Football
Blackburn 1 - 2 Wolverhampton
This was a game that Blackburn really should be winning to get out of any relegation battles that want to avoid. If this is going to be representative of their season I'd be worried if I was a rovers fan, they didn't really create much and even though they had an inexperienced back line they looked shaky throughout. Wolves will take this win and look to build some momentum, building on wins is the difference between staying up and going down.
Fulham 0-0 Aston Villa
If any of the opening games was going to be goalless it was going to be this one, with villa having lost attacking inspiration Ashley Young and Fulham being consistent if unspectacular. Given proved to be an inspired buy with a couple of saves to keep Villa in the game, but they need to make a signing in the forward department, as Heskey is not premiership quality. Fulham should settle under Jol over the next 37 premiership games and do fairly well this year.
Liverpool 1 - 1 Sunderland
I was a bit surprised when I saw this result, as I thought Liverpool would have started their campaign a bit brighter, and a bit more aggressive. They may well have done better if Suarez had put the penalty away, but he did make up for the mistake later by scoring Liverpools only goal. However credit to Sunderland and they looked far better in the second half, if a little uninspiring upfront. At the end of the day, a fair result, but Liverpool would have wanted a win from this fixture
Newcastle 0-0 Arsenal
Is this a sign of whats to come for Arsenal in a world without Fabregas (or Nasri?), where Arsenal can't get a real scoring chance, let alone fail to miss it. Arsenal really failed to capitalise on some poor Newcastle play, and I can't see them doing as well as I predicted before unless they sign some serious firepower. The match itself was also marred by a strange incident where Barton was the one to go down easily, and it made a bit of a mockery of the match. Arsenal badly need new guns and Van persie to be on some serious form.
QPR 0 - 4 Bolton
If anything says welcome to the premiership, it's a 4-0 defeat at home to Bolton, and unless they're holding something back they're in for a rough ride. Bolton played well, but not that well, and they really punished QPRs championship level defending. Kieron Dyer must be the unluckiest man in football, but I really hope that for him and QPR it's not as bad as the stretcher made out. Great start for Bolton, QPR have some thinking to do.
Wigan 1 - 1 Norwich
I hate to call a season opener a relegation 6 pointer, but in my eyes this was. Wigan have no-one who is a truly premiership class player, and Norwich have signed Championship players, rather than premiership ones. Dull match, dull teams, and i can expect a disappointing season for Wigan and Norwich fans, sorry guys.
Stoke 0 - 0 Chelsea
I was disappointed by the number of nil nil score lines this weekend, and I hope it's not a trend for the season. Chelsea and AVB had some big expectations this season and they'll need to play better if they want to match them. Torres was by far Chelsea's best player, and Stoke really contained him, if sometimes unfairly. Saying that, Begovic played out of his skin and Chelsea had a number of decent penalty shouts turned down. 2 points lost for AVB's Chelsea.
West Brom 1 - 2 Manchester United
Manchester united's old favourite Own Goals came to their rescue again against a resilient West Brom after a gaffe from new kid keeper De Gea. West Brom looked like they were going to be on the end of a thumping after rooney scored and Nani blazed over from close range early on, but after the ball slipped under De Gea West Brom looked like they were holding firm. But credit to united they didn't give up and they pushed the mistake out of West Brom, they did deserve the win no matter how fortuitously it came.
Man City 4 - 0 Swansea
Buy of the season? The fee may have been a huge one but if Aguero keeps this up he could have a wonderful season, and Man City will have an extremely successful season. Will Tevez still want to leave now? Who knows, Man City will hope that he stays to join fellow Argentine but I can't see it. Swansea showed promise and their goalkeeper looks very tidy, so I think they just need to put this result behind them and move on. Great result for Man City, but not a bad performance from Swansea.
Championship
Cardiff have set the early pace defeating Bristol City 3-1, whilst promotion favourites Leicester and West Ham occupy mid table with 1 win and 1 loss in the opening matches. The championship could prove to be highly unpredictable this year, with some big signings apparently in the pipeline for some of the non-favoured teams.
Cricket
Ten years ago I would not have believed what I am about to write, but England are now the top ranked test team in the world. After another innings demolition of India England have gained the top ranking for the first time. Pundits may forever say that India have lost a few of their top players, but the way England have been performing all round, I really don't see how it would have mattered. England have lost Tremlett, and Bresnan has come in and done an amazing job, scoring runs and taking wickets which simply shows England's strength in depth. If Anderson is out for the final test, England will also be down 3 players, and I'd be interested to see what difference that makes to the scoreline, if any. England have been dominating the Indian bowling, and tearing apart the Indian batting. England to win the final test and to whitewash the series.
