It’s been a strange summer. Given that last season saw the Premier League’s top teams treat first place like a hot potato, and given that Manchester United’s relatively turgid trudge over the finishing line ahead of a resurgent but technically limited Chelsea, a cautious-bordering-on-paranoid Manchester City and Arsenal’s theatre de l’absurd, one might have expected the world’s richest league to have buzzed with transfer activity.

Alas, the great yawn that is Barcelona’s yearly pursuit of Cesc Fabregas began in earnest way back in May and is still far from over. Like a besotted celebrity mistress, the Catalan club’s desperate overtures – to a player who would certainly count amongst their best subsitutes were he to finally nod a cheeky Hispanic acquiescience – have been systematic, repetitive and very, very public. It has made for excrutiatingly dull reading for neutrals but there simply hasn’t been much else to supplant it.

We could discuss the finer points of FIFA’s new financial fair play regulations and their effect on the spending habits of England’s richest clubs but that’d all be a bit boring for a Premier League season preview, so, in an effort to cut straight to the chase, here is my prediction for the Premier League table with a special focus on The Top Six:

1. Chelsea – No new playmaker to light up last year’s dull-as-dishwater midfield, but a return to the grinding, mechanical victories under Mourinho allied to the subtle and full integration of stars like David Luiz and Ramires.

2. Manchester United – A very close second, but David de Gea cannot be expected to replace Edwin van der Sar, nor can Tom Cleverley replace the vision of Paul Scholes. Ashley Young doesn’t seem to add much to an already strong front line.

3. Manchester City – The squad could compete for the title were Mancini to allow them just a little more freedom going forward. As it stands, they are now consistent enough to displace Arsenal, as they proved last season.

4. Liverpool – I’m basing this on the assumption that Kenny Dalglish is smart enough to know that Charlie Adam and Stewart Downing are great options for Fulham at home, less so for Chelsea away, where they’ll need their Lucases and Meireleses.

5. Arsenal – Didn’t sign any of the players they needed. Even if they keep Cesc, it’s hard to see them mounting a serious title challenge once those frosty December nights in Stoke kick in. A good bet to win one of the cups, though.

6. Tottenham - Fantastic team, not such a great squad. Little was done in the transfer window to boost the depth of the squad. Expect them either to fall away late on or have an inconsistent start.

7. Fulham - Martin Jol has a solid record of turning OK sides into decent ones. Expect the same this time around, though it’ll be a bumpy ride.

8. Stoke - Their consistency, physicality and inhospitable home ground are unchanged under Tony Pulis. They have the right ingredients to finish near the top of the mediocrity once again.

9. Everton – Expect the usual ‘David Moyes has taken them as far as he can’ comments around December, before the usual resurgence before the end of the season hoists them within touching distance of Europe before one or two other teams get their act together and they have to settle for top-half respect.

10. West Brom – Peter Odemwingie not leaving the club is already fantastic news and should ensure a full season (mostly) free of the stress which accompanied Roberto di Matteo’s reign.

11. Bolton – The usual dourness. Fabrice Muamba finally breaking into the England squad and the occasional superman performance from Kevin Davies will be about the most exciting things to happen here.

12. Sunderland – Expect the freebies from United to blend inconspicuously into an infuriatingly inconsistent side. Never a worry for relegation, but will never quite mount a challenge for Europe either.

13. QPR – The three promoted sides all play open, attractive football. QPR look the most likely to adapt to a more robust attitude when the situation requires it and should do quite well.

14. Newcastle – The usual ups and downs. The Alan Pardew era should be one of relative financial restraint, meaning less broken dreams, but perhaps less fun along the way too.

15. Blackburn – Just about strong enough to avoid a last-day battle like last season, but they will teeter.

16. Aston Villa - The loss of their star player, Young, and their star performer, Downing, has not ben offset by investment in a mediocre squad. They could really struggle, with the quality of youngsters like Marc Albrighton being enough to keep them up.

17. Wigan – They’ve lost Charles N’Zogbia and Tom Cleverly, but with Ali Al-Habsi and Hugo Rodallega remaining at either end of the field, they should have just enough to carry on in the Premiership for another year.

18. Wolves – Lucky to have stayed up last year, this time around they will probably be just edged out.

19. Swansea - It’s a fantastic achievement for them to even be here – there will be some great highs but ultimately we can expect another Blackpool here.

