Liverpool tops my 2009-2010 Premier League Preview

When making Premier League predictions it’s probably much easier to just go with some combination of the top four – Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester United – and three relegation candidates. Add in a few Europa League spots for fifth, sixth, and seventh and only half of the predictions really carry any weight. But of course, that would say nothing about the clubs disappointed by just barely missing out on European football or the sheer ecstasy of the team finding themselves 17th on the final day of the season, just clear of the drop and secure in another Premier League campaign the following year.

Liverpool, 1st
If there ever was a time for Liverpool to win the Leauge, 2009-2010 would appear as it. Manchester City weakened the top four with a raid for players on Manchester United, Arsenal, and Chelsea. Rafael Benitez, however, did little to improve the second-place squad during the summer transfer period only bringing in two key players – Glen Johnson from Portsmouth for 17m and Alberto Aquiliani from AS Roma for 20m – and selling off a handful of midfielders including Xavi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa. Once again Liverpool’s resolve will be tested as early season injuries to Carragher and Aquiliani leave the Reds scrambling for cover. Injuries will likely tell the story of LIverpool’s title chase. If Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres stay healthy, there is no duo more capable of turning a match on its head.

Benitez’s squad rotation policy aims to keep the team fresh – but it will be interesting to see how a title chase effects the policy if Liverpool hold the lead as the season winds down. No key weaknesses and a sound overall approach to the season should keep the Anfield faithful hopeful for the Barclay’s trophy provided they’re willing to settle for less in Europe.

Chelsea, 2nd
Another Russian import highlights Roman Abramovich’s summer transfer activity. Yuri Zhirkov arrives from CSKA Moscow to Stamford Bridge for 18m. Carlo Ancelotti assumes the Chelsea hot seat and all its trophy expectations. The former AC Milan figurehead is no stranger to high expectations and should be able to handle the London cauldron. Last season’s coaching carousel still saw the Blues finish third in the League, earn a Champions League semifinal, and win the FA Cup. Anything less this season will be considered a failure.

Chelsea appears to be constructing a side intent on conceding the fewest goals in the Premier League and will look to Frank Lampard, Nicholas Anelka, and Didier Drogba to provide the goals at the other end of the pitch. Drogba’s health, an ongoing saga last season, may well remain a storyline in 2009-2010. With only Manchester City wonder kid Daniel Sturridge providing cover, Chelsea could find themselves thin upfront during League games if Ancelotti chooses to run out both Anelka and Drogba for Champions League matches. European demands may ultimately hinder Chelsea’s Premier League efforts.

Manchester United, 3rd
Despite the highly dramatized departure of World Footballer of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid in the offseason, the Red Devils remain a favorite to win a third consecutive Premier League title when the season wraps up in May 2010. Sir Alex Ferguson spent most of the summer tempering expectations regarding transfer activity – particularly after moving early to secure the services of midfielder Antonio Valencia from Wigan for a small portion of the 80m earned from the sale of Ronaldo. While many expected Man United to match the money thrown around by Real Madrid and their Eastlands counterparts, Ferguson focused more on keeping the club strong with additions Michael Owen and Valencia heading into Old Trafford.

The Red Devils will remain solid in the back with Edwin Van Der Saar and a deep back four will ensure fresh legs for the inevitable fixture congestion. And while one could expect the midfield to be weakened by the departure of Ronaldo – the addition of Valencia will keep United stout in the middle. Expect Owen to shine in Ferguson’s attack and Dmitri Berbatov should rebound from a subpar 08-09 campaign. Even with only three proven strikers upfront, United is not without attacking options but it might not be enough firepower to lift the Red Devils to the top of the table.

Manchester City, 4th
Oil money has build championship sides before – read Roman Abramovich – and there is no reason to think the same can’t be done at the Eastlands. Of course, after shelling out over 105m this summer putting together an impressive collection of players, one has to wonder how much time Mark Hughes will be given to turn a group of expensive players into a competitive outfit that will compete for trophies.

It’ll be interesting to see who will be upfront for City during any given match. With eight strikers, six of them will likely be spending the afternoon on the bench. Perhaps Sheik Monsour bin Zayed al-Nahan felt City was better off weakening everyone else by buying their strikers and putting them on his bench. Despite all of the money being splashed around on talent. Stephen Ireland remains the best Manchester City player in recent memory and expect him to thrive surrounded by upgraded talent. The addition of Kaolo Toure helps solidify a notoriously porous back four. Shay Given provides nice cover on the goal line, but it’ll be interesting to see if City will be able to keep the ball out of the back of its own net. A weakened top four improves City’s chances of breaking the monopoly but mercenary football never seems to work and it’ll be interesting to see if Hughes will be given time to actually build a balanced side.

