Premier League 2015/16 Relegation predictions

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Aston Villa. What a sorry state this club is in at the moment. They currently lie rock bottom of the Barclays Premier League, with just two wins to their name, and have not showed any signs of significant improvement under their new manager Remi Garde. Last season Tim Sherwood managed to re-invigorate the Villa side and guided them to safety. This season was thought to be the season where they would push on and challenge for a mid-table position. However, after losing arguably their two key attacking players in the form of Benteke and Delph, transferring to Liverpool and Manchester City respectively, they simply look lacklustre going forward. They have scored the least amount of goals out of any team in the league, which is not surprising given their league position. Their defence has not been performing that much better either. Having said this, they have been fortunate to retain the services of Brad Guzan, or the situation they find themselves in could be a whole lot worse. I feel the main problem here has been that the signings they have made, have not made adequate replacements for the personnel they have lost. For example, Rudy Gestede who admittedly did well for Blackburn, could not even manage a first team spot at his previous club Cardiff City, so I found it rather surprising when he managed to fashion a move to Aston Villa. So what does all this mean for Villa? They are currently ten points from safety and in all honesty, look like they will certainly be playing Championship football next season. However, that has been said before about the likes of Sunderland and Leicester in recent years. So who knows, maybe this Villa side will be able to emulate their heroics.

Newcastle have been a poor side for a number of seasons now and have shown no real signs of improvement that suggests they deserve to stay in England's top flight. Despite changing their manager, once again, and investing millions in players in an attempt to strengthen their squad, the Magpies have been poor so far this season. This could be a very important January transfer window for them. They have already shown that they are determined to stay in this league through the signings of Shelvey and Townsend, each player estimated to have been purchased for around £12m. This may seem like a lot of money, but if these signings help them avoid the drop, it will all be worth it. They have also been linked with Loic Remy, to bolster their goal scoring options. Their summer signings such as Mbemba and Mitrovic to name a few, while undoubtabley talented, are not Premier league proven, and I feel that is what this Newcastle side is lacking. Appointing Steve McClaren as manager was also a questionable decision as he is not someone with a wealth of premier league experience, and has struggled this season. We have seen moments of real fight and determination from his side such as their 3-3 draw with Man United recently. They are in the best position of the three teams here, being just two points away from safety. They play Aston Villa on the penultimate weekend of the season, which could be a huge game for both clubs.

Sunderland currently sit second from bottom in the table and are in real trouble. However, with Sam Allardyce at the helm, who has never been relegated from the Premier League, they have a fighting chance. Like their rivals, this could prove to be a vital transfer window for them too. Selling their starting goalkeeper to Watford in form of Pantillimon was an odd choice. They have brought in Dame N'Doye, a forward who featured a few times for Hull when they were in Premier League, and Lamine Kone from French side Lorient to give them more options at the back. It really is not surprising that they have signed a defender, as they currently have the worst defensive record in the league, conceding an average of two goals per game. The signings that were brought in during the summer have also been more of a hindrance. Jermaine Lens has failed to impress scoring just three goals and picking up a red card along the way. If anyone is going to keep the Black Cats up this season it is going to be Jermaine Defoe. He has proved himself for a number of clubs across the years and his experience may prove to be invaluable if Sunderland can repeat their amazing escape from relegation in the 2013/14 season. They have a seriously difficult February coming up, playing the likes of Liverpool and both Manchester clubs. They also play Watford on the last day of the season, but by then it may be too late.

If any of the three are to avoid relegation I think it will be Newcastle. They have invested heavily and seem to always just about stay in the league. If they do stay up I would expect a club such as Bournemouth or Norwich, to take their place. It may seem very optimistic to predict that no newly promoted side will go down, but I think Watford Norwich and Bournemouth have all done exceptionally well, especially Bournemouth who at the start of the season, were outright favourites to make an immediate return to the Championship. This years Premier League is as hard to call at the bottom as it is at the top. But I cannot see Aston Villa, Newcastle or Sunderland staying in England's top flight any longer.



