August 31st is a strange day for football, the summer transfer deadline day! Over 100 days for clubs to do their business and over the years so many have left it right until the last minute to bring in the players they want for the upcoming season. This summer has been one of, if not the most, crazy transfer periods in football history. We have already seen the first two £100 million + players this summer, and could very possibly have a third and a fourth by 11pm tomorrow. So many clubs spending way over the odds for players in a market so overran with TV money, that no clubs REALLY need to sell. Some of Europe's giants have floundered, not willing to put their hand into their pockets, while others have spent fortunes. So much can happen between now and the window closing, and I am going to go into what could be making the back pages when August becomes September.
Coutinho to Barcelona - Okay, so lets start with the big one, the longest running story of the summer so far! I have written an entire article on the Coutinho saga already, so in summary. Barcelona want Coutinho, Liverpool don't want to sell Coutinho, Coutinho hands in and sees his transfer request rejected, Coutinho has a 'back injury' (back injuries are notoriously used when a player wants out of his contract as it's close to impossible to tell if the player involved is lying) and hasn't played or trained for Liverpool while the saga has gone on. However what has changed in the past 48 hours is that, Coutinho has been training for Brazil, and has been cleared fully fit by the national teams doctors. This all but proves his injury was entirely fabricated by either Coutinho or his representatives. Also this week it was reported that the Brazilian has asked NOT to be in the Champions League squad for Liverpool, this is because if he was to play for Liverpool in the competition and then sign for Barcelona in January, he would be cup tied and unable to play for the Catalan club in said competition. With all of this going on, Barcelona's final offer of £148 million is still on the table, and within the last hour Coutinho has reportedly sent a message to Klopp saying if he is not allowed to join Barcelona, there is no going back. Stating that things will never go back to normal, from both a performance and relationship stand point. It is being reported that Liverpool and FSG are close to caving to Coutinho's demands and representatives of the club are on their way to Barcelona to finalise the deal. If the deal is completed the Brazilian will become the second most expensive player of all time, over taking Barcelona's newest signing Dembele from Dortmund for a reported total of £138 million. For the first time in weeks this deal looks like it is going to happen, but where does that leave Liverpool? Well...
Liverpool (Van Dijk, Lemar and Oxlade-Chamberlain) - ... I right now can say with confidence, Liverpool don't really need Coutinho. Now before I am attacked by thousands of Coutinho fans, of which I am one, I am not saying it wouldn't be a huge loss for the reds to lose their number 10. From a technical standpoint he is in a class of one, and throughout the summer I have been firmly behind Klopp's stance to insist he stays. But not only have Liverpool looked sublime going forward early in the season, knocking in 14 goals in 5 games so far. The huge injection of funds could lead to the few deals currently in the pipeline being pushed over the line. At the time of writing this Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is scheduled for a medical with the club, transfer fee and contract negotiations have both been finalised and the deal is all but done. Naby Keita FINALLY completed his move to Liverpool earlier this week, however will not join the club until the summer of 2018 but this is still a massive step going forward for the club. The question marks are around two players who could both break Liverpool's transfer record, Thomas Lemar and Virgil Van Dijk. Starting with the French wide man Lemar, this deal looks certain to be completed if Coutinho does leave. Liverpool have offered a reported £60 million so far and Monaco have demanded £70 million, that extra 10 million will feel like pocket change to FSG should Barcelona get their man. The French international is one of the brightest young stars in football today and has been linked with a move to Arsenal all summer, however over the last couple of days it appears his has his eyes on a move to Anfield. He will offer a very similar ' it factor ' to Liverpool's side that will be lost with Coutinho, and should the move be over the line by 11pm tomorrow it could be huge for Jurgen Klopp and his side. Reports are also coming from France that, despite an offer not yet being agreed, Monaco has given Lemar permission to undertake his Liverpool medial TONIGHT.
And then of course, we get to the only saga more messy then Coutinho to Barcelona this summer... Virgil Van Dijk. The player was on his way to Liverpool months ago, however Southampton reported Liverpool for tapping up and the deal was dead in the water. However over the last two days it appears Liverpool are making one final swing at it. No offer has been made official yet but it is suggested that a £75 million offer will be made, and there is massively contrasting reports going around suggesting how likely the deal is to be completed. Now I am fairly confident a bid will be placed tomorrow, the problem lays with how committed Southampton are to sticking to their guns to 'sell to anyone apart from Liverpool'. If Van Dijk was to sign I feel like Liverpool could place a claim for the best transfer window out of any Premier League side. It will be a case of better late then never, but the Dutch centre back is exactly what Klopp needs in the heart of his defence, and the Southampton captain is improving every day. Without a transfer Van Dijk will be left, it appears, to rot in the reserves for the remainder of the season and maybe beyond and with no other buyers coming in as of yet, Liverpool seem to be back in the drivers seat. It could all of course be a case of wishful thinking on the part of the reporters, Southampton have given off no indication what so ever that they will sell Van Dijk, and until an offer if officially made there is no confirmation that Liverpool are even going in for him. However I can see this deal in particular being VERY active over the next 24 hours.
Alexis to Manchester City - Alexis Sanchez played his first game back for Arsenal at the weekend in a 4-0 defeat to Liverpool. A picture really can tell a thousand words. It has been clear all summer the Chilean has no intention of staying at Arsenal, and he has been linked with many clubs in the process. However only one has came in for the man, and that club is Manchester City. On Monday, City came in with a £50 million offer, which was instantly shot down by Arsenal. It has been clear since day one that Arsenal do not want to sell, and Wenger would rather Alexis ran down his contract then left for money this window. So £50 million, in today's market, does seem a little low for a player of Sanchez's ability. It is however being reported that Arsenal would be willing to consider a money plus player offer, with Raheem Sterling being used to account for the rest. City favour a straight money deal (of course they are the richest club in the world) but it has been reported that Sterling would be open to the idea, as the signing of Sanchez would see him fall down the pecking order at the Etihad, this despite his impressive start to the season. Manchester City are reportedly coming back in with an improved offer, whether or not that will include Sterling is another matter. I feel like this is a move that has been dragged out so much longer then it should have been, Manchester City have made their approach so late they risk not getting their man at all. And Arsenal have held onto him, expecting their number 7 to still be the same player he was for them last season, but against Liverpool he looked like a shadow of his former self, he simply doesn't care. For the sake of the player, both clubs involved, and the fans who want to see a world class footballer play some world class football, I do hope and expect this deal to be finalised by the deadline.
Mbappe to PSG - A deal that has flown relatively under the radar with everything else that has been going on, and it is perhaps the most interesting! Teenage Kylian Mbappe fired himself into the limelight in last season's Champions League and the world has't stopped talking about him since. When it became apparent that he wanted out of Monaco, the likes of Manchester United and Real Madrid have been rumoured to be coming in for the Frenchman. However it looks as if he will be staying in France, just moving to the capital and Paris Saint Germain. That's right, PSG are set to spend close to £200 million for the second time this summer, but much like the Neymar signing, the details of the transfer are really quite strange. Mbappe is to sign for a reported £166 million... next summer... after a season long loan at PSG. This is purely to give the French club more time 'balance the books' to ensure they stay within the guidelines of financial fair play. The signing of Neymar would make this impossible if the permanent switch was made this summer, and what is even more strange is Monaco agreeing to this. The current champions of France could get £100 million + for Mbappe from several clubs around the world, but they're willing to not only sell to their main rivals, but in such a way that PSG are likely to avoid reciprocation for violating FFP. Now although the deal is yet to be agreed to by all parties, Monaco have jumped the gun and announced the signing of Stevan Jovetic, and the forward was given Mbappe's number 10 to wear for the season. Mbappe will potentially become one of four players to be signed for north of £100 million this summer, and this is even more incredible when you consider Mbappe is 18 years old. If this deal comes off and Mbappe can help PSG push for the Champions League this season, and he continues to grow then it is great for all parties, what is essential however is that the teenager does not let the huge figures get to his head. It was however reported earlier this month that, when in contact with Real Madrid, Mbappe demanded a wage so high that the Madrid representatives simply responded with 'good luck in Paris'. A wage demand so high that even Real Madrid won't pay it, hopefully this isn't a sign of things to come and we have a new Thiery Henry on our hands and not another Mario Balotelli.
And the rest (Renato, Aurier, Barkley, Drinkwater, Sakho) - I'm just going to run through the 5 Premier League deals that, although won't end up going around the world, could have huge impacts for the future. Renato Sanches, Euro 2016 winner, 2016 Golden Boy winner, £30 million move to Bayern Munich, on loan to Swansea City. Pick the odd one out. Swansea manager Paul Clement worked as Carlo Ancelotti's number two at Bayern before taking the job in Wales, and this incredible deal you can imagine is down to the managers contacts within Bayern Munich. Spurs are FINALLY spending some money, Serge Aurier of PSG has been granted his work permit and with negotiations progressing at a very fast pace, Pochettino could finally have his Kyle Walker replacement. Ross Barkley was told if he did not sign the contract offered to him in May that he would have no future at Everton, yet the club have rejected an offer from Chelsea for the Englishman? A £25 million offer was turned down by the Toffee's, the champions however are ready to come back with an improved offer! This isn't the last you will hear of this. Another English midfielder who could be on his way to Chelsea is Danny Drinkwater. The Leicester man has handed in his transfer request, and a £40 million move is on the table. No official approach has been made by Chelsea, this is all just a rumour at this point, but reportedly both parties are very keen on the deal being completed, and with Chelsea in need of more squad players, Drinkwater could fit that bill. Liverpool and mainly Jurgen Klopp have been trying to push Sakho out of the door for over a year now, however when Liverpool finally received an offer for the French centre back, an offer of £25 million from Crystal Palace, it was rejected. Liverpool are holding out for £30 million for the defender, but Palace are confident they can get the deal done before the deadline. Much like Southampton with Van Dijk, there is really no point Liverpool keeping Sakho for him to rot in the reserves.
No matter how many potential deals you cover in the build up to the final day, there simply is no way to predict deadline day. In a summer where we have seen records broken and history made, it would not be at all surprising to see this years deadline day be the busiest ever.
Wednesday, 30 August 2017
The calm before the storm - The day before deadline day.
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Sunday, 20 August 2017
The Coutinho Saga - Are both Liverpool and Barcelona trying too hard to prove a point?
In the last game of the 2016/2017 Premier League season, an inspired performance by the amply named 'little magician' saw Liverpool secure a place in the top four, and Coutinho's status as a fan favourite was solidified even further. A very impressive season, alongside signing a new 5 year deal to make the Brazilian the highest paid player in the clubs history, Liverpool's number 10 appeared at home at Anfield and set for a long and fruitful future at the club, under the leadership of manager Jurgen Klopp. Then came the summer, and the yearly rumour mill started up again. Instantly 'Coutinho to Barcelona' was published in every news outlet across England and Spain. Liverpool, and particularly Jurgen Klopp were adamant, Coutinho was not for sale at any price. The deal appeared to be dead in the water, and with no official bid made, it looked as if Philipe would be playing his football at Anfield for another year. And then... well let's start from the beginning.
£200 million. That is how much Barcelona received for the sale of Neymar to PSG. Now due to the extraordinary details of the transfer, unlike most big money moves in football, the full amount was paid instantly, not in instalments which seems to be the trend right now. And just like that, Neymar was off. What were the details of the transfer? I'm glad you asked! Due to Spanish transfer laws, a club can not pay out a buyout clause, only the player himself can. So the Qatari owners of PSG paid Neymar a reported £400 million, half of it was to be used to pay his way out of his contract with the Catalan club, the other half to work as a representative during the 2022 World Cup. Neymar then signed a deal with PSG. So effectively Qatar bought Neymar, not PSG. At no point did the £200 million directly go through the French club, meaning they theoretically can't be touched by financial fair play rules. It's both genius and incredibly dodgy but it's Qatar? What more did you really expect? Anyway back to Coutinho. So all of a sudden, Barcelona had a massive Neymar sized hole in their side, and an extra £200 million to play with. Now Barcelona have always been a rich club, but have shied away from spending the real big bucks, the kind of money the likes of their huge rivals Real Madrid spend on their 'galacticos'. The philosophy has always been to grow players from within, to find a replacement in their youth set ups. But this was different. This wasn't the typical, an older player fading out as a young up and comer pushes through the ranks. This was a Balon D'or nominated, world beater, the proclaimed future of the club being taken, and they simply did not and do not have the time for a youngster to grow up to Neymar's level, so they need a replacement now! SO what did they do? Well they needed a replacement. Typically someone good on the ball. Capable of playing wide left but also able to drift inside. Someone the Catalan fans would love, and someone who appeared quiet enough to play under Messi. Also a Brazilian would be a big bonus. Who had Barcelona already contacted this summer? Who had they been interested in for years? I don't know why I'm asking all of these questions, it's been obvious since I wrote the title... It's Coutinho. Now the signing of the Brazilian midfielder had initially been seen as a way to keep Neymar around, with him and Philipe being childhood friends. But since that was first theorised Countiho has grown into a world star, a simply incredible player and a perfect fit for Barca.
Barcelona had to show their intentions, so an official bid was made. £90 million! A bid that, a month earlier, would have been a world record amount. Rejected. Liverpool's owners FSG held their stance, Coutinho was not for sale. At this point we had heard nothing from the player himself. Barcelona come in with a second offer, reported to be around £100 million plus add ons. Rejected! Still no word from Coutinho, it looked as if Liverpool were being true to their word. But then came one of the most confusing days of the summer for Liverpool fans.
10th August 2017 -
10am - FSG gave out an emphatic statement, saying that, under no circumstance will any offer for Coutinho be considered. Shutting the door on ANY possibility of the number 10 signing for Barcelona.
11am - Jurgen Klopp repeats FSG's comment in a press conference. Stating that FSG had been 100% on their stance with the Coutinho rumours.
1:30pm - Coutinho's family hit out at FSG and Klopp. Criticising the club for the way they handle their big players and their wishes to leave, quoting Luis Suarez. This criticism was meant to have came straight from Coutinho's mouth.
2:30pm - Reports leaked to the media that Coutinho had 'emailed' in a transfer request. Almost instantly afterwards more reported suggested that FSG had rejected the request.
3pm - Liverpool Football Club release a statement that they have not received a request of any sort from Coutinho or his party.
5pm - Liverpool confirm they have received a transfer request from Philipe Coutinho, and officially refuse it. Once again stating that he will not be going anywhere.
