Brek Broke

Well football certainly makes you shake your head in frustration. We get a player back and straight away lose him to injury for 4-6 weeks, as far as the initial prognosis suggests. This wouldn't have been as harshly felt if Brek hadn't scored in the game and shown glimpses of why we brought him from the States to play for us. His injury though highlights the lack of cover that we have on the left wing, with Matthew Etherington our only natural left-footed left-winger. Whilst this is no discredit to what Matty has done for us since he joined us in 2009, I do believe, like a lot of Stoke supporters, that the time has come where he should be merely a bit-part player, or even less. If he could beat a man, I feel we would all have more confidence in him, but recent performances suggest that his last remaining strength is his crossing ability. If he was being managed by Tony Pulis, that strength might have had some usage still, under Mark Hughes it is slightly unclear. I watched the opening half hour of the last preseason game against Philadelphia Union and we did play a good short passing game. Ryan Shotton impressed me with good support work for Kightly on the right wing, whilst Marc Muniesa did well operating on the left. Both of the goals in the game came from crosses, but I feel they offered something different from the crosses we saw last season. The cross for Shea's goal is the better example as it was aimed in between the lines, waiting to be tapped rather than high in the air in anticipation of a header. Again, Matty could prove me, and others, wrong and show that there is still a fair game in him yet, but it's going to take a run of good performances to convince me at the moment.

Transfer Talk:

Should we sign a player who can compete with Shea? For weeks we have been focussing on names of forwards at who could strengthen our front-line, whilst I feel this injury has exposed another area that may need covering up. I feel that in the short-term, a loan deal from a top club would be ideal as Brek may prove to be better than what we could get elsewhere in this window, so a loan would just keep this side of the squad competitive. So what names am I thinking of?

Jordon Ibe

He has impressed on Liverpool's pre-season tour of Australia so far, although game time might be limited for him with Raheem Sterling, Stewart Downing, Luis Alberto, Oussama Assaidi and potentially Daniel Sturridge or Luis Suarez fighting for a place on the flanks of a front three. This is a long-shot of a deal, but if Brendan Rodgers couldn't guarantee him game time, this would be an interesting move for Stoke.

Adnan Januzaj

Again, another player who has impressed in pre season, this time with Manchester United. While he has played behind Robin van Persie in some of the games in the Far East, he is just as comfortable on the flanks and could provide competition in our squad. Again, the stumbling block would appear to be on whether his parent club would be willing to loan him out.

Serge Gnabry

Less of a long-shot, but at a cost. Gnabry has done well in Arsenal's Academy side and like Ibe has one Premier League match under his belt, playing as a sub against Norwich last season. Like Januzaj he has been played more recently in the hole, but naturally he is a left winger. Arsenal appear willing to loan him out and gain experience, but the question is would they willing to loan him to us? Hopefully with the change in management, it could be an option.

Iago Falqué

He hasn't lit the world up since moving from Juventus to Tottenham, but as the oldest player on my list, perhaps what he needs is a chance. During a short loan spell at Southampton he played once and was never seen again. However, in the time since then he has played for Almeria on loan and gained more playing time, although a goal count of 2 in 22 isn't impressive. He's on this list because with a CV that lists Barcelona B, Juventus, Villareal B and Tottenham, he has been well thought of during his youth career but something went wrong somewhere. Perhaps Stoke could be the place where he hits the heights he was meant for?

These are just four names that have caught my eye on pre season tours or from looking at the top U21 sides in the country. If you have more, post a comment and discuss.

Away from the Brit - Bale-out:

A story that will not die is Gareth Bale to Real Madrid. A reported £85 million bid was made for Bale last week, and considering the time since then appears to have been rejected with Spurs chairman Daniel Levy apparently wanting closer to £125 million. First of all, it needs to be said that the day a club pays £125 million for a player, we know that the game has gone mad. As a human being, I would not like being valued anyway, but to have such a high amount brandished on you is a burden. For this reason to begin with, I don't believe Bale should leave Spurs. As Graham Hunter reported to Sky Sports News yesterday, it appears the Real Madrid President - Florentino Perez - is obsessed with beating Barcelona in the transfer stakes, and in doing so buying a more marketable brand than Neymar. There also appears to be an uncertainty around the future of Cristiano Ronaldo with fears mounting that he will let his contract run down and leave on a free. Whilst the signing of Bale would constitute a world class signing, someone who could compete with Ronaldo for the star role in the team, I fear one would outshine the other. I cannot imagine an harmony between the two players, where both are happy to work for each other, take the pressure from the other when goals are hard to come by. If Bale plays well, Ronaldo will become unhappy at not being the star. If Ronaldo outshines Bale, then the transfer fee paid will have been a waste as long as Ronaldo is there. It's a conundrum for the club, and one they would be forcing upon themselves. Returning to the present though, how would Tottenham use the potential fee from Bale's transfer? In the short term, I fail to see how they could invest in the playing side. £85-125 million is a lot of money to spend, and if the transfer went ahead, everyone would know what money Spurs have to spend. Reports suggest that they would consider investing it into a new stadium, whilst improving the playing squad. But who could they get that would score the goals that Bale did last season? I fail to see who could slot into their team and take on this key role. I know in football that there should be a mantra of 'no one is bigger than the club', yet at this moment in time, I cannot see a promising future for Spurs on the pitch if Bale leaves. In my predictions three weeks ago, I had Spurs finishing fifth (again) even with Bale. Without him, I'd see their position going down to sixth if Liverpool perform well this season, and perhaps seventh if they fail to secure the signing of Roberto Soldado. Spurs lacked goals last season, even with Bale. Until the right player(s) comes along, Spurs should keep Bale and take whatever money they're given. In that time, who knows, Ronaldo may have departed for British shores once more and Bale will be free to be the star of Madrid's show.

Quick Snippet:

My condolences go to the family and friends of Christian 'Chucho' Benitez. One of the things I take out of the term 'football family' is that we're all united by the game. When players are critically ill - such as Fabrice Muamba in 2012 - or in this instance with Christian Benitez, I like to think that we all unite in support of the player, or unite in grief as in this case. In support of this, our club motto is more relevant than ever: 'Vis Unita Fortior'.

Science in shirt numbers?

