Season Preview - Hull

Hull city were another surprise package last season, managing to stay in the Premier League and go on a decent cup run, this season Hull will face one of the biggest challenges a team like them can face, the Europa League. This season may just prove too much for Hull and last season’s surprise package could find themselves back playing Championship football if they are not careful.

Transfers

Last season, Hull had a good transfer window. They had a variety of problems they had to address due to poor goal difference in the Championship and quickly addressed them by signing Allan Mcgregor, Maynor Figueroa, Steve Harper and two strong defensive midfielders in Tom Huddlestone and Jake Livermore. They also managed to cut down their wage budget by releasing all the dead wood, bit-part players and youth players that just didn’t cut the mustard.

This season has also been a good window for Hull. They got rid of all of the players they no longer needed including Matty Fryatt and Robert Koren replacing them with the permanent transfer of Jake Livermore, Tom Ince and Robert Snodgrass, players that will all prove vital for the new challenges of European football. However, Hull are desperate to add a few more players to their ranks including Andrew Robertson and other young players with potential.

Predicted Line-up

Hull actually have a surprisingly decent side. Other than a slightly disappointing defence, Hull have two decent central midfielders, average wingers and decent forwards. I expect Hull to surprise a few teams this season as well and Snodgrass may even start over Ince in the European games.

Squad Depth

Hull do not have good depth however. They have lacklustre defenders, ok midfielders and poor forwards in Yannick Sagbo and Sone Aluko. This may be the downfall of an otherwise decent Hull side and could see them get knocked out of Europe easily and finish in the bottom half of the Premier League.

Final Predicted Finish: 13^th.

Hull will no doubt finish in the bottom half of the table again this season and the demands of Europe may prove too much for a small Hull side. However, with a quality midfield and some decent attackers Hull could surprise us all again which is why I say they will finish 13^th, but this time without a good cup run.

Predicted Key Player: Tom Huddlestone.

Tom Huddlestone will most definitely be a figurehead in Hull’s campaign. Last season he impressed everyone with his fantastic workrate, decent passing and a shot that finally saw him lose the infamous Afro. I fully expect Huddlestone to continue his terrific form and we may even see a few more goals and possibly a new club for Huddlestone this time next year.

By @nathan_said

Season Preview - Serie A.

After what proved to be a walkover season for Juventus last year despite Roma's best attempts, Serie A is finally becoming competitive again.

After being dominated for small periods at a time by several different clubs recently, Juventus' 3rd consecutive Scudetto win could be the last time we see that for a little while.

 With lots of movement in and out of the division including some big changes, here's a look at the Serie A title race picture for the 2014/15 season.

Juventus

After eventually strolling to a 3rd consecutive league title under manager Antonio Conte, Juventus are in a strange predicament this summer. Conte has resigned and been replaced by ex-Milan coach Maximilliano Allegri, while uncertainty still remains around the future of midfield stars Paul Pogba and Arturo Vidal. Both have been linked with a move to the Premier League with Chelsea and Manchester United respectively, although Juventus are keen to keep hold of both.

Juventus have brought in Alvaro Morata from Real Madrid in a deal worth £16M, while right-back Seb Liechsteiner has signed a new contract. Left back Patrice Evra has moved to Turin in a £1.5M move from Manchester United while Roberto Perrerya has joined from Udinese on loan.

Juventus so far have managed to shift some dead wood. They sold their share in last season's top scorer Ciro Immobile ahead of his move to Dortmund, while they also sold Mirko Vucinic and Fabio Quagliarella for a combined total of £8.5M. Pablo Osvaldo's loan deal from Southampton was not renewed.

Juventus were initially planning on moving from a 3-5-2 to a 4-3-3 this season under Conte, but it's unsure what Allegri is planning on doing with his new side. Should Vidal or Pogba leave, the club will have a big budget to replenish an ageing squad but they will leave a gaping hole in the heart of the side. It's a big season for Juve and Allegri, who has big shoes to fill.

Roma

Roma are a club on the up. After appointing Rudi Garcia last year, the club went on an incredible unbeaten run, which saw them concede just one goal in the opening 10 games. However a run of draws saw them lose ground on an impressive Juventus side and they eventually finished as runners up.

