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Moving swiftly on, as soon as one season begins to draw to a close, you start thinking about the next, and when you think about it, the next one is going to be SO crucial for so many of the teams at the top.
Arsenal should really be celebrating three consecutive titles tonight, but they blew it last season, and aren't. In fact, under Wenger they've yet to successfully defend their title. That will be a sometihng they really want to do now, as well as go a little further in Europe. This season, however, they've really raised the bar as to what is expected to win the championship, and they'll be hard pushed to go so long unbeaten again.
Man Utd could perhaps get away with suggesting that this season was something of a transitional period. They've brought in an awful lot of young players, and they'll need to prove that they've moved on next season. The problem this time was a lack of creativity. Too many of our defeats have been 1-0's, and that shouldn't happen. You can't put another season down to transition, when the same old faces are still there, so what they need is to get back into contention for the Champion's League, and push for the league to the final whistle, rather than being mathematically out of it with Arsenal still to play 5 matches, as they were.
Chelsea will want to move on from this year too, but they'll probably be doing it under a different manager, and they'll also probably bring in new faces. Whether this means that some players will move on, I don't know. Whoever the new man is, they'll be under huge pressure to get results, and as such, it could prove difficult.
Liverpool have not been good enough this season. Houllier has had the time he said it would take, and has failed to deliver. It seems that he's going to be allowed ot stay for one more season, and given money to spend, but given some of his purchases, I'm not sure this is a wise move by the board. They may yet be in the Champion's League next season, but really, for a team like Liverpool, struggling for 4th place is not good enough, the players have not been good enough, and the fans will demand more.
Newcastle have taken a step back from last season. Last season, at times, they looked like realistic title contenders. This season, they've never been in contention. They blew a chance to get into the Champion's League, and they're in a scrap to get back there next season too. Shearer isn't getting any younger, and neither is Bobby. If they finish the season with the EUFA cup, that'll be a massive result, but improvement is needed in the league.
Aston Villa have done well to get where they are this season, but it seems that O'Leary will have little money to spend to improve upon his squad, of which he's going to lose a number of players on free's at the end of the season. They don't want to do an Everton, and follow up on a strong position, with a relegation battle.
Middlesborough, Southampton, Charlton, Birmingham, Fulham and Bolton have all had pretty decent seasons in terms of the league, and I guess that staying in the same position, and not slipping into a relegation battle will be a priority for all next season. Middlesborough will have European football to play next season, and so could either Charlton, Birmingham or Fulham - though Villa Newcastle or Liverpool will probably occupy 4th, 5th, & 6th places, but all will be hoping they can push for something similar next season.
Tottenham, Everton and Blackburn have simply not been good enough this season. Whilst Tottemham will bring in a new boss, they'll expect an immediate improvement given the talent they have - especially up front. If they got a midfield, they should be top 8. Everton and Blackburn are coming off of the back of a high finish last year, and are simply failing to reproduce. Things need to pick up quickly, or another season at the wrong end of the table for no good reason will be on the cards.
Portsmouth have surprised everybody by not being rooted to the bottom of the table. No one expected them to do so well, and next season they'll probably be expected to falter also, but Harry can work miracles, so we'll see.
Man City/ Leeds. The form these are in, it seems Leeds are the more likely to go down, but which ever is in the premier league next season, they need ot drastically improve. Both teams would lose a wealth of talent if relegated - but whoever stays up may not be able to keep who they've got either. Managerial changes could be on the cards, and whoever stays up, should work hard to ensure they don't end up in the same position again next year.
Norwich & West Brom will both be expected to go down. Both have little money to spend, but they have decent managers that have got them up without spending a fortune. West Brom will be in a better position than last time, given that they do have the experience now, but both teams will have the fight of their lives on if they want to stay up.
Play-Off team:
I really can't predict who this is going to be. Sunderland aren't in great form right now. Ipswich are, but have they the bottle to keep it up? Wigan are the surprise package of the division, and create plenty of chances. West Ham were favourites to win the league, but have lost so many players, they're barely recogniseable. Crystal Palce, Sheffield United, Reading and Milwall will all still hope to end up their too. Who ever comes up will struggle, though I feel if it was West Ham or Sunderland, they might be able to splash out on a few big names to help them out.