Until recently, it was Mysterious Muniesa regarding his role at the club

For me, this is the most exciting part of the transfer window, seeing a new player who has joined your club, showing off the club shirt and displaying the number he will be representing your club with. That's why in preseason, I am dismayed when we see images such as the one when Marc Muniesa was announced as a Stoke player, with no number on the back of the shirt. Is it because the other players had not returned from their holidays? Was it to prevent mistaken shirt sales? Was it just laziness? The latter, I doubt, but a player's number is his identity on the field. When England play in friendly and qualifying matches, the player's position is represented by their shirt number, 1-11. Whilst different at club level, the science in my opinion is the same. Wayne Rooney wears number 10 for club and country, despite there being no traditional number 9 players who play alongside him in the current system for England. So why does Rooney not wear the number 9 shirt which he wore during the early part of his England career? I surmise it is because he sees himself as a number 10, a player who drops deep and dictates play, whilst also being in the box to score the vital goals. Because he sees himself in this position, it is perhaps why England has sometimes suffered as we play without an orthodox striker on the pitch, utilising Danny Welbeck - a recent recipient of number 9 shirts - out wide to accommodate Rooney centrally. This notion sticks with me when a club announces the signing of a new player. When Erik Pieters and Marc Muniesa were allocated the vacant shirt numbers 3 and 5 respectively, it allayed my fears that on Muniesa in particular that he could be used out of position, which I consider to be left back. Whilst capable there, I believe he should only be a deputy for Pieters who, in my opinion, rightfully took number 3, despite having worn number 5 when on international duty with the Netherlands. What I found equally as interesting was the allocation of the number 11 shirt to Brek Shea rather than Matthew Etherington, who has seemingly waited past his time to take on a traditional winger's number. Hopefully Brek will put the number to some use, but on the flip side, it also suggests that the club do not see Matty being at the club for much longer.

Michael Owen scoring his only goal for the club

So which shirt numbers are vacant, at least of relevance? The only real candidates are numbers 2 and 10. After Geoff Cameron abdicated the number 2 shirt, possibly as a way of indicating he does not see himself as a long-term full back option, we now have a shirt ready for a right back to take, when ready. The fact that in their time at the club, neither Andy Wilkinson or Ryan Shotton have not taken the shirt could be a sign that neither are suited for the position long term. Number 10 is the far more interesting number available, with Michael Owen's departure leaving another set of big shoes to fill after the great Ricardo Fuller vacated it only twelve months ago. Owen may not have had many chances last season, and we can speculate as to why that was all day long, but his name alone means that whoever takes that shirt next will have to be a top-notch player who can score the goals that have been missing in the team as of late. I'm surprised Cameron Jerome did not ask to be given the shirt, or perhaps he did and it was refused him, as Jerome has proven himself quite an exciting player, capable of scoring important goals for the club.Whilst Mame Biram Diouf and Nelson Oliveira are interesting names, I do not associate the number 10 with either of these players for different reasons. I feel Diouf would be similar in style to Kenwyne Jones, a rough 'em up number 9, whilst Oliveira from what I have seen of him appears to be more of a running channels striker who may play out wide if it suits the game. Out of the two, Oliveira is the more likelier to get supporters out of their seats, therefore if it had to go to one, it would be him, but I would like to hold the number 10 shirt back in the short term if it helped the group of players we have, and will get, in the long term.

Away from the Brit:

My fascination in shirt numbers, and the inspiration for this post, was due to Aston Villa's decision to relocate several shirt numbers around ahead of the forthcoming season. After a poor season under Paul Lambert, big name players such as Stephen Ireland, Shay Given, Charles N'Zogbia, Nathan Delfouneso, Alan Hutton, Barry Bannan and Darren Bent have been relocated their shirt numbers to a 'dead zone' for shirt numbers (35-42 in Villa's case). As all of the above players are available for transfers away from Villa Park, the question I ask regardless of whether you are a Stoke City supporter like myself, or from another club is: would you take any of the above players to your club?

Stephen Ireland, whilst having three troubled seasons at Villa Park, is a player that has moments of genius, plus his record under Mark Hughes at Manchester City was incredible. Whether that player still remains is uncertain, but if he could replicate his form from his time at the Etihad, any club could have a fantastic signing.

Charles N'Zogbia is another who has been hit and miss at Villa Park, although largely miss. I didn't think he had lived up to the hype that Dave Whelan placed upon him when he left Wigan for Aston Villa, and links to Chelsea at the time were absurd. Whilst not a top half of the table player, in my opinion, he could do a good job for any of the teams who have come up and need a player who will score a few goals from the wing to help them stay in the Premier League.

Alan Hutton has been linked with a move to Mallorca again this season, and whilst unusual for a British player to move to foreign leagues it is refreshing to see someone willing to give it a go abroad. Considering his reputation for tackling though, perhaps it is a small blessing that he's going away! However, the one thing I will never want to lose as a Stoke City supporter is our fighting spirit and players who are willing to take no chances when it comes to defending. Hutton would fit the bill, if Andy Wilkinson ever decides he must leave home permanently.

Shay Given certainly hasn't given his all to football yet - puns aside. If there is one club I am surprised didn't go in for Given it is Hull City who have been looking for an established number one for a while. I can only assume there was an hitch regarding personal terms or a fee because if you believe what you hear in the media, the interest was certainly there. If there is one club though that could do with a number one goalkeeper like Given, it's Cardiff who at present only have David Marshall and Joe Lewis in their ranks. Whilst one is a Scottish international and the other is a former England Under-21 international, neither have the experience of Given at 125 caps for the Republic of Ireland, plus 440 top flight appearances in his career.

One player, on that list, I have looked at over the last few years is Nathan Delfouneso who seems to have failed to live up to the hype he received earlier in his career. As far as pace his concerned, he is dangerous, but he seems to lack elsewhere, hence why he spent last season on loan at Blackpool. With 7 goals in 40 appearances though, I don't believe his future should be in the Premier League, unless he's willing to change his playing position and adapt his pace into use as a winger.

On the list, the name I was most surprised to see was Barry Bannan's. Whilst not an incredible player, he has made his way into the Scotland team, whilst also playing semi-regularly for Villa across the last few years. I feel if they let Bannan go, they might regret it as at 23, he still has plenty of time left in his career to improve his overall game. Again, promoted clubs would be spending their time wisely by taking a look at him as he wouldn't harm their midfield options.

