PL 16/17 Predictions Series: West Ham United

My new series looks at the participants of the latest Premier League season. For previous posts, see below:

Arsenal, Bournemouth, Burnley, Crystal Palace, Chelsea, Everton, Hull City, Leicester City, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Middlesbrough, Southampton, Stoke City, Sunderland, Swansea City, Tottenham Hotspur, Watford, West Bromwich Albion

Last season
Can be summed up by the signing and subsequent performances of one man: Dimitri Payet. Having transferred for a very reasonable £12m, the French magician proved his worth almost immediately, with chances being created each and every game, and popping up with the occasional important goal and outstanding free-kick.

Having made a blistering start to their season, with shocking away victories at first Anfield and the Etihad Stadium to beat the previously 100 per cent Manchester City, West Ham kicked on from their. In a season full of shocks, they spent a large part of the year challenging for the Champions League spots, before eventually fading away into the Europa League spots, only managing European football thanks to Manchester United's FA Cup win. Nevertheless, an outstanding first season for Slaven Bilic at the helm of the Hammers.

Backroom setup
Unsurprisingly, Bilic has been retained at the head of the London club, meaning that the key change has come off the field. Having spent 112 years at the famous Boleyn Ground, the Hammers have made the move across East London to the newly renovated Olympic Stadium, renamed the London Stadium.

With the new place holding upwards of 50,000, they'll be looking to make the new Olympic Stadium a real fortress in the opening weeks to make the Hammers fans comfortable in their surroundings.

Pre-season
Well if nothing else, it's been busy. However, it could certainly be argued that this pre-season has not been particularly successful, with the Hammers securing only one win from six games. This started with a 3-0 defeat to the Seattle Sounders, followed by consecutive 2-2 draws with second division US side Carolina RailHawks and Czech side Slovacko, though it should be mentioned that the Hammers saw a 2-0 lead slip in the latter game entering the final three minutes.

A 3-0 defeat to Rubin Kazan followed, before a win over Kahlsruher by the same scoreline, with Carroll, Feghouli and Fletcher on the scoreboard. Finally, West Ham welcomed Serie A champions Juventus to officially open the London Stadium in a game they narrowly lost 3-2 - two goals from Carroll not quite able to cancel out a trio from Paulo Dybala, Mario Mandzukic and Simone Zaza.

However, more important was the fact that West Ham would be playing European football from the end of July. Drawn against little-known Slovenian side Domizale, West Ham struggled with conditions overseas, losing 2-1 in Ljubljana, but did overcome the Slovenians in East London, winning 4-2 on aggregate.

Squad and signings
The Hammers have also been busy in the transfer market, and were perhaps the first team to announce a signing, with Sofiane Feghouli announced from Valencia on a free before the summer had even started. Similarly, Havard Nordtveid left Borussia Monchengladbach for London for free, while there were undisclosed signings for strikers Toni Martinez and Domingos Quina, and loan moves for Gokhan Tore and Jonathan Calleri from Besiktas and Deportivo Maldonado respectively.

However, the Hammers' biggest signings were made more recently, with the £20.5m signing of Swansea attacking midfielder Andre Ayew arguably the biggest coup. The club also invested a further £6.25m in Arthur Masuaku from Olympiakos as they looked to sure up their defence.

On the outgoings, only James Tomkins has left, with the Hammers making £10m from his move to London rivals Crystal Palace. This will be pleasing to West Ham fans, providing the strength in depth required to fight on multiple fronts.

Tactics
Assuming Andy Carroll stays fit, I would certainly expect the Hammers to utilise the width and crossing ability of Payet and the aerial prowess of the Newcastle-born striker. Bilic also seemed to favour the use of wing-backs to provide a distraction, so expect Aaron Cresswell to be bombing on and stretching defences.

Predictions
While the squad has the quality to compete on three fronts, I would be surprised to see the Hammers experience the same success in the Premier League as they did last year, as their European exploits will have an effect on their league form. I'm going to go for a comfortable mid-table finish, but it would take a significant effort to keep the team around the European places come May.

