By Simon
Wright – Follow me on Twitter @Siwri88
It is that
time of year where as football fans; we all get excited and energised about the
start of a new football season. We all
have unrealistic dreams to start with, but with the knowledge that it is the
only time where every team in your division is as equal as the other
challengers.
So whether it
is a title tilt, a energetic European push or a tense time at the wrong end of
the table, the majority of us will go through the normal emotions you’d
experience for a supporter over the next nine months.
Consequently,
I have decided to stick my neck on the line and using my Crystal Ball (pictured), predict
what is to happen between now and the World Cup next summer.
Last season’s
forecasts were mixed, especially in the Premier League. While I correctly said Manchester United
would regain the title, I had QPR down to finish above Liverpool in eighth
place and West Ham United to be relegated.
Both of those turned out to be spectacular failures.
However, with
some fictional tales behind the stories, here is what I think will happen in
the forthcoming season.
Barclays Premier League
CHAMPIONS: Chelsea
RUNNERS-UP: Manchester United
THIRD PLACE: Manchester City
EUROPEAN QUALIFIERS: Tottenham (4th), Liverpool
(5th), Arsenal (6th), Norwich City (Fair Play Award)
RELEGATED: Hull City (18th), Fulham
(19th), Crystal Palace (20th)
Football is
left reeling by a couple of major transfers in August. Whilst Gareth Bale leaves for Real Madrid for a
world record £85m, Luis Suarez stays at Liverpool for another season after
Arsenal refuse to meet Liverpool’s asking price. Wayne Rooney is also on the move as Chelsea
purchase him for £33m on transfer deadline day after Rooney decides to make himself
unavailable for selection for Manchester United under David Moyes.
Despite two
defeats in their first three games, United end up top of the tree on Christmas
Day and play some breathtaking football under their new manager. With eight games to go, they have an almost
unassailable advantage of eight points, but somehow throw it away for the
second time in three seasons. Chelsea record
an impressive unbeaten run in the league from mid-February until the end of the
campaign, only dropping four more points along the way. They overhaul United on a dramatic final day
when John Terry heads home the winning goal away at Cardiff and the Red Devils
lose 2-0 at Southampton.
Manchester
City never really get into title contention, despite Sergio Aguero turning out
to be Robin van Persie’s closest challenger for the Golden Boot. They finish a distant third. It is Liverpool who complete the top four at
the turn of the year, but the lack of firepower hurts them in the second half
of the campaign. An injury to Daniel
Sturridge in early February rules him out for months and the World Cup to boot,
whilst Suarez is sent off in no fewer than three Premier League games during
the campaign. Brendan Rodgers’ side
still finish a creditable fifth, making up for two disappointing showings in
the domestic cup competitions.
The final
Champions League spot goes to Tottenham, who also hold the joint-best defensive
record in the Premier League this season with Manchester United. Van Persie wins both main individual gongs, while Matthew
Lowton of Aston Villa is the PFA Young Player of the Year.
Once again, Arsenal
fail to sign anyone of any note in August, as Arsene Wenger sticks to his guns
despite regular fans criticism. He does
bring in Portuguese defender Pepe in January from Real Madrid after Thomas
Vermaelen hands in a transfer request and switches to Barcelona in mid-season,
but the Gunners frustrate their supporters again. A sixth-place finish and a ninth year without
silverware proves too much for Wenger.
Despite the Arsenal board offering him a new five-year contract, Wenger
decides to retire from football management, confirming his intention in
April. He will take up a part-time role
as technical director of the French Football Federation following their shock
loss to Greece in the European playoffs for the World Cup. Wenger’s replacement for 2014-15 is the
Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone.
At the bottom
of the table, Crystal Palace show little resistance and are relegated with just
23 points and a goal difference of -48.
Fulham end up parting company with Martin Jol and Dimitar Berbatov goes
on strike just when they need him the most.
Roy Keane leaves his role as ITV pundit to take the vacancy, but the
Cottagers’ 12-year stay in the top flight comes to an end. Hull City also make an instant return as
despite being bottom at Christmas and having to wait until the end of November
for their first win, Cardiff City survive by a single point.
It is a
miserable season at Newcastle United too.
Alan Pardew is sacked before Christmas with the club in the bottom three
and having suffered a League Cup exit to lower league Accrington Stanley. Harry Redknapp walks out on QPR in early
January to guide the Magpies to safety, helped by 10 goals from his January
signing Peter Crouch.