Finally the most eye-catching, yet least surprising name on this list: Darren Bent. Even though Stoke need a goal-scorer, I would still avoid Bent if I had the choice. He has the reputation of a forward who only scores goals. Whilst the likes of Filippo Inzaghi could get away with this, I feel that a lot of teams in the top flight need every player to put in a shift in front of goal, and at important moments, Bent can disappear. For the likes of Crystal Palace who are missing a star striker, this could be a worthwhile endeavour. Newcastle seem to be in pole position however, so a return to the North East seems to be Bent's best option of escaping the number 39 shirt he currently occupies at Villa, again.

Pre-season panicking

So Stoke City got their preseason tour of the USA of to a rough start last night with a 2-0 loss to Houston Dynamo. In the 16 hours or so since that result was confirmed, I've heard quite a bit of worrying about the coming season. Although I won't quote heavily in case I alienate a reader, one such comment disturbed me: "my main fear here is that we will see Hughes being interviewed on MOTD every Sat night saying 'we are trying to change things here, and it takes times' meanwhile we get to Xmas at the bottom, with losing becoming a habit." If this had been a loss to Liverpool in our opening league game, I'd understand the comment, but it was our first preseason game, in earnest at least, against opposition that is halfway through their own league season. We were also trying out our new style of play and it could take the whole of preseason for us to settle into it. Equally it could take all of the forthcoming season to adapt. Only the coming season will show which it is.

To challenge this, I ask the question of whether David Moyes is as worried as Manchester United fans are after losing two of their opening three preseason games. Or if Manuel Pellegrini, his personal grieving aside, is concerned after his new side lost two of their opening four preseason games. Of course not. It's all about fitness. Norwich City were beaten 1-0 by Portland Timbers. In my recent predictions for the forthcoming season, I put them up for a top-half finish. Do I think that because they lost to the Timbers they will flop? No. To all Stoke supporters, I implore calmness until the first game of the season. It's going to be an uncomfortable preseason as this is a new season in more ways than usual. For now, just sit back and enjoy the ride.

Quick Snippet:


Arsenal's reported £40,000,001 bid for Luis Suarez has to go down as one of the cheekiest bids in transfer history in my opinion. Liverpool's insistence that it was a shoddy bid included owner John Henry tweeting: "What do you think they're smoking over there at Emirates?" Whilst Suarez is a good player, one of the best the Premier League has to offer in fact, I think his scandal magneticity brings down his market value. The sooner he realises this, the better for all monitoring this story.

Diouf a dud deal?

Worth all the fuss?

Well, we've been linked with a lot of players over the last few weeks, but the name of Mame Biram Diouf seemed to spark a bit of excitement across the Stoke City faithful. I think this deal needs to be looked at from two sides. On the one hand, we have a player that when he last played in England, scored once in five league appearances for Manchester United. More telling is a loan spell to Blackburn Rovers, where in 26 league appearances, he scored just three times. He was 24 years old when leaving United for Hannover, where in the next eighteen months he scored eighteen goals in thirty-eight appearances. The question I feel we should be asking is, has Diouf finally become the player Manchester United had hoped he could be, or is he a player that is more suited to the football in Germany, away from the hustle and bustle of England? My gut feeling at the moment is the latter, although for a fee lower than the reported £6-8m I think it would be worth Stoke seeing for themselves what the situation is.

Oliveira versus Agger

After today's link to Nelson Oliveira, who at Euro 2012 appeared to be one of the brightest prospects soon to be coming into football, for Stoke to be linked with him is good. To sign him however, in my opinion, would be a coup. If in the next few years he could boost his goal-output, to match his ability on the ball, then I think he would be the better player to target if it were a choice between him and Diouf.

In other news:

Alabi at Scunthorpe

There have been good murmurs coming from the Stoke camp in the first weeks of pre-season, with players such as Wilson Palacios seeming to get more exposure, to the media at least, than under Tony Pulis's regime. What is also most pleasing is the news that youth players are getting a chance to stake a claim for the first team. James Alabi is the name that has caught my attention, whilst after hearing that a player called Jordan Keane played in Saturday's behind closed doors match against Burton, the future is seeming bright for younger players at the Brit. Only time will tell if some get a chance to stake a claim for the first team, but just seeing these names getting minutes on the pitch seems to be boosting morale for supporters. The one player I want to see really push for a first team place this season though is Florent Cuvelier. In his last act as Stoke City manager, he gave Florent a place on the bench for Southampton, but an appearance seemed as unlikely as hearing that one of our players had scored a hat-trick in a season! He was unlucky in his loan spell at Peterborough, but it shouldn't be a discredit to him as he he proved at Walsall that he has the potential to shine. If he can fulfil it though, is the question I'm asking with abated breath.

Cuvelier vs Yacob whilst on loan at Walsall

Away from the Brit:

After spending a week in Manchester, all I've heard about lately is Wayne Rooney. His words, apparently, are that he is "angry and confused" about his treatment by David Moyes in recent weeks. Despite this, I would still lean towards him being at Old Trafford come the end of the transfer window, currently at odds of 6/4 with SkyBet. There are two reasons why I believe this: one is the new manager in David Moyes, and the other is the club's stance to the transfer. In his first interview as the first new manager of Manchester United in twenty-six years, Moyes made the bold statement that Rooney was not for sale. In this time there have been no new signings at the club to add to that of Guillermo Varela. Whilst the interest in Thiago Allacantra may have been hot air, interest in Cesc Fabregas seems to be firm. As the new manager, Moyes will want to make it clear that if a player leaves, it is because he is surplus to requirements, which until Moyes finds a new number 10, Rooney remains needed by the club.

Rooney to Chelsea? Unlikely as this photograph being real.

As mentioned above, the club's stance is crucial as well. Manchester United have earned a reputation during Sir Alex Ferguson's reign at the club that a player is only sold if it suits the club. Therefore, with Chelsea openly courting Wayne Rooney's signature, it would appear a signal of defeat if they sold him as soon as a rival club comes calling. Mourinho's claim that it is 'Rooney or Bust' appears to me to simply be his opening bout of mind-games, stirring trouble at a rival's club and testing Moyes's mettle for the job. The next few weeks will show if Moyes is indeed up for that challenge.

