2) Bournemouth
I am still not totally sure about Scott Parker yet which is odd to say as he has been a manager for a while now and not sure why he was targeted specifically by Bournemouth, who of course needed to upgrade from Woodgate – who did ok but was not really ready to take them on the next step. They were close last season but managerial changes, injuries and lack of consistency saw them not quite make an immediate return. Parker though has done it before with Fulham and is a year older in managerial terms of experience. It is not all about talent but you scan down the side and squad and they have not lost any key men and the forward/creative players all remain. David Brooks finally seems fit (scored a wonder goal in the opening round of the Carabao Cup) but we have heard that before so will wait and see. Ben Pearson gives them steel in the middle of the field to add to the quality of Lerma, Cook and Billing. Marcondes gives them a bit of a wild card – if he can find the form, he showed in his early days at Brentford then it just another option that defenses will struggle to cope with. Solanke, Stanislas, Danjuma and Brooks is a fairly frightening array of forwards. Defensively I am still a little concerned they have the back ups they need but with the striking options it might not matter! The key is keeping them fit and retaining them before the end of the window of course with Danjuma and Brooks the type of forwards some lower Premier League teams may be circling to pick off.
Manager: Scott Parker
In
Emiliano Marcondes (free, Brentford)
Leif Davis (loan, Leeds United)
Out
Nnamdi Ofoborh (free, Rangers)
Jack Wilshere (released)
Asmir Begovic (undisclosed, Everton)
Diego Rico (undisclosed, Real Sociedad)
Key Man: Arnaut Danjuma – Talented player that scored 17 goals and not an out and out striker either. On his day is too good for this level but he is still here and will be an important player for Parker as they attempt to go one better than last season.
1) Fulham
It might be a stretch for all the top 4 to be with teams with new managers but the three relegated sides and Bournemouth, do seem to have far stronger and deeper squads than any of the other sides. It might be seen as a lazy prediction to go with those as the top 4 but I just feel with the strength in depth and power/pace/goals these sides have up top, that it will be tough for any team to unseat them. Of course, if any of them lose players or have a bad start, then pressure ramps up and fan unrest may see boardrooms panic. Silva seemed an odd choice as he had lost his way at Everton and he has managed 7 clubs and is only 45. He did really well at Watford of course before and Fulham will hope his time away will have recharged the batteries. Fulham have become the perennial yo-yo side – the new West Brom if you like. They have things a better attempt last time but ultimately still went down in the end. Scott Parker moved on which seemed a surprise but the squad he left albeit bereft of many of the loan players he opted to use, still has plenty of quality. Cairney, Mitrovic, Decordova-Reid, Cavaleiro, Knockaert, Reed, Bryan, Carvalho, the list goes on. They should be too much for most teams and the fact they spent 12 million+ on a player in Wilson shows they still have the spending power that no other team will possess at this level. They have the best squad by some way. It’s a toss-up between them and their former manager, Parker who wins the league.
Manager: Marco Silva
In
Harry Wilson (£12.6m, Liverpool)
Paulo Gazzaniga (free, Tottenham Hotspur)
Out
Kevin McDonald (released)
Stefan Johansen (£630,000, Queens Park Rangers)
Marcus Bettinelli (free, Chelsea)
Key Man: Aleksandar Mitrovic – Did not really impress in the Premier League (again) but should rip up this league (again). Strong, powerful and scores goals. Tough to stop.
As a further bit of fun here are my predictions for the other leagues:
Premier League –
Man City
Other top 4 – Chelsea, Liverpool and Man Utd
Relegated – Watford, Burnley and Crystal Palace
League One –
Promoted – Charlton, Ipswich and Sunderland (Playoffs)
Other Playoffs – Rotherham, Sheff Wed and Wycombe
Relegated – Morecambe, Wimbledon, Cheltenham, Doncaster
League Two –
Promoted – Newport, Exeter and Salford
Other Playoffs – Tranmere, Forest Green, Mansfield, Port Vale
Relegated – Hartlepool, Stevenage
Champions League – PSG beating Barcelona
FA Cup – Man Utd
League Cup – Aston Villa
