PREDICTIONS TIME! Get Yours in for the 2014-2015 EPL Season

(Yeah, I know transfers can still happen, but I have a feeling that, unless Liverpool somehow lands Marco Reus, Angel di Maria AND Edinson Cavani, no other team's fortunes are going to change that much with one or two signings.)

Unlike last year, I really don't want to do a 1-20 countdown, so let's choose the following: your Top 4 for the Champions League spots, the fifth and sixth place sides (potential Europa spots) and the three most likely to be relegated. You can choose to list the European and relegated teams alphabetically, or in the actual league position standing you think they'll finish.


Since I'm starting this thread again, here's my prediction

Champions - Manchester City. All the Chelsea bandwagoners have to start getting a grip. Not sure Chelsea's improved THAT much, even with the addition of Costa and Fabregas. And City's improved, too. Until they are dethroned, they are my choice.
Runners-up - Chelsea. They'll be close, but I don't think they have enough quality, top to bottom, to overcome City.
3rd place - Liverpool. Won't be as close to Chelsea as they were to us last season, but we're a young side that will be more stout on defense (Lovren, Moreno and Manquillo, plus a healthy Sakho and healthy Enrique), and better in midfield (newboys Adam Lallana and Emre Can will flourish). Plus, I look for great strides forward for both Raheem Sterling, Coutinho and Daniel Sturridge. Maybe not as many goals, but not as many leaked, either.
4th place - Arsenal. This will be close, but the Gunners still have some midfield and defensive concerns.
5th place - Everton. This squad will always fly under the radar given the huge money the other four lay out, but smart signings and a rich youth team (several of whom have integrated well into the team recently) means they will contend for a Top 4 spot all season.
6th place - Manchester United. Herrera and Shaw help make this team better, but they are still a year or two away from Top Four contention again. Holes in midfield and the back four need to be addressed.

And the bottom three, in no particular order
Leicester and Burnley, two of the newly promoted clubs, and Hull City, who will be just shaded by West Brom and QPR for the 16th and 17th spots.

I'd flip the top 2 positions. Chelsea only finished 4 points out with basically no production from their strikers. They also allowed the fewest goals in the league, something I don't think will change much even if they swap Courtois in for Cech. If Arsenal can find a holding midfielder and maybe a central defender, they'll be in it all season, turning it into a 4 team dogfight.

At the bottom, I'll go with newbies Burnley and Leicester as one and done, joined by Sunderland. Poyet pulled a rabbit out of his hat last year, I'm not sure they can do it again. If he can't pry Borini away from Liverpool, I'm not sure who is going to score, unless Altidore regains his AZ form. Saints have a tough road ahead of them too, with all the departures, some disgruntlement from those left behind and a new manager, taking a big step up from Feyenoord.

I can't begin to tell you how underwhelmed my Chelsea fan friends were at the Costa signing. They aren't sure he's cut out to play in the Prem, pre-season form notwithstanding. I don't agree, but I also wasn't particularly impressed with there midfield play last season. For all the individual talent they have, their midfield could be easily be bullied sometimes. Now that Frank's gone and Cesc (a softer player) is there, I'm not sure anything's changed.

I didn't pick the Saints for the bottom three because they still have that incredible academy with several who are ready to take the next step. Bringing in guys like Tadic and Pelle, by all accounts, was judicious use of their funds, two quality, lower-profile buys that Everton excels at. Southampton might not compete with the top clubs, but they have enough to compete with the bottom half.

Top 6, in order:

City
Chelsea
Arsenal
Man U
Liverpool
Everton

Not as good as the top 6, but better than everyone else:
Spurs

Treading water:
Stoke City, Swansea, West Brom

Could vary wildly depending on manager situation:
Newcastle, West Ham

Have to be better than last year:
Villa

Turning blue in the face in late April:
Sunderland, Palace, QPR, Hull


Relegated:
Burnley, Leicester, Southampton

And for the record, IMO Sunderland won't need Altidore to be OK, which is a good thing for him. They won't get into so deep a hole as DiCanio dug for them last year. What a hash he made of things.

