Premier League Predictions 2016/17 (Part 2/4)

Aug. 11, 2016

With the new football league season kicking off last weekend, the build up to the 2016/17 Premier League season has somehow heightened even further. The most expensive league in the world gets underway with Champions Leicester City travelling to the KCOM stadium to face newly-promoted Hull City, after The Foxes stunned the world with their title-winning campaign and The Tigers came through a tense Play-off final with Sheffield Wednesday back in May.

And after predicting the way England’s second division would play out in another blog just a week ago, my attentions have turned to the top tier with less than 48 hours to go until kick-off. Part two of my four part predictions include the sides placed 15th - 11th.

Former Inter Milan boss Walter Mazzari has taken charge at Vicarage Road ahead of the new season.

15th – Watford

Whether the Watford board decided to let former boss Quique Sánchez Flores leave the club or the decision was left with the Spaniard himself, the consequences could well be significant.

Walter Mazzari has become accustomed to spending limited time at the helm of a number of clubs in Italy and will now be trying his luck at Vicarage Road after an unsuccessful tenure at Inter Milan lasted just a season back in 2013/14.

The Hornets had all-but assured their safety by the start of the New Year and eventually finished the campaign in 13th. However, further change among the playing staff over the summer with the sale of midfielders Almen Abdi, Daniel Pudil and José Manuel Jurado to name but a few will lead to more uncertainty at a club that has enjoyed little stability of late.

A club-record fee for Nigerian forward Isaac Success will add further firepower to an attack that has already proven its potency at this level, while rangy defender Christian Kabasele will help improve a backline that was a major reason for Watford’s achievements last season.

14th – Swansea City

Swansea finished one place above Watford last season, and there is no reason why they cannot repeat that feat this time out.

Francesco Guidolin’s men had looked a little light up top just a week ago, but the signings of Borja González and Fernando Llorente will score the goals that the club have lost from the sale of star man Andre Ayew, who has joined Premier League rivals West Ham.

Ayew is one of the many players who have left the Liberty Stadium since the end of May, but the supporter’s biggest concern will be the departure of club captain Ashley Williams, who left for Everton yesterday.

Williams guided the club to League Cup victory at Wembley back in 2013, before leading his country Wales to their greatest ever finish at an international competition just last month.

Dutch defender Mike van der Hoorn had been brought to the club before Williams’ exit, and the former Ajax man will now have an even more important role to play for the only Welsh side competing in England’s top tier.

Swansea fans will be excited about the signing of Spanish international Fernando Llorente.

13th – A.F.C Bournemouth

Just 12 months after preparing Bournemouth for their first ever season in the Premier League, manager Eddie Howe is now, like his club, considered in even higher regard than he was back in the summer of 2015.

The South-coast side beat the drop to finish in 16th, and there is a real chance that they could go even better this time out, with the signing of Jordan Ibe promising to be one of the best bits of business from any side in English football.

The sale of Matt Ritchie might prove to be a big mistake by the Cherries boss, but if Ibe lives up to his potential then the goals and assists of the man he has replaced will soon be forgotten.

Joining Ibe on the Bournemouth left will be another former Liverpool youngster in defender Brad Smith. Howe has also done well by securing the signatures of Nathan Ake on a loan deal from Chelsea, and one of the Championship’s brightest stars in former Leeds United midfielder Lewis Cook.

Striker Callum Wilson is also fit again after missing much of last season recovering from a fractured leg, and there is no doubt that he will score goals if given the opportunity.

12th – Crystal Palace

Predicting where Crystal Palace will finish was one of the trickiest tasks of the lot. An excellent first-half of the season back in 2015 placed The Eagles in serious contention for a top ten finish, but the club’s form quickly wavered and Palace ended the up in 15th.

It is that inconsistency for which manager Alan Pardrew has become synonymous. Nevertheless, the entertaining Palace boss has signed three top players in the form of defender James Tomkins, goalkeeper Steve Mandanda, and the exciting winger Andros Townsend.

Strikers Dwight Gale, Marouane Chamakh and Emmanuel Adebayor have all left Selhurst Park without the necessary replacement coming the other way. Christian Benteke continues to be linked with a move away from Liverpool, but Palace will need to add someone before August 31st or they could well be looking over their shoulder as we approach January.

There is little doubt that Pardrew’s side carry a real attacking threat, especially on the wings, but they will need to score more goals than the 39 that were managed last season if the club are to push towards a mid-table finish.

England winger Andros Townsend has been Crystal Palace's star singing so far this summer.

11th – Stoke City

One club who almost guarantee their fans a mid-table finish are Stoke City, and few sides have enjoyed the same level of stability as Mark Hughes’ men over the past seasons.

With the arrival of Joe Allen, who is endearingly nicknamed the ‘Welsh Pirlo’, Stoke supporters are within their rights to be exciting about the new campaign, where they will be looking to build on an impressive ninth place finish back in May.

Allen will not only provide a welcome shield for a defence that struggled with one of the poorer records last season, but he will also deliver the type of service that the likes of Bojan, Xherdan Shaqiri and Marko Arnautović are able to thrive off.

Hughes has also added Egyptian winger Ramadan Sobhi to his squad, while midfielder Steve Sidwell and forward Peter Odemwingie have both left Staffordshire.

If striker Saido Berahino is finally signed by the club that has been chasing him for some time now, then Stoke may even challenge for a place in the top ten for a fourth successive season, while the England forward’s absence could also serve sink Tony Pulis’ side towards the second tier.