Troubling times for Newcastle and Sunderland

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          Sunderland currently sit in 19th spot in the Premier League table with a meagre 3 points so far. The only reason they are not bottom of the pile is because of their North East rivals, Newcastle, being on a worse goal difference. It is worrying times for both clubs as this is not just a rough patch for them, this has been going on for a few seasons now, and the fans are fed up. If something does not change quickly, both sides could be facing the drop this season, and after watching them play, it is clear to see why this is a realistic possibility.

          Despite Dick Advocaat guiding Sunderland to safety towards the end of last season, he did not start the new season with them at all well, and as a result has now left his managerial position at the Stadium of Light. This change had to be made sooner rather than later. The final nail in the coffin for the Dutchman was their most recent result where they let a two goal lead slip at home to West Ham. If they are to stay up this season, they cannot be so wasteful. However, with the news that Sam Allardyce has now been appointed as Sunderland's new manager, they may have a great chance of staying up. He has never had a team relegated from the Premier League and was the obvious choice. This is sure to add even more spice to the derby days between these two, with Allardyce being a former manager of Newcastle. The black cats must be more solid defensively if they want to stay up this season and are in need of a leader at the back. Kaboul was brought in to give the back line more experience and pace, but he is yet to impress. Coates has also performed poorly when he has played. But who knows, maybe under Allardyce, they will iron out these deficiencies and concede far fewer goals. They lack depth and most importantly, quality in midfield. Although in fairness, at least they have a character that will get stuck in, in the form of Lee Cattermole. They also have a proven Premier league goal scorer in Jermain Defoe who won them one of the derbies last season with a magnificent strike. If anyone is going to provide the goals to keep Sunderland up, it will be him. Big Sam has a real challenge on his hands here, but they now have a much better chance of remaining in the league with him at the helm.

         
          Newcastle have already proved that they are able to compete with top teams in this league. They drew with Chelsea and Manchester United, while only narrowly losing 1-0 to Arsenal. On the other hand they have also had some tragic results such as being knocked out of the League Cup by Sheffield Wednesday at home, and being thrashed 6-1 away to Manchester City. The main problem with the Newcastle squad at the moment is the lack of proven Premier League players they possess. I shall not name all of their summer signings, but the majority are players that have good potential, but have not had the experience of a relegation battle, which is something that Newcastle may well be involved in come April time. Players that will certainly give them a good chance of staying up this season are the likes of Tim Krul, Tiote and in particular Janmaat who has given them a lot going forward despite playing full back. I have focused on the issues on the pitch as opposed to off it, as that could take a long time. All I shall say is that something needs to be sorted out soon. This conflict has been going on for far too long between the fans and the owner Mike Ashley. Newcastle are undoubtabley a big club, and have much higher ambitions than just scraping survival. Maybe this is a job too far for Steve McClaren but only time will tell.

          How are these two clubs going to get out of the situation they are in ? In some ways attack is the best form of defence. Leicester are living proof of this. Last season everyone had them as favourites to go down and looked dead and buried by February. But they came out and attacked teams, resulting in them getting the points they needed to remain in the Premier League. This is surely the style they must adopt. Sunderland have even done it before in the 2013/14, making a fantastic surge to safety, beating the likes of Chelsea at Stamford Bridge and thrashed Cardiff to ensure they did not make the drop to the Championship. I am really looking forward to seeing how the season unfolds for these two clubs. Hopefully things can improve for them as they are both big clubs, not to mention the derby between the two sides each season which is full of passion and excitement. Both managers have a big task ahead.

Arsene able to, 'Break clubs transfer record'.

