The start of the Premier League is finally upon us, although I don't feel good to notice that only five of the ten League games to open this weekend will actually be kicking off at 3pm- that alone does back up the belief of those that think we should no longer have the block on showing live games at that time as the fans are the ones who suffer with the awkward times of matches.
It is a bit of joke that a team like Newcastle United will have to play at Tottenham Hotspur in a noon kick off later on this season as that is absolutely scandalous for the fans that will be travelling down to London for the game. What can you do though? The TV companies have pumped in so much money into the game that they have a right to do what they want now and the fans, as usual, are only the last concern.
I wrote a small piece about Manchester United before the Community Shield last week and that can be read here. Below I have a few thoughts about who I believe will win the major honours in the Premier League in the coming season and who may just have some sobering thoughts come May.
Champions: The transfer window this summer has been fairly quiet, but the team that has made the most moves is Manchester City as they look to grab the Premier League title back off of Manchester United. The only other real contender when it comes to winning the title is Chelsea and it would be a huge surprise if any other team is lifting the title in May.
It is all change when it comes to the manager's office at all three clubs and the arrival of Jose Mourinho at Stamford Bridge certainly has given the fans and the layers the belief that Chelsea are the team to beat. If they do sign Wayne Rooney before September 2, those chances will definitely increase, while the current squad were flying at the end of last season under Rafa Benitez.
However, I do think Manchester City have the strongest squad and will be the team that comes out on top next May. It was clear that a lot of the City fans really appreciated what Roberto Mancini did for the club, but his removal is a big positive for them as far as I am concerned as he was too negative and didn't bring a good vibe to the team with constant criticisms.
The Italian was extremely fortunate to win the title in 2012, which owed a lot more to Manchester United's collapse and an extremely one in a million recovery on the final day. His performances in the Champions League showed that he was out of his depth at the very top level and the lack of a title challenge would have infuriated the owners of the club. Manuel Pellegrini is a strong manager and the signings he has made have definitely improved City to a point where they should finish top of the Premier League.
Of course, I would dearly love Manchester United to be that team that lifts the title in May, but the absence of Sir Alex Ferguson will mean dropping points when perhaps the former manager would have galvanised the team. He has certainly got the best out of a squad that shouldn't really be finishing 11 points clear of what Manchester City have and I think there were a few games last season where United recovered to win in situations that are unlikely to be repeated.
Unless a couple of big name players are signed, I don't think this squad is capable of reaching the heights of last season and even finishing in the top two may end up beyond them. David Moyes is worthy of receiving the support from the stands, but he has an extremely tough start to negotiate which could leave United playing catch up on City and Chelsea and I do feel it might just be a tougher season than some fans may believe.
Final Champions League Spot: After trying to unsuccessfully buy a few big name players, Arsenal's biggest hope may be that Tottenham Hotspur sell Gareth Bale if they are to once again finish above their North London rivals.
The return of Jack Wilshire will boost Arsenal for the coming season, but they have missed out on Gonzalo Higuain and are unlikely to prize Luis Suarez from Liverpool which means virtually the same squad will begin this season that ended the last in impressive fashion. However, their rivals Tottenham for the final Champions League spot have strengthened hugely, especially if they can keep hold of Bale for one more season at least.
That is looking a little more likely at the moment, although there is still plenty of time before the close of the transfer window, but if Spurs hold on to the Welshman, it would make the signings of Roberto Soldado and Paulinho look very good and the side stronger than last season. I expect Soldado to get goals in the Premier League if the service is there, while Paulinho looked good in the Confederations Cup for Brazil although both will need to settle quickly in a new League.
I still see holes in the Spurs first eleven which will prevent them challenging for the title and they do still rely too much on the counter attack which makes them less effective at White Hart Lane- if Spurs can be a little more ruthless at home this season, they could certainly pip Arsenal for a top four place behind the big three teams.
Relegation: The first of the teams that look set to be relegated into the Championship next season is last season's Play Off Winners, Crystal Palace. I was impressed with Ian Holloway in his last stint in the Premier League as manager of Blackpool, so he has form in getting the best out of a squad that looks a little short of quality.
Even with that in mind, this Palace team are missing two key players from their promotion push from last season- Glenn Murray suffered a serious injury at the back end of last season which could see him miss the whole season after scoring 30 goals last season, while Wilfried Zaha has moved to Manchester United.
Palace haven't strengthened significantly and were poor in the second half of last season and I can't see them having enough to stay in the Premier League as I just don't believe there are three worse teams than the Eagles.
All three of the promoted teams have questions about their ability to survive at this level, but all three getting relegated would be going against the trends over the last twenty years. Even two teams being relegated that were promoted the season before is not that common, but Hull City are another that don't look to have the necessary quality to survive in the top flight.
