20 Myths of the Premier League - Fact or Fiction.

AFC Bournemouth - EDDIE HOWE FOR ENGLAND

I personally am a big fan of Eddie Howe. A young, enthusiastic, English manager who has done great things at the seaside club with very limited resources. If the FA MUST hire an Englishman, Howe is my pick. But if the manager of a side 13th in the Premier League table is the man for the job, we as Englishman need to re-evaluate our expectations. Don't hire an Englishman just for the sake of it.

Verdict - FICTION

Arsenal - THE INVINCIBLES ARE THE BEST ENGLISH TEAM OF ALL TIME

I have actually compiled an entire article on this point recently which was published by Clickon Sports. So if you want more details feel free to find it either on this site or on Clickon (Re-named as 'The Versed') . But to make it short and sweet for the sake of busting the myth. Did the 03/04 Arsenal side reach a record points total? No. In fact when Premier League champions are concerned, five sets of champions recorded more points. Goals, they scored loads right? Nope. In the last decade, eight of the ten champions of England scored more then the Invincibles. But they did go unbeaten right? Yes, in the league, but they actually lost their biggest game of the season to Chelsea in Europe. But going unbeaten is an incredible achievement. Fact, but do the maths - you can go unbeaten in the Premier League season and still get relegated. Please go an read my piece I wrote on this, I can't stress that point enough!

VERDICT - FICTION

Brighton & Hove Albion - A GOOD DAY OUT 

I was struggling to find something to say about Brighton, they have only returned to the first tier of England this season after a long hiatus. Their fans are nothing to shout about, but yet are also nothing to be embarrassed about. The try to play decent football, but also are known to try and grind out a result. So what what can I say? You know you'd love an away day at Brighton. A lovely sea-side town, one of the warmer places to go in England. And when it comes to the football, your side always have the possibility of bringing home three points from the Amex. No one really hates Brighton, because how can you hate them?

VERDICT - FACT

Burnley - THE GINGER JOSE MOURINHO 

Dyche's nickname isn't quite as memorable as 'the special one' but it's perhaps as complimentary. Burnley are a side who, time after time, upset expectations. I can speak for everyone who wrote the claret and blues off this season (I predicted them to finish dead last!) But Sean Dyche's side currently find themselves in 7th place, and been flirting with the top 6 for much of the campaign so far. Where as last season they were virtually unmatched at home, this time around their away record is exemplary. There is always something with the side from Turf Moor, they find a way to scratch and claw themselves to where they want to be. Not quite total football, but football none the less. masterminded by the ginger Jose Mourinho.

VERDICT - FACT 

Chelsea - "I'VE BEEN A FAN SINCE THE 90'S"

Any fan of the blues that claims to have been a fan before the Russian money came in. Ask them one simple question. "Who is Jesper Gronkjer?" If they can not tell you that Gronkjer scored the winner in the last game of the 2002/2003 Premier League season. The goal which secured Champions League football and secured that Roman Abramovic invested his fortune in Chelsea instead of going across London to Spurs. If they can not answer this question, the were likely, not chanting blue is the colour before 2003.

Verdict - FICTION

Crystal Palace - THE BEST FANS IN THE COUNTRY 

Crystal Palace fans, like most fans in England, will claim to be the best in the country. But unlike most, they make a real go of it. Claret and blue flares burning, flags waving, and songs singing throughout most games at Selhurst Park. And they have earned a reputation for being extremely supportive to their side. Maybe not the popular or obvious choice, but the case is very much there for Palace fans. However, the fact is, the noise coming from Selhurst is significantly lower at times of turmoil then it is when things are looking up. Where as this is the case for most sides, I personally do not believe the 'best fans in the country' would let their support drop off when their club is struggling for form. A bit harsh yes, but this is my article so I'm going with it.

