115 Premiership predictions 2002/2

Predictions for all twenty premiership clubs. Considering how dire they were last year we would like to appeal to our readers to not make any financial decisions based on these predictions. In fact betting against them may make a lot more sense.

Arsenal
Prediction Champions
Last year: 1; prediction: 6.

After last years ridiculous prediction a more sensible approach of suggesting that the best team last year, will continue to improve. The midfield will be improved by the addition of Gilberto (solid?) Silva, giving Arsenal a defensive basis from midfield that the team has lacked since Petit went to Barcelona. The retirement of Dixon and Adams will focus more attention on a series of good but not world class defenders, and if Arsenal do not buy a defensive 'captain' there may be organizational trouble in a back four of Keown, Campbell, Lauren and Cole. Up front Henry is wonderful but a second striker needs to score regularly, whether this is Bergkamp or Jeffers is open to question. It is unlikely to be either the Kanu or Wiltord. The return of Pires around Christmas should give Arsenal the impetus to retain their title.

Manchester United
Prediction second and Fergie to reassess his retirement plans
Last year: 3; prediction: 1.

Manchester United were simply too sure of being champions last season. Fielding a series of weakened sides against, supposedly, beatable opposition meant that the championship was a distant dream by October. Home defeats by West Ham, Bolton and Middlesbrough show that this was where the title was lost. van Nistelrooy was clearly not the force at the end of the season that he was at the start ' which was probably due to his previous knee ligament injury. The addition of Ferdinand plus the summer rest for van Nistelrooy could be the big plusses for United, but whether they take them past Arsenal is another matter. Nine defeats last season need to become three for the title and Keane's increasingly brittle temperament could presage an unfulfilling campaign.

Liverpool
Prediction third and Houllier to be forced into buying wingers
Last year: 2; prediction: 3.

Doubts about Liverpool usually manifest themselves around their creativity. The team defend well ' but have sacrificed a lot going forward to achieve the best defensive record in the league. Houllier has attempted to buy a series of hard working, defensive thinking midfielders and forwards and was lucky enough to be gifted Michael Owen. But his twangy hamstrings have never delivered twenty league goals in a season. Simply put unless their Senegalese forward is a goalscorer Liverpool won't score enough goals to win the league but they are too good defensively to finish any lower than third though.

Middlesbrough
Prediction fourth and McClaren to be give freedom of the Greater Teeside area
Last year: 12; prediction: 10.

A revamped midfield, despite the unfortunate injury to Juninho should see Middlesbrough as more of a creative force. A solid defence and goalkeeper, and a potential star up front in Maccarone. This is a team going places. McClaren's strength has always been in his defensive organization and innovative fitness coaching, and this shines through a defence organized by Southgate. Look at the decline of Manchester United in defensive terms since he left for any further proof. After an early season flirtation with relegation Middlesbrough accelerated strongly after Christmas. This season could see them emerge as a Championship dark horse.

Newcastle United
Prediction fifth and a campaign to be started to make Sir Bobby into a Lord
Last year: 4; prediction: 15.

A disastrous prediction last year massively underestimated Bobby Robson's ability to organize a team. He may forget their names occasionally but he knows what his squad is good at and builds a team to their strength. Allied to this he keeps buying players that will come good for his successor ' truly a club man. This is now a young team with some wise older heads. If Shearer stays fit then Newcastle should be fighting for a Champions League finish again this season but perhaps their Champions League commitments will take a little away from their league form.

Blackburn Rovers
Prediction sixth and the completion of the rebuilding of Graeme Souness's reputation
Last year: 10; prediction: 11.

Last years prediction of a solid season ending with the highest finish of the promoted sides proved to be sound. Everyone points to Graeme Souness's time at Liverpool as a reason why he may not be a good coach, but that was a team in transition, that had been sliding under Kenny Dalglish and Souness was simply unable to stop the trend. Reuniting the Yorke/Cole partnership could be one the more inspired summer decisions. A fit and hungry Yorke and Cole happy to see his old friend. Twenty goals each this season can't be discounted. Duff and Friedel were two of the stars of the World Cup and show that there is strength in every department. This is a team on the up, although there are doubts about how much it is possible for them to achieve, a UEFA cup spot is within their compass.

114 Pre-season punting - Premiersh

David Hulott looks at the season ahead.

There are few certainties in life. Death, taxes and the same old faces at the top of the Premiership are a few of them though, and it's difficult to envisage any change amid the upper echelons again this term.

As things stand, the champions, ARSENAL, look to be in the driving seat. Tony Adams and Lee Dixon might have gone, but Arsene Wenger has brought in quality reinforcements in the form of Gilberto Silva, Pascal Cygan and Fabian Carini. Once Fredrik Ljungberg and Robert Pires return from injury, Wenger will have a squad second to none at his disposal.

