Middlesborough

Saturday 10^th April

English Premier League

Hull City v Burnley

Another week in the Premier League and another massive game at the bottom of the table as Hull and Burnley go toe to toe at the KC stadium.

Iain Dowie has won 1 and lost 2 in his first 3 games in charge of Hull but there definitely seems to be an improvement in their displays since he took over. His first game in charge away to Portsmouth was a hard defeat to take considering they were leading 2-1 in the dying minutes only to lose two goals. Their next game was at home to Fulham where they turned in an excellent performance to clinch a 2-0 win and give them renewed hope in their battle against the drop. Confidence was high going into last weekends away match at Stoke but they were brought back down to earth with a comprehensive 2-0 loss. Not many teams come away from the Britannia with much so it may not have been a surprise but it was still another 3 points away and 1 less game to play. Dowie must now recharge his troops ahead of tomorrow’s match. It really is a must win match and one which he will have targeted for 3 points as soon as he was installed as Hull’s manager last month.

Burnley are on an horrendous run which culminated last week in an embarrassing 6-1 home defeat to Manchester City. Brian Laws’ side were 5-0 down going in at half time and you have to wonder what that defeat has done to confidence as well as their already remote chances of staying in the Premier League for another season. They are currently 4 points behind 17^th placed West Ham but more crucially, they haven’t managed to collect maximum points from a game since the beginning of February. They have lost 9 out of a possible 10, drawing the other one. They are damning statistics and you have to think that they are all but down. Even if they win tomorrow, Burnley will be 1 point adrift of Hull who will still have a game in hand over them. As well as their recent run of horrific form, they are still chasing their first away win of the season as we approach the last 4 weeks of the season. 1 point from a possible 48, 11 goals scored and 47 conceded (just under 3 goals a game). You wouldn’t fancy them doing anything constructive on the road when you look at such a record.

These two sides know it’s win or bust basically at this stage of the season and as such you can expect a tense 90 minutes. Both defences leak goals however so it would not be a massive surprise if there were some goals in the fixture, then again, you wouldn’t be shocked if it was a dour encounter with 1 goal settling the game. Due to the nature of the match and how important it is for both sides to get all 3 points, I’m ruling out the draw. It doesn’t benefit anyone so late in the season so I think both sides will be going for it right up until the last kick of the ball if it is a stalemate at that point. Hull have a decent home record for a side who are in a relegation battle with 6 wins and 5 draws from 15 matches. Jimmy Bullard is back fit and his influence cannot be underestimated. He’s creative, he’s a leaders and most importantly he scores crucial goals. I’ve often considered Burnley to be weak in the midfield with no real quality, Hull certainly do in the shape of Bullard and to a lesser extent Stephen Hunt, and for that reason, I’m tipping them to take all 3 points.

My selection: Hull to beat Burnley at a best priced 3/4 available with Paddy Power

English Championship

Middlesbrough v Sheffield Wednesday

Both sides are in desperate need of the points for very different reasons at the Riverside tomorrow as ‘Boro are still chasing a play-off spot whilst Wednesday are battling for their lives at the bottom.

Gordon Strachan has not had the season he would have wished for since taking over from Gareth Southgate earlier on in the season. After enjoying plenty of success at Celtic over the last 4 years, the stop start nature of this season will have surprised him. His side have never been able to put a proper run of form together and as a result they find themselves trailing in the search for a play-off spot behind far lesser clubs in the shape of Blackpool, Leicester and Swansea. Strachan tried to recreate the environment he had in Glasgow at the Riverside by bringing in several players from Celtic in the January transfer window. Stephen McManus, Willo Flood, Barry Robson, Chris Killen and Scott McDonald all arrived to link up once again with their former manager. Robson has been the biggest success to date whilst McDonald is back fit and will undoubtedly score goals at this level after such a successful spell in the SPL over the last few years.

Sheffield Wednesday are also a big club in the Championship, but they might not be for much longer – they could end up being a massive club in League 1 next season. They have struggled for much of the season at the foot of the table and have it all to do if they want to survive. They are level on points with Watford who sit directly above them but out of the relegation zone, only Watford have a game in hand. Alan Irvine was brought in at the turn of the year to lead the club to safety after the sacking of Brian Laws, after a initial good start, the players have reverted to form. They have won just once in their last 8 games but at the same time, have lost just twice in that run of fixtures. Draws  are decent enough at this stage of the season for a lot of clubs, but when you are fighting for your lives you really need to pick up more wins in as many games.

