Predicting EPL 2015-16 Champions, Top 4, Relegated

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2015/16 season predictions: Sportsmail's experts decide their picks for the title, top four, FA Cup, Champions League and more

* Jamie Redknapp tips Chelsea to retain their Premier League title
* Jamie Carragher backs Liverpool to win the League Cup
* Ian Ladyman thinks Manchester United will land the FA Cup
* Oliver Holt believes Barcelona will successfully defend Champions League

The countdown is almost over. As the big kick-off looms, our experts have stuck their necks on the line as they predict the real winners and losers over the next nine months.

Will Chelsea retain the Premier League title? According to 14 out of 16 of our writers, yes they will. Are Barcelona good enough to successfully defend the Champions League. Again, most think so.

So what about the rest: who makes up the top-four? Which sides are destined for doom? And which Championship sides are on the road to the Promised Land of the Premier League?

Our experts also debate which players need to raise their game, the best signing of the summer, the player they would happily pay to see and the one thing they would ban.

JAMIE REDKNAPP

Champions: Chelsea

Top four: Chelsea, Arsenal, Man City, Man United

Relegated: Norwich, Watford, Sunderland.

FA Cup: Arsenal

League Cup: Chelsea

Champions League: Barcelona

Promoted: Middlesbrough, QPR, Hull

Who is your signing of the summer?

Raheem Sterling. For a 20-year-old to move for that much money shows you how the game has completely changed. It’s been an amazing saga and he’s a very good player but, right or wrong, it shows he has got something about him. He just does not care what people think of him and you have to respect that. He has taken all sorts of abuse his attitude remains: ‘Bring it on.’

But it made sense for Liverpool, too - there’s no point hanging onto a player who does not want to be there anymore. Liverpool will hope Jordan Ibe can step up while Sterling could make a real difference to City.

Who is the No 1 player you’d pay to watch?

There are so many good technical players in the Premier League that I love to watch – Santi Cazorla, David Silva, Alexis Sanchez. But the No 1 still has to be Eden Hazard. When he’s switched on he is incredible. The frightening thing is there’s still more to come.

Which player needs to raise their game?

Vincent Kompany. When he’s fit he’s the best centre back in the country bar none. But last season he was poor. He had problems with injury and I get the feeling he will bounce back strong this season. I hope I’m right.

What is the one thing you’d ban?

Clubs changing their kits every year. It costs fans a fortune to keep up with current trends and it’s just not fair. I get as excited as my kids about seeing who’s wearing what but for a lot of parents it’s unfair how much they have to fork out. The clubs make enough money, they should be able to give something back to the fans.

JAMIE CARRAGHER

Champions: Chelsea

Top four: Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United

Relegated: Bournemouth, Watford, Sunderland.

FA Cup: Manchester City

League Cup: Liverpool

Champions League: Real Madrid

Promoted: Burnley, Derby, Middlesbrough

Who is your signing of the summer?

Petr Cech. I said in a column towards the end of last season that I wanted Arsenal to buy him. He is an outstanding goalkeeper and solves one of the areas Arsenal have lacked strength in.

Who is the No 1 player you’d pay to watch?

David Silva. When he plays well, Manchester City play well. He is one of the greatest foreign players ever to come to the Premier League and we should enjoy every minute that he is here.

Which player needs to raise their game?

Mesut Ozil. His form improved towards the end of last season but I still think back to the player who was outstanding at the World Cup in 2010 and I am looking for him to repeat that form.

What is the one thing you’d ban?

Dressing room selfies. I’ve made my feelings on this known plenty of times this year and you won’t find me changing my opinion!

LEE CLAYTON

Champions: Chelsea

Top four: Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United

Relegated: Leicester, Bournemouth, Watford

FA Cup: Arsenal

League Cup: Chelsea

Champions League: Bayern Munich

Promoted: Middlesbrough, Derby, Nottingham Forest

Who is your signing of the summer?

Predictable answer. Petr Cech. Safe pair of hands, signature signing, stolen from rivals. I’ve long thought Laurent Koscileny is top class, now with a top class goalkeeper behind him he could become the best defender in the country.

Who is the No 1 player you’d pay to watch?

Wayne Rooney in his pursuit to score 25 goals as the leader of the line at Manchester United. I do pay to watch West Ham and so I have paid to watch Dimitri Payet. I’m told to expect good things.

Which player needs to raise their game this season?

Luke Shaw. When I watched him at Southampton, he was a scampering, surging, attacking full back. Since he moved to Manchester United, he has suffered with fitness and injuries and a loss of confidence. England needs the old Luke Shaw.

What is the one thing you’d ban?

Anyone seen selling half and half scarves should be sent to Siberia. Cup Finals might be acceptable, West Ham vs Spurs, Liverpool vs United is not. On a positive, I’d like clubs who have creative ticketing prices that benefit supporters to receive wider acknowledgement. Swansea, for instance, with their away fans pricing. Others need to follow their lead.

JEFF POWELL

Champions: Arsenal

Top four: Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City

Relegated:Bournemouth, Watford, Leicester

Promoted: Wolves, Ipswich, Cardiff

League Cup: Chelsea

FA Cup: Manchester United

Who is your signing of the summer?

Petr Cech. He can save the points early in the season which can launch Arsenal’s run for the top later from a higher position than usual

Who is the No 1 player you’d pay to watch?

Eden Hazard. He's the best, bravest, most honourable footballer in the country

Which player needs to raise their game this season?

Jordan Henderson – given the Liverpool captaincy now following all those plaudits last season but has yet to fulfil with club or country

What is the one thing you’d ban?