Either way, it'll be fun...
Arsenal should really be celebrating three consecutive titles tonight, but they blew it last season, and aren't. In fact, under Wenger they've yet to successfully defend their title. That will be a sometihng they really want to do now, as well as go a little further in Europe. This season, however, they've really raised the bar as to what is expected to win the championship, and they'll be hard pushed to go so long unbeaten again.
Man Utd could perhaps get away with suggesting that this season was something of a transitional period. They've brought in an awful lot of young players, and they'll need to prove that they've moved on next season. The problem this time was a lack of creativity. Too many of our defeats have been 1-0's, and that shouldn't happen. You can't put another season down to transition, when the same old faces are still there, so what they need is to get back into contention for the Champion's League, and push for the league to the final whistle, rather than being mathematically out of it with Arsenal still to play 5 matches, as they were.
Chelsea will want to move on from this year too, but they'll probably be doing it under a different manager, and they'll also probably bring in new faces. Whether this means that some players will move on, I don't know. Whoever the new man is, they'll be under huge pressure to get results, and as such, it could prove difficult.
Liverpool have not been good enough this season. Houllier has had the time he said it would take, and has failed to deliver. It seems that he's going to be allowed ot stay for one more season, and given money to spend, but given some of his purchases, I'm not sure this is a wise move by the board. They may yet be in the Champion's League next season, but really, for a team like Liverpool, struggling for 4th place is not good enough, the players have not been good enough, and the fans will demand more.
Newcastle have taken a step back from last season. Last season, at times, they looked like realistic title contenders. This season, they've never been in contention. They blew a chance to get into the Champion's League, and they're in a scrap to get back there next season too. Shearer isn't getting any younger, and neither is Bobby. If they finish the season with the EUFA cup, that'll be a massive result, but improvement is needed in the league.
Aston Villa have done well to get where they are this season, but it seems that O'Leary will have little money to spend to improve upon his squad, of which he's going to lose a number of players on free's at the end of the season. They don't want to do an Everton, and follow up on a strong position, with a relegation battle.
Middlesborough, Southampton, Charlton, Birmingham, Fulham and Bolton have all had pretty decent seasons in terms of the league, and I guess that staying in the same position, and not slipping into a relegation battle will be a priority for all next season. Middlesborough will have European football to play next season, and so could either Charlton, Birmingham or Fulham - though Villa Newcastle or Liverpool will probably occupy 4th, 5th, & 6th places, but all will be hoping they can push for something similar next season.
Tottenham, Everton and Blackburn have simply not been good enough this season. Whilst Tottemham will bring in a new boss, they'll expect an immediate improvement given the talent they have - especially up front. If they got a midfield, they should be top 8. Everton and Blackburn are coming off of the back of a high finish last year, and are simply failing to reproduce. Things need to pick up quickly, or another season at the wrong end of the table for no good reason will be on the cards.
Portsmouth have surprised everybody by not being rooted to the bottom of the table. No one expected them to do so well, and next season they'll probably be expected to falter also, but Harry can work miracles, so we'll see.
Man City/ Leeds. The form these are in, it seems Leeds are the more likely to go down, but which ever is in the premier league next season, they need ot drastically improve. Both teams would lose a wealth of talent if relegated - but whoever stays up may not be able to keep who they've got either. Managerial changes could be on the cards, and whoever stays up, should work hard to ensure they don't end up in the same position again next year.
Norwich & West Brom will both be expected to go down. Both have little money to spend, but they have decent managers that have got them up without spending a fortune. West Brom will be in a better position than last time, given that they do have the experience now, but both teams will have the fight of their lives on if they want to stay up.
Play-Off team:
I really can't predict who this is going to be. Sunderland aren't in great form right now. Ipswich are, but have they the bottle to keep it up? Wigan are the surprise package of the division, and create plenty of chances. West Ham were favourites to win the league, but have lost so many players, they're barely recogniseable. Crystal Palce, Sheffield United, Reading and Milwall will all still hope to end up their too. Who ever comes up will struggle, though I feel if it was West Ham or Sunderland, they might be able to splash out on a few big names to help them out.
Either way, it'll be fun...
I have a feeling Portsmouth could be the surprise team for next season. The way they have been playing recently puts them top of the form table in the last 6 games. 16 points from a possible 18 is something you would see the big teams do. They even beat Man United 1-0, but so did Wolves.