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          Arsene Wenger has been given the go ahead to, 'break the clubs transfer record,' this summer according their director Lord Harris. For many years Arsenal fans have been wanting top class signings but more often than not, they have not splashed their cash, resulting in a number of players brought to the club who are not at the standard required to play for a top four team in England. Players that come to mind here are the likes of Johan Djourou, Andrey Arshavin and Nicklas Bendtner to name a few. However, with this new found freedom given to Arsene Wenger, they could build a title contending squad.
          Arsenal were a classy side in the 2014/15 season. Finishing third in the Premier league is no mean feat, but finishing either third or fourth has become second nature now, and the fans are getting increasingly restless. But, with this news of a lot of money there to be spent, they could bring in a great deal of talent. For as long as I can remember Arsenal have been linked with Arturo Vidal, but have now missed their chance on getting a world class midfielder, pipped to the post by Bayern who agreed a fee for the Chilean on July 23rd. They have needed a commanding midfielder for some time now, but now also have to rule out Sami Khedira due to his recent move to Juventus. Their current midfield is technically excellent, with Aaron Ramsey, Mesut Ozil and Santi Cazorla. This has been said multiple times before, but it is true, they lack a Patrick Viera style midfielder, a box to box player who is strong and powerful. For all their technical class, none of their current midfielders provide this.

          Arsenal also must look at striking options over the summer period. With news that Alexis Sanchez will miss at least a few games at the start of the season, responsibility will land on either Walcott or Giroud to find then net. While both players have shown quality, neither have been consistent. The Gunners have been linked with Karim Benzema and he seems like the only really good option left, given that Jackson Martinez made his move to Atleticio earlier in the summer. However, with rumours that Edin Dzeko could leave Manchester City this transfer window, could he make an unlikely move to the Emirates?
          In terms of the defensive end of the field, Arsenal have had a number of defensive frailties over recent seasons; whether it be the manager's tactics or individual error. Having said that, they were much more organised and the defence was solid last season. Debuchy from Newcastle was a good purchase and when called upon, Nacho Monreal performed admirably at centre back, which is not his natural position. The problem they have had with defenders, is that they have not had enough of them. If one or two were injured, the side was severely weakened due to their lack of defenders to call upon, should such an event happen. I thought Laurent Koscielny had improved a lot last season, but you cannot help but think how much they would benefit from a Hummels or Boateng sitting at the heart of their defence.

          While there may be need for recruitment in other areas of the field, there is certainly no need for any more when it comes to goalkeepers. Petr Cech is one of the worlds best, not to mention the backup they have in the form of Wojciech Szczęsny and Ospina. Cech was an excellent buy, and the first step in what has the potential to be a title contending team.
          Arsenal clearly have a lot of work to do if they are to really compete with the teams around them. Chelsea were almost flawless last season and would take a huge push to really challenge them for the title. There is also no doubt that Manchester City will strengthen even more than they already have as well. With all three teams having huge budgets to spend, it could make for some very interesting transfers across the rest of the summer.

Norwich City FC and Fantasy Football recommendations

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Norwich City are back in the Premier League. After being relegated in the 2013/14 season, they have come back strong and have returned to England’s top flight at the first time of asking. For myself and many others this, in all honesty, did not come as a huge surprise. They were well equipped for the Championship as their big name players remained at the club. Despite a few hiccups in the first half of the season, they attained promotion via the play-offs and deserve to be in the Premier League.

          The Canaries have a solid team that you would tip to stay up this year given the additions they have made and the future ones they may make. One of their most recent summer additions, Youseff Mulumbu, is a quality signing. He has been an unsung hero for West Brom for a number of seasons now, but his hard work has not gone unnoticed. With the likes of Raheem Sterling and Christian Benteke signing for Manchester City and Liverpool respectively, signings like Mulumbu often go unrecognised, but he could prove to be one of the bargains of the summer, especially considering that they acquired him for free. In truth, manager Alex Neil does not have to make a great number of additions to his squad, as he already has a plethora of talent at his disposal. Players such as Cameron Jerome, Nathan Redmond and Alexander Tettey were all superb in the Championship, and will no doubt want to show what they can do in the Premier League. However, it is no secret that adapting to the level required to stay in the top tier of English football is tricky, even when you have only been absent from the league for one season, like Norwich have. It will undoubtedly be a tough season, but Norwich look like a top flight team and have some brilliant players.