The attempts to kick Eden Hazard out of the game – the referees must act whether or not they like being told to do so by Jose Mourinho

OLIVER HOLT

Champions: Chelsea

Top four: Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal, Manchester City

Relegated: Sunderland, Aston Villa, Norwich

FA Cup: Manchester United

League Cup: Chelsea

Champions League: Barcelona

Promoted: Burnley, Middlesbrough, Nottingham Forest

Who is your signing of the summer?

Morgan Schneiderlin. He was exactly what Manchester United needed to anchor midfield and improve the team. He was also exactly what Arsenal needed so that makes it an even better signing.

Who is the No 1 player you’d pay to watch?

Eden Hazard. There’s a simple reason for singling him out – he’s the greatest talent in the Premier League. Not at the level of Messi or Ronaldo yet but getting closer.

Which player needs to raise their game this season?

Yaya Toure. Terrific player but should have been better last season. City are creaking and will desperately need him to assume a great leadership role.

What is the one thing you’d ban?

Players banging their hands against the ground to emphasise the amount of agonising pain they are in and that this one is really bad – and then springing up a minute later.

IAN LADYMAN

Champions: Chelsea

Top four: Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United.

Relegated: Bournemouth, Watford, Aston Villa.

FA Cup: Manchester United

League Cup: Chelsea

Champions League: Barcelona

Promoted: Burnley, Derby, Middlesbrough

Who is your signing of the summer?

Peter Cech. Arsenal have suffered for the lack of a world class goalkeeper for years. Now they have one.

Who is the No 1 player you’d pay to watch?

Sergio Aguero in full flight and fully fit at Manchester City is a sight to behold. One of the most natural and effective goal scorers I have ever seen.

Which player needs to raise their game this season?

Across town at Manchester United, they have two players – Phil Jones and Chris Smalling – who have just been rewarded with new contracts and now it’s time to step up, grow up and show us what all the fuss is supposed to be about.

What is the one thing you’d ban?

Phone cameras. Just watch the game, folks. Your photographs will be rubbish anyway.

DOMINIC KING

Champions: Chelsea

Top four: Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United

Relegated: Watford, Norwich, Sunderland

FA Cup: Manchester City

League Cup: Liverpool

Champions League: Barcelona

Promoted: Middlesbrough, Derby, Hull

Who is your signing of the summer?

The most headline grabbing one has been Manchester United’s acquisition of Bastian Schweinsteiger. But in terms of actually making a difference to a team and not paying over the odds, I’d have to go for Petr Cech moving to Arsenal.

Who is the No 1 player you’d pay to watch?

Alexis Sanchez. A brilliant first season, superb in the Copa America and is only getting better. Now that he is attuned to the English game, he could be unstoppable. He is more exciting and explosive than Eden Hazard and could end the year being recognised as the PFA Player of the Year.

Which player needs to raise their game this season?

Yaya Toure. Coasted through last year and looked distracted, not the domineering influence we have come to expect. When he plays, Manchester City play. Now that he has his mind right, he needs to get back to his brilliant best. Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge, meanwhile, will have a bit to prove when he returns from injury.

What is the one thing you’d ban?

Selfies. The word is excruciating and it’s becoming a joke to see players celebrating routine home wins by crowding around a mobile phone to Tweet it/Instagram it/ Facebook it. They are doing their job by winning. Save the pictures for the games that matter when a trophy is involved!

ROB DRAPER

Champions: Chelsea

Top 4: Chelsea, Arsenal, Man Utd, Man City

Relegated: Leicester, Watford, Norwich

FA Cup: Manchester United

League Cup: Liverpool

Champions League: Real Madrid

Promoted: Middlesbrough, Burnley, QPR

Who is your signing of the summer?

Petr Cech. Will Roman Abramovich live to regret his benevolence? Ever since Jens Lehman left, Arsenal have lacked a convincing back four. Cech isn’t just a world-class performer but an organiser on then pitch and an influencer off it. Arsenal’s soft centre might have hardened up a little.

Who is the No 1 player you’d pay to watch?

Alexis Sanchez. It will take a few weeks to be back to his best after Copa America. But having scored the decisive penalty to win Chile its first major football trophy, Sanchez is at the peak of his career and confidence. One year on, he knows the Premier League now and can be even better

Which player needs to raise their game this season?

Raheem Sterling. Not that last season was terrible; but it wasn’t as good as the one before when he had Luis Suarez alongside him. So now, with a £49m transfer tag, he needs to understand that he is required to deliver all the time. And if you flounce out of one club, you had better make sure all the aggravation was worthwhile by making a success of your new club.

What is the one thing you’d ban?

Any talk of the ‘world’s best league.’ Richest, best-marketed, most-global, most-watched, I can live with. But please can we all avoid the ‘best’ word until we have at least one team that can make it past the Champions League quarter finals.

RIATH AL-SAMARRAI

Champions: Chelsea

Top four: Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal

Relegated: Leicester, Watford, Norwich

FA Cup: Manchester City

Capital One Cup: Tottenham

Champions League: Barcelona

Promoted: Derby, Hull, Middlesbrough

Who is your signing of the summer?

Petr Cech. Arsene Wenger has always seemed to have a blindspot when it comes to keepers but this is a great signing at a great price. Arsenal are still some way from being contenders but Cech’s arrival is big progress.

Who is the No 1 player you’d pay to watch?

Diego Costa. He doesn’t have much elegance, but he’s a tremendous striker and a wrecking ball to defences. He is almost as likely to snap and lose his rag as he is to win a match - good theatre.

Which player needs to raise their game this season?

Raheem Sterling. No shortage of people are waiting to see if he can live up to his opinion of himself. At £49m it will be very hard to hide behind the ‘potential’ tag.

What is the one thing you’d ban?

Some of the morons who get on trains to and from matches and share their special brand of stupidity with other passengers.

MIKE KEEGAN

Champions: Chelsea

Top four: Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal, Manchester United.

