Wednesday, 27 July 2011

Season Preview - Liverpool



Manager – Kenny Dalglish
Stadium – Anfield 45,362
2010/2011 – 6th

Liverpool began last season under Roy Hodgson, with the former Fulham manager entrusted to bring the glory days back to Anfield after a successful spell in charge of the West London side. He replaced Champions League winner Rafa Benitez, with some fans sceptical over his appointment after a long yet unglamorous managerial career. His start at Anfield proved to be a busy one, with Europa League qualification needed, causing a onrush of fixtures early on. Despite comfortably advancing through the rounds, the league was proving a different matter, in the first eight games of the Premier League season, Roy Hodgson’s men only managed to win once, at home to West Brom. This run of poor form saw Liverpool pick up 6 points out of a possible 25 and included defeats to newly promoted Blackpool, arch rivals Everton and a cup exit at the hands of League Two club Northampton Town, at Anfield. Unsurprisingly, Liverpool fans were not satisfied and the pressure mounted of Hodgson as they entered the busy Christmas period. Many people questioned Hodsgon’s transfer policy as big name players on even bigger wages such as Joe Cole, Paul Koncheskey, Christian Poulsen and Milan Jovanovic failed to perform, if they were even selected, as they warmed the Anfield bench.  As the New Year came about, Liverpool found themselves in 9th, one of their highest positions all season. However, a 3-1 defeat at Blackburn Rovers, after losses against Newcastle and Wolves, sealed Hodgson’s fate, as he left via ‘mutual consent’. Kenny Dalglish took over for the remainder of the season, in his second spell at the club, and saw his side lose 1-0 at Old Trafford in the F.A Cup in his first game in charge. Despite following this with a 2-1 defeat at Blackpool, Liverpool then went on to win ten of their last 17 games, including victories over Chelsea, Man Utd and Man City. This run of good form saw Liverpool secure a total of 36 points out of a possible 51, seeing them rise to sixth place. A player, who alongside Kenny Dalglish was seen to influence Liverpools season massively, was Luis Suarez. Signed from Ajax for £22million alongside £35million Andy Carroll, Suarez scored 4 goals in his 13 appearances, most notably ripping Manchester United to shreds alongside Dirk Kuyt at Anfield in the 3-1 win. Suarez has been welcomed by Liverpool fans as the perfect replacement for £50million striker Fernando Torres who jumped ship to Chelsea in January. The end of season form proved priceless to the reds, as they marched to a 6th place finish. Without the distraction of Europe and the huge investment made in the club over the past 6 months, the potential of this club is beyond doubt, with only time able to truly say how King Kenny’s second season pans out


2011/2012 Highlights – Return of King Kenny, form of Luis Suarez, Lucas and Dirk Kuyt as well as the strong end to the season.
2011/2012 Lowlights – Poor start under Roy Hodgson, Cup exits at first hurdles against Northampton Town and Man Utd. Disappointing Europa League exit to Braga.


What to expect in 2011/2012.
Already this summer, under the full time management of Kenny Dalglish, Liverpool have spent in excess of £50million. This large sum of money, on top of the £50million spent on Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez in January has proved to be a huge investment by the American owners, pleasing the Anfield faithful. The current batch of Liverpool’s squad has been brought together with the help of new director of football Damien Comolli. Comolli who previously worked at Tottenham Hostpur is regarded as an imperative part of the foundation at Anfield, and has already transformed Liverpool’s transfer policy. With the level of talent in the new squad so high, after the introduction of introduction of Charlie Adam and England internationals Stewart Downing and Jordan Henderson, Liverpool are miles ahead of any other Premier League side in the transfer market  as they look to win their 19th league title. To further fuel their title ambitions, Liverpool will not be competing in Europe next year, and will therefore have an upper hand on their rivals who may be distracted. In my opinion, Liverpool will not only challenge for the league title, they will also succeed in either of the domestic cup competitions. This upcoming season for Kenny Dalglish’s men is proving to be an exciting one, as he shapes his squad for an assault on Manchester United’s championship. The potential  within the Anfield camp is frightening, with the last five signings costing more than £100million. With so much investment made, Chairman Tom Werner will expect a successful return this season, increasing the pressure on Dalglish to get his squad to gel and play as a team consistently in the forthcoming campaign.

