2013/14 Season Predictions

[AVFCforever1991]

Liverpool will win the league.

 

Clearly it's their season.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Again...

[CarewsEyebrowDesigner]

[Kwan]

I think Villa will probably stumble out of the gates again. Call it nervousness or trying to find their rhythm, but I reckon there's probably going to be a wacky formation or two in there somewhere. While the team will be better off for having gone through last season, they are still relatively young and form will desert them when their confidence is low.

 

Then, our new signings will start to have more understanding with the squad that made it through the last campaign and we'll start to turn it up and avoid the winter meltdown that happened last year. There'll be a cooling off period after the January transfer window as the injuries pile up but a late season surge as they try to make it into Europa League. Ultimately, we'll fall short but it will be a campaign full of more wonder goals, some amusing defending, but a team another year stronger.

 

Can't see higher than 8th place

[ismail-villa]

It goes without saying (I hope...) that all of this is based on assumptions about managers/players and depends on the transfer windows that they are all about to have. So with that in mind, here's how I see it. I might be back to tweak as the summer unfolds

1 - Chelsea - Assuming they'll have Mourinho. They already have an excellent squad and he'll improve it. Chelsea win league. Simple.

2 - Manchester United - Can't see Moyes winning the title but I think this squad is too strong to finish outside the top 2. I see next season as a learning one for him where he just takes the wheel of an already-sailing ship and doesn't fix what clearly ain't broke.

3 - Manchester City - Pellegrini is an excellent manager but he (or whoever it ends up being) has a big job to turn these individuals into a team. That said, these individuals are good enough to come 3rd without any manager in charge. I can't see them topping the 2 above though.

4 - Arsenal - Only a massive summer spend can bridge the gap between what is now a very good Arsenal side and the super-powers above them. They obviously need to stop their better players leaving too.

5-6 - Spurs - Bale Bale Bale. Although with that being said, if they can buy a whole new strikeforce from the earnings, then they might end up OK either way.

5-6 - Liverpool - Will be much stronger assuming they keep Suarez. Their growing pains are over too and they ended the season well. Pointswise I think they could challenge for 4th if someone above them drops the ball. Either way I think they'll genuinely make it a top 6 next season, rather than this season's top 5 with them fighting for 'best of the rest'. Sort out those centrebacks though.

7 - Everton - They will not replace Moyes and have instant success, so they are bound to fall away at least for one season. To me it's a case of how far they fall (pointswise if not positionally). They could also hire badly and/or have their squad pillaged (Fellaini, Baines, Coleman, Jagielka). So for me it's a case of 'how bad' next season will be for the Toffees relative to what they've become accustomed to.

8 - Swansea - If they keep Laudrup, Michu & Williams then there's no reason they can't impress again. Lose Laudrup though (Everton...) and it'll be a worry. You won't keep finding excellent managers. Hopefully they'll pluck some more obscure Spanish talent and be a joy to watch again. The league is better for having them.

9 - Aston Villa - The growing pains are over. A young energetic and capable squad full of goals now knows what it takes to be in the PL. There is room for improvement no doubt, so some intelligent summer buys could make this a season of very enjoyable progression. It also obviously depends on keeping our better players here, but at least next season we hit the ground running rather than with a splat.

10 - Newcastle United - Tough one. Really depends on whether they lose their stars and can ship out the rubbish. Their scouting myth has been debunked and they've a split dressing room. I think they'll be OK and they benefit from a piss poor lower half of the league but they won't worry the big boys and I wouldn't guarantee Pardew sees next May in charge if they start poorly.

11 - Norwich - I expect they'll be a stronger side than last season. A good 'team' with no over-reliance on any individuals. They'll stay up no problem and hopefully I can go back to liking them now that we've put a whole season between them and the whole Lambert saga This might be 'still 11th' but it'll be a much safer one than the season just gone.

12 - West Ham - All depends on Carroll. If they get him they could be top half again. Sizeable Sam will always keep you up though, so they're one of those sides who could be anywhere from 9th to 17th but definitely no lower.