Relegated: Bournemouth, Leicester City, Sunderland.

FA Cup: Manchester United

League Cup: Tottenham Hotspur.

Champions League: Barcelona.

Promoted: Hull City, Middlesbrough, Burnley.

Who is your signing of the summer?

Raheem Sterling.Yes, at £49million, he did not come cheap. And yes, the consensus is that Liverpool won this one which is probably right. But let’s see if that is still the case in 12 months. An on-form Sterling remember, is an almighty player - but think of what the likes of David Silva and Sergio Aguero can do with all that extra space. Frightening.

Who is the No 1 player you’d pay to watch?

Eden Hazard. Jose Mourinho thinks the nimble Belgian was better than Cristiano Ronaldo last season and he may have a point. The best feet in the Premier League and probably the best brain. Sensational player.

Which player needs to raise their game this season?

Luke Shaw. The left-back’s first season at Manchester United started badly when Louis van Gaal branded him unfit days after he arrived for £30m and got worse thanks to a spate of injuries. To his credit, Shaw took a personal trainer on holiday and has looked sharp and focused during pre-season. Could be like a new signing for United.

What is the one thing you’d ban?

Taking the ball to the corner flag. I have absolutely no idea why this is not banned. It is simply blatant time-wasting and it winds me up every time I see it.

LAURIE WHITWELL

Champions: Chelsea

Top four: Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City

Relegated: Watford, Norwich, Sunderland

FA Cup: Manchester United

League Cup: Manchester City

Champions League: Bayern Munich

Promoted: Derby, Middlesbrough, Wolves

Who is your signing of the summer?

Bastian Schweinsteiger may be 30 but £15million represents a snip considering the wealth of experience and technique he brings to Manchester United’s midfield. For too long United’s belly has been their Achilles heel but the German international is capable of propelling them into a title challenge.

Who is the No 1 player you’d pay to watch?

Alexis Sanchez. Plays as if the world is about to end both in intensity and quality, desperate to show all he has before too late. Eden Hazard is pretty majestic too, but Sanchez, who I was fortunate to see score a wondrous FA Cup final goal, gets my money through his Tasmanian devil attitude.

Which player needs to raise their game this season?

Towards the end of last season Phil Jones showed glimpses of the potential that convinced Sir Bobby Charlton to mention him in the same breath as Duncan Edwards. Too much of the time, injuries allowing, he has been found wanting. With United unlikely to add a defender the chance is there to step forwards.

What is the one thing you’d ban?

Absolutely half-and-half scarves. An abomination on the tribal instincts which have made football the sport it is. Would happily advocate barring anyone trying to bring such offensive items into stadia. Commemorations should be reserved for finals and funerals.

JOE BERNSTEIN

Champions: Manchester City

Top four: Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool

Relegated: Norwich, Watford, Aston Villa

FA Cup: Mancheter United

League Cup: Stoke City

Champions League: Chelsea

Who is your signing of the summer?

Dimitri Payet. At last a No 10 with vision and quick feet that will have West Ham fans reminiscing about Di Canio, Sir Trevor Brooking and the Academy of Football. A snip at £14m.

Who is the player you’d pay to watch?

Raheem Sterling. A controversial figure this summer but he is an outstanding natural talent who should thrive with Silva and Aguero. It’s his balance with the ball that makes him out as special

Which player needs to raise their game?

Wayne Rooney. This is his big chance, he has the job he coveted of being United’s main striker and will be judged by the standards of Aguero and Costa. Was good last season, has to be great now.

What would you ban?

Taking the ball into the corner as a tactical ploy to hold onto the lead, particularly when injury time hasn’t even started. Book the offender for unsporting behaviour. One team tried it with 10 minutes left last season.

CRAIG HOPE

Champions: Chelsea

Top four: Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United

Relegated: Aston Villa, Leicester, Watford

FA Cup: Arsenal

League Cup: Newcastle

Champions League: Barcelona

Promoted: Middlesbrough, Burnley, Derby

Who is your signing of the summer?

I’m going to pick two because I think they are both players of the same stamp. Newcastle have paid £14.5m for Georginio Wijnaldum and Southampton around £8m for Jordy Clasie. The cost, though, is almost irrelevant, it is more that two clubs outside of the top six have secured the signings of highly-rated Holland internationals. Wijnaldum was captain of PSV, Clasie the skipper at Feyenoord. They are both just 24 years old and the top clubs will be keeping a very close eye on the progress of the midfield pair this season.

Who is the No 1 player you’d pay to watch?

I love players who take risks and back themselves – in that respect, I’d pay to watch Jack Wilshere. He never shies away from possession, is always progressive and isn’t afraid to have a dribble. He is different to any other midfielder in the country and, if he stays fit of course, would be one of my first picks for England.

Which player needs to raise their game this season?

Yaya Toure. He probably won’t, of course, but never has there been a player who fails to make the most of his superior attributes on a consistent basis.

What is the one thing you’d ban?

Gloves outside of the months December to February. For some players they now seem like a permanent accessory. Garish yellow and orange boots, too, still don’t feel right.

SAM CUNNINGHAM

Champions: Chelsea

Top four: Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal, Manchester United

Relegated: Norwich, Leicester, Watford

FA Cup: Arsenal

League Cup: Manchester United

Champions League: Chelsea

Promoted: Hull, Burnley, Middlesbrough

Who is your signing of the summer?

Petr Cech. It is the one position Arsenal have consistently struggled with since they lost David Seaman and not only did Arsene Wenger get one of the best goalkeepers in the world, he stole him from a rival.

Who is the No 1 player you'd pay to watch?

Memphis Depay. Seems to have that swagger about him which will light up matches this season.

Which player needs to raise their game this season?

