Part 4: English Premier League Season Preview and Predictions
Thanks to the FIFA World Cup in South Africa, it felt as if there was no break in the middle of the season. The opening weekend of matches in the English Premier League saw all the teams go head-to-head in their opening matches.
Teams like Manchester City took on Tottenham but managed nothing more than a draw. On the other hand, newly promoted teams like Black Pool stunned everyone by winning their opening games. There were some predictable results amongst the midst as well, with Arsenal and Liverpool drawing their games at one goal apiece.
It is still very unclear as to how all the teams will perform amongst each other in this coming season. Here is a look at what experts believe the teams will have in store for the next nine months.
Everton
Loosing Dan Gosling due to an error by the administration was a major upset for Everton. It is a mistake that could come back to haunt the club in the near future. David Moyes will be looking past that and would want to propel the squad even further than last season.
The usual players that will be looking to control the flow of Everton’s game are Cahill, Mikel Arteta and Marouane Fellaini-Bakkioui. All three of them along with Phil Jagielka and Tim Howard will have to be in top form if Everton are to push for a Champions League finish this season.
Moyes had a tough battle on his hands to retain his star player but it was a battle that he eventually won.
The players that left the club were, John Ruddy, Dan Gosling and Carlo Nash. Players that were signed include, Joao Silva, Das Aves, Jan Mucha, Jermaine Beckford and Magaye Gueye.
Experts believe that Everton would more than definitely improve on their seventh place position from last season and might even manage to break into the top four.
Fulham
Roy Hodgson’s departure was a massive blow for the club. However they managed to appoint Mark Hughes to try and decrease the losses that they would suffer.
The club now possesses a relatively newer team and has fresh legs and fresh blood in the squad.
If they manage to keep hold of Mark Schwarzer, then it would prove to be a good move for the team. Bobby Zamora and Schwarzer are the most experienced players on the squad who will need to be in top form to help guide the younger Fulham side.
The players that have been brought in at the Cottage include, Philippe Senderos and Jonathon Greening. The players that have left the Fulham squad are, Chris Smalling, Erik Nevland, Elliot Omozusi, Christopher Buchman, Wayne Brown and Toni Kallio.
Experts believe that Fulham possess the attacking options and the defensive cover that could help see the squad dent the top ten of the English league, if they manage to not lose track and stay focused under their new manager that is. However if they fail to do so, then Fulham can expect a hard battle on their hands to stay in the middle of the Premier League table. They might even be fighting for relegation. Hughes has proved that he is a worthy manager in the past and if he continues to keep that form up then that would most likely not be the case.
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