Final position: 10th

PL 16/17 Predictions Series: West Bromwich Albion

My new series looks at the participants of the latest Premier League season. For previous posts, see below:

Arsenal, Bournemouth, Burnley, Crystal Palace, Chelsea, Everton, Hull City, Leicester City, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Middlesbrough, Southampton, Stoke City, Sunderland, Swansea City, Tottenham Hotspur, Watford

Last season
Typically solid if unspectacular from a Tony Pulis team, with the Baggies now casting away the shackles of their 'boing boing' stereotype for a more neatly fitting mid-table mediocrity tag. I'm honestly not sure which one is worse from a fan's perspective!

That being said, there can be no doubt that West Brom were difficult to beat at The Hawthorns, ensuring a safe 14th place finish, despite continuous speculation surrounding the future of Saido Berahino.

Backroom setup
Unsurprisingly, Tony Pulis has been retained as manager, and if his record is anything to go by, that practically guarantees Premier League survival. No other significant changes have been made behind the scenes, meaning that the Baggies can enter into the season in some level of stability.

Pre-season
Unlike many of their closest rivals, West Brom have opted for a fairly challenging run of pre-season matches, starting with a game against French champions Paris Saint Germain. While they may have been on the end of a 2-1 defeat, it was by no means embarrassing, and Pulis will take heart from the performance.

Two 2-1 wins then swiftly followed, over opponents of varying quality. Firstly, a brace from Berahino saw Kidderminster Harriers downed, before a more impressive win over Eredivisie side Vitesse Arnhem, with Rondon and McManaman on the scoresheet. However, this form could not continue, with a pair of disappointing results over teams in the lower leagues. First came a 0-0 draw with Plymouth, before a 2-1 reverse at Torquay United dented any momentum coming into the season. 

Squad and signings
It's almost business as usual in the Midlands, with the squad largely the same as last year. However, much discussion has been had about the future of young striker Berahino, while the club also released ex-first teamers Stephane Sessegnon, Victor Anichebe and Anders Lindegaard to remove some of the wage strain.

There's not been much action inward either. The Baggies only have the signing of QPR winger Matt Phillips for £5.5m to show for their actions, and in all honesty, they've barely been linked with anyone else for the remainder of the window. Can the team that kept them up last year do the same again this term?

Tactics
It's Tony Pulis, so you know what's coming, and it isn't going to be sparkling football. Expect more long balls to Salomon Rondon's head or chest, as well as physical play in both the centre of midfield and defence to make them a difficult side to beat at home.

Predictions

He'll keep them up. It's just what he does. It's the same team, so I'm going to go with the same placing as last year. With the likes of Southampton, West Ham and Leicester all sparking moves up the table, when will a lower mid-table finish get boring for the Baggies fans, I wonder?

Final position: 14th

PL 16/17 Predictions Series: Watford

My new series looks at the participants of the latest Premier League season. For previous posts, see below:

Arsenal, Bournemouth, Burnley, Crystal Palace, Chelsea, Everton, Hull City, Leicester City, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Middlesbrough, Southampton, Stoke City, Sunderland, Swansea City, Tottenham Hotspur

Last season
A hugely successful return to the Premier League for the Hornets, culminating in a safe mid-table finish and FA Cup semi-final. Even more importantly, they found a couple of important contributors when it came to finding the net. Both captain Troy Deeney and Odion Ighalo got off to flying starts as far as goalscoring is concerned, with the latter quickly into double figures. Though the second half of the year saw a rapid decline in Watford's ability to find the net, they were still able to comfortably stave off the threat of relegation, highlighting once again the fantastic job done by Quique Sanchez Flores and his team.

Backroom setup
Despite the success, Flores made it abundantly clear that he would not be staying at Watford for the remainder of his contract, opting instead to move back to his native Spain with Espanyol. The Watford board, however, pulled off in my eyes a masterstroke, replacing Flores with ex-Napoli and Inter Milan boss Walter Mazzarri. The extravagant Italian brings with his an exciting style of play, as well as European experience, which will prove invaluable to Watford as they look to pull their way up the table.

