Premier league transfers?

Nicklas Bendtner

He’s one of those players who gets laughed and joked about because he is playing at a level above his quality. However, just because he is not good enough for Arsenal, it doesn’t mean he can’t do a job for premier league clubs. He scored a commendable 8 goals in 28 games in his loan spell at Sunderland and he would do a similar job for premier league clubs who wish to take a gamble on him. He would be an effective striker with someone to play off him and I believe at the clubs listed he has players he could be the foil for.

Clubs who could be interested- Fulham, Stoke, Newcastle, West Brom.

Maximum price that should be paid- £5million

Charles N’Zogbia

I remember when Charles N’Zogbia was a young talent emerging at Newcastle. He looked destined to be a star. At Wigan he was the key man for his relatively short spell at the club. I am confused therefore, as to what has happened to him whilst he has been at Aston Villa. For me, N’Zogbia needs a fresh start, he looks like he has fallen out of love with football at Villa. I believe that with the right guidance and game time Charles N’Zogbia would be a coup for teams battling relegation or a very good addition for midtable premier league clubs.

Clubs who could be interested-  Cardiff, Crystal Palace, Hull City, Fulham, Stoke City, West Ham

Maximum price that should be paid- £6million (although I think he could be bought for cheaper)

Darren Bent

Bent would be a very good addition to many premier league clubs for the simple reason that he scores goals. Whilst he is not in favour with Paul Lambert at Villa,  I think any side signing the striker would be guaranteed 10-12 goals from him as he has, to use the old adage, scored goals wherever he has been. Whilst his link up play is not the best and he is getting older, he would be a solid addition for most premier league clubs outside the top 6.

Clubs who could be interested – Cardiff, Fulham, Liverpool, Newcastle, Stoke, West Brom, West Ham

Maximum price that should be paid £6million

Demba Ba

Rumour has it Jose Mourinho is not a big fan of Ba. If that proves to be the case I expect Premier league clubs to be queuing up for his signature. Ba has proven during his spells in the premier league that he is a goalscorer. Whilst Ba would likely come with a price tag of around £10million and his knee may cause issues in the medical, he would be worth the gamble.

Clubs who could be interested- Cardiff, Fulham, Liverpool, Newcastle, Stoke, West Ham

Maximum price that should be paid- £10million

Maroune Fellaini

Fellaini is a versatile midfielder who is effective in both defensive midfield and in the number 10 role. For me however, he is more effective in the no. 10 role. That’s why I find it difficult to see where he would end up in the premier league next season. For me, he would fit in very well at Manchester United should Wayne Rooney move on, offering a different threat to the rest of the squad. There’s no doubt he could be effective in defensive midfield for Arsenal, Manchester City or Chelsea but I’m not sure he would be worth the likely £20millon asking price if he was wanted to play in defensive midfield.

Clubs who could be interested- Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea

Maximum price that should be paid- £17million

Leighton Baines

Baines is an outstanding player who for me, is one of the best left backs in the world and the best in the premier league. In attack, he is like having a second winger and his link up with Steven Pienaar is simply superb. In defence he is more than useful also. He is one of the few players in the list that I think teams should pull out all the stops to sign. Baines would add a different dimension to any premier league club that is interested with only Chelsea having a left back comparable to Baines in ability. Whilst Manchester United are reported to be leading the chase, I would not be surprised to see their great rivals entering the race.

Clubs who could be interested- Manchester United, Manchester City

Maximum price that should be paid £22million

Luis Suarez

Suarez is without a doubt one of the top players in the premier league. He is a consistent performer and I would suggest that there isn’t a striker that defenders  would want to face less than Suarez. The one thing clubs will be wary of when signing Suarez is his disciplinary problems with him missing a lot of games due to suspension. Still though, I think Suarez is worth paying top dollar for him, because he is a genuinely world class striker.

Clubs who could be interested- Arsenal, Chelsea

Maximum price that should be paid £45million

Scott Sinclair

Sinclair had a frustrating time of things at Manchester City last season and this surprised few. He is however, a very talented footballer who was slightly out of his depth at the Etihad. I expect a host of premier league clubs to be interested in his signature for the left sided winger.

Clubs who could be interested- Everton, Fulham, Newcastle, Southampton, Swansea, West Brom, West Ham

Maximum price that should be paid- £6million

Joleon Lescott

Lescott would be a fantastic signing for most clubs in the premier league. I am certain that Manchester City would like to keep him but due to his lack of playing time last season, I can see the England International wanting to move on. He’ll have no shortage of admirers I believe as he was fantastic for Manchester City in their title winning season but was displaced by the consistent Nastasic last season.

Clubs who could be interested- Arsenal, Liverpool, Southampton, West Ham

Maximum price that should be paid- £7million

Wayne Rooney

It’s quite possible that Wayne Rooney may move on from Manchester United this summer. I believe that if Manchester United get offered more than £30million for the England striker they should let him go. Of the two star strikers looking to move on this summer, I would suggest the better option is Luis Suarez. Rooney too often flatters to deceive in big games. That said he is still a fantastic player and if he could be signed for £30million or under would still be a good signing.