Signings –
Charlie Adam, Blackpool - £8million
Jordan Henderson, Sunderland - £20million
Stewart Downing, Aston Villa - £22million
Alexander Doni, AS Roma – Free
Marco Bueno, Pachuca – Undisclosed
Nacho, Albacete - Undisclosed

Other potential targets –
Jose Enrique, Newcastle United - £8million
Scott Dann, Birmingham City - £8million
Gary Cahill, Bolton Wanderers - £10million
Leighton Baines, Everton - £10million
James McCarthy, Wigan Athletic - £10million
Emilio Izaguirre, Celtic - £7million
Aly Cissokho, Lyon - £12million
Lee Cattermole, Sunderland - £8million
Christian Eriksen, Ajax - £15million
Elijero Elia, Hamburg - £11million

Departures - 
Paul Konchesky, Leicester City – Undisclosed
Peter Gulacsi, Hull City – Loan
Stephen Darby, Rochdale – Loan
Chris Mavinga, Rennes - £1million

Other potential departures –
Alberto Aquilani, Juventus/Fiorentina/AC Milan/ Sunderland – Loan/£12million
Joe Cole,WestHam/Tottenham/QPR/Hamburg  – Loan/£3million
Jonjo Shelvey, Blackpool – Loan
Raul Meireless, Juventus/Inter Milan - £14million
Christian Poulsen, FC Copenhagen - £4million
Jay Spearing, Newcastle/Wolves – Loan/£4million
Milan Jovanovic, Al-Shaab/Anderlecht – Free
David N’Gog, Wigan Athletic/ Sunderland/Aston Villa - £6million
















Possible Starting XI’s
4-3-2-1
Reina
Kelly, Carragher, Skretl, Johnson
Adam, Lucas, Gerrard
Kuyt, Suarez
Carroll



Alternative, If Aly Cissokho/ Jose Enrique is signed
4-3-2-1
Reina
Johnson, Carragher, Skretl, Cissokho/Enrique
Meireless, Lucas, Gerrard
Suarez, Downing
Carroll

Change In formation/personel
4-2-3-1
Reina
Johnson, Carragher, Agger, Cissokho/Enrique
Lucas, Gerrard
Kuyt, Suarez, Downing
Carroll


Second XI
4-3-2-1
Doni
Kelly, Kyrgiakos, Agger, Aurelio
Meireless, Aquilani/Spearing, Henderson/Adam
Cole, Rodriquez
N’Gog

Prediction
2nd
The upcoming season for Liverpool is proving to be a very exciting one. Their pre-season tour of Asia has attracted a lot of attention with some exciting, high scoring games, as they add flair and creativity to the already solid foundations at Anfield. I personally feel that under Dalglish Liverpool will be able to mount a serious title challenge, especially due to no European football at Anfield this season. Without the added distraction and pressure of Europe, the squad will be able to stay fresh and dedicate more of their energy into the Premier League title push. Not only do I feel that Dalglish’s men will challenge for the title, but I can also see them winning, if not doing well in the domestic cups. Big money may have been spent on big name players, but if all of the new arrivals play to their full potential, there is no reason why Liverpool can’t win the Premier League title this season. In my opinion, Liverpool will end the upcoming season with a piece of silverware, if not more.

Tuesday, 26 July 2011

Season Preview - Fulham


Manager – Martin Jol
Stadium – Craven Cottage 25,350
2010/2011 – 8th

After three highly successful seasons in charge of Fulham, Roy Hodgson left The Cottage to deservedly take on the high profile manager’s job at Liverpool. It was left to the former Manchester City and Blackburn boss Mark Hughes to fill in the big boots left by Roy who reached a Europa League final the previous season, on July 29th. Hughes had inherited a hard-working and well assembled squad that had shown was capable of performing to higher than expected standards. The signings of Moussa Dembélé, Carlos Salcido and Philippe Senderos provided more depth to the squad and assured Hughes he had what he needed to continue the successful reign of Hodgson. Fulham proved a difficult team to break down throughout the season; they drew 16 games, which can be said is expected when it comes to Mark Hughes- the Welshman drew seven games in a row the previous season at Manchester city and was sacked shortly after. Despite this large number of equal encounters Fulham managed to finish 8th in the league which was the second highest finished position in the club’s history. The Cottagers failed to record any stand out victories over stronger opposition, partly because of the long term absence of talismanic striker Bobby Zamora who suffered a broken leg in September. He returned to the squad in late February and scored an 89th minute winner at home to Blackburn on March 5th. Had Fulham been with Zamora for the full season they may well have been challenging Everton and Liverpool for a 6th or 7th place finish. Things were looking up for Hughes’ side, having qualified for the Europa League pre-season qualifiers via the fair play rules the south-west London side were on the rise. However, Hughes resigned as manager after less than a year in charge. "As a young, ambitious manager I wish to move on to further my experiences," he said. This paved the way for former Spurs boss Martin Jol to take the vacant managerial post on June 7th 2011 and lead Fulham into a new Dutch-led era.