Quick Snippet:

Football world wishing Tito a speedy recovery and remission

Although I'm running a one-man blog, I hope ex-Barcelona manager Tito Villanova manages to pull through his latest battle against throat cancer. Whilst the number of people who suffer through cancer is not limited to people in the news, it is illustrated more through the media when we see a 44 year old having to leave his post as manager of arguably the best club in world football just fight this form of illness. My thoughts, like with all cancer sufferers, are with him right now.

Pre-season

After seeing Norwich City complete their sixth summer signing in Leroy Fer, I felt that this would be a good time to assess what this year's crop of Premier League teams will be hoping for across the new season.

Arsenal: 

New Signings - Yaya Sanogo
Notable Players Left - Andrey Arshavin, Denilson, Craig Eastmond, Sebastien Squillaci, Sanchez Watt

Hopes - A Trophy! Their drought is well-documented and their most recent Cup Final ended in defeat to Birmingham City. From that team line-up, Djourou, Clichy, Nasri, Song, Arshavin and van Persie have left, four of them have won one or more trophies in those two years. What Arsenal will be hoping for is a title challenge, alongside a cup final. The latter is more likely to happen, but considering the changes in management around the top six ahead of this season, Arsenal have hope where perhaps in recent seasons they haven't.

Predicted Finish - 3rd.
Predicted Champions League Finish - Last 16

Best signing so far? Yaya Sanogo, although the choices are limited. Sanogo seems to have done well in Ligue 2, but the signing seems to be one for the future rather than having an immediate impact.

Who should they sign? - A striker. Higuain has been linked with a move from Real Madrid, but if this fails they still need to look for a striker to replace the goals they lost when they sold van Persie. Jovetic of Florentina could be an option, or perhaps Hulk, if Arsenal are willing to break their transfer record.



Aston Villa:

New Signings - Aleksandar Tonev, Jores Okore, Leandro Bacuna, Nicklas Helenius, Antonio Luna
Notable Players Left - Richard Dunne, Jean II Makoun, Eric Lichaj, Andy Marshall, Brett Holman

Hopes - To avoid relegation. Over the next 6-7 weeks until the end of this transfer window, the media will be keeping a close eye on whether Christian Benteke departs for pastures new. Despite signing five new players, I do not believe they are enough to stave off another relegation battle IF Benteke goes. However, the group could easily surprise me as I would not have bet on Benteke scoring the goals he did last season, so perhaps Helenius could prove to be an inspired replacement for Benteke, should he go.

Predicted Finish - 15th

Best signing so far? Nicklas Helenius, having being selected as the Danish Superliga player of the season, he will be hoping to further his reputation at Villa by scoring goals in a tougher league.

Who should they sign? - If Benteke goes, they will need a new striker as Darren Bent seems almost certain to leave Villa Park before the end of the summer. If Benteke is kept though, they could do with a strengthening the midfield to compensate the loss of former captain Stiliyan Petrov.

Cardiff City:

New Signings - Andreas Cornelius
Notable Players Left - Heidar Helguson, Stephen McPhail

Hopes - To avoid relegation. After it seemed like Cardiff would never reach the Premier League, they won't want to go down at the first attempt so priority one should be to stabilise the club as a Premier League team. From last year's promoted teams, I believe they will be like West Ham United in that they will stay clear of the relegation zone. This mainly comes down to the signing of Cornelius, who in my opinion outweighs the failure to sign either Tom Ince or Victor Wanyama in recent days. If he could do for Cardiff what Andy Carroll did for West Ham last season, Cardiff should have a good platform to build upon for another season in the top division.

Predicted Finish - 13th

Best signing so far? Again, limited choice so it has to go to Cornelius, who after scoring 18 goals in 34 appearances in his only season at FC Copenhagen will be hoping to replicate this form in South Wales.

Who should they sign? Well they could do with a bit of cover in all areas. Whilst they have good players in Bellamy, Mutch, Campbell, Whittingham and so on, they did not convince towards the end of the marathon Championship finale. That Malky Mackay was looking towards winger Tom Ince suggests that he realises that they need more attacking options, and in the coming weeks this might be where he looks to improve. Nathaniel Chalobah could also cover several positions for them if they could get him on loan from Chelsea.

Chelsea:

New Signings - Andre Schurrle, Mario van Ginkel, Mark Schwarzer
Notable Players Left - Yossi Benayoun, Florent Malouda, Paulo Ferriera, Ross Turnbull
Managerial Change - Jose Mourinho for Rafa Benitez

Hopes - To win the league. The signing of Mourinho to me signals the beginning of a new era at Chelsea. The players at their disposal now have more flair than in Mourinho's first spell as Chelsea manager, despite the core English trio of Terry/Lampard/Cole still remaining at the club. Fernando Torres has had his critics in his spell at the club so far but has won the Champions League, FA Cup, Europa League and the European Championships with Spain, where he finished top scorer with five. However, 15 goals in 82 league appearances suggests that he needs to find the net more in the league if Chelsea are to have any hope of finishing at the top of the pack.

Predicted Finish - 2nd
Predicted Champions League Finish - Semi-finals

Best signing so far? Mark Schwarzer. Okay, unusual choice perhaps, but Chelsea needed a goalkeeper after releasing Ross Turnbull and Hilario, and Schwarzer is as dependable as they come despite his age. If anyone can push Petr Cech on to perform better, Schwarzer is the player to do it.

Who should they sign? They're strong in so many positions, but as mentioned, if Torres fails to score the goals they need, the team could become overly reliant on goals from wide and from midfield. Benteke would suit Mourinho's former style of play but question marks could be raised on whether he would slot straight into the Chelsea squad. What remains certain though is that unlike Torres, if he was given a chance he would take it.

Crystal Palace:

New Signings - Stephen Dobbie, Dwight Gayle, Jerome Thomas
Notable Players Left - Andre Moritz, Alex Marrow

Hopes - To avoid relegation. I fear for Crystal Palace, yet also hope that they stay up. After their administration problems of yesteryear and their surprise promotion this season, I do hope that they can gain enough points to stay up. At present, a lot of those points will have to come from Glenn Murray and Dwight Gayle, both unproven at the top level. While it's not impossible for the club to stay up, at present they will need a miracle to do it.