However after adding Juan Iturbe to their squad and keeping hold of Mehdi Benatia the club look even stronger. Add to that the signings of Ashley Cole, Seydou Keita and Urby Emanuelson on free transfers plus Nainggolan's loan deal turning permanent, Roma have significantly strengthened whilst keeping the majority of their squad together.

Roma are my favourites for the league this season due to the disruption in Turin and 4/1 is a huge price. Garcia's style has managed to get the best out of his players and while Kevin Strootman is set to return to full fitness shortly, the club are only getting stronger.

Francesco Totti wants to add another Scudetto to his trophy cabinet as his inevitable retirement date draws closer and he'll likely get no better chance than this year.

Napoli

Napoli are the dark horses in this season's title race under Spaniard Rafa Benitez. The Naples side have lost last season's goalkeeper Pepe Reina, whose loan deal expired, while they also sold Pablo Armero to Udinese. However they've replaced Reina with Argentine shot stopper Mariano Andujar, while also bringing in forward Michu on a loan deal from Swansea City. Their business seems to be far from over too. Napoli have been linked with plenty of players this summer, most recently Marouane Fellaini on a loan deal.

Napoli's core is solid with Behrami, Insigne, Hamsik and Higuain. With Walter Gargano and Eduardo Vargas returning from loan too they could have a place in Benitez's squad.

I predict another 3rd place finish from Napoli, but they'll run Juventus close for that runner-up spot.

Inter Milan

Inter are in a bit of a pickle this summer. They've been taken over by a multi-billionaire in Erick Thohir, but haven't spent the money needed to get back to the top of Serie A. Inter have brought in ex-Man Utd captain Nemanja Vidic, while they also brought in left-back Dodo and defensive midfielder Yann M'Vila on season long loan deals. However they've lost Antonio Cassano (end of loan), Walter Samuel, Ishak Belfodil and long time captain and club legend Javier Zanetti.

While their transfer business has been good this summer, it's nowhere near good enough to get them into the top 3 of Serie A unless something miraculous occurs. They'll rely on Rodrigo Palacio for their goals this season, while Mateo Kovacic could be ready for his breakthrough year.

AC Milan

Finally the Rossonerri. AC Milan have a wonderful squad of attacking talent and a new manager, but it just doesn't work for them. Man City and Olympiakos have hammered them on pre-season already and they've not really strengthened the squad.

New boss Filippo Inzaghi has brought in PSG outcasts Alex and Jeremy Menez on free transfers, while Adil Rami has made his loan move permanent. While he's brought in fresh faces he's also lost plenty of experience. Captain and playmaker Kaka has left for the MLS while Urby Emanuelson has signed for Roma on a free transfer. Add to that the departure of goalkeeper Marco Amelia and the loss of loan start Adel Taarabt, Milan need to get their act together in the transfer market.

Inzaghi has shown passion on the touchline this pre-season but they've struggled tactically and I feel this season could be a repeat of last year, full of disappointing performances and lacklustre results. A season in the Top 6 is what I expect from AC Milan this season, while Balotelli will need to be on form for them to even achieve that.

By @dmf180593

A Key Transfer Window - Liverpool

Liverpool fans, so far this transfer window, have endured a very much up and down time. Liverpool have lost their best and most influential player in Luis Suarez to Barcelona for a whopping £75million but in the meantime have done well in acquiring the services of Rickie Lambert, Adam Lallana and Dejan Lovren all from Southampton, Emre Can from Beyer Leverkusen and Lazar Markovic from SL Benfica.

Last Season Liverpool fans enjoyed a terrific season seeing their team challenge for the league title, which they narrowly missed out on, to Moneybags Manchester city. And with the new season dawning Liverpool fans will hope to emulate their success achieved last season.  Inevitably, it will be difficult and the loss of 30-goal Luis Suarez will definitely not be of assistance to Brendan Rodgers but with the signings of, in particular, Adam Lallana and Lazar Markovic; Liverpool should still possess enough quality and goals to follow up last season’s success.

