Team Previews - Crystal Palace

Predicted Line-Up:

Strengths:

Dangerous Wingers - Jason Puncheon showed his class last season, being involved in a lot of positive things that Palace did last season. With him and Bolasie Palace have two quick, powerful, inverted wingers who can contribute with goals and assists. Bolasie is a player I'm a huge fan of and on his day is very difficult to stop.

Defensive Stability - A lot has been said about Palace's defence and Pulis' effect on the team and it clearly helped them out. With the presence of Mile Jedinak, who is a terrific holding midfielder, in front of a solid back four, Palace are very difficult to beat. This gives them a platform to build on which is useful for any team.

Height and Aerial Presence - Palace have a lot of players who are very good in the air, standing them in good stead when it comes to set-pieces. Mariappa, Dann, Delaney, Jedinak and Chamakh are all very good in the air, which is a huge bonus for obvious reasons. 

Weaknesses:

Breaking Teams Down - Due to their pace, Palace like to play on the break to exploit space behind the defence. This means when teams sit deep, they don't always have the creativity and incision to carve them open. Chamakh plays almost as a number 10 and is a good passer of the ball, but isn't the most creative player. They do have Jon Williams who is a very gifted player, but I'm not sure if he is the man to break teams down.

Depth - Palace don't have many defenders and any injury in that area of the pitch could cause problems. They generally have decent cover in other areas of the pitch, but they don't have many defenders. 

Signings:

Fraizer Campbell - A fast, hard-working forward such as Campbell should help complement the side's dogged style and give them an outlet. With Campbell, Puncheon and Bolasie, Palace have a lot of pace to attack teams with, but they are all good footballers too. Could be a coup at a fee believed to be around £900,000. 

Chris Kettings - Seems like a decent move, a young keeper to be back-up to Julian Speroni makes a lot of sense. I don't know how good he is, having never seen him play, but he is a Scotland U21 International so he must have something about him.

Who They Should Sign:

Defenders - Some back up for their current defenders, especially at full-back. Mariappa is a centre-back by trade but is decent at right-back, but signing somebody who is natural there might make more sense.

A number 10 - Somebody who will help them break down more defensive teams could be invaluable against teams in the relegation scrap. Jon Williams as I've said is that type of player but I'm not sure he's good enough just yet to have that level of expectation on him.

Final Thoughts:

Palace will rely on Mile Jedinak to reproduce his form of last season to help them rise up the table, but the contribution of Puncheon will be important too. Glenn Murray will be fit this season and we may see his goalscoring touch if he can get back to the level he found in the Championship.

Crystal Palace will almost certainly finish mid-table again as I don't think they will struggle for points. They are a very difficult side to attack against as they are solid, but you cannot afford to throw men forward because they will hurt you on the counter. 

Everything looks fine for Palace to have another successful season in the Premier League. So far they've been very quiet in the transfer market but their team is extremely solid and they don't need wholesale changes. Pulis is a very astute manager and any changes he feels he needs to make he will do without hesitation. 

Team Previews - Chelsea

Predicted Line-Up:

Strengths:

Physicality - Chelsea have a lot of either very fast or very strong footballers, which gives them a huge edge. Matic, Terry and Cahill are extremely strong and this makes it difficult to break them down, whilst Costa is a big presence famed for his pace and strength combination.

Creativity - Chelsea were much maligned for their defensive style in the big games, but their squad is capable of much, much more. The addition of Fabregas should bring even more creativity to the team and take the pressure off of Hazard and Oscar to be the main creators. This means that Chelsea have three players who are extremely creative which, when you've got one of the deadliest forwards in Europe, should be a very dangerous combination.

Discipline and the Jose Mourinho factor - Mourinho is extremely good at creating disciplined teams who don't concede many goals, which suits their back four perfectly. Filipe Luis and Azpilicueta are two of the best defensive full backs in world football, whilst Terry and Cahill benefit from a more disciplined style. Having Jose Mourinho as a coach gives Chelsea a huge advantage.

Depth - Chelsea have an absolutely amazing squad, with world-class starters and extremely good back-ups. Andre Schurrle showed what he can do coming off the bench in the World Cup for Germany, Ramires is an energetic and dynamic midfielder with bags of pace - the list goes on.

Weaknesses:

Aging players - Chelsea's squad isn't exactly ancient, but players like Terry and now Drogba are aging and we may not see their best. Terry especially, as he may have to play a lot of games and I'm not sure how he'll deal with that. 

Signings:

Francesc Fabregas - Fabregas is a superb player with a great passing range who can score goals, but he does have a tendency to drift in and out of games and indeed, seasons. However, on his day he can single-handedly win games and Chelsea will be a better team with him playing, of that I'm sure.

Diego Costa - Fast, strong and a deadly finisher, Diego Costa could be the striker that Chelsea fans have been screaming out for. Despite a disappointing World Cup, Costa is a fantastic striker and when fit, he will be a deadly force up top for Chelsea.