Tennis
The build up to the final grand slam of the season is finally underway after the Rogers cup in Canada this week. Djokovic carried on his imperious form, with Federer remaining the only person to beat him this year. Meanwhile, the other big three crashed out in successive rounds, Murray in the second, Nadal in the 3rd, and Federer in the quarters to Tsonga, who seems to be able to beat the former master fairly comfortably now. None of these three would have wanted to exit before the semis at least, so it really will be interesting to see how they pick themselves up over the next few weeks, otherwise the overwhelming favourite will be Djokovic to make it 3 out of 4 grand slams this year.
Golf
If anyone's claiming to have predicted the winner of the final major of the year, they're lying. On Sunday Keegan Bradley became only the third person to win a major on their first appearance at one. He also broke the USA's worst ever run of 6 Majors without a winner, despite being relatively unknown. He won on a playoff after being 5 shots down on Jason Dufner after he triple bogeyed the 15th. Dufner really must feel like he's thrown away his best chance of a major. British interests all faltered with Donald, Westwood and McIlroy all having disappointing times, with McIlroy spraining his wrist in the first round.
In other golf news I've bought a set of golf Clubs! They're WoodWorm make, and were great value for money, so if you're thinking about starting up, a brand new set will only set you back £120, which is great for an expensive sport like golf.
Showing posts with label Manchester united. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Manchester united. Show all posts
Monday, 15 August 2011
Friday, 5 August 2011
Transfer Roundup: Who's done best so far? And what needs to happen?
Before this blog entry I'd just like to mention a sports retailer that's really caught my eye recently.
Now, on with the roundup...
Arsenal
In - Carl Jenkinson (Charlton, 1m), Gervinho (Lille, 10m)
Out - Gael Clichy (Man City, 7m), Denilson (Sao Paulo, Loan)
Wenger needs to act quickly on two fronts. One to sort out the future of Fabregas and Nasri, and to make sure that the club has what it lacked last year, a bit of fight. When you look at the Arsenal lineup there's no doubting the skill that they possess, but they lack a player in the mould of Parker or Barton, who are willing to grab the game by the scruff of the neck and win by any means necessary.
If I was in charge of transfers at Arsenal, I'd currently be looking to sign a strong centreback, and a workman for the midfield. If they can keep Nasri and Fabregas they could well challenge till the end this year.
Aston Villa
In - Charles N'Zogbia (Wigan, 9.5m), Shay Given (Manchester City, 3.5m)
Out - Stewart Downing (Liverpool, 20m), Ashley Young (Man U, 16m), Braf Friedel (Spurs, free), Nigel Reo-Coker (Bolton, free), Pires, Carew, Osbourne (All released)
In terms of who's made the best money for players, Aston Villa have raked it in. £20m for Stewart Downing is one of the most ridiculous fees I've ever seen for a one footed player. However they may find life without Ashley Young is a lot harder than with him. Friedel has been adequately replaced, so that's not a problem, but I don't know if Aston Villa will finish much above mid table this year, unless Darren Bent and N'Zogbia can really combine.
Blackburn
In-Goodwille (Dundee, 2.8m)
Out - Phil Jones (Manchester United, 16.5m), Frank Fielding (Derby, undisclosed)
Blackburn really haven't done themselves any favours recently, and they could be in for a struggle this season. They removed one of the only things that guaranteed them premiership football, and that was Sam Allardyce. They haven't signed any proven players and sold their best young talent. Goodwille was good in the SPL but that's little better than Championship standard. Blackburn could be in for a long season trying to pick up points wherever they can, its going to be a struggle, especially if Samba leaves for Arsenal.
Bolton
In - Chris Eagles and Tyrone Mears (Burnley, joint 3m), Darren Pratley (Swansea, free), Nigel Reo-Coker (Aston Villa, free)
Out - Ali Al Habsi (Wigan, 4m) Johan Elmander (Galatasaray, free), Jlloyd Samuel (released), Joey O'Brien (West Ham, free), Matt Taylor (West Ham, 2.2m)
Bolton have been reasonably busy in the transfer market but they've not really improved because of it, but they haven't lost out either. Bolton have always been one of these teams that are almost impossible to predict, they can hold up against the top teams but could crumble against the bottom teams. I think Bolton should do alright this year, and will finish around mid table.