          For me, Cameron Jerome is a must in a fantasy team. He netted twenty-one times in all competitions last season, alongside a fair number of assists. He is big, powerful and sure to put defences through their paces. Other Norwich players to also consider would be the likes of Nathan Redmond, who contributes well to general play, along with good pace and skill. With this he is likely to get a number of assists. Michael Turner could also be an option. The towering centre-half is always an aerial threat from corners but may be a risk given the calibre of players he and his defensive team mates will be facing. There are however, a few players from Norwich who I would certainly avoid selecting. While no doubt a solid keeper, John Ruddy will be under a lot of pressure. With newly promoted teams, a lot of the time it is down to the goal keeper to keep their side in the game. While Ruddy is certainly capable of this, he is unlikely to keep many clean sheets and therefore is not a good selection for a fantasy team. Another player to avoid is Louis Grabban. Although he scored a respectable twelve goals last season in all competitions, he may not be played a great deal this season. He may either not be picked or may be sent out on loan at some point, so Jerome would definitely be the better option here. When choosing a squad, look out for those Norwich players, there are a few hidden gems in that side.

Everton v West Brom 2015

          Everton and West Brom both desperately needed the points today. Just one point separated the two sides in the table prior to kick off, and are both dangerously close to the relegation zone. That is what made the game such an important one. The odds were strongly in Everton's favour, with West Brom winning just one of their previous fifteen visits to Goodison Park. However, West Brom could not be under estimated. With Tony Pulis at the helm they are now a far more organised side. The home fans had to be patient with their team. Everyone was expecting the Baggies to travel to Merseyside tonight and be a well disciplined side, and that is exactly what they were.

         As you would expect from Everton, they started off controlling the game and keeping the ball for prolonged periods of time with little pressure from West Brom to close them down. Everton's ever threatening full backs, Coleman and Baines looked keen to get forward on every occasion and were the most threatening players on the pitch in the first half. In the opening ten minutes, West Brom had hardly touched the ball, let alone ventured in to Everton's half. The Toffee's continued to ask questions of West Brom's back line, but as you would expect from a Pulis team, they were resilient, and kept their shape well, rarely making mistakes. Everton turned up the tempo and created a number of chances, but Foster was more than capable of dealing with what was thrown at him. Eventually the pressure payed off. Just a few minutes before half time, Everton were awarded a penalty for a clumsy handball by Lescott. Mirallas stepped up, and rattled the post, much to the frustration of the Everton faithful. The teams went into the break all square.

          The second half continued just as the first had ended. Everton were relentless. There was no patient passing around the back, they drove at West Brom with purpose, and it seemed only a matter of time before Everton claimed the lead they deserved. However, far too often the final ball was simply not good enough from Everton. Despite all of their attacking, Ben Foster always seemed comfortable, and it helped him massively that the defence that stood in front of him was solid. While the fans stuck with Everton for the majority of the match, they became increasingly anxious, almost angry at the fact that their team were not comfortably winning this game. It seemed to just not be Everton's day, regardless of what they threw at West Brom. The game ended with the home fans booing and Roberto Martinez looking very frustrated.
          The West Brom defence could not be breached by Everton today. A point does not really help either side and they both still have a lot of work to do. However this draw is certainly more valuable for West Brom than it is for Everton, as you would expect that come May, West Brom would be in the relegation dog fight, and Everton will have sorted things out. Martinez will certainly see this as two points dropped, but it was a point nonetheless. West Brom showed the sort of fight tonight that Palace did last season under Tony Pulis, and I believe he will guide them to safety. As for Everton, they need to get over this bad spell. They have a lot of games to play, due to their Europa League qualification, and must be more efficient in games such as this, where they really should have bagged all three points.  