Luke Shaw. He has initially found it difficult to settle at Manchester United but the left-back has the potential to be the best in the world. Let’s hope he shows that this season.

What is the one thing you'd ban?

Half-and-half scarves — I mean, why? Just why?

MATT LAWTON

Champions: Chelsea

Top four: Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal

Relegated: Bournemouth, Watford, Leicester

FA Cup: Liverpool

League Cup: Everton

Champions League: Real Madrid

Promoted: Middlesbrough, Burnley, Derby

CHRIS WHEELER

Champions: Chelsea

Top four: Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal

Relegated: Bournemouth, Leicester, Watford,

FA Cup: Manchester United

League Cup: Manchester City

Champions League: Barcelona

Promoted: Ipswich, Derby, Middlesbrough

MATT BARLOW

Champions: Chelsea

Top four: Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United

Relegated: Bournemouth, Leicester, Sunderland

FA Cup: Manchester United

League Cup: Arsenal

Champions League: Bayern Munich

Promoted: Burnley, Ipswich, Reading

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3187078/2015-16-season-predictions-Jamie-Redknapp-Jamie-Carragher-win-Premier-League.html

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'MU Tak Terlihat Seperti Tim yang Bisa Menangi Premier League'
Doni Wahyudi - detikSport



Manchester - Manchester United masih mencatat hasil 100% kemenangan di tiga pertandingan kompetitif yang dijalani di awal musim ini. Namun penampilan The Red Devils dinilai jauh dari meyakinkan.

Kemenangan 1-0 atas Tottenham Hotspur mengawali kiprah MU di Premier League 2015/2016. Bermain di Old Trafford, Wayne Rooney dkk dapat poin penuh berkat gol bunuh diri Kyle Walker. Mereka kembali dapat poin maksimal di pertandingan kedua setelah kembali unggul 1-0 atas Aston Villa.

Kemarin, kemenangan lain kembali didapat anak didik Louis van Gaal. Berlaga di play-off Liga Champions, aksi-aksi Memphis Depay memberi timnya keunggulan telak 3-1.

Tiga kemenangan di tiga laga kompetitif pertama menjadi awal yang bagus untuk MU. Namun penampilan mereka dinilai tidak meyakinkan. MU malah disebut tidak terlihat seperti tim yang bakal bisa memenangi gelar.

"Ini masih di awal musim dan mungkin terdengar ganjil mengatakannya pada tim yang sudah meraih tiga kemenangan dan tidak kebobolan di liga. Tapi tim ini (MU) tidak terlihat seperti sebuah tim yang akan memenangi titel," ucap Andy Cole.

"Penampilan saat menang menghadapi (Club) Brugge membangkitkan keyakinan, (tapi) kapanpun itu MU sudah seharusnya mengalahkan klub asal Belgia di kandangnya. Seperti saat berhadapan dengan Spurs dan Aston Villa, mereka bermain bagus selama 20 menit pertama sebelum akhirnya bisa mencetak keunggulan," lanjut mantan penyerang MU itu di DailyMail.

Ujian berat pertama yang akan dihadapi MU di Premier League datang di pekan keempat saat Liverpool datang bertamu. Sepekan berselang mereka harus melawat ke Southampton dan dilanjutkan dengan lawatan ke Arsenal dua pekan setelahnya.

"Apakah MU akan bisa melakukan hal yang sama saat berhadapan dengan tim yang lebih superior di musim ini? Saya tidak yakin," lanjut pemain yang selama delapan musim berseragam MU mencetak 121 gol itu.

http://sport.detik.com/sepakbola/read/2015/08/20/110020/2996356/72/mu-tak-terlihat-seperti-tim-yang-bisa-menangi-premier-league

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Liverpool will not finish in the top four this season, says former striker Craig Bellamy

* Craig Bellamy does not believe that his former club Liverpool will qualify for the Champions League this season
* Anfield club have spent heavily on players including Roberto Firmino and Christian Benteke in an effort to finish in the top four
* Philippe Coutinho is the Reds' 'star man', according to the Welshman
* Brendan Rodgers' side faces a 'difficult' challenge in the Europa League

Liverpool will fall short of Champions League qualification this season, believes their former striker Craig Bellamy.

Having finished sixth last season, eight points behind bitter rivals Manchester United in fourth, Liverpool spent £80million in the summer to try and reclaim their place in the Champions League.

Christian Benteke Roberto Firmino and Nathaniel Clyne, Joe Gomez, James Milner, Adam Bogdan and Danny Ings were all brought into the club by Brendan Rodgers, but Bellamy believes the squad is still short of quality compared to their fellow top four rivals.


Liverpool, pictured losing to West Ham, will not finish in the top four, according to former striker Craig Bellamy

‘I’d love to say they can qualify for the Champions League but I feel they will fall a little bit short of that again this year,’ he told Sportsmail exclusively.

‘I think [Christian] Benteke is a brilliant signing – he’s definitely a player who is going to do well. They’re desperate for [Daniel] Sturridge to have an injury-free season as he holds a lot of the keys as to how Liverpool will do.

‘For me though the star man at the moment is Philippe Coutinho – everything goes through him at the moment. For Benteke and Sturridge to have good seasons, a lot is going to have come from Coutinho. There will be a lot on him but he is one of the stars of the Premier League.

‘I don’t see it being a season like it was two years ago and I don’t think they will be too far away from the Champions League either but I think unfortunately they will just miss out on this season.’

If the 36-year-old’s belief is correct then the Merseysiders’ best route to qualify for the Champions League next season would come via the Europa League.

Winners of the latter competition now qualify for the former – with Sevilla being the first to do so last season with their victory over Dnipro in May.