Chelsea
In - Romeu (Barcelona, 4.3m), Piazon (Sao Paulo, undisc), Courtois (Genk, 5m)
Out - Courtois (Athletico Madrid, loan), Bruma (Hamburg, loan), Mancienne (Hamburg, 3m)
Chelsea, the Abramovich Chelsea anyway, have always been big spenders in the transfer market, but this year seems to be a little quiet for them. Obviously there is the Modric battle to be resolved, but my guess is that there are one or two big signings to be made by Chelsea. Whatever happens, I think Villas Boas is exactly what Chelsea needed to revamp their team, and I can see a strong Chelsea challenge for the title this season.
Everton
In - Eric Dier (Sporting Lisbon, Loan)
Out - Vaughan (Norwich, 2.5m)
Everton have been pushing for regular European football under Moyes, but they will not get any more success than they have unless they push a bit more in the transfer market. In relative terms of money spent they have done brilliantly to push to where they have got to, but that's all they can reach. The fact they've have only brought one player in shows a lack of ambition, and If I was an Everton fan I'd be very anxious about this. Despite this, I think they will again challenge for a European spot.
Fulham
In - Pajtim Kasami (Palermo, 4m), John Arne Riise (Roma, 2.4m), Dan Burn (Darlington, undisc)
Out - Stockdale (Ipswich, Loan), Greening (Nott Forest, 670,000), Gera (West Brom, Released)
Fulham have become a real class outfit in my opinion, first under Hodgson now with Hughes. They play a nice style of football and defend solidly at the back, and I also think they are very savvy in the transfer market. In my opinion Arne Riise is a great capture as hes a solid left back and if you cant remember his trademark left foot piledrivers, just search them on youtube and you'll see some amazing long range finishes. I think Fulham can qualify for Europe this year, and will be pushing with Everton this season.
Liverpool
In- Stewart Downing (Aston Villa, 20m) Henderson (Sunderland, 16m) Charlie Adam (9m) Dhoni (Roma, free)
Out - Konchesky (Leicester, 1.5m), Darby (rochdale, Loan)
After Years of complaining about other teams spending too much money, Liverpool have spent over £40m this transfer window, with only £1.5m coming in. Downing for £20m is about 7 or 8 million too much, especially when you consider the fact Ashley Young has gone for £16m, and in my opinion Young is the better player. Henderson was also a bit overpriced, but Adam could turn out to be a nice buy. Liverpool could challenge with Tottenham this season, but I don't think they'll break the top four. I'm really looking forward to seeing how Carrol and Suarez joining together upfront.
Manchester City
In - Sergio Aguero (Athletico Madrid, £38m), Stefan Savic (Partizan Belgrade, 6m) Gael Clichy (Arsenal, 7m)
Out - Jo (Internacional, undisc), Shay Given (Aston Villa, £3.5), Boateng (Bayern Munich, £10m), Michael Johnson (Leicester, loan), Patrick Vieira (retired), Tevez?
The new financial powerhouses of the Premier League have made the biggest signing of the transfer window so far, with Aguero moving for 38m. This was meant to be a replacement for Tevez, but so far no team feels up to forking out 45m for the Argentinian. Man City hit hot and cold last year as they struggled to find a balance between shutting out a game and all out attack. If Mancini can find a nice balance to the team, or even convince Tevez to stay (which looks unlikely), they should take their place in the top four this year. However, Mancini if you're reading this, please get rid of Balotelli, I hate that man, so very much.
Manchester United
In - David De Gea (Athletico Madrid, 17.8m) Phil Jones (Blackburn, 16.5m) Ashley Young (Aston Villa, 16m)
Out - Bebe (Besiktas, loan), Ritchie De Laet (Norwich, loan), Owen Hargreaves (released) Paul Scholes and Van Der Sar retired, Wes Brown and John O'Shea (£2+m, Sunderland)
Manchester United really showed that you that it doesn't matter if you can play great football but if you can win when you're struggling. They've lost some decent players but they've got the strength where they needed it with some decent transfers, and the signings of De Gea and Jones show they're looking towards the future. With Hernandez bagging 20 in his first season, and Rooney a bit below par last year, I'd be surprised if Man U weren't fighting until the very last. Man U are my pick for this years title.
