Year: 2015

NFL Preseason Awards

Chris McGlynn Football, NFL ,

The NFL season sort of officially kicked off last night with the annual Hall of Fame game between the Vikings and Steelers in Canton, Ohio. The starters only played a handful of minutes but it was good to see players back in uniform playing against another team.

With the start of the season comes thoughts of how it will project. Which teams will make the playoffs, which will be bad and who will make the Super Bowl are among the common questions asked. Right now I am going to look at individual performance though for players who will truly have an impact on the game this year. Some of these are no-brainers. Others are a little bit trickier. Either way, here is my best shot at predicted the end of the season award winners.

MVP: Andrew Luck, QB, Indianapolis Colts
Runner up: Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers
The popular pick is probably Rodgers with all of the weapons he has at his disposal. Weapons that are nowhere close to as effective with him out of the lineup either. However, Luck has been winning since day 1 in Indianapolis. This team is built around Luck and truly will go as far as he can take them. Adding Andre Johnson and Frank Gore gives the Colts some veteran options to work with and I expect Luck to get the most out of them. Expect another AFC South crown from Indy and this time Luck will be the catalyst to a top spot in the AFC.

Offensive Player of the Year: LeSean McCoy, RB, Buffalo Bills
Runner up: Antonio Brown, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
This seems like an odd pick considering McCoy had a down year last season and is starting with a brand new team. But think for a second what Rex Ryan likes to do more than pretty much anyone in the world. Run the football. McCoy will get more than his fair share of touches in the backfield and will be able to stay fresh with Fred Jackson spelling him whenever he needs. With no reliable quarterback in place either, McCoy will be the main source of offense in Buffalo this season.

Defensive Player of the Year: J.J. Watt, DE, Houston Texans
Runner up: Robert Quinn, DE, St. Louis Rams
This is one of those no-brainers when making these selections. J.J. Watt has simply been superhuman over the past three seasons and I see no reason for that not to continue here. He consistently dominates the competition and with some potential help coming the form of Jadeveon Clowney, Watt could have even more opportunities to be disruptive. Look for another strong showing from the league’s best defensive player.

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Melvin Gordon, RB, San Diego Chargers
Runner up: Amari Cooper, WR, Oakland Raiders

Amari Cooper might very well be the best player from this draft when all is said and done but for now Melvin Gordon is taking home the honors. Gordon enters a great situation in San Diego. They have a well established offensive line and a team that likes to light things up on offense. You can assume that Gordon will get 15 to 18 touches per game. Which should be more than enough to make his impact felt. He won’t need to be the key source of offense at all times with Phillip Rivers under center but Gordon will still make a major impact.

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Leonard Williams, DE, New York Jets
Runner up: Marcus Peters, CB Kansas City Chiefs
When it first happened, the Jets selection of Leonard Williams seemed kind of redundant. Once Sheldon Richardson received his suspension for violating the NFL drug policy and then the ensuing legal run in, Williams seems like he will play a much more important role. He will play alongside Damon Harrison and Mo Wilkerson so there is not much of a chance Williams sees too much of the attention when blocking. He will be a disruptive force in the running game and could wind up with his fair share of sacks with the way Todd Bowles likes to blitz. Williams will have a big year for this defense.

Comeback Player of the Year: Adrian Peterson, RB, Minnesota Vikings
Runner up: Carson Palmer, QB, Arizona Cardinals
If it wasn’t for the fact that Adrian Peterson is one of the best running backs in the NFL then Palmer would have this award locked up. However, Peterson is returning from a year where he played one game before missing the whole season due to legal trouble. With an offense that seems to have a much more solidified passing attack than when he left, Peterson won’t need to carry this team but he will still be the best player on it. That will be good enough to earn Peterson the award.

Coach of the Year: Mike Zimmer, Minnesota Vikings
Runner up: Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs
I think Andy Reid will have a successful year coaching the Chiefs in the wide open West. However, the job that Mike Zimmer has already done with the Vikings should earn him the award. He dealt with the Peterson drama all offseason and now has the Vikings looking like a playoff team. They won’t surpass the Packers for the NFC North title but he will get them into the wildcard. Zimmer will coach this group up to a 10-6 record and get the most out of his guys.