20. Norwich – As above, although relegation for a club which has the taste of Premier League football still relatively fresh on its lips might hurt more than for their Welsh companions from the Championship.

Analyzing The Top Six

• 1. Can Arsenal Survive In The Top Four?
• 2. Can Chelsea Topple Manchester United?
• 3. Liverpool Plot Return To Champions League
• 4. Manchester City can’t stop Manchester United or Chelsea
• 5. Are Manchester United Good Enough For The 20th League Title?
• 6. Another Disappointing Season For Tottenham?

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Last week we analysed the first half the 2011/2012 Premier League fixtures list, looking at the key clashes through August to December.

Here we look at the second half of the season and try to pick where the best action is likely to be.

Remember, you can watch the best of the 2011/2012 Premier League season with Sky Sports HD. Click here to find out more.

January 2012

Monday, 2nd January sees the final act of the holiday season fixtures, 10 matches scheduled a mere two days after the 10 for Saturday 31st. Villa’s pain lets up with a home game to Swansea but there’s no respite for Liverpool or Manchester United, who visit Manchester City and Newcastle United respectively. Arsenal and Chelsea are away from home as well.

With a weekend break devoted to FA Cup action, Premier League football returns mid-month with the headline fixture being Aston Villa v Everton and Chelsea v Sunderland (odds on a repeat from last season are astronomical, to say the least).

The third week sees Arsenal host Manchester United – it was a similar game two years ago that more or less decided (ended) Arsenal’s title challenge, and it could be a similarly decisive match this time around as well. Manchester City and Tottenham square off at the Etihad stadium as well.

FA Cup (and rescheduled fixtures) will decidedly take precedence this month, with the final set of fixtures on the 31st, the highlight being Chelsea’s trip to Swansea and United hosting Stoke.

Six To Watch: Manchester City v Liverpool (2nd), Newcastle United v Manchester United (2nd), Aston Villa v Everton (14th), Chelsea v Sunderland (14th), Arsenal v Manchester United (21st), Manchester City v Tottenham (21st).

February 2012

1st February sees Everton and Manchester City square off but all eyes will be firmly on Saturday, 4th February, when the two teams who have shared the last seven Premier League titles square off at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea and United are joined by Liverpool hosting Tottenham in making this a entertaining weekend, which is the second is a series of crucial games for Liverpool. After playing away to Wolves on 31st January, Liverpool host Tottenham on the 4th, play away to Manchester United on the 11th before playing hosts in the Merseyside derby on the 25th. Incidentally, that match is then followed by Arsenal’s visit to Anfield on 3rd March, before Liverpool are on the road to Sunderland the week after.

But while Liverpool at Old Trafford on the 11th of February, Chelsea are away to Everton, Manchester City away to Aston Villa and Arsenal away to Sunderland, while Tottenham host Newcastle. And on the same weekend as the Merseyside derby, we also see the North London derby as Arsenal host Tottenham.

Eight To Watch: Everton v Manchester City (1st), Chelsea v Manchester United (4th), Liverpool v Tottenham (4th), Manchester United v Liverpool (11th), Everton v Chelsea (11th), Aston Villa v Manchester City (11th), Liverpool v Everton (25th), Arsenal v Tottenham (25th).

March 2012

European commitments will start to take their toll on the top sides by March and April. With Liverpool hosting Arsenal on the 3rd, we also have Tottenham hosting Manchester United on the same date. The next weekend sees Everton v Tottenham and Norwich v Wigan as standout matches, while Everton host Arsenal and Manchester City host Chelsea on the 17th. The next two weeks have no ‘massive’ games but several tricky fixtures, with Arsenal v Aston Villa, Chelsea v Tottenham and Aston Villa v Chelsea the standouts.

Eight To Watch: Liverpool v Arsenal (3rd), Tottenham v Manchester United (3rd), Everton v Tottenham (10th), Everton v Arsenal (17th), Manchester City v Chelsea (17th), Arsenal v Aston Villa (24th), Chelsea v Tottenham (24th), Aston Villa v Chelsea (31st).

April 2012

As the jostling for league positions cranks up several gears, April kicks off with a few crackers. Arsenal host Manchester City, there’s a potential relegation 6-pointer between QPR and Swansea, United have an away trip to traditional whipping boys Wigan, Fulham host Chelsea, Chelsea and Manchester United host Newcastle and Aston Villa respectively.