If they can buy the right players next season, I wouldn't be surprised if they push for a UEFA Cup place.
Next season could be alot closer with the likes of Newcastle and Liverpool pushing for the top 3 places. Newcastle have a damn good squad and it's difficult to understand why they are not up there with the likes of Arsenal, Man United and Chelsea.
Liverpool will need to get quality players in the summer if they want to be in the Champions League. It will be interesting to see if Owen stays if they do not get Champions League this season.
Aston Villa will need to buy players to deepen their squad. They only have 16 players at the moment with 3 or 4 coming from the Youth team. Johnson and Dublin will be going in the summer and their main priorities will be getting in a defender or two.
Getting Angel and Barry to sign new contracts will be a big boost and they could attract some quality players in the summer if the grab that Champions League spot.
With West Brom and Norwich coming up they will need to buy some expierenced players. Leicester bought a load of players and they find themselves fighting in the relegation zone and look cerain to go down.
I think West Brom can surprise a few people and maybe finish top 12 providing they buy a few decent players. They already have Koumas, Hoult and Horsfield who I think can do very well in the Premiership.
I think you'll find Norwich and the play-off winners fighting a relegation battle alongside Everton, Birmingham, Blackburn and Tootenham and maybe even Charlton.
It's hard to tell what will happen in the Premiership next season, as we're not there yet and it all depends on who clubs buy. We hear of teams like Bolton on the verge of signing Rivaldo, and then you have Ronaldo saying he wants to play in England WITH Beckham. We all know that only Chelsea have the money to buy those pair.
We also hear things like Owen and Gerrard could leave Liverpool, so until we see what happens in the summer, we can't really give a realistic prediction.
I'm just hoping we can clinch the Champions League qualifyer to get more money to spend. Hopefully Barry and Angel will both sign new contracts. I remember O'Leary stating that he has 4 big name players lined up for Villa next season and he won't even give us a clue who they are.
I remember hearing rumours that we are going to swoop for Kezman and Izzett, but I'm not sure how true that is.
If they can buy the right players next season, I wouldn't be surprised if they push for a UEFA Cup place.
Next season could be alot closer with the likes of Newcastle and Liverpool pushing for the top 3 places. Newcastle have a damn good squad and it's difficult to understand why they are not up there with the likes of Arsenal, Man United and Chelsea.
Liverpool will need to get quality players in the summer if they want to be in the Champions League. It will be interesting to see if Owen stays if they do not get Champions League this season.
Aston Villa will need to buy players to deepen their squad. They only have 16 players at the moment with 3 or 4 coming from the Youth team. Johnson and Dublin will be going in the summer and their main priorities will be getting in a defender or two.
Getting Angel and Barry to sign new contracts will be a big boost and they could attract some quality players in the summer if the grab that Champions League spot.
With West Brom and Norwich coming up they will need to buy some expierenced players. Leicester bought a load of players and they find themselves fighting in the relegation zone and look cerain to go down.
I think West Brom can surprise a few people and maybe finish top 12 providing they buy a few decent players. They already have Koumas, Hoult and Horsfield who I think can do very well in the Premiership.
I think you'll find Norwich and the play-off winners fighting a relegation battle alongside Everton, Birmingham, Blackburn and Tootenham and maybe even Charlton.
It's hard to tell what will happen in the Premiership next season, as we're not there yet and it all depends on who clubs buy. We hear of teams like Bolton on the verge of signing Rivaldo, and then you have Ronaldo saying he wants to play in England WITH Beckham. We all know that only Chelsea have the money to buy those pair.
We also hear things like Owen and Gerrard could leave Liverpool, so until we see what happens in the summer, we can't really give a realistic prediction.
I'm just hoping we can clinch the Champions League qualifyer to get more money to spend. Hopefully Barry and Angel will both sign new contracts. I remember O'Leary stating that he has 4 big name players lined up for Villa next season and he won't even give us a clue who they are.
I remember hearing rumours that we are going to swoop for Kezman and Izzett, but I'm not sure how true that is.
