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Tapped Up [14/08]

A quick update for tonight. Using the BBC’s prediction competition as a guideline, here are my guesses for how the season might pan out:

Premiership:-

1. Man Utd
2. Chelsea
3. Liverpool
4. Man City
5. Everton
6. Arsenal
7. Spurs
8. West Ham
9. Aston Villa
10. Sunderland
11. Wigan
12. Fulham
13. Wolves
14. Bolton
15. Stoke
16. Burnley
17. Blackburn
18. Birmingham
19. Hull
20. Portsmouth

United will take their 4th in a row, but it will be a very tight finish. I expect it could go down to something as thin as goal difference between the top two, with the so-called ‘Big Four’ finally being broken up. The other half of Manchester will have high hopes for the season but fourth will have to suffice due to Liverpool and Chelsea being much more of a unit after not many changes this summer. Liverpool losing Alonso will hurt them, but they’ve purchased a good replacement in Aquilani.

It was tough to decide who will stick and who will bust between Aston Villa and Everton; two sides who many thought would be the best option to break into the top four, one of them has to show signs of cracking under pressure. I’ve opted for Villa, who I’ve placed in ninth, with the blue half of Merseyside in fifth, above Arsenal, who have not replaced the big names they have sold in the summer.

Of the mid-table sides, Sunderland just shade it, as Bruce will turn them into a side worthy of staying in the Premier League. Fulham will find European and Domestic football a little too much, possibly including the sale of Brede Hangeland at some point this season, and will slip to a disappointing, but safe twelfth, pipped slightly by Roberto Martinez’s Wigan, who will do okay this term, but will perhaps falter next season.

Further down the league table there are the promoted sides; Wolves will be highest based on the experience of Mick McCarthy. Burnley will be involved in a relegation fight from day one, not helped by the horrid selection of opening fixtures they’ve been given, though they’ll be proud to finish above Blackburn in their first top flight season. Hull and Portsmouth have not impressed as well as hoped in the transfer market, and both will find the coming season much much tougher. Birmingham will join them in going down.

As far as cup competitions go:

FA Cup: Arsenal
League Cup: Liverpool
Champions League: Real Madrid

and completing the BBC bets:

First Premier League manager to leave his job: Phil Brown
Premier League top scorer: Fernando Torres
Championship: Derby County.

On a side note, players to watch out for will include Joze Altidore (Hulls most promising signing, shame its only on loan), Fabian Delph, Stephen Fletcher, Richard Eckersley, Anthony Vanden Borre and James McCarthy.