1063 Goals
257 Goalscorers
2 10-Goal Games
35,931 Average Attendance
11 Points gap between United and City
Here are some of the stats from last years Premier League season. 19th May was the last time we got any English top flight action and time has slowly ticked away waiting for the start of the season, whilst providing us with fillers like the Ashes... like a Friday afternoon in the office with people playing Candy Crush until its 5 and they can go to the pub. One of the biggest cliches before the start of the season is that the year to come will be the most closely contested and eagerly anticipated in years. However, this is most certainly true of the 2013-14 season. The end of the 2012-13 season saw much change, with Sir Alex Ferguson retiring after 26 years at Manchester Utd, 'The Happy One' returning to Chelsea and Manchester City hoping to spice things up, after the disappointment of last year, by hiring Chilean, Manuel Pellegrini. We've also seen Roberto Martinez move to try fill the void left by David Moyes at Everton, following his almost inevitable departure to Manchester. With the managerial musical chairs amongst some of Europe's top clubs (including Barcelona, Real Madrid, PSG as well as the above), it could be argued that more interest has been generated in the managers, rather than the players during the transfer window.
Can Moyes build on the legacy left by Ferguson? Can Mourinho work his magic the second time around? Will Pellegrini make City the top dogs in Manchester? How will the new boys of the Premier League fair? Who will be our surprise package of the season? Just some of the questions on the lips of football fans up and down the country.
With the start of the league only 3 days away, here's my club-by-club preview of the 2013-14 season:
Arsenal:
Prediction: 5th
Aston Villa:
Aston Villa are undoubtedly still a club in transition, and their season hinges on the continual improvement of their youngsters and Christian Benteke maintaining his form for last season. Aside from Okore, the club hasn't brought it any recognisable signings and if they don't hit the ground running Lambert's men could find themselves in another relegation scrap.
Prediction: 17th
This is very much a different look to the Chelsea side Mourinho took over in 2005, with a greater focus on attack (something Chelsea owner, Roman Abramovich will be overwhelmed with), rather than the traditional Mourinho system with 2 holding midfielders. However, the use of a midfield enforcer (like Essien or Makelele) has been traded in favour of runners like Ramires and attacking midfielders winning the ball higher up the pitch, as we saw from Mario Mandzukic at Bayern last season. Yet the killer question for Chelsea fans and neutrals alike is who will be Chelsea's centre forward? Romelu Lukaku seems to be the heir apparent to Didier Drogba and netted 17 times whilst at West Brom last season, considerably more than Fernando Torres (8) and Demba Ba (2), or will Mourinho seek to push through a transfer for Wayne Rooney.
Chelsea seem over-endowed in some areas, and significantly short in others, but with club harmony at a peak and the potential instability caused by the changes at the two Manchester clubs, Chelsea could well see themselves propel to the league title.
Martin Jol is an experienced manager, who has made some astute signings over the summer, but Fulham need to strengthen mentally. Their lack of mettle helped explain why they won fewer points than any other team in the Premier League after falling behind, something they will need to change if they want to improve on last season.
Hull City:
Liverpool suffered from a poor start to last season, but the signings of Sturridge and in particular, Coutinho helped Liverpool bag 30 points from 16 games, with only 2 losses along the way. In terms of summer buys, Rodgers has been careful not to make the same mistakes as his predecessor in terms of rushed signings, bringing in the likes of Iago Aspas, who has been prominent in pre-season as well as experience in the form of Kolo Toure. Simon Mignolet may also prove a shrewd signing, with a shot stopping percentage of 73 % vs Reina's 63%. The 25 year old caught 47 high crosses to the Spaniard's 31, whilst only failing to cleanly take three aerial balls, whereas Reina was unable to gather 10.
Liverpool were somewhat forced into playing several youth players last campaign, which may have provided them with the relevant experience to try and steak a first team place. Raheem Sterling and Andre Wisdom are prospects for the future and could play a vital role if Liverpool wish to push for top four. There are still areas of improvement in terms of signgings, maybe one defensively and one in the attacking areas. Still the major issue, is whether Suarez stays, if he does Liverpool could challenge for the top four.
