This Thursday the major tournament of football is starting " The World Cup" and like any other international tournament, the elite are present. Sadly two huge fan bases won't be able to support their teams. The Italians & the Dutch failed to qualify and it wasn't really a surprise at least for me, both don't have the quality like before and some players aging. But in a few years time, they'll bounce back especially with the talents coming through. Like previous tournaments, there's the favorites and the dark horse(s), and there are, of course, the teams that are just proud to be in Russia. I'll go briefly through who's favorites and predictions for group stages and further rounds.
The wait is over and one of the best leagues if not the best in terms of competitive teams. You’ve got at least six teams battling it out and if we count Everton seven with the vast investment they made on recruiting and the recent addition of the Icelandic magician Sigurdsson. But realistically speaking they can aim for top six. So I’ve been reading an opinion of many pundits (a term for ex-professional footballers on football panels), and to be honest, it’s really expected the outcome of certain predictions. For example, the Neville brothers will always tip Man UTD no surprise; this season Mourinho bought top class players like Lukaku & Matic. In general, I will shed the light on the top six teams competing this season & include in my predictions how far will Everton reach. So as I said I've been browsing through and checking other predictions and from these predictions, six out of eight ex-premier league players tipped Manchester City to lift the title. Honestly, most of them went to the easy choice and well who can blame them, this current team looks stronger, younger and their coach wants to deliver his first title or it will be over for him. Maybe Guardiola is the best coach when you talk trophies but the English league it's like no other challenge and this why he wanted to come because of the challenge.
According to my vast knowledge of the premier league or any league for that matter, you can't make your bets on one game. In the opening week it clearly belonged to Mourinho & Co., but still, 37 games to go. Now in a quick overview of each team and how far they will go domestic & European front and I will talk about the cup run for certain teams. I'll start with Man City, for me, it's imperative that they win either Champions League or Premier League. From what I've seen in the pre-season, first game and the recruits they definitely mean business and my feeling the current owners would prefer a good run on the European front to raise the stature of the team. My predictions that they will win the title domestically & reaches the semi-final of the Champions League. Man Utd will be there or thereabouts but they will come short and occupy second place & probably they will reach the quarter-finals of the champions league. They have spent since Jose Mourinho arrived vast amount of funds and they are improving. At third place it's tough but I think it going to be between Arsenal & arch rivals Tottenham (team I support), and if Tottenham doesn't do business soon in the transfer market third place going to go to the Gunners this season. For me, I think Tottenham should concentrate on making a good run for the Champions League and reach at least semi-final. So as far as it goes now Arsenal third & Tottenham Forth. Fifth & Six places it's going to be Merseyside Rivals Liverpool & Everton, and I think if Ronald Koeman recruits deliver he will edge Klopp side by an inch. Teams under Koeman are consistent and dangerous against top teams. As for Klopp, he's an amazing coach but if Coutinho leaves to Barcelona he's going to have a huge gap to fill. Finally, as far as Chelsea it's going to be a difficult year for Conte, not the players he wished to recruit and certain players are making it difficult for him. In my opinion, his team will barely make to position seven and he will try to push further on other fronts to compensate but he will go as far as the round of 16, not more. It's been a busy period during Mourinho stint with the Red Devils since he joined, records been broken on the pitch and in the transfer window. As the season draws nearer and as usual all teams especially that aim to win the title are trying to get the best players we take a look at Jose pros and cons as Man Utd manager. Was he a success in Man Utd standards compared to previous two managers.
Lots of discussion about tonight game, we are all awaiting the finale between two giants of football globally and especially on European level. I really don't care about the two teams but I'm fan of two players on both teams one is Gareth Bale from Real Madrid and the other is the amazing Buffon from Juventus. When you talk predictions you have to take certain criteria in football to judge both teams and give your final opinion and who's going to lift most prestigious trophy in football universe. So when you talk tactics Allegri proven himself many times in the last few years and as for Zidane still considered newbie although doing great with the galacticos. When you talk players definitely Real got the upper hand and especially their bench. As for passion & drive to win both got it because the Italian giants want to win for Buffon & the Spanish want to break the record again. It's pretty much deadlock but for me if am I going to go with which team I prefer to win it's definitely Juventus to send off their number one and captain in a special way and opportunity to win the best player in the world. You check the English panel of pundits all of them are going with the Italians which from experience in checking their predictions majority of the time they don't get right. As for Balague who is football expert on Spanish football had more of preference & not a prediction for Juventus to win. So at the end of the night it's pretty much up for grasp for any of the two sides, but personally I've literally made my betting on the number of goals, corner & yellow cards not on the teams because who knows what happens on the pitch.
|
TAGS
Tags
All
ARCHIVES
|