Aston Villa, 5th
Villa emerged as a contender to upset the balance of the Top Four last season but faded down the stretch as the European comittments stretched the Premier League’s smallest squad to its limits last season, eventually costing the Midlands side a shot at Champions League football as the Villans fell to sixth in the League. The departures by Gareth Barry (Manchester City) and Martin Laursen (retirement) certainly weaken the side, but Martin O’Niell targets Fabian Delph and Stuart Downing should prove adequate replacements.

Aston Villa do have questions in front of keeper Brad Friedel, but the midfield anchored by Stylian Petrov, and James Milner can control matches. O’Niell has large targets Emile Heskey and John Carew up top and pacy wingers Gabriel Agbonlahor and Ashley Young provide constant threats. If O’Niell can sort out his backline and build some squad depth, Villa can push the Top Four and still maintain a solid European campaign.

Arsenal, 6th
Arsene Wegner’s claims that Aston Villa and Manchester City can create a Big Six in the Premier League might be saying more about his own squad than paying compliments to his adversaries. Wegner’s only significant summer addition, Thomas Vermaelen, joins a back four that at times showed significant frailty at various points during the season. The losses of Emanuel Adebayor and Kolo Toure weaken the side, but in typical Arsenal fashion, they do have a plethora of young talent poised to fill the void.

The return of Eduardo gives Wenger options up front and a dynamic midfield with the likes of Csec Fabregas, Theo Walcott, and Andriy Arshavin will keep opponents cautious about pushing up too forward intent on exploiting a weakened back line. Wegner may be tempering expectations for a club expected to compete for trophies every season, but even with diminished expectations, if any club above the Gunners stumbles, be sure they’ll be poised to exploit the slip and climb the table.

Everton, 7th
Nobody gets more out of their club than David Moyes. Every season Everton lack resources to make a significant splash in the transfer market, but every season Moyes spends smartly and fields a side capable of playing with the best in England and Europe. Moyes has secured the services of Jo from Manchester City for another season at Goodison Park, but otherwise, Everton has done little to improve a squad that finished fifth in the Premier League last season.

Once again, Everton lacks significant striker options with Jo and Louis Saha favorites to start out front. A strong crop of attack-minded midfielders lead by Tim Cahill, Mikel Arteta, and Phil Neville help mitigate weaknesses out front. Jolean Lescott leads a Everton backline that can struggle at times and a potential move to the Eastlands would signal alarm bells in front of Tim Howard. With fellow Merseysiders Liverpool pushing for a league title, expect Everton to challenge for European football and continue its excellent run of top-half Premier League finishes.

Tottenham Hotspur, 8th
The slow start under Juande Ramos last season hampered Tottenham’s ability to qualify for Europe but did lead to the hiring of managerial journeyman Harry Redknapp. Under Redknapp, Spurs began to show signs of life and a late season push overcame early season relegation concerns. White Heart Lane will always appeal to the cosmopolitan footballer and Tottenham’s transfer activities bear that out. This summer’s additions Peter Crouch, Sebasstian Bassong, and Kyle Naughton relfect that appeal and give Redknapp options heading into the 2009-2010 campaign.

Injuries to Johnathan Woodgate and Michael Dawson leave questions at the back in front of eccentric keeper Huerilio Gomes. Tottenham struggled in defense away from home and any push toward European football needs to be coupled with an improved away record. Expect Lucas Modric to settle in to the Premier League after initially struggling to find his footing in the English game last season. The strike trio of Crouch, Robbie Keane, and Jermaine Defoe will certainly see Spurs scoring goals this season, but Redknapp knows the season will be won or lost at the back as he continues to look for reinforcements.

West Ham United, 9th
West Ham will play some beautiful football in 2009-2010 thanks in part to a full season with Gianfranco Zola at the helm. But the financial troubles the club finds itself in will significantly hinder the club’s ability to make a serious push into the upper echelons of the Premier League. Widely considered the ‘best of the rest’, West Ham will find a top-half finish this season a pleasant success and spend most the season finding ways to avoid the relegation struggle. No significant signings this summer will mean goals will have to come from everyone on the pitch as the strike force of Carlton Cole and Dean Ashton won’t see significant support anytime soon.

At the back, West Ham might find itself without stalwart Matthew Upson by the time the season begins placing additional pressure on Robert Green to keep the Hammers in matches. A solid midfield comprised of Mark Noble, Scott Parker, and a compelling mix of youth and experience will need to overachieve if West Ham’s season is to pay significant dividends.