Last season, in Spurs, we saw the departure of Gareth Bale to Real Madrid for £85million and the arrival of 7 new players for a combined total of £110 million each signing averaging £15.7million. With all the money spent and the quality of the players brought in, it was expected that spurs would enjoy a fruitful season and maybe even challenge for silverware. Unfortunately for Tottenham fans, Tottenham endured an unsatisfactory season with many of their new signings failing to impress and as a result of the below par performances, Daniel Levy, Spurs Chairman, decided to sack the person responsible for recruiting the unimpressive players who were supposed to replace Gareth Bale’s quality and goals: Andre Villas Boas. One Year on and we see Luis Suarez complete a transfer from Liverpool to Barcelona for £75million and Liverpool spend £79million on five new faces each averaging £15.8million. See any similarities?

Liverpool fans may argue this comparison to be unfair as they say that the majority of Spurs signings came from all around Europe and were all unproven the Premier League whereas most of Liverpool’s signings are proven players in the Premier League. However, Liverpool fans forget how they have lost 30 goals a season in Luis Suarez and are still yet to replace those priceless goals that he provided. They have so far added the attacking options of Rickie Lambert (13 goals last season) and Lazar Markovic (5 goals last season) combined they scored a total of 18 goals last season.

Further to disappoint Liverpool fans, with Steven Gerrard the current Penalty taker, Free kick taker and corner taker Rickie Lambert will struggle to reach his goal tally of 13 goals a season as in the last two seasons, of Lambert’s 28 goals, 14 of them have come from set plays and with him unlikely to be Liverpool’s set-piece taker, it looks as if he would struggle to reach even a meagre 10 goals next season.

The majority of their summer transfer business, in my opinion, is done and dusted but despite that Liverpool are still looking to strengthen in one or two areas of the field. Here are Liverpool’s transfer targets, one of whom they’ve just completed the signing of:

Jay Rodriguez – Following the collapse of the Loic Remy transfer. Liverpool are being forced to look elsewhere for attacking options. So once again Liverpool look to Southampton to supply them with whom they want and whom they want is Jay Rodriguez. Last year, Jay Rodriguez enjoyed a breakthrough season scoring 17 goals and recording 3 assists in 40 appearances for the saints. After his successful season he was in line for place in the England squad for the world cup until injury struck which ruled him out of the world cup and the very beginning of the next premier League season. Despite his injury, Jay Rodriguez has been subject to interest from a number of clubs including Spurs and most recently Liverpool. It is rumoured that Rodriguez is keen on the Liverpool move as he is fond of the prospect of linking up with his former teammates.

Divock Origi – Divock Origi enjoyed a successful World cup and as a result of his impressive performances, three weeks ago, became a transfer target for Liverpool.  Three weeks on and the Origi transfer saga has come to a conclusion. Although Liverpool are set to spend £10million on the striker, he, sadly, will not be adding any goals to Liverpool’s tally this season as it looks as if part of the transfer agreement between Lille and Liverpol is that he will be loaned back to Lille for the rest of the season. 

By @joelymo444

One To Watch - Patrick Van Aanholt

Van Aanholt is the new Sunderland man, replacing Jack Colback as he left for Newcastle and he could certainly surprise many people this season.

He plays at left-back and left Chelsea for Sunderland for a fee believed to be around £1.5M, with a 4-year-deal at the Black Cats. Patrick had been at Chelsea since 2007 (as a youth player) and made 2 senior appearances many seeing him as a budding long-term replacement for Ashley Cole.  Despite few senior appearances he did get experience though, going out on loan at 5 different clubs before signing for Sunderland.

He made his professional debut at Coventry and played 20 games for the Sky Blues in the championship before being recalled to Chelsea during the African Cup Of Nations.

Patrick also had loan spells at Newcastle, Leicester and Wigan playing 22 games across the 3 clubs and scoring 1 goal, for Leicester.

He mainly featured on loan at one of Chelsea’s feeder clubs, Vitesse. In his home country playing alongside fellow Chelsea man such as Kalas amongst others, Patrick thrived with some top performances. After a successful 2012/13 season he was loaned out to Vitesse again, starting many games for the Dutch club. In total, he played 67 games for Vitesse scoring 5 goals.

