Will number 20 be on it’s way to Manchester United? Not quite, according to our predictions.
Where will your side finish in 2012-13? With the season just one week away, our pundits have put our heads together to give you a comprehensive set of predictions.
Opinions and analysis on all 20 Premier League clubs are given here by 12 of our writers and pundits here at HITC Sport. On the basis of the predictions from our ‘daring dozen’ we have calculated how the table will look come next May.
How does it work? All the predictions are totalled together, the team with the lowest score will finish 1st, and the highest will finish 20th. Here are the predictions for your club.
Verdict- Manchester United will finish in: 2nd
Highest prediction: 1st , Lowest prediction: 4th.
Dan Coombs: 2nd; Each time United miss out on the Premier League title, they hit back big in the transfer market in an effort to recapture it. This hasn’t happened this year, and the fundamental flaws which exist in their midfield still remain. Shinji Kagawa will need to settle quickly, but they look to be weak in both full-back positions, with no real cover for Patrice Evra. The squad still has enough to reach second and will have their moments, but first place looks unlikely with a confident City ready to kick on. However if they were to sign van Persie, their chances would increase.
Vic Daniels: 2nd; Falling short again, Sir Alex will call it a day after another ‘almost’ season that will seeing them losing out to their local rivals.
Mathew Nash: 1st; Star Player – Antonio Valencia.Top Goalscorer – Wayne Rooney. I think United will just have the edge this season. With the return of Vidic, continued development of Jones, Smalling and Evans, the signing of Kagawa and potential arrival of Van Persie I just feel they will pip Man City this time around in the race for the title. Their star player and top goalscorer should be Wayne Rooney if he can get fit in time for the new season, but if Antonio Valencia continues his end of season form he will be an absolute terror for defences this season. Their biggest challenge will be in the big games against Man City, who beat them twice last season on the way to the title and this season could be just as close so better results will be necessary.
Tomo Taka: 1st; Manchester United lost out only on goal difference last season due to an uncharacteristic collapse in the last few games. The young squad should learn from their experiences of the title run-in and in Shinji Kagawa they have a creative and guileful midfielder who will prove to be the difference from last season. A double Bundesliga title winner, his arrival could be the key in reclaiming the title from City. Best player will be Kagawa. United fans have sought a creative midfielder and in Kagawa they have a player with the ability to craft out goals for teammates and himself. Rooney will score close to 30 goals again this season – last season he scored 27 – but Kagawa with his contribution and goal scoring ability may well prove to be the difference in the points and goal difference tally at the end of the season. Biggest concern will be the goalkeeping position. David De Gea had an unconvincing start to the season but gradually improved throughout its course. Anders Lindegaard is however expected to push the Spaniard but United will want to avoid a goalkeeping controversy which will fill neither goalkeeper with much confidence. De Gea’s costly mistakes earlier on in the season could have been what cost United towards the end.
Jake Lane: 1st; Last season hurt, not only did Sir Alex Ferguson’s men throw it all away in the final weeks of the season but to you know who – takes the phrase “wounded animal” to the next level. If they manage to sign Robin van Persie and he performs as half as well as he did last season then they’ll be unstoppable.
Nigel Owen: 4th; The table flattered the red half of Manchester last season. City should have had the league tied up well before injury time on the final day, despite United’s implosion in the final weeks. Chelsea and Arsenal were so far off the pace, they gifted the Reds a clear run at City. While Tom Cleverley was a big miss for them, and his return will strengthen a problem area for Fergie, they are still aging at the back and in midfield, and Rooney can’t be expected to keep carrying the goal scoring burden on his own. 27 goals in 32 games was a phenomenal effort from him, with Hernandez the only other player to notch 10 league goals. It is odd for an Alex Ferguson side to have a lack of firepower, but if he doesn’t manage to land Robin Van Persie, then he will need to move quickly to try to get more goals into his squad, but we all know about Van Persie’s injury even if he does end up at Old Trafford. I don’t see them dropping out of the top 4, but the noisy neighbours will have more to crow about, and the disgruntled of the Stretford End might become more vocal. It isn’t original to identify Wayne Rooney as United’s key man, but his goalscoring record last season was outstanding, and he won’t be able to drop from that standard if United are to keep competing with the blue side of the city.