The second half of April sees some crucial title-deciding matches – Arsenal v Chelsea and Manchester City v Manchester United, while Liverpool enjoy a relatively easy month with matches against Aston Villa (home), Blackburn (away), Fulham (home), West Brom (home) and Norwich (away). If Liverpool are going to serious contenders this season, for the champions league or for the title, these are 15 points they should be getting.

Five To Watch: Arsenal v Manchester City (7th), Liverpool v Aston Villa (7th), Manchester United v Aston Villa (14th), Arsenal v Chelsea (21st), Manchester City v Manchester United (28th).

May 2012

The last two gameweeks of the season (plus any rescheduled games thanks to domestic and continental cup commitments) could see the title decided if the contenders keep dropping points as they did last season. Aston Villa host Tottenham on the first weekend but that’s only a precursor to the big one, Liverpool v Chelsea at Anfield. On the same weekend Manchester City are also away to Newcastle United, while Arsenal and Manchester United enjoy home games against Norwich and Swansea respectively.

The final week sees some tough games, with Norwich hosting Aston Villa, Manchester United Reserves Sunderland hosting Manchester United and Swansea hosting Liverpool, while QPR are away to Manchester City and West Brom host the Arsenal.

Five To Watch: Aston Villa v Tottenham (5th), Liverpool v Chelsea (5th), Newcastle United v Manchester City (5th), Everton v Newcastle United (12th), Sunderland v Manchester United (12th).

Disclaimer: Please note that the fixtures are subject to change and Soccerlens is not responsible for any changes that may be made.

Watch Live Premier League Matches On Sky

This season Sky Sports will show 115 live Premier League fixtures with every match available in HD and selected matches in 3D. The confirmed TV listings are till end of November, with a guaranteed 39 live games.

ALL THE CLUBS: Every Barclays Premier League team will be shown live in the first set of Sky Sports HD fixtures with all three newly-promoted clubs shown live at least three times by the end of November.

BIG HEAD-TO-HEADS: Sky Sports will show 11 matches between last year’s top six teams, including Manchester United v Arsenal on August 28 and Manchester United v Chelsea on September 18.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SPECIAL: Sky Sports will offer more than 129 live matches from the UEFA Champions League on Sky Sports HD2, Sky Sports HD4 and via the red button, including live coverage of the final qualifying round in August. Throughout the tournament Sky Sports will show up to 15 live matches per week across the Group Stage including every match on Tuesday nights.

SKY GO: Sky Sports is also available to view via Sky Go, a service that allows Sky TV customers with Sky Sports access across a range of devices at no extra cost. Sky customers will be able to watch live streaming of every Sky Sports channel on laptops, computers, tablet and mobile devices with Sky Go (watch the Sky Go ad).

Get started with Sky Sports Football and watch the best of the 2011/2012 Premier League season in HD.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Watch the best of the 2011/2012 Premier League season with Sky Sports HD.

The 2011/2012 Premier League season kicks off with a bang – a Manchester derby in the FA Community Shield as the curtain raiser for a fast start to the season that sees Arsenal host Liverpool and United host Tottenham and Arsenal – and all of this just in August.

With Manchester United spending upwards of 50m to replace retiring players and to strengthen the squad for a 20th league title, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City are also strengthening their squads to catch up with the Premier League champions. And then you have Arsenal and Tottenham, both teams that are one or two signings (and some luck with injuries) away from a proper title challenge.

Here’s a look at the big league fixtures for the first half of the season and the matches that should be on your must-watch list. Part Two, looking at the second half of the season, can be found here.

August 2011

As teams wrap up their pre-season commitments (as much for commercial reasons as for preparing the players for consistently peak performance across 10 months), the season kicks off with the Premier League champions and the FA Cup winners in the Community Shield clash on 8th August. City have a sedate start to the season after that, with their toughest fixture coming at the end of the month away to Tottenham. City rivals United on the other hand start off with a tricky away trip to West Brom before back to back home games against Tottenham and Arsenal.

Chelsea have a relatively easy start to the season but the same can’t be said for Tottenham, who host Everton and Man City either side of the aforementioned trip to Old Trafford. Arsenal will be cursing the luck of the draw as they kick off with a trip to Newcastle (the scene of THAT 4-4 draw), host Liverpool and then go back up north to play Manchester United.

Six To Watch: Manchester City v Manchester United (8th), Stoke v Chelsea (14th), West Brom v Manchester United (14th), Arsenal v Liverpool (20th), Manchester United v Tottenham (22nd), Manchester United v Arsenal (28th).