Pre-season

Their pre-season was certainly reminiscent of their first season back in the Premier League - a strong start punctuated by draws and defeats. Beginning with a disappointing 1-1 draw at Woking, Watford followed this up with wins at both Stevenage (2-0) and Union Berlin (3-1), with Etienne Capoue, who flew largely under the radar last season, getting on the scoresheet in both games.

However, just as happened in their league season, their form rather tailed off as they got to the end of pre-season. Following a dour 0-0 draw with Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala, the Hornets ended with a 2-0 defeat to Championship side QPR.

Squad and signings
Mazzari has yet to really get into the transfer market in any big way, but perhaps the best bits of business conducted so far is keeping both Ighalo and Deeney, despite interest from the likes of champions Leicester and Arsenal. They have had a clearout of some of their younger players and second string side, with the most high profile exits those of Almen Abdi and Daniel Pudil to Sheffield Wednesday, as well as the sale of Jose Manuel Jurado to Quique Sanchez Flores's new side Espanyol.

It's easy to forget that amidst the exits, Watford have actually made their record signing, with striker Isaac Success joining from Getafe for an estimate fee of £12.5m. They've also made signings in the defence, with Christian Kabasele and Brice Dja Djedje joining from Genk and Marseille for undisclosed fees respectively, and Juan Camilo Zuniga joining from Napoli on loan for the season. Finally, the Hornets managed to poach promising young English striker Jerome Sinclair from Liverpool for a cut price of £4m.

Tactics
Again, with a new manager, it's often difficult to tell exactly how a side will perform in the early days of the season. However, you would expect Mazzari to continue to employ the flying wingback tactic, something further emphasised by the signing of Zuniga. Similarly, the fact that they have fought so hard to keep hold of Troy Deeney and Odion Ighalo would tend to suggest that the 'big man, little man' strike combination is going to remain the focus further up the pitch.

Predictions

The second season is often a stumbling block for many promoted sides, and I do feel that Watford will go through a period of difficulty at some point in the season. However, having proven goalscorer at this level will help pull them away from trouble, but I feel it will be closer than it was last time around.

Final position: 16th

PL 16/17 Predictions Series: Tottenham Hotspur

My new series looks at the participants of the latest Premier League season. For previous posts, see below:

Arsenal, Bournemouth, Burnley, Crystal Palace, Chelsea, Everton, Hull City, Leicester City, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Middlesbrough, Southampton, Stoke City, Sunderland, Swansea City

Last season
Leicester's biggest challengers for the remainder of the season, Tottenham enjoyed a buoyant 2015/16. With the emergence of young Englishmen Dele Alli and Harry Kane, Spurs found themselves challenging for the title for the majority of the season. However, as it became increasingly obvious that Leicester's momentum was not going to end, Tottenham struggled to see out the season, eventually falling behind their local rivals on the final day.

Backroom setup
After such a strong year last time around, it comes as little surprise that Mauricio Pochettino has been retained as manager, meaning that Spurs have the consistency that many of their rivals lack (if you exclude Arsenal, of course!).

What has changed slightly is where the backroom is going to be for certain matches. While Tottenham look to renovate their current stadium, all home league and cup matches will be played at White Hart Lane, but all Champions League games are to be played across the city at Wembley, providing a few marquee games for the Spurs fans to go and watch.

Pre-season
A very short one, as Spurs chose only to compete in the International Champions Cup. While that does offer them a considerable challenge, and push them against some of the most successful sides in Europe, will that provide the match fitness necessary to maintain the momentum from their 3rd place finish last year?

Regardless, the cup itself can hardly be seen as an overwhelming success for Mauricio Pochettino's men. Beginning with a 2-1 defeat to reigning Serie A champions Juventus, the London side then went down 0-1 to Champions League finalists Atletico Madrid. While the Lily Whites did turn in a much improved performance to destroy Inter Milan 6-1, with goals from Alli, Kane, Lamela, Janssen and Harrison, is one win in three games really a strong return, and the stuff of champions?

Squad and signings
There is not all that much to say on the transfer front either. Comparatively, Spurs have spent far less than any of their main rivals, investing in just two players: Victor Wanyama from Southampton for £11m, and Vincent Janssen from AZ Alkmaar for £17m. While both will strengthen the squad, will that be enough to rival the £150m and nearly £175m that Manchester City and United have spent respectively?

