An Assessment of the Competition

Keeping Pienaar would be a huge bonus but it seems unlikely. I think we will hold what we have and make another loan or free – in which case it could be a good season. I also believe that there must be a big chance of a EPL financial scandal which, and I hope we are not part of it, will change football entirely. Surely Rangers are not alone.

I have to disagree with your assessment of AVB though. I think he's far better suited to Tottenham than he ever was at Chelsea. Spurs don't seem to have the same egos in the dressing room that he had to contend with at Chelsea and his method of football is much more in-line with the Tottenham ehos. Plus, he's got something to prove.

Spurs for third with United finishing 4th is my prediction

Where's the prozac when you need it?

A good start is paramount. If we're not playing catch-up by January (I'd settle for 3 points behind at the most) then we have a shot at it. Then behind us I think it'll be Villa, Newcastle and Sunderland. There are 3 distinct leagues within the Prem, the top seven, the middle 7 and the bottom 6. With our squad at the minute, we firmly belong in that top 7. If we finish 8th or below, we've under achieved.

Calling it now.

If we are looking to pad out the squad with free transfers then we may have a large chunk of our transfer business done in the next week or two. Player contacts run from the start of July to the end of June so this is the time to pick up players as their contracts offically expire. We have already made a good start with Naismith.

1) The change in pre season see's us come in sharp and ready to go from day one.

2) Moyes sets us up to play to our attacking strengths as well as our defensive ones.

3) Bill allows Moyes to do his business before the end of August.

4) One of our biggest and best names isn't sold at 11.55pm 31.08.2012.

How likley any of these are is anybodys guess.

Are you hvaing a laught?!

Don't get me wrong, I would LOVE it but that has to be the craziest thing I've ever heard! We can't even beat a shite version of the shite nor have we beaten any of Man U, Chelsea, Arse or the Shite at their place

Until or unless we get a sports pycholigist in to help the players (and manager) 'think big' we'll never achieve CL qualification

Newcastle nearly did it last year.

IMO the added pressure of it now being the top 6 or 7 rather than the old "sky 4" is finding some clubs out.

Plus nothing stays the same so we will never have a better chance.

Whether we take it or not depends on Scrooge and sourface but I do detect a bit more determination and optimism this coming season.

Spurs followed City and have paid there way into champions league contention. We know money buys success and the challenge for Moyes remains tough esp as we continue to have high expectations.

I expect Spurs and Chelsea to spend fairly big ahead of the new season. Arsenal may be the surprise flop, but even if we play better than last season, which I expect us to do, to jump more than one place is a big ask. The teams above us have infinitely greater resources and it shows in their squads.

I'd be happy if we played the high tempo passing game Moyes teams can at their best. This may only mean a position or two higher but hopefully will be better to watch.......and another good cup run please.

No this isn't me talking about Everton but is Arsenal's second largest shareholder's assessment of his own club. Seems like we aren't the only ones...

1 Man City - They hold the title and have talent to burn; a lethal combination for opponents to deal with. On the other hand, maybe they'll succumb to the "Disease of More".

2 Man Utd - They've been 1 or 2 all these years. Can't pick them to fall lower until I see it happen for the 1st time.

3 Chelsea - Why are they being touted for Top 3 so much? Didn't they just finish 6th? AVB wasn't the first manager the players threw under the bus. They had no choice but to bust their ass rest of last season, since the scapegoat was gone. Now, Drogba gone, other key players one year older. Not getting why so many tout them to finish 3 places higher than last year.

4 Spurs - AVB better get them out the gate hot. Have to think any kind of slow start will have the fans howling for his head. Plus, a critical key for any manager in any sports league is to be a first-rate man-manager. He bungled that aspect last season.

5 Arsenal - RVP gone? Nuff said. Even if he stays, Arsenal better keep their fingers crossed. This chronic underachiever had only one season where he played more than 28 league games. And (surely pure coincidence) that one season is when he was up for his only shot at big, big, money. If they pay him the rumoured amounts will he revert to form and spend as much, if not more, time sidelined as playing? A big if RVP is. Not to mention, Wenger stubborness in sticking to his system. Yes, it's kept them up the Table. But he's garnered as much silverware as Moyes 7 years running at much higher cost. Will he change?