Patrick often travels forward, racing past defenders with his superb speed and can show some great skills. He might struggle against players such as Coleman or Debuchy, but could easily glide past players that lack pace such as Barry or Flamini. He’s very confident on the ball, has fantastic passing abilities and is also a solid defender.

All in all a fantastic piece of business made by Gus Poyet, the Colback transfer may even go unnoticed!

By @alexsartain1878

Season Preview - Everton

Last season, Everton surpassed all expectations. Everyone expected them to drop like a stone and finish in the bottom half of the Premier League table (David James even said they would finish 16^th but then again, what does he know?) but they didn’t, Everton enjoyed a fantastic campaign finishing 5^th with a record points tally and a new style of football. Everton now play fast, attacking football and as an Evertonian I believe that we are progressing massively and we are ready to make our mark on Europe and the Premier League.

Transfers

Everton had an up and down transfer window last season. Before deadline day they seemed an average side as they had signed Gerard Deulofeu, Arouna Kone, Antolin Alcaraz and Joel Robles, none of whom managed to secure a consistent starting place in the team or indeed make their mark. However, when deadline day came, Everton became a force again. The club signed James McCarthy, a quality Irish central midfielder who could run 5 marathons and still not be tired, Romelu Lukaku, an impressive young Belgian whose goalscoring record is fantastic for someone of his age and Gareth Barry, a veteran midfielder who is used to playing at the highest level and offers a variety of passing with an eye for goal too.

This season has been completely different. Everton may have secured Gareth Barry permanently but other than that, they have failed to really make a mark on the transfer window. Luckily for Everton, they have now signed Muhamed Besic (official announcement soon) and are close to announcing deals for Belgian starlet David Henen and MK Dons wonderkid Brendan Galloway. Evertonians may not want to hear this though as the side still need strikers as at the moment their only option up front is injury prone Arouna Kone, someone who failed to impress in his 5 appearances for the club last term.

Predicted Lineup

Everton have a good side but no striker whatsoever. They can play Steven Naismith up front but the reality is that whichever striker or indeed strikers Everton bring in will start. Other than that they do have a really strong side with a good defence and a quality midfield.

Squad Depth

Everton don’t have the best or the worst squad depth in the league but they do need to cope with the demands of Europe so expect them to sign some players that may fit into this back-up category very soon. Everton have an ok goalkeeper backup in Joel, ok defence backup including Stones, Browning and Oviedo, good midfield backup in McGeady, Osman, Gibson and Besic but no forward depth. This is obviously an issue Everton need to address and they probably will before the season starts so keep your eyes peeled.

Final Predicted Finish: 6^th.

As long as Everton address their striker issue, they can finish in a European place again. 6^th may not be as good as 5^th but with Manchester United looking better already under Louis Van Gaal, most teams will find themselves moving down a place as I expect Manchester United to finish inside the top 4.

Predicted Key Player: Ross Barkley.

Ross Barkley is a fantastic young player and providing Everton can keep hold of him, he will be a great player for the Blues next season. With his tremendous passing and his decent shooting ability, I expect Barkley to do the same things he did last season and more, including wonder goals, good passing and all round passion.

Coming up… Hull.

By @nathan_said

Top 5 Stories of the Week.

No. 1 Stevie G retires from England.

The will he won't he saga is finally over! Much speculation about Steven Gerrard continuing to captain his country after England’s dismal World Cup campaign has ended this week when Stevie G called time on his England career.

The England captain said,  “This has been a very difficult decision, one of the toughest I’ve had to make in my career,”

The decision hasn't been taken lightly and he hopes to prolong his Liverpool career and lead them on that quest to a premier league title. Now the question arises, who’s next for the captaincy?

No. 2 James Rodriguez signs for Madrid

James Rodriguez is the latest galactico to sign for the Spanish giants for a fee of £71m.

The World Cup golden boot winner put pen to paper on the switch from Monaco after just one season with the French club, reports are that in just one-week Real Madrid have recouped £20.7m back in shirt sales alone! Maybe he wasn’t overpriced…

No. 3 Man city Vs HNK Rijeka

Patrick Vieira sanctioned a walk off by the Man City elite development squad after racist remarks were made towards midfielder, Seko Fofana, in which he received a red card for his retaliation.

