Well here it is, Part 4 of my series on how much of an idiot I’m going to look in about nine months’ time with my predictions. Oh well, enjoy and laugh at me in the near future.
AFC Bournemouth
You know when you like a team for no tangible reason? Well, that’s me about this Bournemouth side. Seven years after almost going into administration, the Cherries hosted Aston Villa in their first ever Premier League game. They didn’t get an optimum result, going down 1-0, but were positive in their performance, hinting towards rewards later on.
Their next fixture away to Liverpool ended in defeat, but their maiden victory was recorded in a thoroughly entertaining game at Upton Park in which Eddie Howe’s men triumphed 4-3. They were close to going back-to-back, save for a late Leicester penalty, which delayed the wait for a first victory at home until their meeting with Sunderland – which was accordingly seized upon with the only two goals of the match coming inside the opening 10 minutes.
Bournemouth have been showing the kind of free-flowing, cohesive football which had seen them take the Championship crown, minus the lavish spending of other newly promoted clubs. It has allowed an air of continuation from last season’s successes. Although losing and drawing their last two matches, thanks to late goals from Stoke and Watford, feverous home support at Dean Court will ensure safety is ensured – as long as the Cherries can learn to hold on for the whole 90 minutes.
Stoke City
A summer splurge has finally developed the form that Mark Hughes has been expecting. Managing to lure Xherdan Shaqiri and Ibrahim Afellay (who previously had an £85 million release clause) to the club was no easy task, but was made simpler after the success of Bojan Krkic’s debut season at the Potters. Much pressure was then placed on Hughes to turn a side which had previously sought mid-table mediocrity into one fighting for European places and cup triumphs.
It was with much surprise then to see Stoke lose so meekly to Liverpool, a side they had pulverised on the closing day of last season, and go on to draw their next two matches away to Tottenham and Norwich. Even worse was to follow as Afellay was shown red after reacting to Craig Gardener with a slap, as Tony Pulis celebrated his return to the Britannia Stadium. West Brom won the match 1-0 against the nine men of Stoke – Charlie Adam also being unnecessarily sent off.
It wasn’t until the end of September before the Potters were able to record their first win, battling to a 2-1 victory versus Bournemouth, strengthening that result with a solitary goal over Aston Villa to make it two wins in a row. With Hughes finally getting the results the Stoke fans deserve, they can be expected to push on and again find mid-table, but a European birth may have to wait until 2016.
Aston Villa
Just how devastating are the losses of Christian Benteke and Fabian Delph going to be? Tim Sherwood was busy in the transfer market, using the money raked in from those sales to tighten up the third most generous defence. He recruited the likes of Micah Richards and Joleon Lescott – players with significant experience. That hasn’t translated onto the pitch though, with only a goal from Rudy Gestede, a fellow new signing, giving the Villans a hard-fought victory over Bournemouth on the opening day.
The result has provided three-quarters of Villa’s total points so far with defeats to Manchester United and Crystal Palace arriving to signal the tone of Sherwood’s season so far. Even a brace from another ex-Manchester City man, Scott Sinclair (his first league goals of the season), couldn’t bring a victory over desperate Sunderland as the match finished 2-2.
Since then, only defeats have followed with the most disappointing performance being the capitulation to Leicester, in which Villa conceded three goals in the final 18 minutes to lose 3-2. A spirited performance against Liverpool has hinted towards encouraging signs but with such a leaky defence, Aston Villa is, as Sherwood said, in an “uphill battle”. And they don’t even have their map yet.
Newcastle United
Just what is going on in Tyneside? After yet another disappointing season in front of their loyal fan-base, many promises were made over the break. In came Steve McClaren – infamous to most English football fans for his lacklustre management of the national team – saying that he’d turn the team around, and that Mike Ashley would be taking a back-seat in regards to club matters.
Things appeared brighter with some relatively high-profile arrivals in Georginio Wijnaldum and Aleksandar Mitrovic.
Nothing translated onto the pitch though. Giving away a late equaliser to Southampton on the opening day to finish with a 2-2 draw, the poor defensive effort was compounded with a poor loss to Swansea next up. However, they looked better against Manchester United and Arsenal but were unable to walk away with anything more than goalless draw at Old Trafford.
Slumping back to successive defeats to West Ham and Watford though, nothing much was expected when hosting Chelsea, albeit in a ditch of their own – however the Magpies were impressive, but still not steely enough to hold onto a two-goal lead and earn themselves a deserved first win. Even with a humiliating 6-1 loss last fixture to Manchester City, having played all of last season’s top four things will get easier from here. They have enough quality to get results and just survive the drop.
Sunderland
Dick Advocaat was stunning last season but not even Bill Shankly could sort this mob out. A miraculous survival at the end of last season should have given the kick this side needed, but they’ve slumped straight back down.
The summer acquisitions were odd rather than inspiring, Fabio Borini the biggest name – smacking of nostalgia rather than intelligent scouting; seven goals in 32 matches isn’t what you want from a Premier League quality marksman – and there was no sense of moving on from 2014-15.
The results reflected this, with Sunderland only picking up their first point in their third match at home to Swansea, this making up a third of their total tally. They drew away to Aston Villa at the end of August, and recorded a 2-2 draw at home versus West Ham in their latest fixture.
With 17 goals conceded already, one behind Newcastle’s tally, and only six goals scored everything’s going wrong at both ends of the table. Sam Allardyce arriving should shore up the problems in their own box, but there’s no way he’ll lead this bunch from trouble.
Thanks everyone for reading, suggestions and improvements are more than welcome and I’d love to do a few more of these, along with some for the Champions League.
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