The preseason is over. The Community Shield is behind us. All that is left is to examine the last-minute summer signings as the window draws to a close and the new season gets underway with its first FPL deadline on Friday night. We have been churning out tons of content to get you prepared for the 2019/2020 campaign but, sometimes, it is nice to have a bit of fun and speculate on what we think will happen for the next 10 months. With a combination of research and gut calls, seven of us here on the writing staff have collaborated to answer ten questions. So let’s not waste time. We know you have to get back to tinkering with your squad, but take a break for a moment and see what happens when you put seven heads together to come up with some season predictions:
YOUR TOP FOUR
Andrew - Manchester City, Tottenham, Liverpool, Manchester United
Anthony - Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United
Chuck - Manchester City, Liverpool, Tottenham, Arsenal
Neal - Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal, Tottenham
Nik - Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea, Tottenham
Sean - Manchester City, Liverpool, Tottenham, Manchester United
Steve - Manchester City, Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea
Thoughts: To no real surprise, Manchester City, Liverpool and Tottenham makes everyone’s list, barring Anthony, who sees Spurs taking a step back this season. While not officially requested to be listed as such, one might logically assume the answers provided are arranged from 1st to 4th, which means our two most senior staff members, Neal and Nik, see Liverpool knocking Manchester City off of their perch. According to Nik, “Another year of bedding in all the existing talent under Klopp’s leadership, combined with experience/confidence from a Champions League win, will be enough to topple Manchester City”. Chuck makes a fair counterpoint however, when he pointed out Liverpool had “an otherworldly year last season and still came up short.” As much as I’d like to to see a new title-winner this campaign (because it would mean a better chance for Spurs to be that club), I tend to agree with Chuck on this one. It would take an ample series of bad luck and bad decisions for the Citizens to lose their grip on being top dog. So many bad decisions and luck, that it would take two seasons of damage to threaten their position.
The big question for most is, who takes the fourth spot. Neal has Arsenal but offers a caveat, explaining that while his third place prediction hinges on the signing of a new center back, the Gunners still sneak in to the top four without one. Chelsea is the only other club in the mix and my take on them is that, while the loss of Eden Hazard certainly does them no favors, their transfer ban may actually prove beneficial to new manager Frank Lampard. The Blues are notorious for hoarding talent and shipping them off for loan spells. Now, they have many of those talents acting as new signings and, assuming the players are on board with the manager’s philosophy (which, to be fair, could be the factor that sees them struggle a bit), I think they are in better shape than Arsenal or Manchester United to see top four.
YOUR BOTTOM THREE
Andrew - Brighton, Sheffield United, Norwich City
Anthony - Aston Villa, Burnley, Newcastle United
Chuck - Crystal Palace, Aston Villa, Norwich City
Neal - Brighton, Sheffield United, Newcastle United
Nik - Newcastle United, Norwich City, Sheffield United
Sean - Norwich City, Aston Villa, Sheffield United
Steve - Newcastle United, Brighton, Sheffield United
Thoughts: Naturally, newly-promoted sides see plenty of representation here, as the jump to the top flight is usually a difficult one, unless you arrive with a solid mid-table group like Wolves did last season. Sean is the lone wolf who thinks all three new clubs will make one-season cameos. The most popular pick to drop that has not been called up this season is Newcastle United, and there is plenty of reason to panic in my view. Right behind the Magpies, three of us are convinced Brighton are facing relegation. According to Andrew, “You can only count on Glenn Murray for so long; Brighton don’t have the firepower or the depth to survive another year.” Even with an exciting summer addition, which will see some coverage below, I mirror Andrew’s sentiment.