Surya Solanki: 3rd; Minimal transfer activities and team is heavily relying on two-three key players. Many players are injury-prone and inconsistent and the team looks relatively weak right now. Fergie should try hard to sign a left-back or a midfielder before the transfer season ends or face a season of possible failures.
Paul Moore: 1st; Sir Alex will be hurting after his neighbours beat him to the post last season. The player to watch is Wayne Rooney; he’s coming into his prime. I still think the defence is their weak point. Welbeck and Rooney will click this season and score the goals that will seal the title.
John Aggrey: 3rd; Will end up third because; Just like Wenger, Manchester United always find a way to wrestle themselves to the top four despite the squad. So many people will concur with me this isn’t the greatest of Manchester sides and the squad isn’t just good enough to compete for the title anymore. Biggest Challenge; obviously it would be trying to wrestle the title from cross town rivals Manchester City.
Naveenan Thanendra: 1st; Although scarred by the last second title win by Manchester City last season, expect Manchester United to bounce back with a vengeance. While City enter the season as title favourites and biggest threats to United once again, Sir Alex Ferguson has shown his intention to strengthen via the transfer market to send his side back to the top. However, it will be the return of star man and captain, Nemanja Vidic that will prove to be the difference for United next year. His absence was far too clear last season, especially when taking on their cross town rivals, so expect Vidic to stamp his authority on the league next in 2012/13 in order to send Manchester United back to the pinnacle of English football.
Keval Shah: 2nd; As per usual Sir Alex has identified his targets over the summer and gone about bringing them to the club, in the form of Kagawa and Powell. If the club can sign RVP, they will certainly not be demonstrating the goal scoring form they have shown in pre-season. With club captain Vidic back from injury and no threat of losing any stellar names to rival clubs, I predict another close finish to the premier league once again.
Khiam Barry: 1st; With the return from injury of captain Nemanja Vidic and Danny Welbeck’s impressive showing at Euro 2012, and to seize back their Premiership title from their city rivals, United are my pick to win the league this season. Tom Cleverly will be a big player for United.
Connor Jipps:1st; United will be desperate to avenge City’s triumph last season and will be able to take much encouragement into the new season. All key players have remained at the club and Shinji Kagawa and Nick Powell will add much needed competition to the Red Devils midfield. Kagawa in particular comes with a particularly high pedigree, having become an integral part of the Borussia Dortmund midfield in his successful spell at the current German champions. Before Kagawa’s signing United were relying on Paul Scholes and Michael Carrick to run the midfield with little options behind. With Scholes turning 38 this season he has previously expressed how he struggles to play consecutive games and Kagawa will be able to take some of the burden off the United legend. Much will depend on Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic’s fitness this season, with Phil Jones flattering to deceive in his first season. Chris Smalling and Johnny Evans are both good players but are not of the same standard as Ferdinand and Vidic from United’s title winning sides. Injuries to the squad in the defensive positions crippled the side last year and United need to avoid them if they are to challenge the improved Chelsea side and consistently strong Man City. With such a close battle expected, it may come down to mentality and Ferguson has bounced back from disappointment time and time again by evoking the winning spirit amongst his players. With the new additions and the determination the side will have to regain the title they feel is rightly theirs, I think they could just go all the way.
Full predicted table: (1) Manchester City, (2) Manchester United, (3) Chelsea, (4) Arsenal, (5) Tottenham, (6) Liverpool, (7) Newcastle, (8) Everton, (9) Fulham, (10) Sunderland, (11) Aston Villa, (12) Stoke, (13) QPR, (14) Swansea, (15) West Ham, (16) West Brom, (17) Norwich, (18) Reading, (19) Wigan, (20) Southampton.
Where do you believe Manchester United will finish next season?
image: © Paolo Camera
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