VERDICT - FICTION

Everton - THE OTHER SIDE FROM MERSEYSIDE

Do the Toffee's have the rich history of Liverpool? No. Do they have the current attacking power of Liverpool? No. Do they have the world wide support of Liverpool? No. But to call Everton the 'other side from Merseyside' would be a disservice. Particularly in the 1980's, Everton were as good as any side in Europe - winning one FA Cup, one European Cup Winners Cup, and two English league titles. However the Heysel Stadium disaster, which lead to a ban of English clubs from European competitions saw Everton lose their chance to compete for more top prices across the continent. And much of the title winning side moved on as a result. A history worth shouting about, which could have been so much more if it wasn't for outside events.   

VERDICT - FICTION

Huddersfield town - THEY'RE JUST HERE TO ENJOY THE RIDE

The Terriers just seem happy to be here. The fans, the players, even the manager and the board. I think it's fair to say that very few people would expect Huddersfield to still be a Premier League side in 5 years time. This is no dig on the Yorkshire side, they simply are not a big enough side to compete with the riches of the biggest league in the world. The only other Premier League sides of a similar size to Huddersfield are Brighton and Bournemouth, both of which have a financial backing that simply is absent for the Premier League first timers. It will be fun while it lasts no doubt however to anyone involved with the club.

VERDICT - FACT

Leicester City - CRISPS

Now this one really did make me laugh, but how can it not be crisps! Their best player of all time? Arguably Gary Lineker. As his Twitter bio will tell you - "Still flogging spuds." In reference to his glistering career as a representative for Walkers crisps.  Speaking of Walkers crisps, the famous old ground, Filbert Street, was replaced in 2002. And in it's place we got, the Walkers stadium. Crisps through and through.

VERDICT - FACT

Liverpool - THE HISTORY CHANNEL 

Now this one hurts (I'm a Liverpool fan if you are new to this site!) Liverpool football club have, without a doubt, the most storied and successful history in English football. 18 League titles. 5 European Cups. 7 FA Cups. And 8 League Cups. An incredible tally. But then, you realise there has only been one trophy won by the reds in the last decade (A league cup in 2011.) And even more painful reading for Liverpool fans, they haven't won the league title in the last 28 years. 1990. And yet Liverpool fans claim to be following one of the biggest sides in Europe. In terms of prestige, no doubt, Liverpool are up there with Barcelona and Real Madrid. But how can a claim be made for Liverpool to be one of the world's biggest sides, without a league title in 28 years?

VERDICT - FACT 

Manchester City - OIL MONEY HAS BOUGHT SUCCESS

Can you really argue with this? Manchester City were a mid table side, dwarfed in size by their cross city rivals United as recently as the mid 2000's. When one of Sheikh Mansour's investment companies acquired City the amount of money that was being thrown around was unheard of, even by fellow Premier League side Chelsea, the most recent team to benefit from foreign money. Although I would argue that 'Pep has bought the title' in this most recent season is a floored argument, you can not say with any confidence what so ever that City would not have won two Premier League titles in the past five years if it wasn't for Mansour's cheque book.

VERDICT - FACT

Manchester United - THEIR FANS DON'T LIVE IN MANCHESTER  

No matter how much I'd love to claim that the 20 times champions of England have no Manchester based fans, they do sell out Old Trafford every week. They are, at the end of the day, one of the most well supported sides on the planet. So the fact that you always see someone representing the red devils when you go on holiday is not exactly surprising. A pretty staggering statistic is that, out of every ten adults ON THE PLANET, there is on average of between one or two United fans amongst the bunch. Now United's clear use of signings from certain countries to indulge their foreign fans *cough cough* Kagawa *cough cough* is a story for another time, and although United do have a huge amount of fans outside of Manchester, this is down to their immense support more then their lack of Manchester based support.

VERDICT - FICTION

Newcastle United - THE BIGGEST CLUB IN ENGLAND 

Try and have a conversation about the current state of Newcastle United with a Newcastle fan right now. It's almost a certainty that you will hear your fair share of shouting and swearing. And this frustration is built from the incredible last of success lately for a club the size of Newcastle. Now during the 90's, the Kevin Keegan and Kenny Dalglish era, Newcastle were a very good side. Kind of the way Spurs are a very good side now. But did they win anything? You know the answer to that. In fact, they haven't won a trophy since 1955. Maybe it's time those expectations are lowered a tad.