Premier League Predictions

Chris McGlynn EPL, Soccer ,

Here we go. It’s finally time for a sport other than baseball to be back on TV. Sure there is MLS, but as much as I love it, it cannot touch English soccer. So without further ado, here are your 2015 English Premier League predictions.

Champions: Arsenal
Everyone is sticking with Chelsea but I don’t have as much faith there. The Blues need a little bit of reliable depth up top. Diego Costa only appeared in 26 games last season. Loic Remy and Ramadel Falcao are super talented but they have injury issues of their own. Falcao also looked fairly underwhelming last season with English giants Manchester United. I don’t buy Chelsea staying healthy enough all season to seal the deal.

Instead, I am picking Arsenal to hoist the League trophy for the first time since 2003. Arsene Wenger’s side has it all. A talented top 11, great midfield depth and a world class goalkeeper. Arsenal’s midfield could consist of Aaron Ramsey, Mesut Ozil, Francis Coquelin and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain while still having Santi Carzola, Jack Wilshire (if healthy) and Mathieu Flamini on the bench. Those are seven quality starters right there in the midfield. They will be servicing some top notch strikers in Alexis Sanchez, Theo Walcott, Olivier Giroud and Danny Welbeck. Welbeck looked shaky last season but Sanchez and Giroud were among the top 10 forwards in the league. This team is going to have an endless supply of offense.

On defense, Per Mertesacker, Nacho Monreal, Kieran Gibbs and Laurent Koscielny anchored the group with youngsters Callum Chambers, Hector Bellerin (although Bellerin looks slated to start ahead of Gibbs this season) spelling them occasionally. Not to mention veteran Mathieu Debuchy is still there to provide some reliable depth. Arsenal truly bolstered their attack though after signing Petr Cech from Chelsea. He only faced 18 shots last season but he only allowed 2 goals across his 7 appearances. Consistent goalkeeping was something Chelsea desperately needed and David Ospina provides an excellent alternative when Cech needs an off day. In my mind, this is the most complete team and they have the depth necessary to survive the rigors of a long season.

Champions League: Chelsea, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur
That is not a typo. Manchester United is not being listed here. That’s due to a handful of things. One being the improvement from Tottenham this offseason. Toby Alderwiereld comes to White Hart Lane in hopes of repairing this Tottenham defense. Paired with Belgian teammate Jan Vertonghen, the two will be the spine of the defense in front of Hugo Lloris. With Eric Dier and Danny Rose handling the wings, Tottenham should improve on their 53 goals allowed just a season ago. Up top still feature the rising star Harry Kane and the midfield is chock full of options. Tottenham will get a shot at the top teams in Europe next year.

I already mentioned that I didn’t have total faith in Chelsea’s attack but I still recognize that they are a top team. They will finish second behind Arsenal in a close title chase. Eden Hazard will look to build off a very successful season last year as he plays alongside Cesc Fabregas, Willian, and Nemanja Matic. This team is anchored by Thibaut Courtois with a solid defense in front of him. However, the question marks of Ramirez and Juan Cuadrado paired with the lack of reliable depth behind Costa should be a little worrying. Any injuries could send this team spiraling. Well by Chelsea standards. Overall though, it will be a return to the top European competition once again.

It almost seems like City has been forgotten heading into this season. They finished second just a season ago and had the league’s best goal difference. However, departures from James Milner and Eden Dzeko probably did not instill confidence. Still Man City has the league’s top goal scorer in Sergio Aguero returning and the additions of Raheem Sterling and Fabian Delph. That certainly gives the midfield some new energy and creativity it might have lacked previously. On defense, Vincent Kompany needs to rediscover himself and shake these nagging injuries but Joe Hart is still between the posts which means that City will always have a chance to win. Wilfred Bony will also be a nice addition, offering even more scoring to an already potent City attack.