Crouch
doesn’t play for Stoke after the beginning of October, when feeling neglected
about being asked to play as a left winger by Mark Hughes; the pair have a
spectacular bust-up on the club’s training ground. Stoke lose 7-0 on the opening weekend to
Liverpool, and also take a similar beating from Manchester City during the
season. Hughes is sacked thanks to
serious fan pressure in March, but the club comfortably survive again under the run of caretaker boss Mark Bowen.
Sky Bet Football League Championship
CHAMPIONS: Watford
RUNNERS-UP: Wigan Athletic
PLAYOFF WINNERS: Reading (3rd)
OTHER PLAYOFF PLACES: Leicester City (4th),
Leeds United (5th), Charlton Athletic (6th)
RELEGATED: Bournemouth (22nd),
Barnsley (23rd), Yeovil Town (24th)
The
Championship season is as unpredictable as ever, though it eventually turns out
to be comfortable promotion for both Watford and Wigan.
Both sides
play an attractive style of attacking football and rise from their places of
fourth and seventh at Christmas to control the league in the second half of the
term. Watford’s cause is helped by 30 goals from Troy Deeney, who finishes as the league’s top scorer and sweeps all
the major Football League awards.
Leicester
City are top on Christmas Day, but sack Nigel Pearson in mysterious
circumstances in January, believed to be over failing to complete the signing
of unhappy Stoke winger Matthew Etherington when the board don’t provide the
necessary funds to complete the deal.
Alan Curbishley returns to football management on a short-term contract
and guides the Foxes to the playoff final, but they lose on a penalty shootout
to Reading.
Leeds United
and Charlton Athletic complete the playoff picture. Charlton’s rise is exceptional, as they are
in the bottom four in December before a takeover of the club by a group of
Serbian investors. Seven players arrive
in January and the club never look back until defeat in the playoff semis to
Reading. That is despite the departure
of manager Chris Powell in January, when he takes the vacancy left by Harry
Redknapp at QPR.
It is another
sorry season for Blackburn Rovers. The
club dismiss Gary Bowyer by mutual consent at the start of October, and then
appoint Tim Sherwood as manager, only to fire him after just three games and 22
days in the job. After asking former Sky
Sports analyst Andy Gray to return from Doha to become the club’s new director
of football and being turned down by the ex-Everton striker, it is the combined
efforts of Danny Murphy and Peter Reid that keep the club afloat. Karl Robinson leaves MK Dons at the end of
the season to become permanent boss, with Murphy being appointed his assistant.
Yeovil Town
make a quick return to League One.
Despite notable home victories over QPR, Leeds United and Bolton
Wanderers during the season, Gary Johnson’s side endure a miserable away
record, notching up just one victory and registering 18 defeats in their 23
trips up and down the country. They are
joined in League One by Barnsley and Bournemouth, who go down on the final day
of the campaign as Sheffield Wednesday escape by the skin of their teeth.
Sky Bet Football League One
CHAMPIONS: Brentford
RUNNERS-UP: Sheffield United
PLAYOFF WINNERS: Peterborough United (4th)
OTHER PLAYOFF PLACES: Bristol City (3rd), Milton
Keynes Dons (5th), Walsall (6th)
RELEGATED: Carlisle United (21st),
Colchester United (22nd), Leyton Orient (23rd), Oldham
Athletic (24th)
Sheffield
United score maximum points from their first five matches. However, it is Brentford who finally get it
right and earn promotion to the second tier as champions. The Londoners are helped by Clayton Donaldson’s
29 goals as he finishes as top scorer.
The Blades
hang on for second spot, and it is Peterborough United who end up completing
the promotion picture after a comfortable 2-0 victory in the playoff final over
surprise package Walsall. Bristol City
and Milton Keynes Dons also make the playoffs, but both fall at the semi-final
stage. Another playoff failure is too
much for Karl Robinson who quits, taking charge of crisis club Blackburn
Rovers.
Coventry City
fans get the best news at the start of the season as they finally agree a
smaller rent fee to stay at the Ricoh Arena rather than make the lengthy trip
to Sixfields to groundshare with Northampton Town. That is as good as it gets for the Sky Blues,
who get placed under another transfer embargo and wind up in a distant 16th
place.
Relegated
sides are Carlisle United, who fail to win their final match and slip behind
Shrewsbury Town. Colchester United,
Leyton Orient and Oldham Athletic are the other unlucky sides to lose their
League One status.
