Barclay's Premier League Predictions

Without further ado, my 2007/2008 Barclay's Premier League predictions:

20. Derby County

The heroes of the new Wembley are certain to be one of the leaguewide punching bags. Billy Davies may not figure in the Sack Race, since he has already been muttering about the lack of genuine transfer funds available to the club and could quit the club long before they are forced to sack him. When your big summer signing is Robert Earnshaw, trouble is on the horizon.

19. Birmingham City

In spite of acquiring attacking players of genuine European pedigree such as former Juve and Auxerre winger Kapo and the intriguing signing of Garry O'Connor, this team is lacking at the back and will suffer at the hands of even the most modest Premier attacking lines. Steve Bruce's name will be amongst the first to come up in the Sack Race and by January this team will be thanking its lucky stars this season's parachute fund is the largest of all time.

18. Wigan Athletic

Wigan will be the side to spend the least in order to drop to the Championship, but their big summer signing may in fact be the difference if they happen to squeak into 17th. Jason Koumas, signed from West Brom, is an excellent player who performed well when Albion was last up in the top flight. Chris Hutchings has yet to prove that he is Paul Jewell, so look for this brave northwest side to struggle this season.

17. West Ham United

Yes. West Ham, ducking the axe yet again. They seem to have added wisely, ditching duds in Harewood and Reo-Coker in favor of stalwarts in Ljungberg, Bellamy and Parker. The problem with the Hammers this year will be the ghost of Joorabchian hanging over the club. The financially astute but politically oblivious Iranian agent and the controversy he has managed to drag West Ham into over Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano will almost make Sheffield United's dreams come true. Almost...

16. Middlesbrough

The changing of the guard will occur in the football mad northwest. Out with the tired and confused side at the Riverside, in with...well, you'll have to wait. Two players scored more than two goals for Boro last year: Viduka and Yakubu. Viduka is gone and Gareth Southgate seems to be bound and determine to allow Yakubu to flee the sinking ship. With only the lost soul who is Jeremie Aliadiere to fill in up front, Boro will sink perilously low in the table.

15. Sunderland

Supplanting Boro up the table will be Roy Keane's Black Cats. They haven't shaken the Earth with transfer signings, but Etuhu will be a force in the center of the pitch and Kieran Richardson will know better than to cross his former captain. If relegation threatens, so may the manager. I wouldn't want to be on the wrong end of a Keano diatribe about relegation over his dead body...

14. Reading

Many would tip Reading to fall back to Earth after their stunning top-half finish last season. I am amongst those wise souls. Reading have too much quality and organization to drop, but little punch to inspire. Gone is stalwart Steve Sidwell, but manager Steve Coppell has enough quality to keep the squad afloat. He has a knack for organizing his overachieving crew in magnificent ways, but the rest of the league has improved, while Reading has largely maintained the status quo.

13. Manchester City

He's baaaack! Yes everyone's favorite mad scientist, Sven-Goran Eriksson, has resurfaced (got bored of the girls in the redlight?) to take control of City. Poor City... I think Sven will make Man City a better team in the long haul (as long as the human rights fugitive with the deep pockets stick around) but he admitted to not having seen any of his signings acutally play. Sven can sight the best player at each position and is decent tactically, but fails to find players who can actually play TOGETHER (see the England squad, WC '02, '06 and EC '04). His signings will largely take at least half the season to mesh, but after Christmas the formula will be improved. Poor City...

12. Fulham

If Fulham are relegated, I wouldn't be surprised. If Fulham finish just outside the UEFA Cup, I wouldn't be surprised. Lawrie Sanchez seems determined to fill his squad with American internationals, but they're, like, in the FIFA top 20, right? No, really he likes Villa rejects and guys who demand England caps when they clearly suck...The core of Fulham's side is still intact and they have a knack of fending off relegation. The money appears to flow into the transfer market with great ease, so if relegation looms in January, where there's a will there's a way, by al-Fayed!

11. Everton

Merseyside's poor cousins have been struck with an early season injury bug that appears to have struck the people that score goals in the squad...Cahill and Vaughn are out and Johnson will be laid up soon, stay tuned. Phil Jagielka, alongside Phil Neville, provide two fine utility men for a very shallow squad. David Moyes will prove is worth by the end of the season, keeping the Toffees well above the drop whilst never truly threatening the boys at the top.

10. Aston Villa

Err...Martin O'Neill, what are you up to? Reo-Coker? Harewood? Huh? After leading West Ham just clear of relegation, these are shorley the men for the the job right? Wrong! Short of Gabriel Agbonlahor becoming the second incarnation of Ian Rush in the mid-80s, Villa will once again come up short. I admire O'Neill a great deal, but I think his pleas in defence of Randy Lerner the tightwad are growing a bit thin. Show him the money already.