Clubs who could be interested- Chelsea, Arsenal

Maximum price that should be paid- £30million

Yohan Cabaye

Cabaye was not as impressive last season as he was in 2011/12. Much of this decreased effectiveness was due to the deep role he had in the Newcastle midfield. If a transfer was to take place, I would expect him to be playing in a more advanced role at other clubs, particularly at Manchester United where he would likely be playing alongside the deep-lying Michael Carrick. Cabaye for me, is a fantastic footballer but I would not say he was world class and is certainly not in the same league as fellow Manchester United target Cesc Fabregas. Therefore, whilst he would do well for the higher clubs paying in excess of £20million would be bad business in my eyes.

Clubs who could be interested – Manchester United, Manchester City

Maximum price that should be paid- £18million

Tim Krul                                                                                                  

Krul is a goalkeeper who continues to grow in stature and I can see the top clubs taking a keen interest in the Dutch international. Krul on top form is undoubtedly amongst the top keepers in the league and despite his injury plagued season last time out I expect him to command a high value.

Clubs who could be interested- Arsenal

 Maximum price that should be paid- £12million

Wes Hoolahan

Hoolahan has been very impressive in the no. 10 role since Norwich’s promotion to the premier league. However, the addition of 2 new strikers surely puts Hoolahan’s starting birth under threat. I can see the Ireland international wanting to move on and many sides battling relegation could do a lot worse than look at Hoolahan. Likely to be available for a small fee, Hoolahan is capable of creating goal scoring opportunities and many teams down at the bottom of the table struggle not only with poor finishing but often with not creating enough chances and Hoolahan would help to rectify those problems.

Clubs who could be interested- Hull, Cardiff, Stoke City

Maximum price that should be paid- £3million

Lee Cattermole

Cattermole is a tough tackling, whole-hearted midfielder who splits opinion. To some he is a leader, a good winner of the ball who can inspire his team, fans would point to Sunderland’s 1-0 win over Man City a couple of years back as particular evidence of that where Cattermole was superb. The downside of Lee Cattermole is that he lacks discipline and is noted for the number of cards he picks up. However, I believe he is an asset to a team fighting relegation and even some teams safely in midtable and I’m not sure Paulo Di Canio is doing the right thing getting rid of him.

Clubs who could be interested- Cardiff, Crystal Palace, Fulham, Hull City, Stoke City, West Ham United

Maximum price that should be paid- £4million

Andros Townsend

QPR had a rotten season last year but Andros Townsend was one of the few highlights at the back end of the season. Townsend impressed with his dribbling ability, crossing and long range shooting and he could be surplus to requirements at White Hart Lane with Chadli, Bale and Lennon ahead of him. At the very least the flair winger could be available for loan with first team opportunities likely to be limited for the England Under 21 international.

Clubs who could be interested- Cardiff City, Fulham, Newcastle United, Southampton, Sunderland, Swansea City, West Brom, West Ham

Maximum price that should be paid £6million

Why Joey Barton may be worth a gamble for premier league clubs

From stubbing a cigar out in a teammate’s eye to attacking Sergio Aguero in a moment of indiscipline that could have cost QPR their premier league status Joey Barton has made his fair share of mistakes in his life. Why therefore, do I still think he’s an asset on the pitch?

It’s because when he is at his best he is a very talented midfielder who is both creative and tenacious. Barton is the complete midfield player and when playing for a manager he respects, he performs with quality. If Barton the person was less controversial he would have won 40 England caps and be a regular in the England squad, that’s how highly I rate him. Under Chris Hughton at Newcastle, Barton performed arguably at the best he has in his career. As a Newcastle fan, Joey Barton was the best player at the club in the team that finished comfortably in midtable upon return from the championship. You can talk about Coloccini, Enrique, Carroll, Nolan, Tiote and Gutierrez who all played very important roles in the side surviving comfortably but Barton was the driving force. Without Joey Barton’s influence on the pitch, Newcastle would not have got £35 million for Andy Carroll, he set up more than half of the Geordie striker’s premier league goals in 2010. A Morten Gamst Pedersen incident aside, Barton was controversy free for the two years between Newcastle getting relegated in May 2009 and May 2011. This was because he respected manager Chris Hughton. He only left because of his belief that he was mistreated by Derek Llambias and Mike Ashley by not being offered a long- term contract, this was not unfair to suggest as Kevin Nolan left the club for a very similar reason. Whilst he went about criticising them in the wrong way, he was not the only player to do so as Jose Enrique did through twitter. The difference was, Barton is Barton and gets criticised for every wrong move. Whilst this is to be expected following his past, he is a player who if he respects the manager, will perform for the team. Alan Pardew said about Barton “If he thinks he’s got justice then he’ll give you justice, though he has a warped sense of justice sometimes”[1]. This for me hits the nail on the head, Barton for sure needs a manager who understands him.