Filipe Luis - After an amazing season with Atletico it was inevitable that Luis would be snapped up by a richer team. He's a superb defender who is more than capable on the ball, similar to Ashley Cole if you will. Could be a fantastic acquisition and it means that Azpilicueta can move to his natural right hand side.

Didier Drogba - This one I don't understand, but maybe Mourinho has a plan for him. Drogba's last kick as a Chelsea player was to win them the Champions League - why come back and change that? Drogba is aging and past his prime so I'm not entirely sure why he has been re-signed.

Who They Should Sign:

A Central Defender - They don't need any players really, but a long term replacement for Terry would not go amiss. Kurt Zouma has a lot of potential but is not yet ready, so a truly world-class centre-half would make them easily the best squad in the league.

Final Thoughts:

I think that in terms of the title Chelsea are the team to beat. They have an almost flawless squad, a top marksman in Costa, a disciplined defence and probably the best manager in the league. I'd be very surprised if Chelsea don't win the league in fact; I can't see any team that is going to beat them.

Chelsea's only possible issue might be consistency. Mourinho lives for the big games and I think they will do well against the other title contenders, but it's often games against bottom half teams that they slip up on. However, Mourinho put that down to not having a powerful striker akin to Drogba, so with Costa on the books they should be fine.

It's difficult to find any reason why Chelsea may struggle as they have world-class players in every area of the pitch and they have to be favourites to win the league.

Team Previews - Burnley

Predicted Line-Up:

Strengths:

Continuity - Burnley have signed six players, but I'm not sure too many of them will start, and instead I think will play a fairly similar side. This means that they will need very little time to gel and will be able to hit the ground running quickly, which may give them an advantage early on. Don't be too surprised if they pull off a few big results very early in the season.

Solidity - Burnley's defence was absolutely terrific last season and was a major factor in their success. Playing 4-4-2 helps defensively, due to the famed 'two banks of four' which are typically very hard to break down. The players will already know each others play style and will work well as a unit, making them extremely difficult to beat. I actually think Burnley will stay up, because I don't think they'll concede too many goals, but in Ings they have a goalscorer.

Danny Ings - Ings was lauded often during their successful Championship season and it's easy to see why. A multitude of goals and a key creative force as well, Ings provides pace, hard work and a natural eye for goal. With Vokes as the foil, Ings could easily grab the goals which keep Burnley up. Ings isn't their only route to goal however - Vokes has proven his worth too and with the quality of Trippier's crossing from deep this could come in very handy. New signing Lukas Jutkiewicz may also benefit from the dynamic wing play.

Weaknesses:

League Inexperience - Many of Burnley's players have little to no experience of playing in the top league. This experience can be utterly invaluable especially in relegation scraps, which Burnley may find themselves in. 

Lack of Investment - It's no secret that investment can bring better players and that's why the top clubs usually spend the most. Burnley have barely spent anything which may be their downfall, as they may have a perceived lack of quality. However, Sean Dyche is very adept at finding free transfers and getting the best out of them, so this may help Burnley to survive.

Signings:

Michael Kightly - I'm a big fan of Kightly. He's a very direct winger who loves to beat a man and has an eye for goal as well. He has some Premier League experience with Stoke and Wolves too and has proven to be a very decent player for a mid-to-lower half Premier League team. Kightly seems to be a very good signing for Burnley.

Lukas Jutkiewicz - Big, strong and a capable footballer, Jutkiewicz seems to have all the tools to make it as a top level forward but has never quite fulfilled his potential. However, on his day Jutkiewicz is a problem for any defence and as a back-up or maybe even a starter striker to play alongside Ings, Jutkiewicz seems to also be a very astute signing.

Steven Reid - This seems to be a strange signing, as Reid has well-documented injury problems. He is experienced and very talented which are huge bonuses, but he is hampered by injuries and plays in a position where Burnley already have a very good first choice. We shall see if this proves to be a good signing, but I'm unconvinced.

Marvin Sordell - Extremely quick and a decent finisher, Sordell showed huge promise from an early age that seemed to wane, but he still has ability and may be a very useful asset for Burnley if they can utilise his pace and skill. This could be a masterstroke but it may be a poor move, only time will tell. 

Matt Gilks - Gilks is a very solid goalkeeper whether he is first choice or not. I suspect that Heaton will be first choice, however Gilks is a very solid replacement if needed. Seems a decent signing also.

Matt Taylor - A hugely proficient technical player, who has always lacked the pace to make it at the top level. However, Taylor is very capable of providing goals and assists for his team and every goal is precious at the foot of the table. Taylor may be inconsistent but he can be a match winner.

Who They Should Sign:

Experienced, quality Premier League footballers - Burnley don't have one particular area where they are weak like most teams, or at least not one that is glaringly obvious. A central midfielder may be useful as their midfield does look a little devoid of quality, but Dyche has built a squad that play as a unit, so to pick certain players that are weak seems very harsh.