6 - Us (Stop laughing) - Need to keep what we have and get Piennar in. Everything I've read about Naismith makes me think good addition. Fingers crossed on his knees. The Manc teams up top I'll believe came back to the pack when I see it. The 3 teams finished above us, I don't see any great difference between them and us. We come out the gate the way we finished up last season, they can go fuck themselves.

7 Red Shite - They finished 7th. Where's all the improvement to their squad? Rodgers didn't worry me last year and doesn't this one. No surprise if 7th the best they can do this season.

8 Newcastle - Good season last year and good for them. RVP-less Arsenal could slide here, maybe Chelsea also.

Basically, I see the 2 Manc teams with 3-6 up for grabs. If we can keep what we have (that's including Piennar) and a couple more additions with Naismith, we're in the hunt.

We'll play the games and we'll see. But I like our prospects for this coming season.

I think ba will leave Newcastle and they will lose momentum/plus will be stretched in uefa, I think spurs will go backwards under avb - a poor run in November and the bullet beckons. RS - I think they will play some good stuff under Rodgers but will be poor away from home. Us who the hell knows which everton will turn up, the one that beats the top side or the team that squandered points to no marks like wolves, qpr, etc etc etc.

You are right about their financing though. They looked at floating in Asia, in HK, then Singapore, but have decided for whatever reason to look at New York. It's their home turf, even if they do register in the Cayman Islands, and the share structure will ensure they retain control. The real scandal is in their financing. They bought Man U, if memory serves me right, for £790m and borrowed around £525m in a leveraged buy-out. After however many years that debt stands at around £410-420m I think, and they've paid out something like half a billion in servicing that debt.

Of course they can point to continued success on the field, and record sponsorship deals. They bloody need them though eh? Man U fans will point to substantial hikes in ticket prices as well.

The product belongs to the EPL, and therefore by definition to it's members. The agreement doesn't allow for unlimited broadcast in the UK due to abstraction of matchday custom. Overseas territories are paying for universal rights, not packages of 12 or 26 games, and as such in some territories every game is shown live. Where the pay TV broadcaster is an internet provider, the facility is there. In China a few years ago their EPL TV provider was an ISP. Many of these stations develop their own content around it, and get that sponsored as well (middle east and Asian broadcasters frequently use ex-pros as pundits).

I just don't see Sky going down this route anytime soon for the UK market, or the EPL sanctioning it.

Everton to stay injury free and be 2nd at christmas but slip to fourth, narrowly missing out on the champions league due to Chelsea retaining the trophy.

You heard it here first.

Scholes, Giggs , Ferdinand, Evra = old and tired legs with Rooney,Young,Jones and Smalley very inconsistent as evidenced by their form in the run in.

I would still back them for a top 4 place with Old whisky nose in charge but do feel their existing squad is past its best.

Ferguson has instilled a culture of mutual respect, discipline, standards and professionalism that means they are greater than the sum of their parts. Its permeated the club. This was proved in their last title win. That and rivals keep imploding when they get to the top table. We will see how long City can keep it going before destroying themselves in the dressing room or the boardroom. They have the dollar but you need many other things. A sensible, hands off, ego free board being one. Chelsea are still in transition, who else is there? Spurs have sacked their best manager for decades, Arsenal are trapped a never ending cycle of rebuilding, so are Liverpool and they would take 4th right now.

On the subject of assessing the competition (or predicting the top eight finishers), I am not sure how accurate anyone can be until some of the summer deals have gone through and you can see if any of the teams have plugged the holes in their squads. Is everyone trying to get the best odds at the bookies or are they seriously trying to predict the outcome next May?Come back to the subject in 6 weeks and we can all take it seriously.

Ultimately, I am only interested in how well we will do next season and I think that is entirely down to how we invest in the squad in the next couple of months. Of the teams that are llikely to be our nearest rivals (chosen from the OP), Newcastle have plenty of attacking options and I can see them doing well again but I see nothing to frighten us at Aston Villa (who have been flattering to deceive since O'Neill's time there).

As for broadband ousting TV broadcasting, maybe you have to consider the consumers. Abroad, in the developing markets, I would imagine a very high proportion of those wanting to watch EPL games would be relatively young and possibly more receptive to accessing their sport on their laptops, etc (potentially connected to their large screen TVs), but in the domestic market where there is a diehard older (more intransigent?) audience the existing Match of the Day or Sky's Football First may satisfy the vast majority of those who watch them. In addition to that it is easy (at the moment) to find almost any game broadcast live in a local pub or bar, so the likelihood of a broadcast format revolution seems remote for the foreseeable future unless the clubs themselves dictate it.