Predicted Finish - 20th

Best signing so far? Dwight Gayle. Although he is unproven at the highest level, Gayle could be one of the surprises of the season. Palace fans will be hoping that the adage that young players play without fear comes true here.

Who should they sign? Their back four needs beefing up a bit to try and prevent leaking goals, whilst a midfielder a class up from last season's player of the year Mile Jedinak would be worthwhile. Although he has failed to prove himself at Stoke, Wilson Palacios would be a good midfield enforcer for Palace. Chris Baird would also be worth considering on a free to add to the experience (but unreliability regarding injuries) of Danny Gabbidon.

Everton:

New Signings - Arouna Kone, Antolin Alcaraz, Joel Robles, Gerard Deulofeu
Notable Players Left - Thomas Hitzlsperger, Jan Mucha
Managerial Change - Roberto Martinez for David Moyes

Hopes - to finish in the top four. I think this might be a tough ask, and it was a tough ask last season when they had stability. Martinez has made some quick, shrewd signings, but three of them are players who played under Martinez at Wigan. Whilst this does not immediately turn these players into bad players, especially considering the nature of how Wigan went down fighting, the concern remains that Everton have bought three players who have failed to deliver the goods in the past. A finish in the top eight would be a respectable finish for Martinez in his first season at the Merseyside club.

Predicted Finish - 7th

Best signing so far? Arouna Kone. A sore point under David Moyes's regime is that he struggled with his strike-force, notably deploying Tim Cahill as a lone front-man for lengthy periods of his time at Everton. Now with Kone, Jelavic and Anichebe, there is a sense of competition amongst the forwards.

Who should they sign? A left back should be on Martinez's shopping list, not necessarily in case Baines is lured away from the club, but due to their over-reliance on him in the past two seasons. With no natural, proven cover at left back, Everton could be exposed there if Baines suffers a lengthy injury or is sold.

Fulham:

New Signings - Derek Boateng, Fernando Amorebieta, Maarten Stekelenburg
Notable Players Left - Chris Baird, Simon Davies, Mahamadou Diarra, Mladen Petric, Mark Schwarzer
Club Takeover - Shahid Khan from Mohammed Al-Fayed

Hopes - Stability. Although I'm far from the Fulham area, I would be surprised if this had not come as a surprise to the supporters that Mohammed Al-Fayed had sold the club to Shahid Khan earlier this week. Whilst he was an unorthodox owner at times (Michael Jackson statues just as one example), he was stable and reliable. Whilst Khan seems to have good pedigree from the NFL, the question remains over he will support the club in the same way that Al-Fayed has over the past sixteen years. One of the last signings under Al-Fayed's stewardship, Maarten Stekelenburg, has proven himself to be a reliable goalkeeper at Ajax and for the Netherlands national team, yet struggled in Italy with Roma. If he can regain his early career form, he could easily replace the Schwarzer-sized hole that the club have found themselves with.

Predicted Finish - 16th

Best signing so far? Maarten Stekelenburg. As mentioned above, if he can replicate his form from earlier in his career before moving to Italy, he can push Tim Krul and Michael Vorm for the number one spot in the Netherlands national team.

Who should they sign? A striker. Fulham were overly reliant on Berbatov last season, and whilst this was no disadvantage considering he finished the season with 15 goals in 33 appearances, a striker partner would take the pressure off the Bulgarian's shoulders.

Hull City:

New Signings - George Boyd, Maynor Figueroa, Curtis Davies, Ahmed Elmohamady, Allan McGregor
Notable Players Left - Seyi Olofinjana, Jay Simpson, Andy Dawson

Hopes - To avoid relegation. Out of the three relegated teams, Hull are the team I am most unsure about. Whilst they have a team of reliable players (Hobbs, Fryatt, Brady and a certain Abdoulaye Faye), there is a lack of Premier League quality in the team. Players such as Faye will hopefully lend a hand to the younger players who haven't played in the top flight before, whilst the likes of Tom Cairney will be raring for a second bite at the apple after suffering relegation with Tigers three seasons ago. Steve Bruce seems to be aware of the need for goals at the top level, looking towards Charlie Austin before a failed medical prevented the transfer. Their future in the top flight seems to hang on which player (or players) they bring in within the next few weeks.

Predicted Finish - 18th

Best signing so far? Allan McGregor. Whilst Curtis Davies is a solid signing who I believe will do well for Hull City, I believe that McGregor wins this contest simply because Hull needed a solid number one goalkeeper. Eldin Jakupović, whilst an able deputy would have been a risk to rely on during a debut Premier League season. McGregor will bring the back four some security across the season.

Who should they sign? A good option would be Darren Bent, although wages might be a stumbling block. Also the player's previous comments about not wanting to join Hull when at Tottenham might be a hurdle that the Hull City PR department would prefer to avoid.

Liverpool:

New Signings - Kolo Toure, Luis Alberto, Iago Aspas, Simon Mignolet
Notable Players Left - Danny Wilson, Jonjo Shelvey

Hopes - Qualify for Champions League Football. This hinges on whether Luis Suarez stays at the club or not in my opinion. At the time of writing, Suarez is 4/9 to leave Liverpool with punters being offered odds of 13/8 of him staying. I'd take the odds of him staying considering Liverpool are not in a position where they need to sell their best players for money. However, if the will of the player forces a sale, that is a different scenario. If Suarez was telling the truth when he says he loves Liverpool and the club's fans, then he wouldn't cause trouble off the field. Afterwards, it would just be his on-field behaviour that would prevent the media from not 'loving' him.

Predicted Finish - 6th

Best signing so far? Simon Mignolet. Whilst I feel that I am representing the goalkeepers' union with my selections so far, I believe that Mignolet will bring competition to Pepe Reina whilst the Spaniard remains at Anfield. If he departs for pastures new before the close of the window, Mignolet presents a step up from Brad Jones, who despite being a player I have respect for, might struggle with the weight of being an Anfield number one.

Who should they sign? Liverpool are quite well stocked in most areas and unless they sell players, they are not in urgent need of buying anyone. However, if they want to push hard for a top four place, it would be worth pushing for a move for their old player Xabi Alonso, whose long-term replacement at Real Madrid has already been signed in Asier Illarramendi.

