Premier League Debutante Profiles: Norwich City, Queens Park Rangers and Swansea City

Norwich City FC

Nickname: The Canaries
Founded: June 17, 1902 (109 Years Ago)
Ground: Carrow Road (Capacity: 27,033)
Chairman: Alan Bowkett
Manager: Paul Lambert
Previous 3 Seasons: 2nd, The Championship; 1st, League One; 22nd, The Championship
Key Players: Grant Holt and Wes Hoolahan
Football Finesse Prediction: 18th, 19th

Queens Park Rangers FC

Nickname: The Hoops
Founded: 1882 (128 Years Ago)
Ground: Loftus Road (Capacity: 18,360)
Chairman: Gianni Paladini
Manager: Neil Warnock
Previous 3 Seasons: 1st, The Championship; 13th, The Championship; 11th, The Championship
Key Players: Adel Taarabt and DJ Campbell
Football Finesse Prediction: 17th, 18th

Swansea City FC

Nickname: The Jacks
Founded: 1912
Ground: Liberty Stadium (Capacity: 20,532)
Chairman: Hew Jenkins
Manager: Brendan Rodgers
Previous 3 Seasons: 3rd, The Championship; 7th, The Championship; 8th, The Championship
Key Players: Scott Sinclair and Danny Graham
Football Finesse Prediction: 19th, 20th

Premier League Preview: Stoke City

Muscle Power

Potters, as they are fondly known, came to the Premier League a few seasons ago and have been very impressive so far. Under the management of Tony Pulis, the team play a very different type of game, comprising of strength and more strength. All players are strong, from Kenwyne Jones to Abdoula Diagne-Faye, from Ricardo Fuller to Roberth Huth. The team has been doing well after its promotion and has spent a lot of money, to stay in the Premier League, by buying quality players such as Kenwyne Jones, Tuncay Sanli (although he left), etc. Tony Pulis has been an exceptional manager, with his trademark track suit and cap, and has been an important figure in Stoke's survival in the Mighty League. With an impressive home record throughout and big wins against good teams, the team has managed to stay in the top flight of football. The departure of Tuncay Sanli could pose a problem for the team as he was very important to the team. However, the likes of Matthew Etherington, Jermaine Pennant, Dean Whitehead and Kenwyne Joneswill still play an important part in the team's ambitions of being a  top team in the Premier League. Ryan Shawcross and Roberth Huth are strong defenders who can handle the attacking might of any big team be it Chelsea, Manchester United or Liverpool. Potters, over the years have developed a strong and physical form of football that is a joy to watch. Wishing them good luck as they will be playing in the Europa League this season.


Season 2010-11: The team made many changes to its squad and many new players such as Kenwyne Jones, Jon Walters, Jermaine Pennant, etc. However, the team did not start on the right foot and lost the first 3 games of the season. Things turned and Stoke City made many changes to its playing 11 and delivered thereafter. Kenwyne Jones scored many goals along with Jon Walters and Dean Whitehead. Home record was impeccable with 10 wins and 4 draws. A bad away record shattered their dreams of coming in the top half of the table. As things played out, they were runners up in the FA Cup and as Manchester City (FA Cup winners) had already qualified for the Champions League, the Europa League spot went to the Red and Whites. All was well and the team will be happy after securing a spot in a European Cup. Jon Walters, Kenwyne Jones along with Ryan Shawcross were the men who were responsible for such a wonderful run in the FA Cup.

Transfers:
In: Jonathan Woodgate (Tottenham Hotspur, Free), Matthew Upson (West Ham United, Free)
Out: Abdoulaye Faye (West Ham United, Free), Ibrahima Sonko (Released), Eidue Gudjohnsen (AEK Athens, Free), Carl Dickinson (Watford, Undisclosed)

Verdict: With new signings Jonathan Woodgate and Matthew Upson, both with Premier League experience, the team look good. Impressive performances in the qualifying rounds of Europa League and the friendlies, also put Stoke as a serious contender for a top half finish. Kenwyne Jones and Jon Walters, should be their goal scorers, both of them bagging 12 goals each last season. Departure of Diagne-Faye will not be an issue for the team due to the new signings. With plenty of matches in the upcoming season, the teams performance will lie in their ability to change the playing 11 and managing all its players without causing any fatigue or injuries. The future seems bright for the team from the countryside.