1. Man City- Very simply the best first 11 and the best squad. A front 5 that includes Aguero, Balotelli, Tevez, Dzeko and Silva. And possibly RVP as well according to some rags. Of course there's a lot of egos and everyone loves to beat the champions but with these resources there's not alot who will.

2. Man Utd- With Sir Alex at the helm, they are always likely to be in the mix for the title. Old legs of Giggs, Scholes, and Ferdinand will need some bolstering but the likes of Welbeck, Cleverley and Jones could be set to step up. Fletcher returning would be an underated boost.

3. Chelsea- Yes they were'nt great last season and yes Drogba has left but lets not forget the arrival of Marin and the much lauded Hazard, plus the gradual signs that golden boot winner Torres may be finding some form. Terry may be ageing but David luiz and Cahill looked strong in the Champions league final and with the likes of Hulk maybe on his way I expect Chelsea to compete at the top.

4. Spurs- Surely AVB will do better second time round? Tottenham will suit him more in terms of smaller egos and better fitting playing style. Re-inforcements are needed, but Moutinho would be a good replacement for Modric and with a rumoured £30m to spend a good striker or two should be incoming too. The fact that arguably our best player of the resurgent second part of last season will probably not make their starting XI says alot.

5. Arsenal- Life without RVP? Could be tough but Wenger is a wily old fox and Podolski and Giroud arrive with the promise of a more physical approach and goals aplenty. The return of Wilshere along with the development of Oxlade-Chamberlain and Walcott will surely add up to a strong team. Still needs to buy a solid CB.

6. Liverpool- They surely can't be as bad as last season where ( and I hate to say it) but they were a touch unlucky at times, hitting the post moe than any other premier team. Rodgers looks to be a good manager and its likely he will have cash to burn once he has assessed the current squad. Hopefully a bad start see's a debilitating pressure build but I fear not. Would help us if Suarez left, annoyingly he's quite good.

7. Everton- More of the same I feel. A healthy looking starting XI but still little depth. If the worse happens and jelavic gets injured then we are back to looking very blunt up front. Still very much in need of a more creative spark which will hopefully be Pienaar but the fact that we may not be able to afford him if over £5m says alot about the restrictive nature of our finances.

8. Newcastle- We will do well to overhaul them. Considerably more than us in the final third with Demba Ba, Papiss Cisse, Ben Arfa and the promptings of Cabaye. Look close to recruiting the impressive Debauchy at RB and possibly Hoilett as well. Hopefully the Europa provides a large distraction but this is a strong team as it stands.

Close behind- Sunderland, Villa, QPR (presuming they splash the cash)

All in all I think we will do well to finish 7th, I can't see us gatecrashing the top 4 unless Billy wins the Euromillions and gives it all to Moyes. If things go well a la Newcastle last season we might push up to 6th or maybe even 5th but sadly I can't see beyond that yet.

Im surprised to see Man Utd are willing to sell Park to QPR, maybe its the start of a bit of a clear-out there and Fergie is up for another go ?
Hoilett has also been linked with QPR today so clearly money talks...

Earlier in the week Victor Chandler (Betvictor) were offering 7/1 for us to finish top six PLUS a free bet for any new customers - matching you`re first bet up to the value of 25 quid.
Anyone placing their first bet (up to £25) on Everton could have done so again for free.
The bet of course is worthless if we dont get top six, but anybody who took the opportunity stands to win up to £350 for a lay out of £25. Effectively 14/1.Cracking value.

I think a few have latched on because the odds were slashed to 4/1 yesterday.

BTW ; You can get 25/1 about us getting top four. . .do you guys think thats a true reflection of our chances ?

Our much lauded top 4 finish was 61 points, which is pretty poor in comparison to more recent seasons.

Fighting for 6th with Liverpool looks likely, but with the next 4 in transition with new managers and/or player changes who knows how they'll respond?

Nothing will change, we'll still start slow and finish strongly. We'll still play far too defensive at home against the lower teams. We'll still not have any depth in the squad and Osman and Hibbert will still play on the right side. We'll lose to the top 4, we'll lose to the shite (because of a poor ref) and we'll draw with Villa.

Enjoy the new season but we'll finish 8th.