Pundits Predictions - 2019/20

Last October I posted this:

The Championship 2018/19

To update it with the completed season's data, the edits from last time I posted this are in blue:

Since the Premier League began, the number of seasons after relegation each team has taken to return is:

93 Crystal Palace (1), Middlesbrough (2), Notts Forest (1)
94 Sheffield Utd (12), Oldham, Swindon
95 Crystal Palace (2), Norwich (9), Leicester (1), Ipswich (5)
96 Man City (4), QPR (15), Bolton (1)
97 Sunderland (2), Middlesbrough (1), Nottingham Forest (1)
98 Bolton (3), Barnsley, Crystal Palace (6)
99 Charlton (1), Blackburn (2), Nottingham Forest
00 Wimbledon, Sheffield Weds, Watford (6)
01 Man City (1), Coventry, Bradford
02 Ipswich, Derby (5), Leicester (1)
03 West Ham (2), WBA (1), Sunderland (2)
04 Leicester (10), Leeds, Wolves (5)
05 Crystal Palace (8), Norwich (6), Southampton (7)
06 Birmingham (1), WBA (2), Sunderland (1)
07 Sheffield Utd (12), Charlton, Watford (8)
08 Reading (4), Birmingham (1), Derby
09 Newcastle (1), Middlesbrough (7), WBA (1)
10 Burnley (4), Hull (3), Portsmouth
11 Birmingham, Blackpool, West Ham (1)
12 Bolton, Blackburn, Wolves (6)
13 Wigan, Reading, QPR (1)
14 Norwich (1), Fulham (4), Cardiff (4)
15 Hull (1), Burnley (1), QPR
16 Aston Villa (3), Norwich (3), Newcastle (1)
17 Sunderland, Middlesbrough, Hull
18 Swansea, Stoke, WBA

 

A season prediction from the football hotbed publication that is the Radio Times!

https://www.radiotimes.com/news/spo...plete-guide-to-the-new-premier-league-season/

 

Gave up after the first lazy paragraph.

 

It was interesting though. I never knew Watford had so many managers. It's so rarely reported when anyone talks about Watford. You learn something new everyday.

 

"Current boss Javi Gracia signed a new deal with the club during last season, a rare outward sign of long-term planning at Watford....".

Unbelievable tripe.

"Radio Times has rounded up everything you need to know about Watford....".

Really!!!

 

Man City are a yo yo club?

 

BT Sport's Season preview

Same old fare, always have to get in the digs about managerial changes, despite saying we have more stability now. Reasonable point about the ageing squad too I suppose.

Pundits predict 13th this season.

 

Humpty Dumpty McNulty has us finishing 11th. Well f**k. Relegation confirmed.

 

McNulty has for the first time predicted we will not get relegated this season. He has us 11th, does this mean we're now doomed? I think Four Four Two has us 11th as well, this is also concerning as they like to predict our relegation too.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49236095

 

Don't worry......we'll have the safety net of Merson. He always tips us to go down.

 

It's all down to Lawrenson

 

The Guardian have also predicted us at 11th - first time they've not predicted us to be relegated:

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/aug/08/premier-league-201920-preview-no-18-watford

Another interesting thing to note from that article "even Adam Masina, the reserve left-back, crossed more often than Hughes, who started nearly three times as many games in a more attacking position" - people can make all the excuses they want for Hughes with him supposedly not being in his preferred position, but that's just d0g5hit; thank christ the signing of Sarr should push him back to the bench where he belongs.

 

Actually I think 11th is a fair prediction now. We've certainly revamped or forward line in this window (well last two days) and now we look Premier League in terms of forward and midfield players. Only defence is a bit Championship. It's probably going to be our achilles again this season, but we've got more than enough to steer clear of trouble.

Deulofeu, Pereyra, Welbeck, Sarr, Deeney & Gray is an exciting line up of forward options. Midfield choices of Doucoure, Capoue, Hughes, Qunia, Cleverley, Chalobah and Dele-Bashiru is quality also.

Defence is a bit meh, but is adequate enough.

 

Interesting you’ve picked that quote out, when actually the main point that they make, reading all of it, is how our ‘wingers’ play a lot of their game centrally - the tactic set out by the manager - which, apart from other aspects, allows for the full backs to go forward and become the ones who put in the crosses. The full backs crossed more than both Hughes and Pererya together. A stat used to explain further how we play, as opposed to criticising one of the players.

Hughes did well last season, well enough to earn himself a place in the team and then keep it. I’m all for competition for that place now though, but I still think he did well and can offer us plenty this season as well.

 

I’m not necessarily thinking doom and gloom here but I do worry that pretty much all pundits have us finishing 11th. I think we may struggle for that and will be far closer to the relegation scrap since we’ve been promoted.

Watching Norwich last night I thought, once they got over their rabbit in headlights, they were very good and they have hardly signed anyone. We really need our players to be those that started last season as our start is not too bad and we need those points on the board.


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Weren't Norwich Champions last season? They still played confidently, even when four down. I was really surprised they worked their way through Liverpool's defence so often. Some food for thought there. But the finishing power of Liverpool's attack does the business.

 

If Liverpool defend like that against us, we'll cause them problems too. Alexander-Arnold got caught out of position alot.

 

Has Paul ‘Moccasin’ Merson been sacked by Sky as their prediction pundit? All the predictions seemingly are now being done by ‘Champagne’ Charlie Nicholas. (He has 1-1 for tomorrow.)