I’ll only do this once a year I promise, allow me to indulge myself and those of you who like football. I know perhaps 50-70% of you reading this have no interest in football (soccer) but I can’t pretend that applies to me or all of us. Are there Clash connections to football? Why of course – from Mick’s love of QPR and Joe’s like of Chelsea to the environs that helped shape The Clash like Guy Stevens stopping at Highbury (the home of Arsenal) to pay respects on his way to the studio during the recording of London Calling. I don’t think The Clash are a football fan’s band so much as football is a good match for The Clash. Intense rivalry and loyalty, ups and downs and ultimately a globally popular phenomenon that brings people together more than it tears them apart. If you’re new to the blog my other love apart from music is Arsenal but you don’t need to follow Arsenal to know my passion if you follow a team of your own.

The new season starts this weekend and I’ll wake up tomorrow full of optimism although I think we’re at least two players short of having a decent chance of winning the league. We’re currently a bit like Give Em Enough Rope – really good but not quite at our best.We’ve two weeks to sign a goalkeeper and a central defender and I’m basing my predictions on us doing both (hopelessly optimistic). Here’s my forecast for the season ahead – and feel free to share yours:

1- Chelsea: Too much depth and now playing attacking football – add a manager who has shown he can do it

2- Arsenal: We can’t concede as many goals and suffer as many injuries as last year. Close but not top

3- Manchester United: Aging defenders and an over reliance on one Wayne Rooney sees them slip to 3rd

4- Manchester City: If he can’t get this collection of players to the top 4 something is really wrong

5- Aston Villa: Losing the manager who was to be their saviour might just change everything

6- Liverpool: Woy can’t work miwacles as this team isn’t good enough to win consistently

7- Spurs: Harry likes an open cheque book and new faces, he has neither at the moment and can’t motivate old heads

8- Everton: Good on their day but too often small squad hampers their progress

9- Blackburn: Quietly becoming very hard to beat and not outrageous with their spending

10- Sunderland: The definition of average should see mid table finish

11- Wolves: If they can defend as well as I think they can they’ll improve a bit more

12- Birmingham: Won’t concede many but can’t score either

13- Bolton: Bolton to become more likable under Coyle? It might happen

14- Stoke: Love to see them go down, perhaps next year

15- Fulham: Hodgson was the spirit of this team, expect Hughes to break that in a few months

16- Blackpool: The type of manager who might pull enough out of this tiny club to stay up

17- West Ham: New boss but same very ordinary team. Will struggle to survive

18- Newcastle: Will start ok and fade…and fade and fade away

19- WBA: They need their own league between the premier and the championship

20- Wigan: All over after an unlikely spell in the top flight

Normal service resumed for the next post. Pick your winner below, poll will be open for a week. I didn’t include every club, email me to explain why you want to add Stoke (for example) and I will.

Tim

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