Highlights of 2010/2011 – Second highest finish in club’s history with yet another solid squad. Solidity matched with carefulness- qualifying for the Europa League via fair play rules.
Lowlights of 2010/2011 – Too many draws. Missing Bobby Zamora for the majority of the season through injury. Hughes’ resignation upsetting the balance of the club, no matter how temporary.

What to expect in 2011/2012
With the arrival of Martin Jol taking the helm at Fulham it’s good to see his smiling face back in the Premier League, something the welcoming fans can warm to after Mark Hughes’ surprising resignation. Having already started their season back in June with Europa League qualifying, Fulham can expect a long and tiring season, but with 2 leg victories over NSI Runavik and Crusaders, they are a fraction of the way into completing it. If they are to repeat Roy Hodgson’s feat with the club in Europe in the 2009-10 season they could potentially play 23 matches in the competition on top of 38 Premier League games. Though it may seem daunting, Jol has the charisma and can provide the encouragement needed for his squad to progress in both competitions. Having signed the experienced John Arne Riise from Roma and youngsters Pajtim Kasami and Marcel Gecov from clubs Palermo and Slovan Liberc respectively, Jol has strengthened his already in depth squad in preparation for the upcoming season and the possibility of challenging for multiple honours.

Signings –
Pajtim Kasami, Palermo - Undisclosed
John Arne Riise, Roma - £2.2million
Marcel Gecov, Slovan Liberc - £700k
Csama Somogyi – Free Agent

Other potential signings –
Mariano Pavone – Free Agent
Craig Bellamy, Manchester City - £5million
DJ Campbell, Blackpool - £1.25million
Mohamadou Diarra – Free Agent
Robbie Keane, Tottenham Hotspur - £4million
Pablo Osvaldo, Espanyol - £17million

Departures –
Jonathan Greening, Nottingham Forest- £600k
David Stockdale, Ipswich Town – Loan
John Paintsil, Leicester City – Free
Danny Hoesen, Fortuna Sittard – Loan

Other potential departures –
Andy Johnson, W.B.A/Q.P.R/West Ham United - £3million
Philippe Senderos, Roma – Undisclosed
Zoltan Gera, Newcastle/Stoke/Birmingham – Free
Clint Dempsey, PSG – Undisclosed

Possible starting XI
4-5-1
Schwarzer
Baird, Hughes, Hangeland, Riise
Davies, Etuhu/Sidwell, Kasami, Murphy, Dempsey
Zamora

If Keane Is signed and Johnson Is sold.
4-3-3
Schwarzer
Baird, Hughes, Hangeland, Riise
Kasami, Murphy, Dempsey
Keane, Zamora, Dembélé

If Diarra and Bellamy Sign
4-2-3-1
Schwarzer
Baird, Hughes, Hangeland, Riise/Briggs
Murphy, Diarra
Dembélé, Dempsey, Bellamy
Zamora

Prediction
9th

Martin Jol & Mark Schwarzer
Similar to the article on Bolton, I feel Fulham have a good enough squad and a more than capable manager to obtain a mid-table finish in the league and a good chance of finishing higher next season. Teams like Everton, Aston Villa and Sunderland will be fighting with Fulham throughout the season for the 7th-10th places and the possibility of European football the following season. I admire Jol’s style of management, and after a successful spell in charge of Spurs, taking them to the clutches of Champions League qualification back in 2006, Fulham fans have much to look forward to in their new leader.