Steve Bruce is still strengthening the side so my opinion could change in the coming weeks and the signing of Tom Huddlestone is not a bad one, but do the newly named Tigers have enough up front at this level? I would say no and while they had a solid defence in the Championship, it is a different story when it comes to the Premier League.
A lot of people would be worrying about the likes of Sunderland, Stoke City, and perhaps Fulham as a potential established Premier League team that may fall through the cracks. One I would worry about is West Brom who made a really fast start last season before tailing off a little even with a top half finish under their belt.
The loss of Romelu Lukaku means they may just have a problem up front, even after signing Matej Vydra who performed so well on loan at Watford in the Championship last season. The Albion would have finished 17th in the Premier League if we took results from their last 18 League games played.
West Brom do have the fixtures to make a fast start to this season as they did last year, but failure to do so could be the beginning of a long, tough season for the fans and management alike.
I guess we will all know more about how these short predictions will pan out in nine months time, but the Premier League does look set to have a fascinating season ahead with a lot of intrigue. I am sure most fans are just looking forward to the big kick off this weekend now and getting back to the grounds to support their teams.
It ended up being a profitable season last year for the picks, but I will look for an improvement in what is a notoriously difficult sport to make profit on over a nine month period. Another profitable season would be welcome as the season kicks off, although I do have for a slightly higher yield when it is all said and done.
Liverpool v Stoke City: This is the opening game of the Premier League season as Liverpool take on Stoke City at Anfield. It has been a turbulent summer at Anfield as Luis Suarez tried to push through a transfer away from the club, while a big name signing has not come in despite some of the remnants of Kenny Dalglish's poor reign at the club being moved on.
Liverpool will be looking to make a more concerted effort to get into the top four in Brendan Rodgers second season in charge of the club, but they do look a little short of quality in a couple of areas to think they can do that. However, taking on Stoke City, who are under the new management of Mark Hughes, should give the home side the perfect opportunity to kick off this new season with a positive start.
I expect Stoke to be a little more adventurous at times this season, but it may not be at Anfield that we see that happening. Even in the absence of Suarez, I expect Liverpool to be on the front foot in this one and I do think they will create chances. Daniel Sturridge played well in Suarez' absence at the back end of last season and he will need to be at his sharpest if Liverpool are to win this game.
The home side did have plenty of clean sheet last season and they are playing a side that scored the second fewest away goals last season. 3 of the last 5 games at Anfield between Liverpool and Stoke City have ended in goalless draws, but I am going to back the home side to win this one with a clean sheet to boot.
West Ham United v Cardiff City: West Ham United have got a lot to look forward to with a move into the Olympic Stadium in the coming years, but the key for the Hammers is to make sure they are still a Premier League club when that comes about.
Sam Allardyce is certainly one of the best names to have in charge when you want to build a team and work ethic to keep a side afloat and he is well versed in keeping teams ticking along in the Premier League. He is a vastly under-rated manager for what he brings to the table and I expect him to help West Ham United to another season in the Premier League.
This is the kind of game that Allardyce would have circled as must win games if they are to survive in the Premier League and I do think West Ham will be too good for a Cardiff City side that won the Championship last season.
Cardiff might be given a rude awakening as they face a side they met in the Championship just two seasons ago, but one that has brought in plenty of Premier League class since being promoted to this League. West Ham had a strong record at home against teams that finished below them in the table and they have the size and power to beat Cardiff at their own game and the home side look worth backing in this one.
Swansea v Manchester United: David Moyes will begin his competitive era as manager of Manchester United on Saturday afternoon, but he could have wished for a far easier match than having to go to Swansea.
The home side have the belief in their own game to keep hold of the ball for long periods and that could make all the difference in the match, especially considering they have already played two competitive games this season in the Europa League.
Swansea were also strong enough to hold all of the top three to draws last season and while I don't think they are good enough to win the game, Michael Laudrup will have his team ready to cause the Champions of England plenty of problems.
The long periods of possession that Swansea will likely enjoy in this game will test Manchester United and I can certainly see the home side being good enough to avoid defeat. However, I believe Robin Van Persie always offers a team the chance to grab a goal from nothing and I do think the David Moyes era at Manchester United will truly begin with a point here.
Bournemouth v Wigan Athletic: At the end of this season, I would expect Wigan Athletic to finish in the top half of the table and Bournemouth to finish in the bottom half and I do think the Latics will be too strong for them at Dean Court in this Championship clash.
While teams are likely to sit back and defend against Wigan when they travel to the DW Stadium, I do think the side will find it easier on their travels as the onus will be on the home side to get on the front foot and look to win the game.
