Here are my predictions:
[FONT=&]1-ManUnited. Times are bright at OT for a big season. It seems Pogba is just about a done deal and this brings another dynamic player to a very deep team. with the likes of Zlatan, Martial, Rooney and Rashford in the attack, there is plenty to choose from. Mkityarin will hit the ground running and his brilliance will be on display on the biggest stage. Carrick back to playing the defensive midfielder really sures up the defensive posture and United add another athletic CB to pair up with Smalling. So much experience all over the field, and a very good mix of youth and experience. And still with one of the best GKs on the planet, if United able to get another 0.5 gpg or so, they should be just fine to win the title.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]2-ManCity. Certainly no shortage of fire power in the attack. KdB, Sterling, Silva, Aguero, Bony all are dangerous - and plenty of depth in midfield and attack. Goals should not be the problem. I do see an issue in the back. Hart is in my eyes one of the most overrated GKs in the league (if not the world). And I think the once stout City defense has a lot of questions abound. Adding Stones would help, but I just see an aging, decaying defense - very similar to what Chelsea had last year which was severely exposed. I'm sure Pep will try to control the ball, but thats another issue in that City are just brilliant on the counter. YaYa and Silvas play has fallen off, I'm not sure the current City side pair well with what Pep has done in the past. We shall see.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]3-Chelsea. Pretty evident that a change needed to be made after the disaster of last season and Conte just seems to be perfect. Their midfield just designed to run opponents ragged and you have to assume an improvement in form from Hazard will assist in the attack. Should be a lot of grinding games, I think opponents will very much dislike playing against the Blues this year.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]4-Spurs. this is fully a team on the come, littered with young good players all over the pitch. Just look at all the impact players on the team over the age of 26. Vertonghen and Alderweild are 29 as is Lloris (but really that is a prime age for a gk). And that is it. Everyone else 26 or younger. Two issues keep me from picking this team higher. 1) Not quite as deep as the teams above them and with CL play this year, this could be an issue. Spurs oftentimes were vulnerable in years past after midweek games. 2) overreliance on one Harry Kane to get the key goal. They need to find more consistent scoring from a secondary source in my eyes.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]5-Arsenal. I think Arsenal need to make a change. It seems forever they have been content to be good, not great, get into the top 4, take CL money and look for bargains in the transfer market. That formula worked well for years, but with the stupid money now available, Arsenal been too slow to adjust and I think this will be the year changes be made. Wenger a fine soccer mind, but Arsenal just not better than most of the best teams in England and Europe any more. They are just 'in the mix'. They will be decent enough again, but a 5-6 finish will not surprise me at all.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]6-Liverpool. I'm not drinking the Klopp punch just yet. Central defense and GK's just not good enough. Attack may be fun if everyone is at full health, but I dont think Lallana and Milner are anywhere near the level of wingers that Dortmunds attack had in the past. I would be shocked if they finished top 4, I really think 6 is their peak.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]7-Southampton. Liverpool feeder club still with talent but obviously lost quite a bit in the off season. At this point the teams from 6-12 or so are really interchangeable, so wouldnt surprise me to see Southampton at 7th or 12th, I'll give them the benefit of doubt based on talent alone.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]8-Leicester City. Shame that the team already lost a few key players and very well may lose Mahrez too. It would have been fun to see if it really were the worlds largest ever fluke or this gutty squad could come close to replicating results. Thin roster, increase of high leverage matches, I just cant see Leicester coming close to the lofty goals of last year. Ill put them this high in hope, but wouldn't surprise me to see a 15th place finish simply due to attrition[/FONT]
[FONT=&]9-Everton. Mundane table position for a middling club. Not much to be excited for here in my eyes. Defense and goal is relatively weak and loss of Stones wouldn't help. Barkley, Lukaku, Deulofeu, a few nice young pieces surrounded by mostly dreck and guys well past their prime.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]10-West Ham. I want to put the Hammers higher, but I just dont see it. Defense isnt very good and Cresswell already injured. I think Payet is pretty discontent and wants to play for a bigger club. Most of the guys on this club are in the sweet spot of 25-29 years old, but they are just shy of having the talent of playing for the best clubs, and not bad enough to be key contributors to lesser clubs. so 10th seems just about right for them[/FONT]
[FONT=&]11-Swansea. Don't see enough goals out of them to push much higher than this. Don't see enough weakness to have them in danger of dropping. 11-15 range for Swans seems right, although I could see them even further back with an injury or two as this team is not all that deep.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]12-Crystal Palace. Defense is okay, midfield is good....if they could only find a striker or two. We shall see how long Pardew sticks around, but on talent alone I think this team should have no issues staying above the drop and I'll fancy them for a surprise finish nearer to 10. Plus, you have to love the Palace fans, so keeping them around for years is a nice juxtaposition against the dullards in OT or the Emirates.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]13-16 Middlesbrough/Stoke/Sunderland/Watford[/FONT]
[FONT=&]At this point I'm running out of much positives to mention about each team so I'll just lump these 4 teams together as a whole bunch of meh. I think they will all steer clear of danger and make it another year. [/FONT]
[FONT=&]17-West Bromwich. The never ending saga of Beranhio aside, this team still with just barely enough talent to stay up. An older lot, and surely more susceptible to injury, Lambert, Fletcher, Brunt, Morrison, Olsson all will probably be relied upon to be key performers, all on the wrong side of 30. Johnny Evans coming up on 30, just seems to me this team is a rag tag collection of mediocre players, but when they are all out there, they are professional, play hard and I do like TP as a manager. But, very easy for me to see an injury or 5 take this club apart and lend them in a very uncomfortable position around April of 2017.[/FONT]
[FONT=&]18-20 Burnley, Bournemouth, Hull[/FONT]
[FONT=&]These three should be relegated but will fight tooth and nail each week for points. I think Hull and Bournemouth I would tip for 19th and 20th, but I'll root a bit for Burnley to stay up. We shall see.[/FONT]