Final Thoughts

I believe Burnley will surprise a few people and stay up. They have a very solid defence, an extremely good manager and a natural goalscorer which may all be huge factors in their success. They will play as a unit and be a very efficient team that whilst defensively solid will also be a threat going forward. 

Burnley may struggle to hold onto possession with their system, as playing four in midfield may not work in their favour against possession-orientated teams, such as Everton and Arsenal. They have the option to play five if they need to, but this would severely hamper their attacking threat. However, a similar system worked for Atletico Madrid spectacularly last season so this is not to say that possession is a key factor in success.

Burnley may have one of if not the cheapest squad in the league, but money is not the be-all and end-all of quality. Organisation and desire can go a long way, which Burnley have in abundance. I think Burnley will finish around 15th - but I may be miles off.

Team Previews - Aston Villa

Predicted Line-Up: 

Strengths:

Counter-Attacking - With Agbonlahor and Weimann out wide and Delph in the centre, Villa have a lot of pace to exploit unprepared teams on the counter-attack. Westwood is an incisive passer to try and take advantage of the runners in behind. Benteke is fairly quick too and his aerial presence allow Villa to go direct.

Central Defence - Vlaar showed his class in the World Cup and if Villa can find a partner for him then they could be very solid. Okore seems like a good partner as he has pace but his relative inexperience may be a problem. Senderos is another option as is Clark, but both leave Villa very slow at the back. Vlaar and Okore could be a very solid partnership.

Centre Forward - Christian Benteke when on-form is one of the most unplayable players in the league. His combination of pace and power make him extremely dangerous and he is fantastic in the air. Villa will need him on top of his game if they are to have a successful season.

Weaknesses:

Possession - Villa struggle to hold onto possession as they have a lot of physically proficient players but don't seem to have players who are great at holding onto the ball. This is highlighted by their performances last season where their possession at times was about 30-40%.

Age - Very few of Villa's players are in their prime. They have a combination of young players and aging players which may be counter-productive. Aging players such as Philippe Senderos and Joe Cole are way past their (mediocre) prime and plenty of their players are inexperienced at this level. 

Signings:

Philippe Senderos - An aging centre-back from a team that got relegated seems a bizarre signing, but he adds experience to a young defence. He is, however, not very good, so that might be a problem. I have a friend who watches Fulham often who said that he's slow, poor on the ball and has no positional sense. I don't think it's a good signing. 

Kieran Richardson - Villa have issues at left-back and have done for a while. They will be hoping that Richardson will rectify these, but even if he does it's a short-term fix. However, he is a decent player who is quite good going forward, will pop up with the odd goal and is fairly quick. He's another aging signing, however.

Joe Cole - Maybe 10 years ago this would be an exciting signing. Now it's proof of how far Villa have fallen. Cole has never hit the heights that he could have done and now is a nomadic player who never really performs anywhere he goes. He might help them keep possession better but that's not really Villa's style. Another uninspiring signing but I may well be proved wrong.

Who They Should Sign:

A Right Winger - Weimann is decent but he isn't a traditional winger. He isn't brilliant at carrying the ball and his crossing is subpar. A dribbling winger who could cross the ball would complement their style and help Benteke out massively. However, Villa got rid of Albrighton who liked to run at defenders, so maybe Lambert likes having a winger who can score goals. 

A Holding Midfielder - Having somebody who shields the defence better than El Ahmadi would really help them as then they could win the ball better and counter-attack more often. El Ahmadi is a decent player but there are much better ball-winners.

A Young Left-Back - Joe Bennett and Antonio Luna have proved to be not good enough at left-back and Richardson is a short-term fix, so Villa could do with a young back-up to try and fix the problem long-term. 

Final Thoughts:

Villa are going to be in and around the bottom three again this season. They will rely on counter-attacking again and this may be their undoing if their defence is not rigid enough to stop the opposition from getting too many chances. Fortunately they have a superb goalkeeper who may keep them in games even if their defence doesn't hold strong.

They will need Agbonlahor and Benteke to have good seasons if they are to survive. Agbonlahor's pace is a deadly weapon against teams who press high whilst Benteke punishes teams who sit back, giving them a double threat going forward. 

Villa generally up their game against the bigger teams and will need to improve their record against teams around them in the league. They need to find a more fluid style to match those who are of a similar level to them. This would greatly increase their chances of staying up.

Team Previews - Arsenal

With not long to go 'til the start of the season, I thought it would make sense to look at each Premier League team, their strengths, weaknesses, signings and who they should sign. Alphabetical order makes sense, so let's start with Arsenal.

Predicted Line-Up:

Strengths:

Pace - With Walcott and Oxlade-Chamberlain on the wings, Arsenal have a lot of speed out wide which will allow them to get to the byline regularly, especially with Mesut Özil supplying the passes. Alexis Sanchez upfront also gives them runners behind the defence. This makes Arsenal a dangerous team to play against, especially on the counter attack.