Getting back to Newcastle, they were destined for the drop in my view a week ago, before they went out and made a couple of additions. But the switch from Rafa Benitez to Steve Bruce may not see these new signings reach their potential. Both Neal and Nik agree on the managerial move being the catalyst for their downfall. Of the new clubs that featured on this sheet the least, the a slight majority of us agree Aston Villa will survive this season. While not getting much feedback specifically about the Villans from my colleagues, I would assume the vast array of signings this summer has us convinced enough of them will bring a positive enough influence to stay up. That said, with all the new toys in attack, I may have still thought to consider Villa for the drop until they grabbed Tom Heaton. He upgrades that position in a major way and while the defensive line may have its question marks, the leadership and pressure-under-fire experience Heaton had at Burnley, where he nearly developed into England’s #1 choice keeper, should fit in nicely at Villa Park.
Speaking of Burnley, Anthony see the Clarets dropping this season. Without any input, I would assume the Clarets struggling to stay above the drop last season until the final month along with nothing new to bolster their roster outside of perhaps Jay Rodríguez, would have something to do with the choice. Crystal Palace is the other slight surprise inclusion here. I say “slight” because it is an understandable worry for the Eagles in how they’ve managed to offload Wan-Bissaka and Wilfried Zaha is keeping his fingers crossed for an exit out. Those are your two most dynamic players from last year, while they have yet to bring in an exciting new player.
CLUB THAT MOST EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS
Andrew - Bournemouth (last season, 14th)
Anthony - Norwich City (newly promoted)
Chuck - Watford (last season, 11th)
Neal - Southampton (last season, 16th)
Nik - Aston Villa (newly promoted)
Sean - Southampton
Steve - Southampton
Thoughts: Anthony and Nik each have one of the promoted sides doing more than just surviving the drop. Nik’s is very excited with the talent assembled for Villa and, if I had to pick one of the new sides pushing for a spot around 10th in the table, that would be my choice. Andrew sees a significant jump for the Cherries this year, projecting Bournemouth to ride a hot start thanks to a kind run of early fixtures and he believes in “their mix of developing youth and veteran savvy.” Perhaps Chuck sees Watford pushing for a Europa League spot this season, as he expects a climb from the 11th-place position they ended up with in May. Says Chuck, “While they’re still light up top, standing pat will lead to continuity and another hot start for the hornet’s. They just need to learn how to finish.”
The club nearly half the staff are in agreement on is Southampton, who really struggled last year but managed to grind out survival. According to Neal, Ralph Hassenhuttl is the key to the Saints renaissance, going on to say that “They won’t be world-beaters but they’ll be in the mix with West Ham just outside of the top half where things will be very competitive with Wolves, Leicester City, Everton, and Watford after the big six.”
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FIRST MANAGER SACKED
Andrew - Roy Hodgson
Anthony - Roy Hodgson
Chuck - Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Neal - Steve Bruce/Javi García (tie)...(not fair, Neal)
Nik - Steve Bruce
Sean - Roy Hodgson
Steve - Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Thoughts: Okay, Neal, if both are fired on the same day, not only do you nail this prediction fairly, I will have to re-publish this column on that day, because that would deserve a round of applause. There was not an obvious choice for Neal, and he is stuck between the incompetence of Bruce and Watford’s tendency to give managers the chop quickly. Nik seconds the Bruce call, stating succinctly “It’s got disaster written all over it hasn’t it?”. Honestly, Bruce would have been my pick as well, but I went with Ole in the end, because, in my view, an early stumble is a shorter leash for the big clubs than they are the smaller ones and until I see some sense of direction with this Man United side, I cannot see them living up to the standards fans continue to expect and the pressure could come before the leaves start to turn color. The winner of this infamous award goes to Crystal Palace’s Roy Hodgson, however. Sean made several arguments to support this pick - they sold Wan-Bissaka without doing anything to address right back, or providing an upgrade elsewhere on the pitch, the defense as a whole is suspect (though I am not sure if the addition of Gary Cahill makes Sean change his tune in this regard) and it really feels like a one-man team, depending on the form and fitness of Wilfried Zaha.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR -
Andrew - Kevin De Bruyne
Anthony - Raheem Sterling
Chuck - Kevin De Bruyne
Neal - Harry Kane
Nik - Mo Salah
Sean - James Maddison
Steve - Harry Kane
Thoughts: Neal and I have been on the same page with many of our picks so far, but none give me more pleasure than to see we are in agreement on Harry Kane. Neal thinks a full season of health for the Spurs striker is what it will take to the prize over other standard FPL stars like Mo Salah, Raheem Sterling and Sergio Agüero. Kane scored 29 goals in each of the two previous seasons before the injury-plagued 2018/2019 campaign, and I am predicting he smashed the 30 goal threshold if he stays fit. Kevin De Bruyne makes the list twice, with Andrew seeing the Belgian breaking the all-time PL assist record and Chuck believing the midfielder is motivated to return to class form. Anthony and Nik went with midfield giants Sterling and Salah, respectively, with Nik expecting the Egyptian international to return to form from two seasons ago, which explains his prediction of Liverpool finishing top. Credit to Sean for providing the boldest call though in James Maddison. Sean points out that the Leicester creator “became the first player to ever lead the Championship and Premier League in chances created in back-to-back terms” and he thinks the budding star has a chance at double digit goals and assists.
COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Andrew - Ross Barkley
Anthony - Olivier Giroud
Chuck - Phil Jagielka
Neal - Mesut Ozil
Nik - Anthony Martial
Sean - Pascal Groß
Steve - Ross Barkley
Thoughts: Now we begin to see some real variation. The only player to appear twice here is Ross Barkley. Andrew is impressed with the midfielder’s preseason and thinks Lampard will be a good influence. I would agree there and add to the fact that Chelsea’s transfer ban might be giving Barkley this one real chance to not only return to the fantasy relevance we saw him achieve at Everton, but to ascend even higher. People will have to pick up the goal-scoring slack after Eden Hazard‘s departure and Barkley has the age, experience and motivation to help fill the void. Other quick takes: Chuck sees the veteran Phil Jagielka being a major influence at Sheffield United, a place where careers are resurrected. Neal thinks Ozil has to be considered based on a severe dip in form last year while the class is still there. Sean sees Groß bouncing back big after an injury-riddled previous season and thinks Graham Potter will utilize him better than Chris Hughton did. Nik thinks a fresh start from the jump with Solksjaer and playing up top will see him finally become the star we’ve been waiting for. Andrew left no comment on Giroud, but one has to assume that if the Frenchman wins the striker battle at Chelsea, there are tons of attacking returns to be had.
TOP PLAYER NEW TO PL
Andrew - Rodri
Anthony - Rodri
Chuck - Che Adams
Neal - Nicolas Pepe
Nik - Nicolas Pepe
Sean - Christian Pulisic
Steve - Tanguy Ndombele
Thoughts: This selection is not necessarily based on fantasy output as should be clear with a few of the choices here. Rodri is backed by two of our writers, with Andrew convinced the new toy at Manchester City will dominate the CDM position that veteran Fernandinho had been occupying, on their way to another league title. Arsenal’s Nicolas Pepe is also given two shouts, with Nik admitting “pure quality. As a Spurs fan, I’m furious they got him.” Neal thinks the talent is not only there but a path to plenty of pitch time as well, which should translate to big fantasy numbers. Sean feels “Pulisic’s skill set seems like a perfect for Frank Lampard’s system” and anticipated the American international will lead the Blues in assists. Chuck likes the Che Adams signing, seeing the forward being a key figure for the Saints all season. While a signing like Dybala could make me feel like I’ve made a poor choice for best new player on Tottenham alone, I am gushing over the skill set Tanguy Ndombele brings to Spurs. He can provide a slick pass to set them up for chances in the attacking end and will be a physical pest against the opposition while on the defense.