With the news of a transfer request being handed in, Barcelona continued their pursuit of Coutinho, which brings us to Friday 18th August, Barcelona approach Liverpool with an offer in the sum of £114 million. Which, of course, was rejected immediately. But this is where it gets strange. Barcelona stated that Liverpool had until 8pm on Sunday 20th August to reconsider and accept the offer, or they would end their pursuit of Coutinho. Now Barcelona know they're offering an amount way over the odds for Coutinho, and you'd imagine in any other summer, Liverpool would accept. But Liverpool had been and continue to be very stern with their stance, so the ultimatum just indicates that Liverpool have won, when in reality. No one really has won.
Okay so that brings us to today, the 8pm deadline has passed, so Barcelona have reportedly ended their interest in the Brazilian. It's been two weeks since the deal for Neymar to leave was drawn out, and we have just 11 days left in this summer's transfer window, and Barcelona have just wasted 2 weeks chasing a player they were told months ago would not be joining them. Why? Pride. That's why. Barcelona are one of the biggest clubs in the world, but right now, they don't look so good in the eyes of the world. They have, as I previously mentioned, just lost one of their big hitters in Neymar. Also they were humbled, twice in the space of four days, by Real Madrid in the Spanish super cup, as summers go it's been a very poor one! That could be why the Coutinho deal is so big to them, because a genuine star, with bags of potential, coming to Barcelona could help to mask the summer that has been nothing other then a failure so far. Simply put, Barcelona aren't used to being told no. Even though Coutinho has handed in a transfer request, and his representatives have spoken of his desire to play for Barca, the deal is no further along. The idea of 'player power' that has been growing for years usually means that if a player wants a move, he gets that move. But as we've seen this summer with Keita, Van Dijk, (More on them later) and Diego Costa, potentially the power is swinging back in the clubs favour, and contracts are starting to mean something again! Now, as a Liverpool fan, I know just how good Coutinho is, he is world class, but £114 million? No amount of 30 year screamers will make Philipe worth that kind of money! So why are Barcelona offering it? Because their pride won't let them come out. They're being stubborn, almost like a child who loses his toy, they'll kick us a fuss until they get what they want. After being seen to be weak all summer, a monumental deal would be enough to show Barcelona still are a world power house. Barcelona could have gone after Eden Hazard, you'd imagine £80/£90 million would be enough for bring the Belgian to Spain? Even Garath Bale from Real. Yes he'd cost silly money but Madrid are looking to sell the Welshman to raise funds and... Barcelona are offering silly money for Coutinho. But now the deadline has passed they'll probably move on to another target right? Well actually reports are suggesting Barcelona are lining up a 4th bid... with 11 days left in the transfer window, for a player they've been told, over and over and over, will not be joining them for any amount of money. It appears that, in the eyes of anyone, football fan are not, the Catalan giants are trying to prove they're just that, giants. In a year where their main rivals have towered above them, Barcelona are throwing their weight around to prove they're still number one, and that seems to result in offering insane amounts of money for Coutinho. SO why have Liverpool said no? Well...
Pride. Yes I'm saying that both of the sides are coming out as losers because of their pride. Let's go back a couple of months, to when Liverpool looked set to bring in both Keita and Virgil Van Dijk. Now the accusations posed by Southampton towards Liverpool are mainly what stopped the deal for Virgil to join Liverpool, afterwards the Saints have been very clear, holding strong 'We will not sell to Liverpool.' And then we have Keita. Since day one, RB Leipzig said their big midfielder was not for sale. But Liverpool kept going in. £40 million bid, £50 million bid, £60 million bid, all categorically rejected. Leipzig, much like Southampton, stood by their word and would not budge. What Leipzig and Southampton have done to Liverpool is exactly what Liverpool have done to Barcelona, despite all along, the bidding club looked the favourite because of the numbers being thrown around, the selling club saw no need and had no desire to sell. You'd imagine the way clubs have dealt with Liverpool this summer has effected the way they have dealt with Barcelona. Taking the power away from the players and giving it back to the club. So good for Liverpool right? Staying strong and keeping hold of their best player right? The same player who, hasn't been in the squad for the first three games of the season due to an 'injury', an 'injury' barely mentioned by anyone surrounded by Liverpool as it appears simply Coutinho has no desire to play for the club while this all goes on. Either that or Klopp doesn't want to play the want away Brazilian. So the German currently has a £114 million midfielder, sat at home, not playing, not training, all to prove a point? Let's just look at that number again... £114 million! That is a massively over inflated price for Coutinho, if Barca had came in with that offer BEFORE the problems with Keita and Virgil, Liverpool you'd imagine would have snapped Barca's hand off to accept it. In a summer where FSG seem reluctant to spend the money promised, bar the primary targets of Salah, Keita and Van Dijk no one of note has even been considered, and a huge injection of cash could lead to Liverpool reinvesting in their incredibly leaky defence and light weight midfield. Lets face it, with or without Coutinho, Livepool will score goals. Going forward they have the numbers, they have the depth, it's everywhere else where the problem lays. With the potential money for Coutinho, Klopp could have bought in 3 or 4 players to go straight into the bottom two thirds of the side, and to give much needed depth to the squad. An incredibly thin squad being asked to play in four competitions this season. In yesterday's victory against Palace, Klopp named a weakened side to 'rest' certain players ahead of the Champions League qualifier in the coming week. There is NOTHING wrong with that... four months into the season. But the SECOND league game of the season! If that doesn't show how paper thin Liverpool's squad is nothing will. From my point of view, I can see more positives from Coutinho leaving then i can from him staying, well I'd have said that if this had taken place two months ago. But now, with the season started and only 11 days left until the transfer window slams shut, Jurgen Klopp could find himself in the same position as Barcelona if he does sell. Trying to replace your best player with very little time to go. And in a market like this one, where as £114 million would have bought 3 or 4 guaranteed world beaters two months ago, now that isn't a guarantee. Clubs simply have enough money now that they have no need to sell, and if they are to sell their star players, they ask for incredibly high sums. (See almost every Everton signing so far.) So what are we left with? I'd say, right now, Liverpool simply can't sell Coutinho, one because there is no time to replace him, and two because they'd look incredibly weak after holding such a strong stance all summer.
As I've mentioned already there is 11 days left in the transfer window, and Barcelona are still without a replacement for Neymar and are looking the weakest they've looked in years. With a thin squad, and a new manager with an incredible lack for experience who looks way out of his depth. Not to mention ageing top stars and a lack of youngsters to integrate into the team, as well as Real Madrid looking stronger by the day, leaving the Catalonian's in the dust. Then we have Liverpool, who have held onto their star so far, but he is either refusing to play or the manager has no desire to play him. Their squad simply isn't big enough to fight on all fronts this season and the problems from last time out haven't been addressed so far in the window due to lack of investment. When, I say again, they have a £114 million midfielder who hasn't played a single minute of football during the first three games of the season.
Both Barcelona and Liverpool are five time European champions. Both sides are the second most successful side in their domestic leagues history, and both sides have had very busy transfer windows without getting much work done at all. Both the English and the Spanish side have done everything they can to look strong this summer, to look like they won't back down, and somehow, are both worse off then they were before this whole ordeal began. So who has came out the worse?
Well if Liverpool, get Coutinho to play for them again, and he reaches the heights of last season. As well as finally investing in their defence and bring in some depth before the end of the window, I'm sure fans will see this summer as a positive.
And if Barca do now show the intelligence to stop with their pursuit of Coutinho, and instead complete a move for the likes of Hazard, or much more likely the Frenchman Dembele from Dortmund, they will have saved face. If new manager Ernesto Valverde can take the world record sum his club received for Neymar, and spend it on much needed reinforcements for their squad, then Barca could save their season before it really gets bad!
Only time will tell if either of these sides have made a good decision with their actions this summer, but you can't deny it has made for very good viewing! And hopefully good reading.
£200 million. That is how much Barcelona received for the sale of Neymar to PSG. Now due to the extraordinary details of the transfer, unlike most big money moves in football, the full amount was paid instantly, not in instalments which seems to be the trend right now. And just like that, Neymar was off. What were the details of the transfer? I'm glad you asked! Due to Spanish transfer laws, a club can not pay out a buyout clause, only the player himself can. So the Qatari owners of PSG paid Neymar a reported £400 million, half of it was to be used to pay his way out of his contract with the Catalan club, the other half to work as a representative during the 2022 World Cup. Neymar then signed a deal with PSG. So effectively Qatar bought Neymar, not PSG. At no point did the £200 million directly go through the French club, meaning they theoretically can't be touched by financial fair play rules. It's both genius and incredibly dodgy but it's Qatar? What more did you really expect? Anyway back to Coutinho. So all of a sudden, Barcelona had a massive Neymar sized hole in their side, and an extra £200 million to play with. Now Barcelona have always been a rich club, but have shied away from spending the real big bucks, the kind of money the likes of their huge rivals Real Madrid spend on their 'galacticos'. The philosophy has always been to grow players from within, to find a replacement in their youth set ups. But this was different. This wasn't the typical, an older player fading out as a young up and comer pushes through the ranks. This was a Balon D'or nominated, world beater, the proclaimed future of the club being taken, and they simply did not and do not have the time for a youngster to grow up to Neymar's level, so they need a replacement now! SO what did they do? Well they needed a replacement. Typically someone good on the ball. Capable of playing wide left but also able to drift inside. Someone the Catalan fans would love, and someone who appeared quiet enough to play under Messi. Also a Brazilian would be a big bonus. Who had Barcelona already contacted this summer? Who had they been interested in for years? I don't know why I'm asking all of these questions, it's been obvious since I wrote the title... It's Coutinho. Now the signing of the Brazilian midfielder had initially been seen as a way to keep Neymar around, with him and Philipe being childhood friends. But since that was first theorised Countiho has grown into a world star, a simply incredible player and a perfect fit for Barca.
Barcelona had to show their intentions, so an official bid was made. £90 million! A bid that, a month earlier, would have been a world record amount. Rejected. Liverpool's owners FSG held their stance, Coutinho was not for sale. At this point we had heard nothing from the player himself. Barcelona come in with a second offer, reported to be around £100 million plus add ons. Rejected! Still no word from Coutinho, it looked as if Liverpool were being true to their word. But then came one of the most confusing days of the summer for Liverpool fans.
10th August 2017 -
10am - FSG gave out an emphatic statement, saying that, under no circumstance will any offer for Coutinho be considered. Shutting the door on ANY possibility of the number 10 signing for Barcelona.
11am - Jurgen Klopp repeats FSG's comment in a press conference. Stating that FSG had been 100% on their stance with the Coutinho rumours.
1:30pm - Coutinho's family hit out at FSG and Klopp. Criticising the club for the way they handle their big players and their wishes to leave, quoting Luis Suarez. This criticism was meant to have came straight from Coutinho's mouth.
2:30pm - Reports leaked to the media that Coutinho had 'emailed' in a transfer request. Almost instantly afterwards more reported suggested that FSG had rejected the request.
3pm - Liverpool Football Club release a statement that they have not received a request of any sort from Coutinho or his party.
5pm - Liverpool confirm they have received a transfer request from Philipe Coutinho, and officially refuse it. Once again stating that he will not be going anywhere.
With the news of a transfer request being handed in, Barcelona continued their pursuit of Coutinho, which brings us to Friday 18th August, Barcelona approach Liverpool with an offer in the sum of £114 million. Which, of course, was rejected immediately. But this is where it gets strange. Barcelona stated that Liverpool had until 8pm on Sunday 20th August to reconsider and accept the offer, or they would end their pursuit of Coutinho. Now Barcelona know they're offering an amount way over the odds for Coutinho, and you'd imagine in any other summer, Liverpool would accept. But Liverpool had been and continue to be very stern with their stance, so the ultimatum just indicates that Liverpool have won, when in reality. No one really has won.
Okay so that brings us to today, the 8pm deadline has passed, so Barcelona have reportedly ended their interest in the Brazilian. It's been two weeks since the deal for Neymar to leave was drawn out, and we have just 11 days left in this summer's transfer window, and Barcelona have just wasted 2 weeks chasing a player they were told months ago would not be joining them. Why? Pride. That's why. Barcelona are one of the biggest clubs in the world, but right now, they don't look so good in the eyes of the world. They have, as I previously mentioned, just lost one of their big hitters in Neymar. Also they were humbled, twice in the space of four days, by Real Madrid in the Spanish super cup, as summers go it's been a very poor one! That could be why the Coutinho deal is so big to them, because a genuine star, with bags of potential, coming to Barcelona could help to mask the summer that has been nothing other then a failure so far. Simply put, Barcelona aren't used to being told no. Even though Coutinho has handed in a transfer request, and his representatives have spoken of his desire to play for Barca, the deal is no further along. The idea of 'player power' that has been growing for years usually means that if a player wants a move, he gets that move. But as we've seen this summer with Keita, Van Dijk, (More on them later) and Diego Costa, potentially the power is swinging back in the clubs favour, and contracts are starting to mean something again! Now, as a Liverpool fan, I know just how good Coutinho is, he is world class, but £114 million? No amount of 30 year screamers will make Philipe worth that kind of money! So why are Barcelona offering it? Because their pride won't let them come out. They're being stubborn, almost like a child who loses his toy, they'll kick us a fuss until they get what they want. After being seen to be weak all summer, a monumental deal would be enough to show Barcelona still are a world power house. Barcelona could have gone after Eden Hazard, you'd imagine £80/£90 million would be enough for bring the Belgian to Spain? Even Garath Bale from Real. Yes he'd cost silly money but Madrid are looking to sell the Welshman to raise funds and... Barcelona are offering silly money for Coutinho. But now the deadline has passed they'll probably move on to another target right? Well actually reports are suggesting Barcelona are lining up a 4th bid... with 11 days left in the transfer window, for a player they've been told, over and over and over, will not be joining them for any amount of money. It appears that, in the eyes of anyone, football fan are not, the Catalan giants are trying to prove they're just that, giants. In a year where their main rivals have towered above them, Barcelona are throwing their weight around to prove they're still number one, and that seems to result in offering insane amounts of money for Coutinho. SO why have Liverpool said no? Well...