When asked if Liverpool could match the feats of the Spanish club, Bellamy was unconvinced due to the difficulties of balancing the Premier League and Europa League.

‘The Europa League is difficult, it really is to try and compete in that and then play Premier League football on a Sunday,’ the Wales international added.

‘In the Champions League you’re travelling to some of the best cities and stadiums in Europe but in the Europa League you’re going further out, to lesser stadiums, travelling is a lot more stressful and I feel in that competition everyone just wants to get through.

‘You try and get to the quarter-finals as well as you can with your league form intact, while changing as much as possible, but it get serious around about the knockout stage.

‘Before then you just want to try and keep your league position as strong as possible while trying to get through the group stages.’

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3221126/Liverpool-not-finish-four-season-says-former-striker-Craig-Bellamy.html

[wira_ozora]

1.MU
2.City
3.Leicester
4.Crystal Palace
Menarik di awal musim ini liat kiprah 2 club kejutan, Leicester n Palace. Dua club itu dilatih sm pelatih2 berpengalaman, Claudio Ranieri n Alan Pardew. Salut sama 2 manager itu, Palace baru kalah sekali n Leicester bahkan belum pernah kalah. Kalau 2 club ini konsisten tampil ciamik sampai akhir musim,,dua2nya layak untuk menggusur Arsenal,Chelsea,Spurs,n Pool dari zona Liga Champions.

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Manchester United WILL beat Liverpool at Old Trafford, insists Louis van Gaal... but we won't win the Premier League this season

* Manchester United host Liverpool in Saturday's Premier League clash
* Louis van Gaal has insisted the Red Devils will secure the three points
* United boss conceded the club won't win Premier League this season
* Instead, a second or third place finish in the league is more realistic

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has told supporters not to worry about Saturday's clash with fierce rivals Liverpool by declaring: 'We will win on Saturday'.

In a candid chat with BBC's Dan Walker, Van Gaal reassured fans following their Premier League defeat to Swansea.

He stopped short of saying they could win the league, believing a second or third place finish is more realistic and announced that he expects Ryan Giggs to succeed him as manager at Old Trafford.

Van Gaal and Giggs were addressing an audience of executive United season ticket holders at Lancashire County Cricket ground on Wednesday evening.

Questioned about the loss to Swansea, van Gaal said: 'I am sorry, the defeat, was my fault. Don't worry, we will win on Saturday.'

Van Gaal, who saw his United side beat Liverpool 3-0 at Old Trafford and win 2-1 at Anfield last season, said he expected United to challenge on all fronts this term.

However, he stopped short of claiming United will win the title. 'No, maybe third or second place is realistic but I expect us to go for it next season,' he said.


Van Gaal stopped short of saying they could win the league, believing a second or third place finish is realistic

Van Gaal added that he believed United's support was the best in the world: 'At Barcelona when the team is losing fans wave their white hankies, Munich fans start whistling and at Ajax the fans call for the previous manager.

'Manchester United fans get behind their manager, they get behind their team. That is why United fans are the best in the world.'
Van Gaal stopped short of saying they could win the league, believing a second or third place finish is realistic

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3229194/Manchester-United-beat-Liverpool-Old-Trafford-insists-Louis-van-Gaal-won-t-win-Premier-League-season.html

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Chelsea can still finish in the top four despite nightmare start insists bullish midfielder Ramires

* Premier League champions Chelsea have got their title defence off to a disastrous start this season and are 16th in the table after eight games
* However, Blues midfielder Ramires is confident that his side can turn things round and pledged support for under-fire manager Jose Mourinho
* No team in Chelsea's position have ever gone on to finish in the top four, but Ramires believes they can defy history

Ramires insists Chelsea have the talent and spirit to rescue their season and finish in the top four.

Jose Mourinho's team are 10 points adrift of Barclays Premier League leaders Manchester City after eight games.

No English club has qualified the Champions League places after such a bad start but Jose Mourinho's players have rallied this week to promote a message of defiance.

'History is there to be changed,' said Ramires. 'I strongly believe we have the quality to do it. We are doing the best we can to get out of this situation that we have put ourselves in. We have not produced good performances but we are working on it.

'We have not lost trust in Jose. Everyone trusts him. We think he's the best manager for us.

'I understand perfectly where he's coming from when he said if he didn't have the confidence of the players he would step aside but that's not the case at all.


Blues manager Jose Mourinho has come under scrutiny after a poor start to the season

'When you lose a few games the confidence goes a bit low, but we're all together. The mood is fine and we are training and working hard. We want to be at the top of the table, not the bottom.'

Mourinho came under fire after two defeats in five days last week, when he dropped senior players including captain John Terry, player of the year Eden Hazard, Nemanja Matic, Oscar, Radamel Falcao and Loic Remy.

Matic was sent on as a half-time substitute against Southampton and replaced less than half-an-hour later.

The Chelsea boss challenged owner Roman Abramovich to sack him, and said he would only quit if the players no longer trusted him.

Terry, Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa all took the cue to back their manager in public and Ramires has added his support.

'Maybe it's a shared guilt,' said the Brazilian. 'When things don't go the way everyone expects, people look at the players and the manager. Lots of questions are asked.

'It is normal when we're not playing well and losing for the manager to take it out on the players. He needs to get a reaction.

'Maybe some players are not doing what he expects them to do, so that's why he is on top of us, on top of things, trying to get a reaction because he knows he can get the best out of us.

'So we all need to calm down and we can get out of this.'

Ramires has played under five different managers since he arrived from Benfica in 2010.

Only under Mourinho has he won the Barclays Premier League title, but he admits this is his most difficult time at Stamford Bridge.

'I've been here for five years and this is the worst moment,' said Ramires. 'We only have three points in the Champions League and we are near the bottom of the table.

'But I've had experiences like this before in Brazil and we were able to get back.

