Soccer

New York Color Wars

Chris McGlynn MLS, Soccer , ,

Soccer in New York has confused just about everyone this year. As with every sport’s team in the Big Apple under intense pressure at all time, New York’s soccer teams have been no exception. For the first time, the city that never sleeps has two MLS teams. The two have spent all season competing for dominance of New York in a battle of red versus blue.

David Villa
Villa has been the captain all season for City, scoring 15 goals in the process.

 In just their first ever season, New York City FC entered with lofty expectations. Signing Spanish striker David Villa offered a lot of promise and certainly brought some excitement to the club. The signing of Frank Lampard shortly after that pushed fans’ expectations even higher than most would have thought for a first year club. US international Mix Diskerud brought even more press to the expansion team, as did youngster Patrick Mullins arriving from New England.

NYC got off to a decent start to the season. They seemed like they might just meet those expectations after a solid start but then the wheels fell off. New York failed to win in 11 straight matches, including seven losses. They started winning games again at the beginning of June and climbed out of the Eastern Conference basement. Andrea Pirlo arrived from Juventus on a transfer and Lampard finally started playing for NYC. However, they have only climbed to the outskirts of the playoff picture. They are even with Montreal on total points but have played five fewer matches than the Impact leaving them in a rough position. Overall, City has been fairly disappointing with the star power they field.

Bradley_Wright_Phillips
BWP leads the Red Bulls with 11 goals this season.

On the other hand, cross river rival New York Red Bulls were thought to be down and out this year. There was a changing of the guard as Thierry Henry retired and Jesse Marsch replaced Mike Petke as head coach. Most figured that it would be a year of rebuilding. Instead, New York made some shrewd moves to up their talent level and find themselves in a great position to win the Eastern Conference. Sacha Kljestan, Gonzolo Veron and youngster Matt Miazga have all been great additions to the starting XI this year.

The Red Bulls have marched to the third best point total in the Eastern Conference this year but the best points per game average of any team in the east until this point. Bradley Wright-Phillips, Mike Grella, Lloyd Sam and Kljestan have accounted for the majority of the offense for New York this year, each with at least five goals. That approach differs greatly from the star powered style of NYC. The Red Bulls are a lock for the playoffs at this stage after most expected them to miss the postseason altogether. 

So far, these two clubs have met three times. Continuing the trend of surprises, the Red Bulls have beaten NYC in all three of those matches by an aggregate score of 7-2. You would think that City could at least manage a draw in one of those three. This has been the beginning of a new, intense rival in the city of New York. To this point though, New York is definitely red. 

Projecting the EPL Best XI

Chris McGlynn EPL, Soccer

We are a long way off from May but it’s never too early to start thinking about how players will perform over the course of a season. It is full of twists and turns, injuries and transfers, but for now, this is my best guess as to who will be the best eleven players during the Premier League season.

Hugo_LlorisGoalkeeper: Hugo Lloris
Tottenham will be in contention for much of this year if Lloris stays. He looked sharp in the opener and didn’t allow United to score. His own team scored on him but that is hardly something to count against Lloris. Overall, Lloris is in a good situation to have a stellar year that might only get better if acquired by Man U. That all hinges on David De Gea’s transfer of course but either way, I think Lloris will prove himself as the top keeper in the Premier League this season.

Nathaniel_ClyneFull Back: Nathaniel Clyne
Coming off an incredible season that pushed Southampton to the brink of finishing in the top five, Clyne actually moved up a spot in the standings by landing with Liverpool. Viewed as an immediate upgrade, Clyne should receive plenty of playing time and with his durability, he will be a valuable piece for Liverpool. Look for Clyne to have another great year in a different shade of red.

Jan VertonghenCenter Back: Jan Vertonghen
Another member of Tottenham join Lloris on this list and it will be the man tasked with the job of organizing the defense in front of Lloris. Vertonghen had a strong year a season ago but helping improve Tottenham’s well below average defense from a season ago would certainly gain him notice. Expect Tottenham to post a few more clean sheets this season, due in large part to Vertonghen’s play.

Winston ReidCenter Back: Winston Reid
Reid is already off to a fast start, having been named to the EPL Team of the Week for his performance against Arsenal. That is one clean sheet he can already notch in his belt. This defense needs to limit the number of shots goalkeeper Adrian faces this season after he faced 171 last year. If Reid can do that, then West Ham will certainly be a tough team to beat.

Cesar AzpilicuetaFull Back: Cesar Azpilicueta
Chelsea won the league last season because they had the most talent. Azpilicueta was one of the talented players that made Chelsea such a formidable side. The rough start in a draw with Swansea will be forgotten about in a few weeks once Chelsea is playing Champions League quality football. Azpilicueta will be a catalyst for helping them reach that level.