Manchester City:

New Signings - Fernandinho, Jesus Navas
Notable Players Left - Kolo Toure, Wayne Bridge, Roque Santa Cruz, Carlos Tevez
Managerial Change - Manuel Pellegrini for Roberto Mancini

Hopes - To win the Premier League back and progress in the Champion League. I wasn't a fan of Roberto Mancini, but I think his sacking was unwise at the time. If you are going to replace him, fair enough, but make sure that the replacement is of a higher quality. Manuel Pellegrini isn't sub-standard, but neither is he in the A Team, Galacticos feel that the current Manchester City squad has. The two signings that were made prior to his appointment are a mixed bag in my opinion. Where Navas arrives on a relatively low fee and offers pace and trickery down the wings, a problem area for City, Fernandinho is in another bracket. Paying a reported £30 million for a 28 year old is risky, but when this is for a defensive, box-to-box midfielder, surely this is leaving a few City supporters scratching their heads. With Yaya Touré, Jack Rodwell, Javi Garcia and Gareth Barry far than capable players in this position, it begs the question on why such an outlay was paid for this player. Only the season ahead can explain whether it was worth it or not.

Predicted Finish - 4th
Predicted Champions League Finish - Quarter-finals

Best signing so far? Jesus Navas. Although he has impressed the majority of football fans with his performances at the 2013 Confederations Cup, Navas has been a reliable player for a long time. The transfer took me by surprise due to Navas's widely reported homesickness, and I didn't believe he would be able to overcome it. Time will tell if he is able to or not, but Manchester City have brought a gem of a winger who will get full-backs a restless night's sleep before match-day.

Who should they sign? Like a lot of clubs, they need a striker. Selling Tevez to Juventus was a risky deal considering they had no guarantee they could get Cavani at a fee lower than his buy-out clause. With only Dzeko and Aguero on the books, a striker is a must. Like Arsenal, Jovetic would be an option, although I believe they will want a player of a higher reputation.

Manchester United:

New Signings: Guillermo Varela
Managerial Change - David Moyes for Sir Alex Ferguson.

Hopes - To win everything. To replace Sir Alex, the best possible way to do this would be to win everything, however unlikely. United's midfield has been criticised in recent weeks by their own supporters, clamouring for the signing of Bayern Munich bound Thiago Alcantara. Whilst he would be a good signing, I believe that Sir Alex left David Moyes a squad that was built to dismantle the best in Europe. There are two reasons I believe this: first of all is the defeat to Barcelona two seasons ago when United were blown away. Ferguson knew that his team had to change, one last time as it transpired. Whereas the midfield that day was slow and functional with Carrick and Giggs sitting in the middle of the pitch, the past two seasons have shown the inclusion of Tom Cleverley who, despite not scoring anywhere near enough, looks to be an excellent and composed midfield ball player. Anderson has not taken his chances when given them under Ferguson, but at times he has shown what a player he CAN be. If David Moyes can take this group of players forward, they can beat anyone on their day. This leads me to my second reason on why Sir Alex felt confident in what he left behind: the defeat to Real Madrid this year. Tactically across the two legs, United were the better team. Danny Welbeck, whilst criticised for not scoring enough got a crucial away goal, and man-marked Xabi Alonso as well as any player could. If not for a sending off, United by Mourinho's own admission would have been worthy winners. A lot of hopes on one season, but all realistic in my opinion.

Predicted Finish - 1st
Predicted Champions League Finish - Semi-Final.

Best signing so far? Guillermo Varela by default. Although I would question if the term 'best' that I am using will be applicable here as Rafael, Fabio and the option of using Phil Jones or Chris Smalling at right back suggests that Varela may struggle to break into the team initially.

Who should they sign? Thiago would be the icing on the cake that is their midfield, but a new winger would be welcome as well. Valencia failed to perform after taking on the number seven shirt last season, whilst the future of Nani is far from certain. If Rooney is allowed to leave the club, another striker would be needed as well.

Newcastle United:

New Signings - Olivier Kemen
Notable Players Left - Steve Harper, Danny Simpson, James Perch

Hopes - A quiet season. Unlikely as it will be though, I think Newcastle supporters would rather a quiet season rather than being on a boat that's rocking after Joe Kinnear's recent appointment. After their qualification for the Europa League, I think last season came as a disappointment for all Newcastle supporters. The influx of signings in January stemmed the tide of bad results a bit, but that eight year contract that was awarded to Alan Pardew now seems to be more of an albatross around his neck. I think the pressure of the Newcastle job, always striving to progress season after season, it will start to tell moreso than ever this year. Papiss Cisse looked to be a good signing eighteen months ago, yet since then he has blown more cold than hot with 8 goals from 36 appearances, going against the 13 he scored in 14 appearances in his first six months at the club. Unless the replace the goals he is was brought into the club to score, I believe they will struggle. Yoan Gouffran isn't the goalscorer they need, whilst Ben Arfa seems to be a bit injury prone at this moment in his career. The addition of one more goalscorer and they'll survive for another season.

Predicted Finish - 17th

Best signing so far? Olivier Kemen by default. Although considering I couldn't tell you one thing about him, again this is a signing that indicates the amount of work that needs to be done behind the scenes at St. James' Park this summer.

Who should they sign? Pardew has admitted in the press that he is looking to sign one of Darren Bent or Loic Remy during the transfer window, and both would prove to be shrewd purchases. However, both contain baggage, with Sunderland connections lingering with Bent and Remy facing rape allegations from a few months ago, would off field issues cause trouble on the field? Bent would cause less fuss as long as the Newcastle fans remember that the Sunderland supporters dislike him more than they do.

Norwich City:

New Signings - Ricky van Wolfswinkel, Javier Garrido, Nathan Redmond, Carlo Nash, Martin Olsson, Leroy Fer
Notable Players Left - Chris Martin, Simeon Jackson, Lee Camp, Marc Tierney, Elliot Ward, James Vaughan, Grant Holt

Hopes - Strong top half of the table finish. There are a lot of good signings coming in at Carrow Road in this window. van Wolfswinkel was heavily linked with Manchester United a few years ago before moving to Sporting Lisbon, whilst Nathan Redmond has had a good tournament (although not in a good team) with the England U21s. Also a mention has to go to Carlo Nash who is an ever-reliable deputy for a number one and two goalkeepers. However the transfer of Fer was what sparked this first post, a quality Dutch midfielder coming to Norwich must be sending the Canaries wild. At a minimum, they should be aiming to replicate West Brom and Swansea's top half finishes last season, although if any of Tottenham, Liverpool or Everton drop off the pace in the hunt for the top six places, then Norwich could be one of the clubs who could be a surprise package.