Cardiff City, the season so far

          It is fair to say that Cardiff have endured a rather shaky start to their 2014/15 campaign. After being relegated from the Premier League at the end of last season, everyone had high hopes that they would go straight back up. It was all set up to be a successful season with one of Europe's most promising managers, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, at the helm, and a team that had the experience of playing in the Premier League. But unfortunately, due to a number of changes within the club and the on going battle between the fans and the owner for a return to the traditional Cardiff City, the season so far has been one of disappointment.
          After just a few games into his first season in the championship, Solskjaer was sacked. In truth it was a decision that most fans saw coming. The Norwegian had not managed to keep the Bluebirds in the Premier League and failed to deliver in the Championship. Swiftly after that Russell Slade was named Cardiff's new manager. The former Leyton Orient leader continuously emphasises the need for togetherness and hard work within the camp, but this so far, has certainly not been reflected on the pitch.
          Despite a strong start for Slade, results have been going down hill and the defeats are not unlucky ones, they are convincing. Most recently their 5-3 away defeat to Bournemouth and their 3-2 and 4-2 defeats at home to Brentford and Watford respectively. They look fragile and it is clear that the majority of the summer signings have yet to settle. In particular the strikers have been very poor. Adam Le Fondre and Macheda were recruited during the summer and they have both been woeful so far. They look sluggish, are devoid of pace and do not seem to have any sort of a strikers instinct. It seems as though there is still a lot to work on.
          The season has produced a lot of negativity but there are some positives. There are a number of promising youngsters that have made the squad such as, Declan John, Kadeem Harris and Joe Ralls. Surely Slade could consider taking a leaf out of Louis Van Gaal's handbook, and give the youngsters more of a run in the team to give them confidence. It was also give them team some much needed pace in the case of John and Harris. The plays offs or promotion in general looks a long way off but maybe Cardiff fans can find hope in the fact that in recent seasons, there has always been a team that has put together a good run of results leading up to the end of the season, normally resulting in them swooping into the play offs. To repeat, this seems very unlikely with the club like it is at the moment, but there is always a chance that this year that team could be Cardiff.
          Cardiff have a lot of work to do if they are serious about clinching promotion. There does not seem to be much passion in their play and it is frustrating for the supporters who spend their money on tickets to watch them perform well below par, particularly in front of the home fans. It is crucial for the club that they get back to winning ways and show everyone they want a return to the premier league. The cup match later today against Colchester is a crucial one. They must win that game, not only for financial reasons, but also for the sake of the Cardiff faithful.

Everton v Krasnodar Europa League group qualifiers 2014

          Everton have performed well in the Europa League. Before kick-off, they were already guaranteed to progress to the next round of the competition, so there was no pressure on the team to get something from the game.  It was a chance to give their reserve players some game time, a good tactic, as these players are keen to impress and show the manager their worth. As for the Russian side, they have had a dismal European campaign. They sat rock bottom of Group H with not a single win to their name before kick-off, and would remain there if they did not take points from this fixture. However, a win tonight against a weakened Everton side would renew some confidence within the squad.

          Despite neither side having anything to play for in this match, it was a good contest. It was great to see that Roberto Martinez had chosen a lot of young players, a number of them being Everton academy graduates and, despite a few lapses in concentration at the back, they settled into the game well. Garbutt the left back was particularly impressive. He got forward often and was always looking to run at the defence and cause them problems. Despite starting promisingly, there was not a lot of creativity in the final third. On a night that was set for the youngsters of Everton to shine, it was typical that, instead, the visitors had the majority of the chances and just after the half hour mark, Krasnodar took the lead. The game then became a very open affair, as Everton searched hard for an equaliser, and Krasnodar pressed for a second. Everton re-asserted themselves in the game but half time came at the wrong moment for them, as they were just starting to get into a good rhythm. Everton went into half time 1-0 down.

           Roberto Martinez looked increasingly frustrated with his young side. Their passing football was easy on the eye but they lacked any cutting edge and rarely caused the Russian sides defence any difficulties. Everton were finding it hard to cope with Krasnodar, and if the visitors were more clinical with the opportunities presented to them, they could have been three up by the hour mark. The second half lacked the intensity of the first, and the game rather petered out towards the end, with the away side maintaining their advantage, and leaving Goodison park with all three points.

          It was a valiant effort from Everton's youngsters and it was good to see them acquire some match practice. In patches, they played stylish football, but really did not have anyone who looked like they were going to find the net today. Nonetheless, they now have been given a taster of the Europa League and can take many positives from this evenings contest. Krasnodar did well to come to Goodison Park and take all three points today, despite being against a weakened opposition. At least they have now recorded a win in this year's Europa League, despite having been already knocked out of the competition prior to kick-off. Everton can now focus on their domestic campaign. They will feel confident for Monday night's game against QPR as their first team has now had a substantial rest.