Fluidity - Oxlade-Chamberlain is capable of playing in midfield and Özil can play out wide as proved by his performance in the World Cup. Sanchez and Walcott can interchange too, giving Arsenal a lot of unpredictability going forward. This may help them break down teams who sit deep to counteract the pace of their front four.

Central Defence - Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny make a superb partnership in defence, with Koscielny's pace offsetting Mertesacker's inability to sweep up. This allows Mertesacker the freedom to play his natural game. Flamini helps protect the back four and is very adept at winning the ball back.

Experience - Arsenal have a team that has played a lot of Premier League games, but importantly, many of them have now won a trophy or two. The FA Cup may be the kickstarter for the team to go ahead and win more trophies. Also, Arsenal have three World Cup winners in their squad (though Podolski may be leaving) which could really stand them in good stead.

Weaknesses:

Leadership - Whilst it's a cliche that Arsenal lack leadership, it was apparent in the games against the big teams that once they went behind, they capitulated. They don't seem to have addressed this problem so it may rear it's head once again.

Depth - Again, another cliche, but one that is true. People may argue that they do have depth but the replacements are not to the required standard for a team with aspirations as high as Arsenal's. Wilshere and Arteta are not good enough to replace Flamini and Ramsey if they get injured. Rosicky is a great player but he's getting older and doesn't have the pace of the other attacking midfielders. Cazorla is a good player too and on his day is unplayable, but he struggles occasionally to find form. Vermaelen may be leaving and even if he doesn't is not good enough to cover Mertesacker or Koscielny should injury or suspension occur.

Signings:

Alexis Sanchez - Fantastic signing from Arsenal and it's one that maybe is indicative of a changing time at Arsenal. They rarely spend so much money on a player, and when they do, they do it very late. Sanchez is hard-working, quick and a deadly finisher. He's almost guaranteed 15 league goals a season in Arsenal's team and I'll be massively surprised if he scores less than that.

Mathieu Debuchy - Debuchy is a good player but £11million is a lot of money for a 'good player'. Arsenal had to replace Bacary Sagna and Debuchy is a decent replacement, but defensively Debuchy is not great. Arsenal have an attacking right back who struggles with the defensive side of the game, which might be useful against the so-called lesser teams but might come unstuck against better left-sided players.

Who They Should Sign:

A Centre-Back - Mertesacker and Koscielny are a fantastic partnership but when one is missing Arsenal might struggle. Signing a good young centre-back as cover, such as Matija Nastasic, would be a good move. Unfortunately for Arsenal, there is a lack of world-class or exciting young centre-backs on the market.

A Central/Holding Midfielder - Flamini is a very good midfielder but he's prone to suspension, so finding cover for him would be a good idea. Ramsey is superb so he's going to be first choice, so any cover for him would be second choice. This means that signing Khedira as has been reported would make him the holding midfielder, which would inhibit his attacking game. Schneiderlin would be a fantastic signing but he also may want to push forward, so finding a balance is key.

A Left-Back - Monreal has been found wanting against good teams so Arsenal need better cover for Gibbs. Alberto Moreno would be a solid if expensive choice, whilst signing a young left-back such as Declan John who impressed at Cardiff would be solid cover too.

Final Words:

Arsenal look set to finish in the top four for another season, but with a few signings for cover they could make a real challenge for the title. They have some quality footballers, such as Ramsey, Sanchez and Özil. They have the ability to destroy teams with pace and fluidity and have the option of Olivier Giroud off the bench or for a different style should they need it. Giroud is a massively underrated player who helps link the attack and the midfield and hold the ball up if they need him to.

Arsenal's season rests on the bigger games as I think they can consistently beat teams below them in the league, but in the games against the top 5 or 6 teams they will struggle due to the lack of leadership. Teams have learned how to beat Arsenal but their quality carries them through against the teams below them in the league.

If Arsenal can learn to adapt and overcome the better teams in the league, they could be outsiders for the league. I personally think they will fall short but make the top 4 again, as I feel Chelsea and Manchester City are better equipped to win the league.

A Premier League Season in Review

Contrary to the final day of the Championship, where there was a lot of drama involving a certain Birmingham City, the ending to this bizarre Premier League season was a little bit mundane. With Man City needed only one point to seal the title and Norwich needing a miracle, there was little to be decided. Despite their entertaining rally that nearly saw them snatch the title, Liverpool fell just short of the title, but it could have been so, so different.

Man City looked like they would walk the title at various points, but stuttered slightly and nearly lost the title to a very entertaining Liverpool side. At their very best, Man City were frightening, scoring goals seemingly at will. Alvaro Negredo looked like a world class forward, linking neatly with Sergio Aguero and smashing in goals. David Silva was back to his best, taking teams apart with his intelligent playmaking ability and as a team they looked unstoppable. However, an injury to Aguero coincided with Man City's wobble. Negredo and Edin Dzeko's goals dried up, while Martin Demichelis didn't look like an actual footballer at the back.

