Movers and Shakers - The Premiership 2007/08

[all_funkt_up]

I wanted to start a thread about everyone else. We have a fair few city fans, Liverpool, Man U and Spurs here. Thats a fairly balanced set. And of course we have the savages from up north too who can give us a fairly unbiased view on the season ahead.

I would be interested to see who people think will be in for a good season ahead, based on their transfer activity. If I had to name '3 to watch' for the coming season, based on transfer activity it would be:

West Ham
Blackburn &
Spurs

None of them have lost any key players but they have made big acquisitions and I think they will all improve on last year's placings in the table.

I was very very close to putting in Manchester City instead of Spurs, I just think that Distin is a big loss and as yet Sven has yet to reinforce the defence. Though I am sure that this will come before the transfer deadline. I think Blackburn have made a great signing in Santa Cruz, allied with an already potent strikeforce (McCarthy & Derbyshire) they should be in for a good season. Once again they managed to retain their key assets.

West Ham have made some serious buys this season. I think the club seriously underperformed in the first part of last season. Curbs will get them in the top 8 this season. And you can take that to the bank.

My '3 to sink' for the season ahead would be:

Derby
Everton &
Bolton

Derby is an obvious one. I hope they stay up, its just they havent spent a great deal and the players they have bought are the footballing equivalent of Audley Harrison IMO. Just your average journeyman pro's.

I think Everton will struggle too this season. 6th place last year was a cracking effort on their part. However in the close season I see everyone around them strengthening and yet they dont seem to have made any decent acquisitions. Infact they havent made any buys at all bar Jagielka. They are unable to offload Beattie (still!) and consequently dont have the cash to re-invest.

Bolton was Big Sam IMO. Nuff said.

[christianu]

None of them have lost any key players but they have made big acquisitions

Blackburn have not made big acquisitions, signing a player who averages 5 goals a season isnt a big acquisition. Other than that they have some relatively unknown dutch youngster, based on transfer activity I think not AFU.

Based on Hughes and the team they already have yes, I like them a lot.

Spurs are so over rated, they did not need Bent one bit...Keane is just as good as him, Berbatov is better and Defoe can fill in for these two as a good striker.

Thr midfield....Taino..Jenas..Zakora..Lennon...(Huddle stone/Boateng/Malbranque/Routledge)

Is just a bunch of players who are good for mid table teams i.e Jenas/Zakora, and stand out in lower table teams i.e Malbranque/Routledge

The defence leaked more than enough goals as well last year, and robbo is a fat bastard.

Every idiot football fan, and most are, they just dont see football properly think they will finish above Arsena and challenge the top four, what a load of bollocks. 6th/7th/8th is where they will finish.

Villa/West ham/City/Newcastle/Portsmouth/Blackburn/Everton..at least one if not two will finish above Spurs IMO.

Reading and Bolton will probably have worse seasons, Middlesborough will be in the dogfight, I think Sunderland will be down there as well becuase there squad is quite poor. Birmingham I actually think wll do ok.

Dont under estimate Everton, they have some good young players, replaced Fernandes with Pienaar and have got a little stronger with Jagielka.

Fulham have bought a lot of average players, and Sanchez didnt stand out at Wycombe, I dont rate him at all. He will never get them beyond the bottom half of the table.

Fulham/Wigan/Boro/Derby/Sunderland bottom 5

Arsenal are being predicted by many to finish 5th, some say 6th and say they are on par with the likes of West Ham and Newcastle (check teamtalk "expert" predictions for this) which is a pathetic and they should never be allowed to talk about football again.

I think they will challenge for the title.

Liverpool to finish behind United and Chelsea again IMO.

[christianu]

Biggest movers

Arsenal
Man City
Newcastle
Aston Villa

Biggest losers

Bolton
Reading
Spurs
Fulham

[GaNgStA kEeKs]

Agree with most you say Chris.

Derby and Sunderland have gone and committed the usual shit new teams do which rarely ever works buying players who just arent good enough for the EPL and are Championship level at best.

To be honest looking at it all i dont really see much change from last season bar Bolton struggling. Again, i dont feel the players they have taken in are good enough for this league although Kallstrom if he has signed could be the signing of the season for me.

I still thinkit will be Man Utd and Chelsea. I think Liverpool will just do what they have done each season and never lived up to the hype their supporters create

Man City made some signings. If Svens got them right they could be a very dangerous team especially with the youngsters they have there.

For some season im just not as hyped for this season at all. Am i the only one? (Same goes for Scotland too before anyone says im trying to downplay England )

[Wittmann 44]

In terms of those to go down I’d go

Wigan – shouldn’t have stayed up last year. Won’t get a second chance.

Derby – lucky to make it this far. Bought no one of note and will struggle.

& one from Fulham / Boro / Birmingham. Sanchez is great for the cup style games but you can’t treat every league game like that or you’ll be playing 8 by the time the season ends. Boro will miss Viduka. Smith won’t fill that void. Boateng looking old and slow. Maybe Bruce will have learned from 2 years ago? Value shout to go Bolton for the reasons m

I don’t see Sunderland going down. They’ll be organised and disciplined and they look stronger than they were when they came up last. They’ll be in the relegation mix but I still think they’ll do enough to avoid the trapdoor.