Europa League: Manchester United
I was very tempted to drop them even lower but I will leave them at five. This has all the makings of a down year for United. Di Maria already left. Goalkeeper David De Gea could be next and that would leave a huge void in the Manchester starting 11. Rooney is coming off a year marred with injury and United are lacking goal scoring options past him. However, it is still Manchester United and the additions of Morgan Schneiderlin, Memphis Depay and Bastian Schweinsteiger will bolster the midfield. Those two plus Juan Mata and Ashley Young make the midfield a strength. The real concern is the potentially leaving De Gea, the lack of depth behind Rooney and the constant rotation on defense. If things start to go South for United, they might continue to do so.

Europa League Qualifying: Southampton, Liverpool
If I had decided to drop United down, it would have been in favor of the upstart Southampton. Sure they lost Schneiderlin, Clyne and Alderwiereld but this team allowed the second fewest goals just a season ago and those players already have replacements in Cedric Soares and Steven Caulker. They will also be getting Jay Rodriguez back on offense. Graziano Pelle looks like he might take the next step as well as he already opened his scoring account this season in Europa League play. Southampton need more goals in the worse way. Fraser Forster should still hold down the fort in goal after having a phenomenal season a year ago. He allowed just 21 goals in 30 games and recorded 13 clean sheets. Those are the types of things that will carry Southampton through the long slog that is a Premier League season.

For Liverpool, every year is supposed to be their year. However, I just don’t see it in this team. Adding Nathaniel Clyne and James Milner are huge additions but losing Raheem Sterling hurts this midfield a lot. The defense looks fairly strong but had a poor showing last season in front of Mignolet. There will certainly be some addition by subtraction with Mario Ballotelli headed for the door in attack. This team still lost leading goal scorer and captain Stephen Gerard which makes me wonder just how good Liverpool’s offense will be heading into this season. The highest remaining scorer on the team is Jordan Henderson with only six league goals. That will certainly spell some trouble for the Reds but this group is still more talented than most of the league. They will do just enough to keep themselves in the European picture.

Relegation: Sunderland, Leicester City, Watford
That does in fact mean that two of the clubs that just got promoted will be staying in the Premier League. Sunderland is completely deficient of attacking options after Connor Wickham left for Crystal Palace. Jordi Gomez and Adam Johnson will be missing time with injury and legal trouble respectively. There are still a handful of really talented players on this team with Stephen Fletcher and newly added Yann M’Vila at the forefront. Unfortunately, if Sunderland cannot find a way to score, and they couldn’t last year with Connor Wickham on the team, then won’t be able to earn the points needed to avoid relegation.

Leicester City look decent last season, finishing in fourteenth place. They scored a decent amount with Leonardo Ulloa leading the attack. However, defense was a constant issue. Leicester allowed the fourth most goals last season in Premier League play. The addition of Yohan Benalouane should provide some improvement to this defensive unit but not enough to salvage their season and avoid relegation.

Then there is Watford. They have so guys who lit up the Championship last year in Tory Deeney and Matej Vydra, but it was the Championship. When they have to play against a team every week who is most likely more talented than them at all three levels of the pitch, I think Watford will struggle. The midfield gets a boost from Tottenham transfer Etienne Capoue but otherwise this midfield looks fairly week. With Joel Ekstrand expected to miss extended time recovering from an ACL injury Watford is going to be heavily outgunned most of the season.

Thoughts on those in between
Everton once again misses out on Europe this season but they take another step in the right direction, moving up to eighth. Stoke City should remain in the top ten as should Crystal Palace. West Brom will be a decent side this year but not consistent enough to make a push towards the top of the table. Aston Villa and West Ham will be battling against relegation all season but should survive. Norwich City will surprise some people and clear relegation by a bit more than most would expect this year. Bournemouth is no joke either with Matt Ritchie leading the way. Newcastle have improved enough to not be a top relegation candidate but not enough to push into the top half. Swansea will benefit from the addition of Gylfi Sigurdsson but they will only go as far as he can take them. It should be a great Premier League season, once again dominated by the same top seven.

Here are the predicted final standings for the 2015-2016.