The alleged abuse took place in the first half which prompted Vieira's decision and it is said City are in talks with the match officials and the Croatian FA to resolve the matter in hand.

No. 4 Drogba returns to Chelsea!

He's back! The man that haunted most premier league defences for the best part of 12 seasons has comeback to play a role for the club in the upcoming season.

He joins on a 1 season deal to play back up to the recent signing of Diego Costa, Drogba has said "I couldn't turn down the opportunity to work with José [Mourinho] again," the 36-year-old, who scored 157 goals in 341 appearances during his first spell with the Blues. "Everyone knows the special relationship I have with this club and it has always felt like home to me. My desire to win is still the same and I look forward to the opportunity to help this team. I am excited for this next chapter of my career."

No. 5 What's going on at Southampton?

The south coast club are clearly going through a summer of transition with the departure of gaffer Mauricio Pochettino to Tottenham Hotspur, and then several key players being sold to the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool.

Now with nearly £100m in the bank and Saints fans praying the board give the money to new boss Ronald Koeman, they’re hoping there will be some new faces down on the south coast or it could be a season of struggle for the club.

By @simoncocks80

Steve McClaren - Almost Forgotten Man.

THE START

Steve McClaren is not a name at the forefront of football fans minds and especially England fans who some would rather forget all together.  The man, the coach, the manager, all have been criticised over recent years.  Indeed he was a figure of fun and even hate by some supporters.

His coaching career started at Derby County in 1995 where he worked alongside Jim Smith in what were Derby's most successful few seasons in recent years.  They were promoted to the Premier League where they finished a very respectable and impressive 12th place.  Two consecutive top 10 finishes followed that up.  A fantastic achievement and something that Jim Smith has said in the past is a lot to do with McClaren as well as his own management.

It has been said that it was not just coincidence that after Sir Alex or just Alex as he was known then, saw his talents and made him his assistant in 1999, that unfortunately Derby's fortunes took a nose dive and they were relegated within a few seasons.

Alongside Sir Alex they oversaw an historical period in Manchester United's existence.  First came that treble, followed up by another 2 premier league titles.  Again Sir Alex as Jim Smith before publicly going on record acknowledging McClaren's influence and coaching exploits, proving he did more than just manage Fergie's juicy fruit stash.

GOING SOLO

In 2001 Steve decided it was time he had all the glory and took his first managerial roll, taking over Middlesbrough.  The five years that followed have cemented Steve McClaren in Boro's history books as their most successful manager.  He transformed them into a hard to beat and solid team, taking them to the dizzy heights of a 7th place finish in the 04/05 season.  His and Middlesbrough's crowning glory came in '04 when they reached the final of the league cup and won their first ever trophy beating Bolton 2-1. Two seasons later they showed their cup credentials once again making it to the final of the UEFA cup finishing runners up after some extraordinary games in the knockout stages, including battling back from 3-0 down on two occasions to advance.

ENGLAND

All this success led the English FA to make Steve their main man.  It should have been the pinnacle of his career, but instead it started to look like the beginning of the end of a once promising career.  After failing to qualify for EURO '08 when England could not get the required result on a rainy night against Croatia at Wembley.  The blame was rightly put at McClaren's door, stood at pitch-side in the pouring rain with an umbrella he earned that nickname 'Wally with the Brolly'.  As England struggled to perform, it was a moment when his country needed a leader and he just did not turn up.  The players out on the pitch were looking over for inspiration as they got a soaking just to see the manager under cover from the rain and seemingly motionless.  This was a time he needed to show he was one of them, that even though he could not lace up his boots and get out there he was still one of them. Win together, lose together, and get a soaking together.

RACKING UP THE AIR-MILES

After his sacking Steve decided to go on a Euro Trip, first stop was the land of Shexy football yes.  He took the job of FC Twente manager and it was like England never happened as he put himself into the history books of another club, winning the Dutch Eredivisie.  It was Twente's first ever league title and made Shteve a legend there.

Just like before when things seemed to be going very well, the wheels started to come off quicker than a poorly made child's bike on Christmas morning.  Steve had an unsuccessful spell at Wolfsburg in Germany, for just 10 months.  Nottingham Forest was his next whirlwind stopover, 10 games was all the City Ground faithful had to endure of a terrible tenure.  Shteve tried shexy football again back at Twente but it was a bit uglier than his first spell.