Season Preview - Everton



Manager – David Moyes
Stadium – Goodison Park 40,157
2010/2011 – 7th

David Moyes enters his tenth season in charge of Everton, an achievement that sees him enter the record books, as the fourth longest reigning manager in English history. He sits behind only Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger and John Coleman of Accrington Stanley. Throughout his nine years at Goodison Park, Moyes has failed to win a single trophy, despite consistently challenging for the European places in recent years. Everton endured a terrible start to the season, failing to win throughout a spell of six games, in which they secured only 3 points out of a possible 18. This poor run eventually ended with consecutive wins over Birmingham City and arch rivals Liverpool. The next time Everton fans would experience back to back victories wouldn’t be until April, a feat that they would only manage to achieve twice all season, emphasising the lack of consistency at Goodison Park. The Christmas period proved tough for the Toffess, seeing them win only once in nine games, against high flying Manchester City. Alongside Tim Cahills international absence, Mikel Arteta, Steven Pienaar, and Louis Saha all struggled for fitness, affecting Everton’s form throughout this period. The turn of the New Year saw Steven Pienaar leave to join Tottenham and Yakubu leave on loan for Leicester City. Victory against Tottenham and draws against Liverpool and Chelsea saw Everton rise up the table, in what was proving the closest League in many years. Possibly the highlight of the season saw Everton knock Chelsea out of the F.A Cup at Stamford Bridge on penalties, despite losing to Reading in the next round, the victory was seen as a positive in Everton’s season. After the Chelsea game, Moyes’ men embarked on a twelve game run which saw them win seven games, draw three and lose only two, as the season came to a close. Despite being in a relegation battle, this remarkable, if inconsistent end to the season saw them climb to 7th in the league, and included victories over Manchester City and Chelsea.

















Highlights of 2010/2011 – Form of Leighton Baines, record against Liverpool and 7th place finish.
Lowlights of 2010/2011 – Lack of consistency and manner of F.A cup exit after Chelsea victory.

What to expect in 2011/2012.
Last season saw a surprisingly high finish for the Toffees after what appeared to be a very inconsistent campaign. After only securing back to back wins in the league twice all season, David Moyes men can only thank a solid finish to the season for their 7th place finish. As expected, the ‘bigger sides’ have been linked with Phil Jagielka, Leighton Baines and Jack Rodwell, with a £10million bid from Arsenal for Jagielka being rejected. Moyes has always worked on a budget whilst at Everton, and this summer will be no different. After being linked with various players, the fees they ought to command shows the budget Moyes will be working with. As usual, loan deals and bargains will prove to be his valuable for Moyes as he attempts to improve on last season’s 7th place finish. Any improvement will hinge on his success in keeping his big players, and rejecting the advances of the Premier League giants who are expected to come in with large bids for his stars. If the squad from last year is kept intact, David Moyes should hope to sign up to three players in the transfer window, including a striker, to strengthen his side and get more goals.

Signinings –
None

Other potential signings –
Shane Long, Reading - £8million
Danny Welbeck, Man Utd – Loan
Andy King, Leicester City - £5million
Pablo Daniel Osvaldo, Espanyol - £12million
Scott Dann, Birmingham City - £8million
Charlies N’Zogbia, Wigan Athletic - £10million
Nicky Maynard, Bristol City - £6million
Matthew Jarvis, Wolves - £7million
Dedryck Boyata, Man City – Loan
Lewis Holtby, Schalke 04 - £6million

Departures –
James Vaughan, Norwich City – Undisclosed fee

Other potential departures –
Phil Jagielka, Arsenal - £10million
Jack Rodwell, Man Utd/Tottenham Hotspur - £15million
Leighton Baines, Arsenal/Man City/Liverpool - £12million
Mikel Arteta, Valencia - £8million
Yakubu, Leicester City/West Ham - £3million
Diniyar Bilyaletdinov, Rubin Kazan - £6million                                      

Possible starting XI’s
4-2-3-1
Howard
Coleman, Heitinga, Jagielka, Baines
Fellaini/Neville Rodwell
Arteta, Cahill, Bilyaletdinov/Osman
Saha

If Jagielka, Bilyaletdinov and Rodwell leave
4-2-3-1
Howard
Hibbert, Heitinga, Distin, Baines
Fellaini, Neville
Coleman, Cahill, Arteta
Saha

Alternative, if Dann and Long sign
4-3-1-2
Howard
Coleman/Heitinga, Dann, Jagielka, Baines
Arteta, Rodwell, Neville/Fellaini/Heitinga
Cahill
Long/Beckford, Saha


