Nick Wright previews this weekend's clash between York City Knights and Hull FC
Alex Reid looks at whether the once ever-present appearance of English clubs in the later stages of the Champions League is set to become a thing of the past
Craig Dobson looks at QPR's decision to sack Neil Warnock and replace him with Mark Hughes
James Tompkinson reviews an excellent pre-season victory for the York City Knights against Yorkshire rivals Leeds Rhinos
Prediction One: Chelsea will win the league I can’t see the title slipping from the clutches of the Old Trafford/Stamford Bridge duopoly this year. Only United and Chelsea have the necessary blend of experience and talent in both the manager and the players. Mourinho was the true architect of the current Chelsea team: Ancelotti has just enough about him to allow ‘Jose’s boys’ to do what they do best. He’s like a very successful, rather portly, Italian chef, surreptitiously using Dolmio for the Bolognese sauce. United look as though they’ll line up with effectively four forward players and two sitting midfielders, which will be lots of fun, but the immeasurable vacuum left by a potential Rooney absence is as ominous as last season, and will probably end up costing them that 19th title.
Prediction Two: They will be followed by United, Arsenal and Spurs
According to the bookies (don’t gamble kids), the remaining places in the top four will most probably be occupied by a selection from Arsenal, Tottenham, Manchester City, Liverpool Aston Villa and Everton. The latter are rank outsiders, but David Moyes has a healthier squad to draw upon this time around which could prove vital. Unlike the optimistic Toffees, since Martin O’Neill’s departure Aston Villa are a bit like the caramel ones in Quality Street that stir very little enthusiasm in anybody. Liverpool’s early optimism will fade quickly unless Torres can stay fit and provide the goals: they are too unstable on and off the pitch to claim enough points for the top four. Man City look to me like Chelsea before Mourinho arrived. The league is better now than it was then, and they don’t have the stability either to get near the Champions League. Only Arsenal and Spurs can, like last season, make the most of the talent in their squads.
Prediction Three: Blackpool, West Brom and Wigan will be relegated
Blackpool are a massive motif to the idea that literally any team can win promotion from the Championship. Unfortunately, they will also show us that only a few Championship teams would have a chance at lasting more than a season in the big pond with the really big fishes. I also suspect that from West Brom’s squad, only Graham Dorrans has a chance of playing in the Premier League next season. I have a feeling Newcastle will be alright, and cannot seriously envisage an equally disastrous season at Upton Park this time around. My tip for the drop is Wigan, whose time has come I think. Roberto Martinez will continue in his insistence that the Latics should play nice football, which will ultimately be the death of him.
So there you have it. Not much point watching the games now you know what’s going to happen. Sorry for ruining the ending. On a final note, if you fancy taking on fellow Yorker readers in our fantasy football league, go to the official Premier League website, make a team, and join the league with the following code: 1083450-260622. Go on.
"Man City look to me like Chelsea before Mourinho arrived."
This is revisionist history of the most laughable variety. Have a look at Chelsea's squad that season and tell us how many of those players, if sucked into a wormhole and deposited at Eastlands today, would get a game for City this season:
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/team/squad?teamId=363&season=2002&cat=starts&cc=5901&leagueId=0
firstly, you're looking at the wrong squad, mourinho didn't arrive until a full two seasons after that
secondly, i think you misunderstand the point. the two teams don't directly compare at all, man city's squad is far superior, in terms of the array of individuals, arguably to any other in the country over the last decade. what is similar to chelsea from 03-04 (see below) is the glut of midfielders (veron, lampard, makalele, parker, duff, cole, petit etc.). city have a similar problem: the lack of unity and unrest caused by ranieri's understandably over-zealous spending (a problem eventually solved by mourinho) are similar to the problems i believe city will encounter this year
THE pre-mourinho squad: http://www.eufo.de/football/eng/2003/chela_fc.htm
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