City's season was saved by a certain Yaya Toure, who ended with 20 goals, an impressive haul from defensive midfield. His unbelievable combination of technique, intelligence and power make for a player who is unstoppable at his best. Toure was unlucky not to get Player of the Year, but there was only ever really one player who was going to win that. Luis Suarez moved on from the shenanigans of last season to become a record breaking forward, almost leading Liverpool to the title. 31 goals as well as double figures in assists from only 33 appearances meant he was nailed on for Player of the Year. He epitomised the fight and excitement of Liverpool's incredible run. Flanked by the terrifying pace of Raheem Sterling and Daniel Sturridge, Suarez led a young Liverpool side to a higher finish than they would have dreamed at the start of the season.

However, as many people suggested, Liverpool's defensive frailties were their downfall, embodied by Skrtel's record 4 own goals. It really came to fruition at the back end of the season. Throwing away a two goal lead against Man City didn't prove costly, but losing to Chelsea was a real kick in the teeth. It was most evident in a 3-3 draw with Crystal Palace. Liverpool were 3-0 up with 15 minutes to play, but just couldn't hold on against a reinvigorated Palace side.

Chelsea did the best out of all the English sides in the Champions League but couldn't quite make the cut in the Premier League. Third place is by no means a disaster and Mourinho will argue that this was a transition season, but it was a very expensive one. Despite being the third top scorers in the league, Chelsea were often derided for their negative style of football. Chelsea were the polar opposite of Liverpool; strong at the back but having issues with a consistent goal supply up top. Samuel Eto'o was a useful signing for Chelsea, pitching in with a few goals but also linking well with the midfield. Eden Hazard was the real star of the show despite Mourinho's seeming reluctance to embrace the winger. The 23-year-old winger showed flashes of real world-class ability, but as is the nature of a winger he wasn't quite as consistent as he would have liked, but he is still young and scarily, can improve.

Chelsea didn't have any issue scoring against 4th place Arsenal, smashing 6 past them in a typical Arsenal game... sort of. Arsenal's defence looked watertight at times, until they played one of the top teams. Arsenal were destroyed by Liverpool, demolished by Chelsea and decimated by Man City. Wenger has successfully led Arsenal to 4th again, but Arsenal fans want more, especially as around the new year Arsenal looked like a genuine contender for the title. However, it appears that their cup drought is likely to be over soon, as they reached the final of the FA Cup to play Hull City, who are without Jelavic and Long. Long would've been key for Hull but his absence has led many to believe that Arsenal will end their wait for a trophy.

Despite Olivier Giroud's decent haul, Arsenal fans were left wanting more and Wenger's decision not to purchase another forward may have been costly, but in reality a lack of solidity at the back has cost them more than anything else. Another team with striker problems was Tottenham Hotspur, as big money signing Roberto Soldado failed to live up to expectations, while Adebayor just didn't get a game whilst the enigmatic Andre Villas-Boas was in charge. After a desperately disappointing 5-0 loss to Liverpool, AVB faced the typical Levy punishment with Tim Sherwood taking over until the end of the season. Sherwood's tenure was an explosive, bizarre and entertaining one, with Spurs stuttering into 6th place.

Just above them in 5th were Roberto Martinez's Everton, a refreshing team who play attractive football whilst remaining tight defensively. One of the big successes for them was Ross Barkley, who's forced his way into Roy Hodgson's 23 man squad. Fast, strong with unbelievable ball control has meant Barkley has become one of the most sought after young talents in English football. James McCarthy has been a revelation in Everton's central midfield, keeping the ball exceptionally well and winning it back with the help of Gareth Barry, given a new lease of life with Everton. Seamus Coleman has had an incredible season from right back, contributing goals, assists and impressive defensive performances, even overshadowing Leighton Baines at left back.

Whilst I could talk about every Everton player in a good light, that might not be quite as easy with Manchester United. A new era was on the horizon for United fans, but little did they expect a 7th place finish. David Moyes didn't quite have the season he hoped for. His big signing didn't pay off - Marouane Fellaini had a desperately poor season, but United still had nobody better. Fortunately for United, Moyes left along with some of the old guard, which may allow them to truly rebuild and comeback strong. With the attacking quality of Mata, Rooney and co., it surely can't be long before United are back near the top of the league.

Man United seem to be looking towards 7th place Southampton's team for improvements. Luke Shaw has been the one player who has been touted as being a long term left back for United, after a string of impressive performances from the young left back in an exciting, fresh Southampton side. Adam Lallana has been linked with Premier League teams for a couple of years but has chosen to stay with Southampton, but he has shown that he is good enough in the Premier League. He's been given a chance on the international stage with England by Hodgson which he hopefully can grab with both hands. Pochettino has turned Southampton into an extremely solid outfit, with some exciting English players combined with talent from around the world, though they were struggling in the bottom half when he took over.