Newcastle
In - Sylvain Marveaux (Rennes, free), Yohan Cabaye (Lille, 4.3m), Demba Ba (West Ham, free)
Out - Kevin Nolan (West Ham, £4m), Campbell and Kuqi (released)
Newcastle don't really seem to know what they want. Before Chris Hughton's departure they were safely in 10th with a squad with a good mix of youth and experience, led by Nolan and Barton from midfield and the talented Andy Carroll up front. But now with Alan Pardew at the helm, I don't know how much of a ship he has left. Carroll was sold for 35m in January, with Nolan choosing to rejoin Big Sam in the Championship and Barton simply being hung out to dry. If Newcastle don't sort the situation out then they could well be back in the championship next year. The only good piece of business they've managed is Demba Ba for free. If the squad stays the same, it's not going to be a happy season for the Toon.
Norwich
In - Anthony Pilkington (Huddersfield, 2m) Steve Morrison (Millwall, £2.8,) James Vaughan (Everton, 2.5m), Elliott Bennet (Brighton, undisc), Richard De Laet (Man U, loan), Kyle Naughton (tottenham, loan)
Out - Luke Daley (Plymouth, free), Matt Gill (Bristol Rovers, free), Sam Habergham (Tamworth, free)
I can't see Norwich lasting in the Premiership. Despite being active in the transfer market, they've bought in a lot of Championship players, or young top club players. That's not what a new premiership club needs. They needed Premiership players, or at least players with Premiership experience, and they've just made what would have been good signings last year. Unless they've got some hidden weapon that I just can't see, they're my pick to be rock bottom.
Queens Park Rangers
In- Danny Gabbidon and Kieron Dyer (West Ham, free), Bothroyd (Cardiff, free)
Out - Chimbonda, Mahon, Parker and Rose (all released)
QPR are the only promoted club that I'm certain are going to survive this season. They've got money behind them, and have made three reasonable signings on the cheap. Gabbidon is a decent defender, and if they could get 20-25 games out of Dyer this season it'd be a great boost for their hopes. I would think they need one or two more players to be certain of survival, and one needs to be a striker who can claim some goals from set pieces, which have become increasingly important for the promoted clubs in the past few years.
Stoke
In - Jonathan Woodgate (Spurs, free)
Out - Abdoulaye Faye (West Ham, free), Eidur Gudjohnsen (AEK Athens, free) Ibrahima Sonko (released)
As shown by the 0 spent 0 received in Stokes's summary they really don't like change. They replace players like for like and they play the same way game in, game out. This means that Tony Pulis has built a side whose worth is greater than the sum of its individual parts. Everyone knows their job and they do it, and each players job helps another player, meaning they just get better at it each season. They may be dull to watch but Stoke are as effective as any other team on their day, and I wouldn't be surprised to see them in the top half of the table this year.
Sunderland
In- Connor Wickham (Ipswich, 13m), Sebastian Larsson (Birmingham, free), Wes Brown and John O'Shea (Man U, 2m+)
Out - Jordan Henderson (Liverpool, 16m) Zenden, Luscome and Kay all free.
Sunderland have become a decent side under Steve Bruce, even if they do lack a bit of consistency. I think they've made a few shrewd buys with the captures of Man U defenders O'Shea and Brown, so I think they'll be a bit more resilient than last year. I don't think they'll do much more than their usual mid-table obscurity, especially after some abject form towards the end of last season that saw them record only 4 wins after January 5th meant they slid down the table again. Nothing exciting for the Black Cats this year I feel.
Swansea
In - Danny Graham (Watford, 3.5m), Steven Caulker (Tottenham, loan), Moreira (Benfica, undisc) Lita (Middlesbrough 1.75m)
Out - Dorus de Vries, Pratley, Donnelly, Serran, Van der Gun, Pintado all released.
Swansea stand a better chance of survival than Norwich, but I think they'll face a real struggle to stay in the top flight this year. Looking at their squad I just don't know if they're solid enough to stand the step up in quality to the premiership. They need to concentrate on picking up points at home and the other strugglers and hope that something else happens elsewhere, as I can't see them consistently putting in the performance required to challenge the established top flight teams.