Prediction
10th

In recent years, Everton's league position has always been relatively high, despite their sometimes inconsistent form. Last season was the perfect example, with David Moyes’ men only winning consecutive games twice all season, but still managing to finish 7th. If Moyes can get the best out of his squad, and by that I mean get them playing consistent football, then there is no reason why they cannot gate-crash the top 7 again. However, with other sides such as Sunderland and Newcastle strengthening considerably, I can’t help but feel that Everton will miss out on improving or matching last season’s 7th place finish. A comfortable top half finish would be a welcome return for the Toffees, who would love a piece of silverware, the first in David Moyes 10 year tenure. A domestic cup run would benefit both the fans and the players, and bring a welcome lift to the Goodison faithful. With Everton's transfer policy restricting David Moyes, forcing him to sell before he can buy, targets such as Scott Dann, Charles N'Zogbia and Shane Long seem out of reach, unless a big star such as Jagielka, Baines or Rodwell are sold. If improved, Everton fans can dream of European football, reminiscent of the years between 2006 and 2009 where Everton failed to finish lower than 6th, peaking at 5th, and qualifying for Europe each year. Many believe that the only way this can become a reality, is by investing in the squad. However, as previously stated, David Moyes must sell before he can buy, making his job tougher, which is why I predict a mid-table finish for the Toffees.

Season Preview - Chelsea



Manager – Andres Villas Boas
Stadium – Stamford Bridge 42,055
2010/2011 – 2nd

Under Carlo Ancelotti last term, Chelsea failed to defend their Premier League title, finishing second behind Manchester United. The season started brightly for the Blues, as they crushed West Brom 6-0 in their first game, before 
thrashing Wigan by the same score line at the D W Stadium. They experienced their first defeat six weeks in, as Man City beat the 2009/2010 champions 1-0, thanks to a Carlos Tevez goal. A period which defined Chelsea’s season came about around Christmas, in the month of November, in which the club only won one game against Fulham. This month saw them lose to Liverpool, and included a 3-0 thrashing at home to Sunderland. December saw no improvement as the West London side gained 5 points out of a possible 12, winning only once against Bolton. Over the two months before January, Ancelotti’s side won only 9 points out of a maximum 27 points, a period of results which would cost the former Champions League finalists. Heading into the New Year, Chelsea remained competitive in both the F.A Cup and the Champion’s League, after failing to advance past Newcastle United in the Carling Cup. The defending FA Cup holders however fell in the fourth round, to Everton, at Stamford Bridge on Penalties. This allowed Ancelotti to focus on the Chelsea fans main priorities, the League and the Champions League, which had so far eluded Chelsea. As the January transfer window opened, Roman Abramovich’s millions allowed Chelsea to become the main focus point throughout the month. First to arrive was the versatile Brazilian David Luiz from Benfica for a fee thought to exceed £20million. He joined his former team-mate Ramires who also joined from Benfica in August 2010, for a similar fee. Next to arrive, in possibly the most controversial move of the season, was Fernando Torres from Liverpool for £50million, in what became the most expensive British transfer on 31st January 2011.  Chelsea’s form improved during 2011, and included wins over Man Utd and Man City. However, Torres failed to settle, and became increasingly frustrated over his lack of goals. By the end of March, Chelsea had moved up to third in the table, 9 points behind Man Utd, with a game in hand. Despite a draw away at Stoke, Chelsea went on to win their next five games comfortably. Unfortunately, Ancelotti’s side were knocked out of the Champions League, with eventual finalists Man Utd advancing at their expense. As the season unravelled, Torres’ form deteriorated, failing to live up to his £50million price tag, scoring his only goal in a 3-0 win against West Ham. Man Utd practically ended any hope of a title challenge, with a 2-1 win at Old Trafford three games before the season close. One point in the final two games, as well as Arsenals poor form saw Chelsea finish 2nd on goal difference, ahead of Man City. This finish was deemed unsatisfactory by Roman Abramovich, with Carlo Ancelotti promptly sacked after the season had finished.

Highlights of 2010/2011 – Explosive start to the season, David Luiz signing.
Lowlights of 2010/2011 – Form in November and December. Failure in Domestic Cups and Champions League. Torres’ form after £50million move.

What to expect in 2011/2012.
Andres Villas Boas, the 33 year old former FC Porto manager has been handed the Chelsea job for the upcoming season. Chelsea have been rumoured to have paid £13.3million in compensation to Jose Mourinho’s former club. Chelsea fans expect a new beginning under Mourinho’s former employee, during his time at Chelsea, with Villas Boas being part of his backroom staff during Mourinho’s three years at Stamford Bridge. Torres has failed to flourish through-out pre-season, scoring only once against Wycombe. Chelsea’s faithful will hope he begins to repay the outstanding fee they paid for him last January, and start finding the back of the net. Chelsea have made two official signing in young goalkeeper Thibaut Courtious and Barcelona midfielder Oriol Romeu, but as expected, they are continued to be linked with a number of big moves. Worries that the squad are too old to mount both a serious title challenge and compete in Europe have been expressed by many, including former manager Guss Hiddink. Last year’s squad commanded the average age of 29, and with Villas Boas the same age as Nicholas Anelka, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba, some Chelsea fans may be slightly apprehensive about the upcoming season. Signings are expected, with many names branded as possible introductions, but what Chelsea fans do realise, is that strengthening is needed, if they expect to compete with big spenders, Man Utd, Man City and Liverpool.