Meka Dragon wrote:
> Middlesborough, Southampton, Charlton, Birmingham, Fulham and Bolton
> have all had pretty decent seasons in terms of the league, and I
> guess that staying in the same position, and not slipping into a
> relegation battle will be a priority for all next season.
> Middlesborough will have European football to play next season, and
> so could either Charlton, Birmingham or Fulham - though Villa
> Newcastle or Liverpool will probably occupy 4th, 5th, & 6th
> places, but all will be hoping they can push for something similar
> next season.
I think Southampton could be a real threat next season, Paul Sturrock seems to be sorting them out quickly, and due to the many similarities he bares with previous manager Gordon Strachan, I wouldn't be surprised to see Southampton occupying a European spot come the end of next season. They also have opportunities in the cup. Southampton are an underrated side in my opinion.
> Middlesborough, Southampton, Charlton, Birmingham, Fulham and Bolton
> have all had pretty decent seasons in terms of the league, and I
> guess that staying in the same position, and not slipping into a
> relegation battle will be a priority for all next season.
> Middlesborough will have European football to play next season, and
> so could either Charlton, Birmingham or Fulham - though Villa
> Newcastle or Liverpool will probably occupy 4th, 5th, & 6th
> places, but all will be hoping they can push for something similar
> next season.
I think Southampton could be a real threat next season, Paul Sturrock seems to be sorting them out quickly, and due to the many similarities he bares with previous manager Gordon Strachan, I wouldn't be surprised to see Southampton occupying a European spot come the end of next season. They also have opportunities in the cup. Southampton are an underrated side in my opinion.
Flockhart wrote:
> Next season could be interesting with question marks over the future
> of bellamy and robert and who will replace them if they go, it is
> certainly the case that we need a strike force that isnt going to be
> injured for most of the season.
Where are them two supposedly off to then?
> Next season could be interesting with question marks over the future
> of bellamy and robert and who will replace them if they go, it is
> certainly the case that we need a strike force that isnt going to be
> injured for most of the season.
Where are them two supposedly off to then?
With regards to Man Utd, it's truly been a dissapointing season for us as far as the league and Champions League are concerned but if we do win the FA Cup then that'll be some achievement in a relativly average season.
Transitional period, maybe but our players have been playing out of position and given 'rest' periods too many times for my liking and therefore disrupting the flow of the team.
Some of the current players just don't have what it takes and haven't been consistant enough this season. I would like to see some changes made this summer with a top class defender and creative midfielder brought in and maybe it's time for players like Forlan, Butt etc to move on.
Transitional period, maybe but our players have been playing out of position and given 'rest' periods too many times for my liking and therefore disrupting the flow of the team.
Some of the current players just don't have what it takes and haven't been consistant enough this season. I would like to see some changes made this summer with a top class defender and creative midfielder brought in and maybe it's time for players like Forlan, Butt etc to move on.
Meka Dragon wrote:
> Portsmouth have surprised everybody by not being rooted to the bottom
> of the table. No one expected them to do so well, and next season
> they'll probably be expected to falter also, but Harry can work
> miracles, so we'll see.
*Glares*
We can still make Europe this season!
Meksy - minus free badgur points.
But plus 3 badgur points for including Pompey
Hmmm...
> Portsmouth have surprised everybody by not being rooted to the bottom
> of the table. No one expected them to do so well, and next season
> they'll probably be expected to falter also, but Harry can work
> miracles, so we'll see.
*Glares*
We can still make Europe this season!
Meksy - minus free badgur points.
But plus 3 badgur points for including Pompey
Hmmm...
With regards to newcastle, we never recovered from the terrible start to the season and most people seem to forget we were bottom of the table for the opening 2-4 weeks, we were never going to catch up after that.
Next season could be interesting with question marks over the future of bellamy and robert and who will replace them if they go, it is certainly the case that we need a strike force that isnt going to be injured for most of the season.
As for the champions league barring a collapse against out of form teams, i'm hoping it will be tied up before we go to anfield.
We are not going to win the uefa cup, injuries will put paid to that dream and valencia will lift that trophy.
Next season could be interesting with question marks over the future of bellamy and robert and who will replace them if they go, it is certainly the case that we need a strike force that isnt going to be injured for most of the season.
As for the champions league barring a collapse against out of form teams, i'm hoping it will be tied up before we go to anfield.