Midfielder: Eden Hazard
Eden HazardAfter winning the Premier League Player of the Year award last season, I think it is pretty hard to ignore Hazard here. His creative play and dribbling ability were a large part of Chelsea’s success. He set up 9 goals a season ago and scored 14 more. If Hazard comes close to those numbers again, Hazard is a lock for this team.

Nemanja MaticMidfielder: Nemanja Matic
Continuing the run of Blues is Matic. He was the engine behind the Chelsea midfield, working from the back often to start an attacking movement. His skill on the ball though is a valuable asset not often seen in defensive minded midfielders. He won’t generate too many goals but he will ensure that Chelsea don’t give up too many either.


Midfielder: Yohan Cabaye
Yohan_CabayeCabaye makes his return to the Premier League following a one-year stay on the bench of Paris Saint-Germain. Returning under his former Newcastle boss Alan Pardew now at Crystal Palace will be the comfort Cabaye needs. He, like Reid is off to a hot start after being named to the Team of the Week. Cabaye can do a lot for Palace’s offense and will be the reason they finish in the top half.

Alexis SanchezMidfielder: Alexis Sanchez
One year ago, Sanchez tallied 16 goals and 8 assists. Those number were even more impressive than those of Eden Hazard. Sanchez is a top player in the world and on an Arsenal team deep with midfield talent it is sometimes hard to see that. Don’t be fooled though, as Sanchez will be the catalyst for much of the Gunners’ offense this season.

Forward: Harry Kane
Harry_KaneSome players just arrive with a bang and Kane certainly did that. Anything he does this year will probably be a letdown after dazzling Spurs’ fans with 21 goals just a season ago. However, Kane has the skills to score close to 20 goals again and should be part of a more well-rounded Tottenham attack this season. He will still be the focal point though.

Wayne RooneyForward: Wayne Rooney
Looking at United’s roster, it is hard to find a truly proven goal scorer not named Rooney. That makes me think that Rooney is in for a big year. He will likely have to carry the Manchester United offense for most of the season. I don’t know how much success that will bring for United on the whole but Rooney will once again look like a superstar.

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

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.

The best Premier League players from each club

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

This is the first 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. 

Jordan AyewAston Villa
Jordan Ayew, Forward
Aston Villa just barely survived the Premier League last year placing 17th in the English top flight. To make matters worse, captain Fabian Delph and star forward Christian Bentke have left Villa for Manchester City and Liverpool respectively. However, both of those players went for hefty fees, leaving Villa’s manager Tim Sherwood a lot of money to play with. So far, Sherwood has spent all of that money on two things: replacing Delph and Benteke and giving Villa’s defense a much-needed overhaul. Idrissa Gueye from Lille looks to take Delph’s spot in the midfield while Jordan Ayew signed to help alleviate the loss of Benteke. Considering that Benteke scored or assisted just about every other goal Aston Villa scored since he joined the club, Jordan Ayew has the biggest shoes to fill. However, I would like to add an asterisk to this decision. Since Villa placed 17th last year, they are literally the worst team from last year still in the league. That means that more than just Ayew will have to step up this year if they expect to see improvement.

Eden HazardChelsea
Eden Hazard, Wide Midfielder
Chelsea won the league last season and still have one of the most star-studded rosters in the world. It is difficult to say who is the most important player on Chelsea, because they have some many tremendously good players. Even if Diego Costa went down with an injury, Chelsea still have Loric Remy and Ramadel Falcao waiting in the wings to take his place. This is true at practically every position. Hence the difficulty in picking Chelsea’s best player. Personally, I am going with Eden Hazard. He won best player in the league for a reason. Not to mention Hazard is only 24 years old. He is both the present and future star of this team. If Chelsea wants to repeat as champions, Hazard must perform. 

Romelu_LukakuEverton
Romelu Lukaku, Forward
After a disappointing 11th place finish, Everton will be looking to return to their winning ways. In the 2014/2015 season, Everton scored 13 fewer goals than the year before and had 5 fewer shutouts than the year before. Everton’s worst spell ran between the end of November and March. A span where Everton only had two wins, five draws and nine loses. That spell can likely be attributed to Tim Howard’s winter injury. Still, all of the onus cannot be placed on Howard’s injury. As mentioned above, substantially fewer goals were scored. This lack of goals was likely due to Samuel Eto’o being a flop of a signing. That means the pressure falls on Romelu Lukaku as Everton’s most important player. He is being asked to be THE goal scorer for this team and there are not many options behind him. Plus, Everton shelled out more money for Lukaku than any other player in club history. If Lukaku disappoints, Everton will be in deep trouble.