'We're hoping that after the international break, we can get a few wins in a row, starting with the Aston Villa game and go from there, trying to get as high as we can.

'We are very aware we need to turn it around as quickly as possible.

'We know Jose is the best manager for us because of all we achieved last season. The club couldn't win for a few years, and then he came in and we won it, playing really good football.

'We're at a point where we need to react quickly because we don't want to lose him.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3265669/Chelsea-finish-four-despite-nightmare-start-insists-bullish-midfielder-Ramires.html

[zudomiriku]

Arsenal will win the Premier League this season... I genuinely think it is their year, insists club legend Thierry Henry

* Arsenal haven't won the Premier League since the 2003-04 season
* The Gunners currently sit second in the table - behind Manchester City
* Arsene Wenger's side are on a four-game winning run in the league

Arsenal legend Thierry Henry is confident that this will be their season as the Gunners attempt to end their 11-year Premier League title drought.

The north London outfit currently sit second in the Premier League table behind Manchester City but only on goal difference - winning their last four games in the league.

Arsene Wenger's men are on a four-game winning run in the league, with big victories against Leicester City, Manchester United and Watford. They've also beaten German champions Bayern Munich in the Champions League and are performing much better in bigger games than in recent times.


Arsenal club legend Thierry Henry is confident that his former side can lift the Premier League title this season

Speaking to TalkSPORT on Tuesday, Henry spoke with confidence about his former side's chances, saying: 'I genuinely think it is their year. They are getting results against big teams now and are backing up those results after big games. That is the key.'

The form of both Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott has been an integral part to Arsenal's recent form and their competitive battle for the striker role is healthy according to Henry.

'Theo Walcott playing in the middle is pushing Giroud, and Giroud playing in the middle when Theo isn't playing is pushing Theo. There is healthy competition there now that you need in the game.'

The consistency of Germany international Mesut Ozil has also played a key role so far this season - with the World Cup winner weighing in with seven assists, the highest of anyone in the league.

His consistent performances have impressed Henry who believes the 27-year-old playmaker has finally 'woken up.'

'Mesut Ozil, as well, has finally woken up,' he added. 'You know what he can do.

'He is an amazing player, a World Cup winner, with the touch, the vision, but he wasn't always doing it on a daily basis with Arsenal. Now he is doing it.'

The 38-year-old also heaped praise on the midfield duo of Santi Cazorla and Alexis Sanchez who are both important players in their title challenge, according to the Frenchman.

'Then you have Cazorla. He is the brain of the team - the way he wants to play is how the team is going to play. Then there is the X-factor you always need to have to win a title - Alexis Sanchez. He is the guy that you know, when he is in tune, it is very difficult to beat Arsenal.'

Arsenal have been impressive in defence this season with summer signing Petr Cech having kept five clean sheets, with only Joe Hart (six) keeping more. This has been helped by strong performances by full backs Hector Bellerin and Nacho Monreal. This is something that has pleased Henry.

'The back four is also doing very well. Bellerin is doing well, Nacho Monreal is showing why he is at Arsenal and Petr Cech is doing what he is supposed to.'

Arsenal are without a league title since 2003-04 when the 'Invincibles' side went the season unbeaten. Although that feat can't be achieved this time around, they'll no doubt feel confident in providing a solid title challenge.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3293828/Arsenal-win-Premier-League-season-genuinely-think-year-insists-club-legend-Thierry-Henry.html

[zudomiriku]

Arsenal aren't consistent, Chelsea are the disaster story of the season, with Leicester the feelgood factor... so does anyone actually want to win the Premier League?

* Leicester City sit top of the Premier League after 13 games this season
* Manchester United sit second despite some uninspiring displays this term
* Jurgen Klopp has improved Liverpool's fortunes since becoming manager
* Champions Chelsea sit 15th in the table having lost seven games already

At this stage last season, Chelsea were unbeaten in the Barclays Premier League, had won 10 of 12 matches and were seven points clear at the top of the table.

It was a gauntlet laid down for the rest of the league and a lead they had extended by another point by the time they won the title in May.

This year, no-one is taking the bull by the horns and Leicester City, a team who were almost relegated last season, are the shock table toppers.

Does anyone actually want to win it this season?

How long will the Premier League bull keep raging uncontrollably out of reach?

Can the unlikely lads at Leicester really keep it going?

Sportsmail takes a look at the main contenders and assesses why they’ll lift they title, and why they won’t...

Manchester City

Best odds of winning the title: 7/5* (Ladbrokes, Paddy Power)

Manuel Pellegrini’s side appeared to be the most likely to assert their dominance; winning their first five games, sitting comfortably at the top for much of the season and with current champions Chelsea in turmoil. Yet that punishing defeat by Liverpool was a huge knock to their confidence and nothing seems certain now. They remain favourites, despite slipping to third.

Why they’ll win it: Sergio Aguero, Kevin De Bruyne, Raheem Sterling, David Silva… Shall I go on?

Why they won’t: They look lost at the back without captain Vincent Kompany in the side.

Arsenal

Best odds of winning the title: 9/4 (several firms)

One minute they’re beating Bayern Munich, the next they’re losing to Sheffield Wednesday. They win six out of seven games, then win one in five. It is hard to tell which Arsene Wenger team is going to turn up at times. Hardly title-winning consistency.

Why they’ll win it: Because they’re always in contention to win it.

Why they won’t: Because they never do* (*since 2004).

Manchester United

Best odds of winning the title: 4/1 (Paddy Power, Coral)

Louis van Gaal has been set upon by the former players. Paul Scholes branded his football boring and Rio Ferdinand accused him of ruining the reputation built by Sir Alex Ferguson. Yet it has got them to second in the table, even when they look largely devoid of ideas going forward. Whose teams was it who were often praised for winning when they weren’t playing well?

