Before I want to discuss in further detail of my predictions for the forthcoming English season, I would like to place two imaginary candles on an imaginary cake and wish my blog, "The world as I see it" a very happy second birthday. After 10,000 readers (or there about), this blog has been a pleasure to write and I hope that you, the readers have enjoyed the blog posts.
Now that is over and away with, here are my predictions for the 2012/13 season. These are the top four divisions that I predicted last season, only this time around one hopes for more accuracy. First of all, I would like to thank the BBC for giving internet users such as myself an application which gives us the table format which perfectly coincides with the long list of fixtures. If only they had a "save" button so I wouldn't have to do these predictions over a four day period. Spending 4-6 hours for each division felt like a full time job. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy these predictions. Just don't be disappointed if I have predicted your favourite club to go down. Equally, don't be disappointed if I have given too much high hopes if you're team doesn't do as well as I predicted.
The Premier League has one or two surprises. Wigan Athletic's luck and patience looks set to run out. After nine seasons in top flight being relegation scrapers for the majority, they will struggle and not find a way to overcome the challenges against the bigger clubs - a contrast to last season after famously or infamously for Chelsea or Manchester United fans, defeating the Blues and the Red Devils at the DW Stadium towards the end of the year.
On the other hand, West Ham United's return to the top flight could send a message to the critics thinking they would not fare as well. I feel they would have a similar effect to Newcastle United who after immediate promotion from the Championship in 2010, finished 12th in 2011 and 5th in 2012. West Ham boss, Sam Allardyce will have little problems spending their prize fund after their dramatic play-off win last year against Blackpool.
With regards to the "bigger" sides, Liverpool, with the new appointment of former Swansea coach Brendan Rodgers, will suffer again and may not make it to the European competitions. The Reds are in the Europa League this season after a successful League Cup run last February, beating Cardiff City in the final. I can't see them doing much better in the league and 8th seems reasonable meaning their bitter rivals Everton do one better.
The predicted title race appears to be clear that the two Manchester sides are to dominate the league but the Red Devils will regain the title in comfortable fashion. United's title would be confirmed when they defeat Chelsea 2-1 at Old Trafford while City draw away to Swansea City 1-1 on the weekend commencing the 4th May.
In the relegation zone on the other hand, Swansea City may feel the loss of Brendan Rodgers a bit too much to handle. Despite the exceptional appointment of Michael Laudrup, his influence failed to give the Welsh side the points they needed to survive. Swansea City impressed last season and so did Norwich City but both Delia Smith and Stephen Fry realise coach Paul Lambert's move to Aston Villa wasn't a great move. Chris Hughton who left Birmingham City last month to join the Canaries will have to do a lot of summer transfers in order to prove me wrong.
Whilst the Premier League is to prove it will be another exciting season, the Championship will give the top flight a run for its money. To me, this division is the second Premier League. With the likes of Middlesbrough, Nottingham Forest and Leeds United battling for a top six place and Charlton Athletic and Sheffield Wednesday back in the second division, one may wonder if we're in the year 1998 again. One team which was in the top flight in 1998 and could succeed to its return to the Premiership is Blackburn Rovers. The Lancashire side, who endured a horrible season last year, could see Steve Kean win back the supporters. They lead the table along with Wolves who also relegated last year.
Cardiff City's re-branding has made it to the headlines with many of its fans upset that now the Bluebirds are no longer blue, but red. To me, for now it would not make a difference to its fortunes as again they may have to wait yet another year to achieve their Premier League status. Although I feel they will reach the top six, the challenge against Huddersfield in the play-off semi finals appears a clash too far. Huddersfield Town I have been in praise of in recent years and celebrated the fact they were promoted from League One last season. I see them doing incredibly well this year. Despite this, Birmingham City could be their obstacle which proves too difficult for them.
I was optimistic last year of Leeds United's success but after their mid-table disappointment, they could fail to achieve this forthcoming season. However, I may underestimate Neil Warnock, who as we all know from his time at Sheffield United and Queen's Park Rangers, we may see Leeds challenging the likes of Blackburn and Wolves.