Season 2010-11: 13th
Football Finesse Predictions: 11th, 12th.
Men To Watch: Kenwyne Jones, Jon Walters, Ryan Shawcross, Dean Whitehead, Matthew Etherington

Premier League Preview: Manchester United

'19 times and that's a fact'

Two and a half months after knocking bitter-rivals Liverpool off their perch, the Champions head into the new season buoyed by a perfect pre-season with little to complain about. Good things come to an end for better things to come along. With the likes of Gary Neville, Edwin van der Sar and Paul Scholes hanging up their boots and gloves and a young wave of players including Tom Cleverley, Danny Welbeck and Paul Pogba emerging to the front, it's the beginning of a new era at Old Trafford. Often criticised about merely grinding out results, the young team (averaging 22.5 years) that took the field against Noisy Neighbours Manchester City in the Community Shield showed displays of impeccable football and staged an Oh-my-god comeback.


Strengths: 
1. Money well spent: The Red Devils have done very well in the transfer market. In David de Gea, they have captured a young, yet experienced goal keeper with great potential. Versatile Phil Jones will provide United with great options at the back, and in central midfield if required with his Michael Essien-y style of play. Wing wizard Ashley Young is, in my opinion, United's best signing so far for this season. He will provide United with additional artillery with his unlimited supply of crosses and will also be a great asset to the team in dead-ball situations.

2. New kids on the block: The biggest outcome of United's pre-season has been the emergence of Tom Cleverley (who has a smoking hot girlfriend, btw) and Danny Welbeck (whose girlfriend is not hot enough to be there on the internet, if he has one). They've been SO good in pre-season that Fabio Capello included them in the England squad for the Holland friendly, which sadly never happened. (Damn you, rioters). A large section of the United supporters are so impressed by Tom, that they feel there is no need to sign Wesley Sneijder.

3. Perfect balance and Plenty of Options: United have the perfect balance of experience and youth, of defence and attack. They have world-class replacements for almost every position. They had Dimitar Berbatov, last year's Premier League top-scorer on the bench. Now that's saying something.

4. The Roo factor: Wayne Rooney, wounded with his on and off-field problems, was a shadow of the player that blasted in 38 goals in 2009-2010. But he has a point to prove and he'll be raring to go. And when Roo gets going, you can't really do anything about it.

Orgasmic

Weaknesses:
1. The Centre-back partnership: To be honest, the Vidic-Ferdinand duopoly, that was once solid as a rock and led United to glory on multiple occasions, seems to be coming to an end. There are plenty of options at the back- Vidic, Ferdinand, Johnny Evans, Cris Smalling and Phil Jones. But United are yet to find the perfect combination at the back.

2. The holding-midfielder: The CDM position has turned out to be a problem for Sir Alex. Whatever said and done, Carrick is good, but not world-class, which was evident in both the heartbreaking Wembley clashes last season (City and Barcelona). Fletcher has missed a lot of football lately, and it will take him some time to get into the thick of things.


3. Between the sticks: David de Gea looks a promising prospect and a good long-term investment. But critics often point out his lack of experience in the Premier League, his frail physique and his lack of composure. Edwin van der Sar's gloves will be hard ones to fill and his commanding presence and intimidating physique will surely be missed by United.

Pre-season: 

Manchester United  4 -1 New England Revolution
Manchester United  7 -0 Seattle Sounders
Manchester United  3 -1 Chicago Fire
Manchester United  4 -0 MLS All-Stars
Manchester United  2 -1 FC Barcelona
Manchester United  6 -0 New York Cosmos
Manchester United  3 -2 Manchester City



Transfers:
Players in: Phil Jones (Blackburn, £16.5m), Ashley Young (Aston Villa, £20m), David De Gea (Atletico Madrid, £20m), Pierluigi Gollini (free, Fiorentina)
Players out: Wes Brown, John O'Shea (both Sunderland, undisclosed), Bebe (Besiktas, loan), Gary Neville (retired), Edwin van der Sar (retired), Paul Scholes (retired), Owen Hargreaves (released), Ryan Tunnicliffe, Scott Wootton (both Peterborough, loan), Conor Devlin (released), Joe Dudgeon (Hull City, undisclosed), Nicky Ajose (Peterborough, undisclosed), Robbie Brady (Hull, loan)