1. Arsenal
2. Chelsea
3. Manchester City
4. Tottenham Hotspur
5. Manchester United
6. Southampton
7. Liverpool
8. Everton
9. Crystal Palace
10. Stoke City
11. Swansea City
12. West Bromwich Albion
13. Newcastle United
14. West Ham United
15. Norwich City
16. Aston Villa
17. Bournemouth
18. Sunderland
19. Leicester City
20. Watford

Why Matthew Stafford doesn’t cut it

Chris McGlynn Football, NFL ,

There is a lot of pressure when it comes to making the right choice with the first pick in the NFL draft. We have seen our fair share of Hall of Famers, (Peyton Manning, John Elway, Lee Roy Selmon, Earl Campbell) and we’ve seen some hilarious busts (JaMarcus Russell, Courtney Brown, Ricky Bell, Ki-Jana Carter). It really can be hit or miss sometimes.

Matt_Stafford_2009_croppedMatthew Stafford is one of those first overall picks, from the 2009 edition of the draft. Stafford is by no means a bust. He has put up 21,000 yards and 131 touchdowns in his career. However, Stafford really doesn’t cut it for me. He is not number one overall material in terms of what his value turned out to be. He has been an average NFL quarterback, nothing more nothing less.

There are a lot of reasons I’m not too high on Stafford as a starting NFL quarterback. It starts with his over-inflated passing stats. Stafford consistently throws for 4,500 yards in a season, including over 5,000 in 2011. Those numbers look great but Stafford also throws an enormous amount of passes. His career average yards per attempt sits at 7.01. Stafford has never ranked in the top ten for yards per attempt in a single season. He came close in 2012 finishing 11th. He has finished twice outside the top 20 though, including this past season. Among active starters, Stafford is tied with Joe Flacco and Andy Dalton for yards per attempt in their career at 15th. That is underwhelming for sure. That isn’t all on Stafford because his receivers are responsible for picking up yards after the catch as well. However, part of the explanation comes in the next fault in his game.

Matthew_Stafford_(cropped)59.6 percent. That is Stafford’s career completion percentage. His receivers cannot pick up yards for him if Stafford cannot get them the ball. That number ranks Stafford 19th among active quarterbacks. That is below what would even be considered average. Stafford has only managed to rise above 60 percent twice in his four full years as the starter. This stat can be a little misleading because drops and throwaways can play a roll in driving a quarterback’s completion percentage down. Keep in mind though that Stafford doesn’t really need to be totally accurate when throwing to Calvin Johnson due to his insane catch radius. I think that balances any other factors.

You would think too that with guys like Johnson and nowadays Golden Tate at his disposal, Stafford would have a ridiculous number of touchdowns. Over the last four years, Stafford has tossed on average 28 touchdowns per year, which is pretty darn good. Unfortunately, when you look at the last three seasons though, ignoring his 41 touchdown anomaly in 2011, that number drops to 23.7. That second number is a lot more middle of the pack. Over the past three years as well, Stafford has been all up and down, finishing t-20th, 6th and 14th in touchdown passes. That range brings us to the next point.

Matthew_Stafford_2014Stafford lacks consistency, which is something teams desperately crave in a quarterback. Looking at this past year, Stafford toss multiple touchdowns in half of his games. At the same time, he also had four games where he failed to throw a touchdown pass. He also had five games where he threw for 300+ yards. That was juxtaposed to the three games though where Stafford failed to top 185 yards. And while you should dominate bad teams, none of Stafford’s 300+ yard days where against teams that finished in the top half of the league in pass defense and three of the teams were among the bottom five.

All quarterbacks should beat up on bad teams. However, good quarterbacks need to performance against good teams as well. That is something Stafford has really struggled with. Against teams that finish the season with a winning record, Stafford is a mediocre 3-24 in the last four years. That is downright pathetic. And this has to fall mostly on Stafford’s shoulders if he really wants to be an elite quarterback. He can’t blame a sub par defense or a shoddy running game. Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers won Super Bowls with average defenses and mostly non-existent running games. It’s not easy, but it can be done.

Stafford has zero playoff wins, one Pro Bowl selection (after four other quarterbacks dropped out) and is still riding the one year where he put up Pro Bowl caliber numbers, and still failed to make it. And if all of this has failed to convince you that Stafford is simply an average quarterback, maybe this will. ESPN uses the statistic Total QBR to measure a quarterback’s overall contribution to a game and weights the performance based on the number of plays and the scenario in which certain events occur. It is measured on a scale of 1-100 with 50 being average. In his six total NFL seasons, Stafford has finished each year with a rating below 61, including this season when he posted a 53.5. That was worse than Jay Cutler rated. The same guy who was benched toward the end of the season due to his poor play.