BACK TO BASICS

Just when it seemed he could not buy a job, 'Arry came calling. Harry Redknapp knows a player or two but he also knows a good coach and knows you do not just lose that ability so he asked Steve to help him out at QPR.  Which in turn put his name back in the papers even if it was only a two-paragraph article in the Sun on the 6th page in from the back.

Back in the spotlight, Derby County came calling.  The success was immediate, he guided this team of also ran's or even also rams to a fantastic season where they lost in the play-off final ironically enough to 'Arrys QPR.

ROUNDUP

The good news is that Steve McClaren looks a coach again, a manager that can make a difference, there is no doubt his best quality is when he is with his players on the training pitch, working with his players and not worrying about the immense pressures some jobs carry.  He has found home again in Derby and they will reap the rewards as all roads point towards a successful campaign this season.  He is not the first manager to struggle at certain clubs and situations and he will not be the last.  What he is though is one of the best English coaches around getting the best out of seemingly ordinary players.  In football as in life, square pegs do not fit in round holes, and sometimes round pegs still do not fit either but when they do and coaches/managers find that club that fits them then wonderful things could happen.

By @AshleyCalver1

A Key Transfer Window - Southampton

It’s all change at Southampton, out with the old and in the new but the key question; is the new superior?

Last season Southampton recorded their highest ever finish in the Premier League, they were the only team, other than Chelsea, to record a win at fortress Anfield and boasted a predominantly English side packed with (untypical in most English players) flair, swagger and confidence.

But with losing Manager Pochettino, talisman Adam Lallana, best left back in the league Luke Shaw and super striker Ricky Lambert (with Dejan Lovren and Callum Chambers also looking increasingly likely to head for the exit) it seems that Southampton will struggle to cope next season in the Premier League.

Having already lost nearly all of his First X1, new Manager Ronald Koeman faces the daunting task of replacing last year’s ‘irreplaceables’. So far Koeman has done well in recruiting big Italian striker Graziano Pelle from his ex club Feyenoord and Midfield maestro Dusan Tadic from FC Twente, both used to play in the Eredivisie, a league that Koeman has a vast repertoire of knowledge in and a league he will inevitably go back to for further recruits.

Similar to Everton, Southampton has a rich history of developing young players into world stars. Recent stars that have come out of the academy include: Gareth Bale, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Theo Walcott and Adam Lallana all of whom are now are playing Champions League football. You may argue they have the best academy in Britain.  And also similar to other teams who aren’t as financially attractive as teams like Chelsea and Manchester City, Southampton never seem capable of warding off interest and keeping hold of their big stars. As when one of the supposed ‘big four’ comes in for one of their players with ridiculously high offers, the promise of Champions League football and silverware, it becomes hard to say no that sort temptation.

And this transfer window has been no different with Liverpool taking Adam Lallana and Rickie Lambert and Manchester United taking Luke Shaw all for a combined total of roughly £60million.

Football just isn’t fair is it?

Unsurprisingly though, Southampton have linked with many names, names that would replace the priceless stars that they have lost already this transfer window. Here are a few players that Ronald Koeman plans to sign as part of his £70million Southampton makeover:

Virgil van Djik – It seems that Southampton are lining up a bid for the Dutch centre back, surely a replacement for the exit bound Dejan Lovren, for the high price tag of £10million; a price tag set by Celtic to deter potential Premier League suitors. But it seems that, despite strong interest from Swansea and high price tag, van Djik would be fond of the prospect of linking up with fellow Dutchman Ronald Koeman.

Jordy Clasie – Yet again Jordy Clasie, nicknamed the Dutch ‘Xavi’, has been linked to Southampton as a result of speculation and uncertainty regarding one of their current first X1 players; Morgan Schneiderlin.  Who has recently been subject to interest from Spurs and Arsenal. Jordy Clasie who is currently playing at Feyenoord (Koeman’s ex club) was Koeman’s captain last season. 23-Year old Clasie is renowned for his incredible passing and vision and in the past has been linked with top clubs such as Liverpool and Manchester United. He would be a terrific signing for Southampton.