2010-2011 position:  1st
Football Finesse prediction: 1st, 2nd
Men to watch: Tom Cleverley, Danny Welbeck, Phil Jones, Ashley Young

Premier League Preview: Newcastle United

(car)Toon

Popularly referred to as the Toons, the team from Newcastle-upon-Tyne, made a dramatic entry to the Premier League last season by thrashing other teams in the Championship. More a business firm than a club, the clubs sold its best player, Andrew Carroll, to Liverpoll for a staggering 35 Million Pounds. No new signing was made but Hatem Ben Arfa, the player on-loan, was bought and should give a new dimension to the team. Joey Barton, the English "Jat", has become even more aggressive than before. Classics such as Shola Ameobi and Alan Smith have not been very good and do not enjoy so much playing time. Mike Ashley, the owner, is only concerned with making money and doesn't care about the team's performance. The Toons, however, had a good start to the season with Andrew Carroll scoring plenty of goals for a top ten finish. His departure in January came as a shock to the fans and the performance level of the team dropped significantly thereafter. The team scored the most goals at home, thereby showing there attacking prowess. Leon Best seemed to be the life-saver for the team and saving them from the relegation battle. A decent away from helped the team to secure a 12th place position on the table. Introduction of new manager Alan Pardew, seemed to be an ambiguous decision as he did save the team but ended up selling their most important player, Andrew Carroll.

Season 2010-11: A good season for the team, from being relegated two seasons before to coming first in the championship and then coming in at 12th in its first season after being relegated. The team has come a long way and things have changed for the team ever since. Old players have been ignored and new young players are taking over and playing in the first 11. Kevin Nolan impressed with his attacking skills and was very important to the team. Leon Best was their best bet for the first choice striker after the departure of goal machine Andrew Carroll. An impressive away record and a high number of goals were scored at home by the Black and White stripes. Even after the departure of Andrew Carroll, the team managed to score goals and finish ahead of other Premier League regulars like Bolton Wanderes and West Ham United. Alan Pardew replaced Chris Houghton and this was a very unclear decision as he made good and bad moves. A decent season for the team from the other side.

Transfers:
In: Mehdi Abeid (Lens, Free), Yohan Cabaye (Lille, £4.3m), Demba Ba (West Ham United, Free), Sylvian Marveaux (Rennes, Free), Gabriel Obertan (Manchester United, £3.0m)
Out: Sol Campbell (Released), Shefki Kuqi (Released), Kevin Nolan (West Ham United, £4.0m), Wayne Routledge (Swansea City, £2.0m)N

Verdict: The team seem to be a good one with the signings of many new players such as Demba Ba, Sylvian Marveaux, Gabriel Obertan, Mehdi Abeid and Yohan Cabaye (surprisingly all were born in France, including Demba Ba, who now plays for Senegal). The departure of Kevin Nolan is a matter of concern for the team, as he was very important to the team last season. Shola Ameobi signed a new contract, and Sol Cambell left on a free transfer along with Wayne Routledge leaving to join Swansea City for a fee of 2 Million Pounds. The team definitely look stronger than last year as Hatem Ben Arfa (another Frenchman) will be like a new signing for the team as he was injured for a long time because of a tackle by "hitman" Nigel De Jong. All-in-all the team from Tyne look strong and can challenge for a top 10 finish.

2010-11 Position: 10th
Football Finesse Predictions: 10th, 11th
Men To Watch: Sylvian Marveaux, Hatem Ben Arfa, Demba Ba, Yohan Cabaye, Leon Best, Jona Gutierrez, Cheick Tiote

Premier League Preview: Manchester City

There are some cups money can't buy. For everything else, there's Etihad.

Overview

Manchester City has come a long way, from being relegated in season 2000/2001 to being third in the table after ten years. All thanks to Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and his bank balance. City has had a lot of ups and downs but has finally stabilized under manager Roberto Mancini. The previous season was the best season City have had in decades and it saw the end of their trophy drought with the FA Cup win and Champions League qualification. Last season saw heavy spending for the Abu Dhabi owners who bought players like Jerome Boateng, Yaya Toure, David Silva, Aleksandar Kolarov, Mario Balotelli, James Milner and Edin Dzeko. All of these signings have proven useful, except for Boateng, and the players have fit in well and have finally started playing like a team. I would just like to take a moment and appreciate, as they are extremely under appreciated, Manchester City for winning the FA Cup and coming third, that too on goal difference, as you can't expect much out of a team instantly.