Signings –
Thibaut Courtious, Racing Genk - £7million
Oriol Romeu, Barcelona - £4.2million

Other potential signings –
Luka Modric, Tottenham Hotspur - £35million
Neymar, Santos - £35million
Yann M’Villa, Rennes - £15million
Javier Pastore, Palermo - £35million
Danielle De Rossi, AS Roma - £21million
Hulk, F.C Porto - £18million
Joao Moutinho, F.C Porto - £20million
Radmael Falcao, F.C Porto - £26million
Gregory Van Der Wiel, Ajax - £12million
Scott Parker, West Ham - £4million (Loan deal)
Gary Cahil, Bolton Wanderers - £12million
Romelu Lukaku, Anderlecht - £20million


Departures –
Thibaut Courtious, Atheltico Madrid - Loan
Michael Mancienne, Hamburg - £1.75million
Jeffrey Bruma, Hamburg – Loan
Fabio Borini, Parma – Free
Jack Cork, Southampton – Undisclosed Fee

Other potential departures –
Daniel Sturridge, Bolton/Newcastle – Loan
Nicholas Anelka, PSG/New York Red Bulls – Undisclosed fee
Didier Drogba, Tottenham Hotspur/Marseille/ AC Milan – Undisclosed fee
Bosingwa, Juventus - £8million
Yuri Zhirkov, CSKA Moscow/Zenit St Petersburg/ Rubin Kazan - £8million
Alex, Real Madrid - £6million

Possible Starting XI’s
4-1-2-3
Cech
Ivanovic, Terry, Luiz, Cole
Mikel
Lampard, Ramires
Drogba, Torres, Malouda

If Modric, Parker and Falcao sign
4-1-2-3
Cech
Ivanovic, Terry, Luiz, Cole
Parker
Lampard, Modric
Falcao, Drogba, Torres

Alternative
4-1-3-2
Cech
Ivanovic, Terry, Alex, Cole
Luiz
Lampard, Benayoun, Modric
Drogba, Torres

Prediction
3rd

Chelsea are again, expected to challenge for the title this season. Under the new management of Andres Villas Boas, the employment of Roberto Di Matteo could prove a shrewd move. It is already understood that Villas Boas speaks fluent English, and that alongside his assembled back room staff, he has lay down the law to his players. I believe they will finish comfortably in the top four, challenging Man Utd, Liverpool and Man City for the automatic Champions League qualifying places. Chelsea will expect success immediately, targeting both the league title and the Champions League next season. Signings however are needed to strengthen their double bid, with Luka Modric’s proposed move from Spurs continuing to elude Villas Boas, despite the midfielders transfer request. Other midfield targets including Scott Parker, Yann M’Villa and Javier Pastore are thought to be in line to replace the injured Michael Essien. Other players rumoured to be on their way to Stamford Bridge include Romelu Lukaku and Falcao, which could signal the exits of either Nicholas Anelka or Dider Drogba. Whoever arrives and whoever departs, Chelsea fans will expect improvements from star striker Fernando Torres, if the club are to be successful in the coming campaign.

Season Preview - Bolton Wanderers



Manager – Owen Coyle
Stadium – Reebok Stadium 28,723
2010/2011 – 14th

It would be fair to say that Bolton Wanderers are still in the hangover phase of the post Sam Allardyce era. Since their return to the top flight in 2001 Wanderers have been relatively inconsistent with most of their highs coming under the guidance of ‘Big Sam’; leading the team to a League Cup Final in 2004 and a sixth place finish the following season. Since then the club has been fighting relegation and settling with mid table mediocrity. Former player Owen Coyle was the fans choice and eventual successor to the unpopular Gary Megson, who was relieved of his duties, in January 2010. Moving on to last season’s review and you can feel a sense of disappointment from a fans perspective, particularly with the first half of the season going so well. Having initially flirted with the possibility of a place in Europe, Wanderers slumped towards the end of the season, losing seven of their remaining ten games and a humiliating 5-0 defeat to Stoke City in the FA Cup semi-final standing out amongst these poor results. However, enough had already been done to secure a tenth straight season in the top flight for The Trotters.

