Premier League Predictions 2016/17 (Part 3/4)

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 three features teams from 5th - 10th.  

10th – Southampton

Managerial changes are nothing new in modern football, but the loss of former boss Ronald Koeman is almost certainly going to be debilitating for Southampton this season.

The Dutchman has left the club for rivals Everton this summer, and, although there would appear to be few out there who can match the tactical nous of the former Barcelona star, The Saints have had an excellent record of appointing managers in recent years, with Mauricio Pochettino and Nigel Adkins both enjoying very successful spells on the South Coast.

A one-club man during his playing days, former Monaco midfielder Claude Puel has been announced as Koeman’s replacement. And the kind of longevity that Puel has enjoyed in his 17-year managerial career so far would be welcomed among the St Mary’s faithful.

The Frenchman has added real quality with the signings of Nathan Redmond and Pierre-Emile Höjbjerg from Norwich and Bayern Munich respectively, but he will need to add further depth if the club are to survive the rigours of balancing domestic and European football this term.

It is for that reason, along with the sale of key players Victor Wanyama, Sadio Mané, and Graziano Pellè, as well of course as the loss of Koeman, why I have placed The Saints down in 10th for the upcoming campaign.

Ronald Koeman has left Southampton to join Premier League rivals Everton this summer.

9th – Everton

There is no doubt that Everton are, and have always been, one of the biggest clubs in English football. But an unsuccessful period under new Belgium boss Roberto Martínez saw the club eventually drop into the bottom-half of the table last season, which ultimately led to the Spaniard’s departure and the appointment of Ronald Koeman.

Major changes have been made amongst the backroom staff at Goodison Park, and although changes to the playing staff are a must before the end of the month and the current transfer window, Koeman will need ensure that his other star players do not join defender John Stones in leaving the club if they are to secure a top ten finish.

The Dutch boss has pulled off a real coup by beating the likes of Arsenal to sign Welsh captain Ashley Williams – a wonderful replacement for Stones – and has also added Senegalese midfielder Idrissa Gueye, who will bring dynamism to a midfielder that is industrial as opposed to inspiring.

Many of the old guard, including Tim Howard, Tony Hibbert, and Leon Osman, have all left the club alongside Steven Pienaar, but Koeman must bring in more new faces with striker Romelu Lukaku also rumoured to be wanting out.

8th – Leicester City

The sale of unsung hero N'Golo Kanté will hurt Leicester’s chances of qualifying for Europe again this year. However, perhaps the primary reason for my decision to drop the Champions down to eighth is the improvement of a number of top-half clubs over the summer months.

The squad that manager Claudio Ranieri has assembled time out is actually stronger than the one that secured the club’s first Premier League title last season, with French midfielder Nampalys Mendy promising to be an excellent replacement for the Chelsea’s Kanté, Ahmed Musa adding no shortage of pace and skill to what is already an excellent attack, and teenage midfielder Bartosz Kapustka another who could light up the division in the years to come.

Ranieri has also let striker Andrej Kramaric leave the club after a disappointing career at the King Power Stadium, with German side TSG Hoffenheim prepared to pay a considerable £8.5 million for his services.

If The Foxes focus on the Premier League this season then they will certainly have the resources required to surprise the nation once more. However, the club will be determined to give it everything they have got in Europe’s elite club competition, and, with a fortunate draw, there is no reason why they cannot do themselves and their nation proud on the continent this year.

7th – West Ham United

A new badge, a new stadium, and a whole new image for West Ham this season. Co-owners David Gold and David Sullivan have completed some of their best ever business by securing the rights to the ‘London Stadium at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park’ (or Olympic Stadium as we know it).

And although the club may have left behind its iconic moments, as well as a whole host of fantastic memories by leaving Upton Park, the current squad, under the guidance of manager Slaven Bilić, will undoubtedly make many more at their new home.

A wonderful seventh place finish last season could easily be repeated this time out, with the Croatian improving what was already a very strong squad at the East London club.

Hammers supporters will know a good deal about £12.5 million winger André Ayew, who lit up the Premier League in stages last term. Besiktas wide man Gökhan Töre has also joined on loan, while Algeria international Sofiane Feghouli will be one of the signings of the summer, after he was brought in on a free transfer from Valencia in June.

Alex Song and Emmanuel Emenike will no longer be sporting the famous claret and blue, as their loan spells have come to an end. Meanwhile James Tomkins has also left the club for Crystal Palace in a deal worth almost £10 million.

Striker Sofiane Feghouli will thrive on the service of West Ham star Dimitri Payet.

6th – Liverpool

Liverpool fans were rightly thrilled when the club announced that Jürgen Klopp would be replacing former boss Brendan Rodgers at the helm back in October 2015. However, the German is almost a year into the job now and the club are still a long way off the level that they would aspire.

The Merseyside club finished eighth last time out, with defeats in both the Europa League and League Cup finals proving to be the side’s downfall. Along with their great rivals Chelsea and Everton, Liverpool will not be playing European football this time out as a result.

Klopp has strengthened his squad by spending almost £70 million already on new faces, with half of that amount going to Southampton in exchange for pacey forward Sadio Mané.

Georginio Wijnaldum has been another sizeable purchase from Championship side Newcastle United, while Liverpool’s defensive troubles may finally have been solved with the signing of goalkeeper Loris Karius and defender Joel Matip.

Martin Skrtel and Kolo Touré have both been shown the exit door, and they have been joined by Jordan Ibe and Joe Allen, who will be playing their football at Bournemouth and Stoke respectively.  

Liverpool have parted with over £35 million to secure the services of striker Sadio Mané.