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: 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

Summer Transfer Window Series: 2015 Window Top 10 Loan and Free Wheeler-Dealers

In my final post of this current series, I wanted to do something a little bit differently. In every transfer window, media attention and general focus lands on the big money moves, or the potential difference makers, as is reflected by my previous blogs.

Very little tends to be made of the movement in the free or loan transfer window, but these are where some of the most impressive deals are done. All of the following have at one time or another moved for nothing: Lewandowski, Pirlo, Law, Khedira, Klinsmann and Raul, and this season has been no different, with a number of good free and loan deals being done, particularly by clubs lower down the Premier League pecking order.

10. Maarten Stekelenburg - Fulham to Southampton (Loan)
It's not every day you get the chance to sign a goalkeeper that has played in a World Cup final, but Southampton did exactly that this year. After an unsuccessful (and no doubt costly) spell at Fulham, which was punctuated by a brief loan spell with AS Monaco, the Dutchman made the move across the South East to Southampton. Though in the long-term Stekelenburg is likely to play second fiddle to the currently injured Fraser Forster, the former Roma man is enjoying his time on the coast, with three successive clean sheets in recent games.

9. Tom Cleverley - Manchester United to Everton (Free)
Although an uninspiring player on the face of it, and certainly not good enough for the likes of Manchester United (or England), but a solid central midfielder. Having been loaned out to Aston Villa last year, and generally impressed, Cleverley has earned a permanent move away from Old Trafford, and to a decent side in Everton. Like Stekelenberg, I don't expect the Englishman to play every game, but at just 26 years old, he still has plenty to offer and will be challenged at Goodison Park. He adds reasonable strength in depth and cover for the more experienced Gareth Barry, and will certainly have an opportunity to prove himself this season.

8. Nathan Dyer - Swansea City to Leicester City (Loan)
A bit of surprising one, this. Having been one of the staples of the Swansea side of the last few years, particularly in their first season back in the big time in 2011-2012, I felt that the flyer winger would still be a part of Garry Monk's plans. However, the signing and rise in form of Jefferson Montero has seen the opportunities dry up for Dyer, and rather than settle for reduced first-team minutes, the Englishman made the call to go out on loan to Leicester. While I'm not expecting the little winger to set the team alight over the coming months, particularly with the form of Riyhad Mahrez at present, but I do see him playing an important role over the season.

7. Victor Ibarbo - AS Roma to Watford (Loan)
A bolt out of the unknown, this transfer. Having enjoyed a largely successful career in Serie A with both Cagliari and Roma, as well as earning a number of caps for the Colombian national side, Ibarbo made the move to Premier League new boys Watford. A proven goalscorer with prodigious pace, it will be interesting to see how the striker gets on, particularly acclimatising to the physical nature of the Premier League. First of all, however, he needs to get to grips with the English legislation, with Ibarbo noble to take his place in the Watford side at the weekend due to visa problems. Once he has cleared that problem, I am certain he will prove a good signing for the Hornets, and could well prove the difference between survival and relegation come May.

6. Ibrahim Afellay - Barcelona to Stoke City (Free)
Stoke are slowly but surely putting together an impressive team of names that perhaps haven't hit their heights at enormous clubs, with Afellay joining the likes of Bojan and Shaqiri at the Britannia this summer. Once seen as the golden boy of Dutch football, Afellay shone in the Eredivisie, bringing PSV a number of titles and trophies. As a result, Barcelona took notice, and the youngster got the move to the Nou Camp.

However, since then it has been a seemingly never-ending series of disappointment, underperformance and a string of horrendous injuries, which has left Afellay needing to resurrect his career. He certainly possesses an enormous amount of quality, and has the potential to win a game in an instant, with his left foot particularly potent. However, he has also shown that he can be petulant, with his sending off against West Brom this season a prime example. All in all, a strong transfer, but Mark Hughes may have a challenge getting the best out of him.

5. James Milner - Manchester City to Liverpool (Free)
Perhaps not the most exciting transfer that Liverpool made this summer, but arguably one of the more important. The personification of the term 'utility player', Milner is an extremely valuable addition to Liverpool, providing them with cover across a number of positions. Having found his game time at Manchester City reduced year on year since signing for the club in 2010, Milner had made it clear that he would leave at the end of his contract. The only real question then was who would he go to?

With the midfielder unlikely to want to take a significant step down in quality that has been seen by many of this season's free transfers, it became evident that Liverpool were rapidly becoming first choice to secure his services. He has had an unspectacular start to life at Anfield, but then again he is an unspectacular player!

4. Yann M'Vila - Rubin Kazan to Sunderland (Loan)
Given the struggle that Sunderland have had in the last few seasons to retain their Premier League status, it surprised me that they were able to tempt the man who was once thought of extremely highly, and linked with some of Europe's top sides. True, his stock has dipped somewhat after choosing to ignore the top leagues and making the move to Russia, but I would have thought that his name alone would have got him into sides more capable of making an impact on the league. Considering the start that the Black Cats have made to this season, M'Vila has not been particularly poor, showing his talent with an exquisite free kick. Sunderland will need a few more of those to get them out of trouble, however.

3. Alex Song - Barcelona to West Ham United (Loan)
Though perhaps not as shocking as it was last season, I still think this represents an outstanding bit of business for the Hammers. Having proven his worth in England with first Arsenal, and then last season at Upton Park, Alex Song has returned to East London with a strong pedigree. Though his game-time so far this season has been limited, he will add to a rapidly improving West Ham side, and will further aid the remarkable away record with a bit of steel to go with the flair of the likes of Dimitri Payet.

2. Micah Richards - Manchester City to Aston Villa (Free)
Another Manchester City player, and an Englishman at that, to leave on a free this season. But one club's loss is another's gain, and in this case, I feel Villa have got themselves an absolute gem. Though it's easy to forget, given the amount of time Richards has been around, he is relatively young at just 27 years old. Though, like many of the others in this list, he has failed to live up to what was unreasonable hype, and has found himself out of favour with Manuel Pellegrini. Incredibly strong and quick, he fits perfectly into the Premier League, either at centre back or full back, and will add leadership and stability to the Villa defence. He's already shown considerable promise, and has been installed as captain of the Birmingham club.

1. Andre Ayew - Olympique Marseille to Swansea City (Free)
I think this goes without saying. An absolutely outstanding start to life in the Premier League for Andre Ayew, with a remarkable return of two goals and three assists. The Ghanaian has fitted into the quick pass and move-style football currently on display at the Liberty Stadium perfectly, quickly finding a fruitful partnership with striker Bafetimbi Gomis, who has also started the season like a freight train. Though I'm sure that both he and Swansea will go through lean spells during the season, I'm equally sure that he has the quality to make it through them and continue to contribute to the Swans' season. Shame the same can't be said for his brother Jordan at Aston Villa...

It's been a record-breaking transfer window, and with the new multi-billion pound TV deal set to come into operation next season, the spending is only going to get more pronounced. The only difference is that there will be more transfers made by the lower table sides, with the likes of Shaqiri, Cabaye and Wijnaldum just the start. However, clubs will still try to make the most out of their money, and the free transfers may become ever more significant when we look at the true ability of managers and their chief executives to exploit the market.

With such high sums being thrown around, it's set to be an exciting next few years for transfers, and an exciting next few months to see how the newest names cope with the demands at their new clubs.