BIGGEST FLOP NEW TO PL
Andrew - Nicolas Pepe
Anthony - Moise Kean
Chuck - Nicolas Pepe
Neal - Joelinton
Nik - Joelinton
Sean - Wesley
Steve - Sébastien Haller
Thoughts: Well, we have what must be considered the most controversial figure for the upcoming season in Nicolas Pepe. Chosen by two of our staff to be the most successful player new to the league, two others see him being the biggest flop. For Chuck, price tag = pressure, and if Pepe does not hit the ground running, it could spell disaster. Neal and Nik are once again on the same page, nominating the new striker for Newcastle, Joelinton. Nik doesn’t think he will have time to settle in a tough, currently-unhappy atmosphere up north while Neal points out that his stats aren’t too impressive coming in and his supporting players around him are not quality enough to help him be a success. Sean sees the money spent by Villa this season will not translate to success, much like it was the case for Fulham last season, so record-signing Wesley tops his list. I’ve gone with Haller for a combination of reasons. One, the 45m price tag means you expect a significant contribution, so the pressure is on and two, it’s West Ham. Every season they spend, and it seems for every player that hits like a Payet, there are a couple of flops to go along with it. He will have fantasy worth in draft leagues, simply for having the striker role his own without much threat, and he seems to have a positive attitude coming in, but the production will fall far short of the investment.
MOST OVERRATED/OVERPRICED FANTASY PICK
Andrew - Callum Wilson
Anthony - Sadio Mané
Chuck - Andrew Robertson/Trent Alexander-Arnold
Neal - Ederson/Allison
Nik - Marcos Alonso
Sean - Matt Doherty
Steve - Dele Alli
Thoughts: So this is where we get to talk about defenders and keepers for once then, eh? Chuck feels anything short of what was incredible production last year for Liverpool’s fullbacks will make their price look ridiculous. Neal sees no need in the extra .5m for the two expensive keepers, when those in the next price bracket are close enough in points by season’s end. Nik is not confident Alonso will be a consistent option at left back and, when you can have van Dijk for the same price, why risk it. Sean thinks Doherty’s price rise will not provide value. As far as attacking players, Andrew admits Wilson can produce but also points out the striker is injury-prone and does not see his rise in price to 8m this season in FPL representing the value Wilson’s teammate Josh King (6.5m) does. Much to my personal chagrin, I have chosen Dele Alli. The injury woes keep mounting and, while he has a knack for finding ways to score when fit, he is not the focal point for Spurs, he is not on pens, he’s not on set pieces. Even if he started the season 100% fit, I would have no interest at 8.5m.
MOST PRODUCTIVE BUDGET/UNDERRATED FANTASY PICK
Andrew - Joshua King
Anthony - Leandro Trossard
Chuck - Manuel Lanzini
Neal - Patrick Van Aanholt
Nik - Lewis Dunk
Sean - Nathan Redmond
Steve - Dwight McNeil
Thoughts: Okay, I will get myself out of the way first. Perhaps not the most productive among the 6m midfielder options (and I already used Barkley once) I do feel McNeil is vastly underrated in terms of potential. I think we see an uptick for the Clarets this season and he, along with Chris Wood will be the reasons why. I like Anthony’s pick in Trossard though. Without commentary from Anthony, I assume he is on board with the Hazard-lite skill set of the Brighton winger. Andrew underscores his previous pick of Wilson as overpriced by selecting Josh King here. He is on pens now, according to King himself. Neal points out that van Aanholt finished top 12 among defenders last year and his track record in the PL has been consistent, yet the respect doesn’t ever seem to be there for him. Sean points out how much Nathan Redmond improved under Ralph Hassenhuttl when the boss took over last year and a full season should see Redmond flourish. Chuck goes with Lanzini, who could easily be considered for “comeback player” as well, who should provide excellent value with his health back and a striker not named Arnautovic to help create and score goals with. And how do we do a column like this without mentioning Lewis Dunk at least once. Nik thinks 4.5m for Dunk is a steal, anticipating a rise in clean sheets for the Seagulls and his ability to score from a set piece. I would also add that a move to Leicester certainly would not hurt his value, so you either take advantage of Brighton’s early run of fixtures or you get Maguire’s replacement for 4.5m. He’s in my FPL squad as we speak.
