BPL 2015-16 Previews/Predictions

[HuddersfieldToffee]

I'm aware there's plenty of time to go in the transfer market, but now the clubs are on their way to their first preseason games. Sooo, I'll do my first XIs based on who've already signed. Same format as last year (but I'll finish them this year). Starting with 1st and finishing with Norwich, I'll have a quick write up, a tactical diagram for them, ending with a prediction and a key player.


1. Chelsea
Manager: Jose Mourinho
Top Goalscorer: Diego Costa (20)



Chelsea, you feel, won the league this year without really breaking a sweat. Their challengers were plagued by bad form, soul searching and feeling their way to tactical success. Still, the Chelsea side that performed in 2014 produced wonderful football. Slick combinations between Hazard and Ivanovic, the sublime partnership of Costa and Fabregas and the fluidity in the final third of those aforementioned and the other players produced a few goals that could be remembered as some of the best.

This year, they've yet to dabble that far in the transfer market. Signing Falcao on a season-long loan feels like a signing that Mou could get absolutely right. Being fair to Falcao, his stint at Manchester United under Louis Van Gaal was very sad, he seemed a player low on confidence and low on form. Still, his movement was promising and it felt like another season and lower expectations would see him kick on his United career. Mourinho could pull off a master-stroke by having the side non reliant on him. Elsewhere, he's made a direct replacement for Petr Cech by signing Asmir Begovic, who will most likely take a place on the bench, which is a shame considering that Begovic has been consistently excellent for Stoke up until now. Elsewhere, the main additions won't be additions at all, but most likely will be Academy players stepping up to the plate.

Chelsea started the year as a fluent, fluid attacking force. Games against Burnley (A), and Everton (A) showed their attacking force and their ability to control games. The midfield triangle of Oscar-Fabregas-Matic was once again prominent, with Mourinho selecting it in several games inc. PSG (H) where he had other options in the middle, including replacing Oscar for Willian. The three have an excellent understanding in both a 1-2 format or a 2-1 format, with Fabregas surging forward from deep in a modern version of the Lampard role. Elsewhere, the versatility of the team means they can press high in midfield and counter attack, like Chelsea's tremendous 6-0 win at Arsenal two years ago, sit deep and play with pace, like the 2-0 win at Anfield two years ago, or play with clever possession play which leads to them playing with intricacy, like the 5-0 win at Schalke. They're much more of an all round team but Mourinho remains a pragmatist, he will only entertain when he knows it is the best way of beating a team, and has been critical of his side in performances where they've been too open, like against Everton and the surprising 5-3 loss to Spurs (A).

Chelsea's stumbling block is history. Jose Mourinho's third year are a little bit of an unknown, with Real being an absolute disaster and Chelsea being hampered by infighting with the board. Things seem more settled this time, and with Mourinho concentrating on building a solid dynasty at Chelsea including some of the younger players who weren't afforded time under previous management, Mou included. The Special One will also want to improve on his standings in the Champions League, with a Semi-Final or a victory at the San Siro, his Italian former home, something he would relish. Chelsea still remain the favourites to retain their title.

Player to Watch: Cesc Fabregas
Young Player to Watch: Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Dominic Solanke
Key Tactical Question: Who to play at Number 10? Oscar, Fabregas, or Willian?
Predicted Finish: 1st

 

[Jimmywhack]

Whats BPL?

 

[Yorkie]

Whats BPL?

"Buy Playmaker Later" I think.

 

[Jimmywhack]

"Buy Playmaker Later" I think.

makes sense, eye up the market and all that

 

[HuddersfieldToffee]

Whats BPL?

Barclays Premier League yo

 

[HuddersfieldToffee]

2. Manchester City
Manager: Manuel "Dave Allen" Pelligrini
Top Goalscorer: Sergio Aguero (20)



Forgive me for copying a pasting last years preview into this years thread, because Manchester City have made absolutely no fundamental progress from this time last year until now. Manchester City still went out at a disappointing stage in the Champions League and also failed to address the decline of their star players, like Yaya Toure. New blood has also failed to flow through from the much-respected Etihad Campus and at the end of the season, Pellegrini neared losing his job.

The signing of Sterling was to be expected, as they were the only team in the financial capacity who showed much interest in him. Still, the ex-QPR man offers a more direct, technical threat on the right flank and perhaps through the centre, and will allow an injection of direct movement and skill, in contrast to Nasri and Silva - who remain lateral, creative players - and provides an upgrade on Jesus Navas, who despite being exceptional for Sevilla over a number of years has failed to find form in Manchester consistently. Other players linked, such as Pogba, De Bruyne and Fabihno offering replacements for Pogba, Nasri and Zabaleta respectively. It seems Pellegrini feels the current system works, but he needs new blood to refresh, rather than reform.