Pride. Yes I'm saying that both of the sides are coming out as losers because of their pride. Let's go back a couple of months, to when Liverpool looked set to bring in both Keita and Virgil Van Dijk. Now the accusations posed by Southampton towards Liverpool are mainly what stopped the deal for Virgil to join Liverpool, afterwards the Saints have been very clear, holding strong 'We will not sell to Liverpool.' And then we have Keita. Since day one, RB Leipzig said their big midfielder was not for sale. But Liverpool kept going in. £40 million bid, £50 million bid, £60 million bid, all categorically rejected. Leipzig, much like Southampton, stood by their word and would not budge. What Leipzig and Southampton have done to Liverpool is exactly what Liverpool have done to Barcelona, despite all along, the bidding club looked the favourite because of the numbers being thrown around, the selling club saw no need and had no desire to sell. You'd imagine the way clubs have dealt with Liverpool this summer has effected the way they have dealt with Barcelona. Taking the power away from the players and giving it back to the club. So good for Liverpool right? Staying strong and keeping hold of their best player right? The same player who, hasn't been in the squad for the first three games of the season due to an 'injury', an 'injury' barely mentioned by anyone surrounded by Liverpool as it appears simply Coutinho has no desire to play for the club while this all goes on. Either that or Klopp doesn't want to play the want away Brazilian. So the German currently has a £114 million midfielder, sat at home, not playing, not training, all to prove a point? Let's just look at that number again... £114 million! That is a massively over inflated price for Coutinho, if Barca had came in with that offer BEFORE the problems with Keita and Virgil, Liverpool you'd imagine would have snapped Barca's hand off to accept it. In a summer where FSG seem reluctant to spend the money promised, bar the primary targets of Salah, Keita and Van Dijk no one of note has even been considered, and a huge injection of cash could lead to Liverpool reinvesting in their incredibly leaky defence and light weight midfield. Lets face it, with or without Coutinho, Livepool will score goals. Going forward they have the numbers, they have the depth, it's everywhere else where the problem lays. With the potential money for Coutinho, Klopp could have bought in 3 or 4 players to go straight into the bottom two thirds of the side, and to give much needed depth to the squad. An incredibly thin squad being asked to play in four competitions this season. In yesterday's victory against Palace, Klopp named a weakened side to 'rest' certain players ahead of the Champions League qualifier in the coming week. There is NOTHING wrong with that... four months into the season. But the SECOND league game of the season! If that doesn't show how paper thin Liverpool's squad is nothing will. From my point of view, I can see more positives from Coutinho leaving then i can from him staying, well I'd have said that if this had taken place two months ago. But now, with the season started and only 11 days left until the transfer window slams shut, Jurgen Klopp could find himself in the same position as Barcelona if he does sell. Trying to replace your best player with very little time to go. And in a market like this one, where as £114 million would have bought 3 or 4 guaranteed world beaters two months ago, now that isn't a guarantee. Clubs simply have enough money now that they have no need to sell, and if they are to sell their star players, they ask for incredibly high sums. (See almost every Everton signing so far.) So what are we left with? I'd say, right now, Liverpool simply can't sell Coutinho, one because there is no time to replace him, and two because they'd look incredibly weak after holding such a strong stance all summer.
As I've mentioned already there is 11 days left in the transfer window, and Barcelona are still without a replacement for Neymar and are looking the weakest they've looked in years. With a thin squad, and a new manager with an incredible lack for experience who looks way out of his depth. Not to mention ageing top stars and a lack of youngsters to integrate into the team, as well as Real Madrid looking stronger by the day, leaving the Catalonian's in the dust. Then we have Liverpool, who have held onto their star so far, but he is either refusing to play or the manager has no desire to play him. Their squad simply isn't big enough to fight on all fronts this season and the problems from last time out haven't been addressed so far in the window due to lack of investment. When, I say again, they have a £114 million midfielder who hasn't played a single minute of football during the first three games of the season.
Both Barcelona and Liverpool are five time European champions. Both sides are the second most successful side in their domestic leagues history, and both sides have had very busy transfer windows without getting much work done at all. Both the English and the Spanish side have done everything they can to look strong this summer, to look like they won't back down, and somehow, are both worse off then they were before this whole ordeal began. So who has came out the worse?
Well if Liverpool, get Coutinho to play for them again, and he reaches the heights of last season. As well as finally investing in their defence and bring in some depth before the end of the window, I'm sure fans will see this summer as a positive.
And if Barca do now show the intelligence to stop with their pursuit of Coutinho, and instead complete a move for the likes of Hazard, or much more likely the Frenchman Dembele from Dortmund, they will have saved face. If new manager Ernesto Valverde can take the world record sum his club received for Neymar, and spend it on much needed reinforcements for their squad, then Barca could save their season before it really gets bad!
Only time will tell if either of these sides have made a good decision with their actions this summer, but you can't deny it has made for very good viewing! And hopefully good reading.
Sunday, 13 August 2017
First weekend of the Premier League season - The Talking Points
The Premier League is back and wow was it come back with a bang! 31 goals scored across the ten opening games, a handful of questions answered and a lot more asked. The champions flopped, the favourites flourished, and more then a few surprises were thrown up. So let's look at the talking points from the opening weekend of the new Premier League season and the highlights so far.
Arsenal 4-3 Leicester City - Wenger in? Wenger out? Wenger in? Wenger out? Rinse, repeat.
It took Alexandre Lacazette less then 120 seconds to announce himself to English football, planting a header beautifully into the bottom left hand corner and waking up the Arsenal fans at the start of the new season. For just over two minutes the Gunners looked to have everything in place, they looked as if they could take on the world and compete for the title, Arsenal Fan TV was set for a positive season premier. And then, a deep ball into the Arsenal box, from a short corner which was completed missed by the Arsenal defence, Cech in no mans land, Okazaki nods in, 1-1, more of the same from the gunners. In one of the most incredible season openers in Premier League history, the champions from two years ago In Leicester looked like upsetting the home side, leading 3-2 with just 7 minutes to go. Jamie Vardy's brace following Okazaki's early equaliser, and the Englishman looked back to his best. But then a brilliantly taken finish from Welshman Aaron Ramsey, followed quickly by a sublime Giroud header, bouncing in off of the bar, gave Arsenal all three points on the opening day. Despite a victory, and a very good attacking display, questions have to be asked about Arsenal. I pointed it out in my season preview, that Arsenal have done NOTHING this transfer window to deal with their immediate problems. Yes, the signing of Lacazette will go a long way to hide those problems, he looked very sharp and he will score you 20+ goals, but even with the £60 million striker, Arsenal looked exactly the same side as they did last year. Going forward they always looked a threat, Jamie Carragher on commentary summarised it perfectly, Leicester (despite conceding 4) didn't look awful at the back, Arsenal just showed the class to create the chances. This was the same last season, and the season before that, and the season before that, and the season... you get the picture. So why did they not splash the cash on a defender or two? This game told Arsenal fans exactly what I told everyone in my preview last week. Expect more of the same from Arsenal, going forward they're world class, defensively they'er poor. Their season will ultimately come down to the same question it always does in North London. Wenger in? Or Wenger out?
Watford 3-3 Liverpool - Corners... Ever thought about defending them Liverpool?
Now... as a Liverpool fan, I can be accused of being biased towards the red men. But my god, I've never seen such a contrast on a football pitch in my life, let alone between an attack and defence from the side team. The first set piece of the season... let me say that again. THE FIRST SET PIECE OF THE SEASON... that Liverpool had to defend, and it lead to a goal. Stefano Okaka, a 6ft something striker, with a huge presence and a massive build, was given a free run into the 6 yard box, to head in from a corner with no challenge from anyone. The Watford striker's performance will have Dejan Lovren having nightmares until they meet again, the Croatian centre back looked like a child trying to keep him out. It's gotten to the point that a corner is as good as a penalty against Liverpool, in fact, Mignolet has a better rate of saving spot kicks then corners if you ask me. And then, just like that, we saw the other side of Liverpool. A lovely passing move, capped off by a perfectly weighted ball through by Emre Can and an even better finish by Sadio Mane, and the 5 time European champions were level. Now remember what I said about Arsenal after Lacazette scored? That everything looked brilliant for all of two minutes? Well... Another ball into the box was poorly dealt with, and Doucoure stabbed the ball into the net to give the home side the lead again heading into the break. Again the Liverpool defence was found wanting, and again they had gone behind to a Watford side that hadn't really posed a threat, making the two goals conceded even worse. Then for 40 minutes we were reminded just how good Liverpool could be. Mo Salah gave us the first real showing of his incredible pace, beating Gomes to a through ball which looked impossible to reach, going down under the challenge and winning a penalty. Firmino calmly slotted into the bottom left corner to equalise, before just three minutes later, the Brazilian lifted the ball over the advancing Watford keeper, for Mo Salah to latch onto and knock in his debut goal, giving his new side the lead for the first time on the day. What followed was 30 minutes of smooth sailing for the leaders, before... you guessed it... another poorly defended set piece. In the 94th minute another corner was whipped in, Liverpool failed to deal with it after a poor header from Wijnaldum, and eventually Miguel Britos bundled the ball over the line to snatch a point for the Hornets. I don't really know what to say about this game to be honest, it's all been said before, not just over the last 24 hours but over the last few years, Liverpool simply look poor at the back. You could take the review of Arsenal's opening day, replace the name Arsenal with Liverpool and you'd have a pretty accurate overview of the state of the club. Going forward last season, Liverpool looked brilliant, and this summer they've strengthened in that area. Bringing in Salah who scored on his league debut, and looked very impressive in doing so. But the priority for Liverpool coming into the summer was to strengthen their back line, their defence, it simply wasn't strong enough, and the new season has started with no change being made! It's almost laughable how poor the red's were defensively against Watford, which is an even bigger shame when you consider how good their front three performed. Salah, Mane and Firmino looked great going forward, and if they hold onto Coutinho, they'll have perhaps the most potent attack in the league. But all of this is wasted because defensively, Jurgen Klopp's side is shocking defensively. A Champions League attack, with a relegation standard defence. It doesn't quite add up.
Chelsea 2-3 Burnley - 5 goals, 2 red cards, 8 yellow cards, 1 huge shock.
Chelsea became only the seconds defending champions to lose the first game of the following season. (For all you trivia lovers, Leicester City last season became the first) But the game wasn't all cut and dry, like the first two I have spoke about so far, it was an action packed 90 minutes. Chelsea's new full time captain Gary Cahill followed were John Terry left off, leaving games at Stanford Bridge early. A horrible tackle saw the Englishman given his marching orders just 14 minutes in, and the red card was the beginning of perhaps the worst half in Chelsea's Premier League history, and that isn't an over estimation. A Sam Vokes Brace, either side of a Stephen Ward goal, saw the champions going into half time, at home, with ten men, 3-0 down to a side highly tipped to be relegated! Changed were quickly made and record signing Alvaro Morata was given his debut and it didn't take the former Real Madrid striker long to continue the trend of debut goals this weekend. The ball was whipped in from Willian and Morata turned the ball in with a diving header to start the comeback. Mortata then went from hero to zero, turning a goal bound effort over the line from an offside position, ruling it out. Before Chelsea had the chance to add to their tally, Cesc Fabregas but in a late contender for worse tackle of the game, earning himself a red card and Chelsea we're reduced to 9! Despite this the final 10 minutes were all Chelsea, and David Luiz added a second for the champions, leading to a very nervy last few minutes. But Sean Dyche's side held on for a famous three points. So... what now? Antonio Conte has openly said he isn't happy with the lack of funds being made available to him in order to boost his squad, the Italian stated he simply doesn't not have enough players to fight on all front this season. And obviously, the early red card to Cahill didn't help things, as a senior figure of the side, the centre back should know better. But that doesn't change the fact that, for the first 45 minutes, Chelsea were second best against Burnley, a side set to battle relegation. All over the park they looked a yard off the pace, it took Mortata coming on in the second half for the champions to have any attacking threat. With Hazard out, Pedro out, and Morata still not deemed fit enough to start, Chelsea's attack looks very thin and it showed on the opening day. As I previously mentioned only Leicester City had lost on match day one after winning the title the season before, now I am in no way suggesting Chelsea will end up having a season similar to the midlands club from last season, but you have to think how unprepared are Chelsea coming into this campaign. With a full strength starting eleven, they can compete with the best, but beyond that, there simply isn't enough for the London club to compete on all fronts. I would expect Roman Abramovic to get him check book out between now and August 31st, if not, what are the odds on Conte walking out before the end of the season? Think about it.
Brighton and Hove Albion 0-2 Manchester City - Pep's men spoil the party on the coast.
Despite rugged resistance from the home side, the early favourites started their campaign with what was expected from them, a win. When it was announced that Brighton's first ever Premier League game would be against Manchester City you couldn't help but feel sorry for the newly promoted side. And the 22% possession the home side saw made their first outing a lot of hard work, but they truly put up a fight. As expected however, the blue half of Manchester were the better side throughout, Gabriel Jesus coming close early on, forcing a sublime save from Brighton keeper Mathew Ryan, this was followed by the Brazilian having the ball in the net, but disallowed for hand ball. Other then Gabriel's bright spark, Pep's side never quite clicked into gear, which saw half time arrive, with the score still at 0-0. The second half saw more of the same to begin with, all the possession, but few clear chance for City. The best falling to Aguero, who intercepted an under hit back pass, only to put the ball wide of the post. However as I'm sure you could guess, the Argentinian wouldn't waste another chance, picking up the ball to the right hand side of the box, and firing expertly into the far left hand corner, giving City the lead. Once ahead, City started to play themselves more into the game, Kyle Walker impressing on his debut and drawing a free kick. This free kick lead to a corner, which lead to Manchester City's second, and an own goal off of Lewis Dunk, to seal all three points of the blues. Despite not quick clicking into gear fully, City picked up all three points and a clean sheet on the opening day, the same of which can not be said about many sides. What was interesting about this game was, as a unit, they looked a lot more drilled, the side seemed to have a much clearer idea of what their managed wanted from them. The new signings at full back of Danilo and Kyle walker slotted in seamlessly, and the rest of the side seemed to follow suit. The massive possession figure is very reminiscent of Pep's former sides in Barcelona and Bayern Munich, all over the pitch City dictated the play, meaning that despite their attacking ventures not all coming off, they never looked in doubt. Then when you think, with the likes of Jesus and Aguero leading the line, City won't need too many chances to find the back of the net throughout the season. The biggest talking point from this game however is how much room this side still has to grow. At no point during the game did they look like the finished product, and this is what it going to be a sight for sore eyes for City fans. They didn't look like the finished product, and they registered a comfortable win. Now yes it was against Brighton, but last season, that was the kind of game City could have easily slipped up in, but they registered their first win of the season, and left room to grow. Watch this space.
The best of the rest -
Now, before I go over the final game of the weekend lets look at the remaining games from match week one. Huddesfield Town are currently top of the league after beating Crystal Palace 3-0 in their first every Premier League game! Historic. Spurs started their campaign with a 2-0 away win at Newcastle, a game which was perfectly balanced until Jonjo Shelvey stood on Dele Ali's ankle and the Newcastle captain for the day was given his marching orders. Stupid. Wayne Rooney scored the only goal of the game on his return to Goodison Park, breaking the record for longest period between two goals for the same club. 13 years. Despite having less then 30% possession at home, West Brom turned over Bournemouth 1-0. Stats aren't everything. And the only 0-0 draw of the weekend saw Southampton and Swansea play out an even game, a steady start for two sides with potentially tough seasons ahead of them. Stale mate.