Tottenham
In - Friedel, Cristian Ceballos (both free, Aston Villa and Barcelona respectively), Souleymane Coulibaly (Siena, undisclosed)
Out - Jamie O'Hara (Wolves, 5m) Woodgate, (Stoke, free)
Tottenham have a had a great few years after qualifying for the Champions League and having some wonderful results in the competition, to confirm their status as a top Premiership club. As a West Ham fan it kills me to say this but I think Tottenhams style of play under Harry Redknapp has been brilliant and if they'd been a bit luckier in the league last season they could have gone for re-qualification for the Champions League. If they can keep hold of Modric they could have a right go at a top 4 spot once again.
West Bromwich
In - Ben Foster (Birmingham, loan), Gareth McAuley (Ipswich, free), Billy Jones (Preston, free), Zoltan Gera (Fulham, free)
Out - Boaz Myhill (Birmingham, loan), Abdoulaye Meite (Dijon, free), Carson (Bursaspor, 2.1m)
West Brom have started to get the hang of staying in the premiership now, and they've become a far harder team to beat under Roy Hodgson. Their transfers sum up the club, nothing exciting but they do what they need to do. Although the recapture of Zoltan Gera is a good move for the club, he is an experienced player and I feel he really could help the team. Lower half of the table I think this season.
Wigan
In - Ali Al Habsi (Bolton, £4m), David Jones (Wolves, free)
Out - Charles N'Zogbia (Aston Villa, £9.5m), Amaya (Real Betis, undisc) Caldwell (Birmingham, free)
Wigan were the worst team I've seen in a while last year, but somehow they've managed to survive again. Their only saving grace was N'Zogbia, but he's run off to pastures greener at Villa, and I have no doubt he's wanted that for a while. I can't say I expect Wigan to stay up, and I have no idea how they're going to get any points this season, but every year they seem to do it. In my perfect world, next season would see Wigan relegated and West Ham promoted, but we all know things very rarely happen perfectly.
Wolves
In - Roger Johnson (Birmingham, £7m) Jamie O'Hara (Tottenham, 5m)
Out - Halford (Portsmouth, undisc)
Wolves have never really done much except scrap around the bottom of the table. However, due to the fact they have great experience in this, they seem to have perfected the art of scrapping for survival. Despite the fact the signings don't seem to have improved the squad too much, and the fees to me seem relatively large for people that don't improve the squad, I think Wolves will survive again, and I think they'll do it by finishing in a comfortable 16th or 17th.
So to sum up, here is my final league prediction
Manchester United
Chelsea
Manchester City
Arsenal
Liverpool
Tottenham
Fulham
Everton
Stoke
Bolton
Aston Villa
Sunderland
West Brom
QPR
Blackburn
Wolves
Newcastle
Swansea
Wigan
Norwich
This Weekends Championship predictions
As my team are now a championship side I feel at least the opening weekend of games deserves a mention and a prediction, this is how I think it'll start the the 2nd tier of English football.
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Now, on with the roundup...
Arsenal
In - Carl Jenkinson (Charlton, 1m), Gervinho (Lille, 10m)
Out - Gael Clichy (Man City, 7m), Denilson (Sao Paulo, Loan)
Wenger needs to act quickly on two fronts. One to sort out the future of Fabregas and Nasri, and to make sure that the club has what it lacked last year, a bit of fight. When you look at the Arsenal lineup there's no doubting the skill that they possess, but they lack a player in the mould of Parker or Barton, who are willing to grab the game by the scruff of the neck and win by any means necessary.
If I was in charge of transfers at Arsenal, I'd currently be looking to sign a strong centreback, and a workman for the midfield. If they can keep Nasri and Fabregas they could well challenge till the end this year.
Aston Villa
In - Charles N'Zogbia (Wigan, 9.5m), Shay Given (Manchester City, 3.5m)
Out - Stewart Downing (Liverpool, 20m), Ashley Young (Man U, 16m), Braf Friedel (Spurs, free), Nigel Reo-Coker (Bolton, free), Pires, Carew, Osbourne (All released)
In terms of who's made the best money for players, Aston Villa have raked it in. £20m for Stewart Downing is one of the most ridiculous fees I've ever seen for a one footed player. However they may find life without Ashley Young is a lot harder than with him. Friedel has been adequately replaced, so that's not a problem, but I don't know if Aston Villa will finish much above mid table this year, unless Darren Bent and N'Zogbia can really combine.