They have, however, managed to retain all of their top talent from last season. While there will have been rumbling surrounding Harry Kane, and I'm sure Pochettino took a few calls about his star man, all of Spurs' key players have remained at the club. This may provide them with a bit of consistency, meaning that they can hit the ground running when the season starts and avoiding that awkward period when a new manager and players look to bed in.

Tactics
I'm not even sure I need to write anything in here, as it's not going to change. Cue fast, attacking football with extensive use of the flying wing-backs Rose and Walker, as well as guile and flair from the likes of Alli, Eriksen and Lamela. Dembele and Dier will provide the perfect foil for the back pairing of Vertonghen and Alderweireld, while Harry Kane will be looking to continue his outstanding scoring streak (if you ignore his woeful Euro 2016!).

Predictions

If last year was a close but no cigar moment, I feel this year will be essentially the same thing but a bit further down. With resurgence promised from all three of City, United and Chelsea, as well as the inevitable fact of Arsenal finishing above them, I can see Spurs narrowly missing out on the top 4, dropping into the much maligned 5th spot and taking their place back in the Europa League.

Final position: 5th

PL 16/17 Predictions Series: Swansea City

My new series looks at the participants of the latest Premier League season. For previous posts, see below:

Arsenal, Bournemouth, Burnley, Crystal Palace, Chelsea, Everton, Hull City, Leicester City, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Middlesbrough, Southampton, Stoke City, Sunderland

Last season
Certainty a season of what might have been. After a promising start from the Swans, with new signing Andre Ayew particularly impressing, they went downhill rapidly in the mid-season, falling into the relegation zone as we entered December. This ultimately cost Garry Monk his job, with Francisco Guidolin his eventual replacement.

Under the tutelage of the Italian, the Welsh side climbed slowly up the table, with impressive wins at The Emirates and at home to Chelsea. A 1-1 draw with Manchester City on the final day sent the Swans 12th, a good achievement given the circumstances at the turn of the year.

Backroom setup
Swansea fans will be glad to hear that Guidolin will be retained as manager for the upcoming year, meaning that the important changes will be made to the on-field staff.

Pre-season
Easiest way to describe this is simple. Whereas other sides have focused more on creating challenging matches, the Swans seem to have looked towards eminently winnable games, and as such picked up 5 from 6. Starting in the US, Swansea beat third tier side Charlotte Independence 4-0, before ending up on the end of a 2-0 reverse to Richmond Kickers, again in the US third division.

Having returned to the UK, Swansea took a short trip around England to face some of our lower league sides. A 5-1 win at Bristol Rovers, which saw five goals from different scorers, was followed by a 3-0 win at Swindon and a 4-0 win at Wolves, with Wayne Routledge bagging a brace. The Swans final game saw them return to the Liberty, securing a narrow 1-0 win over French side Stade Rennais, but unlike many of their key rivals, have yet to be really tested.

Squad and signings
Their case will not have been aided by the sale of all of their recognised strikers from last season. Having made it very clear that Bafetimbi Gomis would be leaving to Marseille on loan, while Euro 2016 winner Eder (Lille), Alberto Paloschi (Atalanta), and most notably Andre Ayew (West Ham, £20.5m), Swansea have been left very threadbare up front. The Welsh club have also lost their captain, with Ashley Williams being charged with replacing Everton's John Stones for a £12m fee.

In fairness, the Swans have certainly been active in the transfer market, bringing in two headline strikers in Fernando Llorente from Sevilla and Borja Baston from Atletico Madrid for £15.5m. In addition, Swansea have added on-loan midfielder Leroy Fer and Dutch defender Mike van der Voorn to their squad as they look to build strength in depth.

Tactics
It's difficult to say given all the changes made over the summer, but certainly Francisco Guidolin will not want to abandon the tactics that kept Swansea in the Premier League. As with Bafetimbi Gomis, we are likely to see the Swans continue to employ the target man tactic when it comes to Llorente, while looking for Borja Baston to feed off the big Spaniard.

