Arsenal

While there’s breath left in the old Professor’s body, the Gunners will continue to play football that’s easy on the eye. And, while that will be good enough to beat 90 per cent of their opponents, it’s the other 10 per cent that’s the trouble.

The Emirates repayments still hamper Arsene Wenger’s ambitions, and the real cost of their spanking new stadium is that Arsenal have become a selling club. Lack of depth cost them last season and, with Hleb and Flamini gone, they’re going backwards.

Arsene Wenger, as ever, but this season more than ever before.

Aston Villa

Martin O’Neill. The man who should have been guiding England at Euro 2008 instead led Villa to sixth last season, on the back of a free-scoring 4-3-3 that delivered a whopping 71 goals, bettered only by Man Utd and Arsenal. That was the easy part, though breaking into that top four will prove far trickier.

With one of the smallest squads in the Premier League, a lack of strength in depth could scupper Villa’s push onwards.

If not O’Neill or the surely exiting Gareth Barry, then Brad Friedel should help plug an often porous defence.

Blackburn Rovers

New boss Paul Ince inherits a team blending fl air and fi ght, and with three consecutive top-10 finishes under its belt.

Mark Hughes, Brad Friedel and David Bentley have all gone, replaced by Paul Ince, Paul Robinson and Robbie Fowler. On paper, that’s not necessarily progress – Rovers may struggle to match last season’s seventh.

Roque Santa Cruz. The chisel jawed Paraguyan slipped into the Premier League with ease last season, plundering 19 goals in his first season. His goals may save Blackburn from a relegation fight.

Bolton

Willing, if not overly able, Bolton will only survive if they can fi nd three teams worse off than them.

Surprisingly competent at the back, Bolton’s biggest problem remains an alarming Nicolas Anelka-shaped hole up front. The sale of El-Hadji Diouf to Sunderland hasn’t helped, so the impact of Swedish £10m striker Johan Elmander from Toulouse could make or break their season.

Elmander, the club’s record signing, who Megson fi rst tried to sign last January.

Chelsea

Roman’s roubles guarantee that almost every player remains within reach, and that Chelsea will push Man Utd at the top once again. Worse still for the rest – with Big Phil Scolari at the helm, they’ll be even harder to beat than last season.

He may have won a World Cup with Brazil, but Big Phil’s tactical expertise came into question during his last days with Portugal, where he relied too heavily on favoured players and was seen to lack ingenuity. He’s been away from club management for seven years, too, so he may take time to bed in – though this team can coach itself.

The owner. Will his patience with Scolari wear thin if he doesn’t reap instant rewards?

Everton

A well-organised and consistent bunch, the bulk of this Everton team has been together for a couple of seasons – and it shows. With a strong spine – Howard, Yobo, Lescott, Arteta, Cahill, Yakubuthey’re very difficult to beat.

David Moyes has made frustrated noises about his struggles to strengthen the squad, and with good reason. To achieve his ambition of Champions League football, this squad needs filling out; Everton are two or three injuries away from struggling.KEY MAN Tim Cahill, the club’s version of Paul Scholes – a priceless goalscoring midfielder.

Fulham

Boss Roy Hodgson performed a proper miracle to escape the drop with the poor squad he inherited last season. He’ll be happier he’s had the time – and the money – to build his own team this time.

Oddly, Fulham’s home form let them down last season. They won only fi ve games at Craven Cottage, fewer than anyone bar Derby, and lost nine times – the same as relegated Reading and, again, only better than Derby. Hardly fortress Fulham.

Jimmy Bullard; whispers of him leaving surely can’t be true, for the manic midfi elder is the one player Fulham cannot afford to be without.

Hull City

Hull won promotion against all odds and expectation last season, and the Tigers will tap into the same well of defiance; they’ll be tagged dead certs for the drop, and boss Phil Brown will drum that into his players before every match. The KC Stadium won’t roll out the red carpet for visiting teams, that’s for sure.

Lack of quality up front. Frazier Campbell made a big impact last season, but the loan striker has returned to Man Utd. Linked with Marlon King and David Nugent, Brown admits: “The final third is a bit of a problem.

Boaz Myhill. The California-born, Wales-capped goalkeeper needs performances as big as his reputation.

Liverpool

The signing of Robbie Keane gives Liverpool another option in attack, not to mention Steven Gerrard’s driving runs forward. Difficult to contain, that lot.

Other than Rafa Benitez’s constant tinkering? Well, the Spanish coach seems to have a thing for wingers – he never really plays them. Spoilt for choice in the middle of midfield, Liverpool look lightweight on the flanks.

Fernando Torres. The Spain striker ignored the ‘needs a season to settle’ rule in his debut Premier League campaign. How much better can he get?

Manchester City

City have the foundations for a strong side: Hart, Richards, Dunne, Elano, Johnson, Petrov. With a huge fan base, excellent stadium, ambitious new manager in Mark Hughes and loaded (if controversial) owner, they could be on the verge of something big.

No 20-goal striker. Bojinov, Bianchi, Vassell and Benjani all failed to convince last season, so step forward £19m Brazilian Jo, who says he can score “a lot of goals”. We’ll see, son.

