Official 2012/13 Premier League thread

[Lineker]

With the fixtures being announced a week today, a lot of transfer activity already taking place, and new managers almost all in their new hotseats, what do you expect from this season?

I can see Chelsea chasing Man City all the way to the wire with their new signings, and a good manager in di Matteo in place. City will always be up there - where can they actually strengthen this summer though. Centre half?

Kagawa is a top signing for Man Utd. But they will need to improve on last season. Hernandez must have a better this season than last so it will be interesting to how Fergie keeps him, Rooney, and Welbeck all happy.

Arsenal to have their usual season of disappointment and humiliation before somehow scrambling to Wenger's target of a top 4 finish. Liverpool can't do any worse under Rodgers than they did under Kenny, and Newcastle seem to be making all the right signings so will be strong again.

As for us, we need to try a hold of Modric and Bale. If one of them does go then the money must be promptly reinvested. New strikers to compliment Adebayor and some goalkeepers to go along with the signing of Vertonghen, please.

Can see Reading and Southampton struggling if I am honest. Rickie Lambert has been prolific but never tested at the highest level. Will Reading's rich new owners stump up the funds for the right players? West Ham should be OK for mid-table under Allardyce. I can see Norwich falling back this year and a lot depends on who Swansea appoint to replace Rodgers. Wigan, QPR, and West Brom I reckon will be down there too. Villa will be much better than last year (again, not hard).

So, predictions?

[Gazz]

1. Newcastle

2-19. Who cares?

20. Sunderland

[King Ellis]

20. Newcastle

Unless they sell Danny Simpson.

[Cymbols]

1. Chelsea

2. Manchester City

3. Manchester United

4. Arsenal

5-8. Liverpool, Spurs, Newcastle, Villa

18. Wigan

19. Norwich

20. Southampton

[Guest mr. potato head]

1) Man City

2) Chelsea

3) Man United

4) Arsenal

5) Spurs

6) Everton

7) Liverpool

8) Stoke

9) Newcastle

10) Aston Villa

11) Swansea

12) Fulham

13) Norwich

14) West Ham

15) Sunderland

16) Reading

17) West Brom

18) Southampton

19) Wigan

20) QPR

Much closer race for the top with City, United, Arsenal and Chelsea all having realistic shots at the title heading into the last few weeks. Newcastle regresses due to European commitments while Stoke bounces back due to their lack thereof. Norwich and Swansea remain respectable but QPR falls off a cliff. New teams don't make many waves and Wigan finally goes down.

But it's really a little early to be making predictions.

[stokeriño]

Chelsea to travel to Anfield in the second-to-last game. Again.

[MJB]

1. Manchester United

2. Manchester City

3. Chelsea

4. Newcastle United

5. Tottenham Hotspur

6. Arsenal

7. Liverpool

8. Everton

9. Aston Villa

10. Sunderland

11. Stoke City

12. Fulham

13. West Ham United

14. Queens Park Rangers

15. Norwich City

16. Swansea City

17. West Bromwich Albion

18. Southampton

19. Wigan

20. Reading

Top three was all be really, really close and wouldn't be surprised to see it go down to GD again. No idea who'll get relegated to be honest and I think that anyone from 12-20 could go down. It's that tight.

[MDK]

Everyone is writing off Wigan again? Have you learned nothing?

[MJB]

It can't keep happening.

[IAceI]

Do the fixtures not come out on Monday?

[DavidMarrio]

Chelsea to travel to Anfield in the second-to-last game. Again.

How many seasons has this happened now? I'm leaning towards 3? I'm just used to always playing Chelsea end of April/May.

I think City will win the league again but I think it'll be a tight race with Chelsea challenging but fading nearer the end, but it'll be the top 3 fighting for the title. Then Arsenal/Spurs fighting for 4th depending on who Spurs bring in/leaves the club.

I can't see us fighting for the top 4 not this year but probably next, but I think we can put up a respectable challenge. Newcastle's an interesting factor however, Can they keep the players they have or will we see some of them leave, who will they bring in, how will they cope with European football, is this a one season fluke etc. I think Everton will do their usual crap first half of the season/good second half of the season but they'll be up there with us and Newcastle.

Who I have between 10th to 14th, it could be any combo really of who finishes where, I think with the players they have and the managers then they should be finishing between those positions, Steve Clarke's a good coach but be interesting to see how he steps up to management although the set up at WBA should suit him as really he's a head coach more than a manager plus who will Swansea bring in as manager and can they replicate last season.

QPR have the financial ability to bring in one or two players who could improve them plus I think Hughes can do a good job with them, Wigan again I think they'll survive relegation but I can't see them finishing lower than the promoted clubs. Norwich is a bit of a mystery to me as I could very well be underestimating them but I think Lambert was a big reason for how they performed and I think they'll slip down the table and get relegated. Southampton have the ability to score goals with Lambert and Rodriguez that can get them safety, Reading I think have the potential to be a dark horse but I think they'll go down.....Also West Ham, while I think they can stay up I really don't want them to so they are getting relegated.