Highlights of 2010/2011 – Coyle injecting some much needed confidence into the squad. Eye-catching FA Cup run reaching Wembley. Yet another solid season for Gary Cahill and emergence of Stuart Holden.
Lowlights of 2010/2011 – Disappointing end to the season after such high expectations during the first half. Humiliating FA Cup exit at Wembley after a good run.

What to expect in 2011/2012.
With Stuart Holden not expected to return to action from a fractured leg until October Owen Coyle will need to find a replacement for his star midfielder for at least the first few months of the new season. This appears to be in the shape of free transfer Nigel Reo-Coker who is set to hold talks with Owen Coyle after Bolton return from their U.S tour. Two other players that look to be heading to the Reebok are winger Chris Eagles, who looks to be replacing the likely departure of Matthew Taylor to West Ham United, and right back Tyrone Mears who both played under Coyle during his time as manager of Burnley. The manager has the tough task of keeping hold of defender Gary Cahill. With David Wheater and Zat Knight at Centre Back he already has a solid pairing but if one of the big clubs come calling then Coyle should be able to use the funds to find a suitable replacement. Coyle has been backed by the board who have faith in their man to make the signings the club needs. If he can build on the great first half of last season, cancelling out the inconsistency which plagued his sides’ form and run of results, with the right signings, they can expect a top half finish with ease.

Signings –
Darren Pratley, Swansea City – Free
Nigel Reo-Coker, Aston Villa - Free
Chris Eagles & Tyrone Mears, Burnley - £3million
Other potential signings –
Craig Bellamy, Manchester City - £4million
Robbie Keane, Tottenham Hotspur - £5million
Jeffren, Barcelona - £5million
Shaun Wright-Phillips, Manchester City - 5 million
Cameron Cerome, Birmingham City - 6 million
Scott Dann, Birmingham City - 8 million

Departures –
Johan Elmander, Galatasaray – Free
Matthew Taylor, West Ham United - £2.2million
Ali Al Habsi, Wigan - £4million
Daniel Sturridge, Chelsea – Loan Return
Rodrigo, Benfica – Loan Return
Jlloyd Samuel – Released
Joey O’ Brian – Released
Tamir Cohen - Released

Other potential departures –
Gary Cahill, Arsenal/Liverpool - £15million

Possible starting XI
4-2-3-1
Jaaskelainen
Steinsson, Knight, Wheater, Robinson
Reo-Coker, Muamba
Chung-Yong Lee, Holden, Petrov
Davies

New Signings
4-2-3-1
Jaaskelainen
Mears, Knight, Wheater, Robinson
Reo-Coker, Muamba
Chung-Yong Lee, Holden, Eagles
Davies















Without Holden/Alternative
4-3-2-1
Jaaskelainen
Mears, Knight, Wheater, Robinson
Reo-Coker, Pratley, Muamba
Chung-Yong Lee/Petrov, Eagles
Davies

Prediction
11th

With Johan Elmander’s contract expiring and Daniel Sturridge returning to Chelsea after his successful loan spell for the second half of the season, Owen Coyle will need to find a new striker that can support and fill in for his preferred lone man Kevin Davies. This can be done by the possible sale of Gary Cahill to one of the ‘big clubs’ as well as purchasing a defender to fill in the void left by the former Aston Villa man. I feel Bolton will be challenging for a mid-table place but with a number of sides with similar qualities spending big money it will be a tough task to achieve. Despite the double injury blow to Chung Yong Lee and Tyrone Mears, who have both suffered broken legs I feel Bolton's squad will be able to cope. The players have faith in their manager and if Coyle’s passion can wear off with the players on the pitch then I am optimistic for the forthcoming season for Bolton Wanderers.