Frasier Forster – The England international is just about the only player in this list that isn’t a target that isn’t being signed to replace the loss of a first team player. Current Southampton No.1, Artur Boruc, has obviously been deemed, as not good enough by new boss Koeman who is now searching for a new Goalkeeper and Frasier Forster seems to be is his No.1 target. Forster’s international and European experience would prove invaluable to Southampton. Forster is also, you could say, winning trophies that are a regular occurrence at Celtic, and who knows, maybe he might help bring a trophy or two to St. Mary’s in the coming years.

Ron Vlaar – The current Aston Villa captain is also a current transfer target for Southampton. Koeman has identified Vlaar as a potential replacement for exit bound duo Jose Fonte (to Cardiff) and Dejan Lovren (to Liverpool). But, unfortunately for Southampton, It seems as though Koeman’s attempts to sign Vlaar are damned as recently Paul Lambert, Aston Villa manager, issued a very assertive hands off warning and it now looks like the only way the deal could ensue is if Vlaar hands in a transfer request and endeavours to force it through. In my opinion Ron Vlaar is one of the most underrated centre backs in the league; he’s a great leader of men and has recently proved he can do it on the world stage handling the likes of Lionel Messi, Alexis Sanchez and Diego Costa with ease. He, also, would be a tremendous signing for Koeman’s Southampton.

By @joelymo444

Season Preview - Crystal Palace.

What a season Crystal Palace had last time around. At the start, everyone expected and predicted Crystal Palace to go down; how wrong they were. Crystal Palace shocked everyone by managing to achieve 11^th place, just 4 points off a top half finish. However, this season will be even tougher for Crystal Palace and every team defeated by The Eagles will be out for revenge, making this season incredibly difficult.

Transfers.

Last summer, Crystal Palace had a fairly bad window signing loads of players but none of a sufficient quality other than Jason Puncheon. Luckily for Palace, despite the flops of Dobbie, Campana, Grandin, Hunt, Kebe and Alexander, Dwight Gayle, Mariappa, Bannan, Thomas and Chamakh all seemed to have minor-successful seasons, with Dwight Gayle arguably ending Liverpool’s title hopes with two goals at Selhurst Park.

This season has seen Crystal Palace miss out on a fair few targets, most notably Steven Caulker who ended up going to play with his former manager at QPR. Luckily for Crystal Palace, Frazier Campbell signed providing depth up front and all of the dead wood that Crystal Palace had has now gone. In terms of other players coming into Palace, they have not really been linked with anyone and most Palace fans should brace themselves for a boring window with hardly any incomings and no more outgoings.

Predicted Line-up.

Crystal Palace have an ok side. Their forwards are fairly decent; they have two quality wingers, an average defence and a fantastic keeper. I expect Palace to do fairly well with this squad and this line-up may even change a couple of times during the course of the season with rotation options.

Squad Depth.

Crystal Palace actually have an ok squad depth. They have an ok winger in Jerome Thomas, a quality midfielder/defender in Joe Ledley, two good forwards in Dwight Gayle and Marouane Chamakh and a great goalkeeper in Wayne Hennessey. With this amount of quality, Palace may be able to achieve a top half finish. Then again, everyone said the same about Norwich and look where they are now.

Final Predicted Finish: 11^th.

Although I think that Crystal Palace have a good squad, I just don’t think that they will be able to achieve a top half finish as most top half sides like Stoke and Southampton should be able to defeat them. However, there is definitely room for a shock and Crystal Palace could find themselves outsiders for a Europa League spot if they manage to keep hold of their stars and sign a few quality players before the window closes with a bit of good luck thrown in.

Predicted Key Player: Julian Speroni.

Crystal Palace enjoyed a fantastic campaign last season and most of it was down to the heroics of Julian Speroni. He garnered a reputation for fantastic saves and I for one expect this reputation to be maintained. Speroni will also be a key player for Crystal Palace as he is an excellent communicator; he controls Palace’s defence and monitors every single move that happens during the course of a match. Speroni is the type of keeper any club would want and Palace should feel lucky they have tied him down to a new contract.

By @nathan_said