Last season at Marseilles I didn’t see much of French football. However, the reports I have seen suggested Barton played well and crucially I didn’t see any negative feedback from happenings on the pitch, showing again that with the right manager Barton can prosper. If Harry Redknapp can gain Barton’s respect, he will have a player capable of leading QPR to the championship title as Tony Fernandes said at the end of last season “[2]We missed Joey. We needed a workhorse midfielder and we tried to get Scott Parker. We missed a real leader”. If Barton is made available, many premier league teams should be interested. Norwich under Chris Hughton may not have the financial resources to attract Barton, but Barton could consider taking a wage cut to work under Hughton, his admiration for Hughton was shown after he dedicated the win the game after Hughton’s sacking at Newcastle to the former manager. With many players, this could be seen as an empty gesture but what we know from Barton is that if he hadn’t respected Hughton we would have heard just that. Sam Allardyce knows Barton well from his time at Newcastle and could also try to sign the once capped England international. How Newcastle United could do with the passion, leadership and creativity of Joey Barton, for me a central midfield partnership of Barton and Yohan Cabaye would be top class, controversially I’d say Barton was nearer Cabaye’s quality than many think. Newcastle United could certainly do with a character having lost Nolan, Harper, Carroll, Smith and Butt in recent years leaving only Fabriccio Coloccini in the current squad as a leader on the pitch.  

Whilst Barton is still prone to misdemeanours off the pitch, they are much less serious these days. His days of violent assaults off the pitch which would make the midfielder unemployable seemed to have gone. Whilst Barton is prone to a twitter outburst or a stupid tackle every now and again these are more conventional football issues, these  are manageable.  6 yellows and 1 red in 33 games last season is certainly  not a disgraceful disciplinary record, particularly in the role Barton plays where he likes to get stuck into challenges. For me Barton could be signed by teams he is too good to play for, just because his controversy means that the top teams won’t want him, I think he could do a job for a number of premier league teams next season.

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[1] http://www.tribalfootball.com/articles/newcastle-manager-pardew-can-understand-bartons-man-city-meltdown-3191251#.UfGpSY2cdqU

[2] http://bdnews24.com/sport/2013/05/04/i-have-been-exploited-in-tragic-season-at-qpr-fernandes

My verdict on last season’s signings and the foreign versus domestic signings debate

Last season saw an increase in team’s dipping into the foreign market amid claims that it was the most successful way to go. Whilst team’s such as Arsenal have often done the bulk of their shopping abroad it is quite a new thing for team’s lower down the league but Swansea, Wigan and Newcastle have all dipped into the foreign markets in recent years whilst Aston Villa have shown in the last couple of years that they are heading down this route increasingly under Paul Lambert. The argument is you get more value abroad, the stats from last season I have compounded from last season show overall there is a marginal difference, with plenty of bargains still available in the English game. However, only 3 out of 7 of the Domestic big price transfers (over £10 million)  I have viewed as a hit compared to 9 of the 11 in the foreign list suggesting that when you are looking for the very best, it is often best to look abroad. This has been proven by Manchester City in recent years as few will argue that the likes of Joleon Lescott, James Milner and Jack Rodwell have not lived up to the value offered by David Silva and Yaya Toure despite being signed for similar prices. Gary Neville criticised Newcastle’s approach in buying French players, suggesting more English players were needed in their squad but history shows that it is not necessary to have English players to be successful as shown by Arsenal’s title winning squads. Nevertheless, it is important to ensure that there are some more experienced heads in the squad to help young players and new arrivals to the premier league. Both Aston Villa and Newcastle were seen by pundits to be lacking this premier league experience and this did not help their respective attempts to avoid relegation.

domestic transfers summer 2012 (in the interest of fairness I have admitted players aged 21 or under who played less than 10 league games)