We are not going to win the uefa cup, injuries will put paid to that dream and valencia will lift that trophy.
Wow it took me ages to read all that, mostly i agree
Moving swiftly on, as soon as one season begins to draw to a close, you start thinking about the next, and when you think about it, the next one is going to be SO crucial for so many of the teams at the top.
Arsenal should really be celebrating three consecutive titles tonight, but they blew it last season, and aren't. In fact, under Wenger they've yet to successfully defend their title. That will be a sometihng they really want to do now, as well as go a little further in Europe. This season, however, they've really raised the bar as to what is expected to win the championship, and they'll be hard pushed to go so long unbeaten again.
Man Utd could perhaps get away with suggesting that this season was something of a transitional period. They've brought in an awful lot of young players, and they'll need to prove that they've moved on next season. The problem this time was a lack of creativity. Too many of our defeats have been 1-0's, and that shouldn't happen. You can't put another season down to transition, when the same old faces are still there, so what they need is to get back into contention for the Champion's League, and push for the league to the final whistle, rather than being mathematically out of it with Arsenal still to play 5 matches, as they were.
Chelsea will want to move on from this year too, but they'll probably be doing it under a different manager, and they'll also probably bring in new faces. Whether this means that some players will move on, I don't know. Whoever the new man is, they'll be under huge pressure to get results, and as such, it could prove difficult.
Liverpool have not been good enough this season. Houllier has had the time he said it would take, and has failed to deliver. It seems that he's going to be allowed ot stay for one more season, and given money to spend, but given some of his purchases, I'm not sure this is a wise move by the board. They may yet be in the Champion's League next season, but really, for a team like Liverpool, struggling for 4th place is not good enough, the players have not been good enough, and the fans will demand more.
Newcastle have taken a step back from last season. Last season, at times, they looked like realistic title contenders. This season, they've never been in contention. They blew a chance to get into the Champion's League, and they're in a scrap to get back there next season too. Shearer isn't getting any younger, and neither is Bobby. If they finish the season with the EUFA cup, that'll be a massive result, but improvement is needed in the league.
Aston Villa have done well to get where they are this season, but it seems that O'Leary will have little money to spend to improve upon his squad, of which he's going to lose a number of players on free's at the end of the season. They don't want to do an Everton, and follow up on a strong position, with a relegation battle.
Middlesborough, Southampton, Charlton, Birmingham, Fulham and Bolton have all had pretty decent seasons in terms of the league, and I guess that staying in the same position, and not slipping into a relegation battle will be a priority for all next season. Middlesborough will have European football to play next season, and so could either Charlton, Birmingham or Fulham - though Villa Newcastle or Liverpool will probably occupy 4th, 5th, & 6th places, but all will be hoping they can push for something similar next season.
Tottenham, Everton and Blackburn have simply not been good enough this season. Whilst Tottemham will bring in a new boss, they'll expect an immediate improvement given the talent they have - especially up front. If they got a midfield, they should be top 8. Everton and Blackburn are coming off of the back of a high finish last year, and are simply failing to reproduce. Things need to pick up quickly, or another season at the wrong end of the table for no good reason will be on the cards.
Portsmouth have surprised everybody by not being rooted to the bottom of the table. No one expected them to do so well, and next season they'll probably be expected to falter also, but Harry can work miracles, so we'll see.
Man City/ Leeds. The form these are in, it seems Leeds are the more likely to go down, but which ever is in the premier league next season, they need ot drastically improve. Both teams would lose a wealth of talent if relegated - but whoever stays up may not be able to keep who they've got either. Managerial changes could be on the cards, and whoever stays up, should work hard to ensure they don't end up in the same position again next year.
Norwich & West Brom will both be expected to go down. Both have little money to spend, but they have decent managers that have got them up without spending a fortune. West Brom will be in a better position than last time, given that they do have the experience now, but both teams will have the fight of their lives on if they want to stay up.
Play-Off team:
I really can't predict who this is going to be. Sunderland aren't in great form right now. Ipswich are, but have they the bottle to keep it up? Wigan are the surprise package of the division, and create plenty of chances. West Ham were favourites to win the league, but have lost so many players, they're barely recogniseable. Crystal Palce, Sheffield United, Reading and Milwall will all still hope to end up their too. Who ever comes up will struggle, though I feel if it was West Ham or Sunderland, they might be able to splash out on a few big names to help them out.