I know this will end up looking foolish, but I have a weird feeling this is the year arsenal win the league.

1) Chelsea - Count me in as a Chelsea bandwagoners then I guess. I just don't see any holes in the team, they have depth everywhere and are much improved upfront.

2) Man City - Worrying to me that City haven't made a signature signing this summer, reminds me of the last time they won the League and stayed basically still rather than adding to the group.

3) Arsenal - They need another centrehalf but I expect them to get somebody in before the deadline. Arsenal teams in recent years have lacked cutting edge and pace around the field, I think with Wallcott & Sanchez buzzing around Giroud they have the potential to switch between that passing game of their to a more direct cutting style of play

4) Man Utd - Going somewhat on faith that they get a couple more defenders in before the deadline but I think they get that done. Think Van Persie will be back to his form of 2 years ago and at the moment how he goes, how Utd go.

5) Liverpool - I don't know how you lose your best player and don't go backwards to some degree. If Sturridge can get over 25 EPL goals then they might beat out United for 4th.

6) Totenham - Too much talent in that squad for them to finish any lower than this, they have the depth that Everton don't and I think their new manager will get the best out of this Spurs squad.

Think the bottom end is trickier to call

18) Swansea City - Bit of a gamble this one, mostly on the fact that I think Bony will end up moving right at the deadline (probably to Liverpool) and leave Swansea with no time to suitably replace him.

19) West Brom - This will be the 1st manager change of the season. That squad needs a firm hand and an experienced manager. They will eat Irvine alive.

20) Burnley - Just don't see the quality in the squad to keep them up

1) Arsenal - I still feel like there will be another signing or two by them and if they add Khedira, that's just going to be such a potent attack and finally winning some silverware last year might be the thing they needed.

2) City - Too talented, too professional.

3) Chelsea - the top three feel close and then there's a drop off. I just think that Chelsea might take longer to gel than the other two.

4) Everton - I'm probably just wrong on everything.

5) Spurs - Sometime it takes a year for new signings to get going. These guys used to be productive players and you feel at least some of them will be again.

6) Liverpool - They made up for being suspect at the back by just scoring a crazy amount. Unless they somehow fix their defense, the loss of Suarez will be too much to keep them in the top four.

^^^ Liverpool just added Dejan Lovren and Alberto Moreno (and Javier Manquillo on loan), both highly sought-after players, and you suggest we "fix the defense". Since Luke Shaw opted for ManU, Calum Chambers for Arsenal and Felipe Luis went to Chelsea, I'd say we did well among the available, coveted defenders.

Just sayin' ...

My thoughts on the top and bottom ends ...

1. Chelsea
Don't really care for bandwagons, but like Dave I can't find any holes other than maybe depth at CB. Not enough to even criticize really. It's close but they win it.

2. Arsenal
I dunno. I really believe in the moves Arsene has made over the last couple of years and I think they're ready to step up and challange.

3. City
Too much off their production rests on Aguero and he's too unreliable in terms of health. Plus, I don't trust Joe Hart when it matters

4. Liverpool
Another step up in class, I think. I like the mix they've put together and those outside guys should really be settling into Rogers' systems by now. Could be explosive.

5. United
I think it's maybe a point or two from a return to glory for the Red Devils. Van Gaal is a really good coach, just ask him, but this crowd has to be a bit shaken a bruised after last season and I don't like hos some of the parts fit into that 3-5-2.

6. Spurs
I dunno ... they could surprise me but I just don't like their finishing at all. Solid enough club though. Somebody gets a hold of the primary scoring job and they could move up.

7. Everton
I think they'll be distracted by Europa and it's tough to maintain what Martinez did that first season. They were so happy to have Moyes' shackles off that they thought they could jump buildings.

Bottom
Throw 'em in a bag and shake 'em up. I have no clue how this will sort out. Villa (unless Benteke can get his mess together), QPR, Burnley, Swansea, Sunderland, West Brom .... none of that crowd does anything for me at all. I like Leicester to figure it out though. Let's call it QPR, Burnley and Sunderland for the drop.

I could not agree more on Joe Hart.