Blackburn
In-Goodwille (Dundee, 2.8m)
Out - Phil Jones (Manchester United, 16.5m), Frank Fielding (Derby, undisclosed)
Blackburn really haven't done themselves any favours recently, and they could be in for a struggle this season. They removed one of the only things that guaranteed them premiership football, and that was Sam Allardyce. They haven't signed any proven players and sold their best young talent. Goodwille was good in the SPL but that's little better than Championship standard. Blackburn could be in for a long season trying to pick up points wherever they can, its going to be a struggle, especially if Samba leaves for Arsenal.
Bolton
In - Chris Eagles and Tyrone Mears (Burnley, joint 3m), Darren Pratley (Swansea, free), Nigel Reo-Coker (Aston Villa, free)
Out - Ali Al Habsi (Wigan, 4m) Johan Elmander (Galatasaray, free), Jlloyd Samuel (released), Joey O'Brien (West Ham, free), Matt Taylor (West Ham, 2.2m)
Bolton have been reasonably busy in the transfer market but they've not really improved because of it, but they haven't lost out either. Bolton have always been one of these teams that are almost impossible to predict, they can hold up against the top teams but could crumble against the bottom teams. I think Bolton should do alright this year, and will finish around mid table.
Chelsea
In - Romeu (Barcelona, 4.3m), Piazon (Sao Paulo, undisc), Courtois (Genk, 5m)
Out - Courtois (Athletico Madrid, loan), Bruma (Hamburg, loan), Mancienne (Hamburg, 3m)
Chelsea, the Abramovich Chelsea anyway, have always been big spenders in the transfer market, but this year seems to be a little quiet for them. Obviously there is the Modric battle to be resolved, but my guess is that there are one or two big signings to be made by Chelsea. Whatever happens, I think Villas Boas is exactly what Chelsea needed to revamp their team, and I can see a strong Chelsea challenge for the title this season.
Everton
In - Eric Dier (Sporting Lisbon, Loan)
Out - Vaughan (Norwich, 2.5m)
Everton have been pushing for regular European football under Moyes, but they will not get any more success than they have unless they push a bit more in the transfer market. In relative terms of money spent they have done brilliantly to push to where they have got to, but that's all they can reach. The fact they've have only brought one player in shows a lack of ambition, and If I was an Everton fan I'd be very anxious about this. Despite this, I think they will again challenge for a European spot.
Fulham
In - Pajtim Kasami (Palermo, 4m), John Arne Riise (Roma, 2.4m), Dan Burn (Darlington, undisc)
Out - Stockdale (Ipswich, Loan), Greening (Nott Forest, 670,000), Gera (West Brom, Released)
Fulham have become a real class outfit in my opinion, first under Hodgson now with Hughes. They play a nice style of football and defend solidly at the back, and I also think they are very savvy in the transfer market. In my opinion Arne Riise is a great capture as hes a solid left back and if you cant remember his trademark left foot piledrivers, just search them on youtube and you'll see some amazing long range finishes. I think Fulham can qualify for Europe this year, and will be pushing with Everton this season.
Liverpool
In- Stewart Downing (Aston Villa, 20m) Henderson (Sunderland, 16m) Charlie Adam (9m) Dhoni (Roma, free)
Out - Konchesky (Leicester, 1.5m), Darby (rochdale, Loan)
After Years of complaining about other teams spending too much money, Liverpool have spent over £40m this transfer window, with only £1.5m coming in. Downing for £20m is about 7 or 8 million too much, especially when you consider the fact Ashley Young has gone for £16m, and in my opinion Young is the better player. Henderson was also a bit overpriced, but Adam could turn out to be a nice buy. Liverpool could challenge with Tottenham this season, but I don't think they'll break the top four. I'm really looking forward to seeing how Carrol and Suarez joining together upfront.
Manchester City
In - Sergio Aguero (Athletico Madrid, £38m), Stefan Savic (Partizan Belgrade, 6m) Gael Clichy (Arsenal, 7m)
Out - Jo (Internacional, undisc), Shay Given (Aston Villa, £3.5), Boateng (Bayern Munich, £10m), Michael Johnson (Leicester, loan), Patrick Vieira (retired), Tevez?