‘Boro are 6 points outside of the final play-off spot with 4 games to play. It looks very much like an uphill battle but one thing you can be sure of is Strachan’s teams going to the wire. They will never give up on anything until it is mathematically impossible. Blackpool travel to Newcastle this weekend, whilst Leicester go to Peterborough who will be on a high after appointing Gary Johnson as manager during the midweek. It’s not inconceivable that Middlesbrough could find themselves just 3 points off of 6^th place tomorrow evening if results go their way. They had an excellent 2-0 away win down at Plymouth  on Easter Monday so it’s clear that they still have the desire to go up. They also have an excellent record of tomorrow’s opponents with 4 wins in the last 4 games in this fixture.

My selection: Middlesbrough to beat Sheffield Wednesday available at 8/11 with Betfred

                           Scott McDonald to score anytime at a best priced 6/4 with Skybet

Betting Preview Middlesbrough vs Sheffield United

The first game of the new season is a Championship game, Middlesbro’ v Sheff. Utd. (Friday 7th August). These two sides could well be in the shake-up come next May.

I’m not really one for long term predictions but I do have a strong fancy for Middlesbro’ to bounce straight back up to the Premiership.
They’ve lost Stewart Downing but have replaced him with a winger with an eye for goal.Twenty-four year old Mark Yeates began his career in the ‘Spurs youth team. After loan spells at Leicester and Hull City, he most recently played for Colchester for whom he scored twenty goal in seventy games. On the other side of the field is Adam Johnson, well starred in Stewart Pearces’ notebook for this seasons under 21 squad. The backbone of the side is provided by Brad Jones, David Wheater, Robert Huth and Julio Arca. Arca has had the joy of winning promotion with Sunderland in 2005.

Wheater is a no-nonsense Centre-Back who has been noticed by a few of the Prem big boys. Huth’ first English side was Chelsea where his chances were limited due to the large squad.

Brad Jones is a reliable goalkeeper, who could hold his own in bigger/better company. However Gareth Southgate has signed Danny Coyne from Tranmere. Not so much as back-up as to keep Jones on his toes. Coyne has had over four hundred and fifty senior games in his career so far. Having played for Burnley, Leicester and Grimsby. He fully expects to get a chance to lay claim to become first choice   ‘keeper.Another arrival is Leroy Lita from Reading. Brought in almost before Mido had cleared his locker. His Premiership experience should be invaluable.Together with Marvin Emnes and Jeremie Aliadiere, these three will hopefully be the source of the goals that were very noticable by their absence last season. On the reverse side, Tuncay Sanli and Afonse Alves both look destined for new clubs in the not too distant future.

So put these together with a young but vastly able manager, in Gareth Southgate and I think here is a combination for SUCCESS.            Currently Middlesbro’ are best offered @ 7.00 to win the Championship (V.C. Bet) and @ 3.25 to be promoted (ToteSport). As your money will be tied-up for some time, I would suggest SMALL stakes only. Incidentally the "Book" fiigures for the Outright market is 102.8%. For the Promotion Market a whopping 294.2%. Not a lot of value, unfortunately.

Wednesday 25^th February

Middlesborough v West Ham

Another 5^th round replay see’s an all Premiership clash between a side who are battling for the safety, host a West Ham side sitting comfortably in mid-table.

The first clash between these two clubs saw a 1-1 stalemate at Upton Park on the 14^th of February when Stuart Downing notched his first goal of the season only to see Herita Ilunga equalize midway through the 2^nd half. Boro had the better of the first half and probably should have added to their opening goal, unable to do so, the allowed the home side back into the match and it was a completely different West Ham side who came out for the second half.

Still without a win in the league since November, Boro have used the Cup as a welcome distraction to get this far. Despite being relatively unconvincing in matches against Barrow and Wolves, the most important thing is they were victorious. Manager Gareth Southgate will be hoping tonight’s cup game is no different and he may decide to be a little more adventurous and go with 2 up top rather than their more conservative lone striker approach that he continues to use in league games.