Philippe CoutinhoLiverpool
Philippe Coutinho, Attacking Midfielder
Last season was slightly disappointing for Liverpool, placing 6th in the Premier League. Liverpool’s goal is always a top four finish and qualification for the UEFA Champions League. A positive aspect to last year’s disappointment was the play of Phi         lippe Coutinho. Coutinho is obviously the most important player on for Liverpool right now. He will have many new players around him in James Milner, Roberto Firmino and Christian Benteke, but Coutinho must be the glue which holds this new group together. With the loss of Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard, the team will need a new leader on and off the field; Coutinho is in poll position to pick up where Gerrard left off. I am not saying that Coutinho will be replacing Gerrard, but Coutinho can take control of this team and lead it where he likes. 

Wayne RooneyManchester United
Wayne Rooney, Forward
Manchester United finished fourth in the Premier League last season, just barely reaching their goal of Champions League qualification. Over this summer, Manchester have been wheelin’ and dealin’ with transfers both in and out of the club. The biggest of exit had to be the loss of Robin van Persie. Even though RVP didn’t always impressed at United, he gave them more options up front. With van Persie out of the picture, Wayne Rooney is the only pure striker on United of first team quality. I know Memphis Depay was brought in, but it is looking like he will play as an attacking midfielder rather than a second striker up front with Rooney. When you look at Man U’s midfield (Bastian Schweinsteiger, Morgan Schneiderlin, Juan Mata, Memphis Depay and Ashley Young just to name a few) I have little doubt that Rooney will get the service he needs either. It might seem like a forgone conclusion but I am pegging Rooney as United’s most important player.

Nathan_RedmondNorwich City
Nathan Redmond, Winger
After only one season in the Championship, Norwich have rejoined the ranks of the Premier League. Due to Norwich’s promotion, their numbers form last year sound a lot better than they actually are. Therefore, picking the most important player becomes very difficult. To be honest, in the short term, I cannot point to any one player on the Canaries who has a more important job than another. Cameron Jerome has the weight of scoring goals on his shoulders, Steve Whittaker has to hold down the team defensively, and Nathan Redmond is expected to be the set up man. All of them played well in the Championship but will have to play better to stay in the Premier League. However, in terms of Norwich’s long-term success, Nathan Redmond is 21 years old and may carry this team for years to come if they stay in the Premier League. On a side note, if Norwich fall back to the Championship after one season, I have a feeling Redmond will be picked up by a bigger name club.

Bojan KrkicStoke City
Bojan Krkic, Forward
Stoke City finished in the top 10 of the Premiere League, their best ever finish in the Premiere League, last season. Stoke’s manager Mark Hughes is also an interesting one. He has a very deep team and is apt to use that depth across the board. For example, no one striker played more than 28 games last season. However, that statistic may have been different had Bojan Krkic not gone down with an injury. Krkic is a product of the Barcelona academies and has often been compared to Lionel Messi due to his size, speed, and footwork on the ball. If Krkic can stay healthy, (a big ‘if’ considering last season’s injury was not his first) he can do wonderful things for this football club.

Gylfi_SigurdssonSwansea City
Gylfi Sigurdsson, Winger
Swansea also had their best ever finish in the Premier League sitting at 8th place. Moving forward, Swansea have added a few new players up top with Andre Ayew, and Eder. Both of these players will be supplemental to Gylfi Sigurdsson, who finished third in the league in assists. Sigurdsson spent a lone spell with Swansea back in 2012 and now returns on a permanent transfer. He is the nucleus to this team’s offense. Like many other players who I have named to be most important to their respective teams, Sigurdsson is relatively young at 25 years old. As is Swansea’s manager at 36 years old. This team is playing well now and looks like they will be playing well for quite some time. 

Etienne_CapoueWatford
Etienne Capoue, Defensive Midfielder
Coming from the Championship, Watford have brought a lot of players in this season. That is most likely a result of Watford’s two previous visits to the Premier League, where they were immediately relegated. Fortunately, Watford already have two good goal scorers in Troy Deeney and Odion Ighalo who combined for 41 goals last season. However, I believe new signing Etienne Capoue will be just as important as those two. Tottenham was willing to part with Capoue because he never broke into the teams staring 11. Now, he has the job of protecting Watford’s back four from the Premier League giants. If Capoue is a bust, it might not matter how well Deeney and Ighalo play. Similarly though, if Capoue plays incredibly it wouldn’t be able to make up for a lack of goals. I think Watford has a solid chance of staying the top flight of English football, but I am not making any guarantees.

Winston ReidWest Ham
Winston Reid, Center Back
West Ham had a lackluster season last year finishing just 13th in the Premiere League. An interesting statistic I found was that the Hammers lost more games in which they scored first than any other team in the league. Even more surprising is that they lost 20 such games. Let me reiterate that: West Ham was lost the lead in 20 games. Therefore scoring goals is not the issue for this team. Instead, I believe West Ham need more defensive help. Luckily, they do not have to make any big trades to find it. Center back Winston Reid played phenomenally two seasons ago but was injured last season. With Reid’s return, West Ham can hold onto a few more of those leads.

To see part two of this series, click here.