Santi Cazorla (Malaga, £16.5m)- hit

 Olivier Giroud (Montpellier, £13m)- hit

Lukas Podoloski (Cologne, £11m)- hit

Ron Vlaar (Feyenoord, £3m) hit

Karim El Ahmadi (Feyenoord, £2m) miss

Brett Holman (AZ Alkmaar, free), miss

Christian Benteke (Genk, £7m) hit

Eden Hazard (Lille, £32m) hit

Oscar (Internacional, £25m) hit

Marko Marin (Werder Bremen, £7m) miss

Cesar Azpilicueta (Marseille, £7m) hit

Steven Naismith (Rangers, free) hit

 Kevin Mirallas (Olympiakos, £5.2m) hit

 Bryan Oviedo (FC Copenhagen, £5m), miss

Mladen Petric (Hamburg, free) hit

Ashkan Dejagah (Wolsfburg, £2m) hit

Fabio Borini (Roma, £7m) hit

Maicon (Inter Milan, £5.5m), miss

Matija Nastasic (Fiorentina, £12m), hit

Javi Garcia (Benfica, £16m) miss

Shinji Kagawa (Dortmund, £17m), miss

Alexander Buttner (Vitesse Arnhem, £4m) hit

Vurnon Anita (Ajax, £6.7m) hit

Romain Amalfitano (Reims, free) miss

Steven Whittaker (Rangers, free), hit

 Alexander Tettey (Rennes, £1.25M), hit

Samba Diakite (Nancy, £4m), miss

Esteban Granero (Real Madrid, £9m),miss

 Stephane Mbia (Marseille, £6m) miss

Maya Yoshida (VVV-Venlo, £2M) hit

, Gaston Ramirez (Bologna, £10M) hit

Emmanuel Mayuka (Young Boys Berne, £3M) miss

Steven Davis (Rangers, free),hit

, Geoff Cameron (Houston Dynamo, £2.3m), hit

Jamie Ness (Rangers, free) miss

Maurice Edu (Rangers, £4m), miss

Michu (Rayo Vallecano, £2m),hit

 Jose Manuel Flores (Genoa, £2m), hit

 Pablo Hernandez (Valencia, £5.55m) hit

Jan Vertonghen (Ajax, £10m), hit

Gylfi Sigurdsson (Hoffenheim, £8m),hit

 Hugo Lloris (Lyon, £13m), hit

Markus Rosenberg (Werder Bremen, free), miss

Claudio Yacob (Racing Club de Avellaneda, free) hit

Modibo Maiga (Sochaux, £5m), miss

Alou Diarra (Marseille, £2m), miss

Arouna Kone (Levante, £3m), hit

Ivan Ramis (Real Mallorca, £4.5m),hit

31/48- 64.58% success rate

Domestic transfers summer 2012 (in the interest of fairness I have admitted players aged 21 or under who played less than 10 league games)

Matthew Lowton (Sheffield United, £3m)- hit

Joe Bennett (Middlesbrough, £2.5m) hit

Ashley Westwood (Crewe, £2million) hit

Victor Moses (Wigan, £9m), hit

Steven Pienaar (Tottenham, £4.5m), hit

Hugo Rodallega (Wigan, free), hit

 Kieran Richardson (Sunderland, undisclosed), miss

 Dimitar Berbatov (Manchester United, £5m), hit

Joe Allen (Swansea, £15m), miss

Jack Rodwell (Everton, £12m), miss

 Scott Sinclair (Swansea, £8m) miss

Richard Wright (PNE, Free) unfair to judge

Robin van Persie (Arsenal, £24m) hit

Gael Bigirimana (Coventry, £1.5M) hit

Sebastian Bassong (Tottenham, £3m), hit

Robert Snodgrass (Leeds, £3m) hit

 Michael Turner (Sunderland, £1.5m), hit

 Jacob Butterfield (Barnsley, £1.6m), miss

Mark Bunn (Blackburn, £1.5m) hit

Junior Hoilett (Blackburn, £3m), miss

Park Ji-sung (Manchester United, £5m), miss

 Robert Green (West Ham, free), miss

Ryan Nelsen (Tottenham, free), hit

Andrew Johnson (Fulham, free), unfair to judge

Jose Bosingwa (Chelsea, free) miss

Chris Gunter (Nottingham Forest, £2.5m), miss

Adrian Mariappa (Watford, £2.5m), miss

 Pavel Pogrebnyak (Fulham, free), miss

 Danny Guthrie (Newcastle, free), hit

Garath McCleary (Nottingham Forest, free) hit

Nicky Shorey (West Brom, free) hit

 Stuart Taylor (Manchester City, free) unfair to judge

, Jay Rodriguez (Burnley, £6m), hit

Nathaniel Clyne (Crystal Palace, £3m), hit

 Michael Kightly (Wolves, £2m) hit

Charlie Adam (Liverpool, £4m) miss

 Steven Nzonzi (Blackburn, £3.5m) hit

Louis Saha (Tottenham, free) miss

Carlos Cuellar (Aston Villa, free) hit

Steven Fletcher (Wolves, £15m) hit

 Adam Johnson (Manchester City £10m) miss

Mousa Dembele (Fulham, £15m), hit

Emmanuel Adebayor (Manchester City, £5m),miss

 Clint Dempsey (Fulham, £6m) hit

Ben Foster (Birmingham, £2m),hit

Matt Jarvis (Wolves, £10.75m), miss

 James Collins (Aston Villa, £3m),  hit

Stephen Henderson (Portsmouth, £1m),  unfair to judge

George McCartney (Sunderland, £1m), hit

) Jussi Jaaskelainen (Bolton, free), hit

Mohamed Diame (Wigan, free), hit

29/47- 61.7% unfair to judge 4

I expect the amount of spending on foreign players to increase dramatically due to the new TV deal which gives premier league teams an even bigger financial advantage on the rest of Europe. For the first time I expect that more players will be signed from abroad than from other domestic clubs. So far this summer 46 players have been signed from foreign teams compared to 22 from domestic clubs proving the point that so far premier league clubs are exercising their increased financial muscle. Whilst some of these players are youngsters who will not be involved in first team premier league action, it proves that premier league clubs believe they can get an enhanced value abroad next season. 

What Newcastle United must improve on next season

On paper, the Newcastle United squad looks strong. In midfield they possess a number of quality options whilst in defence there is a strong first team core. Why therefore, did Newcastle end up in a relegation battle? Whilst the team suffered many injuries this is far from the only reason. Alan Pardew’s tactical ineptitude was exposed as the likes of Yohan Cabaye, Moussa Sissoko, Papiss Cisse and Jonas Gutierrez were all frequently picked in positions which are not where they help the team most. The decision to replace the successful 4-3-3 formation of the 2011/12 season puzzled many fans but it was down to one factor- Demba Ba. Ba’s unhappiness at being forced to play wide prompted Alan Pardew to try and pair him upfront with Papiss Cisse limiting the impact of the mercurial Hatem Ben Arfa and in other situations Cisse was banished to the right wing where he was far less effective than Ba was when he was operating on the left. Whilst the idea behind this was flawed, fans could understand why Pardew was trying to make this move. So much so that many fans, including myself were happy when Demba Ba left the club, assuming that it would mean a return to last season’s 4-3-3. What followed confused the fans, Moussa Sissoko, a defensive midfielder was positioned in the no.10 role whilst Yohan Cabaye was positioned in a quarter back role, limiting his impact in the final third. A 4-4-1-1 formation was used and still Hatem Ben Arfa was not given the license to roam as he is when he is at his best.