Gianfranco Zola won the cup twice as a player with Chelsea and he is desperate to continue his side’s involvement in this year’s competition for as long as possible. He has done an excellent job thus far in his short stint as manager at the London club. Eventually finding the right balance between his midfield and strikers, he has managed to get a team on the park who are both creating chances and scoring goals. Their defence has also look a lot stronger than it was at the start of the season, which makes the loss of Welsh stopper, James Collins, even more of a blow. He, along with Matt Upson, has been instrumental in the Hammers recent good run and will be a definite miss for his team tonight.

West Ham’s board have taken the generous decision of laying on transport in the form of supporters buses for their fans this evening, free of charge. It will mean that the East London club will take over 3000 happy hammers to the Riverside tonight and they will be sure to provide great backing.

Southgate’s first priority is obviously to keep Boro in the top flight this season. With the winners away to Everton in the next round, and the fact Man United, Arsenal and Chelsea are already qualified for the quarter finals; he may feel they have no chance of progressing much further in the competition even if they do see of the visitors tonight. It’s also not too rosy at the Riverside at the moment, disgruntled fans have begun to get on the managers and players backs and the home support is likely to be sparse this evening due to the game being live on terrestrial television.

With that in mind, and the fact that Zola has stated he is determined to continue his side’s cup run, I fancy West Ham to repeat their win over Hartlepool in the last round and return to London from the North East, victorious.

My selection: West Ham to beat Middlesborough

Best odds available: 9/5 with Ladbrokes

West Ham ‘Draw no Bet’ is available at 10/11 withStanjames

Whilst West Ham to qualify for the next round is a very decent Evens with Willhill

Saturday 14^th February

English FA Cup

Swansea v Fulham

Championship side Swansea host Fulham of the Premier League in Saturday’s early kick off in one of the tie’s of the round.

The away side head into this game on the back of a run which has seen them lose only two matches out of their last fifteen. The impressive form has seen them record 6 wins with 2 of these coming in this competition, both away against lower league opposition.  Despite these victories away from home in the cup, they have yet to take maximum points on their travels in the league. From their last 3 matches in the league they have lost two and drew the other one, last week’s goalless draw with Wigan.

As I have no doubt mentioned before, Swansea have been a revelation this term. Roberto Martinez has put together a team full of craft, pace and ability and entwined it with graft and enthusiasm. Despite missing last season’s star man, Ferrie Bodde, for much of the season they have put together a run of even better form than Saturday’s visitors. Since their reverse at home to Birmingham in November, they have went on a run of 15 games unbeaten. Granted, 9 of those games were stalemates, but it should be noted that they have won 6 of their last 7 games, including their impressive 2-0 victory over Portsmouth in the last round. Incidentally, their last defeat was also their only home defeat of the season; winning 7 and drawing 8.

Swansea have done exceptionally well against the more cultured sides in the Championship this season, defeating the likes of Reading, Preston, Ipswich and Burnley in recent weeks, with relative ease as well it has to be said. The likes of Jason Scotland, Jordi Gomez and Nathan Dyer are far more effective when they are given space to play and Fulham will allow them a lot of the ball on Saturday as they will look to hit the hosts on the counter-attack.

Fulham have been given two tough games thus far in the FA Cup. They have left it late against both Sheffield Wednesday and Kettering Town, the winning goals coming in the last 5 minutes in both cases – they will find this match even tougher. Having only managed 6 points all season on the road, and scoring a paltry 3 goals in the process, I can see them coming unstuck at what is sure to be a rocking Liberty Stadium.

I think Saturday’s game will be an open game and can see both sides scoring, I just feel that the home side will have a little too much for their higher ranking opponents.

My selection: Swansea to beat Fulham

The best odds available for a Swansea win is  13/8 with Skybet

Also, if you are not as confident in the outright result, I would advise a couple of side bets for a little bit of added interest in what is sure to be an enthralling encounter.

Other selections: Jason Scotland to score anytime 2/1 with Paddypower

More than 2 goals in Swansea v Fulham 5/4 with Stanjames

Saturday 14^th February

English League One

Oldham v Northampton

High flying Oldham entertain perennial mid table finishers Northampton at Boundary Park on Saturday in a match they will be looking to gain all three points in a bid to keep their promotion challenge firmly on track.