Jo. If he’s a hit, City are flying. If he’s not, that could be Hughes out.

Manchester United

The champions boast the perfect blend of youth and experience, skill and spirit. Ferdinand and Vidic are the best central defence in the league, while up front the holy trinity of Rooney, Tevez and Ronaldo are, at times, unstoppable.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s apparent failure to snare Dimitar Berbatov means United have little strength in depth up front. And here’s a free tip for opponents – 33 per cent of the goals they conceded last season were from headers.

Wayne Rooney, who spent most of last season in the shadow of Ronaldo and will need to hit the target more often this term.

Middlesbrough

For giving a young English manager like Gareth Southgate a chance – and for bringing through young English players like David Wheater, Andrew Taylor and Stewart Downing – Boro should be given bonus points for doing things ‘the right way’.

Terrible away from home last season, and your winger should never be your top scorer unless he’s Cristiano Ronaldo. In Boro’s case, it was Stewart Downing – and he got only nine.

Alfonso Alves’ six goals in seven starts at the end of last season suggests Boro’s £12m Brazilian could provide the fi repower to boost them higher.

Newcastle

If the strike trio of Owen, Viduka and Martins can stay fi t, Newcastle should never be short of goals. And the midfi eld, with Nicky Butt and Joey Barton, shouldn’t lack bite. And Shay Given is a world-class keeper. Hang on, why are they so bad?

The rot has set in at St James’ Park, with talented players failing to pull their weight. Kevin Keegan will need to start his rebuilding with the defence – only Derby and Reading leaked more goals last season.

New Argentinian winger Jonas Gutierrez, nicknamed ‘Spider-Man’ for his face-mask celebrations, will bring pace and menace to an unimaginative midfi eld.

Portsmouth

Buoyed by last season’s FA Cup win and eighth place (their best league fi nish for half a century), ’Arry Redknapp’s team will be high on confi dence. A watertight defence featuring old heads like David James and Sol Campbell saw to it that they didn’t lose a single game after taking the lead last term.

They’ll need to improve on 48 goals in 38 games last season – their shooting accuracy was worse than Derby’s.

Better make that ‘men’ – Jermain Defoe and £11m signing Peter Crouch could form the perfect little-and-large strikeforce.

Stoke City

A robust unit built around six-footers like defender Leon Cort and striker Ricardo Fuller, Stoke’s bustling style will have Arsene Wenger in tears. The fact they came from behind to win eight times last season proves spirit won’t be an issue.

They scrapped their way out of the Championship but might just get passed out of the Premier League. The Potters’ lack of technically accomplished players could be critical.

Liam Lawrence scored 15 goals and created 16 more last season, making him the most valuable player in the Championship – according to the Actim Index.

Sunderland

The never-say-die attitude that saw them score nine league goals in the last fi ve minutes of games last season – a quarter of their total for the season – and a board that seem both willing and able to back manager Roy Keane in the transfer market.

Kenwyne Jones was the Black Cats’ top league scorer last term, but his total of seven explains why they were down in 15th come May. The signings of Steed Malbranque and El-Hadji Diouf should add creativity, and hopefully goals.

Malbranque never quite hit the heights at Tottenham, but a more central role at the Stadium of Light could be just what he – and his new team – needs.

Tottenham Hot Spurs

Juande Ramos has instigated a progressive transfer policy that has resulted in a streamlined and younger squad with the potential to fi nally break into the top four. Selling Robbie Keane and Paul Robinson for a combined total of £24m could prove a masterstroke.

Another slow start and the usual Spurs doubts could surface – particularly if sicknote defenders Jonathan Woodgate and Ledley King miss their usual number of games.

With Dimitar Berbatov sulking and Luka Modric given time to settle in, much could depend on the proven Premier League creativity of new boy David Bentley.

West Bromwich Albion

The Championship title and an FA Cup semi in his fi rst full season marks Tony Mowbray out as some manager. Strong-minded and astute, he has created a team that plays some super attacking football.

Promoted teams playing attacking football don’t have a history of high achievement in the Premier League – and West Brom conceded 55 goals in the Championship. Mowbray may also come to rue the departure of master goal thief Kevin Phillips.

Scott Carson should prove excellent value for £3m – should the former Liverpool man rediscover his best form, he can help the Baggies stay up.

West Ham Utd

There’s absolutely no reason why a solid English spine of Green, Upson, Parker and Ashton shouldn’t be at the heart of a progressive West Ham season. And the departure of £85,000-a-week Freddie Ljungberg won’t do the Upton Park wagebill any harm, either.

Ljungberg’s gone, but Lucas Neill’s crippling salary remains – and the brains trust of Bellamy, Bowyer and Dyer will do well to stay out of trouble for a whole season. Whisper it, too, but manager Alan Curbishley was starting to look a little world-weary last season.

Assuming the Hammers can ward off the attentions of Spurs, a full season from Dean Ashton could add any number of goals and points to their campaign.

Source: http://www.sport-magazine.co.uk

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