Predictions

Swansea's season could all come down to have they start. Having lost so many of their key players over the last few years, I don't see the Swans keeping their head above water. There is always one shock relegation every year, and I see Swansea being that team.

Final position: 18th

PL 16/17 Predictions Series: Sunderland

My new series looks at the participants of the latest Premier League season. For previous posts, see below:

Arsenal, Bournemouth, Burnley, Crystal Palace, Chelsea, Everton, Hull City, Leicester City, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Middlesbrough, Southampton, Stoke City

Last season
The inevitable great escape. Having occupied one of the bottom three slots more than any of their rivals (excluding the clearly doomed Aston Villa) last season, a change of management once again worked wonders for the Black Cats. Sam Allardyce, with all his experience of steering teams away from the drop, did exactly the same on Wearside. Even sweeter for Sunderland, it was their local rivals Newcastle that took their place in the second tier!

Backroom setup
However, the success experienced by Allardyce came at a cost for the Black Cats. Following the inept showing of the national team at Euro 2016, Allardyce had made it clear that he would be interested in replacing Roy Hodgson as England coach. After a brief interview period, which included the likes of Steve Bruce, Big Sam was selected as Hodgson's replacement, throwing the Wearside club back into uncertainty.

However, one relegation battle expert was replaced by another, with the appointment of David Moyes. Despite suffering a torrid time at Manchester United and Real Sociedad, Moyes has demonstrated his ability to manage in the Premier League, keeping Everton afloat and leading them to Europe in his 10 years in charge at Goodison. He will certainly look to stamp his authority on Sunderland early to get them pulling in the right direction.

Pre-season
Despite the uncertainty and backroom turmoil, the on-field staff seem to have not been affected, remaining unbeaten throughout their pre-season campaign. In particular, the squad finished with creditable 1-1 draws with both Montpellier and Borussia Dortmund, highlighting the strength of character at the club.

Before the marquee matches, the Black Cats had racked up four consecutive victories on their travels, both in the UK and France. Having started with a comfortable 3-0 win at Hartlepool, which saw Jermain Defoe blitz two in fifteen minutes, Sunderland edged out Rotherham in a 2-1 victory. Having travelled to the continent, two Duncan Watmore penalties saw them surpass Stade Nyonnais, before a tight 3-2 win over Dijon.

Squad and signings
Amidst all the chaos and confusion, little has been done in the way of signings so far this year, and the squad remains largely as it was at the end of last season. The club has made a couple of defensive signings, with the additions of Chelsea defensive reject Papy Djilobodji for £8m, as well as raiding Manchester United's youth team for Paddy McNair and Donald Love in a deal worth an estimated £5m. Moyes has also made it clear he would be interested in signing both Adnan Januzaj and Marouane Fellaini from Manchester United, but concedes the latter may well be too expensive.

The most high profile exit of the window so far has to be that of Emmanuele Giaccherini, despite an outstanding Euro 2016 with Italy. Having spent the majority of his time at Sunderland away from the Black Cats, he finally made his move back to Italy permanent with a £2m switch to Napoli. Santiago Vergini also made his way back to his native land in a £1.5m move to Boca Juniors, while there were free transfers for Danny Graham, Wes Brown and Steve Harper.

Tactics
Standard David Moyes tactics require the addition of a muscular man for target practice, having favoured the likes of Victor Anichebe and Yakubu in his Everton days. The acquisition of Fellaini would certainly cover that off, but may hinder the success of Jermain Defoe, who has proven positively prolific since his move to Wearside. That said, the bite in the midfield will remain in the form of Lee Cattermole, while I expect Wahbi Khazri to play a key role over the next 12 months.

Predictions

They will inevitably avoid relegation - it's just what they do. With Moyes at the helm, I actually expect them to to it more comfortably than last time. Not much more, but with a few games to spare.

