The Premier League 2010/2011 – Just Football’s New Season Roundtable Discussion

A month and a day after Andres Iniesta slammed the ball low and true past Maarten Stekelenburg to win the World Cup for Spain, the Premier League is back. Richard Keys and the boys have some shiny new suits and ties, the 20 competing teams are ready for a shot at the title (who are we kidding, Blackpool’s title odds of 10,000-1 to win the league says it all), and the phrase ‘best league in the world’ is being dusted down, showered, groomed and dressed ready for an outing roughly every single time any league game has more than 2 goals.

Okay, so perhaps I’m being a tad cynical. After all, this genuinely could well be one of the most open Premier League seasons in years. With transfer spending unusually down for a post-World Cup off-season, buoyed only by Manchester City and their billions in the bank, the chasing pack are closer to the big clubs than perhaps ever before.

“The top four found it difficult and dropped points in games they wouldn’t have expected to,” Sir Alex Ferguson commented ahead of the new season. ”That’s an indication of the improvement made by other teams, and I think there’ll be a bit of a dogfight for the top four places this season. We all have to be aware of the threats from the likes of Villa, Everton, Tottenham and Manchester City – they’ll all be challenging to get into that top four.”

Why else would Harry Redknapp be talking up a challenge for the league title?

With the 2010/2011 about to get underway, we decided to gather some Just Football writers and a very special guest, The Times’ esteemed senior football journalist Patrick Barclay, for a roundtable discussion of the upcoming Premier League season. Here are their thoughts and predictions:

1, Where else to start but the biggest movers in the Premier League this summer, Manchester City. What are your thoughts on the league’s richest club, and after all their spending can they win the title?

Patrick Barclay: Bit early for them. Don’t think they’ll win it. My tip for this year would be Arsenal because they’re the opposite of Manchester City. They’re a lawn that has grown and been tended and watered and fed, whereas City are shoots that are trying to fight their way through so to speak.

Luke Colbourne: Obviously they’ve signed some top class players, but it’s going to take them a while to get used to playing together. I don’t think they’ll win the league, and I personally don’t believe that Roberto Mancini is the right guy to take them where they want to be. They might improve on last year, but I still don’t think they’re going to break into the top…3.

Joe Tompkins: Man City need another season to gel in my opinion. Mancini has a lot of egos to cope with and it could be tough keeping everyone happy.

Adam K: Not yet. Right now their in the process of building a great team. They still don’t have the pieces to beat Man United or Chelsea.

2, Who do you think will win the Premier League and why?

Patrick Barclay: Arsenal. I think that Arsenal’s ability to retain Fabregas was the key to it all. If Wenger didn’t think they had a chance at the title he’d have let Fabregas go I’m sure. I think there will be one last season and Fabregas, because of the sort of lad he is and because of the respect he has for Wenger, will give them as good a season as he did last season.

I think the improvement in, well, Vermaelen can hardly improve on his first season! But if he maintains that standard…And then the other key factor is the signing of (Marouane) Chamakh, which will put a rocket under Bendtner’s backside. Whether it’s Chamakh playing in every game or Chamakh and Bendtner alternating as the centre forward this will be good because it will allow two things to happen: 1) Van Persie to play off the front in what you might call the Bergkamp role, which will suit him better. 2) it will also enable Arshavin to return to a slightly deeper position from which he can strike with an element of surprise. So all of those players will get better.

Song, who proved himself a plausible candidate to take over from the hitherto irreplaceable Gilberto Silva as a proper holding midfield player, and they’ll also get help from Fabregas. Those two should be able to shore up that position in front of the defence. I don’t know too much about the Polish-French centre back (Koscielny), but they need a centre back – they’ve lost four of them. Admittedly some of the ones they’ve lost are no great loss like Silvestre, for Gallas the time had come, but they’ve got the best full backs. They do need Mark Schwarzer. This is all postulated on the theory that they’ll get Mark Schwarzer who’s a good organiser and a terrific goalkeeper even at 37.

Luke Colbourne: Manchester United. Very close last season, but I think United will come back strong this year and regain top spot. A fully fit Ferdinand will be vital, as the partnership with Vidic is one of the best around, even though Jonny Evans did a fine job taking over last season. They still lack a creative player to drive them forward from midfield, but if Javier Hernández can continue his form and develop a partnership with Rooney then that might go some way to helping an attack which at times looked a bit toothless last year.

Joe Tompkins: Manchester United will win it I reckon. They have the strongest all round team and have strength in depth.

Adam K: Manchester United. They bring youth together with experience and a great coach.

3, Top 4?