Monday, 25 July 2011

Season Preview - Blackburn Rovers


Manager – Steve Kean
Stadium – Ewood Park 31,367
2010/2011 – 15th

Long gone seem the days of 1995, when Ewood Park witnessed Alan Shearer and co lift the Premier League title; since those glory days, Blackburn have faced a consistent spell amongst mid table mediocrity. Despite relegation in 1999, the club also managed three spells in the ‘Uefa Cup’, as late as 2006. Since then however the club has finished between 7th and 15th despite always being tipped as possible relegation candidates. Last year proved no expectation. Despite beginning the season with Sam Allardyce at the helm, the former Bolton manager was sacked after less than two years in charge in December. The men behind this abrupt decision were the new Indian owners, who took over Blackburn Rovers on October 26th, for a fee of approximately £23million. The Indian company, ‘Venkey’s London Limited’ were seen to bring a new sense of prosperity and hope to the Lancashire club, as they appointed first team coach Steve Kean as caretaker manager, and eventually full time. After Kean’s appointment, a relatively inconsistent season ensued, the highlight coming less than a month into his reign, with a 3-1 home win against Liverpool, thanks to a Benjani brace. After this game however, the club went on an eleven game run, in which they failed to win. This left them in the relegation zone, and amongst favourites for the drop. A 1-1 draw with Man Utd gave Kean's side valuable points, before a 3-2 victory away at Wolves saw them secure there Premier league status for another season.

Highlights of 2010/2011 – Takeover by ‘Venkeys London Limited’, injecting money and hope into the club. Emergence of Phil Jones.
Lowlights of 2010/2011 – Yet another inconsistent mediocre season in which relegation was a real possibility.

What to expect in 2011/2012.
Without depressing Blackburn fans too much, a lack of investment over the summer really seems to have left Steve Kean facing an uphill task, in maintaining his side’s Premier League status. The sale of Phil Jones to Man Utd was thought to have added to the millions already provided by the Venkey brothers. However, to date, this has failed to materialise. Despite being linked with Ronaldinho, David Beckham and Ruud Van Nistelrooy in January, the club only signed Mauro Formica from Newells Old Boys and Ruben Rochina from the Barcelona Reserve side. These signings failed to deliver, as Rovers just survived. This upcoming season seems to hinge on the same lacklustre displays Blackburn have become associated with, with survival, once again the main target. If they are to surge up the table whatsoever, the new owners will have to show their backing to Steve Kean and provide him with the funds to improve his squad, and attract big name players back to Ewood Park. One player already linked with a move up North is Real Betis striker Mariano Pavone. It is reported that the free agent who brought his contract out at his current club, after spending last seaon on loan at relegated giants River Plate, is set to sign a 3 year contract with the club. Another player on the verge of sealing a future at Ewood Park is Partizan Belgrade midfielder Radosav Petrovic, subject to a work permit. Whether or not he will be lining up next to Chris Samba next season remains to be seen, as Steve Kean admits he hasn’t received a single offer for his skipper.

Signings –
David Goodwillie, Dundee United - £2.8million
Other potential signings – 
Mariano Pavone – Free Agent
Radosav Patrovic, Partzan Belgrade -Undisclosed fee
Nedum Onuoha, Man City - £5million
Thomas Hitzlesperger, West Ham - Free
Robbie Keane, Tottenham Hotspur - £5million
Jermain Defoe, Tottenham Hotspur - £7million
Roque Santa Cruz, Man City - £6million
Papiss Cisse, Freiburg - £12million

Departures –
Phil Jones, Man Utd - £16million
Zurab Khizanishvili, Kayserispor – Undisclosed
Benjani – Released
Jason Brown – Released

Other potential departures –
Chris Samba, Arsenal/Tottenham Hotspur - £8million
El Hadj Diouf, West Ham - £2million
Nikola Kalinic, Dynami Kiev/Dnipro - £5million



















Possible Starting XI’s
4-2-3-1
Robinson
Salgado, Samba, Nelsen, Olsson
Andrews, Nzonzi
Hoilett, Dunn, Pedersen
Roberts/Goodwillie

If Pavone and Petrovic sign
4-2-3-1
Robinson
Salgado, Samba, Nelsen, Olsson
Petrovic, Nzonzi
Hoilett, Dunn, Pedersen/Goodwillie
Pavone

Formation change, If Samba leaves
4-4-2
Robinson
Salgado, Hanley/Givet, Nelsen, Olsson
Hoilett, Dunn, N’Zonzi/Petrovic, Pedersen
Roberts, Goodwillie
Prediction
17th

Blackburn’s squad looks similar to last seasons, with a lack of transfer activity both in January and so far this summer, the side has failed to be improved and as a result, a consecutive season fighting relegation beckons. With transfer funds failing to materialise, Blackburn are in serious threat of falling behind their relegation rivals, as a result of not strengthening their squad. Pipping Rangers to Dundee striker David Goodwillie could prove a smart move by Steve Kean, if the Scotland international can adapt to the Premier League, he could prove a important player for the club. Despite my views that they will, once again escape the drop, it doesn’t help Blackburn fans as they face another season at the wrong side of the table, fighting in a relegation battle.