Manchester City, once again, played a 4-2-something this season, switching between 4-2-3-1, a 4-2-2-2 and a straighter 4-4-2 throughout the campaign. Each system had its fair share of problems, it seemed, with the 4-2-3-1 producing a congested midfield zone such as against Manchester United (A), where Milner, playing through the centre and Silva began making clever combination plays that littered their title winning season of 2011-12, but reverting to lazy play in the final third and a failure to track back. Elsewhere, the loss to Arsenal (H) saw the Citizens play the same system with Silva behind the main striker, and they failed to press effectively when Silva failed to track back - something that caused counter-attacking through the open midfield of Fernando and Fernandinho an fertile territory for the Gunners. The midfield two, especially, have been caught with their advanced positioning in both a 4-4-2 and 4-2-3-1 causing Kompany to sweep higher up the field, most noticeably against Barcelona (H/A) and Roma (H) in the Champions League, which Totti used to his advantage in his delightful chip in their group stage draw in September.


Yaya Toure's (42) positioning high up the field causes room for Nainggolan (4 Roma)'s ability to thread the ball through into the space created by Kompany's forward sweeping. Fernando's position was also a problem against Barcelona, where his openness next to the Box to Box Fernandinho allowed Barcelona to dominate the centre and counter through the midfield.

City need a new defensive midfielder to sit in this zone and allow players to roam higher up the field, and Pellegrini's failure to address this problem suggests a tactical naïvety, something that was levelled at him at both Villarreal and Malaga, where his sides weakness was not up front, but a problem with defensive organisation at the back.

Pellegrini's much mocked 4-4-2 formation, despite being open to counter attacking as previously mentioned, does in theory make sense, however. This is because City's main attacking goal threat since signing from Atletico Madrid has been Sergio Aguero. The Argentine has always struggled to play without a player, such as Edin Dzeko, playing along side him. This is because despite being a tremendous passer and creator of chances, in Sky Blue he has consistently failed to adapt his game to provide for his team mates, which is paradoxical, considering he assisted 8 goals for his team mates. He still only managed 1 key pass a game, which compared to players who play in similar positions, like Diego Costa (1.4) and Alexis Sanchez (2.6), is a low amount. The problem for Aguero is that he need an Enabler next to him, someone to run towards the ball to create space. For a 26 goal a season striker, it's worth it, but if his finishing deteriorates in a manner like Yaya Toure's playmaking ability deteriorates, City will have to choose between forcing him to develop his overall contribution to the team, and dropping him for one of the Sky Blue's other strikers. Suggestions that the Argentine, Silva and Sterling could form a partnership like his with Suarez and Sturridge are lazy, and ignore the comparative strengths and weaknesses of the player.

Manchester City could inject youth and vigour into this ageing team and allow themselves to claim a 3rd title in 5 years, but unless they improve upon their poor defensive shape and allow themselves to become more tactically aware against better sides their downfall will be in Champions League and bigger games. They differ from Chelsea in the fact that the Mourinho's side were better suited to tight title runs, as they're able to grind out results against bigger sides, where their versatility gave them the opportunity to control the ball, the space, or the game, but struggled in terms of getting results with sheer individual class, whereas City could rely on individual class to get themselves through games, often playing tremendous football in the process but struggling against bigger sides who could play an aggressive running game against them, countering at speed through a lightweight and sometimes lax midfield. The difference last season between the two, was that Chelsea improved the aspect of the game breaking down tough opposition, like against QPR, a game they quite conceivably would have lost in 13/14, but City failed to improve their results against bigger and more tactically aware sides, like the much-improved Manchester United at Old Trafford, but also saw games where they suddenly could not break down teams with pure skill in the face of a packed defence. A title challenge is wholly reliant on them improving both sides of their game through re-invigorating old faces, and integrating new ones.

Player to Watch: David Silva
Young Player to Watch: Raheem Sterling
Key Tactical Question: Will Pellegrini be allowed to continue his 4-4-2, or switch to a three-man midfield?
Predicted Finish: 2nd

 

[chicoazul]

Dude what do you think you're doing?

 

[Kiwi]

"Buy Playmaker Later" I think.

Thought it stood for Bobby's Paella. Mind blown ere.

 

[Yorkie]

Uploading a full nuts and bolts rundown of a football team on another team's fan forum at nearly 3 in the morning.
On the merit of the effort I will give this a read on my lunch.

 

[HuddersfieldToffee]

Dude what do you think you're doing?

Chico, I do what a man with no job and a girlfriend who checks his internet history gotta do.

Write football previews.

 

[HuddersfieldToffee]

Dude what do you think you're doing?

Also, did it last year

SEE

 

[rascal]

I predict that I'll be bored half way soon the season and bemoaning its lack of quality.

 

[HuddersfieldToffee]

Uploading a full nuts and bolts rundown of a football team on another team's fan forum at nearly 3 in the morning.
On the merit of the effort I will give this a read on my lunch.

What did you think btw?

 

[Yorkie]

What did you think btw?

Just read the Chealsea one so far. Will read man city later. Sound and well written. Always good for me since I'm football illiterate when it comes to teams aside of Everton - I'm not football illeterate with Everton but have a football "reading age" of about 10.

 

[orly]

What did you think btw?

I liked it, please keep going

Liverpool no higher than 11th for accuracy though pls