Fulham, 10th
Roy Hodgson piloted Fulham to a surprise European qualification in 2009 thanks in part to a stingy defense that conceded only 34 goals in 38 matches. The West London club, however, will find it hard to balance the commitments of both the Premier League and the Europa League with a squad ill-equipped to cope with inevitable fixture congestion European football creates. European nights as part of group play could help with the profile of the London-based club longer term but might come at the expense of its all important Premier League campaign and positioning for a return trip to Europe next season.

Hodgson will have to work his magic once again in 2009-2010. The Cottagers benefited from last season’s relegation battle that saw as many as 10 teams caught up in the fight. As other teams battled the pressure, Fulham plugged away mid-table. Expect more of the same this season. The quartet of Bredge Hangeland, Aaron Hughes, Paul Konchesky, and John Pantsil logged considerable minutes last season and there is very little beyond them to protect Mark Schwarzer from oncoming attacks. Danny Murphy, Clint Dempsey, and Simon Davies lead a midfield-driven offense that needs to find the net more often.

Blackburn Rovers, 11th
When Sam Allardyce inherited the club from Paul Ince last season, relegation seemed a real possibility for a side that had enjoyed European football for two of the past three seasons. This season, Allardyce aims to put an end to the free fall and stabilize Rovers as a top-flight club for years to come – bringing in a handful of continental Europeans and replacing some of the troublesome areas that nearly earned Blackburn a trip to the Championship.

Blackburn boasts a top keeper in Paul Robinson but still conceded too many goals. Rovers -20 goal difference was a 22-goal shift from the season before. At times injuries forced central defender Christopher Samba into a striker role, but if Rovers remain healthy, they have some weapons in Morten Gamst-Pederson, Benni McCarthy, Jason Roberts, and El-Hadji Diouf. A relegation scrap doesn’t appear to be in the cards for Rovers this season and the Ewood Park faithful should breathe easy as Allardyce has the team back to it rightful place fighting for European football.

Bolton, 12th
Gary Megson certainly has his detractors but his philosophy of building a club from the back forward is reflected in his approach to the transfer market in 2009. The additions of Zat Knight, Sam Ricketts, and Paul Robinson strengthen a stingy defense. After escaping relegation in 2007, Bolton should be able to field a side this season that will avoid a relegation battle and test the patience of opponents hoping for an easy three points at the Reebok.

Kevin Davies provides the attacking threat in front of a deep midfield that includes Premier League workhorses such as Matthew Taylor, Ricardo Gardner, and Gavin McCann. Bolton is strongest in the back with Gary Cahill and Gretar Steinsson anchoring a stingy defense. Jussi Jaaskailenan provides leadership and while a European push doesn’t seem likely, there seems to be enough in this year’s squad to secure a mid-table finish.

Sunderland, 13th
Sunderland always seems to be boxing above its weight-class in every transfer window in attempt to build a side capable of avoiding the yo-yo between the Premier League and Championship, and the 2009 summer transfer window appears to be no different. While new coach Steve Bruce was linked to some big names, the Black Cats did secure the services of Darren Bent, Frazier Campbell, Lorik Cana, and Paulo Da Silva this summer. Bruce will attempt to replicate his effort at Wigan and keep Sunderland up for another season and mold the side into a permanent Premier Leauge fixture.

Club-record 10m signing Bent and workhorse Kenwye Jones will provide a threat upfront and a decent midfield that includes Steed Malbranque and Kieran Richardson should provide a enough firepower to protect a defense that exhibited frequent lapses last season. With the Roy Keane saga in the rearview mirror and Bruce bringing a new sense of accountability to the club, Sunderland should avoid the drop and continue its push toward Premier League consistency.

Stoke City, 14th
For much of the 2008-2009 season, Stoke City looked destined to go down. With 10 games to go, the Potters sat 19th on 26 points. But a late season surge lifted Stoke up 13th position and the prospects for Premier League survival look promising for another season as Tony Pulis has kept the squad mainly intact while bringing in Dean Whitehead from Sunderland for 3m.

Keeper Thomas Sorensen has top flight experience with both Stoke and Aston Villa. Ryan Showcross and Danny Higginbotham pilot a back four intent on absorbing opposition attacks and launching long balls upfield forcing the offense to reset and try again. The midfield creates chances with Rory Delap’s long throws and Liam Lawrence’s ability to score from all areas of the pitch. Pulis has options up front with Ricardo Fuller, James Beattie, and Dave Kitson. Stoke won’t surprise anyone this season, but as long as The Britannia Stadium remains the loudest and rowdiest venue in the Premier League, chances are decent that the Potters will remain in the top-flight for a third season.