Manchester United 4-0 West Ham United - Saved the best for last.
The best performance by any side on the opening weekend, and it was the last game to be played. Drawing match day one to a close was Jose Mourinho's Manchester United and to put it simply, they were sublime. From the first whistle the red devils looks dangerous, and Lukaku was appearing to be a handful for the West Ham defence, so when he ended a sweeping counter attack, by firing the ball in off of the post, it had been coming, The Belgian always looked to find the space behind the defence and with the home side seemingly always on the front foot, it played right into Lukaku's hands. After conceding West Ham did an okay job keeping United out for the remaining 10 minutes of the first half, but as soon as the second 45 minutes began, Jose's men went up a gear. Again it was the new boy Lukaku, heading in a free kick, out jumping the entire West Ham defence and continuing his near perfect debut! However for the remainder of the game, the striker turned provider, bringing the likes of Rashford and Pogba into the game any chance he got. Speaking of Rashford, the young Englishman look incredibly sharp, opening up his body and steering a shot just wide on the counter attack. This was just before he fired a beautiful curling shot onto the inside of the post, Rashford looked back to his best. Next to create nightmares for the Hammers was Anthony Martial. The Frenchman showed his incredible pace to burst through a weak West Ham back line and provide a smart finish past an on rushing Joe Hart. And last but certainly not least we saw the man who is now formerly, the world most expensive player, Paul Pogba, firing home from outside the box. A very good finish to cap off a very impressive performance from the Frenchman. From start to Finish United were a class above their opponents on the day, and from back to front, man for man, they were the better team. Nemanja Matic anchoring the midfield was a revelation for United, giving Pogba the freedom to roam he was missing last season, suddenly his £40 million price tag from Chelsea looks like a steal. Then as I mentioned we have Pogba himself. He looked like a different player from least season, strong on the ball, involved in every attack, which is what we didn't see from him last time out. With Matic behind him, Pogba isn't required to do the 'dirty work' and he can play in a role he suits. Henrikh Mkhitaryan's involvement seems to have gone very much under the radar so far, the Armenian however was perhaps the stand out performer on the day! Creating two goals and providing that bit of creativity when it was needed, the former Dortmund midfielder had the 'it factor' which lead to so many of the home side's chances. And then of course, last but not least, the man of the hour, the new boy, Lukaku. I was very doubtful of the Belgian striker and his huge price tag, I didn't feel like he was worth anywhere near the £72 million spent on him, with so much of his game yet to be up to standard. But in this game, he proved me wrong. We all know how good he is one on one, and we all know how much of an impact his presence has on his opposition, but for me, he played the perfect game. Moving constantly, splitting the centre backs every chance he got, holding the ball up and bringing the likes of Rashford and Pogba into play, and he was just simply, too much for West Ham to handle. All in all, Manchester United stole the show during an excellent opening weekend, and firmly staked an early claim to be one of the front runners this season.
So match day one has been brought to a close and the Premier League 2017/2018 season is underway, and what a way to start! Over the course of the 10 games we had everything, early goals to late drama, goal fests to tightly contested fixtures, even games to one sides routes. I think it's safe to say, we're all very much glad it's back!
Arsenal 4-3 Leicester City - Wenger in? Wenger out? Wenger in? Wenger out? Rinse, repeat.
It took Alexandre Lacazette less then 120 seconds to announce himself to English football, planting a header beautifully into the bottom left hand corner and waking up the Arsenal fans at the start of the new season. For just over two minutes the Gunners looked to have everything in place, they looked as if they could take on the world and compete for the title, Arsenal Fan TV was set for a positive season premier. And then, a deep ball into the Arsenal box, from a short corner which was completed missed by the Arsenal defence, Cech in no mans land, Okazaki nods in, 1-1, more of the same from the gunners. In one of the most incredible season openers in Premier League history, the champions from two years ago In Leicester looked like upsetting the home side, leading 3-2 with just 7 minutes to go. Jamie Vardy's brace following Okazaki's early equaliser, and the Englishman looked back to his best. But then a brilliantly taken finish from Welshman Aaron Ramsey, followed quickly by a sublime Giroud header, bouncing in off of the bar, gave Arsenal all three points on the opening day. Despite a victory, and a very good attacking display, questions have to be asked about Arsenal. I pointed it out in my season preview, that Arsenal have done NOTHING this transfer window to deal with their immediate problems. Yes, the signing of Lacazette will go a long way to hide those problems, he looked very sharp and he will score you 20+ goals, but even with the £60 million striker, Arsenal looked exactly the same side as they did last year. Going forward they always looked a threat, Jamie Carragher on commentary summarised it perfectly, Leicester (despite conceding 4) didn't look awful at the back, Arsenal just showed the class to create the chances. This was the same last season, and the season before that, and the season before that, and the season... you get the picture. So why did they not splash the cash on a defender or two? This game told Arsenal fans exactly what I told everyone in my preview last week. Expect more of the same from Arsenal, going forward they're world class, defensively they'er poor. Their season will ultimately come down to the same question it always does in North London. Wenger in? Or Wenger out?
Watford 3-3 Liverpool - Corners... Ever thought about defending them Liverpool?
Now... as a Liverpool fan, I can be accused of being biased towards the red men. But my god, I've never seen such a contrast on a football pitch in my life, let alone between an attack and defence from the side team. The first set piece of the season... let me say that again. THE FIRST SET PIECE OF THE SEASON... that Liverpool had to defend, and it lead to a goal. Stefano Okaka, a 6ft something striker, with a huge presence and a massive build, was given a free run into the 6 yard box, to head in from a corner with no challenge from anyone. The Watford striker's performance will have Dejan Lovren having nightmares until they meet again, the Croatian centre back looked like a child trying to keep him out. It's gotten to the point that a corner is as good as a penalty against Liverpool, in fact, Mignolet has a better rate of saving spot kicks then corners if you ask me. And then, just like that, we saw the other side of Liverpool. A lovely passing move, capped off by a perfectly weighted ball through by Emre Can and an even better finish by Sadio Mane, and the 5 time European champions were level. Now remember what I said about Arsenal after Lacazette scored? That everything looked brilliant for all of two minutes? Well... Another ball into the box was poorly dealt with, and Doucoure stabbed the ball into the net to give the home side the lead again heading into the break. Again the Liverpool defence was found wanting, and again they had gone behind to a Watford side that hadn't really posed a threat, making the two goals conceded even worse. Then for 40 minutes we were reminded just how good Liverpool could be. Mo Salah gave us the first real showing of his incredible pace, beating Gomes to a through ball which looked impossible to reach, going down under the challenge and winning a penalty. Firmino calmly slotted into the bottom left corner to equalise, before just three minutes later, the Brazilian lifted the ball over the advancing Watford keeper, for Mo Salah to latch onto and knock in his debut goal, giving his new side the lead for the first time on the day. What followed was 30 minutes of smooth sailing for the leaders, before... you guessed it... another poorly defended set piece. In the 94th minute another corner was whipped in, Liverpool failed to deal with it after a poor header from Wijnaldum, and eventually Miguel Britos bundled the ball over the line to snatch a point for the Hornets. I don't really know what to say about this game to be honest, it's all been said before, not just over the last 24 hours but over the last few years, Liverpool simply look poor at the back. You could take the review of Arsenal's opening day, replace the name Arsenal with Liverpool and you'd have a pretty accurate overview of the state of the club. Going forward last season, Liverpool looked brilliant, and this summer they've strengthened in that area. Bringing in Salah who scored on his league debut, and looked very impressive in doing so. But the priority for Liverpool coming into the summer was to strengthen their back line, their defence, it simply wasn't strong enough, and the new season has started with no change being made! It's almost laughable how poor the red's were defensively against Watford, which is an even bigger shame when you consider how good their front three performed. Salah, Mane and Firmino looked great going forward, and if they hold onto Coutinho, they'll have perhaps the most potent attack in the league. But all of this is wasted because defensively, Jurgen Klopp's side is shocking defensively. A Champions League attack, with a relegation standard defence. It doesn't quite add up.
Chelsea 2-3 Burnley - 5 goals, 2 red cards, 8 yellow cards, 1 huge shock.
Chelsea became only the seconds defending champions to lose the first game of the following season. (For all you trivia lovers, Leicester City last season became the first) But the game wasn't all cut and dry, like the first two I have spoke about so far, it was an action packed 90 minutes. Chelsea's new full time captain Gary Cahill followed were John Terry left off, leaving games at Stanford Bridge early. A horrible tackle saw the Englishman given his marching orders just 14 minutes in, and the red card was the beginning of perhaps the worst half in Chelsea's Premier League history, and that isn't an over estimation. A Sam Vokes Brace, either side of a Stephen Ward goal, saw the champions going into half time, at home, with ten men, 3-0 down to a side highly tipped to be relegated! Changed were quickly made and record signing Alvaro Morata was given his debut and it didn't take the former Real Madrid striker long to continue the trend of debut goals this weekend. The ball was whipped in from Willian and Morata turned the ball in with a diving header to start the comeback. Mortata then went from hero to zero, turning a goal bound effort over the line from an offside position, ruling it out. Before Chelsea had the chance to add to their tally, Cesc Fabregas but in a late contender for worse tackle of the game, earning himself a red card and Chelsea we're reduced to 9! Despite this the final 10 minutes were all Chelsea, and David Luiz added a second for the champions, leading to a very nervy last few minutes. But Sean Dyche's side held on for a famous three points. So... what now? Antonio Conte has openly said he isn't happy with the lack of funds being made available to him in order to boost his squad, the Italian stated he simply doesn't not have enough players to fight on all front this season. And obviously, the early red card to Cahill didn't help things, as a senior figure of the side, the centre back should know better. But that doesn't change the fact that, for the first 45 minutes, Chelsea were second best against Burnley, a side set to battle relegation. All over the park they looked a yard off the pace, it took Mortata coming on in the second half for the champions to have any attacking threat. With Hazard out, Pedro out, and Morata still not deemed fit enough to start, Chelsea's attack looks very thin and it showed on the opening day. As I previously mentioned only Leicester City had lost on match day one after winning the title the season before, now I am in no way suggesting Chelsea will end up having a season similar to the midlands club from last season, but you have to think how unprepared are Chelsea coming into this campaign. With a full strength starting eleven, they can compete with the best, but beyond that, there simply isn't enough for the London club to compete on all fronts. I would expect Roman Abramovic to get him check book out between now and August 31st, if not, what are the odds on Conte walking out before the end of the season? Think about it.
Brighton and Hove Albion 0-2 Manchester City - Pep's men spoil the party on the coast.
Despite rugged resistance from the home side, the early favourites started their campaign with what was expected from them, a win. When it was announced that Brighton's first ever Premier League game would be against Manchester City you couldn't help but feel sorry for the newly promoted side. And the 22% possession the home side saw made their first outing a lot of hard work, but they truly put up a fight. As expected however, the blue half of Manchester were the better side throughout, Gabriel Jesus coming close early on, forcing a sublime save from Brighton keeper Mathew Ryan, this was followed by the Brazilian having the ball in the net, but disallowed for hand ball. Other then Gabriel's bright spark, Pep's side never quite clicked into gear, which saw half time arrive, with the score still at 0-0. The second half saw more of the same to begin with, all the possession, but few clear chance for City. The best falling to Aguero, who intercepted an under hit back pass, only to put the ball wide of the post. However as I'm sure you could guess, the Argentinian wouldn't waste another chance, picking up the ball to the right hand side of the box, and firing expertly into the far left hand corner, giving City the lead. Once ahead, City started to play themselves more into the game, Kyle Walker impressing on his debut and drawing a free kick. This free kick lead to a corner, which lead to Manchester City's second, and an own goal off of Lewis Dunk, to seal all three points of the blues. Despite not quick clicking into gear fully, City picked up all three points and a clean sheet on the opening day, the same of which can not be said about many sides. What was interesting about this game was, as a unit, they looked a lot more drilled, the side seemed to have a much clearer idea of what their managed wanted from them. The new signings at full back of Danilo and Kyle walker slotted in seamlessly, and the rest of the side seemed to follow suit. The massive possession figure is very reminiscent of Pep's former sides in Barcelona and Bayern Munich, all over the pitch City dictated the play, meaning that despite their attacking ventures not all coming off, they never looked in doubt. Then when you think, with the likes of Jesus and Aguero leading the line, City won't need too many chances to find the back of the net throughout the season. The biggest talking point from this game however is how much room this side still has to grow. At no point during the game did they look like the finished product, and this is what it going to be a sight for sore eyes for City fans. They didn't look like the finished product, and they registered a comfortable win. Now yes it was against Brighton, but last season, that was the kind of game City could have easily slipped up in, but they registered their first win of the season, and left room to grow. Watch this space.
The best of the rest -
Now, before I go over the final game of the weekend lets look at the remaining games from match week one. Huddesfield Town are currently top of the league after beating Crystal Palace 3-0 in their first every Premier League game! Historic. Spurs started their campaign with a 2-0 away win at Newcastle, a game which was perfectly balanced until Jonjo Shelvey stood on Dele Ali's ankle and the Newcastle captain for the day was given his marching orders. Stupid. Wayne Rooney scored the only goal of the game on his return to Goodison Park, breaking the record for longest period between two goals for the same club. 13 years. Despite having less then 30% possession at home, West Brom turned over Bournemouth 1-0. Stats aren't everything. And the only 0-0 draw of the weekend saw Southampton and Swansea play out an even game, a steady start for two sides with potentially tough seasons ahead of them. Stale mate.
Manchester United 4-0 West Ham United - Saved the best for last.
