Predictions: Looking back at TEAMtalk’s pre-season picks

Oli Fisher

Back in early August, the TEAMtalk team made some predictions about the upcoming 2017/18 season. Let’s have a look back, shall we?

Who will finish in the Premier League’s top six?

Matt Briggs: 1. Tottenham, 2. Man Utd, 3. Man City, 4. Chelsea, 5. Arsenal, 6. Liverpool.

James Marshment: 1 Man City, 2 Man Utd, 3 Chelsea, 4 Liverpool, 5 Tottenham, 6 Arsenal

Rob McCarthy: 1 Man City, 2 Chelsea, 3 Man Utd, 4 Tottenham, 5 Liverpool, 6 Arsenal

Oli Fisher: 1. Man City, 2. Chelsea, 3. Man Utd, 4. Spurs.

 

Fair play to James, Rob and Oli here, who look to be correct in their claims that Manchester City will win the league. Briggsy has had a mare, but we shouldn’t be too surprised about that. With the chasing pack all very tight together, anything can still happen, but as it stands Marshy has absolutely nailed it.

 

Who will be in the bottom three?

Rob McCarthy: Huddersfield, Burnley, Brighton

Oli Fisher: Brighton, Burnley, Swansea.

Matt Briggs: Burnley, Huddersfield, Brighton

James Marshment: Burnley, Brighton, Swansea

 

Oh dear. Every single one of the team picked Burnley to get relegated this season – and as it stands they are SIXTEEN points off the drop zone. Everyone went for Brighton too, who sit in 12th. One silver lining is that Swansea are rock bottom, so at least two of the lads sit on 1/3.

 

Who will be the Premier League’s Top Scorer?

Oli Fisher: Steve Mounie will score a hatful for Huddersfield, but he will probably finish one behind Harry Kane who will score 30.

James Marshment: Romelu Lukaku. More of the same with an even better supply line at Old Trafford

Matt Briggs: Harry Kane. He’s done it two years running and he’s 7/2 to make it three.

Rob McCarthy: Sergio Aguero. The Man City man will just pip Harry Kane, who will suffer slightly from having no White Hart Lane as his true home comfort.

 

After another slow start for Harry Kane, he has really picked up the pace and sits level with Mo Salah atop the scoring charts at 15 goals. Sergio Aguero is not far behind with 12, but Marshy’s pick of Romelu Lukaku is looking poor. Oh, and who is Steve Mounie? It’s all about Laurent Depoitre now…

 

Which Premier League manager will leave his post first?

Matt Briggs: The bookies rate Rafa Benitez and Mark Hughes as the favourites and while I think Hughes is facing a difficult season I think he may well stick it out at Stoke.

Instead I’m going to go for West Brom boss Tony Pulis, who is value at 16/1. He’s got form for walking after leaving Crystal Palace on the eve of the season in 2014 and if things don’t go his way in the transfer market and the season starts badly I think he may well take his bat and ball home.

James Marshment: Rafa Benitez. He just seems massively unhappy and I can see him packing his bags and walking….

Oli Fisher: Slaven Bilic. West Ham have shown ambition this summer and expectations will rise in line with that. Bilic was on thin ice for a large part of last season, so a few bad results will test the Hammers’ board’s resolve.

Rob McCarthy: I have to agree with James here and go for Rafa. All is not well at St James’, he has been frustrated with the club’s transfer business and will almost certainly walk.

 

None of the team got this right, but it’s always such a tough one to call, especially when the first manager departs after just one game. Frank de Boer is the man who holds that unfortunate title, but Pulis and Bilic have both left so props to Briggsy and Oli.

 

Who will be promoted into the Premier League?

James Marshment: Middlesbrough, Aston Villa, Sheffield Wednesday.

Oli Fisher: Middlesbrough, Aston Villa and I’m going to go left field and say Cardiff City.

Matt Briggs: Middlesbrough, Wolves, Fulham.

Rob McCarthy: Middlesbrough, Fulham, Aston Villa

 

Ouch. It doesn’t look good on the Middlesbrough front, with the Teesiders having just sacked Garry Monk, but Aston Villa are still a possibility, and Matty has somehow been the only one to pick the runaway leaders Wolves. Cardiff though – what an inspired pick by Fisher.

 

Who will win the FA Cup?

Mauricio Pochettino: Aware of Monaco importance

Rob McCarthy: Tottenham

Matt Briggs: Man Utd

James Marshment: Liverpool

Oli Fisher: Someone a bit different this year, so I’ll say Everton.

 

This is the only one that we can’t really comment on yet, though with Everton and Liverpool set to meet in the third round, one of Oli or James will be out immediately.

 

Who will win the League Cup?

Pep Guardiola: Not too concerned by defeat

Rob McCarthy: Man City

Matt Briggs: Arsenal

Oli Fisher: Manchester United

James Marshment: Tottenham

 

Arsenal and Manchester City are both looking like good picks at the moment, but Manchester United crashed out at Bristol City, while Spurs lost at home to West Ham back in October.

 

Who will win the Champions League?

Oli Fisher: Real Madrid of course.

Matt Briggs: Real Madrid

James Marshment: Atletico Madrid

Rob McCarthy: Real Madrid

 

Real Madrid must have seemed like an almost certain pick before the season, but now there are nothing but question marks surrounding the La Liga giants. They sit 14 points back of Barcelona in the league, finished second in the group and are now relying on discovering some momentum.

 

Who will win the Europa League?

Matt Briggs: Monaco

James Marshment: Athletic Bilbao

Oli Fisher: AC Milan

Rob McCarthy: Man United (after a shock early CL exit)

 

AC Milan are another team that haven’t lived up to their pre-season promise. Monaco finished bottom of their group too, and Manchester United got through their group with ease. Marshy could be the closest here…

 

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