Friday 9 May 2014

Barclays Predictions League 13

So here we are with the end of yet another Barclays Premier League season. As always there is a sad note when it ends but let's hope it ends with a flurry of entertainment come 3:00pm on Sunday.
Cardiff v Chelsea

It may not have been the end of the season that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would have wanted but I did say in August I think Cardiff would go down.

Sacking Malky Mackay in December didn't help and Cardiff were doing ok at that point but since then they have been repeatedly flirting with the drop zone.

When you have the second-worst goal difference in the league, only four better off than Fulham, then you probably deserve to get relegated. Fulham's game is much more winnable than Cardiff's, so they could end with the worst Premier League goal difference of 2013-14.

Jose Mourinho's side were in the title race for a long time and they did very well against the top teams, taking six points off Liverpool and Man City and four off Arsenal, Tottenham and Man Utd. It's losing to the likes of Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and especially Sunderland that cost them the league.

But, as many pundits have already said, the fact that they have been in the title race without a world-class striker says everything and with one, they should be top two easily next year.

Cardiff will want to put in a performance to give their fans hope of bouncing back to the top flight at the first attempt, but Chelsea I think will edge this one.

Score: 0-1

Fulham v Crystal Palace

Fulham are also down to the Championship after staying in the Premier League for 13 years and, without sounding harsh, they probably deserve it as they have conceded the most goals.

Their squad could probably do with rebuilding as they are an ageing team as well. That squad in the Championship should do pretty well but there is a big summer ahead for Felix Magath.

As Norwich are more or less relegated, barring a mathematical overhaul of goal difference, I think Fulham have got the best chance of coming straight back up as they should do well next year.

I think they will win this game to send their fans off on a high as the work Crystal Palace have put into their own survival campaign could catch up with them.

Tony Pulis is an obvious contender for the manager of the season and it is remarkable what he has done at Selhurst Park. It is just a question of what he will do in the summer to try and replicate the stability he established at Stoke for the next few years.

But I believe they will go in the right direction under him.

Score: 2-1

Hull v Everton

Both of these sides have had very successful campaigns in my opinion, especially the Tigers under the guidance of Steve Bruce.

They were never in any real danger of relegation for me, and they have the prospect  of the Europa League to look forward to next season, which should help them attract players to take them to the next level.

This game won't matter as much to them as they will understandably have one eye on next Saturday's F.A. Cup final with Arsenal, who are guaranteed top four, at Wembley which is why they have had a really good season.

Everton also have Europa League football to look forward to as well and, although they will be disappointed to make the top four and the Champions League, finishing fifth should be seen as very successful.

If they can get any of their loaned players, Gareth Barry, Gerard Deulofeu and Romelu Lukaku, then they should be there again next season. Barry I think they will get permanently if Roberto Martinez wants him but the other two could difficult to bring in.

As for their season finale at the KC Stadium, both teams will celebrate a very good Premier League campaign for 2013-14 and look forward to next year with optimism.

Score: 1-2

Liverpool v Newcastle

Brendan Rodgers will be delighted to have secured Champions League football for next season but at the same time obviously disappointed of not winning the Premier League.

If you remember back in August I said they would finish sixth which would have been an improvement for them but the fact that they are disappointed to not win the league shows how far they have come.

They can still win it, of course, but they would need a massive favour off West Ham in order for that to happen and although it's not impossible, it's 99% unlikely.

All they can do is concentrate on beating Alan Pardew's magpies, who will be glad the season is coming to a close.

I still think he has done more good for the toon than bad but he needs to get permanent players in during the summer, assuming he stays, and Mike Ashley will need to start taking the club seriously.

Newcastle have a big history and their fans should be having football which will make them proud to be wearing black and white at St James' Park again.

Score: 3-0

Man City v West Ham

The real test for Manuel Pellegrini's side was winning at Everton last weekend, where they have had a horrible record and, having coming through that and a home game with Aston Villa, they already have one hand on the Premier League title.

This game on paper should be an easy three points for the home side but Manchester City found out two years ago that you cannot take anything for granted when QPR nearly stopped them winning the title.

City have scored the most goals this season, with Yaya Toure's against Villa on Wednesday night their 100th of the season.

Think back to that late equaliser against Sunderland just over three weeks ago; that could turn out to be a huge point for City and, ironically, they came back from 3-1 down to claim a point at home to the Black Cats when they won the league two years ago. Maybe the writing was on the wall.

In that respect, City probably deserve the title but they will want to finish the job on Sunday and, although Sam Allardyce would probably park the bus there, they should get through this final hurdle.