Despite a couple of recent setbacks on their travels, Oldham have continued to be a force at home. They have picked up 8 wins and 6 draws from their 15 home games in league 1 already this season, including gaining maximum points from 2 of their last 3. A big part of their success is the quality of their strikers, especially Lee Hughes. The controversial hitman has bagged 15 already this term. Midfielders Liddell and Taylor also have 8 goals apiece, add that to the experience of Dean Windass, on loan from Hull City, then it’s not hard to understand why Oldham sit in 5^th place, 7 points off the 2^nd automatic promotion spot.

Northampton are something of an enigma. Despite proving incredibly difficult to beat on their own turf (only 3 defeats from 15), they have only managed to pick up 3 points on two occasions when playing away from Sixfields. Both these victories were against sides below them in the table and both are currently occupying positions within the relegation zone.

Despite having to contend with a suspension to their goalkeeper, the home side should have too much firepower at the other end of the pitch for Northampton to cope with and should take all 3 points. It’s a game they will have targeted as a must win beforehand and they should oblige.

My selection: Oldham to beat Northampton

The best odds available are 8/11 from Betfred Betfred

Saturday 14^th February

English FA Cup

West Ham v Middlesborough

An all Premier league clash between two sides enjoying contrasting fortunes. The home side are flying in the top half of the table under Gianfranco Zola whilst ‘Boro are on their worst run in 13 years. These are games I normally avoid due to their unpredictable nature but I just cannot see where the away side are going to pick up anything.

Survival is the name of the game for Saturday’s visitors to Upton Park on Saturday. Slap bang in the middle of the relegation zone and without a win in the EPL since the beginning of November, manager Gareth Southgate is faced with his biggest task yet since taking charge. In spite of their shocking league form, they have managed to make it through to this stage by defeating lower league opposition in the shape of Wolves and Barrow.

Zola has started to stamp his mark on this side after a relatively timid opening couple of months in charge. Their narrow defeat to Man United last Sunday was their first reverse since the middle of December, a run of games which has seen them win 6 and draw 2. The likes of Cole, Collison, Behrami and Mark Noble will be a handful for an away side who have failed to win at Upton park since 2000.

The cup may prove to be a welcome distraction for ‘Boro but their pitiful recent form leaves a lot to be desired. Zola will know that defeat would mean merely playing out the rest of the season and hoping for a top 10 finish whereas victory could be the catalyst for a prolonged run in a competition they came so close to winning in 2006.

Roared on by an now expectant home crowd, the pace and power of West Ham should be more than enough to brush aside Southgate’s charges.  

My selection: West Ham to beat Middlesborough

The best odds available for a West Ham win is 5/6 available with Boylesports

I go away for a short break with my family and when I return it seems everything changed in the Premier League.

Harry’s in charge at Spurs and has turned a bunch of under achieving internationals back into a bunch of internationals. I have worked with Harry in the past and he has a very simple approach to management. Get a group of excellent players, make them feel 10 feet tall (note his comment ‘I don’t need David Beckham, I’ve got David Bentley’ was rewarded with a cracking 40 yard wonder strike!) and tell them to play! So I wont be backing many 0-0 draws at White Hart Lane!

On the other side of the capital Chelsea finally lost at home. You may remember I was looking at an away win when Villa were the visitors so I wasn’t surprised when Liverpool turned them over, just a shame I wasn’t online to tip it (I was in the middle of nowhere with a laptop, dongle but no network coverage!)

Meanwhile Aston Villa having failed to end the Chelsea home record have continued their tremendous form.

So, to this weekends fixtures. I’ve noted that West Hams form is becoming a cause for concern and once again the I word, injury, is at the forefront of my thinking with so many key players injured, far too many to mention here!, they’ve been struggling to score goals on the road hence their solitary away win so far this season. This weekend they travel to Middlesboro who on the back of some decent performances at home (if we discount the 0-5 against Chelsea!) seem to be getting their act together.