Stoke have also had a major turn around, though their's has been a change of style. Stoke were often maligned for their physical style of play based around set-pieces and percentage football into a side who play some fluent attacking football. Leading this change has been Mark Hughes, who has brought in players who are fast, direct but technical, such as Marko Arnautovic, Oussama Assaidi and Peter Odemwingie. Stephen Ireland played as a creative midfielder in a way reminiscent of his Man City days at times, but he struggled to maintain his form. Stoke reached the 50 point mark with their new style and they will try to kick on and continue improving.

Finally, in the first half of this review, comes Newcastle, who somehow finished 10th despite an abject finish to the season. Newcastle fans were and are unhappy with the ownership and management at the club, and who can blame them? Very little money is spent relative to their income, the signings are sparse and success is varied. With Yohan Cabaye leaving the club in January after an impressive goalscoring run, Newcastle really struggled for goals. They lost 11 games from February onwards, scoring just 8 goals in that time. However, in the first half of the season, they were a really dangerous side, with an on-form Remy and Gouffran fed by the playmaking capabilities of Yohan Cabaye, they were capable of beating any side in the league.

Crystal Palace were one of the shocks of the season - looking certain for relegation before Tony Pulis took over in late November. The impact was not instant, as Palace lost to struggling Norwich, but back-to-back victories followed. Pulis turned a leaky Palace defense into one of the best in the league, which was the bedrock of their success. After coming up via the playoffs, Palace couldn't have dreamed of an 11th place finish. They shot up the table with notable victories, such as those against Everton and Chelsea. Despite this, Palace struggled for goals. Cameron Jerome and Marouane Chamakh managed just 7 goals between them, but fortunately dynamic wing-play from Jason Puncheon and Dwight Gayle helped them greatly. Puncheon joined permanently in January and finished with 7 goals, even with his comical penalty. Palace will need to avoid 'second season syndrome' and in order to do this, they might need to add some more goals to their game, but the first season could be a major stepping stone into them becoming an established club in the Premier League.

One team who have made that transition in recent years is Swansea. Swansea had a very uneventful season. After making it into the Europa League, they were looking to really push on and become a top 8 team, but their season never really got going. However, there were times when they looked in danger of going down, and indeed without Wilfried Bony that may have been a very real ending to their season. Last season's hero Michu suffered an awful injury very early on, which allowed Bony to take centre-stage, and he grabbed it with both hands. His combination of deadly finishing, aerial ability, strength and link-up play have drawn comparisons to Didier Drogba, but Swansea will be hoping that Chelsea don't snap him up, as that could really put Swansea in trouble. Luckily for them, Bony's price will have skyrocketed after proving himself in the Premier League, so it may take an astronomical offer to prize him away from the Liberty Stadium.

West Ham are a side in desperate need of a goalscorer, with their top scorer Kevin Nolan bagging only 7 goals all season. They were of course hindered by the fitness problems of striker Andy Carroll, but this seems to be a constant issue and Carlton Cole may not be the answer they require. West Ham don't really have loads of money to spend, so may have to gamble on an unproven player, or try and find a bargain. Demba Ba, if he were to be allowed to leave Chelsea, would be a good fit for them, but Allardyce previously passed on his signing due to a long term fitness issue, that has not really shown in his time in England. West Ham fans are really tired of Sam Allardyce's managerial style due to his defensive, negative and unexciting football, so Hammers fans may wish for a different style of centre-forward and therefore a different style of football.

Another team who seemed to be having striker problems - Sunderland - somehow ended up 14th in the table despite being bottom for a long time. Di Canio's reign was a chaotic one that had left Sunderland in an awful position. Their problems looked unsolvable - a lack of goals from big money signing Jozy Altidore, a leaky defence and a lack of creation from midfield. However, Sunderland had some quality players all along, and new manager Gus Poyet helped them to show this quality. Adam Johnson's goals were key and he finished as top scorer, with Liverpool loanee Fabio Borini close behind. The real star of the show, however, was Connor Wickham. After a few loan spells, Wickham was recalled to the squad despite struggling previously, with Sunderland staring at relegation. Sunderland had 4 tough games in a row, where getting 4 points would be considered a success. Sunderland finished with 10 points, and were very close to taking 12, were it not for a late equaliser from Samir Nasri to stop them taking all 3 points from the Etihad. Wickham scored 5 goals in 3 games, before assisting Sebastian Larsson to slide home the winner against Manchester United.