September 2011

After a 10 day international break the Premier League is back with Swansea playing away at the Emirates and Chelsea against United’s Sunderland’s defence, but the pick of the first week’s matches is Everton v Aston Villa. The second week sees Manchester United host Chelsea and Tottenham host Liverpool, giving United 3 home games against top-6 opposition in the first 5 matches (the other two are away games).

Five To Watch: QPR v Newcastle (12th), Blackburn v Arsenal (17th), Tottenham v Liverpool (18th), Manchester United v Chelsea (18th), Manchester City v Liverpool (24th)

October 2011

October sees another international break but not before derby fever hits the league, with Everton v Liverpool and Tottenham v Arsenal the headliners of the first weekend.

Arsenal and United continue with their tough starts, United away to Liverpool right after the international break and hosting City the next weekend, while Arsenal, after hosting Sunderland and Stoke are at Stamford Bridge at the end of the month to play Chelsea. United are also away to Everton on the 29th, while QPR play city rivals Fulham, Tottenham and Chelsea all in October.

Seven To Watch: Everton v Liverpool (1st), Tottenham v Arsenal (2nd), Liverpool v Manchester United (15th), Manchester City v Aston Villa (16th), Newcastle v Tottenham (16th), Manchester United v Manchester City (23rd), Chelsea v Arsenal (29th).

November 2011

At this stage of the season, international breaks, early season blues, injuries and European football has started to show its’ effects and you can generally see which teams are NOT going to win the title. Given the number of heavyweight clashes at the start of the season it’s likely that one or more of the top six will be out of the running as early as November, but it doesn’t mean that they can’t recover in time.

Another international break can’t hide the tricky fixtures at the start of November, the highlights being Newcastle v Everton and Fulham v Tottenham, as well a homecoming party for Sunderland’s ex-United players as they visit Old Trafford.

Once the players are back though, club football takes all the focus for the next four months as teams navigate through domestic cup competitions, European competitions and tricky winter ties. Mid November sees Arsenal away to Norwich and United away to Swansea, before Chelsea host Liverpool on the 20th and Tottenham host Aston Villa the day after. The next weekend sees United host Newcastle and Liverpool host Man City.

Five To Watch: Newcastle v Everton (5th), Fulham v Tottenham (6th), Chelsea v Liverpool (20th), Tottenham v Aston Villa (21st), Liverpool v Manchester City (27th).

December 2011

December is heavy on fixtures (a potential 6 per team) and in separating the pretenders from the real title contenders. It’s around this time that Chelsea fell away last year.

The first matchweek sees United, Chelsea and Liverpool away to Villa, Newcastle and Fulham respectively, tough matches that the home teams will go in believing that they can win. It’s London v North again the next weekend as Arsenal host Everton and Chelsea host Man City, alongside QPR’s first trip of the season to Anfield and Stoke v Tottenham.

The second half of December sees Villa v Liverpool, City v Arsenal, Tottenham v Chelsea, Villa v Arsenal (not a good month for Villa) and for the final day of the year, Liverpool v Newcastle, Arsenal v QPR and Chelsea v Aston Villa (amongst others).

Aston Villa, in December, are scheduled to play: Man Utd (home), Bolton (away), Liverpool (home), Arsenal (home), Stoke (away) and Chelsea (away). Two tough away games plus four games against the old top 4. Their season may be decided by the transfer window and the replacements (or lack thereof) for Young and Downing), but if they are to succeed in their targets this season, December will be their sternest test.

Ten To Watch: Aston Villa v Manchester United (3rd), Newcastle v Chelsea (3rd), Arsenal v Everton (10th), Chelsea v Manchester City (10th), Aston Villa v Liverpool (17th), Manchester City v Arsenal (17th), Tottenham v Chelsea (20th), Aston Villa v Arsenal (21st), Liverpool v Newcastle (31st), Chelsea v Aston Villa (31st).

Disclaimer: Please note that the fixtures are subject to change based on domestic and continental cup commitments.

Watch Live Premier League Matches On Sky

This season Sky Sports will show 115 live Premier League fixtures with every match available in HD and selected matches in 3D. The confirmed TV listings are till end of November, with a guaranteed 39 live games.

ALL THE CLUBS: Every Barclays Premier League team will be shown live in the first set of Sky Sports HD fixtures with all three newly-promoted clubs shown live at least three times by the end of November.