13 - West Brom - Second season will be tougher without Lukaku and they can't afford a similar quality replacement. I don't expect them to be as strong next time out although I imagine they won't struggle with the drop under Clarke.

14 - Cardiff City - Assuming they keep Malky in charge, I think they'll spend the money and stay up. They've been knocking on the door for years and absolutely sailed up this season. Clearly a good side with a good defence and we've seen that the momentum of coming up as champions, more often than not, keeps you up. Not to mention that teams who come up off the back of a strong defence often do much better than teams who come up as an attacking force with a poor defence.

15 - Stoke City - Big season for Pulis coming up. Cracks started to appear this season. Not looking quite so solid anymore but should have enough in defence to stay up. Awful team to watch so in that sense maybe I hope the cracks explode and it all comes crumbling down. If we were to nick Shawcross ...

16 - Fulham - Need a big summer for their ageing squad. I think they could struggle next season. Particularly if their end to this season was any gauge. Jol has problems there IMO and they're my dark horse for a season-long relegation scrap in the way we were Gobby Cabbage's last season.

17 - Sunderland - I get the impression PdC will gut that squad in the summer, meaning a lot of new faces and transition in the new season. He better hope he doesn't fall out with them all or it could be disastrous.

18 - Hull City - Good old fistface. Not sure about this lot because I don't know much about them. I don't think they have much money and they only barely came 2nd with a relatively poor attack and defence and a goal difference that doesn't fit with the league position. Bruce has shown himself to be a very capable manager in the past so they could be OK if he can find more players of Palacios' calibre.

19 - Southampton - I genuinely think they could go down (as you can see). I don't trust Pochettino's ability to get the momentum up that he inherited from Adkins last season. They finished 19th in the form guide too and I do think that reflects them under the new man, rather than attributing it to end-of-season syndrome a la maybe Fulham.

20 - Watford/Crystal Palace - TBD - Either way I'll put them here. I can't see Palace having the quality and I'm not sure if the PL allows you to abuse the loan system in the way Watford have benefitted this season. So they'll be weaker than the side that got them promoted.

Might as well put Stoke in relegation as Pulis has left haha!

[P3te]

I think Pulis was their problem TBH

[ismail-villa]

I think Pulis was their problem TBH

You think? Well apart from their football/rugby tactics...

[BOF]

I think Pulis was their problem TBH

Time will tell but I think we'll find that Pulis was anything but their problem. Watch them fall from grace now.

[BOF]

Might as well put Stoke in relegation as Pulis has left haha!

Prediction duly modified. I still have them above the drop zone but they're now in that spot where a bad result here or there could be disastrous.

[ismail-villa]

Might as well put Stoke in relegation as Pulis has left haha!

Prediction duly modified. I still have them above the drop zone but they're now in that spot where a bad result here or there could be disastrous.

Whoever takes charge has a helluva job to do to keep them in the prem whilst more than likely changing their playing style.

[Thrice]

My predictions:

 

Chelsea or United will win the league (boooooring).

 

Hull, Norwich and Stoke will get relegated.

 

As for us, I think we will struggle this season again to be honest, but I guess it depends on if we can add some quality to our defence and keep our best players. The best we can hope for is probably mid-table.

[juteface]

If we could go on a cup run again and maybe actually win it this time that'd be pretty good. Especially with a growing team, expanding the squad with more young quality for a European run would be brilliant! 

 

I'm guessing this is the kind of momentum Lambert is aiming for, I really don't think we should be snubbing the EL like MON did. There's a bit of cash to be made and plenty of experience to be gained.

 

So for me, a comfortable mid table finish, cup run and there'll be ups and downs but hopefully nowhere near the likes of the season past.

[PandaMac]

Keep Benteke, sign the center back version of Benteke, add a CM, LB and a winger, provided all our first team players stay fit for 90% - 95% of the season, I don't think top 6/7 is out of reach.