The best performance by any side on the opening weekend, and it was the last game to be played. Drawing match day one to a close was Jose Mourinho's Manchester United and to put it simply, they were sublime. From the first whistle the red devils looks dangerous, and Lukaku was appearing to be a handful for the West Ham defence, so when he ended a sweeping counter attack, by firing the ball in off of the post, it had been coming, The Belgian always looked to find the space behind the defence and with the home side seemingly always on the front foot, it played right into Lukaku's hands. After conceding West Ham did an okay job keeping United out for the remaining 10 minutes of the first half, but as soon as the second 45 minutes began, Jose's men went up a gear. Again it was the new boy Lukaku, heading in a free kick, out jumping the entire West Ham defence and continuing his near perfect debut! However for the remainder of the game, the striker turned provider, bringing the likes of Rashford and Pogba into the game any chance he got. Speaking of Rashford, the young Englishman look incredibly sharp, opening up his body and steering a shot just wide on the counter attack. This was just before he fired a beautiful curling shot onto the inside of the post, Rashford looked back to his best. Next to create nightmares for the Hammers was Anthony Martial. The Frenchman showed his incredible pace to burst through a weak West Ham back line and provide a smart finish past an on rushing Joe Hart. And last but certainly not least we saw the man who is now formerly, the world most expensive player, Paul Pogba, firing home from outside the box. A very good finish to cap off a very impressive performance from the Frenchman. From start to Finish United were a class above their opponents on the day, and from back to front, man for man, they were the better team. Nemanja Matic anchoring the midfield was a revelation for United, giving Pogba the freedom to roam he was missing last season, suddenly his £40 million price tag from Chelsea looks like a steal. Then as I mentioned we have Pogba himself. He looked like a different player from least season, strong on the ball, involved in every attack, which is what we didn't see from him last time out. With Matic behind him, Pogba isn't required to do the 'dirty work' and he can play in a role he suits. Henrikh Mkhitaryan's involvement seems to have gone very much under the radar so far, the Armenian however was perhaps the stand out performer on the day! Creating two goals and providing that bit of creativity when it was needed, the former Dortmund midfielder had the 'it factor' which lead to so many of the home side's chances. And then of course, last but not least, the man of the hour, the new boy, Lukaku. I was very doubtful of the Belgian striker and his huge price tag, I didn't feel like he was worth anywhere near the £72 million spent on him, with so much of his game yet to be up to standard. But in this game, he proved me wrong. We all know how good he is one on one, and we all know how much of an impact his presence has on his opposition, but for me, he played the perfect game. Moving constantly, splitting the centre backs every chance he got, holding the ball up and bringing the likes of Rashford and Pogba into play, and he was just simply, too much for West Ham to handle. All in all, Manchester United stole the show during an excellent opening weekend, and firmly staked an early claim to be one of the front runners this season.
So match day one has been brought to a close and the Premier League 2017/2018 season is underway, and what a way to start! Over the course of the 10 games we had everything, early goals to late drama, goal fests to tightly contested fixtures, even games to one sides routes. I think it's safe to say, we're all very much glad it's back!
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Thursday, 3 August 2017
Premier League Predictions - 2017/2018 Season.
With less then two weeks to wait until the start of the 2017/2018 Premier League season, the 20 top flight sides are well underway preparing their squads for the coming 12 months. We have seen huge contrasts across the division so far in terms of transfer activity. Both Manchester clubs have been splashing the cash like there is no tomorrow, and last season's runners up Spurs are yet to make a move. Lower down the table we have seen the likes of Bournemouth bring in a number of top class Premier League players to help their climb up the table, we have also seen however Championship winners Newcastle spend very little, keeping their squad very similar to the one which gained them promotion in May. So I'm going to throw my hat into the ring today, and give my main predictions for the upcoming campaign.
Let's start from the bottom.
20th - Burnley
Turf Moor was a fortress at times last season for Sean Dyche's men, for the first half of the campaign Burnley had one of the best home records in the league but as 2016 turned into 2017 that form appeared to abandon Burnley. Being placed in mid table coming into January, they ended the season in a relegation battle and just managed to scrape survival, reaching just 40 points. I can see Burnley carrying that same poor form into the upcoming season, and the loss of star defender Michael Keane could be a big part of that. The £30 million Burnley received from Everton for Keane is yet to be reinvested in the squad, so now they have an England international shaped hole in their defence and no one what so ever so fill it. Last season Burnley's defence is what kept them up, conceding the least goals out of every side in the bottom half of the table, in stark contrast however they struggled to find the back of the net. The only three sides to score less then Burnley last season all got relegated, and with their star defender no longer at the club, this weak attack will be even more exposed. Now I have little doubt that if Burnley go down, Dyche will find a way to bring them back up, that's just what he does. But their squad simply isn't improving, and I feel like this will be one step too far for the clarets.
19th - Huddersfield
This one pains me to say just a little bit, because towards the back end of last season, I was seriously rooting for Huddersfield to get promoted, and doing it through the drama of the play offs was an incredible story. But despite bringing in as many players as just about anyone in the league so far, (Including Tom Ince from Derby, giving Paul Ince's son another chance to prove he can live up to his family name) I just can't see them staying up any longer then a year. The style of football Huddersfield play is one which certainly drawers the eye, and when you notice their manager David Wagner was the manager of Borussia Dortmund's second team, and was an understudy to Jurgen Klopp during his time there, it is easy to see why. But in a similar vein to Blackpool in the 2010-2011 season, I feel their style of football will gain many plaudits, but will ultimately lead to their relegation. they quite simply aren't strong enough to play an entire season in the way they do, with the players they have, and survive! I feel like this is the prediction I am least confident about, maybe that's me being optimistic as I hope Huddersfield do retain a place in the top flight for years to come, but we'll just have to wait and see.
18th - Swansea
Much like Burnley who I have previously mentioned, Swansea spent the back end of last season in a fight for their lives, but managed to survive in no small part to new manager Paul Clement. The Englishman came in while the Welsh side were in free fall and he managed to get them organised, and keep them afloat. One man who had a huge part to play in the survival was Icelandic play maker Gylfi Sigurdsson who, at the time of writing this, is still a Swansea city player. But that is where I believe the problem lays, with the future of their best player. A £50 million price tag has been slapped onto Sigurdsson, one which has scared of a few potential suitors, but reports suggest Everton have matched the price tag and that the deal will be completed 'within days' as confirmed by Clement himself. This move could have drastic consequences for Swansea, an average squad, probably not strong enough for the Premier League has been being held up by one truly top drawer player. A top drawer player who, in a side which finished 15th with 41 points last time around managed 10 league goals and provided 13 league assists last season, Sigurdsson played a part in HALF of Swansea's top flight goals during the campaign, and without him I can't see a way the Welsh side survive. Even with the £50 million coming in, the climate of this transfer window, and the amount of time remaining in it means it will be harder then ever for Paul Clement to bring in a replacement for his star man. They've become almost a staple of the Premier League throughout this decade, but I feel like this season will be their last for now.
What about a place in mid table obscurity? Mid table in the Premier League is a strange place, for example Southampton ended last season in 8th with 46 points, a tally which was closer to 18th placed Hull then it was to 7th place Everton. It's not really a place anyone wants to be, but at least it's better then being in a relegation scrap! And if you can solidify a place in mid table obscurity for a number of seasons, it gives the club a foundation on which to build and push up the table. So let's have a look at a few of the top contenders.
11th - Leicester City
So that thing I just said about growing? That is both true and very very not true about Leicester. On one hand, they finished 12th last season, so 11th is one place higher, therefore growth right? Well if the 2015/2016 season didn't happen, and there wasn't a time when Leicester were the champions of England anyway. So you can either consider this as the continuation of the bubble bursting for Leicester fans, or an attempt to reach the heights of last year, is your glass half empty or half full, that sort of scenario. If I may be serious for a moment, I feel a place in mid table next season will be a good thing for Leicester. Despite the underwhelming defence of their title last time out, their run in the Champions League meant that the fans had their heads well and truly in the clouds. Finishing in mid table again will hopefully ground the fans, the players and the club into realising where they fit in regards to the Premier League. It sounds like I'm being overly negative so far, I am from Leicester and have sat in a pub, watching City in the Champions League, there is no doubt that the success has done a huge amount of good for the club and the city itself. And I do feel like this season can be a stepping stone towards big things again for the club in the long run. The signing of highly rated defender Harry Maguire from Hull could be the first step towards building a younger, more versatile defence after Huth and Morgan were found out last season. And despite the signing not being completed as of yet, Kelechi Iheanacho is set to complete his move from Manchester City, a move with bags of promise. With 12 Premier League goals to his name despite very few starts, and 6 goals in his only 10 international caps, he has shown he knows where the goal is. Maybe Iheanacho could be the answer to the question, who should partner Jamie Vardy? And with Mahrez reportedly on his way out, the Nigerian striker could fill in with the missing goals. I'm not saying they'll go on the win the league again, but don't expect to see the foxes in a relegation dog fight any time soon.
10th - West Ham United
Now West Ham have had a year to settle in to their new home in the London Stadium, there really is no excuse for West Ham anymore, and despite this I still see the London club finishing mid table. There is no doubt the Hammers have had one of the most successful transfer windows so far by their standards. Bringing in Joe hart on loan, Pablo Zabaleta on a free, Javier Hernandez from Bayer Laverkusen for £15 million, a bargain in the current climate. And finally, a club record signing, £20 million, potentially rising to £25 million for Austrian maverick Marko Arnautovic. So why won't West Ham be able to push up the table? First of all there is the factor that their first three league games will all be played away from home. Due to the World Athletics Championships taking place at the London Stadium, West Ham will start their campaign on the road, which at any other point of the season might not be too bad. But with every other team wanting to start the season of strong in front of their home fans, it could be a very tough beginning to the season for West Ham. Then, a complete opposite argument. Once West Ham return home, I can't see it getting any better, purely because no matter what happens, West Ham can't seem to adjust to their new home. The lack of atmosphere seems to drain energy from the side, and no amount of new signings can change that. So I can see their season starting off poorly, losing away from home, and then getting worse when they return. I'm not saying it will stay like this, they simply will have too good of a side to be involved in a relegation battle come 2018, and I do believe they will eventually learn to win games at home, leading to a finish which could have been a lot worse, mid table once again.
9th- Bournemouth
Eddie Howe and his side just seem to go from strength to strength at the moment. The smallest club in the league by quite some distance managed to chalk up a very impressive 9th place finish last season, and I'm backing them to match it this time around. For a club the size of Bournemouth, 9th is not only a respectable finish, but a very impressive one. The owners have proven they are not shy about backing the club, and the additions of Asmir Begovic and youngster Nathan Ake, both coming in from Champions Chelsea prove that the sea side club are trying to breed a winning mentality into the side. Also proven goal scorer Jermain Defoe has joined on a free from Sunderland, and with the World Cup in 2018 to earn a spot in, Defoe will be out to prove he still has it in the coming campaign. With everything pointing towards Bournemouth improving again in the coming campaign, why have I got them remaining in 9th position. Simple, the glass ceiling. Maybe they could reach 8th at a push, battling it out with Southampton for the crown of 'best of the rest' but the top 7 of English football right now is effectively a league of it's own, as I mentioned earlier, more points separated 7th from 8th, then separated 8th from 18th, the gap is huge. The only way, seemingly, to break into that group seems to be massive spending! That is how Manchester City joined the party almost a decade ago, and Everton have been steadily spending big to stay on the fringes, still on the outside looking in. Bournemouth, despite being heavily backed by their owners, simply aren't a big enough club to push on any higher. It does happen, Leicester defied the odds and broke their way in, but it was short and sweet as they failed to keep up with the spending power of the top 7. And this is why I can't see Bournemouth finishing any higher next season, not because they won't impress, because I'm certain they will, but because to get any higher, the league would have to change course dramatically.
Not quite Europe's elite -
6th - Arsenal
What's that saying about London busses? You wait forever for one and then two come along at once. For 20 straight years Arsenal finished in the top four of the Premier League, last season Liverpool beat them to the post on the last day of the season and this time around I think they'll go one better (Well technically one worse) and I think they'll drop another place into 6th. Now Arsenal fans, calm down. Yes you signed Lacazette, a huge signing, a world class striker, something you haven't had since RVP. But what's even worse, is this wasn't your biggest problem. With the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Theo Walcott, Mesut Ozil, Oliver Giroud, Arsenal have never struggled to score goals. Now yes, Lacazette is a better natural striker then anyone on that list, but to spend a club record amount on a player who shouldn't have been their top priority, that is cause for concern. For years it's been obvious that a leader, a strong midfielder, has been what Arsenal needs, and with their defence looking more and more frail by the day, they needed serious back up in front of Cech. Other then Lacazette they have signed one player, Kolasinac, a full back on a free from Schalke. Now the young defender has shown potential, but he certainly isn't the answer. They will still have far too strong of a team to fall any lower in the table, and with a month left of the season they could still bring in reinforcements but everyone they're being linked (Including Monaco winger Thomas Lamar) with fall into the same category as Lacazette, world class, but not what they REALLY need. Plus there's the fact Alexis looks all but certain to be on his way out, which much really suck for Arsenal as he is potentially the best player in the league, and if he goes to, like the rumours suggest, Manchester City then that would feel like a real kick in the teeth. Truth be told I feel like it will be more of the same at Arsenal, a group of incredibly talented attackers, made to look stupid by a mediocre back line, and a manager who is scared of change. If they hold onto Sanchez, they might challenge for a top four place, but without him, I can't see them getting close.
5th - Spurs
So I know writing this that I am potentially going to be made to look REALLY stupid in a years time, when Spurs have, once again, impressed and have challenged for the title against the odds for the third successive season. But if there is a year where the growth of Spurs will suffer, it is surely this year. At this point in the summer, Spurs have had the worst transfer window out of anyone in the league. They have brought in exactly no one, have been linked with virtually no one, and have lost a member of their first team in Kyle Walker, to title rivals Manchester City. Last season Spurs relied on their consistent side, when a member of that side was out with either an injury or suspension, they struggled to fill the hole. When Harry Kane was out last season, Spurs really seemed to struggle in front of goal, with Jansen failing to step up to the plate, Spurs struggled to pick up points. Kane missed 10 games in all competitions between September and November of last season, Spurs only won four of those outings. These stats surely would have made it obvious that, coming into this campaign, strength in depth would be essential? But no, no additions have been made to the squad, and they could face the same problems they did last season. Despite this however, they still finished second, so why have I placed them in 5th? Well not only do I feel every side around them seems to be improving where as Spurs are making no positive transfers, but they will play their home games next season, at the home of English football, Wembley stadium. Now I go more in detail into this factor in an article I wrote in April, titled 'Spurs to Wembley - is this a good move for anyone?' but to use the highlights, in the 10 years since the opening of the new Wembley, Spurs have won only 2 of their 10 matches there, and after building their success from the last two years off of the back of an incredible home record, which has seen them lose one home game in two years in the league, playing the next season at Wembley, could be a game changer for Spurs. Even if they where to lose just three of their home wins from last season, Spurs would drop into the position I have placed them in today, it is that tight at the top. Like I said, I wouldn't be surprised if they proved me wrong, and once again spent the season fighting at the top of the table, but we'll have to wait and see.