The new financial powerhouses of the Premier League have made the biggest signing of the transfer window so far, with Aguero moving for 38m. This was meant to be a replacement for Tevez, but so far no team feels up to forking out 45m for the Argentinian. Man City hit hot and cold last year as they struggled to find a balance between shutting out a game and all out attack. If Mancini can find a nice balance to the team, or even convince Tevez to stay (which looks unlikely), they should take their place in the top four this year. However, Mancini if you're reading this, please get rid of Balotelli, I hate that man, so very much.
Manchester United
In - David De Gea (Athletico Madrid, 17.8m) Phil Jones (Blackburn, 16.5m) Ashley Young (Aston Villa, 16m)
Out - Bebe (Besiktas, loan), Ritchie De Laet (Norwich, loan), Owen Hargreaves (released) Paul Scholes and Van Der Sar retired, Wes Brown and John O'Shea (£2+m, Sunderland)
Manchester United really showed that you that it doesn't matter if you can play great football but if you can win when you're struggling. They've lost some decent players but they've got the strength where they needed it with some decent transfers, and the signings of De Gea and Jones show they're looking towards the future. With Hernandez bagging 20 in his first season, and Rooney a bit below par last year, I'd be surprised if Man U weren't fighting until the very last. Man U are my pick for this years title.
Newcastle
In - Sylvain Marveaux (Rennes, free), Yohan Cabaye (Lille, 4.3m), Demba Ba (West Ham, free)
Out - Kevin Nolan (West Ham, £4m), Campbell and Kuqi (released)
Newcastle don't really seem to know what they want. Before Chris Hughton's departure they were safely in 10th with a squad with a good mix of youth and experience, led by Nolan and Barton from midfield and the talented Andy Carroll up front. But now with Alan Pardew at the helm, I don't know how much of a ship he has left. Carroll was sold for 35m in January, with Nolan choosing to rejoin Big Sam in the Championship and Barton simply being hung out to dry. If Newcastle don't sort the situation out then they could well be back in the championship next year. The only good piece of business they've managed is Demba Ba for free. If the squad stays the same, it's not going to be a happy season for the Toon.
Norwich
In - Anthony Pilkington (Huddersfield, 2m) Steve Morrison (Millwall, £2.8,) James Vaughan (Everton, 2.5m), Elliott Bennet (Brighton, undisc), Richard De Laet (Man U, loan), Kyle Naughton (tottenham, loan)
Out - Luke Daley (Plymouth, free), Matt Gill (Bristol Rovers, free), Sam Habergham (Tamworth, free)
I can't see Norwich lasting in the Premiership. Despite being active in the transfer market, they've bought in a lot of Championship players, or young top club players. That's not what a new premiership club needs. They needed Premiership players, or at least players with Premiership experience, and they've just made what would have been good signings last year. Unless they've got some hidden weapon that I just can't see, they're my pick to be rock bottom.
Queens Park Rangers
In- Danny Gabbidon and Kieron Dyer (West Ham, free), Bothroyd (Cardiff, free)
Out - Chimbonda, Mahon, Parker and Rose (all released)
QPR are the only promoted club that I'm certain are going to survive this season. They've got money behind them, and have made three reasonable signings on the cheap. Gabbidon is a decent defender, and if they could get 20-25 games out of Dyer this season it'd be a great boost for their hopes. I would think they need one or two more players to be certain of survival, and one needs to be a striker who can claim some goals from set pieces, which have become increasingly important for the promoted clubs in the past few years.
Stoke
In - Jonathan Woodgate (Spurs, free)
Out - Abdoulaye Faye (West Ham, free), Eidur Gudjohnsen (AEK Athens, free) Ibrahima Sonko (released)
As shown by the 0 spent 0 received in Stokes's summary they really don't like change. They replace players like for like and they play the same way game in, game out. This means that Tony Pulis has built a side whose worth is greater than the sum of its individual parts. Everyone knows their job and they do it, and each players job helps another player, meaning they just get better at it each season. They may be dull to watch but Stoke are as effective as any other team on their day, and I wouldn't be surprised to see them in the top half of the table this year.
Sunderland
In- Connor Wickham (Ipswich, 13m), Sebastian Larsson (Birmingham, free), Wes Brown and John O'Shea (Man U, 2m+)
Out - Jordan Henderson (Liverpool, 16m) Zenden, Luscome and Kay all free.