Season 2010/2011

Attack: City had an impressive attack and finished as the team with the 4th best attacking display 1.58 goals per game. They also won the most number of penalties in the season.

Defense: A shocking fact, Manchester City had the best defense in the Premier League. Beating the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea with only 0.87 goals conceded per game.

Transfers

In: Gael Clichy (Arsenal, Undisclosed), Stefan Savic (Partizan, Undisclosed), Sergio Aguero (Atletico Madrid, Undisclosed), Costel Pantilimon (Poli Timisoara, Undisclosed)
Out: Felipe Caicedo (Levante, €1m), Patrick Vieira (Retired), Jerome Boateng (Bayern Munich, Undisclosed), Shay Given (Aston Villa, Undisclosed), Jo (Internaacional, Undisclosed)

Verdict

Manchester City are truly going to miss Carlos Tevez (if he leaves) than he is going to miss them, but buying Sergio Aguero is almost a perfect move for the Citizens. Selling Boateng and replacing him with experienced Arsenal full-back, Gael Clichy, was a good move. The club is playing more like a team than just good individual players playing on their own and captain Vincent Kompany has been hardworking as ever pepping the team on in every game. They have a world class goalkeeper, a great defense and bunch of good strikers/wingers. All they lack is a little bit of creativity in the midfield. David Silva does a damn good job at that but without him City struggle. Adam Johnson has not been given enough playing time and the supply from the wings isn't good enough. Best bet for the club would be to buy just one creative and strong central midfielders who can create those chances for powerhouse Tevez or Maradona's son-in-law Aguero. Best of luck from our side to uhhh, the other team in Manchester.

Position 2010/2011: 3rd
Prediction for 2011/2012: 2nd or 3rd
Men to Watch: Adam Johnson, Sergio Aguero, David Silva and Yaya Toure

Premier League Preview: Liverpool

Goblins

Overview

Liverpool started the season with new manager Roy Hodgson replacing their long term manager Rafa Benitez under whom they had won the UEFA Champions League. The start to the season was awful as Liverpool only won three out of their first ten games and dropped to a position as low as 19 in the league table. Roy Hodgson, who took Fulham to the final of the Europa League the year before was nothing like the fans had expected. There was unrest and lack of co-ordination between the owners, management and players. Even the new signings done in the summer of 2010 couldn't provide any substantial contributions in the matches. This saw Liverpool crash out of all the cup tournaments in the season. In October, Liverpool was taken over by Fenway Sports Group (also known as New England Sports Ventures). This proved as a blessing for the club. Due to lack of good performances, manager Roy Hodgson was sacked and was replaced by Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish. The new owners sold Fernando Torres and Ryan Babel and signed Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez and promising England striker Andy Carroll. Liverpool scored in every game from January through May. The club finished 6th and missed out on European football but the changes brought a certain stability to the club.

Transfers 

In: Stewart Downing (Aston Villa, Undisclosed), Jordan Henderson (Sunderland, Undisclosed), Charlie Adam (Blackpool, Undisclosed) and Doni (Roma, Free)
Out: Paul Konchesky (Leicester City, Undisclosed) and Milan Jovanovic (Anderlecht, Undisclosed)

Pre-Season

• Guangdon Sunray Cave 3-4 Liverpool
• Malaysia XI 3-6 Liverpool 
• Hull City 3-0 Liverpool 
• Galatasaray 3-0 Liverpool 
• Valerenga 3-3 Liverpool 
• Liverpool 2-0 Valencia

Verdict

As it is evident from the transfers, Liverpool have strengthened their midfield immensely. But what is also evident, is that they conceded three goals in five out of six of their pre-season games. Spending some more on the defense by buying a quality left-back and a center-back can do wonders for the club. Even though the club are a couple of seasons away from being serious title contenders, manager Kenny Dalglish still has a huge responsibility of lifting the club back out of it's current position and but it in the top four where it belongs. The future looks good and without the tension of European football, winning every league game should be the only target for the club.

Money Well Spent

Position 2010/2011: 6th
Prediction for 2011/2012: 4th or 5th
Men to Watch: Stewart Downing and Luis Suarez