Aston Villa had a very mixed season. Despite not reaching the fabled 40 point mark, they stayed up comfortably, in the end. It started so well, with a victory at the Emirates Stadium, but their season never really took off. They also were plagued with striker woes, with talisman Christian Benteke not reaching the heights of last season and missing parts of it with injury. Libor Kozak also struggled with injury and didn't really make quite the impact he would've wished. Villa were not helped by a shaky defence. They had to make changes to their defence as Jores Okore got injured and Antonio Luna was disappointing at left-back. They made a very good signing in Ryan Bertrand on loan in January which proved quite successful, at least more than Grant Holt. Villa's young forwards Gabby Agbonlahor and Andreas Weimann helped keep them safe, grabbing 9 goals and contributing to Villa's counter attack style with pace and power. Villa fans will hope for a quick resolution to their ownership troubles and maybe a new manager, as they grow tired of Paul Lambert's style, which could see them finish much higher up the table if they can keep Benteke motivated and fit.

A team who lacked a talismanic striker were Hull. In their first season back in the Premier League, Hull managed to just stay up under the guidance of Steve Bruce. However, they looked to be really struggling, with goals seeming to be difficult to come by (except against Fulham, where they scored 6). Bruce saw this problem and signed 2 strikers who seemed to form a good partnership immediately. Nikica Jelavic, who struggled after his initial goal glut at Everton, and Shane Long. A playstyle switch to a 5 at the back helped them stay up and reach an FA Cup final, but ultimately fall short. Hull still weren't free scoring however, with goals being spread around the team and nobody really scoring a lot on their own. Hull will need to improve to stay up next year, but they have a solid base. Curtis Davies and Tom Huddlestone both had terrific seasons and make up a solid spine to the team, with Ahmed El Mohamady out wide who has been a surprise package. They will need to improve and get cover however, or they will be in for a long season.

Hull had faith in their manager to keep them up, but West Brom didn't. After a disappointing start, Steve Clarke was sacked in January, being replaced by former Betis manager Pepe Mel. Mel was never really embraced by the Baggies faithful and was never allowed his own staff. Despite this, West Brom just scraped survival. They were led by young striker Saido Berahino, who had an impressive debut season. He finished as Baggies' top scorer, with 5 goals, joint with enigmatic forward Stephane Sessegnon. Sessegnon didn't have the best of seasons and didn't live up to his pricetag. Neither did Victor Anichebe, costing more than Shane Long was sold for but not showing it. West Brom have an aging side and have since released 5 players, but they need to add some youth and bring in some quality to avoid this happening next season. Baggies can count themselves lucky to have stayed up and will need a much, much better season next season. Mulumbu and Yacob make a solid pivot and if they can sign Amalfitano permanently they will have a solid midfield - but they need more quality in the other two thirds of the pitch.

Onto the teams who won't play in the Premier League next year is Norwich. Norwich had problems all over the pitch. They didn't score very many, lacked creation and haemorrhaged goals. Chris Hughton was sacked with very little time left of the season, with many Norwich fans berating the timing, saying he should have gone months before. Norwich spent a lot of money to try and improve on a team who had done ok last season, but none of the signings really worked. The most obvious failure was Ricky van Wolfswinkel. It cost Norwich around £10 million to print his name on the back of the shirt, and also to bring him to Norwich. He scored a terrific header on his debut, but then didn't score again. Another 24 appearances but 0 goals for the Dutch international. Gary Hooper scored 6 goals but didn't score the goals to keep Norwich up. Leroy Fer was another expensive signing, who looked a good player but never really had a massive impact. He has all the attributes to be a success but didn't have a good season. One area which Norwich do have some quality is out wide. Robert Snodgrass has been very good for Norwich for a while and had another decent season, helping his team's cause with 6 goals. Nathan Redmond will not be overjoyed with his season, but he showed some flashes of quality and should excel in the Championship.

With the worst goal difference in the league, Fulham went down with a whimper. They didn't have a goalscorer - despite spending £14 million on Kostas Mitroglou, who barely played - and conceded an insane amount of goals. They looked like they had a chance with back-to-back victories against Aston Villa and Norwich putting them in a great position. They couldn't capatilise however, but it was their early season failings that let them down, then twinned with the uncertainty with the managerial role. Fulham had a terrible defence and a slow attack, and no manager could've saved them. Luckily for them, they don't have an astronomical wage budget, so should be in decent shape to make a promotion push next season.

Finally, we come to Cardiff. Cardiff crashed to the bottom of the table with numerous bad performances. Nearly every team dominated them in midfield, their defence was shaky at best, despite Steven Caulker's efforts, and they were powderpuff up front. Jordon Mutch was the one bright spark, having an impressive season as he added goals to his game. Despite beating Man City early on in the season, Cardiff never looked convincing and with off-field problems leading to an unsuccessful managerial change, Cardiff were doomed.

That concludes the Premier League season. We shall see if those teams who struggled can improve and if teams like Crystal Palace can avoid second season syndrome.

Birmingham City - A Season in Review 2013/14

A bizarre season ended in a fittingly bizarre way for Birmingham City, with a 93rd minute header from 5'7 Paul Caddis to keep the club in the Championship. Though Blues will be disappointed to have been in that position, the relief at full time was almost worth it. That goal was more significant than it seemed on the surface; to those not clued in with goings on, it seemed like we just stopped up. However, that goal could save Birmingham City as we know it. With consortiums supposedly interested in buying, staying in the Championship might be absolutely vital to the sale, which may just preserve the long term future of the club.