Prediction: 6th
Part 2 to come...
257 Goalscorers
2 10-Goal Games
35,931 Average Attendance
11 Points gap between United and City
Here are some of the stats from last years Premier League season. 19th May was the last time we got any English top flight action and time has slowly ticked away waiting for the start of the season, whilst providing us with fillers like the Ashes... like a Friday afternoon in the office with people playing Candy Crush until its 5 and they can go to the pub. One of the biggest cliches before the start of the season is that the year to come will be the most closely contested and eagerly anticipated in years. However, this is most certainly true of the 2013-14 season. The end of the 2012-13 season saw much change, with Sir Alex Ferguson retiring after 26 years at Manchester Utd, 'The Happy One' returning to Chelsea and Manchester City hoping to spice things up, after the disappointment of last year, by hiring Chilean, Manuel Pellegrini. We've also seen Roberto Martinez move to try fill the void left by David Moyes at Everton, following his almost inevitable departure to Manchester. With the managerial musical chairs amongst some of Europe's top clubs (including Barcelona, Real Madrid, PSG as well as the above), it could be argued that more interest has been generated in the managers, rather than the players during the transfer window.
Can Moyes build on the legacy left by Ferguson? Can Mourinho work his magic the second time around? Will Pellegrini make City the top dogs in Manchester? How will the new boys of the Premier League fair? Who will be our surprise package of the season? Just some of the questions on the lips of football fans up and down the country.
With the start of the league only 3 days away, here's my club-by-club preview of the 2013-14 season:
Arsenal:
The Gunners Chief Executive, Ivan Gazidis came out at the end of last season and gave the fans the news they wanted to hear- Arsenal were going to spend big and were ready to match the prices of any player. Arsene Wenger himself was quoted as saying "I think, now, we are in a stronger situation where we can spend some money." Well with 2 weeks to go till the transfer window slams shut, Arsenal have made all of one signing- Yaya Sanogo- A France U-21 international. Granted, there have been attempts to sign some high profile, world-class players, such as Higuain and Suarez, but without any real conviction. Arsenal finished 16 points off the title last season, and with those around them improving (especially Tottenham) Arsenal fans are understandably increasingly concerned about where the boost will come from. On a positive note Jack Wilshere has had full pre-season which MAY set him up for an injury free season, the likes of Cazorla and Walcott really shone last year and there was some momentum at the end of the season, pipping Spurs to 4th.
Arsenal are the only top-four club not to have changed their manager, and the stability could act in their favour, but if they don't find the missing pieces of the jigsaw with 18 days until the transfer window closes, then another trophy-less season may pass them by and they could well miss out on Champions League football all together.
Prediction: 5th
Aston Villa:
Paul Lambert's youth strategy almost backfired last season and if it wasn't for Christian Benteke, who created or scored 49% of the clubs goals last season, Villa would surely be plying their trade in the Championship. Villa also conceded 69 goals last season, their worst record since the Premier League era began. However, Benteke has signed a new contract (11 days after handing in a transfer request) and the young players that were given a baptism of fire last year have undoubtedly matured. Furthermore, Lambert has signed 20 year old Jores Okore for £4m from Nordsjaelland to try and sure up their leaky defence. Villa are a team who rely on swift counter-attacks, only dominating possession in 10 games last season. Interestingly, in the four games where they had the lowest possession (Man Utd at home and Swansea, Liverpool and Everton away) they scored 10 goals and only lost once.
Aston Villa are undoubtedly still a club in transition, and their season hinges on the continual improvement of their youngsters and Christian Benteke maintaining his form for last season. Aside from Okore, the club hasn't brought it any recognisable signings and if they don't hit the ground running Lambert's men could find themselves in another relegation scrap.