West Ham, like Hull, were safe for a while so I don't know why so many fans are asking for Allardyce's sacking. Maybe the football isn't as entertaining to watch as they'd like but they did get a third successive victory against rivals Tottenham this season last weekend.

Score: 2-0

Norwich v Arsenal

Barring overturning a massive goal difference, it looks like Neil Adams and the Canaries will be the third team to go down to the Championship.

Sacking Chris Hughton I thought was wrong but the timing of it was even stranger, which already put Adams in an unfairly tough position, with your only really winnable game coming against Fulham and then play Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and now Arsenal in the last four games of the season.

They are players there, such as Snodgrass and Hooper, who are really good players but there is always the chance of them wanting to return to the Premier League, more than likely with other teams.

Strangley enough, after their 0-0 draw at Chelsea last Sunday, I thought that Sunderland could screw up their last two games and Norwich, with that slight hope, would beat Arsene Wenger's Gunners as they have already claimed fourth spot comfortably.

I still think the home side will be hard to beat here, but Arsenal would rather lose this game and beat Hull next weekend in the F.A. Cup final so they may use this game as an experiment for their fringe players.

Score: 2-1

Southampton v Man Utd

Although both of these teams are close in the table, their seasons couldn't be further apart.

Mauricio Pochettino has attracted interest from Tottenham and Adam Lallana and Luke Shaw are linked with moves away from St Mary's; that's how good a season they have had.

They fully deserve to be in the top eight because the style of football they have played has been beautiful to watch.

The difficult task is improving that next year. Another top ten finish would probably be good success for them but keeping their star players would be an even bigger success.

Both Lallana and Shaw have been linked with Saint's opponents: Manchester United.

Their season couldn't have been any worse for their standards. I knew this year would be a transitional year but everyone still expected them to be in the top four.

Even after Moyes' dismissal, the same problems were still there. They beat Norwich, then lose to Sunderland, then beat Hull, all three games at Old Trafford.

If that pattern is anything to follow by, then Ryan Gigg's potentially final game should end in defeat and I wouldn't be surprised if Southampton cap off a wonderful season in style.

Score: 1-1
Sunderland v Swansea

As everyone else will have said by this point, it is a miracle what Gus Poyet has achieved on Wearside, especially with the roller coaster he, and the fans, will have endured.

They were seven points adrift of safety when they lost to Everton at what seemed to be an already-accepting-relegation Stadium of Light. Then came the 13 points out of a possible 15 and suddenly, with a game to spare, they have performed the great escape.

This is quite an achievement and one which should talked about for years. Poyet has done a remarkable job and if Sunderland were to beat Swansea and Man City helped them to finish twelfth, then it would be a perfect end to their most interesting season yet.

Now that survival is finally assured, talks with the out-of-contract players have started so the club can prepare for the summer, pre-season and next season.

Survival was much more straightforward for Swansea, who gave Gary Monk the manager's job on a permanent basis, which I am delighted to see as I feel he deserves it.

Swansea will be back at their best next season without European football I think but they have still had a decent season in the Premier League, where they look comfortably at home.

Score: 1-1

Tottenham v Aston Villa

It's safe to say both of these sides have had disappointing seasons, especially as there was such hope for both of them. How times have changed.

This could be Tim Sherwood's last game as Tottenham manager, which I think is extremely unfair considering the little time he has had.

That's like being fifth or sixth and being told you have half a season to win the title. Hopefully the board will see sense and keep hold of him.

Tottenham just need a point to get Europa League football next season but I think they should get all three with relative ease.

Paul Lambert has got Villa comfortably safe but they should really be in mid-table. The important thing is keep building and progress more next year. But the fans won't appreciate another relegation battle.

Score: 2-0
West Brom v Stoke

West Brom were more or less safe before their midweek defeat by Sunderland but they still should have played with the same level of intensity and desire as their hosts did.

But, in my opinion, their forward power is very lacklustre. Saido Berahino looks decent but the pressure shouldn't be solely on him. Selling Shane Long was stupid for me because he offered some good forward play for the Baggies and getting rid of him, as well as manager Steve Clarke, is very questionable.

I think this game will feel like an end-of-season game for West Brom and in the summer they seriously need a goalscorer.

Pepe Mel's future is also in doubt and I don't think he would have done a better job than Clarke. We will have to wait and see what the summer holds.

Stoke's season has been very good as they have more or less guaranteed a top ten finish and that's thanks to their best ever points tally.

Mark Hughes has done a lot better than I expected but he will be delighted with this year, as will the Potter's fans.

Score: 1-1