Why they’ll win it: They have the best defensive record in the league.

Why they won’t: Despite their obvious talent in attack, they are struggling to score.

LEAGUE FIXTURES LEFT THIS YEAR

November 28 - Leicester (A)

December 5 - West Ham (H)

December 12 - Bournemouth (A)

December 19 - Norwich (H)

December 26 - Stoke (A)

December 28 - Chelsea (H)

Tottenham

Best odds of winning the title: 25/1 (several firms)

The opening-day defeat by Manchester United left Spurs fans with the feeling this season would be the same old story for them. A narrow defeat against a top-four side. Not quite close enough. Yet since then they are unbeaten, a 1-0 defeat at Old Trafford does not look so bad and manager Mauricio Pochettino seems to have his players finally buying into his ideals.

Why they’ll win it: They are unbeaten in the league since opening-day defeat by Manchester United in a run that can be built upon.

Why they won’t: They’re probably lacking the squad depth to last the whole season at this rate.

Liverpool

Best odds of winning the title: 25/1 (several firms)

Brendan Rodgers finally got the sack after a poor start to the season, which could have seriously dented their chances of finishing in the top four, let alone winning the title. But Liverpool got the man they wanted to replace him and there is an air about Jurgen Klopp which suggests he could turn them into a great side once again.

Why they’ll win it: Jurgen Klopp has got Merseyside believing once again.

Why they won’t: Early-season form under Brendan Rodgers has likely put the title out of reach for this campaign.

Chelsea

Best odds of winning the title: 66/1 (SkyBet)

The disaster story of the season was not expected to come from last year’s champions, but oh how the mighty have fallen. It is hard to tell what has been worse; their performances on the field or their problems off it. Jose Mourinho is one of the great managers but he is clinging on right now.

Why they’ll win it: When Mourinho gets his teams going they can be unstoppable.

Why they won’t: Too much ground already lost, they are 14 points off the top.

Leicester

Best odds of winning the title: 150/1 (Sky Bet)

The feel-good story was not necessarily expected to come from Leicester. Many questioned the appointment of Claudio Ranieri but he is proving those spectacularly wrong. In Jamie Vardy they have the non-League star who is top of the Premier League scoring charts, chasing records along the way and firing his side to the top.

Why they’ll win it: If Jamie Vardy scores 60 goals.

Why they won’t: He won’t. Southampton were second at this stage last season and finished seventh.

LEICESTER HAVE WORST RECORD AS LEAGUE LEADERS AFTER 13 GAMES

Leicester's record is the worst of any table-topping team after 13 games since the first season of the Premier League.

Chelsea (2010-11), Aston Villa (1998-99), Manchester United (1997-98) and Newcastle (1996-97) all had a better goal difference with 28 points after 13 matches.

Blackburn had 26 points after 13 games in 1992-93 - none of them went on to win the title.

www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3330182/Arsenal-aren-t-consistent-Chelsea-disaster-story-season-Leicester-feelgood-factor-does-actually-want-win-Premier-League.html

[zudomiriku]

Premier League title race half-term report: The top five contenders and where the crown will be won or lost

* The 20-game mark has been reached in this exciting Premier League season
* No team in the division has established a firm grip on the top of the table
* Sportsmail takes a look at the five main title contenders and analyses where they will win it or where it will be lost

The 20-game mark has been reached in this enthralling Premier League season and, whether you think it has been the best ever or the worst in history, no-one can deny that it has gripped fans.

No team has been able to establish a grip on the top of the table, even though current champions Chelsea, who dominated last year, are already out of contention by January.

Arsenal are the only side ever to win the Premier League title after being outside the top five at this stage (they were sixth at this point on their way to winning it in the 1997/98 season.)

Sportsmail has taken a look at the five main title contenders and analysed where each team will win it or lose it.

FIRST: Arsenal — 42 points

Arsene Wenger's side were in imperious form until the crushing 4-0 defeat by Southampton on Boxing Day.

That is the only match they have not won in the past seven, but the result irked supporters who were starting to believe that this was their season.

They are two points clear of Leicester at the top and, likely to be more important come the end of the season, three ahead of Manchester City.

Arsenal must maintain consistency if they want to win it this year.

They are always among the title contenders, Wenger is an expert at keeping with the pack, but the fact they are top at the midway stage and still not considered favourites by the bookies shows the public perception of them as a side who aren't quite good enough.

KEY PLAYER: Mesut Ozil.

STAYING POWER: We are into the 12th season since Arsenal last won the title.

Between 1998 and 2005 they won it three times and did not finish outside the top two for eight seasons in a row, but the club have not ended the season as runners-up in a decade now and have lacked the stamina to go all the way.

POTENTIAL JANUARY TRANSFERS: Mohamed Elneny (Basle), Havard Nordtveit, Granit Xhaka (Borussia Monchengladbach), Aleksandr Kokorin (Dynamo Moscow), Lucas Perez (Deportivo), Victor Osimhen (Ultimate Strikers Academy).

NEXT FIVE LEAGUE FIXTURES: Liverpool (A), Stoke (A), Chelsea (H), Southampton (H), Bournemouth (A).

BETTING ODDS: 11/8 (All odds William Hill).

SECOND: Leicester — 40 points

They are the season's feel-good story.

Jamie Vardy's record-breaking scoring run, Riyad Mahrez the £350,000 signing taking the league by storm, beating team after team when everyone expects results to slip away eventually...

Then they drew 0-0 with Manchester City over Christmas and fans realised Claudio Ranieri's side might just have staying power.

Can they win the title? It would need a miracle.

It would need them to ignore the outside world, to blot out the hype, to cope with the pressure of becoming title contenders and play with the freedom that has made them one.