[MikeMcKenna]

It goes without saying (I hope...) that all of this is based on assumptions about managers/players and depends on the transfer windows that they are all about to have. So with that in mind, here's how I see it. I might be back to tweak as the summer unfolds :)1 - Chelsea - Assuming they'll have Mourinho. They already have an excellent squad and he'll improve it. Chelsea win league. Simple.2 - Manchester United - Can't see Moyes winning the title but I think this squad is too strong to finish outside the top 2. I see next season as a learning one for him where he just takes the wheel of an already-sailing ship and doesn't fix what clearly ain't broke.3 - Manchester City - Pellegrini is an excellent manager but he (or whoever it ends up being) has a big job to turn these individuals into a team. That said, these individuals are good enough to come 3rd without any manager in charge. I can't see them topping the 2 above though.4 - Arsenal - Only a massive summer spend can bridge the gap between what is now a very good Arsenal side and the super-powers above them. They obviously need to stop their better players leaving too.5-6 - Spurs - Bale Bale Bale. Although with that being said, if they can buy a whole new strikeforce from the earnings, then they might end up OK either way.5-6 - Liverpool - Will be much stronger assuming they keep Suarez. Their growing pains are over too and they ended the season well. Pointswise I think they could challenge for 4th if someone above them drops the ball. Either way I think they'll genuinely make it a top 6 next season, rather than this season's top 5 with them fighting for 'best of the rest'. Sort out those centrebacks though.7 - Everton - They will not replace Moyes and have instant success, so they are bound to fall away at least for one season. To me it's a case of how far they fall (pointswise if not positionally). They could also hire badly and/or have their squad pillaged (Fellaini, Baines, Coleman, Jagielka). So for me it's a case of 'how bad' next season will be for the Toffees relative to what they've become accustomed to.8 - Swansea - If they keep Laudrup, Michu & Williams then there's no reason they can't impress again. Lose Laudrup though (Everton...) and it'll be a worry. You won't keep finding excellent managers. Hopefully they'll pluck some more obscure Spanish talent and be a joy to watch again. The league is better for having them.9 - Aston Villa - The growing pains are over. A young energetic and capable squad full of goals now knows what it takes to be in the PL. There is room for improvement no doubt, so some intelligent summer buys could make this a season of very enjoyable progression. It also obviously depends on keeping our better players here, but at least next season we hit the ground running rather than with a splat.10 - Newcastle United - Tough one. Really depends on whether they lose their stars and can ship out the rubbish. Their scouting myth has been debunked and they've a split dressing room. I think they'll be OK and they benefit from a piss poor lower half of the league but they won't worry the big boys and I wouldn't guarantee Pardew sees next May in charge if they start poorly.11 - Norwich - I expect they'll be a stronger side than last season. A good 'team' with no over-reliance on any individuals. They'll stay up no problem and hopefully I can go back to liking them now that we've put a whole season between them and the whole Lambert saga This might be 'still 11th' but it'll be a much safer one than the season just gone.12 - West Ham - All depends on Carroll. If they get him they could be top half again. Sizeable Sam will always keep you up though, so they're one of those sides who could be anywhere from 9th to 17th but definitely no lower.13 - West Brom - Second season will be tougher without Lukaku and they can't afford a similar quality replacement. I don't expect them to be as strong next time out although I imagine they won't struggle with the drop under Clarke.14 - Cardiff City - Assuming they keep Malky in charge, I think they'll spend the money and stay up. They've been knocking on the door for years and absolutely sailed up this season. Clearly a good side with a good defence and we've seen that the momentum of coming up as champions, more often than not, keeps you up. Not to mention that teams who come up off the back of a strong defence often do much better than teams who come up as an attacking force with a poor defence.15 - Fulham - Need a big summer for their ageing squad. I think they could struggle next season. Particularly if their end to this season was any gauge. Jol has problems there IMO and they're my dark horse for a season-long relegation scrap in the way we were Gobby Cabbage's last season.16 - Stoke City - Cracks started to appear this season and now they're a club without a manager. They've gone from being relatively safe to being in danger of going down. They are still good defensively but a big change in style might be hard to adapt to depending on who comes in. If I was a fan I'd be worried right now.17 - Sunderland - I get the impression PdC will gut that squad in the summer, meaning a lot of new faces and transition in the new season. He better hope he doesn't fall out with them all or it could be disastrous.18 - Hull City - Good old fistface. Not sure about this lot because I don't know much about them. I don't think they have much money and they only barely came 2nd with a relatively poor attack and defence and a goal difference that doesn't fit with the league position. Bruce has shown himself to be a very capable manager in the past so they could be OK if he can find more players of Palacios' calibre.19 - Southampton - I genuinely think they could go down (as you can see). I don't trust Pochettino's ability to get the momentum up that he inherited from Adkins last season. They finished 19th in the form guide too and I do think that reflects them under the new man, rather than attributing it to end-of-season syndrome a la maybe Fulham.20 - Watford/Crystal Palace - TBD - Either way I'll put them here. I can't see Palace having the quality and I'm not sure if the PL allows you to abuse the loan system in the way Watford have benefitted this season. So they'll be weaker than the side that got them promoted.