BIG HEAD-TO-HEADS: Sky Sports will show 11 matches between last year’s top six teams, including Manchester United v Arsenal on August 28 and Manchester United v Chelsea on September 18.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SPECIAL: Sky Sports will offer more than 129 live matches from the UEFA Champions League on Sky Sports HD2, Sky Sports HD4 and via the red button, including live coverage of the final qualifying round in August. Throughout the tournament Sky Sports will show up to 15 live matches per week across the Group Stage including every match on Tuesday nights.

SKY GO: Sky Sports is also available to view via Sky Go, a service that allows Sky TV customers with Sky Sports access across a range of devices at no extra cost. Sky customers will be able to watch live streaming of every Sky Sports channel on laptops, computers, tablet and mobile devices with Sky Go (watch the Sky Go ad).

Get started with Sky Sports Football and watch the best of the 2011/2012 Premier League season in HD.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

This weekend, three of Europe’s more famous clubs – Sampdoria, Frankfurt and West Ham – were condemned to the second divisions of their respective countries. Perhaps the smallest reverberations came with West Ham’s demotion: the Hammers struggled all season long under a hangdog, lame-dog manager and if the same the lack of spirit shown by several senior West Ham figures is reproduced next year, it could indicate a lengthy stay for the club in the second tier. Popular expectation is that the squad will be gutted as several key players depart: Football Writers’ Association Player of the Year Scott Parker, the out of contract Matthew Upson and goalkeeper Robert Green are likely to lead the exodus.

But all is not lost: they still plan to take over the Olympic Stadium after 2012 and Messrs Gold & Sullivan have committed to funding the club through it’s lower-league jaunt. With such basic groundwork established reasonably, West Ham now face the prospect of rebounding straight back into the Premiership. There are several steps that the Hammers should follow in order to make their second-tier spell a short one – here’s a Moe handful of suggestions as to how the Hammers can escape the Championship sooner rather than later.

1. Sign a manager with experience and patience

Chris Hughton, while only having eighteen months’ worth of head-man experience, not only has a smart and lucid football brain, but is used to the pressures of having to succeed on a threadbare budget. While Newcastle United threatened to go Chernobyl last season after being relegated, he successfully kept the dressing room together, made shrewd Championship-elite signings and encouraged the club’s youth to prosper. He fully entrusted Andy Carroll with the centre-forward role and helped develop Nile Ranger into a player of promise. The Understated One is also used to dealing with larger-than-life owners, having spent sixteen months under the devious direction of Mike Ashley and Derek Lambias.

Other possibilities include Sam Allardyce (though whether he’d develop the youth or even be willing to take a second-divison job is questionable) or Steve McLaren.

2. Expunge the deadwood

While Pablo Barrera hasn’t lived up to post-World Cup expectations, he still could prove a good player. This is in direct contrast to many of ex-manager Avram Grant’s transfer dealings, remarkable only in their ineffectiveness. None of Winston Reid, Frederic Piquionne, Robbie Keane or Wayne Bridge lived up to expectation while Victor Obinna was as spotty a painter with the DT’s.

As for Kieron Dyer, Julien Faubert, Benni McCarthy or Luis Boa Morte? Puh-lease. While Obinna, Keane and Bridge are all loan signings and (most probably) will not be retained, the squad will need pruning in order to refresh and strengthen again. The squad wasn’t the worst in the Premier League so Hammer fans should start 2011-12 with expectations of at least a playoff finish.

3. Expurgate any useless footballing philosophies

It’s been a West Ham tradition for years to play attacking football, replete with creative wingers and forwards like Paolo Di Canio and John Hartson able to capitalise on their jinking runs. The West Ham board’s first priority should now not be footballin gstyle but to yo-yo from the second tier to the first. To do so may require dispensing with any preconceived notions about “the West Ham way” and focus on results. This comes down to giving a manager who achieves results – Allardyce, anyone? – a free hand to implement his tactics, a measure of trust of which Gold and Sullivan have some repute.