Plain and simple, he just isn’t that good. The Lions are never winning a Super Bowl with Stafford under center. He does not step up in big games and displays incredible inconsistency. He might have a few dazzling games here or there but on the whole, he is a largely average quarterback who has a durable enough arm to throw the ball 600 times a season. On the whole, Stafford just doesn’t cut it.

Top ten NFL preseason games to watch

Chris McGlynn Football, NFL

10. Washington vs. Cleveland

This might seem like a game to sleep through but there are some very important things to watch for in this first week matchup. First will be to see how Robert Griffin III looks after another offseason in this new system. He struggled mightily last year and likely won’t play a ton but seeing out on the field for the first time will be something to watch. The focus will also be on this remade Washington defense with Junior Galette and Preston Smith as the pass rushers and Brian Orakpo no longer in the picture. For Cleveland, the biggest takeaway will be who they march out at quarterback to start the game. Mike Pettine has not given much indication as to who will start. This will also be our first chance to get a glimpse of Terrelle Pryor at wide receiver.

9. Denver vs. Houston

Two good teams facing off obviously but with several of things to watch for. Peyton Manning probably won’t take the field, but if he does then it will be interesting to see what kind of shape he is in. There will be some noticeable absences in other parts of the Bronco offense too with Julius Thomas and Manny Ramirez now suiting up for different teams. For Houston, this is another case of who comes out as the starting quarterback. Beyond that, there will be some intrigue as to who excels in the Houston backfield with Arian Foster now expected to miss the beginning of the season due to injury. Plus, it’s probably worth tuning in just in case J.J. Watt does something cool.

8. Buffalo vs. Detroit

Nick Fairley and Ndamukong Suh left Detroit in free agency so all eyes will be on the Lions defensive line to see who steps up to take the starting job. And while he won’t play much most likely, seeing how Calvin Johnson looks after spending most of last season somewhat banged up will be something to keep an eye on. For Buffalo, this game will likely include a lot of their back ups, including E.J. Manuel. This will probably be his last audition for the Bills to keep him or for him to show enough for another team to sign him in the future. Oh and LeSean McCoy is in a Bills uniform.

7. Chicago vs. Cincinnati

This game features two perennial underachievers in the third week of the preseason. That tends to be the week where the starters play the most. That means we will see if Jay Cutler looks any better throwing to Alshon Jeffrey and Kevin White. It also means we will get to see how many carries Giovanni Bernard will receive in as close to a real game scenario as possible. The game might not count but both of these teams are under intense pressure to perform this season. This will be a chance to see how each team looks in their final dress rehearsal.

6. Kansas City vs. Arizona

Kansas City travels to Arizona during the first week of the preseason and their are a lot of things I want to keep an eye on here. First and foremost is the status of Carson Palmer’s knee. He won’t play much but this will be his first game action since tearing his ACL last November. I also want to see who is getting the majority of the touches in the Arizona backfield as well as how the Cardinal defense is adjusting without Todd Bowles calling the shots. For Kansas City, this will be Jeremy Maclin’s first appearance in a Chiefs uniform which is exciting. It will also be our first glimpse at breakout candidate Travis Kelce this year.

5. Atlanta vs. Miami

The headlines here begin with Ndamukong Suh getting significant playing time in a Dolphins’ jersey. This game is in week three and we will see if Ryan Tannehill really has built on last season. He has better targets this year with DeVante Parker playing alongside Greg Jennings and Jarvis Landry now. Those guys will be going up against a new look Atlanta defense. Former Seahawks coordinator Dan Quinn arrived as the new head coach and has spent a lot of time attempting to remake this defense. This will be a good indicator of whether his work was worth it.