Agree with most of that other than top 2 and think Stoke will go down. As for Villa's position, it's possible that Everton may have a blip for a season of two and I wonder if Swansea can maintain their impressive form. I think we are on for a top 10 position but would be more than happy with 7-8 as it would be indicative of our progress. As I have said elsewhere, if we were able to also get a result against United especially and a few of the other leading teams it would make my season. I would love it if we could put one over on Man u at a rammed Villa Park !

Edited May 22, 2013 by MikeMcKenna

[PussEKatt]

I think next season will be more of the same as this season:Lerner will keep a tight hold of the purse strings,Lambert will continue to make strange substitutions and not react to tactical change from the opposition and we will continue to follow a 6-1 win with a couple of losses and a draw.

In the end I can see us finishing around 15th.

We are lucky that Hull and Palace/Watford are comming up, it should not be too hard to get points from Cardiff either.

[StanBalaban]

With Everton and Stoke without managers, rumours flying around about Pardew and Laudrup vacating their seats, the mess up at Sunderland, Fulham with an ageing, relatively lifeless team and the Baggies looking likely to lose Lukaku, there's a real possibility for us to climb up the table with some more good purchases, and keeping hold of Benteke.

Looking forward to the summer and next season already!

[PaulC]

With Everton and Stoke without managers, rumours flying around about Pardew and Laudrup vacating their seats, the mess up at Sunderland, Fulham with an ageing, relatively lifeless team and the Baggies looking likely to lose Lukaku, there's a real possibility for us to climb up the table with some more good purchases, and keeping hold of Benteke.

Looking forward to the summer and next season already!

 

Yes comparisons have been made with Lambert and Saunders so after a season fighting against relegation we shall finish 4th next season just like we did under saunders lol

[villabromsgrove]

If you take out the top seven teams in the Premiership, then the other thirteen clubs would all fancy their chances against each other on any given day. You could even add all but a couple of the Championship teams into the mix and there are at least thirty odd clubs that would give each other a decent game. If we are able to hold on to Benteke, Weimann and Lowton we will be in a reasonably competitive position at the start of next season. If Lambert can repeat his shrewd buys of last summer (it's a big ask) by bringing in three more young prospects in the Lowton, Westwood, Benteke mould then we could well become the most effective team outside the top six or seven. I'm not saying we would be anywhere near the finished article, I'm just pointing out that most of the teams we will be competing against are of a very ordinary "Championship" standard. (that includes us at the moment) UTV.

[Blakey1982]

2 solid no nonsense defenders (CB and LB) and we'll be mid table.

[Jimmytheirishvillain]

Top ten would be nice but that's keeping weimann and benteke at the club for me if either go then relegation battle again

[Woodytom]

As it stands with this current squad - Another battle with relegation for me. That does not mean I am not behind Lambert. I will wait until Summer is over though.