The result of this was direct football. Whether this was as a result of Alan Pardew’s tactics or the plan of Alan Pardew’s tactics is unclear. This does not matter, what Pardew needs to do is get Newcastle playing the free-flowing passing football that they played at the end of the 2011/12 season. This for me, involves Yohan Cabaye moving up and supporting Papiss Cisse. Even last season, when Cabaye was given few opportunities in the attacking midfield role, his best performances came in that position, the 3-0 home win over Bordeaux for me Newcastle’s best performance of the season and the 1-1 draw at Liverpool. Too often Cabaye was forced to sit deep leaving him to do too much to create chances and his frustration was understandable and often evident. As a result Papiss Cisse got few chances, and this was the significant reason for the decline of his goal tally. Whilst Cisse missed chances last season, I think that as the kind of striker he is, he is likely to miss some chances. Even in 2011/12 I remember him missing chances but he gets himself into the positions to score goals and if Newcastle create enough chances for him, he will deliver. Too often he was only given only one chance in a game last season or even sometimes nothing. I remember the Norwich game of 2011/12 where he missed a hatful of chances but still scored the winner. There were very few games like that last season for Newcastle. How many games did Newcastle really dominate last season? I can think of just two, the 3-0 wins against Bordeaux and a Wigan side who only had 10 men for the majority of the match and this particularly needs to change.

Vurnon Anita is someone who could help Newcastle dominate games, in Cabaye, Anita, Tiote and Sissoko Newcastle have quality options in midfield. Anita was used sparingly in the second half of the premier league last season and this is inexplicable as after a tough start, the Dutch International was probably United’s best player in the months of November and December. Whilst Cheick Tiote had an awful season last season, I believe he had a similar problem to Yohan Cabaye in that he was forced to do too much. Tiote isn’t a creator, he is a very good ball winner but too often he gave the ball away last season. I believe this was often due to the lack of players being available to play a short pass to, so the Ivorian international tried to create something himself, leaving mostly to a changeover in possession. I believe a return to a 4-3-3 formation would lead Tiote to find some of his old form.

Sylvain Marveaux was used poorly by Pardew last season and my belief is that he should have been one of the first names on the team sheet at the end of the season. He was in my opinion, the outstanding player of Newcastle’s poor season. His creativity was evident in his roles in the winning goals versus Anzhi and Stoke City yet week after week the willing but ageing Jonas Gutierrez was selected in front of him. I love Jonas Gutierrez and everything he has given to Newcastle United but the truth is I don’t think he has a role to play at Newcastle anymore. I see his best position as a left midfielder in a 4-4-2 but Newcastle shouldn’t be playing that formation as it limits their most talented player Hatem Ben Arfa. Whilst Ben Arfa was injured or playing through an injury last season, he was positioned mainly in midfield when he did play rather than on the right hand side of an attacking three where he should be. In the right midfield role, he has to think about his defensive duties too much and Ben Arfa’s strength is certainly not in his defending, it limits his ability to roam. For me, when Ben Arfa is playing on the right side of an attacking 3 at his best there are very few players better in the premier league, I genuinely believe that, he is a genuine match winner. Newcastle United cannot afford to limit their most talented player he should be let loose.

The defence is also a concern but I think many of the issues are caused by the direct football of last season with no players to be direct to, which led to the ball coming straight back at Newcastle. This put a lot of pressure on the Newcastle back four. The defence is however, visibly so much stronger when Fabriccio Coloccini is in the starting line-up and this overreliance is something Newcastle have to address as a defence of Mathieu Debuchy, Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, Steven Taylor and Davide Santon should be strong enough to cope without the skipper from time to time. I believe if Coloccini hadn’t returned at the end of last season Newcastle United would have been relegated.

I believe if Alan Pardew rectifies the errors I have outlined above Newcastle should finish in the top half. Failure to do so will result in a relegation battle once more for the Magpies. For me the first choice Newcastle team should be in a 4231 formation from right to left: Krul, Debuchy, Taylor, Coloccini, Santon, Anita, Sissoko, Ben Arfa, Cabaye, Marveaux, Cisse 

Do Manchester United need Wayne Rooney?

The biggest transfer saga of the summer looks set to involve Manchester United’s striker Wayne Rooney. The question is how necessary is a fit and firing Wayne Rooney to Manchester United’s title hopes. There is no doubt that when Wayne Rooney is motivated and firing to the best of his ability he is a fantastic player and is an asset to most teams in the world. His record of 141 premier league goals for Man United in 278 games proves this. Even last season, when the striker was believed by many to have had a bad season he still scored 12 goals in 26 games in the Premier League.