4. Philadelphia vs. Indianapolis

No team underwent more change this offseason than Philadelphia did. LeSean McCoy and Jeremy Maclin are gone. As are Evan Mathis, Nick Foles, Brandon Boykins and a handful of other Eagles starters from a season ago. This will be the first chance to see the new look Eagles in action. The secondary also has a tall task of defending Andrew Luck, which will be a good first sign to see if the group is gelling. For the Colts, Andre Johnson and Frank Gore won’t play much but they will be in Colts’ uniforms for the first time ever which definitely is something to look forward to.

3. Pittsburgh vs. Minnesota

Adrian Peterson returns in the Hall of Fame game. Teddy Bridgewater has a chance to get some game action with his new weapons and the Steelers will begin to adjust to life without LeVeon Bell. The starters won’t play a ton in this one but it will allow us to see Vikings’ receiver Stefon Diggs in action as well, who has been drawing comparisons to Steelers receiver Antonio Brown in training camp. We will also get to see how Trae Waynes and Bud Dupree are adjusting to the NFL for the first time.

2. Green Bay vs. New England

There are a number of reasons to tune into this one. For starters, this could be a Super Bowl preview in the preseason. On top of that, Jimmy Garappolo will likely see a lot of playing time, which is a big deal if he has to start the first four games of this season. The Patriots and every fan on Earth will be eager to see what Garappolo can do as he is about to have to fill in for a future Hall of Famer. For Green Bay, this is mainly the same team but some questions still remain in that secondary. This is the first place they might find answers.

1. New York Jets vs. New York Giants

This is easily my favorite game of the preseason to watch. It is the New York rivalry game. Looking beyond that though the Jets are searching for an answer at quarterback and this will be either Geno Smith’s or Ryan Fitzpatrick’s best chance to prove they deserve to start week one. Not to mention, watching Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie match up across from Odell Beckham Jr. and Victor Cruz will be so much to watch. It will also be our first chance to see Cruz in extended game action after, suffering that terrible knee injury a year ago.

Key player for each EPL club

Chris McGlynn EPL, Soccer , , , , , , , , ,

This is the second half of a two part series where we identify the top player on each English Premier League team. Big thanks to my friend Jack Venezia for helping me out with this one. 

Alexis SanchezArsenal
Alexis Sanchez, Forward
The Gunners return to Champions League football once again following a third place finish just a season ago. Arsenal scored the third most goals in the Premier League as well. The man at the core of the Arsenal attack remains Alexis Sanchez. Last year, the Chilean international played in 34 of the teams 38 games, scoring 16 goals and setting up 8 more. In short, Sanchez was involved in roughly a third of Arsenal’s goals over the course of the EPL season. There are plenty of talented midfielders on Arsene Wenger’s squad but none of them hold the same importance of Sanchez.

Matt RitchieBournemouth
Matt Ritchie, Wide Midfielder
For anyone who follows Bournemouth, Matt Ritchie is a household name. The wide midfielder has been on a bit of a tear in the last year or so. He engineered one of the best offensive seasons in recent memory, propelling the Cherries to their first ever appearance in the Premier League. Ritchie led the Championship last season with 17 assists and scored his fair share as well with 15 goals of his own. On top of all of that, he got his first start with the Scottish international team and in just fourth match, notched the game winner in a friendly versus Qatar. To compete in England’s top league, scoring is a must. Ritchie is the key is Bournemouth hopes to avoid relegation this season.

Yohan_CabayeCrystal Palace
 Yohan Cabaye, Attacking Midfielder
In just their second season, Crystal Palace climbed all the way to the top half of the table, finishing 10th. They have quietly assembled a good group of talent. Frazier Campell, Joe Ledley, Jordan Mutch, Jason Puncheon, Wilfried Zaha and now Connor Wickham make up a good core for Alan Pardew to work with this season. However, the man who will absolutely be running the show is midfielder Yohan Cabaye. He is coming off a very quiet year with Paris Saint-Germain but he flourished under Pardew at Newcastle and he is bound to do it again. He will be the man Crystal Palace look to on set pieces and a vital veteran presence on a largely young team.