VERDICT - FICTION 

Southampton - LIVERPOOL'S OUT OF TOWN ACADEMY 

Since 2014 the Saints have sold a grand total of 6 first team players to the red half of Merseyside. Most recently Virgin Van Dijk for a Liverpool record £75 million. Sadio Mane, Adam Lallana, Dejan Lovren, Nathaniel Clyne and Rickie Lambert have also made the switch in the last four years. It's not all doom and gloom for Southampton however, as they have received over £170 million in transfer fees from these players and aren't massively worse off in their league position. But calling Southampton Liverpool's out of town academy? It's easy to see why!

VERDICT - FACT 

Stoke City - A COLD TUESDAY NIGHT AT STOKE

No one looks forward to an away day at Stoke. The generic statement thrown around by fans since Stoke joined the English Premier League. Under Tony Pulis the Potters were a hard to beat, well drilled, tough tackling side that loved a good old long throw. When Pulis was replaced with Mark Hughes the crunching tackles were replaced with tricky wingers, the Welshman trying to change the ideology of Stoke. 'Stoke-alona' however didn't last long, and now not only are this Stoke side not hard to beat at home, the style Hughes tried to implement never really saw the light of day.

VERDICT - FICTION

Swansea City - THE WELSH BARCELONA

When Swansea City were promoted to the Premier League in 2012, they brought with them a certain style of football, which drew the attention of many fans. A slick, passing style, seemingly implemented by the manager Brendan Rodgers. I say it was brought in by Rodgers as when he left to Liverpool, he took the style with him. Now, it wasn't an immediate change in style, under Michael Laudrup the Welsh club did win the League cup in 2013. But over time, the Spanish like tika-taka football has been replaced with a style much more expecting from a side battling relegation.

VERDICT - FICTION 

Tottenham Hotspur - HARRY KANE WILL BREAK THE PREMIER LEAGUE SCORING RECORD

At the time of writing this Harry Kane has scored 99 Premier League goals. Alan Shearer, the record holder, ended his career with 260. That leaves Spurs' Kane with 161 goals to hit before he ties the great Shearer. Now Kane is 24, Shearer retired at 35 so lets assume Kane does the same. That's potentially 11 Premier League seasons left in his career. That would mean Kane would have to score an average of 15 goals a season for those 11 years to beat the record. This isn't impossible, the Englishman has scored 20+ Premier League goals for the past four seasons. But to keep that sort of form up for the rest of his career? That is one tough ask. And we haven't even factored in the possibility that some of the world's biggest clubs are after the Englishman. Say... Real Madrid? Virtually any time away from the top tier of English football would make this an impossible task. Sorry Spurs fans, you'll have to win a real trophy!

VERDICT - FICTION

Watford - MANAGERS JOB IS A 12 MONTH GIG

The fact is Watford have not had a manager last over a year in charge since 2012. Eight managers since then have taken charge of the Hornets to varying levels of success. It does make you wonder who is in charge of the hiring and firing at Watford with especially the last three gaffers - Quique Sanchez Flores, Walter Mazzarri and Marco Silva. All relieved of their day to day duties despite not doing a poor job at all. Their must have been a bet placed somewhere by the Watford board. 'Most managers hired and fired in ten years.'

VERDICT - FACT

West Bromwich Albion - YO YO CLUB

This one is simply just facts. Between 2002 and 2010, West Brom fans watched four promotions to the Premier League and three relegations back down to the Championship/Division one. To their credit, since 2010 West Brom have retained their Premier League status, in an attempt to shake their reputation as the yo-yo club of English football. But they aren't quite there yet.

VERDICT - FACT

West Ham United - THE WEST HAM WAY

The West Ham way. An idea that West Ham United fans demand a certain quality of football to be played by their team. With managerial appointments of recent times seemingly beating this idea into the ground, modern football fans are all too familiar with a very different West Ham way. (100%, I stole this one from Paddy Power.) The West Ham way - Win a trophy every 35 years, sign players you don't actually own, sign players who are never fit, BUBBLES.

VERDICT - FICTION

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.