Barclays Premier League Preview 2013-14 Part 2: Who's for the drop?

In Part 1 of my Premier League preview I looked at the contenders for the title. Here in Part 2 I will bring you the three teams who I think will be relegated this season, plus my prediction of the final league table.

If recent seasons are anything to go by, the relegation dogfight will be contested by many more teams than just the three that will fall. Aside from the top seven or eight teams, everybody else will breathe a sigh of relief when their team reaches the magic total of 40 points. Queens Park Rangers and Reading were cannon fodder for the whole campaign last season, but the battle to avoid 18th place was contested by the entire bottom half of the league right up until the penultimate game, when Wigan Athletic finally fell through the trapdoor. This year's could be just as exciting for the neutrals.

The easy place to start is to look at the three promoted sides. Championship winners Cardiff City look the best bet of the three to survive, having broken their transfer record three times this summer. Their best piece of business is no doubt the acquisition of Steven Caulker from Tottenham. The England defender was a surprise move for many fans who believed he could easily have had a long term future at White Hart Lane. An interesting addition is Gary Medel.  £11million has brought El Pitbull to Wales from Sevilla, and providing he keeps out of the trouble he was known for in Spain, he could prove the difference in midfield. For me, the Bluebirds stay up...just.

Hull City were second in the Championship last season despite scoring just 61 goals. The bulk of their wins were by one goal, and while Steve Bruce's Tigers could get away with that last year, a lack of firepower is a real worry, especially when their forward signings are either unproven (George Boyd) or arguably not good enough (Danny Graham) for the top flight. Their success was down to a solid defence, but that will be put to the test this year, and I can't see them keeping enough clean sheets without one or two more bodies coming in.

Crystal Palace's play-off final win in May was Wilfried Zaha's last appearance for the club before his return to parent club Manchester United. He looks like he will play a prominent role in David Moyes' first team plans this season, but how Ian Holloway must wish he could get him back on loan for another year. They were far from a one-man team - in fact Glenn Murray was arguably even more important last season, but his injury means that they look a weaker team without their goals and assists. In Marouane Chamakh the Eagles have signed a striker whose time at Arsenal can best be described as poor, and Dwight Gayle, a record signing, while clearly knowing where the goal is judging by his season at Peterborough United, may find the step up too big. Gayle was playing in the Conference North just a couple of years ago.

If one promoted club are to survive, then it means that an established Premier League side are to go down. There are serious doubts about how Newcastle United and Sunderland will get on after a very turbulent off-season off the pitch at St. James' Park, and a raft of changes to the playing staff at the Stadium of Light. It could be feast or famine for both North East giants, and while some have tipped one, or even both to find themselves in the bottom three, I think they will both be fine, albeit with little improvement to their finishes of 2013. Aston Villa's youngsters will be better for their experience in what was a difficult year last season, and BTG Rookie of the Year Christian Benteke's decision to stay is a huge boost to their hopes.

That leaves Stoke City. You may scoff, and I'll admit, I had to convince myself a bit, but this could well be the year that the Potters' Premier League stay comes to an end. Tony Pulis built his success on hardworking, solid defensive teams, and while people thought time was up for him, to replace him with Mark Hughes is a huge risk. Hughes prefers attacking, expansive football, not to mention a big chequebook. Stoke arguably don't have either, and it could finally be the year they get found out. Hughes needs this job to be a success after the debacle at QPR, but he's got his work cut out.

Here's BTG's predicted Barclays Premier League table:

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

Who are your tips for relegation? Write a message or Tweet me @adamgray50

Barclays Premier League Preview 2013-14 Part 1: Race for the title

For the first time in many years there is a genuine three-horse race for the Barclays Premier League title, made all the more fascinating by the fact that all of the three clubs are being led by new managers. We all know what we're going to get with Jose Mourinho, as he begins his second spell in charge of Chelsea, and Manuel Pellegrini at Manchester City brings his obvious talent. The biggest job however is obviously that of David Moyes, who takes on the unenviable task of picking up where Sir Alex Ferguson left off.

Moyes has already found himself under pressure following a less than impressive set of pre-season results, and of course having to deal with the Wayne Rooney transfer saga. It sounds silly, but this past Sunday's Community Shield was close to must-win for the former Everton boss. Talk amongst the Old Trafford fans has been about a lack of new signings, but it was Robin van Persie's double at Wembley against Wigan which proved that the champions aren't too bad a team without newcomers. I feel though that without another midfielder, possibly a replacement for Rooney, and of course Sir Alex in the dugout, United may fall short of title no.21.