With the likes of Shaun Maloney and Callum McManaman in the ranks, Wigan should be very effective on the counter attack and they will have good recent memories of this ground where they won 0-1 on the way to winning the FA Cup last season.
Bournemouth were given a rude awakening as to the strength of the Championship when beaten 6-1 at Watford last weekend. They will be stronger at home, but I do think Wigan can make it two wins out of two away from home in the Division with more quality in their squad than Bournemouth, although this may be a close game that ends 0-1.
Middlesbrough v Blackpool: Middlesbrough lost both home games to open this season, one of those in the Capital One Cup, but on both occasions they were leading those games. They then followed that up with a 0-1 win at Charlton Athletic last weekend which has eased some of the pressure on Tony Mowbray.
They should be a little too strong for a Blackpool team that may have won both League games they have played, but were incredibly fortunate last weekend when they scored an injury time winner against Barnsley, even though Blackpool failed to register one shot on target.
The absence of Tom Ince and the number of injuries in the squad has restricted what Paul Ince can do in this game and Middlesbrough should be a little too strong for them in this one. Middlesbrough were a very strong home team last season, and they should be able to follow the win at the Valley with another three points on Saturday.
Crystal Palace v Tottenham Hotspur: The Gareth Bale sage is still rumbling along at White Hart Lane and I can't help think that Tottenham Hotspur need to keep hold of the Welshman if they are to finish in the top four this season.
Bale will be absent on Sunday afternoon for the first game of the season, but Spurs should still be a little too strong for Crystal Palace, a team that haven't invested in the squad in the way that Ian Holloway would have liked in the summer. The injury to Glenn Murray and Wilfried Zaha moving to Manchester United means Palace will have to do without their two best players from last season, while their form in the second half of the season was poor to say the least.
I do think this is going to be a tough season for Palace, but Holloway is likely to send out his team with an attacking intent, although that could leave them very open at the back. Spurs need their new signings to settle quickly as they bid to finally finish above Arsenal in the League and secure one of the Champions League berths.
I like the signing of Roberto Soldado and I think he will score goals in this League if he is given the right service. This won't be an easy match for Tottenham but the Spaniard may prove to be the difference as a proven goalscorer in a top competition like La Liga and he may just get off the mark and help his new side leave Selhurst Park with the three points.
Chelsea v Hull City: The media have been having a great time now that Jose Mourinho has returned to English football and he will once again look for Chelsea to build a strong home record on which to put together the foundations of a title challenge.
Chelsea haven't made too much of an investment in the squad this summer, but their end to last season shows that they do have plenty of quality in the side, while Eden Hazard and Oscar have a season in English football under their belt.
I expect the home side to be too strong for a Hull City team that have made some interesting signings in the last week- the Tigers will want to show that they are not willing to lie down for any team in the League, but this is one of the tougher grounds they will visit this season.
With the amount of attacking talent in the Chelsea team, I would be surprised if they don't open the season with a fairly comfortable win although the layers all feel the same. Instead, I would recommed the Blues getting a few goals in the bank and scoring at least three goals in the game, which has been priced up a little short of odds against.
Manchester City v Newcastle United: Manchester City will begin a new era as Manuel Pellegrini takes over from Roberto Mancini as manager of the club and they look to have brought in some very good talent that should lead to a sustained challenge to win the Premier League title.
I also think Pellegrini will give City the confidence to perform in the Champions League and they do have enough talent in the squad to see off Newcastle United in their first match of the season.
It was another strange summer at St James' Park with the return of Joe Kinnear as Director of Football and Alan Pardew will certainly feel the pressure if Newcastle make a poor start to this season. They really struggled away from home last season and conceded far too many goals when it came to playing the sides in the top four.
City do look tougher than Newcastle and stronger in all the key areas- they have also dominated Newcastle in recent games between the two teams and it would be a surprise if they don't win this fairly comfortably.
Backing City to win this one by a couple of goals looks the call in the final game of the opening weekend of the Premier League.
MY PICKS: Liverpool Win to Nil @ 2.20 Paddy Power (2 Units)
West Ham United @ 2.00 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Swansea-Manchester United Draw @ 3.50 Bet Victor (1 Unit)
Wigan Athletic @ 2.10 Coral (1 Unit)
Middlesbrough @ 2.10 Pinnacle (1 Unit)
Tottenham Hotspur @ 1.80 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Chelsea Over 2.5 Team Goals @ 1.95 Sporting Bet (2 Units)
Manchester City - 1.5 Asian Handicap @ 1.85 Bet Victor (2 Units)
August Update: 1-0, + 1.90 Units (2 Units Staked, + 95% Yield)
Season 2012/13: + 4.42 Units (415 Units Staked, + 1.07% Yield)
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