MANCHESTER UNITED will be fancied by many to return to their traditional Championship winning ways. An awful lot of hopes seem to be pinned on Rio Ferdinand's ability to stabilise the defence, although the lack of options in attack could prove equally decisive. If the FA have any backbone, the abhorrent Roy Keane should also be subject to a lengthy ban, following his confession to the pre-meditated attack on Alf-Inge Haaland. Of course, Sir Alex Ferguson's summer wheeler dealing might still produce another new face or two, so discount them at your peril.

Despite being an obvious cause of concern, Gerard Houllier's failure to address the lack of natural width in the side is difficult to comprehend. With so much dependant on the injury prone Michael Owen and Steven Gerrard, and a one dimensional game plan reliant on the pace and strength of their forward line, there are too many question marks to back LIVERPOOL with any great faith.

Of the challengers, NEWCASTLE UNITED will be looking to establish themselves among the big boys following last season's heroics. The signings of Hugo Viana and Titus Bramble have added to the depth of Bobby Robson's squad, but it's difficult to se them improving on last season's efforts, especially if they embark on a lengthy Champions League campaign. Despite their financial woes and with half the squad perpetually rumoured to on their way out, LEEDS UNITED still possess enough quality to be considered as a decent value each-way bet.

CHELSEA could be in for a season of disappointment, with mounting debts and court cases, added to doubts surrounding the futures of several key players. Could be putting an early marker down as this season's crisis club? That said, if he stays, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink always has to be considered for the Golden Boot

As for the relegation places, BOLTON WANDERERS could be set to follow in the footsteps of Bradford City and Ipswich Town in succumbing to the drop in their second season of top-flight football. Whilst the midfield looks capable of holding its own, the attack looks bereft of goals and the central defence looks almost glacial in the pace department.

WEST BROMWICH ALBION also appear set for a season of struggle, with Gary Megson having only recently committed his long term future to the club. Added to the limited cash available for strengthening a squad that is desperately short of depth, the Baggies attack looks woefully ill-equipped for the rigours of the Premiership. Their inability to agree personal terms with various Nationwide League players give a good indication of the difficulties facing Megson. Very solid defensively and could prove difficult to beat, but goals and points will be hard to come by

It is tempting to opt for BIRMINGHAM CITY for the final relegation spot, but Steve Bruce has been strengthening his squad and they could just survive with a little luck and a lot of hard work. Will Clinton Morrison be able to provide the requisite 15-20 goals a season? SUNDERLAND, with Peter Reid having long since lost the confidence of the club's supporters and with Kevin Phillips constantly rumoured to be on the verge of departing, could be set for another long season of struggle. Their inability to either attract or pay for quality additions also leaves their squad looking somewhat stale and lacking in quality.

David Moyes should be able to see EVERTON to a relatively stress free season this time, although the burden of expectation on young Wayne Rooney seems to be growing by the day. CHARLTON ATHLETIC and SOUTHAMPTON could struggle against the drop, with both little changed in personnel from last season. FULHAM, squatting at Loftus Road, still look woefully short in attack. Will Mohammed Al-Fayed be prepared to bail them out? "

113 Roy Keane tackles the press

Roy Keane is a bad lad. He allegedly set out to hurt Alfie Inge Haaland in the Manchester United / Manchester City derby game of two years ago. Given the lack of transfer speculation it's unsurprising that a brief, if illuminating, section from his autobiography should cause so much fuss. But the practice of kicking opposition players is so long-standing it should get a blue plaque.

In the sixties and seventies this kind of thing used to happen all the time. Ron Harris of Chelsea or Tommy Smith of Liverpool or Nobby Stiles of Manchester United would wait months or years to inflict revenge. This was considered manly. George Best would be kicked from pillar to post (or pillow to four poster sometimes) and yet he was expected to get up and play on. Modern players would be contacting their lawyers.

In the eighties the shorts were as short as the tempers as Graeme Souness of Liverpool or Norman Whiteside of Manchester United kicked lumps out of each other. Every team had a hard man, an enforcer. Wimbledon had a whole team of them and as the caring nineties dragged on Vinnie Jones moved from hod carrier to on-field thug to on video hard man to big screen thug. Dennis Wise had trouble hailing taxis and now has trouble attracting clubs.

The game is now faster, the players richer, the prizes bigger. But the desire of footballers to injure each other is as strong as ever. Now, however, players that are injured badly are suing, and perhaps this more than anything else will temper the worst of the violent challenges.

Intentionally injuring players is not to be encouraged, but no one should consider that this is either a new incident or an isolated one. Retribution on football fields goes on at every level of the game every week of the year.

Roy Keane has been daft to confirm what everyone had already guessed. His admission that his challenge on Haaland, was due to Haaland's words to him in the moments after his cruciate ligament snapped at Elland Road was no revelation. I guess that if he had gone through with the challenge on someone he hadn't had a grudge against then that would have been OK.

Roy Keane faces a five-match ban and an award for 'Services to Journalism during slack times'.