I spoke of luck was in small proportions for the likes of Wigan Athletic for the top flight. It could be the same with the three relegated teams in the Championship. Bristol City, Millwall and Barnsley have struggled in recent years and have not been troubling those in the top half of the table. With the recently promoted sides doing well in the league, it means the three teams suffer.
They are favourites to win League One outright, and I agree with the bookies on this occasion. Sheffield United have a lot of pressure on them after failing to immediately return to the Championship last season and Danny Wilson's side are in need of some good fortune. I feel they will have a remarkable season. Charlton, who finished top of League One last season managed to complete the year with over 100 points and this time, the South Yorkshire side would perform even better. Milton Keynes Dons look set to follow Sheffield United after they had a very good season during the 2011/12 campaign.
With regards to the play-off places, the inclusion of Crawley Town may appear to be a surprise for those who remember I predicted them in the bottom twelve of League Two last summer. They had a fantastic campaign, despite the departure of manager Steve Evans just weeks before game 46. The Scottish coach, who left for Rotherham, didn't bother Crawley as they managed to finish third, meaning automatic promotion. Although I suggest they finish sixth, trying to beat Preston in the semi final is easier said than done.
In the other play-off semi final sees two very different teams. Portsmouth on one hand has recently suffered financial chaos and may want to avoid another ten point deduction while Swindon Town have been one of the colourful teams in the Football League after manager Paolo Di Canio and automatic promotion from League Two last season. Despite this, I still am not convinced that either will manage to promote and Preston could benefit.
If you remember reading last year, I predicted that Stevenage, Leyton Orient and Bury would finish in the bottom four. All three survived and Stevenage reached the play-offs, but now it seems they have to convince me that they are deserved of League One status. Brentford are the other predicted team to go down, despite finishing August 2012 top of the league with three wins.
It isn't often I suggest that a team will finish a season with more than 100 points but this is the case in League Two with the success of Rotherham United, highlighting a decent season for South Yorkshire (with the exception of Barnsley).
I fear that this is the division which would catch me out seeing as Bradford City have never challenged the top seven in League Two in several years but it appears I suggest they'd return to the third tier of English football. They could be followed by Chesterfield, who was relegated last season from League One. I predicted them sixth on that division.
As you can see from the table on the left, the battle for the third spot was tight. After 45 matches, York was on the verge of a double promotion but were denied, drawing 1-1 to struggling Dagenham meaning Bradford would benefit. York in the play-off semi final would face Northampton - a team which I predicted them to do well last year, barely performed to my predicted standard. However, being manager Aidy Boothroyd's first full season in charge of Northampton, with his experience in coaching decent sides in the past like Watford, I'm sure they can thrive in League Two.
The winner of the tie between Northampton and York would play either Gillingham or Rochdale. Both are seemingly good sides and have experienced League One football. Rochdale has been most recently at that division as they relegated last season while Gillingham missed out on the play-off places by just two points. Who do I think would be the fourth team to promote? It was a difficult choice but one feels York could forget their near-miss and take this opportunity to shine in League One, having a similar effect like Crawley Town.
On the other side of the table, the battle to stay in the English Football League was also close with Barnet, AFC Wimbledon and Fleetwood being in the bottom two at some point during the campaign. However, Accrington Stanley could face the drop, taking them to Blue Square Premier for the first time since the league was named the Conference in 2006. They could be followed by Morecambe, who will have entered the Football League in six years by 2013.
Of course these predictions will probably not be accurate and it is a little bit of fun. These results are subject to change. If a team is deducted any points during the course of the season and you see this blog post at the time, just do the maths and see how much the point deduction has changed the complexion of the division. Enjoy.