Wolverhampton Wolves, 15th
Wolves earned automatic promotion by running out to Championship title with an impressive 90 points. Mick McCarthy’s squad looks capable of making things interesting in the Premier League with the additions of Reading’s Marcus Hennemahn and Kevin Doyle, Sunderland’s Greg Halford and Red Star Belgrade’s Nenad Milijas. Hennemahn will likely start in the net for Wolverhampton while Doyle and Milijas will look to complement scoring threat Sylvan Ebanks-Blake.

Wolves aim to avoid a quick return to the Championship like Midlands rival West Brom did last season. Wolves should be given every opportunity to earn its place for at least another season and avoid its 20th-place finish from a few seasons ago.

Portsmouth, 16th
These are dark times on the South Coast as Portsmouth sold off its two best players in Peter Crouch and Glen Johnson for a combined 26m. Couple the firesale with Paul Hart’s stewardship of an uninspiring relegation escape and significant ownership questions, and things don’t look terribly promising for the 2009-2010 season. If Portsmouth do find themselves going into administration, the 10-point deduction might just be too much for the team to overcome.

On the bright side, Pompey still have the ageless David James in goal and experienced defenders in Sol Campbell, Herman Hreidarsson, and Steve Finnan protecting the back line. Playmaker Nico Kranjcar can creatively turn a defense inside out, but without any proven strikers, Portsmouth may have a hard time finding goals, especially away from Fratton Park. Expect another relegation battle this season even if they manage to retain the services of a few key players.

Birmingham City, 17th
City quickly returns to the Premier League earning automatic promotion by finishing second to Wolves after being relegated at the close of the 2007-2008 season. Alex McLeish subsequently went on a bit of a preseason spending spree when the transfer window opened in July bringing in no less than seven new players to make sure a return to the Championship is not in the cards for 2009-2010. One key acquisition, Manchester City loan Joe Hart, should help stabilize a back line that at times looked overmatched during the Blues last stay in the Premier League.

A pair of Lees in Lee Bowyer and Lee Carsley bring a gritty element to the midfield. Alex McLeish expects big signing Christian Benitez to bring goals in return for his 9.2m fee. This time around Birmingham should have enough to stay up given some of the newer clubs to the Premier League this time around as the relegation battle will look a lot like recent Championship title races.

Wigan Athletic, 18th
Mid-table mediocrity has marked Wigan’s tenure in the Premier League – finishing a shock 10th in their first season with a 14th and 11th-place finish the past two seasons after narrowly avoiding relegation three seasons ago. This season, relegation appears likely as a new head coach lacks resources and proven Premier League talent to cope with the demands of the inevitable relegation scrap.

Scott Sincalir comes over from Chelsea on loan, but the Latics look weak in front of both goals as they lack any legitimate scoring threat and sport a skittish backline. The loss of Antonio Valencia to Manchester United weakens the midfield, and Charles N’Zogbia and Lee Cattermole will provide limited threats to the opposing defenses. A slow start could only increase the pressure on Roberto Martinez. Its likely to be a long season at the JJB.

Burnley, 19th
Of the newly promoted clubs into the Premier League this season, Burnley appears the least likely to survive relegation back to the Championship due to the overall lack of proven top-level talent on the roster. The Clarets enter the season with only David Edgar from Newcastle logging any significant Premier League minutes last season. Of course, Burnley will be one of the better organized sides this winter with Owen Coyle at the helm.

Scotland stopper Steven Caldwell anchors a savvy back four in front of debutant keeper Brian Jensen. Burnley’s midfield and attack will have to collectively find a way to muster goals as they lack a proven top-flight scorer among them. It may be a long season at Turf Moor, but if a few results can go their way and they can remain organized despite the pressures of the top flight, they may very well find a way to stay up.

Hull City, 20th
Phil Brown will need to reach into his bag of tricks this season if he expects to prevent Hull City from slipping back into the Championship after a rocky first season in the Premier League that saw the Tigers get out to a fast start only to stumble toward the bottom as the season progressed. Without the early season run, Hull would have found themselves hopelessly relegated as they earned only 15 points in the final 23 games of the season and three points in the final 10 games.

As result, Brown aggresively pursued talent upgrades across the squad bringing in Jozy Altidore on loan from Villareal and Seyi Olifinjana from Stoke. However, this likely won’t be enough to keep the Tigers up. They lack a serious scoring threat upfront and its main offensive threat, Geovanni, has a tumultous relationship with Brown. Hull remains solid at the back led my Michael Turner but he may not finish the season with Hull if things start off slowly.

Editor’s Note: Yes, I am an Aston Villa fan and would not enjoy seeing Villa do any worse than seventh, no matter its likelihood. Chances are the defensive crisis at the back could have us sink to seventh, but its still the preseason and this is for fun.