However, this is not the first time the striker has looked to move and he was not a first choice for Sir Alex Ferguson for portions of last season. Add to this his previously frosty relationship with David Moyes and it might be the right time to move the England international to a new club. Furthermore, many viable alternatives exist in the Manchester United squad, firstly, Javier Hernandez statistically the most prolific striker in premier league history would be more than capable of starting more games. Young prodigy Danny Welbeck was used sparingly last season and Rooney’s departure would give him the increased first team opportunities that he needs and whilst Welbeck splits opinion amongst the Man United faithful, there is no doubt the England striker has talent. Thirdly, the club could look to take a different approach and deploy Shinji Kagawa in behind Robin Van Persie. Kagawa was not used often last season by Ferguson partly due to injuries but his scoring record at Dortmund was impressive scoring 21 goals in 49 league appearances. In most situations therefore, I believe that Manchester United could function well even without Wayne Rooney.

In a big game situation it could be a different situation however, if Robin Van Persie missed an important match, say a champions league game at the Nou Camp who out of Man United’s current crop of strikers would be looked at to shoulder the burden? It would be Rooney, Welbeck would be seen to lack ruthlessness should a chance come, Hernandez would be seen as someone too likely to be anonymous during the game and Kagawa would be unlikely to be played upfront on his own. However, it is argued that this is not when Rooney flourishes, Rooney in his career has been a much more threatening striker when he has been playing as the deeper of two strikers. This evidence would indicate that Manchester United should look to move Rooney on and replace him with someone capable of playing as a lone-striker or part of a two to offer competition to the other strikers which Manchester United currently have. My belief is that Manchester United would be better off with a striker more in the Didier Drogba mold than the Wayne Rooney mold. 

Premier League Predictions and transfer analysis

Now we are into the later stages of July, the transfer market will start to hot up with teams intensifying their preparations for the new Premier League season. Looking at the premier league, the competition seems stronger than ever with many teams strengthening so far this summer but very few quality players have headed for the exit door. I will evaluate where each team needs to strengthen in this transfer window and their realistic expectations for the next season.

Arsenal

Another summer involving a flurry of speculation has followed another season of Arsenal being seemingly happy to finish fourth. This is not surprising given their significant weaknesses in the squad compared to the top three. Attempts are being made to strengthen with a new striker being the main target and Gonzalo Higuain and Luis Suarez have both been mentioned as targets. Arsenal are definitely in need of a goalscorer with no Arsenal player hitting the 15 goal mark last season as Theo Walcott top scored with 14. However, if Arsenal are to make a serious title challenge this season, other areas also need to be strengthened particularly with all their rivals looking to strengthen. The centre of the midfield looks to lack depth taking into account the injury proneness of Abou Diaby and Jack Wilshere. Mikel Arteta is ageing and Arsenal could do with a couple of defensive minded midfielders to free up their star player Santi Cazorla to maraud forward. Whilst Arsenal’s first choice defence looks strong on paper, they could do with an additional centre back to challenge Thomas Vermaelen, Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker. This could be the year Arsenal finally finish outside the top 4 with the other clubs in contention all looking to be strengthening and significant investment is needed to put them on an even keel with the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City and Tottenham.

Prediction 5^th

Key Man- Santi Cazorla

Aston Villa

The Jekyll and Hyde team of the Premier League last season and it’s difficult to know what to make of their prospects for next season. They have already added 6 new signings and whilst all of them are quite young, they all have a decent amount of first team experience with the exception of Jed Steer. Despite this there is still a clear lack of experience within the squad and Paul Lambert could do with adding a couple of experienced heads to the squad. However, with 6 signings already made, I can’t see there being many more incomings now they’ve secured the future of Christian Benteke. This youthful Villa squad will only improve after a tough season of premier league football last time out and I can see them finishing safely in midtable.

Prediction 12^th

Key Man- Christian Benteke

Cardiff City

For me, Cardiff are the strongest of the newly promoted clubs. They possess a solid defensive unit and possess several useful striking options. In Craig Bellamy they have a player who may miss a few games through injury, but is capable of being a genuine match winner which is invaluable in a relegation battle. For me, they could do with a quality winger and also a defensive midfielder, but the bids made for Victor Wanyama and Tom Ince shows they have funds to spend and so I expect Cardiff City to safely avoid relegation this season.

Prediction 15^th

Key Man- Peter Whittingham

Chelsea

For me, Chelsea are the team to watch in the Premier League title race this season. They have high class throughout the team and with Jose Mourinho returning to Stamford Bridge, they are my tip for the title. I expect Eden Hazard to be even better next season and the addition of Andre Schurrle adds even more flair to their attacking unit. I believe Romelu Lukaku will shine in attack in the aftermath of a hugely successful loan spell of West Brom and whilst they could do with a world class option to compete with Lukaku and Fernando Torres (as I expect Demba Ba to leave) and a holding midfielder to compete with John Obi Mikel they have genuine quality in all positions already in their squad.

Prediction 1^st

Key Man- Juan Mata

Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace for me, will have a hard time remaining in the Premier League. I see a squad made up of solid championship players but many of which have had opportunities at premier league level before and never looked comfortable at that level. The likes of Peter Ramage, Jerome Thomas, Danny Gabbidon and Stephen Dobbie have all been part of premier league clubs and have either performed poorly or not been given appearances at their former clubs. The loss of Wilfried Zaha provides a huge hole in the team and Glenn Murray could miss the start of the season leaving Palace in a pickle. Much will depend on Dwight Gayle and how he adapts to the premier league, but this is a pressure he hasn’t faced before playing at the top level and it is harsh to expect so much of him at such a young age. As regards to strengthening, the midfield is the key area that needs strengthening but reinforcements would be good all over the park. Whilst I see Palace as doomed, they proved the doubters wrong last year to gain promotion and with Ian Holloway at the helm, anything is possible.