I know that Craig Bellamy will find his shooting boots soon but 11/10 for a home win with totesport is far too generous to miss out on.

by Matthew Chapple

A very good start to the Barclays Premiership season which sees Chelsea occupy the top spot with Liverpool level on points in second. Those two, along with Manchester United, are the only sides who have yet to taste defeat. Chelsea got off to the best possible start by thrashing Portsmouth at home in their opening fixture 4-0 and followed it up with a narrow 1-0 away win over Wigan. They let their 100% record slip at home to Tottenham Hotspur when a defensive error let in Darren Bent to level the match at 1-1.

Liverpool have made a shakey start to the season with narrow victorys over both Sunderland and Middlesborough but could only manage a dull -0- draw against Aston Villa at Villa. One slight positive for them is that they have got the result without playing well. When they do start playing well they should pick up points more comfortably. They have been delt a blow which is that they will be without Gerrard for the match against Manchester United and Fernando Torres could also miss the tie.

Their haven’t been many surprises so far with the only real shock result coming at Old Trafford where Manchester United were held by Newcastle in their opening fixture. Also, a late Djibril Cisse goal seen all 3 points go to Sunderland when they beat Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane 2-1.

Hull got their first ever Premier league victory at the first attempt when they beat Fulham 2-1. With 4 points from their first three games they find themselves in a respectable 10th position. The other two new clubs haven’t made matching starts with Stoke being hammered 4-1 in their first outing and West Brom picking up just the one point after their first three fixtures.

Outright Betting: Chelsea are justified 6/5 favourites after their first three preformances and look a good bet as they will almost certainly be thereabouts come the end of the season. Despite Liverpool currently lying in second place in the table, the bookies have priced them up as just 4th favourites for the title at 8/1. Arsenal look a poor bet at 6/1 after they looked shakey when they lost to Fulham on their travels while Man Utd are second favourites at 7/4.

Relegation Betting: Despite Hull finding themselves in 10th position at this early stage the bookies have priced them up as joint favourites for the drop with Stoke City at 3/10. With West brom not far behind in the betting at evens, it is clear to see that the bookies don’t fancy their chances of survival. The value in this market looks to be with Bolton Wanderers. They are currently 3/1 and with no recognised striker they could struggle for goals. They may have thrashed Stoke City 4-1 but Stoke were poor and they won’t get many easier games then that.

Arsenal
Players in: Aaron Ramsey, Samir Nasri, Mikael Silvestre
Players out: Mathieu Famini, Jens Lehmann, Kerrea Gilbert, Philippe Senderos, Justin Hoyte, Alexander Hleb, Gilberto Silva
Key Player: Cesc Fabregas
Prediction: 4th Despite them having a very young and in-experienced side Arsenal once again finished in the champions league places in 3rd. They have lost several key players though with Mathieu Flamini and Alexander Hleb moving on to so called better things with AC Milan and Barcelona. They did eventually manage to keep hold of Adebayor who was second top goalscorer in the premiership last season and with Cesc Fabregas and new boy Samir Nasri providing the creativity, Arsenal should be thereabouts come the end of the season.

Aston Villa
Players in: Curtis Davies, Steve Sidwell, Brad Friedel, Brad Guzan, Luke Young, Nickey Shorey, Carlos Cuellar, James Milner
Players out: Patrik Berger, Thomas Sorensen, Luke Moore, Shaun Maloney
Key player: Gareth Barry
Prediction: 5th We like Aston Villa a lot. They are a young side full of pace. Gareth Barry has the ability to control the midfield while pacey English winger Ashley Young has the ability to beat his man and put in a decent ball to the two tall forwards, John Carew and Gabriel Agbonahlor. They did very well to keep Gareth barry out of the clutches of Liverpool and they have a great chance of snatching a European spot.

Blackburn Rovers
Players in: Paul Robinson, Carlos Villanueva, Danny Simpson, Vincenzo Grella, Keith Andrews
Players out: David Bentley, Brad Friedel,
Key Player: Roque Santa Cruz
Prediction: 9th With a new manager at the helm in the form of Paul Ince, Blackburn will be looking to build on their finish of 7th last season. A big negative is the transfer of David Bentley. Not only did he provide the strikers with extremely good service from the wing but he contributed with his fair share of goals. They did keep Santa Cruz who is now their most high profile player and with him singing a new long term contract, Fans will be hoping for more goals from the Paraguay international this season. The key to their season will be centred around this man and if he can continue scoring like he did last season then they could have a decent season.

