a lot more of Di Canio in the media over the next few years.

Sunderland & Martin O'Neill - A Match Made in Heaven?

(originally written in December 2011)

Much to the deep disappointment of most Newcastle fans, ‘Agent’ Steve Bruce was shown the door at Sunderland last week.  In much as the same way ‘Agent’ Lawrie McMenenmy did back in the mid 80′s, they felt Bruce was taking Sunderland where they wanted them to go, down!

And that is slightly harsh.  Granted the form over the last few months of last season and the beginning of this wasn’t brilliant but having lost Darren Bent last January they were always going to have a fight on their hands to replace him.  They thought they already had at least one striker on the books who was more than capable, record signing Asamoah Gyan had proven a the recent world cup a good goalscorer.  Hindsight is a wonderful thing isn’t it, the Ghanain departed after the window had closed preventing Bruce from bringing anyone else in.

So eventually his tenure ended and in fairly quick order, Martin O’Neill was named as the new boss.  Can he succeed where so many other big names have failed?

It’s worth saying I’m not a Sunderland fan but I can appreciate that their is massive potential for big things at the Stadium of Light.  They have the ground, in Ellis Short they have a fairly wealthy owner who has got the club on a fairly even footing financially and who is willing to back his manager with transfer funds.  They also have the support, while not selling out at home every week, the fanbase is definitely there.  You only have to look at their away following to realise that.

So can O’Neill bring success to Wearside?  The signs would appear good.  He has been linked with the post on a number of occassions over the last 5 years, his childhood support of the club became public knowledge in the North East some time ago and helped fuel these rumours.  If you look at his previous clubs he has had some moderate success with clubs in a similar or slightly worse position than Sunderland.  Leicester became Premier League mainstays and perenniel League Cup challengers, winning the trophy in 1997 and 2000.  His most recent job at Aston Villa saw them achieve back to back to back 6th place positions along with another League Cup Final appearance and a trip to the semi-finals of the FA Cup.

His style of football isn’t for most but has proved to be effective.  Dogged defence, usually with a couple of big centre halves, coupled with hard working midfielders and a single target man, usually supplied with a direct ball.  And effective is probably what Sunderland need right now.

And he’s also got some decent players at the club. Kieran Westwood is a solid keeper, in John O’Shea and Wes Brown they have vastly experienced defenders and Sebastian Larsson is a quality midfielder.  So everything seems in place, all that is missing is that spark.  O’Neill might just be the catalyst.

But as I’ve said previously hindsight is a wonderful thing and only time will tell whether O’Neill can bring the success of Peter Reid back to the club or whether he will go the same way as Roy Keane, Mick McCarthy and Steve Bruce.  One thing is for certain, Newcastle fans will be unlikely to be calling him ‘Agent’ O’Neill.