9. Bolton Wanderers

The loss of Big Sam results in the drop of the Trotters. Not too far, thankfully. The land of misfit toys will keep on truckin', with a few interesting additions (watch for Mikel Alonso) and two dire losses (Sam himself and Tal Ben Haim). Anelka, Davies and Diouf will put the ball away one more time, but Sammy Lee will find things a bit tougher than when his old boss was ruling the roost.

8. Newcastle United

The Toon Army will be ecstatic that More Money is available to spend on overrated players via Mike Ashley's cash. This time around, the holder of the Big Chequebook is Big Sam. This is good. However, it appear that the traditional Newcastle nemesis, Injuries, will do their best to thwart Sam's plans. Alan Smith, Mark Viduka and Geremi will be fine additions to for the Magpies, but so would an injury free Michael Owen. Healthy, this team could very well be in Europe by the end of the season...otherwise, we all know the story.

7. Portsmouth

Harry Redknapp's squad will come of age this season. After several seasons of hot and cold play, the south coast's main representative will put it all together in the upcoming campaign. David Nugent and Sylvain Distin bolster an already competent Premier squad. If not, Southampton will always hold the door open for Harry...

6. Blackburn

Finally, the first side that has an outside shot at a Champions League spot for 08/09. Outside I said! Geez... Benni McCarthy showed all-world class last campaign and will be odds-on to look good again this year. Roque Santa Cruz will only add to Mark Hughes steadily improving side. Morten Gamst Pedersen remains one of the best players not with the top four in the league. Blackburn will impress in the UEFA Cup and will impress in the League.

5. Tottenham Hotspur

Darren Bent...not worth 16.5-million. Don't get me wrong, I think Tottenham are a great squad, Bent is a great player, but only a regular international should really command that kind of coin (especially when your nation is striker bereft England). They have good strikers, good midfield, absentees at the back. They have too much class not to finish top-six, but not enough to squeak into the upper class of the English pecking order. Martin Jol may be looking to the Dutch national squad before March...

4. Arsenal

By default (read, Tottenham's inadequacies) Arsenal will be back in the 3rd round qualifiers next August. Henry is a blow, but he didn't figure in almost half the season anyways. Van Persie is the real deal, he will certainly improve on his 11 goal tally from last season, helping to make the Emerites faithful forget their departed talisman. Da Silva, by many accounts, is a bit of enigma (Zagreb?!?) and Wenger has yet to put pen to paper and remain at the club. He likely will, especially if David Dein squeaks back on the scene. Gilberto will need to step up, particularly since he was passed over for the captaincy in favor of William Gallas (forever linked to Italy). They lack some of the cohesion of the other squads in the top four due to the big names exiting every summer, but they are still a notch above the rest of the league.

3. Chelsea

I honestly wouldn't have them here, were it not for the fact that eight of their first 11 appear to be scratched from the opening day match. John Terry, Michael Ballack and Wayne Bridge for sure, with Drogba and Cole questionable. Others are not so at risk, but a slow start is the kiss of death in the race for the title. Mourinho is only a meltdown away from losing the squad and Roman's faith...they are WAY too good to finish below Arsenal, but circumstance will dictate much of the Blues' season.

2. Liverpool

The Reds have come a long way since Athens, but it's a lot further to Manchester. Liverpool may have the tightest defence in the league, but last season lacked the finishing touch of the champions or Chelsea. Enter Torres (26.5M!?!), Benayoun, Babel and Voronin. These players will make a huge difference, but it will be stalwarts Carragher and Gerrard upon whom their hopes will ride. Carragher's all-world performances need to continue and Gerrard will still be the man to pick the squad up by the scruff of the neck and drag them to glory. Both are more than capable, but capability and results are often two different things. Also, watch for Javier Mascherano. Ask Kaka what it's like to play against this guy. Joy for Milan might not have been guaranteed if he stayed on the pitch in Athens...

1. Manchester United

Simply the most complete squad in the league. Their back line isn't the best, but they do the job. Their midfield is fantastic, with Carrick, Ronaldo, Giggs and Scholes a well-oiled machine. Rooney will only benefit from the arrival of Carlos Tevez, and the goals will continue to roll in for the Red Devils. I feel Ferguson has overpaid for some of the talent he has brought in (Hargreaves for 17M?) but they are all class and the rewards will be reaped for years to come. The only way they lose the title is dropping 6 points to Liverpool.

There it is! Like it or leave it, I suppose.

As a postscript, Bernie Ecclestone, F1 supremo and generally eccentric weirdo, is going to make a bid for Arsenal. Oh, NOOOOOOO!!!!!!