Bolton Wanderers
Players in: Johan Elmander, Danny Shittu, Ebi Smolarek, Fabrice Muamba
Players out: Daniel Braaten, Abdoulaye Meite, El-Hadji Diouf
Key Player: Kevin Nolan
Prediction: 17th A club with only one real aim for the season which is Premiership survival. Gone the days when they used to finish around the UEFA Cup spots. They lack quality players with their captain being their only player worth mentioning. They spent somewhere in the region of £12,000,000 on Toulouse striker Johan Elmander which i don’t think is a good piece of business. Kevin Davies has lost his sharpness and won’t bag them enough goals this season. They have to beat the teams around them else they could be lured into a relegation dogfight.

Chelsea
Players in: Jose Bosingwa, Anderson Deco, Slobodan Rajkovic
Players out: Ben Sahar, Steve Sidwell, Claude Makelele, Khalid Boulahruz, Tal Ben Haim, Claudio Pizarro, Andriy Shevchenko, Shaun Wright-Philips
Key Player: Anderson Deco
Prediction: 1st Chelsea already had one of the strongest teams in Europe but went ahead and improved their squad by adding two Portuguese internationals in Jose Bosingwa and play-maker Anderson Deco from Barcelona. Deco will be a fantastic addition to Scolari’s squad. He has the ability to pull the strings and can ship in with a few goals. Bosingwa also adds more width down the right hand side and will be tricky to handle. With Lampard and Drogba remaining with the blues Chelsea remain one of the favourites for the crown and will certainly be up there come the end.

Everton
Players in: Segundo Castillo, Carlo Nash, Louis Saha
Players out: Lee Carsley, Thomas Gravesen, Andrew Johnson
Key Player: Mikel Arteta
Prediction: 12th Everton had a very good season last term and finished in 5th position. However, they haven’t brought in any new recruits over the summer that are worth making a note off with maybe the exception of Louis Saha. Everton do lack quality in depth and with Andrew Johnson heading to Fulham, if they were to get a few injuries then they could struggle. Mikel Arteta will be key for them. If he could form some sort of partnership with Louis Saha then maybe they could have a decent season but we doubt they have enough to match last season finish.

Fulham
Players in: Mark Schwarzer, Zolton Gera, Toni Kallio, Bobby Zamora, John Pantsil, Andrew Johnson, Dickson Etuhu, Julian Gray
Players out: Dejan Stefanovic, Ricardo Batista, Hameur Bouazza, Steven Davis, Alexei Smertin, Antti Niemi
Key Player: Andrew Johnson
Prediction: 15th Probably the most active team in the transfer market over the summer which seen Andrew Johnson and Zolton Gera join the Fulham squad. Both could be very influential. Fulham will be hoping the new boys will help them push away from the relegation zone and a mid-table finish would be a great result for Fulham. Their early win over Arsenal at home proved they can play very well on their day and i think they will have enough to stay away from a relegation battle.

Hull City
Players in: Craig Fagan, Geovanni, Bernard Mendy, George Boateng, Peter Halmosi, Anthony Gardner, Marlon King, Daniel Cousin
Players out: David Livermore, Simon Walton
Key Player: Daniel Cousin
Prediction: 20th With very little in quality entering the club over the season. Hull could find themselves in a tricky situation earlier then then they would want. The Premiership is one of the hardest leagues in the world and Hull just don’t have enough decent players to survive this time around. Geovanni looked decent in his opening game but he did the same at Man City and rarely got a gamer come the end of the season. Daniel Cousin could be a decent capture and they will need him to get his shooting boots on straight away if they are to put up a fight.

Liverpool
Players in: Phillip Degan, Andrea Dossena, Diego Cavelieri, David N’Gog, Robbie Keane, Albert Riera
Players out: John Arne Riise, Harry Kewell, Danny Guthrie, Peter Crouch, Scott Carson, Sebastien Leto, Andriy Voronin, Steve Finnan
Key Player: Steven Gerrard
Prediction: 3rd The under achievers in Liverpool will be hoping to close the gap on the top two this season. They were disappointing last season finishing in 4th. 11 points behind winners Manchester United. Fernando Torres was phenomenal last season scoring over 30 goals in his first season for the reds. He will need to pick up where he left off and form another lethal partnership with Gerrard if they are to get closer to Chelsea and Man Utd. Robbie Keane should be a good buy if he clicks with Torres. After the first few games they have yet to gel but I’m sure they will get it together soon. We’re not sure if they have what it takes to go all the way this season.