Predicted Finish - 9th

Best signing so far? Ricky van Wolfswinkel. 28 goals in 55 appearances for Sporting Lisbon, he should be ideal to replace the goals that Grant Holt scored in the Canaries first season back in the top division.

Who should they sign? At this rate, they should pause for a bit and let some of the other clubs have a go! Their central defence could do with beefing up, with Bassong and Turner a good pair, although both have a mistake in their locker. If they could persuade John Heitinga to leave Everton for Norwich, they would have a good stable of centre-halves who they could rotate if one drops form.

Southampton:

New Signings - Dejan Lovren, Victor Wanyama
Notable Players Left - Frazer Richardson, Danny Butterfield, Richard Chaplow

Hopes - Avoiding Second Season Syndrome. Wanyama will go a long way to ensuring their survival for another season, but in Rickie Lambert I see another Grant Holt scenario, where a striker plays well for the first season back in the Premier League, but struggles when defenders get used to their game. Southampton, as the current squad stands, will have to rely more on Jay Rodriguez and hope he can score more goals than the six he scored last season. Ramirez needs to show more consistency as well and let the football world see why he is an international player for Uruguay. Five goals in twenty-six appearances will not be sufficient enough to help the team improve on their fourteenth place finish last season.

Predicted Finish - 14th

Best signing so far? Victor Wanyama. Whilst Dejan Lovren has a good reputation abroad, I believe that Wanyama's performances for Celtic across the last two seasons have helped him edge this one. If he can perform to the level that he did against Barcelona last season, midfield players will not be looking forward to a trip to St. Marys.

Who should they sign? A striker would be useful. Perhaps a loan from Spain using Pochettino's connections could prove the best solution. The defence could do with tightening up as well, with Hooiveld looking suspect at times last season.

Stoke City:

New Signings - Erik Pieters, Marc Muniesa
Notable Players Left - Dean Whitehead, Matthew Upson, Rory Delap, Mamady Sidibe, Carlo Nash, Matthew Lund
Managerial Change - Mark Hughes for Tony Pulis

Hopes - Enjoying our football. I was (and still am) a supporter of Tony Pulis and am extremely grateful for everything he did to my club. However, at times last season, going to match days was a nightmare as you wondered how much the team would lose by. Whether that was Tony's fault or the players, it seems clear that Peter Coates had his opinion and backed it. We now enter another season of Premier League football, with more optimism than the fear I initially felt upon Mark Hughes's initial appointment. Signing two left-footed defenders has lifted the burden off Marc Wilson and it feels like we've signed a new player just by releasing him from that part of the pitch. Whilst most supporters are asking for strikers, or generally forward thinking players, I feel Mark was right in getting these two defenders in first as this was the area that desperately needed strengthening. No longer shall we see Andy Wilkinson attempting to cross the ball in with his weak left foot. But where do we see ourselves finishing? I believe we have had a squad capable of finishing in the top ten for the last three seasons, but we've always let ourselves down at the last hurdle. Where everyone is unanimous in agreeing is that Tony Pulis was far too defensive, preferring to stick Dean Whitehead on for the last ten minutes in an attempt to secure a 1-0 win, rather than stick Cameron Jerome or Michael Owen on and go for another goal to secure a 2-0 win. Hopefully Mark will provide that attacking intent that has been missing and instil a ruthless streak in our goal scoring so that we can finish our opponents off. If we can convert a few of the draws we had from last season into wins, whilst not incurring too many losses, we could easily get into the top half, whilst also enjoying a good cup run.

Predicted Finish - 8th

Best signing so far? Erik Pieters. There were only two to choose from, but Pieters edges it for me. Whilst Marc Muniesa comes from Barcelona, there is a danger that there is a reason Barcelona were so willing to let him go. Look at Bojan Krkic, they won't release him just on the off chance he comes good, so why did Muniesa get a free transfer? Hopefully it will be their loss and our gain, but I have to go for Pieters due to being a consistent left-back before his injury problems. I didn't believe we'd sign him as Newcastle were reportedly interested in him, so the transfer came as a pleasant surprise and shows the ambition the club has going forward.

Who should they sign? We need a striker. Whilst we could continue with our current group of forwards, I think a new face would liven everyone up, players and supporters alike. Defoe has been linked in recent weeks but I think we should avoid him due to his age, although his goal-scoring ability is far from being in question. In looking for forwards, it might be worth looking towards the Championship top scorers last year. Vydra for example is looking for a club after Watford failed to gain promotion, and although he has been linked with other clubs we could be an attractive option for him. Also, Tom Ince stated that he turned down a move to Cardiff this week due to 'family reasons'. Now unless this means he wants to stay with his father at Blackpool, we could offer him an alternative as Stoke isn't too far away from Blackpool in comparison to Cardiff. At £8m, he'd offer competition for Etherington and Shea on the left on midfield.

Sunderland:

New Signings - Cabral, Modibo Diakite, Valentin Roberge, David Moberg Karlsson, Vito Mannone, Jozy Altidore, El Jadji Ba
Notable Players Left - Titus Bramble, Matthew Kilgallon, Ryan Noble, Simon Mignolet, Ahmed Elmohamady

Hopes - That the club does not self-destruct. In the last few weeks of the season that Paulo di Canio was in charge at his new club, he certainly stamped his authority on the squad. Reportedly though, this hasn't been received well with some players regarding rules and punishments. My fear if I was a Sunderland supporter would be the club imploding due to di Canio not being able to handle egos bigger than his own. To counter this, he seems to have signed players with minimal reputations, with Mannone and Altidore the only two I recognise instantly. The danger of signing low-key players however is that they are low-key for a reason. Valentin Roberge could be one of the signings of the season, but at this moment in time, I cannot see him jumping ahead of John O'Shea or Carlos Cuellar in the queue of central defenders. Until di Canio brings in some experienced players of his own to counter any potential departures, I fear the worst for Sunderland this season.