Prediction 19^th.

Key man-Dwight Gayle

Everton

Everton will be an interesting team to watch this season. Not least because Roberto Martinez will try to get his team to play in the style of his Wigan side which contrasts to Everton’s successful tactics in recent years being built on using the aerial presence of Maroune Fellaini. Keeping hold of Fellaini and Baines will be a big test of the new manager’s capabilities and if they should leave, it would be imperative that Martinez spends the money correctly. David Moyes has worked wonders at the club on limited resources and it will be very tough for Martinez to replicate Moyes’s success. In terms of the transfer market, Everton’s main weakness looks to be in central midfield where they could do with adding a couple of quality players and I would not be surprised if Martinez made another signing from Wigan in the shape of James McCarthy, particularly if Fellaini leaves the club. Arouna Kone looks to be a good addition to an Everton side that struggled to find a goalscorer due to a poor season last time for Nikicia Jelavic. However, I can see Everton struggling to adapt to the transition of manager and falling short of their points tally from last season.

Prediction 8^th

Key Man- Kevin Miralles

Fulham

Fulham have a strong first team line up but lack depth. The course of their season depends on if they can keep their key players fit. They lack depth in the fullback department, in central midfield and especially upfront where a long-term injury to Dimitar Berbatov or Bryan Ruiz could see them fall into the relegation battle. However, with the backing of the new club owners I expect them to bolster their squad and to finish safely in midtable once again. In terms of their first team, a quality centre-midfielder would increase their prospects of a top half finish and maybe even a push for Europe.

Prediction 10^th

Key Man- Bryan Ruiz

Hull City

In my opinion Hull City will face an uphill struggle to survive this season. Their defensive unit looks strong enough, but they are lacking attacking potential in their squad. Danny Graham is a good loan signing and he will score goals but he can’t do it on his own and I can’t see where the rest of the goals are coming from. In my opinion Hull need to sign 2 wingers and 2 strikers to have a chance of survival. The likes of Robert Koren, George Boyd and Ahmed Elmohamady will have to perform exceptionally for Hull to have a good season.

Prediction 20^th

Key Man- Sone Aluko

Liverpool

Liverpool will start the season aiming for a top 4 finish and I expect them to be in contention. Brendan Rodgers has improved their attacking options in recent months and a fluid attacking formation has led to some impressive performances not least the 6-0 drubbing of Newcastle, but they need to cut out the inconsistencies in their performances. I do think they need to replace Jamie Carragher with a top class centre-back as Sebastian Coates has not been trusted by Brendon Rodgers and Kolo Toure is not the defender he used to be and should be used sparingly. I can see Luis Suarez leaving this summer and he would have to be replaced with a high class striker. If they are serious about challenging for the champions league, a centre midfielder is also a must due to the lack of depth in the position. However, I expect them to fall just short of the top 4 as I think their midfield lacks the quality options that Tottenham have.

Prediction 6^th

Key Man- Steven Gerrard

Man City

The additions they have made so far have been impressive and have ironed out issues leftover from last season. Jesus Navas gives them increased width, Fernandinho adding increased quality to the defensive midfield position and Alvaro Negrado offering more depth upfront. An additional striker is still needed but that seems to be close to happening with Stevan Jovetic close to joining. I still believe they could do with another defensive midfielder and also a centre back due to the problems caused by the absences of Vincent Kompany and Yaya Toure in key games last year. I think they will finish 2^nd to Chelsea but I think it will be a close run thing they will need returns to form for David Silva and Sergio Aguero for this to happen however.

Prediction 2^nd

Key Man- Yaya Toure

Man United

It will be interesting to see what happens at Manchester United in the wake of Ferguson’s departure. As ever there is a need to strengthen in midfield to provide a high class partner for Michael Carrick. I think they could also do with strengthening out wide with Nani and Ashley Young flattering to deceive for large parts of last season. In defence they look strong although if they could sign target Leighton Baines it would be a welcome addition. Upfront, there would be a need to replace Wayne Rooney should he depart but if he stays I can’t see any need to strengthen upfront. Whilst David Moyes is a high class manager I think it will be a difficult first season for him as he attempts to live up to Ferguson’s legacy, I hope they give him time though as I think he will be a success in the long-term.

Prediction 3^rd

Key Man- Michael Carrick

Newcastle United

Being the only club yet to sign a senior player means that Newcastle fans are restless. The main frustration for many Newcastle fans is that they only need a couple of players to have a decent squad. Fans have lost faith in Alan Pardew due to his insistence on playing players out of position. Looking at the squad they need at least another 2 strikers and probably 3 should Papiss Cisse leave the club. It is likely that Yohan Cabaye will leave the club so Newcastle need to replace him and use some of the money to buy a goalscorer. I fear for Newcastle however, if they can keep Hatem Ben Arfa and Sylvain Marveaux fit I think they will avoid the drop.