Manchester City
Players in: Jo, Robinho, Tal Ben Haim, Shaun Wright-Philips, Pablo Zabeleta
Players out: Emile Mpenza, Geovanni, Georgios Samaras, Bernando Corradi, Vedran Corluka
Key Player: Robinho
Prediction: 6th A turbulent last day of the transfer market saw Manchester City get bought by Abu Dhabi who have already promised the fans a top 4 finish this season and the title next season. We seriously doubt their first claim. They purchased the club too late and although they have made a fantastic signing in Robinho, they still lack quality in depth. They are very inconsistent and Mark Hughes would need the likes of Wright-Philips and Elano to perform week in, week out if they are to get close to their target. They need a lot more players to achieve this and we fancy them to fall short.

Manchester United
Players in: Dimitar Berbatov
Players out: Chris Eagles, Louis Saha, Mikael Silvestre, Fraizer Campbell
Key Player: Christiano Ronaldo
Prediction: 2nd With very little transfer activity over the summer man Utd will be looking to their new signing Berbatov for goals. With Ronaldo out until mid October they will rely heavily on Scholes, Carrick and Rooney for creativity in the center of the park. Wayne Rooney has yet to get going while Tevez is yet to score. If Berbatov settles in well at the club then he could be a great signing. It will probably be a two horse race between them and Chelsea which could go all the way once more.

Middlesborough
Players in: Marvin Emnes, Didier Digard, Justin Hoyte
Players out: Mark Schwarzer, Fabio Rochemback, Lee Catermole, Luke Young
Key Player: Stuart Downing
Prediction: 10th Gareth Southgate will be looking to push his side into the top half of the table and with players like Alfonso Alves and Stuart Downing, they have a chance. They have a defender in David Wheater who can score from set plays and looks destined for a regular England place. Stuart Downing is a class apart in that team. Many clubs have shown interest but yet to confirm it with a serious offer. He will be their key player for the season. He can beat his man on the wing and can certainly whip in a decent ball. Alfonso shown bits of good form last season but will need to vastly improve his form if Middlesborough are to make this season worth remembering.

Newcastle United
Players in: Jonas Gutierrez, Danny Guthrie, Fabricio Coloccini, Nacho Gonzalez, Xisco
Players out: Stephen Carr, Peter Ramage, David Rozenhal, Emre, James Milner
Key Player: Michael Owen
Prediction: 13th A club in turmoil right now. With Kevin Keegan walking out and the departure of James Milner, it is clear there is unrest at the club. With the new manager still yet to be decided it is a surprise Michael Owen didn’t follow Keegan out the door. He is too good for Newcastle. His is rather unfortunate with all his injuries but when he plays he is England’s best striker by far. Jonas Gutierrez looks a good buy but if Newcastle are to have any sort of season they will need Owen to avoid any more injuries. Troubles in the boardroom doesn’t help a club and we fancy them to struggle this season.

Portsmouth
Players in: Glen Little, Ben Sahar, Peter Crouch, Younes Kaboul
Players out: Sulley Muntari, Pedro Mendes
Key Player: Jermaine Defoe
Prediction: 7th Harry Redknapp really has transformed Portsmouth and with the amount he has spent over the summer we reckon they will do alright this term. Sulley Muntari moving to Inter Milan will be a massive loss and he was a rock in the centre of midfield. The capture of Liverpool forward Peter Crouch looks a decent one and if he and Defoe can click form the off then they could form a good partnership. Defoe will enjoy playing off Crouch’s knock-downs and they could complement each other. They will need to work hard to get a UEFA spot but they have a good chance.