Predicted Finish - 19th

Best signing so far? Vito Mannone. Whilst Kieran Westwood is an able goalkeeper, I don't think he should have left Coventry in the hope of grabbing the number one spot in the North East. Vito has the better chance of being a successful number one goalkeeper after good performances in his time at Arsenal.

Who should they sign? An experienced defender. Joleon Lescott has been linked with an exit from Manchester City to guarantee a place in the 2014 World Cup squad, pending qualification. Depending on the price of the deal, a partnership of O'Shea and Lescott would do well in stopping a number of goals across the season.

Swansea City

New Signings - Jose Canas, Jordi Amat, Jonathan de Guzman (loan), Gregor Zabret, Alex Gogic, Alejandro Pozuelo, Jonjo Shelvey, Wilfried Bony
Notable Players Left - Mark Gower

Hopes - A good Europa League run. I'd imagine this would be Swansea's first priority, just to match the recent achievements of Newcastle, Stoke City and Fulham in getting past the group stage of the second tier European competition. However the league may take more precedence as the aforementioned teams suffered in the league due to participating in European competitions. The sheer number of incomings suggests that Michael Laudrup is eager to rotate his squad as often as he can during the upcoming season and this in my opinion is a wise thing to plan for at this stage of pre-season. Due to this, I believe that Swansea will match their top-ten finish of last season, although the further they progress in Europe, the harder it will be to maintain that position.

Predicted Finish - 11th
Predicted European Finish - Round of 32

Best signing so far? Wilfried Bony. 46 goals in 65 appearances for Vitesse suggests that Swansea have signed a player who knows where the goal is. The only question mark remains on whether he can replicate this form in the Premier League. However, with Michu having the majority of goal-scoring burdens placed upon him, Bony might have an easier beginning to live in Swansea than if he had signed for another club needing a goal-scorer.

Who should they sign? The depth of their squad is quite nice so drastic surgery isn't needed, especially after the recent purchase of Wilfried Bony. A winger would be helpful to their squad to compete with Routledge, Dyer and Pablo Hernandez. If the club is looking for English players to comply with home grown rules, then perhaps a wingers like Shaun Wright-Phillips would be worth considering to lend experience to the squad during a European campaign.

Tottenham Hotspur:

New Signings - Paulinho
Notable Players Left - David Bentley, John Bostock, William Gallas

Hopes - A top four finish. As a result of this, they will also be hoping to keep Gareth Bale for the considerable future. After their run last season, they will most likely want to add the Europa League to their trophy cabinet. This is where I feel Tottenham fail in that they have a good group of players, but at the crucial moments under Harry Redknapp and now Andre Villas Boas, they've lacked that ruthlessness. The annual 'Spurs Slump' needs to be addressed so that players play to win all throughout the season and do not let a Norwich or West Ham come to White Hart Lane and nick a win.

Predicted Finish - 5th
Predicted European Finish - Final

Best signing so far? Paulinho by default. However, compared to some of the default choices so far, this one does seem to be a possible candidate for best signing regardless of any future incomings. He impressed in the Confederations Cup by bossing the Brazilian midfield, whilst his goal-scoring ability was shown in the cup, as well as during England's 2-2 draw with Brazil prior to the tournament. At 24, he still has time on his side to improve as well.

Who should they sign? The first name on my lips is Roberto Soldado if possible. After serving Valencia magnificently for several seasons, replacing David Villa effectively, Soldado deserves a chance to earn a reputation as Spain's number one striker. Tottenham could offer him that. Benteke is a name being thrown around in relation to Spurs but I'm not sure that he would suit their style of play either. With players of such pace as Lennon and Bale, I wonder if Benteke would be able to keep up, and that's no disrespect to him!

West Bromwich Albion

New Signings - Nicolas Anelka, Goran Popov (loan)
Notable Players Left - Marc Antoine-Fortune, Zoltan Gera, Gonzalo Jara, Jerome Thomas

Hopes - Maintaining the status quo. After an eighth place finish, effectively finishing top of the pack of teams who realistically can only hope of European football, where else can West Brom go? One answer is down. Although they aren't irreplaceable, 17 of West Brom's 53 goals came from Romelu Lukaku. Nicolas Anelka has already been signed to try to replace some of those 17, but for a 34 year old, it might be a tall ask on his own. Shane Long may get more of a chance this season, but he would need to prove himself by having less barren spells in front of goal. This season will surely be a test of Steve Clarke's managerial skills after a relatively smooth first season in charge.

Predicted Finish - 12th

Best signing so far? Nicolas Anelka. 'Le sulk' is a bit of a 'le mystery' at the moment as we do not know if he still has the threat in front of goal that made him prolific earlier in his career. He will go some way though to replacing Romelu Lukaku's goals though.

Who should they sign? Although I would be loath to let him go, Kenwyne Jones would suit West Brom in terms of the physicality that Romelu Lukaku offered last season. A front two of Jones and Anelka would be interesting to see.

West Ham United:

New Signings - Razvan Rat, Adrian, Andy Carroll, Danny Whitehead
Notable Players Left - Carlton Cole, Robert Hall

Hopes - Avoiding second-season syndrome. West Ham were a mixed bag last season with a few good results mixed with a few bad ones. They generally played better with Carroll in the team so his signing was well worthwhile, although I do question the wages they are reportedly paying him for the next six years. I think the West Ham fans will be hoping for a cup run to enjoy alongside the league survival, and with some players such as Joe Cole, Mark Noble and Jack Collison all eager to prove themselves a success at their first club then they will stand a good chance if they get the luck of the draw on their side.

Predicted Finish - 10th

Best signing so far? - Andy Carroll. £85,000 a week he will be earning for the next six years. From West Ham's perspective, they'll be hoping he's the signing of the century I would have thought! I do believe that Andy will do well there as it's a club that's built for a player like him. The wages though! I hope West Ham know what they're doing there.

Who should they sign? A left-sided defender would be good for them, with Joey O'Brien playing the majority of the season there. Razvan Rat has been signed already for the left back position, but signing a player for the long-term in that position may be worthwhile considering.