Sky Bet Football League Two
CHAMPIONS: Rochdale
RUNNERS-UP: Burton Albion
PROMOTED: Wycombe Wanderers
PLAYOFF WINNERS: Cheltenham Town (6th)
OTHER PLAYOFF PLACES: Scunthorpe United (4th),
Hartlepool United (5th), Fleetwood Town (7th)
RELEGATED: York City (23rd), Dagenham
& Redbridge (24th)
The title
race in League Two is controlled throughout by Rochdale. They hit top spot in late September and never
relinquish it afterwards, ending up champions by a magnificent 12 points from Burton
Albion.
The final
promotion spot goes to Wycombe Wanderers, whilst Cheltenham Town overcome
Scunthorpe United after extra-time in the playoff final. York City and Dagenham & Redbridge drop
out of the Football League, and the Daggers slip into administration following
their demise. They are replaced by Luton
Town and Forest Green Rovers from the Conference.
FA Cup with Budweiser
WINNERS: Manchester United
FINALISTS: Arsenal
SEMI-FINALISTS: Southampton and West Ham United
QUARTER-FINALISTS: Chelsea, Swansea City, Notts County
and Charlton Athletic
Manchester
United’s 10-year drought without an FA Cup trophy ends in May 2014 as Moyes
finishes the year with some silverware despite the dramatic league
collapse. The Red Devils start their
journey with two goals in the last 10 minutes to win at Hillsborough in round
three against Sheffield Wednesday.
After
blitzing non-league Cambridge United 6-1 in round four, three first half goals
are enough to beat Tottenham in round five by three goals to nil. A narrow 2-1 quarter-final success at home to
Swansea City takes them to the semis, where Southampton are beaten on penalties
after a pulsating 3-3 draw.
United will
meet Arsenal in the final. The Gunners
need a replay to overcome Stoke City in the third round, before dispensing with
Leicester City, Bolton Wanderers, and Chelsea in a gripping 4-2 quarter-final
at the Emirates and West Ham United 4-1 in the final four.
Other shock
surprises in the competition see Watford beat Everton in round three, and
Liverpool humiliated at home in the fourth round by Nottingham Forest. Notts County make the final eight with home
victories against Crystal Palace and West Brom along the way.
Manchester City are eliminated by a controversial
stoppage time penalty by Chelsea in a fourth round replay, while holders Wigan
Athletic are dumped out by Sunderland at the same stage.
In the final
itself, one goal from Danny Welbeck midway through the first half settles a
tight and tense match at Wembley Stadium.
Arsenal’s silverware drought continues, as United have something to
smile about after a testing first season for Moyes in the dugout.
Capital One Cup
WINNERS: Tottenham Hotspur
RUNNERS-UP: Manchester United
SEMI-FINALISTS: Southampton and Leeds United
QUARTER-FINALISTS: Manchester City, Brighton & Hove
Albion, Wolves and Stoke City
Two goals
from the inspired Mousa Dembele power Tottenham to victory in the Capital One
Cup against Manchester United. Spurs
beat Southampton over two legs in the semi-finals 4-3 on aggregate, whilst Manchester United
comfortably dealt with Championship side Leeds United 7-0 on aggregate.
The League
Cup throws up its usual surprises.
Aston Villa knocked out in round two by Brentford on penalties, Wolves stun
Liverpool in the third round at Molineux and Leeds shocking Manchester City at
the final eight stage at the Etihad.
Two goals
from Dembele put Spurs two goals up in the final, but a nervy final 10 minutes
is set-up by a 25-yard screamer from Antonio Valencia. However, it is Tottenham’s day as they cope
well this season with life after Gareth Bale.
UEFA Champions League
WINNERS: Real Madrid
RUNNERS-UP: Barcelona
SEMI-FINALISTS: Bayern Munich and Manchester City
QUARTER-FINALISTS: Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Manchester
United and AC Milan
After 12
years of constant frustration in the world’s premier club competition, Real
Madrid finally achieve the pinnacle and become 10-time European Cup winners.
It is an
engrossing season, and Madrid have their moments of madness. They need a penalty shootout to see off PSG
in the last 16, and a last-minute winner from Ronaldo edges out AC Milan in the
quarter-finals after two largely dire encounters.
Ancelotti’s
men turn on the style though in the semi-finals against holders Bayern
Munich. A 2-0 away win in Germany with
goals from Bale and Ozil set them up to finish the job in the Bernabeu, which
they do with a 3-1 home victory.
It means they
play bitter Spanish rivals Barcelona in the final. Barca win an epic semi-final against
Manchester City. Both games finish 1-1
after 90 minutes with the decisive second leg in Manchester. When Vincent Kompany heads City infront in
the opening moments of extra time, it looks like the Citizens will head for the
final, only for Jordi Alba to break English hearts with a breathtaking solo
equaliser with just three minutes of the extra period remaining. The 2-2 final scoreline takes the Catalans to
Lisbon on away goals.