Prediction: 17th
Cardiff City:
Back in England's top division after a 51 year absence, Cardiff have a tough task if they are looking to match the success of their fierce Welsh rivals, Swansea. The Championship winners have a good, young manager in Malky Mackay and incredible support however, Cardiff's priority will be survival and the key to this is making the Cardiff City Stadium a fortress. Mackay started life working in a Glasgow bank, which perhaps reflects on his management style. He is determined that his squad will keep in touch with the 'outside world', sending them to cooking classes so they eat healthily and giving them advice on how to maintain their homes and spend sensibly. As for their signings, Cardiff have made some very shrewd business in the transfer window, smashing their transfer record three times in the window, in particular surprising many by signing Steven Caulker from Tottenham, who had an extremely successful loan spell under Brendan Rodgers at Swansea two years earlier. With the signings of Gary Medel and Andreas Cornelius, Cardiff have made noticeable improvements to their team and with the continued backing of billionaire owner Vincent Tan, as well as the hard work of Malky Mackay, Cardiff may well avoid the drop come the end of the season.
Prediction: 16th
Chelsea:
With the return of Jose Mourinho, many Chelsea fans are understandably optimistic about the season ahead. Granted they shot themselves in the foot last season, having a poor start to the season, being knocked out the Champions League as holders in the group stages, then vilifying Benitez when he took over. Despite the Spaniard doing the best he could given the circumstances, the support of the fans is a major factor in Chelsea's favour this year. Mourinho stated he would not change a lot when he re-joined Chelsea and has certainly been true to his word, with his only big name signing another attacking midfielder, Andre Schürrle, to add to the likes of Mata, Hazard, Oscar and the returning Kevin De Bruyne.
This is very much a different look to the Chelsea side Mourinho took over in 2005, with a greater focus on attack (something Chelsea owner, Roman Abramovich will be overwhelmed with), rather than the traditional Mourinho system with 2 holding midfielders. However, the use of a midfield enforcer (like Essien or Makelele) has been traded in favour of runners like Ramires and attacking midfielders winning the ball higher up the pitch, as we saw from Mario Mandzukic at Bayern last season. Yet the killer question for Chelsea fans and neutrals alike is who will be Chelsea's centre forward? Romelu Lukaku seems to be the heir apparent to Didier Drogba and netted 17 times whilst at West Brom last season, considerably more than Fernando Torres (8) and Demba Ba (2), or will Mourinho seek to push through a transfer for Wayne Rooney.
Chelsea seem over-endowed in some areas, and significantly short in others, but with club harmony at a peak and the potential instability caused by the changes at the two Manchester clubs, Chelsea could well see themselves propel to the league title.
Prediction: 1st
Crystal Palace:
This can only mean one thing...The return of Ian Hollaway to the Premier League (hip hip hooray!). Unfortunately, in footballing terms, historical precedence does not favour Palace; 4 relegations in their last 4 attempts to survive top flight football. Promotion represents a significant financial boost to the club, which has allowed for the purchase of a new training facility, as well as a makeover for the main stand. Hollaway will hope to attack the Premier League with the same intensity we saw from Blackpool, three seasons ago, just with a better end result. Unfortunately for Palace, they have lost their brightest star in Wilfred Zaha to Manchester Untied and will be without their top scorer from last season, Glenn Murray, until possibly Christmas, after he sustained a knee injury in the play-off semi finals. In terms of incoming transfers, Palace will look to Arsenal outcast Marouane Chamakh and Dwight Gayle to score the the goals that will keep them in the league, a tough ask consider the latter was playing non-league football two years ago. Jose Campana, the captain of the Spain under-20 side could prove a useful signing for Palace, but there is a definite need for an injection of quality if the South London club want to survive.
Prediction: 19th
Everton:
David Moyes' move to Manchester United seemed written in his destiny. But now that the man who held Everton together for 11 years has gone, will the near future spell instability or be the catalyst they need to finally win a trophy, or even push into the champions league places? Last season was a bitter sweet one for the man tasked with taking over Everton. Roberto Martinez presided over a famous FA Cup win whilst also being relegated with Wigan. Perhaps the biggest positive for Everton, is the fact that aside from Phil Neville, the club has managed to keep all of its star players, including the likes of Leighton Baines and Marouane Fellaini. Everton's biggest problem was a lack of goals last season, managing only 55- the lowest of any club in the top 8 of the league. The signing of Arouna Kone from Martinez's old club, Wigan and even more significantly, Gerard Deulofeu (on loan), the Barcelona youngster tipped to be a regular in a few years time, could provide the firepower the Toffees so desperately missed last season.