A place among Europe's elite -
4th - Manchester United
Now placing Manchester United down in fourth is very much going against popular belief at the moment. Many people are saying that Jose's men will be up at the top, challenging for the title. They're certainly spending the money to back up those claims as well, £75 million on Lukaku and £40 million on Matic speaks volumes. And as last season went on, record signing Paul Pogba was starting to find his form. Everything is pointing towards a huge improvement on last seasons league performance. But I just feel like something is still missing, I can't quite put my finger on what, but something is missing. I feel like the addition of Lukaku won't be enough to move away from the stagnant, boring style of play we saw from them last season. The Belgian is coming in to try and fill Zlatan's boots, which I don't believe he will be able to. he isn't the finished article, and although on his day, Lukaku is capable of greatness, I don't feel like he will be able to win a game from nothing in the style of the Swedish striker. If Romelu isn't getting the service, he struggles, plain and simple. At times last season Ibrahimovic was feeding off of scraps, and like you need from any world class striker, managed to produce the good from them. Not to say Lukaku wont succeed for the red devils, I'm sure he'll still fire in the goals like he has been for Everton in previous seasons. I just feel like everyone is expecting the big front man to hit the ground running because of his huge price tag, last season we saw where that left Pogba. And not to mention, they still look very questionable at the back. Phil Jones and Chris Smalling have proven that they can't be trusted to anchor a defence for an entire campaign, and with new signing Victor Lindelof struggling in pre season so far, it could be another tough defensive season for United. Then there is the elephant in the room with United... no not Ronaldo coming from Real Madrid, but David De Gea going the other way. Now it looks like for the time being that the deal has gone quite, but you never know with Madrid, their spending has been lose for Los Blancos standards, and I wouldn't out money for them coming back in for the Spanish number one before the end of the window. I feel like the slow, boring style of player United portrayed last season was a way to mask weakness at both ends of the field, and I wouldn't be surprised to see more of the same in the coming campaign. If Lukaku fires, Pogba finds his form, they hold onto De Gea and Jose manages to craft a strong defence, then there is no reason they can;t challenge for the title. But until I can see it in action, in the Premier League, I don't see them at the top.
3rd - Liverpool
The five time champions of Europe secured a place in the coming season's Champions League on the last day of last season, and I can see them pushing on and going one place better this time around. The main criticism of Klopp's side last time out was the lack of a plan b, how it seemed that if they weren't firing on all front, that the opposition could find a way through their weak defence. Towards the back end of the season they seemed to find that plan b, winning more games that they would have lost or drawn earlier in the campaign. The front line Liverpool posses is one that would strike fear into any opposition. Coutinho, Mane and Firmino leading the line throughout last season fired in the goals, as despite not have any one attacker featuring in the race for the golden boot, Liverpool finished as the 4th highest scorers in the league. The only problem with this line up was Countinho playing out wide left. The Brazilian has always been a more natural number 10, and despite him settling in on the left with relative ease, you could always see he wasn't quite at his best. In the final two games of the season Philipe moved back into his favoured position and scored three, as well as assisting two in two of his best performances of the season. This was just a glimpse of what could be a full time arrangement this season, with the addition of Mo Salah, to fill the second wide position. The frightening pace of Salah and Mane down the flanks could prove to be very fruitful for their side. With Daniel Sturridge and new signing from Chelsea, Dominic Solanke, looking very sharp in pre season, Liverpool's attack has strength in numbers as well. However with Barcelona sniffing around Coutinho, there is the potential that the star man could be pinched before the season gets under way. Klopp has sternly said that he is not for sale, but with a rumoured £100 million offer in the pipeline, we'll have to wait and see. Liverpool have however failed to address their other major weakness, their defence. As it stands, full back Andrew Robertson is Liverpool's only new addition to their back line, a talented young full back who in the future could answer Liverpool's on going left back problem. But the Scot's signature isn't the final piece to the puzzle. The potential signing of Virgil Van Dijk could be however. Now the controversy surrounding this deal is extreme, Liverpool had been accused of 'tapping up' the Dutchman, a deal between the player and the club appeared to be agreed, before the accusations killed to move. Since then Van Dijk has gone on strike, stating he wishes to leave current club Southampton. The defender was not taken on the clubs pre season trip to France, and has been training alone, it is clear he wants out. Now it appears to be a matter of time before Liverpool come in with an offer, rumoured to be in the range of £60 million, to convince The Saints to part ways with their want away captain. Should this deal go ahead I feel Liverpool will have everything they need to push a potential title challenge, overall however having to fight on four fronts, with a squad considerably smaller then that of the other potential title challengers, it all points towards them falling short. However, 3rd will still show signs of progression, and with potential challenges in Europe and in the cup competitions, Liverpool could continue to impress as they grow.
2nd - Chelsea
And runners up next season will be the current champions of England, Chelsea. Any other year I'd say Chelsea were a certainty to retain their title, they have invested well all over the pitch, they have a manager who knows how he wants his team to play, the fans are optimistic and the players know they're a part of something great. A club record £60 million was spent on Spanish striker Morata, who looks set to become Chelsea's new first choice striker. German centre back Rudiger could turn out to be one of the signings of the summer, the solid defender starred for Germany in the Conflagrations Cup cup this summer, and his £30 million move looks like a bargain when compared to some of the other signings floating around. And then we get to Tiemoue Bakayoko, the French midfielder anchored the Monaco midfield on route to their Ligue 1 win last season, and impressed on route to the Champions League semi finals. he was one of Chelsea's primary targets when the window opened, and slotting in along side Kante could form one of the best central midfield pairings in the country. And it appears the champions aren't even close to done, with rumours linking them to long time target Alex Sandro of Juventus, their defence could get even stronger. There is however a bit of uncertainty towards the top of the pitch with Chelsea. Diego Costa has been told he will play no part in the coming season, leaving the striker in limbo, with no club effectively. Eden hazard is the latest player to be linked with Barcelona, the Catalan giants of course coming into money with the sale of Neymar to PSG all but completed, and with speculation Conte isn't entirely sold on Hazard, the Belgian winger could be out the door. But in reality that is it, there is nothing else to say. All in all Chelsea look very strong from back to front, and they should been seen as one of the favourites to win the title. So why don't I have them as my predicted winners? Well...
Champions of England -
1st - Manchester City
Because I feel like this will be the year Pep gets it right and the year this Manchester City side finally click into gear. The problem last season was obvious, the players just weren't right to fit the style of play their Spanish manager wanted, so this summer, they have spent big. £50 million on Kyle walker, and £52 million on Benjamin Mendy, two attacking, natural wing backs, a huge part of Pep's style that simply didn't exist at the Etihad last season. Brazilian Ederson has been brought in between the sticks, he could be the answer to City's goal keeping dilemma, a capable keeper with the ability to play out from the back. Manchester City had perhaps the biggest and strongest squad in the league already, but they're even improving on strength in depth this summer. Bernado Silva is the latest player to come to England from Monaco, and the Portuguese midfielder has been turning heads during his time in France. Very good on the ball with an eye for a pass, he also can chip in with a goal too, putting him along side Kevin De Bruyne in the ranks of goal scoring midfielders at City. Not to forget the incredible roster of talent already at Pep's disposal. Gabriel Jesus showed everyone just how good he was during his brief stint last season, scoring goals, providing assists, and asking a huge question of the manager. Jesus or Aguero. The Argentinian is no doubt on the the best strikers on the planet, and if he can stay fit for the entire season, he will no doubt be in the running for the golden boot. Then you have the solid midfield pairing of Yaya Toure, and Fernandinho. (Not Fernando, he's off to Turkey) These two are capable of not only protecting the defence, which as times can be CIty's weak link, bit they are both capable on the ball, both at creating chances and taking them. So City look set, from back to front they can put out arguably the strongest team in the league. And in terms of depth no other side can stand with them, the question now is if the side can buy into Pep's philosophy and produce the goods. History shows that once a Guardiola side gets going, they're hard to stop, and I really can see this year being the year for the blue half of Manchester. The title race this season I think will be very tight, which is a concept Pep won't be used to, but if he is the manager everyone seems to think he is, then he should be able to adapt, and thrive under the pressure. They had the manager, they had the players, now they need to go and win the silverware.
So there we have it, my main predictions for the upcoming Premier League season. Now I could be drastically wrong on a few of these (Just waiting for Spurs to make me look stupid) but I feel whatever happens, we could be in for one hell of a season. The top 6 is ridiculously hard to call, with so many world class talents, managers getting to grips with their teams and money being spent like it;s going out of style. Then at the other end we have plenty of teams set to be for a dog fight to maintain their place in the top flight. I for one can't wait, the opening weekend can't come close enough.
Let's start from the bottom.
20th - Burnley
Turf Moor was a fortress at times last season for Sean Dyche's men, for the first half of the campaign Burnley had one of the best home records in the league but as 2016 turned into 2017 that form appeared to abandon Burnley. Being placed in mid table coming into January, they ended the season in a relegation battle and just managed to scrape survival, reaching just 40 points. I can see Burnley carrying that same poor form into the upcoming season, and the loss of star defender Michael Keane could be a big part of that. The £30 million Burnley received from Everton for Keane is yet to be reinvested in the squad, so now they have an England international shaped hole in their defence and no one what so ever so fill it. Last season Burnley's defence is what kept them up, conceding the least goals out of every side in the bottom half of the table, in stark contrast however they struggled to find the back of the net. The only three sides to score less then Burnley last season all got relegated, and with their star defender no longer at the club, this weak attack will be even more exposed. Now I have little doubt that if Burnley go down, Dyche will find a way to bring them back up, that's just what he does. But their squad simply isn't improving, and I feel like this will be one step too far for the clarets.
19th - Huddersfield
This one pains me to say just a little bit, because towards the back end of last season, I was seriously rooting for Huddersfield to get promoted, and doing it through the drama of the play offs was an incredible story. But despite bringing in as many players as just about anyone in the league so far, (Including Tom Ince from Derby, giving Paul Ince's son another chance to prove he can live up to his family name) I just can't see them staying up any longer then a year. The style of football Huddersfield play is one which certainly drawers the eye, and when you notice their manager David Wagner was the manager of Borussia Dortmund's second team, and was an understudy to Jurgen Klopp during his time there, it is easy to see why. But in a similar vein to Blackpool in the 2010-2011 season, I feel their style of football will gain many plaudits, but will ultimately lead to their relegation. they quite simply aren't strong enough to play an entire season in the way they do, with the players they have, and survive! I feel like this is the prediction I am least confident about, maybe that's me being optimistic as I hope Huddersfield do retain a place in the top flight for years to come, but we'll just have to wait and see.
18th - Swansea
Much like Burnley who I have previously mentioned, Swansea spent the back end of last season in a fight for their lives, but managed to survive in no small part to new manager Paul Clement. The Englishman came in while the Welsh side were in free fall and he managed to get them organised, and keep them afloat. One man who had a huge part to play in the survival was Icelandic play maker Gylfi Sigurdsson who, at the time of writing this, is still a Swansea city player. But that is where I believe the problem lays, with the future of their best player. A £50 million price tag has been slapped onto Sigurdsson, one which has scared of a few potential suitors, but reports suggest Everton have matched the price tag and that the deal will be completed 'within days' as confirmed by Clement himself. This move could have drastic consequences for Swansea, an average squad, probably not strong enough for the Premier League has been being held up by one truly top drawer player. A top drawer player who, in a side which finished 15th with 41 points last time around managed 10 league goals and provided 13 league assists last season, Sigurdsson played a part in HALF of Swansea's top flight goals during the campaign, and without him I can't see a way the Welsh side survive. Even with the £50 million coming in, the climate of this transfer window, and the amount of time remaining in it means it will be harder then ever for Paul Clement to bring in a replacement for his star man. They've become almost a staple of the Premier League throughout this decade, but I feel like this season will be their last for now.
What about a place in mid table obscurity? Mid table in the Premier League is a strange place, for example Southampton ended last season in 8th with 46 points, a tally which was closer to 18th placed Hull then it was to 7th place Everton. It's not really a place anyone wants to be, but at least it's better then being in a relegation scrap! And if you can solidify a place in mid table obscurity for a number of seasons, it gives the club a foundation on which to build and push up the table. So let's have a look at a few of the top contenders.
11th - Leicester City
So that thing I just said about growing? That is both true and very very not true about Leicester. On one hand, they finished 12th last season, so 11th is one place higher, therefore growth right? Well if the 2015/2016 season didn't happen, and there wasn't a time when Leicester were the champions of England anyway. So you can either consider this as the continuation of the bubble bursting for Leicester fans, or an attempt to reach the heights of last year, is your glass half empty or half full, that sort of scenario. If I may be serious for a moment, I feel a place in mid table next season will be a good thing for Leicester. Despite the underwhelming defence of their title last time out, their run in the Champions League meant that the fans had their heads well and truly in the clouds. Finishing in mid table again will hopefully ground the fans, the players and the club into realising where they fit in regards to the Premier League. It sounds like I'm being overly negative so far, I am from Leicester and have sat in a pub, watching City in the Champions League, there is no doubt that the success has done a huge amount of good for the club and the city itself. And I do feel like this season can be a stepping stone towards big things again for the club in the long run. The signing of highly rated defender Harry Maguire from Hull could be the first step towards building a younger, more versatile defence after Huth and Morgan were found out last season. And despite the signing not being completed as of yet, Kelechi Iheanacho is set to complete his move from Manchester City, a move with bags of promise. With 12 Premier League goals to his name despite very few starts, and 6 goals in his only 10 international caps, he has shown he knows where the goal is. Maybe Iheanacho could be the answer to the question, who should partner Jamie Vardy? And with Mahrez reportedly on his way out, the Nigerian striker could fill in with the missing goals. I'm not saying they'll go on the win the league again, but don't expect to see the foxes in a relegation dog fight any time soon.
10th - West Ham United
Now West Ham have had a year to settle in to their new home in the London Stadium, there really is no excuse for West Ham anymore, and despite this I still see the London club finishing mid table. There is no doubt the Hammers have had one of the most successful transfer windows so far by their standards. Bringing in Joe hart on loan, Pablo Zabaleta on a free, Javier Hernandez from Bayer Laverkusen for £15 million, a bargain in the current climate. And finally, a club record signing, £20 million, potentially rising to £25 million for Austrian maverick Marko Arnautovic. So why won't West Ham be able to push up the table? First of all there is the factor that their first three league games will all be played away from home. Due to the World Athletics Championships taking place at the London Stadium, West Ham will start their campaign on the road, which at any other point of the season might not be too bad. But with every other team wanting to start the season of strong in front of their home fans, it could be a very tough beginning to the season for West Ham. Then, a complete opposite argument. Once West Ham return home, I can't see it getting any better, purely because no matter what happens, West Ham can't seem to adjust to their new home. The lack of atmosphere seems to drain energy from the side, and no amount of new signings can change that. So I can see their season starting off poorly, losing away from home, and then getting worse when they return. I'm not saying it will stay like this, they simply will have too good of a side to be involved in a relegation battle come 2018, and I do believe they will eventually learn to win games at home, leading to a finish which could have been a lot worse, mid table once again.