Meanwhile, to remind you of my predictions last year, below are the links to them:
Premier League
Championship
League One
League Two
Review in May, part one
Review in May, part two
Now that is over and away with, here are my predictions for the 2012/13 season. These are the top four divisions that I predicted last season, only this time around one hopes for more accuracy. First of all, I would like to thank the BBC for giving internet users such as myself an application which gives us the table format which perfectly coincides with the long list of fixtures. If only they had a "save" button so I wouldn't have to do these predictions over a four day period. Spending 4-6 hours for each division felt like a full time job. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy these predictions. Just don't be disappointed if I have predicted your favourite club to go down. Equally, don't be disappointed if I have given too much high hopes if you're team doesn't do as well as I predicted.
The Premier League has one or two surprises. Wigan Athletic's luck and patience looks set to run out. After nine seasons in top flight being relegation scrapers for the majority, they will struggle and not find a way to overcome the challenges against the bigger clubs - a contrast to last season after famously or infamously for Chelsea or Manchester United fans, defeating the Blues and the Red Devils at the DW Stadium towards the end of the year.On the other hand, West Ham United's return to the top flight could send a message to the critics thinking they would not fare as well. I feel they would have a similar effect to Newcastle United who after immediate promotion from the Championship in 2010, finished 12th in 2011 and 5th in 2012. West Ham boss, Sam Allardyce will have little problems spending their prize fund after their dramatic play-off win last year against Blackpool.
With regards to the "bigger" sides, Liverpool, with the new appointment of former Swansea coach Brendan Rodgers, will suffer again and may not make it to the European competitions. The Reds are in the Europa League this season after a successful League Cup run last February, beating Cardiff City in the final. I can't see them doing much better in the league and 8th seems reasonable meaning their bitter rivals Everton do one better.
The predicted title race appears to be clear that the two Manchester sides are to dominate the league but the Red Devils will regain the title in comfortable fashion. United's title would be confirmed when they defeat Chelsea 2-1 at Old Trafford while City draw away to Swansea City 1-1 on the weekend commencing the 4th May.
In the relegation zone on the other hand, Swansea City may feel the loss of Brendan Rodgers a bit too much to handle. Despite the exceptional appointment of Michael Laudrup, his influence failed to give the Welsh side the points they needed to survive. Swansea City impressed last season and so did Norwich City but both Delia Smith and Stephen Fry realise coach Paul Lambert's move to Aston Villa wasn't a great move. Chris Hughton who left Birmingham City last month to join the Canaries will have to do a lot of summer transfers in order to prove me wrong.
Whilst the Premier League is to prove it will be another exciting season, the Championship will give the top flight a run for its money. To me, this division is the second Premier League. With the likes of Middlesbrough, Nottingham Forest and Leeds United battling for a top six place and Charlton Athletic and Sheffield Wednesday back in the second division, one may wonder if we're in the year 1998 again. One team which was in the top flight in 1998 and could succeed to its return to the Premiership is Blackburn Rovers. The Lancashire side, who endured a horrible season last year, could see Steve Kean win back the supporters. They lead the table along with Wolves who also relegated last year.Cardiff City's re-branding has made it to the headlines with many of its fans upset that now the Bluebirds are no longer blue, but red. To me, for now it would not make a difference to its fortunes as again they may have to wait yet another year to achieve their Premier League status. Although I feel they will reach the top six, the challenge against Huddersfield in the play-off semi finals appears a clash too far. Huddersfield Town I have been in praise of in recent years and celebrated the fact they were promoted from League One last season. I see them doing incredibly well this year. Despite this, Birmingham City could be their obstacle which proves too difficult for them.
I was optimistic last year of Leeds United's success but after their mid-table disappointment, they could fail to achieve this forthcoming season. However, I may underestimate Neil Warnock, who as we all know from his time at Sheffield United and Queen's Park Rangers, we may see Leeds challenging the likes of Blackburn and Wolves.
I spoke of luck was in small proportions for the likes of Wigan Athletic for the top flight. It could be the same with the three relegated teams in the Championship. Bristol City, Millwall and Barnsley have struggled in recent years and have not been troubling those in the top half of the table. With the recently promoted sides doing well in the league, it means the three teams suffer.
