Yaaaay, only 15 days until kick-off!
I'm very excited by the quality of the players that have been brought in by clubs over the summer. Plenty of new faces and plenty of faces we'll recoognise from Euro 2004. I think I'll enjoy watching Match Of The Day very much this season.
(pity I don't have Sky Sports, though)
Here goes a bold top 5 prediction:
1. Man. United
2. Chelsea
3. Arsenal
4. Liverpool
5. Birmingham (Middlesbrough/Newcastle/Charlton)
Arsenal will most definitely be the team to beat this season
and due to that fact (and that I don't think this run can't last much longer) I think they'll get beaten, then again and again.. The squads of the mid-table teams are getting much stronger and with that in mind, maybe the gap to the top teams will become a little bit smaller. Arsenal and Chelsea will no doubt be two teams to beat for these mid-table teams .. Manchester United too, but I don't think as much anymore. They're not being backed as favourites for the title and it seems as though people don't see them as quite the threat Arsenal and Chelsea are. I think that'll work to United's advantage over the season to give them a 9th Premiership title.
I'm still not so keen on Liverpool, but I'd back them for another top 5 finish. As for the last top 5 place, any one of many teams could grab it this season. The additions Birmingham and Middlesbrough have made make them big contenders. Newcastle and Charlton should be up there as well.
..and the bottom 5:
16. Portsmouth
17. West Brom
18. Everton
19. Norwich
20. Crystal Palace
As much as I'd like the promoted teams to do well, I think they'll all struggle. West Brom do have the added advantage of already having recent Premiership experience from 2 seasons ago, so that could just work in their favour to keep them afloat. Everton don't look in great shape at all. I think after last season they could be in for an even worse time. I wouldn't be surprised if I saw Fulham, Portsmouth and Blackburn joining the party at the bottom, or Manchester City again for that matter.
You know what, this calls for another thread relating to the Premiership.