Either way, it'll be fun...
Arsenal should really be celebrating three consecutive titles tonight, but they blew it last season, and aren't. In fact, under Wenger they've yet to successfully defend their title. That will be a sometihng they really want to do now, as well as go a little further in Europe. This season, however, they've really raised the bar as to what is expected to win the championship, and they'll be hard pushed to go so long unbeaten again.
Man Utd could perhaps get away with suggesting that this season was something of a transitional period. They've brought in an awful lot of young players, and they'll need to prove that they've moved on next season. The problem this time was a lack of creativity. Too many of our defeats have been 1-0's, and that shouldn't happen. You can't put another season down to transition, when the same old faces are still there, so what they need is to get back into contention for the Champion's League, and push for the league to the final whistle, rather than being mathematically out of it with Arsenal still to play 5 matches, as they were.
Chelsea will want to move on from this year too, but they'll probably be doing it under a different manager, and they'll also probably bring in new faces. Whether this means that some players will move on, I don't know. Whoever the new man is, they'll be under huge pressure to get results, and as such, it could prove difficult.
Liverpool have not been good enough this season. Houllier has had the time he said it would take, and has failed to deliver. It seems that he's going to be allowed ot stay for one more season, and given money to spend, but given some of his purchases, I'm not sure this is a wise move by the board. They may yet be in the Champion's League next season, but really, for a team like Liverpool, struggling for 4th place is not good enough, the players have not been good enough, and the fans will demand more.
Newcastle have taken a step back from last season. Last season, at times, they looked like realistic title contenders. This season, they've never been in contention. They blew a chance to get into the Champion's League, and they're in a scrap to get back there next season too. Shearer isn't getting any younger, and neither is Bobby. If they finish the season with the EUFA cup, that'll be a massive result, but improvement is needed in the league.
Aston Villa have done well to get where they are this season, but it seems that O'Leary will have little money to spend to improve upon his squad, of which he's going to lose a number of players on free's at the end of the season. They don't want to do an Everton, and follow up on a strong position, with a relegation battle.
Middlesborough, Southampton, Charlton, Birmingham, Fulham and Bolton have all had pretty decent seasons in terms of the league, and I guess that staying in the same position, and not slipping into a relegation battle will be a priority for all next season. Middlesborough will have European football to play next season, and so could either Charlton, Birmingham or Fulham - though Villa Newcastle or Liverpool will probably occupy 4th, 5th, & 6th places, but all will be hoping they can push for something similar next season.
Tottenham, Everton and Blackburn have simply not been good enough this season. Whilst Tottemham will bring in a new boss, they'll expect an immediate improvement given the talent they have - especially up front. If they got a midfield, they should be top 8. Everton and Blackburn are coming off of the back of a high finish last year, and are simply failing to reproduce. Things need to pick up quickly, or another season at the wrong end of the table for no good reason will be on the cards.
Portsmouth have surprised everybody by not being rooted to the bottom of the table. No one expected them to do so well, and next season they'll probably be expected to falter also, but Harry can work miracles, so we'll see.
Man City/ Leeds. The form these are in, it seems Leeds are the more likely to go down, but which ever is in the premier league next season, they need ot drastically improve. Both teams would lose a wealth of talent if relegated - but whoever stays up may not be able to keep who they've got either. Managerial changes could be on the cards, and whoever stays up, should work hard to ensure they don't end up in the same position again next year.
Norwich & West Brom will both be expected to go down. Both have little money to spend, but they have decent managers that have got them up without spending a fortune. West Brom will be in a better position than last time, given that they do have the experience now, but both teams will have the fight of their lives on if they want to stay up.
Play-Off team:
I really can't predict who this is going to be. Sunderland aren't in great form right now. Ipswich are, but have they the bottle to keep it up? Wigan are the surprise package of the division, and create plenty of chances. West Ham were favourites to win the league, but have lost so many players, they're barely recogniseable. Crystal Palce, Sheffield United, Reading and Milwall will all still hope to end up their too. Who ever comes up will struggle, though I feel if it was West Ham or Sunderland, they might be able to splash out on a few big names to help them out.
Either way, it'll be fun...