9th- Bournemouth
Eddie Howe and his side just seem to go from strength to strength at the moment. The smallest club in the league by quite some distance managed to chalk up a very impressive 9th place finish last season, and I'm backing them to match it this time around. For a club the size of Bournemouth, 9th is not only a respectable finish, but a very impressive one. The owners have proven they are not shy about backing the club, and the additions of Asmir Begovic and youngster Nathan Ake, both coming in from Champions Chelsea prove that the sea side club are trying to breed a winning mentality into the side. Also proven goal scorer Jermain Defoe has joined on a free from Sunderland, and with the World Cup in 2018 to earn a spot in, Defoe will be out to prove he still has it in the coming campaign. With everything pointing towards Bournemouth improving again in the coming campaign, why have I got them remaining in 9th position. Simple, the glass ceiling. Maybe they could reach 8th at a push, battling it out with Southampton for the crown of 'best of the rest' but the top 7 of English football right now is effectively a league of it's own, as I mentioned earlier, more points separated 7th from 8th, then separated 8th from 18th, the gap is huge. The only way, seemingly, to break into that group seems to be massive spending! That is how Manchester City joined the party almost a decade ago, and Everton have been steadily spending big to stay on the fringes, still on the outside looking in. Bournemouth, despite being heavily backed by their owners, simply aren't a big enough club to push on any higher. It does happen, Leicester defied the odds and broke their way in, but it was short and sweet as they failed to keep up with the spending power of the top 7. And this is why I can't see Bournemouth finishing any higher next season, not because they won't impress, because I'm certain they will, but because to get any higher, the league would have to change course dramatically.
Not quite Europe's elite -
6th - Arsenal
What's that saying about London busses? You wait forever for one and then two come along at once. For 20 straight years Arsenal finished in the top four of the Premier League, last season Liverpool beat them to the post on the last day of the season and this time around I think they'll go one better (Well technically one worse) and I think they'll drop another place into 6th. Now Arsenal fans, calm down. Yes you signed Lacazette, a huge signing, a world class striker, something you haven't had since RVP. But what's even worse, is this wasn't your biggest problem. With the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Theo Walcott, Mesut Ozil, Oliver Giroud, Arsenal have never struggled to score goals. Now yes, Lacazette is a better natural striker then anyone on that list, but to spend a club record amount on a player who shouldn't have been their top priority, that is cause for concern. For years it's been obvious that a leader, a strong midfielder, has been what Arsenal needs, and with their defence looking more and more frail by the day, they needed serious back up in front of Cech. Other then Lacazette they have signed one player, Kolasinac, a full back on a free from Schalke. Now the young defender has shown potential, but he certainly isn't the answer. They will still have far too strong of a team to fall any lower in the table, and with a month left of the season they could still bring in reinforcements but everyone they're being linked (Including Monaco winger Thomas Lamar) with fall into the same category as Lacazette, world class, but not what they REALLY need. Plus there's the fact Alexis looks all but certain to be on his way out, which much really suck for Arsenal as he is potentially the best player in the league, and if he goes to, like the rumours suggest, Manchester City then that would feel like a real kick in the teeth. Truth be told I feel like it will be more of the same at Arsenal, a group of incredibly talented attackers, made to look stupid by a mediocre back line, and a manager who is scared of change. If they hold onto Sanchez, they might challenge for a top four place, but without him, I can't see them getting close.
5th - Spurs
So I know writing this that I am potentially going to be made to look REALLY stupid in a years time, when Spurs have, once again, impressed and have challenged for the title against the odds for the third successive season. But if there is a year where the growth of Spurs will suffer, it is surely this year. At this point in the summer, Spurs have had the worst transfer window out of anyone in the league. They have brought in exactly no one, have been linked with virtually no one, and have lost a member of their first team in Kyle Walker, to title rivals Manchester City. Last season Spurs relied on their consistent side, when a member of that side was out with either an injury or suspension, they struggled to fill the hole. When Harry Kane was out last season, Spurs really seemed to struggle in front of goal, with Jansen failing to step up to the plate, Spurs struggled to pick up points. Kane missed 10 games in all competitions between September and November of last season, Spurs only won four of those outings. These stats surely would have made it obvious that, coming into this campaign, strength in depth would be essential? But no, no additions have been made to the squad, and they could face the same problems they did last season. Despite this however, they still finished second, so why have I placed them in 5th? Well not only do I feel every side around them seems to be improving where as Spurs are making no positive transfers, but they will play their home games next season, at the home of English football, Wembley stadium. Now I go more in detail into this factor in an article I wrote in April, titled 'Spurs to Wembley - is this a good move for anyone?' but to use the highlights, in the 10 years since the opening of the new Wembley, Spurs have won only 2 of their 10 matches there, and after building their success from the last two years off of the back of an incredible home record, which has seen them lose one home game in two years in the league, playing the next season at Wembley, could be a game changer for Spurs. Even if they where to lose just three of their home wins from last season, Spurs would drop into the position I have placed them in today, it is that tight at the top. Like I said, I wouldn't be surprised if they proved me wrong, and once again spent the season fighting at the top of the table, but we'll have to wait and see.
A place among Europe's elite -
4th - Manchester United
Now placing Manchester United down in fourth is very much going against popular belief at the moment. Many people are saying that Jose's men will be up at the top, challenging for the title. They're certainly spending the money to back up those claims as well, £75 million on Lukaku and £40 million on Matic speaks volumes. And as last season went on, record signing Paul Pogba was starting to find his form. Everything is pointing towards a huge improvement on last seasons league performance. But I just feel like something is still missing, I can't quite put my finger on what, but something is missing. I feel like the addition of Lukaku won't be enough to move away from the stagnant, boring style of play we saw from them last season. The Belgian is coming in to try and fill Zlatan's boots, which I don't believe he will be able to. he isn't the finished article, and although on his day, Lukaku is capable of greatness, I don't feel like he will be able to win a game from nothing in the style of the Swedish striker. If Romelu isn't getting the service, he struggles, plain and simple. At times last season Ibrahimovic was feeding off of scraps, and like you need from any world class striker, managed to produce the good from them. Not to say Lukaku wont succeed for the red devils, I'm sure he'll still fire in the goals like he has been for Everton in previous seasons. I just feel like everyone is expecting the big front man to hit the ground running because of his huge price tag, last season we saw where that left Pogba. And not to mention, they still look very questionable at the back. Phil Jones and Chris Smalling have proven that they can't be trusted to anchor a defence for an entire campaign, and with new signing Victor Lindelof struggling in pre season so far, it could be another tough defensive season for United. Then there is the elephant in the room with United... no not Ronaldo coming from Real Madrid, but David De Gea going the other way. Now it looks like for the time being that the deal has gone quite, but you never know with Madrid, their spending has been lose for Los Blancos standards, and I wouldn't out money for them coming back in for the Spanish number one before the end of the window. I feel like the slow, boring style of player United portrayed last season was a way to mask weakness at both ends of the field, and I wouldn't be surprised to see more of the same in the coming campaign. If Lukaku fires, Pogba finds his form, they hold onto De Gea and Jose manages to craft a strong defence, then there is no reason they can;t challenge for the title. But until I can see it in action, in the Premier League, I don't see them at the top.
3rd - Liverpool
The five time champions of Europe secured a place in the coming season's Champions League on the last day of last season, and I can see them pushing on and going one place better this time around. The main criticism of Klopp's side last time out was the lack of a plan b, how it seemed that if they weren't firing on all front, that the opposition could find a way through their weak defence. Towards the back end of the season they seemed to find that plan b, winning more games that they would have lost or drawn earlier in the campaign. The front line Liverpool posses is one that would strike fear into any opposition. Coutinho, Mane and Firmino leading the line throughout last season fired in the goals, as despite not have any one attacker featuring in the race for the golden boot, Liverpool finished as the 4th highest scorers in the league. The only problem with this line up was Countinho playing out wide left. The Brazilian has always been a more natural number 10, and despite him settling in on the left with relative ease, you could always see he wasn't quite at his best. In the final two games of the season Philipe moved back into his favoured position and scored three, as well as assisting two in two of his best performances of the season. This was just a glimpse of what could be a full time arrangement this season, with the addition of Mo Salah, to fill the second wide position. The frightening pace of Salah and Mane down the flanks could prove to be very fruitful for their side. With Daniel Sturridge and new signing from Chelsea, Dominic Solanke, looking very sharp in pre season, Liverpool's attack has strength in numbers as well. However with Barcelona sniffing around Coutinho, there is the potential that the star man could be pinched before the season gets under way. Klopp has sternly said that he is not for sale, but with a rumoured £100 million offer in the pipeline, we'll have to wait and see. Liverpool have however failed to address their other major weakness, their defence. As it stands, full back Andrew Robertson is Liverpool's only new addition to their back line, a talented young full back who in the future could answer Liverpool's on going left back problem. But the Scot's signature isn't the final piece to the puzzle. The potential signing of Virgil Van Dijk could be however. Now the controversy surrounding this deal is extreme, Liverpool had been accused of 'tapping up' the Dutchman, a deal between the player and the club appeared to be agreed, before the accusations killed to move. Since then Van Dijk has gone on strike, stating he wishes to leave current club Southampton. The defender was not taken on the clubs pre season trip to France, and has been training alone, it is clear he wants out. Now it appears to be a matter of time before Liverpool come in with an offer, rumoured to be in the range of £60 million, to convince The Saints to part ways with their want away captain. Should this deal go ahead I feel Liverpool will have everything they need to push a potential title challenge, overall however having to fight on four fronts, with a squad considerably smaller then that of the other potential title challengers, it all points towards them falling short. However, 3rd will still show signs of progression, and with potential challenges in Europe and in the cup competitions, Liverpool could continue to impress as they grow.
2nd - Chelsea
And runners up next season will be the current champions of England, Chelsea. Any other year I'd say Chelsea were a certainty to retain their title, they have invested well all over the pitch, they have a manager who knows how he wants his team to play, the fans are optimistic and the players know they're a part of something great. A club record £60 million was spent on Spanish striker Morata, who looks set to become Chelsea's new first choice striker. German centre back Rudiger could turn out to be one of the signings of the summer, the solid defender starred for Germany in the Conflagrations Cup cup this summer, and his £30 million move looks like a bargain when compared to some of the other signings floating around. And then we get to Tiemoue Bakayoko, the French midfielder anchored the Monaco midfield on route to their Ligue 1 win last season, and impressed on route to the Champions League semi finals. he was one of Chelsea's primary targets when the window opened, and slotting in along side Kante could form one of the best central midfield pairings in the country. And it appears the champions aren't even close to done, with rumours linking them to long time target Alex Sandro of Juventus, their defence could get even stronger. There is however a bit of uncertainty towards the top of the pitch with Chelsea. Diego Costa has been told he will play no part in the coming season, leaving the striker in limbo, with no club effectively. Eden hazard is the latest player to be linked with Barcelona, the Catalan giants of course coming into money with the sale of Neymar to PSG all but completed, and with speculation Conte isn't entirely sold on Hazard, the Belgian winger could be out the door. But in reality that is it, there is nothing else to say. All in all Chelsea look very strong from back to front, and they should been seen as one of the favourites to win the title. So why don't I have them as my predicted winners? Well...
Champions of England -
1st - Manchester City
Because I feel like this will be the year Pep gets it right and the year this Manchester City side finally click into gear. The problem last season was obvious, the players just weren't right to fit the style of play their Spanish manager wanted, so this summer, they have spent big. £50 million on Kyle walker, and £52 million on Benjamin Mendy, two attacking, natural wing backs, a huge part of Pep's style that simply didn't exist at the Etihad last season. Brazilian Ederson has been brought in between the sticks, he could be the answer to City's goal keeping dilemma, a capable keeper with the ability to play out from the back. Manchester City had perhaps the biggest and strongest squad in the league already, but they're even improving on strength in depth this summer. Bernado Silva is the latest player to come to England from Monaco, and the Portuguese midfielder has been turning heads during his time in France. Very good on the ball with an eye for a pass, he also can chip in with a goal too, putting him along side Kevin De Bruyne in the ranks of goal scoring midfielders at City. Not to forget the incredible roster of talent already at Pep's disposal. Gabriel Jesus showed everyone just how good he was during his brief stint last season, scoring goals, providing assists, and asking a huge question of the manager. Jesus or Aguero. The Argentinian is no doubt on the the best strikers on the planet, and if he can stay fit for the entire season, he will no doubt be in the running for the golden boot. Then you have the solid midfield pairing of Yaya Toure, and Fernandinho. (Not Fernando, he's off to Turkey) These two are capable of not only protecting the defence, which as times can be CIty's weak link, bit they are both capable on the ball, both at creating chances and taking them. So City look set, from back to front they can put out arguably the strongest team in the league. And in terms of depth no other side can stand with them, the question now is if the side can buy into Pep's philosophy and produce the goods. History shows that once a Guardiola side gets going, they're hard to stop, and I really can see this year being the year for the blue half of Manchester. The title race this season I think will be very tight, which is a concept Pep won't be used to, but if he is the manager everyone seems to think he is, then he should be able to adapt, and thrive under the pressure. They had the manager, they had the players, now they need to go and win the silverware.
So there we have it, my main predictions for the upcoming Premier League season. Now I could be drastically wrong on a few of these (Just waiting for Spurs to make me look stupid) but I feel whatever happens, we could be in for one hell of a season. The top 6 is ridiculously hard to call, with so many world class talents, managers getting to grips with their teams and money being spent like it;s going out of style. Then at the other end we have plenty of teams set to be for a dog fight to maintain their place in the top flight. I for one can't wait, the opening weekend can't come close enough.
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Wednesday, 2 August 2017
What Just Happened? - Neymar to PSG.
Neymar to PSG has been much like all of the monumental transfer rumours that fly around every summer. Messi to leave Barcelona, Ronaldo to return to Manchester United, in fact just about everyone to Manchester United. But believe it or not, the century defining transfer appears to be on it's way to completion after the Brazilian was given permission by the Catalan giant to go and 'sort out his future'.
Now just because Neymar has been given permission to speak to the Paris based club doesn't mean the deal is secured, in fact today Barcelona have also stated that PSG will have to pay the full amount that is stated on the Brazilian's buy out clause, an astounding £198 million, and they will have to pay it in full, up front. PSG are however one of few clubs who could afford the asking price, and with backing from their Qatari owners the former French champions look set to pay the price. This deal will more then double the current world record transfer fee, held by Manchester United and Paul Pogba when he moved from Juventus last summer for £89 million, and this isn't the only way money is a huge factor in this deal. The move could see Neymar become the worlds best paid player, even beating out a number of the ludicrous wage bills coming from China. Paris Saint Germain are prepared to double Neymar's current wage, and it will not be only Neymar Jr getting richer, but senior will as well. It was reported that during the Brazilian forwards initial move to the Camp Nou, his father pocketed an incredible 100 million euro, and with the sale of his son, Neymar senior will receive a 36 million euro commission. This is all taking place after, on Monday 31st July, senior also received a stated 26 million euro loyalty bonus... for his sons loyalty to Barcelona... days before his move to PSG looked like it was on... okay then.