Barcelona had
already taken the scalp of Arsenal in the final eight, whilst Manchester United
were eliminated by Bayern Munich at the same stage, again on the away goals
rule. Chelsea disappointed in two legs
against Atletico Madrid in the round of 16, losing 1-0 at Stamford Bridge and 3-1 in the Vicente
Calderon to drift out of the competition 4-1 on aggregate. Mourinho in his usual style doesn’t take
things well and earns a lengthy UEFA touchline ban after calling the referee in
the first leg a ‘cheat’ and claiming he was ‘bribed by some Malaysian’ after
the Blues are denied two clear penalty shouts.
So to the
final itself, and it begins at breakneck pace.
Barcelona draw first blood, as Messi escapes the clutches of Sergio
Ramos to slide Martino’s side ahead after 12 minutes. Real Madrid draw level just three minutes
later, courtesy of a header from Varane after slack marking from a set
play. Then, Bale hits a corker on the
stroke of half-time leaving Victor Valdes clutching at thin air. Despite losing Marcelo to a nasty head injury
in the second half, Madrid hold on for a 2-1 victory to earn the biggest prize
in Europe back at long last.
UEFA Europa League
WINNERS: Tottenham Hotspur
RUNNERS-UP: Lazio
SEMI-FINALISTS: Galatasaray and Lyon
QUARTER-FINALISTS: Udinese, Swansea City, Lyon and
Metalist Kharkiv
The UEFA
Europa League stays in London and switches destination from west to north of
the capital. Goals from Dempsey, Soldado
and Vertonghen help Tottenham to the main prize and a surprise trophy double
for AVB’s men. Lazio are simply no match
as they surrender 3-0 in the final in Turin, then lose control in the dying
stages and by full-time, have been reduced to nine men.
It is a good season in the competition for Swansea City, whose fans enjoy memorable
knockout victories over Sevilla and Bayer Leverkusen before falling to Lyon in
the quarter-finals.
Wigan end up
making little impact and are eliminated in the group stages with just two points
from six games in a group that includes the might of Valencia and Rubin Kazan.
Other Major League Title Winners
La Liga: Barcelona
Bundesliga: Bayern
Munich
LFP: PSG
Serie A: Napoli
Eredivisie: PSV Eindhoven
LIGA Zon Sagres: Benfica
Scottish Premiership: Celtic
2014 FIFA World Cup
WINNERS: Germany
RUNNERS-UP: Argentina
SEMI-FINALISTS: Brazil and Spain
QUARTER-FINALISTS: Italy, Portugal, Belgium and Chile
ENGLAND: Eliminated in the group stages with
just two points from three games
Which takes
us to the FIFA World Cup, and the draw for England is not good. They are paired with Italy, Ghana and
newcomers Venezuela after failing to win a seeding from FIFA. Group G begins with a disappointing 1-1 draw
with Venezuela. Although Wayne Rooney heads
the Three Lions ahead, goalkeeper Joe Hart is sent off and Venezuela snatch a
point in the final minute.
Another draw
follows in the next match with Ghana, this time after slipping a goal
behind. Danny Welbeck registers in the
second half, but it means victory is required against Italy in the final Group
G encounter. It is a poor match, but is
settled in the last 20 minutes by a breakaway from the Italians, finished off
by Claudio Marchisio.
Two points
from three games is simply not good enough and Roy Hodgson steps aside, as
England elect to go foreign again.
Roberto di Matteo accepts the job in the close season and will take
England to the 2016 European Championship, in a group that will also include
Scotland.
Spain’s grip
on the major prizes is loosened at last by Argentina in the semi-finals, after
Gonzalo Higuain scores the only goal in the first five minutes. A 4-2 penalty shootout victory for Germany
over the hosts means it is a repeat of the 1986 and 1990 World Cup finals.
The showpiece
event is a disappointment until the final 20 minutes. Bastian Schweinsteiger delivers two
thunderbolts from distance in four second half minutes. Although Sergio Aguero pulls a goal back in
stoppage time, Germany hang on to win their fourth World Cup in the Maracana.
The
tournament is a great spectacle, with just four 0-0 draws in 64 games, and
plenty of goals throughout, although 28 red cards suggests player discipline is only getting worse in the beautiful game.
So that is football in 2013/14 - let's see how much of this comes true.
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