4. Light a fire under the forwards

While Cole’s struggled through a fair-to-poor season and appears unlikely to be at Upton Park next year, if he is he could dominate the Championship. The same applies to Demba Ba. While Newcastle United Kevin Nolan (and Andy Carroll, Jonas Gutierrez and Fabricio Coloccini) did it last year with startling success and for the Hammers to not only retrieve EPL status but remain there, they’ll need goals. Sears has the potential and Cole has the comination of size and speed to become lethal in the Championship. Piquionne, if he’s not sold, could also dominate in English football’s lower reaches. Ba’s seven goals in 10 Premiership starts are encouraging figures.  If Danny Graham can  muster 23 goals playing at up-tempo Watford, then a possible combination of Ba, Cole and Sears should combine for forty.

5. Get value for exiting players

Scott Parker deserves better than the Championship, so he’ll go. He’ll have plenty of suitors, too. Robert Green would be an upgrade over at least half a dozen Premeirship custodians so is likely to sought after as well. Any influx of cash could be directed in several ways – but is likely to find it’s way either into reducing the club’s remarkable debt or investment in the squad. All of Ba, Tomkins and Cole will have suitors as well.  The secret to success – and admittedly this is easier said than done – is to pry top-tier divisional talent away from mid-table Championship squads.  Stick to this principle and they’re on the right track.  Sort of.  The Guardian has penned an interesting piece on this very subject.

6. Free the club’s youth

All of Sears, Zavon Hines, Frank Nouble, Junior Stanislas, James Tomkins and Jordan Spence came through the club’s youth academy. All played some part in this Premiership season or seasons past, albeit relatively small roles. They now have a chance to cement a position in the West Ham first-team squad, for better or worse.

The only recent yo-yo promotions have been by Newcastle, Birmingham City and West Bromwich Albion, none of whom invested heavily upon relegation.  While this crop of youngsters aren’t currently Premiership standard, they all have the ability to be that good – the chance to really stamp a position as their own should excite many of Hammers’ youth.

For more commentary and analysis, shoot across to Balanced Sports.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

It seems that the Championship Playoff finals are often won by the team who is playing best at the end of the season. Last year, Ian Holloway masterminded a Blackpool offensive (cough) juggernaut to promotion behind Charlie Adam and against a Cardiff side who’ve developed the nasty reputation of being playoff chokers. This year, the popular picks from pundits have gone to anyone but the Bluebirds. But is there really a trend to which clubs are most successful come playoff time?

Examining table below, we can draw several assumptions. Firstly, it’s bad luck to finish fourth in the table after the regular season (another reason Cardiff City fans are cursing). Not once has a team who finished fourth won through to English football’s Big Dance.

Secondly, it’s easy to see that when a club finishes higher in the table (as in Watford, Derby County and Hull City from 2006-08), recent league form usually plays less of a part their playoff success – the two worst-performed teams over the last ten league games over the past ten years both achieved playoff success from third place. This means that the club was either safely in the playoffs or had dropped by dint of poor form from the automatic promotion places. In all three cases however, their pursuers failed to take advantage of poor form (cf. Watford 2006 and Derby County in 2007).

Also, it’s important to realise that Goal Difference counts. Every promoted club – excepting a strange mid-noughties phenomenon involving West Ham, Watford and Derby County – had a much superior goal differential to their opponents. Given before last season’s first-half scorefest, the prior 6 Playoff Finals had ended 1-0, the ability to balance defence with attack is crucial.

So how does this year’s championship reflect these trends?

At this stage it would be easy to discount Nottingham Forest as they’ve taken the least points from their last ten league matches of any club who finishing sixth over the past decade. Their collapse – lasting from mid-February to early April – should have effectively put paid to their chances. This is also reflected in their poor goal difference. However as these are finals and – as the quote goes – “You’ve got to be in it to win it”, they can’t be considered definite first-round “outs” just because a decade of stats (not a big sample) says they should be.

Reading‘s form appears irresistible. While Swansea City have won less often, they’ve done so with greater winning margins. This could be put down to facing weaker opposition or their attacking style of play. That their stats match up quite well with Watford’s and Derby County’s is also encouraging for fans of Cyril the Swan and his men. With Cardiff’s reputation as big-game bottlers perhaps overstated but disturbing reports of late-season drinking apparently close to the mark, perhaps it’s easier to discount the Bluebirds (my favourite Football Manager team) against the Shane Long-led Royals.

Fearless Playoff Predictions: Reading over Cardiff City, Swansea City over Nottingham Forest, Dave Jones to get sacked and then Reading to steamroll back into the Premiership, leaving Cyril the Swan distraught, tired and emotional.

For more analysis and opinion, shoot across to Matthew Wood‘s blog, Balanced Sports.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News