At 25 years old Neymar is already an incredibly rich man, and although his father seems driven by money, the tricky winger doesn't seem to see it as a motivating factor as much. The move to Barcelona demonstrates that, as Real Madrid were prepared to out bid Barca both in terms of transfer fee and wages. So if it isn't money, what else could be pushing Neymar away? Quite simply, and it is quite sad in reality, but Lionel Messi. MSN, Messi, Suarez & Neymar. The Barcelona front line is simply the best in the world, bar none, with three of the world's best players. However the front man will always be, and always has been, Lionel Messi. The Argentinian is seen as the one who started it all, during the 2008/2009 season when the Catalonian's won the treble, it was Messi who was made the figure head of that team, and it has been that way ever since. Now, Xavi, Iniesta, Henry, Suarez, Eto'o, these stars didn't seem to have a problem with being second fiddle to the worlds best, but Neymar appears to have exactly that problem. 8th March 2017, Barcelona 6-1 PSG. One of the most incredible matches of all time, and after Barca had made history, a photo of Messi, stood on top of an advertising board went viral. Seen as an image for the game, 70 million people had seen the snapshot within 48 hours of it going live, and that is where the problem lays. Messi wasn't the star of the show, he wasn't the man who's curling free kick set the comeback in motion, who both won and scored a penalty moments later, or who's chipped ball out thought the entire PSG defence and created the iconic goal scored by Sergi Roberto. It was Neymar. The late assist was Neymar's eighth of the competition, the most of any player, and he had led throughout the game, but he was pushed to a supporting role by Messi, despite deserving leading man accolades for his performance. On record the Brazilian has stated this was the best performance he has given in the red and blue of Barcelona, and the lasting image will always be, Lionel Messi. With Barcelona though, it almost always is. If Neymar truly wants centre stage, to be seen as 'the guy' then he can't do that at Barcelona, not for another few years at least, and by then his best years may have passed him by. What makes this heart braking in a way is two fold, firstly it breaks up the incredible MSN threesome, which is potentially the best attacking line in history. But also, if Neymar holds some form of grudge against Messi, the Argentinian certainly doesn't feel the same. On his official Instagram Messi has posted a video, made up of pictures of the two of them, with the caption 'It was a great pleasure to spend all these years with you my friend Neymar. I wish you good luck in this new stage of your life. See you tomorrow.'
Neymar's move to PSG could be the decision that sees the Brazilian catapulted into superstardom. The French club have just lost their title to Monaco, one they'll be desperate to win back, but above all else, they'll have their eyes on the Champions League. In the 2015 Champions League final, Neymar stared and scored for Barcelona on the way to a 3-1 win, he also scored four goals and provided four assists during the World Cup in Brazil. Neymar also scored the winning penalty in the gold medal match during the 2016 Olympics, a match not taken too seriously around the world, but one seen as huge in Brazil. At just 25 years old the Brazilian has proven he has what it takes to perform on the biggest stage, and he could easily develop into the best player in the world. But would he ever been seen as anything more then a supporting act when he shared the team with Messi? It's a question we perhaps will never get an answer to as Neymar's eyes seem firmly set on a move to Paris. In terms of domestic football it is a HUGE drop in standard, and you have to question whether or not Neymar will be seen as 'taking the easy way out' by going to France, and you have to question if his performances there will ever lead to Balon D'or accreditation? After all, Zlatan scored 113 league goals in 122 league games for the same club, including 38 goals in 31 games during his final season, and yet was never considered the best player in the world because he was playing in a 'mediocre league'. Then on the other hand, Kylian Mbappe has flourished in the same league, and the teenager is tipped for an incredible £100 million + move away from Monaco, and with Monaco reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League this year, the league appears to be on the way up. PSG failing to win the title shows an increase in competition, in fact Nice were also challenging for the title for most of the season. SO perhaps this is the best time for Neymar to come to France, he could not only be the main man in a new look PSG side, but the figurehead for a growing division, much like Messi was in Spain in the late 2000's and ever since.
So what could Barcelona do to persuade Neymar to stay? Well it appeared that a move for Liverpool's Philipe Coutinho, Neymar's friend from childhood, could be what the board do to keep the Brazilian in Spain. However after a reported £90 million offer was rejected by Liverpool, and manager Jurgen Klopp has very sternly stated that his star man is not for sale, the deal seems to be off for now. You could argue however that the Coutinho offer was to bring in Neymar's immediate replacement, but that same argument can't be used for the next rumoured transfer. Paulinho To Barcelona. What? The midfielder who failed to impress for Spurs in England and has spent the last couple of seasons in China was subject to a rumoured 40 million euro offer from the Spanish giants. Why? Well, Paulinho is also one of Neymar's close friends, it appears Barca were certain that the signing of a friend would keep their number 11 at the club. However when Guangzhou Evergrande said Paulinho was not for sale, the move appeared to die there and then. (Probably for the best, Paulinho isn't fit to lace up Iniesta's boots let alone play in the same midfield as him. ) It isn't just the club trying to hold onto one of their star men, but Neymar's team mates as well. Luis Suarez was reportedly using a plane journey to the USA to try and convince his fellow South American to stay, as well as Gerard Pique, who has had a lot to say on the matter. When asked about the rumours, Pique responded with "He could go to any club in the world, what does he want? More money? Or more titles? I could understand that he wants to be a leader, but not for a sporting project, in all fairness, he's betting everything on one hand (Champions League.)" A few days earlier Pique appeared to be trying to calm the storm, posting on twitter a picture of the Brazilian, the caption being translates to 'he is staying'. However three days after making the post, when again questioned about the move, Pique confirmed everything apart from the statement he had made. The Spanish centre back said that he had spoken to Neymar with the intention of convincing him to stay, and that his hope was the same. Many people at Barcelona consider the Brazilian as the second best player on the planet, and that him staying would be best for his own sake, as well as the clubs. "He doesn't know what to do." Pique followed with. "We'll try to help him make the right decision."
The decision appears to have been made, with Neymar, his father, his representatives, PSG and Barcelona all stating that the move is on. Whether or not this is the correct decision is yet to be seen, one thing is for certain though, this will be the most ground breaking transfer in the history of world football. We've seen stars move from one club to the next, but this will be the first time a transfer of this magnitude has taken place. Barcelona are known for putting huge buy out clauses on their players, representing a 'not for sale sign' and for the first time in history, the huge number wasn't huge enough. The future and present of Brazilian football could be on his way to the French capital, it could go either way, do I want to see the move happen? No. Am I interested? Oh yes. Do I think is is the right thing for Neymar to do? No. But will a player of Neymar's quality continue to be one of the best in the world, no matter where he is? Yes he will.
Now just because Neymar has been given permission to speak to the Paris based club doesn't mean the deal is secured, in fact today Barcelona have also stated that PSG will have to pay the full amount that is stated on the Brazilian's buy out clause, an astounding £198 million, and they will have to pay it in full, up front. PSG are however one of few clubs who could afford the asking price, and with backing from their Qatari owners the former French champions look set to pay the price. This deal will more then double the current world record transfer fee, held by Manchester United and Paul Pogba when he moved from Juventus last summer for £89 million, and this isn't the only way money is a huge factor in this deal. The move could see Neymar become the worlds best paid player, even beating out a number of the ludicrous wage bills coming from China. Paris Saint Germain are prepared to double Neymar's current wage, and it will not be only Neymar Jr getting richer, but senior will as well. It was reported that during the Brazilian forwards initial move to the Camp Nou, his father pocketed an incredible 100 million euro, and with the sale of his son, Neymar senior will receive a 36 million euro commission. This is all taking place after, on Monday 31st July, senior also received a stated 26 million euro loyalty bonus... for his sons loyalty to Barcelona... days before his move to PSG looked like it was on... okay then.
At 25 years old Neymar is already an incredibly rich man, and although his father seems driven by money, the tricky winger doesn't seem to see it as a motivating factor as much. The move to Barcelona demonstrates that, as Real Madrid were prepared to out bid Barca both in terms of transfer fee and wages. So if it isn't money, what else could be pushing Neymar away? Quite simply, and it is quite sad in reality, but Lionel Messi. MSN, Messi, Suarez & Neymar. The Barcelona front line is simply the best in the world, bar none, with three of the world's best players. However the front man will always be, and always has been, Lionel Messi. The Argentinian is seen as the one who started it all, during the 2008/2009 season when the Catalonian's won the treble, it was Messi who was made the figure head of that team, and it has been that way ever since. Now, Xavi, Iniesta, Henry, Suarez, Eto'o, these stars didn't seem to have a problem with being second fiddle to the worlds best, but Neymar appears to have exactly that problem. 8th March 2017, Barcelona 6-1 PSG. One of the most incredible matches of all time, and after Barca had made history, a photo of Messi, stood on top of an advertising board went viral. Seen as an image for the game, 70 million people had seen the snapshot within 48 hours of it going live, and that is where the problem lays. Messi wasn't the star of the show, he wasn't the man who's curling free kick set the comeback in motion, who both won and scored a penalty moments later, or who's chipped ball out thought the entire PSG defence and created the iconic goal scored by Sergi Roberto. It was Neymar. The late assist was Neymar's eighth of the competition, the most of any player, and he had led throughout the game, but he was pushed to a supporting role by Messi, despite deserving leading man accolades for his performance. On record the Brazilian has stated this was the best performance he has given in the red and blue of Barcelona, and the lasting image will always be, Lionel Messi. With Barcelona though, it almost always is. If Neymar truly wants centre stage, to be seen as 'the guy' then he can't do that at Barcelona, not for another few years at least, and by then his best years may have passed him by. What makes this heart braking in a way is two fold, firstly it breaks up the incredible MSN threesome, which is potentially the best attacking line in history. But also, if Neymar holds some form of grudge against Messi, the Argentinian certainly doesn't feel the same. On his official Instagram Messi has posted a video, made up of pictures of the two of them, with the caption 'It was a great pleasure to spend all these years with you my friend Neymar. I wish you good luck in this new stage of your life. See you tomorrow.'
Neymar's move to PSG could be the decision that sees the Brazilian catapulted into superstardom. The French club have just lost their title to Monaco, one they'll be desperate to win back, but above all else, they'll have their eyes on the Champions League. In the 2015 Champions League final, Neymar stared and scored for Barcelona on the way to a 3-1 win, he also scored four goals and provided four assists during the World Cup in Brazil. Neymar also scored the winning penalty in the gold medal match during the 2016 Olympics, a match not taken too seriously around the world, but one seen as huge in Brazil. At just 25 years old the Brazilian has proven he has what it takes to perform on the biggest stage, and he could easily develop into the best player in the world. But would he ever been seen as anything more then a supporting act when he shared the team with Messi? It's a question we perhaps will never get an answer to as Neymar's eyes seem firmly set on a move to Paris. In terms of domestic football it is a HUGE drop in standard, and you have to question whether or not Neymar will be seen as 'taking the easy way out' by going to France, and you have to question if his performances there will ever lead to Balon D'or accreditation? After all, Zlatan scored 113 league goals in 122 league games for the same club, including 38 goals in 31 games during his final season, and yet was never considered the best player in the world because he was playing in a 'mediocre league'. Then on the other hand, Kylian Mbappe has flourished in the same league, and the teenager is tipped for an incredible £100 million + move away from Monaco, and with Monaco reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League this year, the league appears to be on the way up. PSG failing to win the title shows an increase in competition, in fact Nice were also challenging for the title for most of the season. SO perhaps this is the best time for Neymar to come to France, he could not only be the main man in a new look PSG side, but the figurehead for a growing division, much like Messi was in Spain in the late 2000's and ever since.
So what could Barcelona do to persuade Neymar to stay? Well it appeared that a move for Liverpool's Philipe Coutinho, Neymar's friend from childhood, could be what the board do to keep the Brazilian in Spain. However after a reported £90 million offer was rejected by Liverpool, and manager Jurgen Klopp has very sternly stated that his star man is not for sale, the deal seems to be off for now. You could argue however that the Coutinho offer was to bring in Neymar's immediate replacement, but that same argument can't be used for the next rumoured transfer. Paulinho To Barcelona. What? The midfielder who failed to impress for Spurs in England and has spent the last couple of seasons in China was subject to a rumoured 40 million euro offer from the Spanish giants. Why? Well, Paulinho is also one of Neymar's close friends, it appears Barca were certain that the signing of a friend would keep their number 11 at the club. However when Guangzhou Evergrande said Paulinho was not for sale, the move appeared to die there and then. (Probably for the best, Paulinho isn't fit to lace up Iniesta's boots let alone play in the same midfield as him. ) It isn't just the club trying to hold onto one of their star men, but Neymar's team mates as well. Luis Suarez was reportedly using a plane journey to the USA to try and convince his fellow South American to stay, as well as Gerard Pique, who has had a lot to say on the matter. When asked about the rumours, Pique responded with "He could go to any club in the world, what does he want? More money? Or more titles? I could understand that he wants to be a leader, but not for a sporting project, in all fairness, he's betting everything on one hand (Champions League.)" A few days earlier Pique appeared to be trying to calm the storm, posting on twitter a picture of the Brazilian, the caption being translates to 'he is staying'. However three days after making the post, when again questioned about the move, Pique confirmed everything apart from the statement he had made. The Spanish centre back said that he had spoken to Neymar with the intention of convincing him to stay, and that his hope was the same. Many people at Barcelona consider the Brazilian as the second best player on the planet, and that him staying would be best for his own sake, as well as the clubs. "He doesn't know what to do." Pique followed with. "We'll try to help him make the right decision."
The decision appears to have been made, with Neymar, his father, his representatives, PSG and Barcelona all stating that the move is on. Whether or not this is the correct decision is yet to be seen, one thing is for certain though, this will be the most ground breaking transfer in the history of world football. We've seen stars move from one club to the next, but this will be the first time a transfer of this magnitude has taken place. Barcelona are known for putting huge buy out clauses on their players, representing a 'not for sale sign' and for the first time in history, the huge number wasn't huge enough. The future and present of Brazilian football could be on his way to the French capital, it could go either way, do I want to see the move happen? No. Am I interested? Oh yes. Do I think is is the right thing for Neymar to do? No. But will a player of Neymar's quality continue to be one of the best in the world, no matter where he is? Yes he will.
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