EPL 2008/09 Prediction Thread

[GoldenEagle]

The EPL starts tomorrow. Hooray! Here are some of my predictions for the upcoming season. Feel free to add your own:

Winners: Chelsea
Relegated: Hull, Stoke, Bolton
Sack race: Kevin Keegan, Newcastle
Biggest Surprise: Sunderland finishing in the top 10
Biggest Disappointment: Everton
Best Newcomer: Jo, Manchester City
Best chance for a team to crack the top 4: Tottenham
Where your team will end up: Everton, mid-table

Others:
-Fulham will never be in danger for the drop
-Blackburn will struggle and could find themselves in a relegation battle
-Chelsea will play 0-11-0 by the end of the season, after signing Kaka
-Berbatov will be sold, but not to club in the EPL
-Tottenham will finish 4th, Arsenal 5th
-Portsmouth and Everton will not be as good as last year
-Hull and Stoke City will suck, but not as bad as Derby County

[dacman]

Revising my early prediction of 2 weeks ago:

1. Manchester Utd
1a. Chelsea
3. Liverpool
4. Arsenal
5. Aston Villa
6. Tottenham
7. Everton
8. Newcastle
9. West Ham
10. Manchester City
11. Portsmouth
12. Sunderland
13. Blackburn
14. Middlesbrough
15. Fulham
16. Wigan
17. WBA
18. Bolton
19. Stoke City
20. Hull City

Winners: ManU on goal difference
Jump ship race: Mark Hughes out of the tire fire that is Man City
Sack race: Paul Ince, Blackburn -- nice guy, but in over his head
Best new chant: Shinawat is a twat

Others:
- Shinawatra will be the first Prem owner forceably removed from the league
- Stoke will suck, almost as bad as Derby
- Hull will suck even worse then Derby
- RSC will move to a contender in the January window
- Spurs will still leak goals by the bunches

By the numbers:

1 - Number of seasons left after this one for SAF
2 - Number of on-the-pitch fights in the first Hull v. Newcastle game
3 - Number of completely dubious penalties given by Mike Riley
4 - Number of matches it will take for players to completely forget the new "respect the ref" rules
5 - Number of months with no contact for Gillett and Hicks
6 - Number of months in the clink for one Mr. Barton
7 - Number of times Roy Keane will crack anything remotely resembling a smile
8 - Number of reporters accidently spit on in post-match interviews by Tony Mowbray
9 - Number of points for one Hull City AFC
10 - Number of teams stuck firmly mid-table by January (6-15 on my list)

[Critch]

Winners: Chelsea
Relegated: Hull, Wigan, West Brom
Sack race: Alan Curbishley, West Ham
Biggest Surprise: Fulham
Biggest Disappointment: Portsmouth (10th or lower)
Best Newcomer: Modric (Spurs) (nobody will make an impression like Torres did last year)
Best chance for a team to crack the top 4: Aston Villa
Where your team will end up: Brighton and Hove Albion, in the playoffs

Others:
-Theo Walcott = Young Player of the Year
-Man City will struggle, upheaval off the pitch will distract them
-Stoke's strength and long ball tactics will bring upsets, especially at home
-Arsenal's new strip will look more like Charlton Athletic than Arsenal
-Tottenham's new signings will take time to settle, then not have the gas to last a full season. 8th place.
-Relegation race goes to the last day of the season. Chelsea wrap up the title a couple of weeks before that.
-Arsenal fans grumble about no big name signings when they finish 4th. Wenger blames referees/bad luck again.

[Coffee Warlord]

Winners: Chelsea
Relegated: Hull (despite the impressive week 1 win), Stoke, Sunderland
Biggest Surprise: Middlesborough (competes for a EURO spot)
Biggest Disappointment: Spurs (I'm pegging them for a bottom 3rd finish)
Best Newcomer: Jonas Gutierrez (Homer/hindsight pick, but damn did he look good Sunday)
Best chance for a team to crack the top 4: Aston Villa
Where Your Team Will End Up: Newcastle - I'm hoping 6-7, and think it's feasible if Owen stays healthy, I'm thinking around 10.

Others:
ManU and Liverpool will struggle (for them) this year, and Chelsea runs away with the title.
Aston Villa are set to have an amazing run.
Spurs are going to suck ass.
I second EF in saying that Portsmouth and Everton will come back down to earth.