Also:

1) Man.City

2) Man.Utd

3) Chelsea

4) Arsenal

5) Tottenham

6) Liverpool

7) Newcastle

8) Everton

9) Fulham

10) Stoke

11) Aston Villa

12) Sunderland

13) West Brom

14) Swansea

15) QPR

16) Wigan

17) Southampton

18) West Ham

19) Norwich

20) Reading

[Hobo]

I don't know if Newcastle will have as good a season. It very much depends on their attacking players continuing their form. If anything happens to Ba, Cisse or Ben Arfa they're in trouble.

I think Man City will win it again. Second season syndrome will hit Swansea hard without Rodgers. Norwich might just survive. QPR might not and I am not sure about how the newly promoted sides will do.

[Nerf]

I ranked my predictions 1-20 but I kept changing my mind, so I'll instead just go with my gut on a couple of things. I reckon it's Chelsea's year to claim the top spot, with United and City battling it out for second and third place. 4-6 will be duked out by Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool, not sure who places where, but I think this might be the starting point for Liverpool to start improving from where we are now. Villa, Newcastle, Stoke and Everton fill in the next couple of gaps in any order. The rest is really just up in the air. Out of the new additions, I think West Ham will just barely avoid relegation, Southampton to finish comfortably in mid-table and Reading head back to the Championship next season. My gut tells me Wigan will also finally go down, but I've learned not to underestimate them.

[Adam]

It's too early for me to predict who will finish where but I think Southampton need to add some top flight experience. Spending £7 million on Jay Rodriguez strikes me as a very risky move. I'm not convinced he's even better than what they already have in Lambert and Sharp.

Wigan might be alright, let's see who they appoint as their new manager and how the squad shapes up. I'd expect based on what has happened so far that City, United and Chelsea will be the title challengers.

[jack95]

Some of this will depend on transfers and further managerial activity, but right now my gut feeling is...

1. Man City

2. Chelsea

3. Man Utd

4. Arsenal

5. Liverpool

6. Newcastle

7. Tottenham

8. Aston Villa

9. Fulham

10. Everton

11. Sunderland

12. Stoke City

13. QPR

14. Reading

15. Norwich

16. Wigan

17. Southampton

18. West Brom

19. Swansea

20. West Ham

I'm a lot more confident in my predictions for the top ten than I am for the bottom. Man City have more than enough in their squad to make it two in a row, and Liverpool will get off to a hot start with much media hullabaloo about Brendan Rodgers' total football that will just about carry them through the season into the top five. I like Newcastle and Alan Pardew, despite his disappointing reign as Charlton manager and they look to be making purposeful moves in the transfer market, so another top six for them. Tottenham will see one big star leave, the club will lose momentum and be destabilised as Harry Redknapp is linked to every managerial job in the world amid continuous rumours of his dissatisfaction at White Hart Lane.

At the bottom, I've got little clue, so I'm relying on Steve Clarke struggling at West Brom, Swansea suffering, as Hbob said, a combination of second season syndrome and Brendan Rodgers withdrawal symptoms, and West Ham because I immensely dislike Big Sam and desperately want them to go down with zero points and Allardyce will be so humiliated he'll go and manage in some tiny Eastern European country and never return again. Reading and Southampton have super-talented managers and hungry players, so should just about survive.

[Summers]

It's too early for me to predict who will finish where but I think Southampton need to add some top flight experience. Spending £7 million on Jay Rodriguez strikes me as a very risky move. I'm not convinced he's even better than what they already have in Lambert and Sharp.

Wigan might be alright, let's see who they appoint as their new manager and how the squad shapes up. I'd expect based on what has happened so far that City, United and Chelsea will be the title challengers.

Did I miss something? Martinez was offered nothing.

[MJB]

It's too early for me to predict who will finish where but I think Southampton need to add some top flight experience. Spending £7 million on Jay Rodriguez strikes me as a very risky move. I'm not convinced he's even better than what they already have in Lambert and Sharp.

Wigan might be alright, let's see who they appoint as their new manager and how the squad shapes up. I'd expect based on what has happened so far that City, United and Chelsea will be the title challengers.

Have I missed something?

[Robsturgh]

I think Wigan will be absolutely fine this season, Norwich and Swansea both have new managers and "second season syndrome", I can see West Ham struggling a little also. But this all being said Wigan will go down with 5 points now.

Edited June 12, 2012 by Rob. S. Ter

[Summers]

Wigan have lost key players, and will lose Moses on top of that. They're gonna be in some trouble.

[Adam]

It's too early for me to predict who will finish where but I think Southampton need to add some top flight experience. Spending £7 million on Jay Rodriguez strikes me as a very risky move. I'm not convinced he's even better than what they already have in Lambert and Sharp.

Wigan might be alright, let's see who they appoint as their new manager and how the squad shapes up. I'd expect based on what has happened so far that City, United and Chelsea will be the title challengers.

Have I missed something?

No, I'm getting them stupidly confused with Swansea. This managerial merry-go-round is muddling me up.