Braeburn's Premier League - Review Part 2

Welcome to Part 2 of my review of the Premier League so far. Eight games gone and some of my pre-season predictions already look ridiculous, Bournemouth anybody? In this post I cover the second half (alphabetically speaking) of the league and stick my neck on the line with new predictions.

Check out Part 1 if you haven't already done so.

Happy reading and thanks for stopping by. Comments appreciated below... come on let's have some bants?

LEICESTER CITY
And so the transformation is complete, champions to mid-table dobbers in just over two years. Leicester are now just another established Premier League club, one good decision away from a possible Europa League spot, one bad decision away from 18th place... and... duh-duh-duh... relegation. Those fans unhappy with Claude Puel would do well to look at Southampton, the grass my friends, is not always greener.
Pre-Season Prediction - 11th
Revised Prediction - 12th

LIVERPOOL
After a great start, Liverpool have perplexed over the last few weeks. A run of four tough fixtures that, we were told, would define their season has come and gone yielding two draws and two defeats. Is it fair to question them after two games against Chelsea and matches with Manchester City and Napoli? The next three games look eminently winnable for the Reds but to me, the team look a little jaded. Has Mohamed Salah ever really got over his Ramossing in the Champions League Final defeat? Perhaps the truth is that Jurgen Klopp's team are still not quite good enough to compete for both the Premier and Champions Leagues?
Pre-Season Prediction - 2nd
Revised Prediction - 3rd

MANCHESTER CITY
Champions now and champions they will be again come May. Why? Quite simply still have the best group of players in the division being managed by the best coach around. Kevin De Bruyne is still to come back and one feels that there is another gear being held in reserve for the business end of the season. However, domestic glory is the bear necessity for City, Pep's boys should and will be judged on their European showing.
Pre-Season Prediction - 1st
Revised Prediction - 1st

MANCHESTER UNITED
Quite simply a shambles and the polar opposite of what is going on across town at the Etihad. One of the richest clubs in the world with no set style of playing, a manager who doesn't know his best formation (let alone line-up) and rumours and stories of unrest emerging from the dressing on an almost daily basis. My guess is that only Champions League glory can save José Mourinho at United. And let's be honest... that ain't gonna happen.
Pre-Season Prediction - 4th
Revised Prediction - 6th

Dead man walking?

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NEWCASTLE UNITED
The Magpies finished last season strongly but their eventual tenth position in the league masked a pretty woeful campaign. This season hasn't started any better and now everything looks to be in the hands of Rafa Benitez. If the Spaniard can be convinced to hang about then perhaps Newcastle will squeak themselves out of the bottom three. If he goes then this giant of a club will once again sink like the Titanic.
Pre-Season Prediction - 10th
Revised Prediction - 17th

"Never let go, Rafa..."

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** SOUTHAMPTON**
The Titanic set sail from Southampton, lauded as the greatest feat of engineering the world had ever seen, however, the ship contained within it one fatal flaw. Of course, you know what happened next. A few years ago Saints were held up as the model Premiership club. Great football, wonderful recruitment and a system in place that allowed managers to come and go without hampering performance. That has all changed and the club is now in utter disarray. If only it were possible to identify the one flaw at St Mary's then perhaps the situation could be turned around but sadly everything is broken. The manager is moaning, inept, sour-faced dinosaur. The board themselves are apparently incapable of seeing that Mark Hughes is not fit for purpose. On the playing side, quality youngsters are being overlooked in favour of unproven and overrated imports that look as though they don't give a shit. Only the ineptitude of Swansea saved the Saints last year... you just can't spend every season hoping there are three worse clubs than you. Down.
Pre-Season Prediction - 12th
Revised Prediction - 18th

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
If it can be said that Liverpool look a little jaded then in comparison Spurs appear to be in a coma. Before the season started all the experts said that Tottenham would be hurt by their lack of summer signings. Having disagreed wholeheartedly then I now have to admit they may have a point. The continued over-reliance on Harry Kane to score the goals is unhealthy and the uncertainty surrounding the move seems to be a distraction. Yes, I know they sit happily enough in fifth place but to finish outside the top four would be a major backward step. With a certain local rival looking in rude health I expect Saint Totteringham's Day to make a return to the calender come May.
Pre-Season Prediction - 3rd
Revised Prediction - 5th

** WATFORD**
The Hornets made a great start winning their opening four games but with the possible exception of an out of sorts Tottenham they were not really tested. I predicted a season of struggle at the Vic, I was wrong but Watford will still be bobbling around mid-table when the dust settles.
Pre-Season Prediction - 17th
Revised Prediction - 10th

WEST HAM UNITED
The opposite of Watford. A dreadful start had everyone thinking that the Hammers might sink line an, er, well a hammer actually. All of a sudden though, Manuel Pellegrini has the team playing some good football and they look a completely different animal. Still not quite enough to get them into the top half of the table but a relatively peaceful season ahead.
Pre-Season Prediction - 13th
Revised Prediction - 11th

Has maverick Marko Arnautovic found his perfect manager?

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WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS
Almost everyone predicted a good season for Nuno Espírito Santo's team and they were all right. A good start has Wolves comfortably in the top half of the table and there they will stay. Yes, they have spent money but so has everybody else, other clubs would do well to look at what is going on at Molineux right now.
Pre-Season Prediction - 9th
Revised Prediction - 8th

Pos	Change	Team	Comments
1	----	Man City	Perhaps closer this year but City still untouchable.
2	UP5	Chelsea	If Hazard stays the Blues will be the next best.
3	DN1	Liverpool	Stilll short of a sustained challenge on two fronts.
4	UP1	Arsenal	Emery fires the gunners back into the UCL.
5	DN2	Tottenham	Running out of steam before a crucial summer.
6	DN2	Man Utd	Shambles. Mourinho to go. Amusing nonetheless.
7	DN1	Everton	Europa League spot dependent on the cup winners.
8	UP1	Wolves	Still this years not so surprising surprise package.
9	UP9	Bournemouth	Join us, Eddie, join us... we are your, er, father...
10	UP7	Watford	Good start keeps the Hornets out of relegation bother.
11	UP2	West Ham	Awful start keeps the Hammers out of the top half.
12	DN1	Leicester	Mid-table mediocrity. Welcome back Leicester...
13	UP1	Burnley	Fans happy but time for Dyche to seek a fresh challenge?
14	DN6	Crystal Palace	No danger of danger but where is the joy?
15	UP1	Brighton	Safe and solid. Needing to push on next term.
16	DN1	Fulham	Next seasons surprise package. You heard it here first, right?
17	DN7	Newcastle	Saved by Rafa and the ineptitude of the Saints board.
18	DN6	Southampton	Overdue return to the second tier. A chance to regroup.
19	----	Huddersfield	A slow death to make the managers musical namesake proud.
20	----	Cardiff City	Lost cause. Hopefully, one or two big results to sweeten the pill.