Prediction 16^th

Key Man- Hatem Ben Arfa

Norwich City

Chris Hughton has made some impressive signings already in this transfer window and is still looking to add to these. He’s recognised that a lack of goals last season was the major problem for Norwich and has invested in Ricky Van Wolfswinkel who has an impressive scoring record abroad. They could do with another striker to share the goal scoring load and another centre midfielder to add some creativity to the middle of the park due to their signings I expect Norwich to be safely in midtable.

Prediction 11^th

Key Man- Ricky Van Wolfswinkel

Southampton

The future looks bright for Saints fans, the chairman Nicola Cortese is splashing the cash and Southampton have a young and exciting team and manager. Last season they played some fantastic football and were let down by being weak defensively, the additions of Dejan Lovren and defensive midfielder Victor Wanyama should make them stronger in defence. They should be even stronger in attack next season as Gaston Ramirez showed signs at the end of the season that he was adapting to the division, whilst Luke Shaw and Nathanial Clyne will continue to improve. Whilst more defensive reinforcements are necessary I can see a top half finish for the Saints.

Prediction 9^th.

Key Man- Gaston Ramirez

Stoke City

In my opinion Tony Pulis’s Stoke had gone stale in the last 2 seasons. Early in their premier league stay Stoke produced goals from good play from wingers Matty Etherington and Jermaine Pennant. In recent seasons, Pulis has chosen to deploy teams with little width with the likes of Charlie Adam patrolling the flanks. The challenge for Mark Hughes is to bring that width back. For me Stoke need to strengthen all across their midfield, upfront and at fullback to progress and I’m not sure Mark Hughes was the right appointment to move Stoke forward. The ageing Peter Crouch showed signs of being on the decline and it is tough to see where their goals are coming from next season. Whilst Huth and Shawcross provide strength in defence, the backup options look limited with a lot of pressure being placed on Marc Muniesa and history shows that young defenders can take their time to adjust to premier league football. I’m predicting a tough season for Stoke.

Prediction 18^th

Key player- Ryan Shawcross

Sunderland

Of all the teams previewed, Sunderland are hardest to predict in regards to next season. There has already been a flurry of new signings, many of whom are from the Italian league fuelling optimism in the North-East. However, as has been shown many times over the years, too many changes to the squad could cause catastrophic ends. Sunderland’s desire to offload experienced heads such as Lee Cattermole and Phil Bardsley could leave Sunderland with a lack of premier league experience, with several new signings trying to find their feet at the same time in a tough league. Furthermore, Paulo Di Canio is a volatile manager who has yet to experience a  sustained period of failure in his short managerial career and with Sunderland it is likely a bad patch will come at some point in this season.  Seeing how Di Canio’s caused friction with players over his managerial career even in successful sides it is possible that a feud between the players and the manager could ensue before the end of the season.

 Prediction 17^th

Key Player- Steven Fletcher

Swansea

This time last season I was predicting Swansea for relegation, I wasn’t sure how they’d respond to a change of manager. I’ve been made to look very stupid as Swansea under the guidance of Michael Laudrup played some excellent passing football last season. This summer they have strengthened from a strong position already including the marquee signing of Wilfried Bony. For me, Swansea are the team to watch this season and if anyone can challenge last season’s top 7 it’s them I think. If I was looking at where they should strengthen I’d say in defensive midfield but in every other position, I’d argue they look very strong and they look a very good bet for a comfortable top half finish.

Prediction 7^th

Key Player- Michu

Tottenham

I think Andre Villas- Boas has taken Tottenham to the next level in his management. He’s got them playing fluid football and Gareth Bale in particular has thrived under this interchangeable football. They have already added Paulinho to their squad and I think they are only 2 or 3 quality signings away from a title challenge. I think a top quality striker is on the agenda for Tottenham with Emmanuel Adebayor flattering to deceive and Jermain Defoe whilst being a very good goalscorer, does not connect the play well enough to be the main striker at a top 4 club. A winger to provide competition for Aaron Lennon would be useful as Spurs look light in that area and lastly a fullback to replace Benoit Assou-Ekotto who doesn’t have the positional sense required in my opinion to be a top 4 fullback. I think Spurs will make additions this summer and will pip Arsenal and Liverpool to 4^th place.

Prediction 4^th

Key Player- Gareth Bale

West Brom

West Brom had a great season last time out under Steve Clarke. This year they will have to do it without Romelu Lukaku’s goals and I think this will have a detrimental impact to their squad despite the addition of the ageing Nicolas Anelka. Peter Odemwingie looks set to leave and Markus Rosenberg had an unimpressive first season so it is clear that Steve Clarke needs to add to his options in attack. For me, they could also do with adding a couple of quality wide men and a creative centre midfielder. I don’t expect West Brom to have as good a season as they had last time out but I don’t see them being drawn into the relegation battle.

Prediction 14^th

Key Player- James Morrison

West Ham

West Ham had a solid return to the Premier League last time out and I expect them to continue in a similar fashion next season. The permanent addition of Andy Carroll is a fantastic signing for them but they could do with some cover and competition for the powerful target man. In addition, I think West Ham could do with a bit of added quality in the centre of the park and maybe an extra winger as I’m not convinced about the capabilities of Ricardo Vaz Te. I can’t see West Ham being dragged into the relegation battle and they may even threaten the top half if things go their way.

Prediction 13^th

Key Player- Andy Carroll