Stoke City
Players in: Dave Kitson, Thomas Sorensen, Abdoulaye Faye, Ibrahima Sonko, Tom Soares, Danny Higginbottom
Players out: Marlon Broomes, Jon Parkin
Key Player: Dave Kitson
Prediction: 18th Another of the new boys in Stoke City. They have a tough challenge if they are to survive this season. Like Hull they have failed to buy anyone of real quality and lack depth. Dave Kitson could be a good signing and if he contributes with goals then they could have a slight chance of surviving. They are a powerful side and their best chance of getting goals looks to be from set pieces. They will have a tough season ahead which could end in disappointment.

Sunderland
Players in: Teemu Tainio, Pascal Chimbonda, El-Hadji Diouf, Steed Malbranque, Djibril Cisse, David Healy, Anton Ferdinand, George McCartney
Players out: Andy Cole, Dickson Etuhu, Danny Higginbottom
Key Player: El-Hadji Diouf
Prediction: 11th Roy Keane did well to get his side to 15th in the league table last season and has made signings over the summer in a bid to improve on that finish. Diouf is a lively character and could be just what Keane needs. Not only can he score but he can create chances as well. Djibril Cisse will also be crucial for Sunderland this season. Keane has loaned him from Marseille and it took him just minutes to repay his manager and score the winner over Spurs. Anton Ferdinand should strengthen their back four along with pacey full back Pascal Chimbonda from Spurs. They have put in some decent performances thus far but were rather unlucky to lose to Liverpool in their opening fixture. A win over Sours was duly deserved and a sign of things to come possibly. We fancy them to better their position this time around.

Tottenham Hotspur
Players in: Geovani Dos Santos, Luka Modric, Gomes, David Bentley, Roman Pavlychenko, Fraizer Campbell, Vedran Corluka
Players out: Teemu Tainio, Paul Robinson, Pascal Chimbonda, Robbie Keane, Dimitar Berbatov, Steed Malbranque, Younes Kaboul
Key Player: Luka Modric
Prediction: 8th A disappointing season last year looks set to continue after a poor start once again. With two defeats against Middlesborough and Sunderland and a 1-1 draw with Chelsea shows their in-different form. They are very inconsistent despite the quality they have at the club. The fans will be devastated with the departures of both Robbie Keane and Dimitar Berbatov and will be looking towards Darren Bent and new signing Pavlychenko for goals. Luke Modric has the ability to play his part in the centre of midfield but Tottenham are too inconsistent to mount any sort of challenge to the UEFA cup spot. Another disappointing season beckons.

West Brom
Players in: Luke Moore, Gianni Zuiverloon, Marek Cech, Scott Carson, Borja Valero, Ryan Donk
Players out: Zolton Gera, Curtis Davies, Kevin Philips
Key Player: Scott Carson
Prediction: 19th A season at the foot of the table beckons for WBA. Despite spending a fair amount over the summer they still lack a recognised striker. I honestly cannot see where the goals will come from and they will rely heavily on Scott Carson in goal to keep out their opponents. With just 1 points from the first 3 games it doesn’t look good. Them and Hull looked doomed from the off.

West Ham
Players in: Valon Behami, David Di Michele
Players out: Bobby Zamore, John Pantsil, Richard Wright, Anton Ferdinand, George McCartney
Key Player: Dean Ashton
Prediction: 16th Another club in trouble after Alan Curbishley walked out on West Ham just last week. The board were selling several key players without his consent with Anton Ferdinand and George McCartney both heading out of the club without Curbishley’s acknowledgement. They are another club i think will struggle this season as they don’t have any players that stand out in the creativity department. Dean Ashton can score when given the chance but i seriously doubt they can provide the English forward with consistent good supply. Too many good players have left with very little in return. Wouldn’t be surprised if they were involved in a battle for survival come the end of the season.

Wigan Athletic
Players in: Daniel De Ridder, Olivier Kapo, Amr Zaki, Lee Catermole
Players out: Marcus Bent, David Cotterill, Marlon King, Carlo Nash
Key Player: Wilson Palacios
Prediction: 14th Wigan should go well this season. They were terribly unlucky to lose their fixture with Chelsea after they went down 1-0 at home but enjoyed the majority of the possession and had the better chances. They followed this performance with a great victory over Hull which ended 5-0. Palacios and Valencia look good on the wing while new signing Zaki looks sharp in front of goal. If they can keep hold of Emile Heskey for the whole season then they should go well and stay clear of the drop.