They are favourites to win League One outright, and I agree with the bookies on this occasion. Sheffield United have a lot of pressure on them after failing to immediately return to the Championship last season and Danny Wilson's side are in need of some good fortune. I feel they will have a remarkable season. Charlton, who finished top of League One last season managed to complete the year with over 100 points and this time, the South Yorkshire side would perform even better. Milton Keynes Dons look set to follow Sheffield United after they had a very good season during the 2011/12 campaign.With regards to the play-off places, the inclusion of Crawley Town may appear to be a surprise for those who remember I predicted them in the bottom twelve of League Two last summer. They had a fantastic campaign, despite the departure of manager Steve Evans just weeks before game 46. The Scottish coach, who left for Rotherham, didn't bother Crawley as they managed to finish third, meaning automatic promotion. Although I suggest they finish sixth, trying to beat Preston in the semi final is easier said than done.
In the other play-off semi final sees two very different teams. Portsmouth on one hand has recently suffered financial chaos and may want to avoid another ten point deduction while Swindon Town have been one of the colourful teams in the Football League after manager Paolo Di Canio and automatic promotion from League Two last season. Despite this, I still am not convinced that either will manage to promote and Preston could benefit.
If you remember reading last year, I predicted that Stevenage, Leyton Orient and Bury would finish in the bottom four. All three survived and Stevenage reached the play-offs, but now it seems they have to convince me that they are deserved of League One status. Brentford are the other predicted team to go down, despite finishing August 2012 top of the league with three wins.
It isn't often I suggest that a team will finish a season with more than 100 points but this is the case in League Two with the success of Rotherham United, highlighting a decent season for South Yorkshire (with the exception of Barnsley).I fear that this is the division which would catch me out seeing as Bradford City have never challenged the top seven in League Two in several years but it appears I suggest they'd return to the third tier of English football. They could be followed by Chesterfield, who was relegated last season from League One. I predicted them sixth on that division.
As you can see from the table on the left, the battle for the third spot was tight. After 45 matches, York was on the verge of a double promotion but were denied, drawing 1-1 to struggling Dagenham meaning Bradford would benefit. York in the play-off semi final would face Northampton - a team which I predicted them to do well last year, barely performed to my predicted standard. However, being manager Aidy Boothroyd's first full season in charge of Northampton, with his experience in coaching decent sides in the past like Watford, I'm sure they can thrive in League Two.
The winner of the tie between Northampton and York would play either Gillingham or Rochdale. Both are seemingly good sides and have experienced League One football. Rochdale has been most recently at that division as they relegated last season while Gillingham missed out on the play-off places by just two points. Who do I think would be the fourth team to promote? It was a difficult choice but one feels York could forget their near-miss and take this opportunity to shine in League One, having a similar effect like Crawley Town.
On the other side of the table, the battle to stay in the English Football League was also close with Barnet, AFC Wimbledon and Fleetwood being in the bottom two at some point during the campaign. However, Accrington Stanley could face the drop, taking them to Blue Square Premier for the first time since the league was named the Conference in 2006. They could be followed by Morecambe, who will have entered the Football League in six years by 2013.
Of course these predictions will probably not be accurate and it is a little bit of fun. These results are subject to change. If a team is deducted any points during the course of the season and you see this blog post at the time, just do the maths and see how much the point deduction has changed the complexion of the division. Enjoy.
Meanwhile, to remind you of my predictions last year, below are the links to them:
Premier League
Championship
League One
League Two
Review in May, part one
Review in May, part two
You clearly haven't got a clue about the lower leagues. Why would you even bother making predictions?
ReplyDeleteIn particular - League One.
Portsmouth playoffs? Highly unlikely. Brentford relegated?! They're a good bet for promotion. Carlisle 20th?! Sure, whatever mate. I suggest you spend less time making these predictions. You're clearly an arm chair Premiership fan (and even then, West Ham 6th? just lol).
Kind of agree to with this poster, your the sort of guy who "talks" just to hear his own voice, clueless about anything outside the top two divisions. Portsmouth lol, have they even got 11 players to put on the pitch? Carlisle look good for a top 7 place,as do Fleetwood.
ReplyDelete