Sunderland have become a decent side under Steve Bruce, even if they do lack a bit of consistency. I think they've made a few shrewd buys with the captures of Man U defenders O'Shea and Brown, so I think they'll be a bit more resilient than last year. I don't think they'll do much more than their usual mid-table obscurity, especially after some abject form towards the end of last season that saw them record only 4 wins after January 5th meant they slid down the table again. Nothing exciting for the Black Cats this year I feel.
Swansea
In - Danny Graham (Watford, 3.5m), Steven Caulker (Tottenham, loan), Moreira (Benfica, undisc) Lita (Middlesbrough 1.75m)
Out - Dorus de Vries, Pratley, Donnelly, Serran, Van der Gun, Pintado all released.
Swansea stand a better chance of survival than Norwich, but I think they'll face a real struggle to stay in the top flight this year. Looking at their squad I just don't know if they're solid enough to stand the step up in quality to the premiership. They need to concentrate on picking up points at home and the other strugglers and hope that something else happens elsewhere, as I can't see them consistently putting in the performance required to challenge the established top flight teams.
Tottenham
In - Friedel, Cristian Ceballos (both free, Aston Villa and Barcelona respectively), Souleymane Coulibaly (Siena, undisclosed)
Out - Jamie O'Hara (Wolves, 5m) Woodgate, (Stoke, free)
Tottenham have a had a great few years after qualifying for the Champions League and having some wonderful results in the competition, to confirm their status as a top Premiership club. As a West Ham fan it kills me to say this but I think Tottenhams style of play under Harry Redknapp has been brilliant and if they'd been a bit luckier in the league last season they could have gone for re-qualification for the Champions League. If they can keep hold of Modric they could have a right go at a top 4 spot once again.
West Bromwich
In - Ben Foster (Birmingham, loan), Gareth McAuley (Ipswich, free), Billy Jones (Preston, free), Zoltan Gera (Fulham, free)
Out - Boaz Myhill (Birmingham, loan), Abdoulaye Meite (Dijon, free), Carson (Bursaspor, 2.1m)
West Brom have started to get the hang of staying in the premiership now, and they've become a far harder team to beat under Roy Hodgson. Their transfers sum up the club, nothing exciting but they do what they need to do. Although the recapture of Zoltan Gera is a good move for the club, he is an experienced player and I feel he really could help the team. Lower half of the table I think this season.
Wigan
In - Ali Al Habsi (Bolton, £4m), David Jones (Wolves, free)
Out - Charles N'Zogbia (Aston Villa, £9.5m), Amaya (Real Betis, undisc) Caldwell (Birmingham, free)
Wigan were the worst team I've seen in a while last year, but somehow they've managed to survive again. Their only saving grace was N'Zogbia, but he's run off to pastures greener at Villa, and I have no doubt he's wanted that for a while. I can't say I expect Wigan to stay up, and I have no idea how they're going to get any points this season, but every year they seem to do it. In my perfect world, next season would see Wigan relegated and West Ham promoted, but we all know things very rarely happen perfectly.
Wolves
In - Roger Johnson (Birmingham, £7m) Jamie O'Hara (Tottenham, 5m)
Out - Halford (Portsmouth, undisc)
Wolves have never really done much except scrap around the bottom of the table. However, due to the fact they have great experience in this, they seem to have perfected the art of scrapping for survival. Despite the fact the signings don't seem to have improved the squad too much, and the fees to me seem relatively large for people that don't improve the squad, I think Wolves will survive again, and I think they'll do it by finishing in a comfortable 16th or 17th.
So to sum up, here is my final league prediction
Manchester United
Chelsea
Manchester City
Arsenal
Liverpool
Tottenham
Fulham
Everton
Stoke
Bolton
Aston Villa
Sunderland
West Brom
QPR
Blackburn
Wolves
Newcastle
Swansea
Wigan
Norwich
This Weekends Championship predictions
As my team are now a championship side I feel at least the opening weekend of games deserves a mention and a prediction, this is how I think it'll start the the 2nd tier of English football.
Hull 1:1 Blackpool
Coventry 1:2 Leicester
Brighton 3:1 Doncaster
Bristol City 1:0 Ipswich
Burnley 1:1 Watford
Derby 0:2 Birmingham
Middlesbrough 2:0 Portsmouth
Nott'm Forest 1:0 Barnsley
Peterborough 1:1 Crystal Palace
Reading 2:1 Millwall
Southampton 1:0 Leeds
West Ham 2:0 Cardiff
Please don't trust me when It comes to predictions, I'm notoriously bad.
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