It would also need Vardy and Mahrez — two of the league's top scorers with 15 and 13 goals respectively — to keep up their strike rate. A tough task.

KEY PLAYER: Riyad Mahrez.

STAYING POWER: They have learnt how to win titles in recent times: they were Championship winners two seasons ago, League One table-toppers in 2009.

But the top flight is a completely different sphere and you have to look back to 1963 to see the last time they even finished inside the top four.

POTENTIAL JANUARY TRANSFERS: Charlie Austin (QPR), Nigel de Jong (AC Milan), Demarai Gray (Birmingham), Aleksandar Dragovic (Dinamo Kiev), Pione Sisto (FC Midtjylland), Andy Delort (Caen), Lovre Kalinic (Hajduk Split), Pedro Pereira (Sampdoria).

NEXT FIVE FIXTURES: Tottenham (A), Aston Villa (A), Stoke (H), Liverpool (H), Manchester City (A).

BETTING ODDS: 25/1.

THIRD: Manchester City — 39 points

Wounded by Jose Mourinho when his Chelsea side brushed them aside on their way to taking the Premier League title from them last season, Manchester City won their first five matches of this campaign, scoring 11 goals and conceding none.

It appeared they were back and stronger than ever following a £100million spend in the summer.

But Manuel Pellegrini's side became beatable — destroyed by Liverpool, stunned by Stoke, out-manoeuvred by Arsenal.

They are the most likely of the teams to go on to lift the trophy.

They have strength in depth that far eclipses their rivals and man-for-man their squad is better than any of the others.

But they need to avoid injuries to key players, which occurs all too often and can mean the difference between winning the title and finishing second.

KEY PLAYER: Sergio Aguero.
City striker Sergio Aguero (right) celebrates his late winner at Vicarage Road on Saturday with Jesus Navas

STAYING POWER: Winners twice and runners-up twice in the past four seasons, they are the most successful Premier League side of the past four years and favourites to win it this time around.

POTENTIAL JANUARY TRANSFERS: Andrija Zivkovic (Partizan Belgrade), Isco (Real Madrid).

NEXT FIVE FIXTURES: Everton (H), Crystal Palace (H), West Ham (A), Sunderland (A), Leicester (H).

BETTING ODDS: 6/5.

FOURTH: Tottenham — 36 points

They have lost just twice in the league all season and set a club record run of unbeaten games from their opening day defeat by Manchester United.

That would have stretched until the present day had their other loss not been an out-of-character performance against relegation-threatened Newcastle.

Harry Kane has coped well with pressure building from struggling to score in the early stages and already has 11 in the league.

There is a feel-good factor about the place, permeating the football club from manager Mauricio Pochettino who is, simply, a really nice bloke.

If they can turn a few of their draws (nine so far this season) into wins, they really could win the title, however odd that sounds.

KEY PLAYER: Harry Kane.

STAYING POWER: Third is their highest-placed finish in the top tier in the past 26 years.

Six finishes inside the top six during the last six years have made them a consistent side, but still one lacking the know-how to win the title.

POTENTIAL JANUARY TRANSFERS: Saido Berahino (WBA), Sandro Ramirez (Barcelona), Laurent Depoitre (Gent), Michy Batshuayi (Marseille).

NEXT FIVE FIXTURES: Leicester (H), Sunderland (H), Crystal Palace (A), Norwich (A), Watford (H).

BETTING ODDS: 10/1.

FIFTH: Manchester United — 33 points

Manager Louis van Gaal has survived a rocky ride in December. Reports that he would be sacked if they lost to Stoke proved unfounded when they lost to Stoke.

The Premier League beast bucked and reared but he held on for dear life and is probably looking at the league table now having come through it and feeling that nine points off first-place Arsenal is nowhere near as bad as it could have been.


Manchester United got back to winning ways at the weekend as they defeated Swansea City at home

Wayne Rooney has to rediscover his form if they are to stand any chance of keeping up with the rest and making a late charge.

He showed a glimpse of that, with a wonderful back-heel flick to win the match against Swansea — their first victory in eight games.

He needs help from Anthony Martial and Memphis Depay too.

KEY PLAYER: Wayne Rooney.


Wayne Rooney has to rediscover his form if they are to stand any chance of keeping up with the rest

STAYING POWER: Thirteen Premier League title wins since the league's inception in 1992 makes them the most qualified of any team — by a long way — to win it.

Under Sir Alex Ferguson they did not finish outside the top three, but times have changed since he left and they have ended the season seventh and fourth in the last two.

POTENTIAL JANUARY TRANSFERS: Felipe Anderson (Lazio), Yoshinori Muto (Mainz), Riyad Mahrez (Leicester), Goncalo Guedes (Benfica), Rafa Silva (Braga), Lucas Moura (PSG), Moussa Dembele (Fulham), Saido Berahino (WBA), Benjamin Mendy (Marseille), Adriano (Barcelona), Ryan Bertrand (Southampton), Sadio Mane (Southampton).

NEXT FIVE FIXTURES: Newcastle (A), Liverpool (A), Southampton (H), Stoke (H), Chelsea (A).

BETTING ODDS: 20/1.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3383658/With-Premier-League-20-games-old-Sportsmail-looks-five-contenders-title-won-lost.html

[rondwisan]

rasa-rasanya Team London merah bisa pecah telor nih musim ini, setelah 12 tahun tanpa gelar EPL …?!?!?!

untuk kuda hitam, Leicester, masih ditunggu konsistensinya ……

team Manchester merah berat untuk bisa berada di puncak pada akhir musim, malah sang tetangga biru sepertinya akan kembali finish di atas United …

relegation better thread terpisah kali ya Oom @zudomiriku;