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Predicted Premier League: 5th
If you want to try and convince people that the Premier League is the best league in the world just ask them to try and predict the top 5 this year. For my money there are 4 World Class squads in this league and Manchester United have a world class first team that don’t have a continental competition to worry about. I think City could do well in Europe this year, which is why I’ve put them in 5th in my predictions.
Concentrating on European success could hurt the Champions going into this season
Team: Manchester City
Manager: Manuel Pellegrini
The man nicknamed the engineer is back for a second season at City and I’m not sure he’s got what it takes to instigate back to back successes. He never got going completely with Real Madrid and from my point of view he doesn’t like coping with a large amount of big stars, something he now has at Manchester City. They were helped out by Liverpool slipping up last season and I really do believe that they are not a perfect team. After League success last year I think they might concentrate on progress in Europe, and that could cost them in this tightly contested season.
Key Player: Yaya Toure
If you want to know how important this player is to the team, simply look at how poor the team looks when he’s not on form. Against Arsenal he looked like he was still crying about the “birthday incident” and couldn’t be bothered to turn up, something that meant City were completely dominated in midfield. Toure scored a whole host of goals last year and improved immeasurably in dead ball situations, so if Pellegrini can’t get him involved it will be pointless turning up. Aguero is obviously another big player for them, and his fitness will be a concern for them for most of the season, as the Argentine never seems to go too long without picking up a little niggle.
Best feature: Strength in Depth
The best thing about City is the fact they have two teams of XI that could win the Premier League. They’ve brought in talent that expands the options Pellegrini has for each match and it should stop their team getting tired or too complacent. They’ve spent over £200m on players in the last 3 seasons so that depth should be good. My only worry is…
Worst Feature: Stagnation
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When a team is spending loads and loads on players and then stops, players get complacent. It’s a poor feature of spending that much consistently because it means that you have to carry on. In 2011/12 they spent over 70m on players with a big signing in Aguero, who cost them £38m. Nasri also came in for £22m and they won the league. Next season no-one was bought for over £15m, with Jack Rodwell and Garcia coming in at that price, and City looked tired as United ran away with the league. Last season they spent £100m+, bringing in 4 players for over £20m: Navas, Jovetic, Negredo and Fernandinho. They reignited the team and they won the league. Now they’ve spent £32m on a defender who doesn’t make it into the France starting XI, and Caballero/Fernando won’t trouble the first XI of Manchester City. Trouble.
PIA Writer’s opinions:
BW: “An aging team is never a sure thing during a long rigorous Premier league season, 3rd”
DB: “The champions aren’t destined to repeat. While quality additions have been made (Sagna and Fernando) it’s difficult to see City sprint to the title as they did last season. Their pres-eason loss to Dundee showed a strange midfield fragility, though all exhibition matches should be taken with the appropriate dosage of salt. 3rd”
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