Final position: 15th

PL 16/17 Predictions Series: Stoke City

My new series looks at the participants of the latest Premier League season. For previous posts, see below:

Arsenal, Bournemouth, Burnley, Crystal Palace, Chelsea, Everton, Hull City, Leicester City, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Middlesbrough, Southampton

Last season
Having thrown off the Tony Pulis shackles of long throws and borderline violent play, Stoke have slowly become one of the better footballing sides in the Premier League. Having attracted the likes of Marko Arnautovic, Bojan Krkic, and most impressively, Xherdan Shaqiri, Mark Hughes has the Potters playing like a top half side. It showed too, with Stoke finishing an impressive 9th, with their highest points tally of all time.

Backroom setup
Unsurprisingly, Mark Hughes is retained as coach, and will be charged with making his money continue to go further, as well as bringing in some defensive talent to even out the attacking flair currently at the club. Consistency was the only thing lacking last year, taking the Potters away from the European spots.

Pre-season
Bookended by disappointing results, Stoke's pre-season arguably didn't provide the greatest challenge for a Premier League club. With two games against Orlando City's A and B teams offering little in the way of true match practice, with the Potters winning against the first team 2-1, before a 5-0 hammering of the reserves. However, their other matches presented a greater problem than they should have done, beginning with a 3-0 defeat away at Championship Burton Albion.

Having done that, they could only manage a draw at Preston North End before heading stateside, with a 1-1 result hardly a convincing performance. While Mame Biram Diouf did manage goals in each of those three matches, any momentum that Stoke had built up was gone with a final match defeat at Hamburg, who narrowly avoided relegation from the Bundesliga last year.

Squad and signings
Mark Hughes has provided an overwhelming vote confidence in his Stoke squad, making just two signings for the first team. Most notably, the Potters signed defensive midfielder and 'Welsh Xavi' Joe Allen from Liverpool for a typically inflated £13m, while Ramadan Sobhi joined from Al Ahly for £5m.

Similarly, very little has happened on the reverse side, with only two first team players released in Steve Sidwell and Peter Odemwingie. Clearly, Hughes feels his squad has only improved since last year, and has the potential to compete with the sides around them, despite having spent considerable amounts.

Tactics
Far from the long ball tactics employed in the original Stoke City Premier League side, you can expect to see more of the slick football witnessed from the likes of Shaqiri, Arnautovic and Bojan. They will remain physically imposing at the back, but it's a much more attractive style of play than the Britannia Stadium became used to under Pulis.

Predictions
Stoke have been on a consistent roll, cementing themselves as a top half team in the last couple of years. I don't see that changing, but they may struggle over the coming years if more investment in players is not made.

Final position: 9th

PL 16/17 Predictions Series: Southampton

My new series looks at the participants of the latest Premier League season. For previous posts, see below:

Arsenal, Bournemouth, Burnley, Crystal Palace, Chelsea, Everton, Hull City, Leicester City, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Middlesbrough

Last season
We're getting used to saying it when it comes to Southampton, but another surprisingly strong season for the Saints. Since coming back into the Premier League, the South Coast club have continued to outperform predictions, despite continuously losing their best players. However, once again last year, it was the performance of the manager that drew the most praise. Ronald Koeman, having added to his squad with the likes of centre back Virgil van Dijk, led the team to a 6th place finish, one place better than last year, and the highest placing since returning to the division.

Backroom setup
However, the adulation shown to Koeman by fans and pundits alike inevitably turned heads. At the end of last season, it became clear that Everton were head-hunting the Dutchman. While Southampton could not prevent him from leaving, they did at least manage to recoup £5m in compensation.

In his place came French veteran manager Claude Puel. Having spent his entire career in his home country with Monaco, Lille, Lyon and Nice, his lack of experience in the English game may be a blessing or a curse, and it will certainly be interesting to see how he stamps his authority on the team.

Pre-season
If pre-season is anything to go by, he has already made big steps with his current squad. Going unbeaten throughout their six matches, that includes key victories against PEC Zwolle (4-0), Twente  (2-1) and Athletic Bilbao (1-0). In particular, Charlie Austin and Shane Long have hit the ground running when it comes to finding the net, while defensively they have looked strong.

In their other three fixtures, they saw a 2-0 win over DC United's Under 23's, as well as a 1-0 win over Dutch side Groningen. In fact, the only match that prevented them maintaining a 100 per cent record was a 1-1 draw against Espanyol - a game that the Saints led for the vast majority. If this is anything to go by, Southampton are in great shape to start the season, and will look to maintain their momentum into their first match against Watford.