Yohan_BenalouaneLeicester City
Yohan Benalouane, Center Back
Defense wins championships and Leicester needs to discover some in the worst way. This team finished 14th last year and that was mostly due to the fact that they allowed the fourth most goals. The man to the rescue is newly signed Yohan Benalouane, who arrives from Serie A side Atalanta as the answer to Leicester’s prayers. He joins having appeared in 27 league games for the Italian side last season. If Leicester have serious hopes of extending their stay in the Premier League, they will need Benalouane to be lights out on defense, even with rising star Kasper Schmeichel between the posts.

Joe HartManchester City
Joe Hart, Goalkeeper
Not many teams can call its keeper the best player on the field. Manchester City can and that’s saying something when you consider the talent City has spread all over. However, Hart is the difference maker for this English giant. Hart sat out of 7 games last season, replaced by Wilfredo Caballero. City kept a clean sheet once in those games and allowed 12 goals. Not exactly great output. Hart on the other hand, allowed fewer than a goal per game in his 36 Premier League starts. He also had the most wins of any Premier League keeper and the most clean sheets with 14. Hart anchors this team. Take him away and City would be average at best.

Chancel_MbembaNewcastle United
Chancel Mbemba, Center Back 
Newcastle spent a good deal of last year searching for an answer up top. The formation was ever-changing, as were the strikers. Alexsander Mitrovic should finally provide some stability their long term but offense wasn’t even the Magpies biggest concern. Newcastle allowed 63 goals, second only to bottom of the league QPR. Tim Krul was faced with shot after shot and the defense in front of him looked as shaky as ever. Enter Chancel Mbemba from Anderlecht. Mbemba made 63 appearances for the Belgian side and still is only 20-years old. There are still several holes to fill but Mbemba will fill the most important one so far.

Jay RodriguezSouthampton
Jay Rodriguez, Forward
This was a tough selection between Jay Rodriguez and Fraser Forster. I ended up siding with Rodriguez in the end because he could really be the one that instigates Southampton jumping into the top five this season. In the 2013-14 season, Rodriguez scored 15 goals for the Saints. He missed the whole 2014-15 campaign due to a knee injury but if he is healthy, he could be the difference. Southampton finished seventh last season, with a goal difference of +21. That ranked fifth best in the league. If Rodriguez can slot home a few more goals for this defensively talented team, don’t be surprised to see Southampton challenging the best teams in England.

Steven_FletcherSunderland
Steven Fletcher, Forward
Last season featured a relegation scare for Sunderland. This season might end in relegation if the Black Cats don’t discover some offense. Sunderland finished tied for the second-fewest goals scored last season. No one on the team scored more than five goals and one of those five-goal scorers, Connor Wickham, is now headed to Crystal Palace. It should come as no surprise then that the most important player for Sunderland is a striker. Steven Fletcher was the other five goal scorer for this squad and he will need to step it up a bit this season in order for Sunderland to stay afloat. If he fails to make a larger impact, Sunderland will be relegated.

Jan VertonghenTottenham Hotspur
Jan Vertonghen, Center Back
On the last day of the season, Tottenham moved up two spots to finish fifth overall, clinching a spot in the Europa League group stage. Looking back at the season though, it is pretty surprising that Tottenham finished as high as it did. They allowed the fifth most goals last season, tied with Burnley and Sunderland. Not all the blame can fall on Hugo Lloris either as he faced the fifth most shots in the league. That means it falls on Jan Vertonghen to get this defensive group in order. He started more games than any other defender a season ago and if Tottenham has any hopes of repeating as Europa League qualifiers, Vertonghen will need to play a huge roll in that.

Rickie_LambertWest Bromwich Albion
Rickie Lambert, Forward
West Brom finished a respectable 13th in the league last season, including wins over Tottenham, Southampton, Swansea, Manchester United and Chelsea. They also made a run to the FA Cup Semifinal. That is not a bad season. If West Brom want to improve though, they will need to score more goals this season. Saido Berahino put away 14 chances for this squad last season but they will need another goal scorer. That’s why management brought in Richie Lambert from Liverpool. He already scored two goals in his unofficial debut in a friendly against Bristol Rovers. If Lambert can become the number two scorer on this team (which shouldn’t be hard as Ideye Brown had that role despite only scoring four times last season) West Brom should be able to push into the top half of the table.

To see part one of this series, click here.