34 EXPERTS PREDICT TITLE RACE – WHO WINS OUT OF MANCHESTER UNITED AND MANCHESTER CITY?
Football lovers can often fool themselves into believing that THIS season is going to be the best one in years.
In reality part of that feeling comes from the pure excitement that club football is back. Because, for England supporters in particular, international tournaments only dampen the appetite for the otherwise beautiful game.
That said there is a new, gleaming look about The Premier League this season. After a few years in the relative wilderness yet more money has been pumped in through TV deals and the cast list is more stellar than ever.
The almost mystical Jurgen Klopp has had time to mould his Liverpool squad and, without Europe to tire his charges, Liverpool have to be serious title contenders this time around – you only have to look at their attacking array of Sturridge, Origi (on fire pre-season), Firmino, Wijnaldum, Mane and Coutinho to see that they will be a force. Are Liverpool really back this time?
Manchester City have welcomed Pep Guardiola and look to have spent well. John Stones will turn out to be a top buy and we love the look of Leroy Sane and Gabriel Jesus (who will arrive later).
You can already see that Manchester United have their mojo back and have signed two world class players as well as two who could ultimately reach that category.
TFF believes that Zlatan will have the same impact as RvP did when he joined Manchester United in 2012.
The Swede had scored 2 goals his first 3 games for United and hasn’t even warmed up properly. He’s a very young 34 and a killer in front of goal. The Manchester United/Manchester City rivalry is about to get even more intense. Could we see them contest The Champions League final in the next few years?
The wonderful BBC asked all of their pundits who would win the league this season. 18 went for Manchester City. 12 for Manchester United, 3 for Chelsea and 1 for Tottenham. That was Chris Waddle. Ex-Tottenham star Chris Waddle.
As for TFF, we like to remain neutral in these affairs. But we can’t see the title ending up anywhere other than in Manchester this year. If we were forced to make a prediction we would perhaps point to Mourinho’s mastery of The Premier League and Pep’s inexperience in England as the decisive factors this term. The Spaniard is a supreme coach but he’s never worked in a league as competitive or physically tough as this and his tiki-taka style may need a little tweaking before the silverware flows.
TFF readers, who is going to take the title?
So here is that survey, courtesy of The BBC .
Jermaine Jenas; Man City Tottenham Chelsea Liverpool
John Hartson; Man City Arsenal Man Utd Liverpool
Dean Saunder s; Man City Leicester Liverpool Tottenham
Danny Murphy; Man City Chelsea Man Utd Liverpool
Ian Wright; Man City Chelsea Man Utd Arsenal
Ruud Gullit; Man City Chelsea Man Utd Arsenal
SAM (super-computer);
Man City Chelsea Man Utd Tottenham
Conor McNamara; Man City Chelsea Man Utd Arsenal
Casey Stoney; Man City Chelsea Arsenal Man Utd
Chris Sutton; Man City Man Utd Liverpool Arsenal
Martin Keown; Man City Man Utd Arsenal Tottenham
Pat Nevin; Man City Man Utd Arsenal Tottenham
Dan Walker; Man City Man Utd Chelsea Liverpool
Mark Lawrenson; Man City Man Utd Chelsea Arsenal
Guy Mowbray; Man City Man Utd Chelsea Arsenal
Juliette Ferrington;
Man City Man Utd Chelsea Arsenal
Kevin Kilbane; Man City Man Utd Tottenham Chelsea
Alistair Bruce-Ball;
Man City Man Utd Tottenham Liverpool
Danny Mills; Man Utd Man City Tottenham Chelsea
Garth Crooks; Man Utd Man City Chelsea Arsenal
John Murray; Man Utd Man City Chelsea Arsenal
Rachel Brown-Finnis;
Man Utd Man City Chelsea Arsenal
Eniola Aluko; Man Utd Man City Chelsea Tottenham
Gabby Logan; Man Utd Man City Chelsea Tottenham
Manish Bhasin; Man Utd Man City Chelsea Liverpool
Steve Bower; Man Utd Man City Arsenal Liverpool
Ian Dennis; Man Utd Man City Arsenal Liverpool
Alistair Mann; Man Utd Man City Arsenal Liverpool
Jason Roberts; Man Utd Arsenal Man City Chelsea
Jason Mohammad; Man Utd Chelsea Man City Tottenham
Trevor Sinclair; Chelsea Man City Liverpool Man Utd
Steve Wilson; Chelsea Man City Arsenal Man Utd
John Motson; Chelsea Liverpool Man City Man Utd
Chris Waddle; Tottenham Arsenal Man City Man Utd