Squad and signings
Once again, it would appear that Southampton have lost some of their biggest name players, but history would suggest that this isn't the end of the world. The £61m recouped for Sadio Mane (Liverpool), Victor Wanyama (Tottenham) and Graziano Pelle (Shandong Luneng), making the latter the most-well paid sportsman on the planet, has enabled them to make a few additions, but they have yet to make a marquee signing.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg certainly has the potential to be a key player, with the ex-Bayern man already playing a role in pre-season, but the other signings of Nathan Redmond, Jeremy Pied and Alex McCarthy are hardly setting the world alight. With the funds they have, both from the television deal and the sales, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Saints active on deadline day - I wonder if Puel can borrow the Land Rover from Arry' for the big day?

Tactics
I'll admit, I'm not particularly familiar with the playing style of Claude Puel, so I can't honestly suggest a tactic that I expect to see from the Frenchman. However, the players that he has would dictate a quick pass and move game, utilising the wing-backs and looking to put Shane Long in behind at every available opportunity.

Predictions

I know we do this every year, but I expect this to be the season that the upward trajectory of the Saints end. Eventually, every team would miss their key players having sold the majority of them over the past three years, and while I expect them to steer well clear of relegation problems, I see them entering an area of mid-table mediocrity this season. The Europa League excursions will do them no favours, and will further deplete an already thin squad.

Final position: 12th

PL 16/17 Predictions Series: Middlesbrough

My new series looks at the participants of the latest Premier League season. For previous posts, see below:

Arsenal, Bournemouth, Burnley, Crystal Palace, Chelsea, Everton, Hull City, Leicester City, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United

Last season
After a seven year absence from England's top flight, Middlesbrough secured a return by edging out Brighton on the final day of the Championship season in a winner takes all match. Thanks to their superior goal difference, the 1-1 draw against the Seagulls sent them up behind Burnley.

Backroom setup
Aitor Karanka retains his position at the helm of the club, and will be looking to consolidate their position back at the top table of English football. Unusually for a promoted side, there has been little drama surrounding the backroom, with no real suggestion that their coach is going to be snapped up by a rival.

Pre-season
This has enabled the Boro to focus entirely on their extensive pre-season campaign. Starting, as so many clubs did, with a brief stay in the UK, Middlesbrough headed out to Marbella for three games in the space of six days. Their UK tour was largely successful, winning 6-0 at York and 2-0 at Doncaster.

However, Marbella threw up a topsy-turvy set of results, with Boro losing to Real Betis 2-1 and drawing 2-2 with Alcorcon, both currently playing in Spain's second tier. Though they did finish off their trip to Europe with a 2-0 win over Egyptian side Al-Ahly, they had hardly been convincing throughout.

This inconsistency continued into the final fixtures, with a 3-1 win at relegated Aston Villa arguably the highlight of their pre-season, with goals from Alvaro Negredo, Jordan Rhodes and Viktor Fischer. However, subsequent goalless draws against both Udinese and Real Sociedad checked that momentum slightly, ending their pre-season on a bit of a flat note.

Squad and signings
Middlesbrough have arguably been the Del Boy of this season's transfer window, with the Teesside club looking to conduct the majority of their business in either the loan or free transfer market. However, you have to hand it to them, securing the signings of Champions League winning goalkeeper Victor Valdes, Brad Guzan, Bernardo Espinoza and Gaston Ramirez on frees, as well as free-scoring Alvaro Negredo on loan from Valencia.

In the biggest money move of the window, Atalanta midfielder Marten de Roon made a £12m switch, while Viktor Fischer swapped Amsterdam for Middlesbrough in a deal worth just shy of £4m.

Tactics
With the powerful Negredo expected to take his place as the lead striker, I'm expecting Boro to employ the flick-on to great effect, looking to use the pace of either Fischer or Downing in behind defences. Alternatively, the big Spaniard may choose to just be a battering ram, but either may well be extremely effective!