Although there has been some opposition to Martinez (as well as the horrendous new club badge!), with critics pointing out the fact that he has never finished higher than 15th in the Premier League, the Spaniard brings an exciting style of football to the club, and with a squad (with all due respect) much stronger than Wigan's could see a successful season at Everton.
Prediction: 8th
Prediction: 8th
Fulham:
Fulham seem to be one of those sides that every year people think will struggle and then you look at the table throughout the season and they are always comfortably mid table. Perhaps the biggest change has seen the ownership of the club trade hands from Mohammed Al Fayed to Shahid Khan (Michael Jackson statue and all). However, you can't overlook Fulham's summer dealings, bringing in the likes Bilbao's Fernando Amorebieta, Maarten Stekelenburg (Edwin Van Der Sar comparisons pending) and maverick Adel Taarabt, all quality additions to the squad. Dimitar Berbatov and Brian Ruiz aside, Fulham still need another forward, being linked with the likes of Darren Bent, who will guarantee goals. Another area in which the club will seek to improve is midfield, particularly after losing Danny Murphy, Clint Dempsey, Dickson Etuhu and Moussa Dembele in the recent years. However, they do have some young talent in these positions, in particular, Moussa Dembele (I kid you not, they have a spare one!).
Martin Jol is an experienced manager, who has made some astute signings over the summer, but Fulham need to strengthen mentally. Their lack of mettle helped explain why they won fewer points than any other team in the Premier League after falling behind, something they will need to change if they want to improve on last season.
Prediction: 13th
Hull City:
Or should I say Hull City Tigers? Name changes aside, Steve Bruce's side face a monumental task to stay in the Premier League. Hull start the season with a trip to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge- we can only wish them the best. Speaking of bridges, Steve Bruce was asked in April if the club were promoted, how he would avoid another joyless damage limitation ordeal, he shrugged and replied that he would cross that bridge if he came to it. Well judgement day is approaching, and Hull have certainly been busy in the transfer window. Hull only scored 61 goals last season, 5 less than Peterborough who were relegated. They have sought to add to to their firepower with former Swansea fan favourite Danny Graham, who had a torrid time at Sunderland, as well as George Boyd who (despite his eye problems- ahem Nottingham Forrest) managed 10 goals and 9 assists last season.
However, Steve Bruce and most Hull fans are realists and the Yorkshire club face an uphill battle if they want to stay in the English top flight.
Prediction: 20th
Prediction: 20th
Liverpool:
The Luis Suarez fiasco has detracted media attention away from much of the good work put in by Liverpool pre-season, winning all but one game and only conceding two goals. There is however, one certainty when it comes to Luis Suarez, he will miss the first six games of the season. Arguably the best player in the league last season, Suarez leaving would be a huge loss for the club, although to the relief of Liverpool fans, the hierarchy of the club has categorically stated that Suarez will not move to a Premier League rival. This season could be seen as stage two in then Brendan Rodgers project and with the likes of Tottenham rapidly improving it is important for Liverpool to bridge the gap for fourth place.
Liverpool suffered from a poor start to last season, but the signings of Sturridge and in particular, Coutinho helped Liverpool bag 30 points from 16 games, with only 2 losses along the way. In terms of summer buys, Rodgers has been careful not to make the same mistakes as his predecessor in terms of rushed signings, bringing in the likes of Iago Aspas, who has been prominent in pre-season as well as experience in the form of Kolo Toure. Simon Mignolet may also prove a shrewd signing, with a shot stopping percentage of 73 % vs Reina's 63%. The 25 year old caught 47 high crosses to the Spaniard's 31, whilst only failing to cleanly take three aerial balls, whereas Reina was unable to gather 10.
Liverpool were somewhat forced into playing several youth players last campaign, which may have provided them with the relevant experience to try and steak a first team place. Raheem Sterling and Andre Wisdom are prospects for the future and could play a vital role if Liverpool wish to push for top four. There are still areas of improvement in terms of signgings, maybe one defensively and one in the attacking areas. Still the major issue, is whether Suarez stays, if he does Liverpool could challenge for the top four.
Prediction: 6th
Part 2 to come...
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