Few were surprised when Mourinho returned to Stamford Bridge after a turbulent couple of years at Real Madrid. If he has the same effect as his first season the last time, Chelsea are going to be very tough to beat. For me, that Blues team of 2004-05 is the best in Premier League history - and I include the Arsenal invincibles in that, for the record - but I'm not too sure the spine of this team is as strong. John Terry and Frank Lampard, loyal servants of the club and the manager, aren't the players they were, and there are doubts as to how much he fancies David Luiz and Juan Mata. The personnel at the Bridge are more used to playing with more attacking prowess than Mourinho's teams are known for. Mourinho has the same problem as a long list of predecessors in the job, which is to get the best out of Fernando Torres, who must know that time is running out unless he can finally produce a 20+ goal season.

For all the talk about Moyes, Mourinho and the other transfer sagas, Manchester City have gone about their business very quietly, amazingly quietly really. They have no doubt been the busiest of the big three in the transfer market, and not only have they added in quantity, they have added in unquestionable quality in the shape of Alvaro Negredo, Stevan Jovetic, Jesus Navas and Fernandinho. Too many of their key names underperformed last season - in fact only Pablo Zabaleta had a better season than in their championship year of 2011-12 - but if the likes of Sergio Aguero, Yaya Toure, and maybe most crucially Joe Hart, get back to their best, they are going to be a force. As well as those, Pellegrini will likely use Edin Dzeko in a more leading role, which I am excited about. For me, he is possibly the most under-rated striker in the league. I may be in the minority, but I am predicting City to win the league back from their neighbours come May.

Come back later this week for Part 2 when I look at who will be in the relegation battle.

Sky Bet Championship preview 2013-14

The football season is back and so is Behind The Goal. Thank you for your support last season and I hope you will continue to enjoy the blog, and discuss the season's talking points with me, Adam Gray.

The season kicks off this weekend with the Sky Bet Football League. The oldest league in the world is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year, and it continues to provide exciting and unpredictable football in all its three divisions. It's so unpredictable in fact, that my prediction of the final table of this season's Championship will probably prove to be far more wrong than right, but the fun's in trying, isn't it?

As obvious as it sounds, the three teams relegated from the Premier League look in pole position to bounce straight back, providing they can hold on to their bigger names. Of the three, Reading look the least likely to suffer the culture shock of relegation; they won this division two seasons ago with a near-identical squad. Queens Park Rangers may still have to offload the big earners and big time Charlies which did so badly for them last year, but those that will remain, plus the signing of Burnley's Charlie Austin, will give the Rs a great chance of success. Wigan's main stumbling block may be how they cope with the demands that the Europa League campaign will place on their side, particularly if they manage to progress to the knockout stages after Christmas. Aside from that, they have a team full of youngsters with points to prove, and in Grant Holt, a proven goalscorer at all levels.

The race for the play-offs will probably be contested at some point by every club in the league, but ultimately I think it will be the same suspects as last season that compete at the business end. As a Nottingham Forest fan, I am excited by the prospect of a genuine promotion challenge after finishing 8th last term in what was a turbulent campaign on and off the pitch. I think anything less than a play-off place will be a failure given the investment the playing squad has had, but I don't think we're quite ready to challenge for the title, although I would love to be proved wrong.

Yeovil Town stunned the nation in winning promotion from League One via the play-offs, but the Championship may prove to be a step too far for Gary Johnson's side. They were relegation candidates a year ago, so there cannot be many who think they will stay afloat at a higher level. Bournemouth, who until the last minute of last season were set to be League One champions until Doncaster snatched the title in incredible circumstances at Brentford's Griffin Park, should have enough about them to stay up, as should Rovers themselves. The possibilty of seeing One Direction's Louis Tomlinson turn out in the red and white stripes may even put a few new fans through the gate at the Keepmoat! I have tipped two other Yorkshire sides for the drop, Barnsley and Huddersfield Town.

Behind The Goal's final table prediction:

1. Reading
2. Queens Park Rangers
3. Bolton Wanderers
4. Wigan Athletic
5. Nottingham Forest
6. Watford
7.  Leicester City
8.  Brighton and Hove Albion
9.  Ipswich Town
10.  Leeds United
11.  Birmingham City
12.  Derby County
13.  Middlesbrough
14.  Blackburn Rovers
15.  Blackpool
16.  Charlton Athletic
17.  AFC Bournemouth
18.  Burnley
19.  Doncaster Rovers
20.  Millwall
21.  Sheffield Wednesday
22.  Barnsley
23.  Huddersfield Town
24. Yeovil Town

What do you think? Where will your team finish? Have I done your boys a disservice? Send me a message or Tweet me @adamgray50