PB: Top 4 are – we haven’t mentioned Chelsea yet. Chelsea have a slight age problem, but I think they’ll get better as the season goes on. I think we only saw the surface in the Community Shield game (3-1 loss to Man Utd) and I think they will actually finish above Manchester United. Arsenal 1st, Chelsea 2nd, Manchester United will be 3rd, and now I’m in big trouble, but I’m going to guess at Liverpool.

I think their toughest opponent may not be Man City. It might be Everton. Do you remember Everton thought they’d pipped Liverpool [in 2005] but of course were pardoned round the backdoor. I think Everton have got a better chance of finishing above Liverpool, even though Roy Hodgson will improve Liverpool. Everton, who have an outstanding manager of their own in David Moyes, have got an even better chance of finishing above Liverpool than Man City have of finishing above Manchester United with all their money.

LC: Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Man City.

JT: I think Chelsea will come 2nd, Arsenal will come 3rd with Man City break into the top 4 in fourth.

AK: Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City in that order.

4, Do you foresee any shocks/surprises over the course of the season?

PB: Aston Villa will struggle to qualify for Europe, definitely. Manchester United have got a serious age problem but that warlock Ferguson seems to have turned up another invigorating, refreshing agent in Chicharito [Javier Hernandez]who looks frightening with his pace. So they should stay there or thereabouts.

LC: Well, I think it’s generally quite predictable, but I will be surprised if Blackpool manage to stay up.

JT: No major shocks though I can see Spurs struggling after their good season last time.

AK: Arsenal winning the title wouldn’t be a shock generally speaking, but it’d surprise me.

5, Which teams if any do you think will disappoint?

LC: I reckon Man City might disappoint one or two, as with all their signings there’s going to be a lot of expectation on them. But it’s not as simple as throwing money around and expecting success straight away, so I think many will be disappointed in that respect. Even as there are people tipping them to win the league.

JT: I think Blackpool will struggle to make the transition to top flight football and Villa will disappoint as well. Without Martin O’Neill, they could well take a step backwards this season

AK: Aston Villa, because of their coach leaving right before the season begins.

6, Players to look out for?

PB: One of my favourite players is Mikel Arteta. I can watch him all day and all night. Arshavin when he’s on song…Song when he’s on Arshavin (laughs). Arshavin when he’s on song as he was at the start of last season, but he unfortunately faded.

Obviously Fabregas, Rooney…to try to be more imaginative…I love watching Kevin Doyle of Wolves. To me he is up there with Drogba as a real centre forward. I’m not saying he’s as good as Drogba but he does that very difficult role very very well, at least as well as Drogba I think. So he’s great to watch. I love to watch Danny Murphy of Fulham – lovely passer of the ball. Wilshere’s an exciting prospect, Gibbs as well. I like watching Gibbs very much indeed. And from an England point of view, Jack Rodwell.

LC: I’d have to say Javier Hernández – showed his talent at the World Cup and has looked really promising in pre-season. A couple of young players to watch out for; 21-year-old Sandro (Tottenham) and 20-year-old Jordan Henderson (Sunderland).

Sandro has been a key part of Internacional’s team in both the Brazilian league and the Copa Libertadores. He was also recently called up for the senior Brazil squad. And Henderson will once again be an important part of Sunderland’s team, as he was last year, as shown by him winning the club’s Young Player of the Year award.

JT: Arsene Wenger’s new signings Chamakh and Koscielny look like they will settle into the Premiership well and I think Hernandez will do well for United. I expect Drogba to have a good season as well.

AK: Javier Hernandez. This kid is the next big thing. He just cant stop scoring.

7, Who will be relegated?

PB: Relegation? Well I’m going to stick my neck out here and go for Blackpool! But the other two, I am going to stick my neck out and say Fulham will be candidates, and I’m not absolutely sure that West Ham will be safe. Wolves for example had a great season last season in which they stayed up – I think they’ll have at least as good a season this time now that Steven Fletcher has been signed to play with Kevin Doyle, taking some of the pressure off Kevin. They’ve also got a lovely pair of players in central midfield in Karl Henry and David Jones. That Jones is the most underrated player in the Premier League. He is going to be a corker.

LC: Blackpool, West Brom, Wolves.

JT: Blackpool, Newcastle and West Ham.

AK: Newcastle, West Bromwich Albion, Blackpool.

8, And finally, the Golden Boot winner?

LC: Going to have to go with Didier Drogba again, closely followed by Wayne Rooney.

JT: Drogba.

AK: Wayne Rooney.

What do you think? Leave your comments and predictions below.

(photo via Trippenbach on Flickr)

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