Defensively is where they may struggle, as I would expect Boro to see the vast minority of possession in most games. Here, a tight man-marking system must be employed, as even half a chance in this league usually results in a goal.

Predictions

With the addition of a number of Premier League quality players, including a couple who probably still deserve to be in Europe, I have the feeling that Middlesbrough will emulate the success seen by Watford last year. An upper second half of the table finish awaits as few teams will leave Teesside with maximum points.

Final position: 13th

PL 16/17 Predictions Series: Manchester United

My new series looks at the participants of the latest Premier League season. For previous posts, see below:

Arsenal, Bournemouth, Burnley, Crystal Palace, Chelsea, Everton, Hull City, Leicester City, Liverpool, Manchester City

Last season
Despite an FA Cup sitting in the cabinet at Old Trafford, as well as coming razor close to pipping their local rivals to the final Champions League spot, the season has to be considered a disappointment for Manchester United. Over the last two years under the stewardship of Louis van Gaal, the club has produced less and less exciting football, with the chant 'attack, attack, attack' a regular occurrence at home games.

A fifth place finish is also by no means a successful investment of more than £200m, especially when you consider the progression of both Leicester City and Tottenham over the same period with comparatively less money.

Backroom setup
As a result, the Manchester United board felt that van Gaal did not represent the best way forward, relieving him of his duties just days after the FA Cup victory. In his place comes self-proclaimed 'Special One' Jose Mourinho, who has the winning mentality and potential to significantly change the fortunes of the club, as well as attract the attention of some of the largest names in the sport.

However, his managerial style does also draw criticism, with Mourinho's treatment of some of the older players already drawing heat from the footballing world. Bastian Schweinsteiger has already felt the wrath of the Special One, being forced to train with the reserves and kept separate from the first-team squad.

Pre-season
Mourinho has certainly had a topsy-turvy start to his Manchester United career, again exemplified by results in his pre-season matches. Beginning with a comfortable 2-0 win over Wigan Athletic, United were dismantled in their first International Champions Cup game against Borussia Dortmund. Despite a debut goal for ex-Dortmund player Henrikh Mkhitaryan, the Red Devils were thoroughly outclassed, losing 4-1. While they responded with an emphatic 5-2 win over Galatasaray in their next match, including a Zlatan Ibrahimovic bicycle kick, their momentum was checked slightly by both a cancellation of their derby match with Manchester City, as well as a boring 0-0 draw in their first game at Old Trafford under Mourinho, Wayne Rooney's testimonial against Everton.

The most indicative match of their pre-season was the Community Shield match against last season's champions Leicester, which saw the Red Devils produce a dominant performance. While a 2-1 victory, especially one claimed with a late goal, would suggest that the game was close, it was certainly true that United had it well under control throughout the 90.

Squad and signings
Without doubt, Manchester United have made the largest noise in the transfer market, making a number of high profile, and expensive, signings. With the news that Zlatan Ibrahimovic would be making the move from PSG on a free, United added a guaranteed 20-goals a season striker, something severely lacking from the last two years.

In addition, the club has added the £27m creative midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan from Dortmund, as well as the highly rated youngster Eric Bailly for £30m from Villarreal. However, the largest signing was saved for last, with the Red Devils blitzing the world record transfer fee for Paul Pogba, with figures in excess of £100m expected following performance bonuses and add ons. This may well complete the squad and put them firmly in the driving seat for the opening of the Premier League season, though discussions are apparently ongoing around the futures of Juan Mata, Marouane Fellaini and Adnan Januzaj.

Tactics
As with many Jose Mourinho teams, the use of the target man as a striker plays a key role. Watch out for Zlatan Ibrahimovic playing the Didier Drogba role, allowing the likes of Wayne Rooney and Anthony Martial time to damage their opponents, as well as the guile of Mkhitaryan and Pogba to unlock stubborn defences.

Predictions

They enter this season the undisputed favourites for their 21st title. With no Champions League commitments, they can place the vast majority of their focus on reclaiming their Premier League crown, and the depth of their squad should enable them to do exactly that. The only thing that can prevent them from doing this is either severe injury problems, or more crazed decisions by their new manager.

Final position: 1st