I think Big Sam will turnaround the train wreck that is Newcastle and get a UEFA spot. You might’nt like his style of football but its effective and he has always gotten the best from his players. If he can keep Martens, Owen and Viduka fit that’s a decent looking strike force. The defence is rickety but he will impose some order and with his nose for free transfers and loans I wouldn’t rule out a surprise or two before season’s end.

I’d love to see Wenger build another team as good as the first double winning team but I think a season of consolidation looks on the cards.

I think the big losers from last year’s top three this season will be Chelsea – I could see them finishing 3rd or even lower. There is trouble in the camp. I could see Drogba going sooner rather than later and the African Nations will throw them worse than anyone.

Hard to know what to make of United. I personally think they’ll be pushed to get as good a season from Scholes and Giggs and will Nani and Anderson be as good as they were? They’ll probably win it but at 5/2 I can avoid.

At the top I fancy Liverpool to make a decent challenge this season. Torres is class and is the 20 goal a season man they have been looking for (famous last words ) . I’ll be on them at 7s this year for the first time in over a decade

[rcgills]

Originally Posted by Wittmann 44

Torres is class and is the 20 goal a season man they have been looking for (famous last words ).

As I think I may have mentioned somewhere on this forum at some stage (only once or twice though ), Torres is massively over-rated. I'd be very surprised if he gets 20 goals this season - he made it to 20 twice with Atletico Madrid, but they based their entire team around him, and he also took (and very often missed) all their penalties, neither of which is likely to happen at Liverpool.

Morientes never really impressed at Anfield and IMO he's a much better player than Torres. Torres will score the odd beauty, and then miss half a dozen easier chances. Personally I don't even think he'll be Liverpool's top scorer this season.

Can you tell I don't rate him much?

Cue Torres now scoring 30 goals this season now I've said all that.

[all_funkt_up]

Originally Posted by wittman

Derby – lucky to make it this far. Bought no one of note and will struggle.

Very well put

Boro will miss Viduka. Smith won’t fill that void.

Certainly not now he's joined Newcastle anyway

Torres is class and is the 20 goal a season man they have been looking for (famous last words ) . I’ll be on them at 7s this year for the first time in over a decade

Quite right that man.

Torres, 20 goals a season plus. Mr Consistancy. Legend.

[Wittmann 44]

Certainly not now he's joined Newcastle anyway

Don't know where I got . I was certain he'd signed with Boro

Personally I don't even think he'll be Liverpool's top scorer this season.

Crouch will be bit part again and Kuyt has the first touch of an ox. Torres has a touch of the Tottis (spectacular goals with lots of easier misses) but I think that Benitez will bring the best out of him.

I'll lay you 10% below the best price that he'll be Liverpool's top scorer this season as well

You can see I'm an optomist - the triumph of hope over experience

[crowie]

Originally Posted by all_funkt_up

Torres, 20 goals a season plus. Mr Consistancy. Legend.

Fuck me, I can feel another bet coming on.....

[all_funkt_up]

Originally Posted by Wittmann 44

Crouch will be bit part again and Kuyt has the first touch of an ox. Torres has a touch of the Tottis (spectacular goals with lots of easier misses) but I think that Benitez will bring the best out of him.

I'll lay you 10% below the best price that he'll be Liverpool's top scorer this season as well

Voronin's yer man!

[Swooperman]

At Villa we were relatively optimistic about the start....until we signed Harewood but we were placated slightly when MO'N described him as a squad player
Think realistically we're looking at a finish around 10th & if we have a decent run then we might have a shot at the UEFA Cup places, but we're looking to step in the right direction & I dont see us in any trouble tbh

Think Birmingham will finish around 14th-ish & not really be involved in the dogfight, & think much the same about Sunderland. I think Keane will have them organised & well put together & I think they'll mirror the first seasons respectability of teams like Reading & Wigan etc, its after that when you get found out, after everyones played you twice.....if you dont reinvent yourselves.
I really hope West Ham dont do well the cheating bastards, but hes a good manager in his own way, & they'll be safe enough & looking to break into the top 10 as well.
Wigan & Bolton have the most to lose with their managerial appointments. One already failed in a similar position (although not given an extended chance in fairness) & the other very like-for-like. I see both down there tbh.
I like Sanchez but I do fear for him at Fulham & I dont think they'll be far away.
Derby are well & truly fcuked
Man City I'm not sure about & I'll with-hold judgement. Boro I can see struggling a bit.
Arsenal will still produce good results but with not enough consistency to challenge.
Liverpool ???? Hmmm, i'm not convinced Torres is strong enough so time will tell......but if I'd spent the money Benitez has & dont get the job done or even consistently challenge, again, I'd be asking questions....god or not....& I like the bloke

[Kop66]

Voronin's yer man!

I hope so AFU, i've taken him Each Way @ 100/1 first four places.

Personally i think Torres will struggle to get a dozen, he'll still have a good first season though.
All the strikers are expected to hit double figures this season, Rafa has often mentions this at the new signing press conferences. He does like to rotate, particully up front.
They'll be goals galore from everywhere this season, even Reina's gonna get 5

[all_funkt_up]

Kop - is Voronin 100/1 to be top scorer?

Thats class..... Will have a pop at that. I think he is a very underrated player. All the hype is around Torres and Voronin was widely regarded by most reds as 4th or 5th choice striker this year. I think he will suprise a few people with just how many goals he scores.

[christianu]

He has never been a prolific goalscorer, 30 in 90 for leverkusen and realisticly he will start 20 games this season at best in the premiership.

I think 100/1 is about right.