The season started shakily but encouragingly, with a close-fought 1-0 loss to Watford, who were deemed to be a team who would be near the top of the league. This was encouraging as we expected to get hammered. Clark started the season playing a 3-5-2 system, which defensively was quite sound, conceding just 2 goals in the first 3 league games. We weren't scoring too many, but this may have been down to a number of new players trying to find their feet.

Shinnie hadn't hit the ground running and Novak was looking very unimpressive up front. Eardley started poorly, but after five league games his season was over. Luckily, Blues had Paul Caddis to fill in at right wing back. Dan Burn was one of the more successful recruitments, looking composed and strong at the heart of the Blues defence. Adeyemi was improving with every game and looked to be a key part of Blues' team.

Jesse Lingard joined on loan, with an instant impact. Days after joining, Lingard smashed home a four-goal haul, grabbing three within half an hour, with a lot of credit going to Roger Johnson. He couldn't quite keep up that scoring record, though he did grab one more goal before his loan was prematurely ended, helping Blues to a 4-0 victory against fellow strugglers Millwall. That, unfortunately, was Blues' last home victory of the season. David Murphy grabbed two goals in that game, but his season was cut short by injury, before he had to cut his career short.

Though the players were finally starting to adjust, the 3-5-2/3-4-3 system was bombed out in favour of a more orthodox 4-2-3-1, which some fans were crying out for. I was more for 3 at the back, but clearly the players were more suited to a four at the back system.  Blues went 10 games unbeaten, including 4 away wins. Lee Novak was reveling in his new wide role, grabbing a brace away to Blackburn and scoring one of the goals of the season.

The cups were a fun distraction. An incredible game finished 4-4 AET against Premier League Stoke City, even with 10 men. Penalties didn't go as well as the rest of the game, but there was still the FA Cup. Blues eased past Bristol Rovers (who have plenty of problems themselves) then were drawn to Swansea in the cup. Everything looked to be going well until a man worth more than the entire Blues team, Wilfried Bony, decided that enough was enough.

Blues had problems, though. Loan players were leaving and their replacements weren't quite clicking. Burn, Lingard and Bartley returned, with Thorpe, Blackett, Macheda, Huws and Rusnak coming in. Clark used an inordinate amount of players, with an incredible 21 loan players involved. However, this seemed to be the downfall. A constant changing of systems and players left the team with no consistency and no identity. Fortunately, two of those January loan signings really paid off.

Federico Macheda was hardly prolific at his other clubs smashed home 10 goals in his short spell at Blues. It's puzzling that he couldn't score many goals elsewhere, as he looked a proper striker. Pace, power and a deadly eye for goal; let's hope we can keep him.

Emyr Huws was absolutely superb in his few months at Blues. There's no way that he'll be at a Championship club next year; he should be at a Premier League team. He bossed the midfield with his strength, composure and range of passing. He showed that he has wonderful technique, with some lovely deliveries from set-pieces and some incredible goals, not least the wonderstrike against Middlesbrough.

Blues' home woes continued, but this time the away form was struggling too. Though we looked safe with 5 games to go, we still needed a point or three to make sure. Despite Huws' goal against Middlesbrough, Blues succumbed to a 3-1 loss against 9 men, somehow. Former Blues loanee Matt Derbyshire put Blues' survival chances in doubt, as Blues crashed to a 1-0 loss against a struggling Forest.

It looked to be written in the stars. Thoughts of the end of the 10/11 season under McLeish crossed all Blues fans' minds. A bizarre team selection from Clark screwed us over against Blackburn and at 0-4 Blues' fate looked all but sealed. Not even a late rally could rescue a point. It boiled down to the last day.

Even after Robinson's tough words to the loanees, they showed immense fight and passion for the club which they have no real affiliation to. Macheda, Huws and Ibe were superb and showed that they really do care. Ibe changed the game against Bolton, but Blues found themselves 2-0 down with 13 minutes left.

Up stepped the big game man. Nikola Zigic did what he does best - inspire Blues to the result they need in a big game. Hancox found the big man in the box with a delicious cross, and Zigic nodded home for 2-1. Doncaster were losing to Leicester, so only a point was needed. The Blues fans believed. Neil Danns did his best for the cause, spooning a great chance miles over the bar.

6 minutes added on. Time was running out. A long ball was launched forward, landing at the feet of Jordon Ibe. He made a yard before shooting, but it looped into the air off a defender. Zigic was there to surely head in the equaliser, but Tim Ream did superbly to head off the line. Luckily, his keeper tripped him as he tried to block the second header. Luckily, Caddis was there to score his first and probably his only headed goal of his career, but what a time to get it.

Blues survived.