The Believer's OVERRATED 7
1. Who's Lifting It?
League Winner
The team taking the trophy home. No moral victories. I will say Liverpool. Unpopular opinion, but they massively underperformed last season; they are the only team that went toe-to-toe with the best City side the PL had ever seen. Klopp vs Pep. So good were they that, in a transitional season, they won the PL. Also, Andoni Iraola’s style of play is tailor-made for the personnel. Honourable mention, Chelsea. With one of the best young coaches in the business, watch out for the Blue side of London as they also have the benefit of a massive squad and one game a week.
2. PFA Player of the Year.
Running The Show
Who’s been the best player in the league from August to May. If Liverpool win it, it will have to be Alex Isak, innit. Honourable mention for Cole Palmer. He did not participate in this year's World Cup and will be hungry to remind folks about his credentials.
3. Golden Boot.
Who's Eating This Season
Who’s scoring for fun. No excuses.Hard to look past the big Norwegian at City scooping this award.
4. Biggest Bottle Job
Underachiever of the Year
Declan Rice. Billed currently as the best English midfielder (though very limited with the ball at feet in open play), he will struggle to stay fit and sustain the mini marathons he goes on each game to make up for the aforementioned limited technical prowess. Which big/hyped team is flopping hard this season? Arsenal. Because being first is not as hard as staying first. Defending it is harder than winning it, and of all the big teams, only Man United and Liverpool have retained the PL trophy.
5. Dark Horse Chaos Pick
Who Ruins Everyone's Bracket
The team or player no one’s talking about that’s about to shock everyone. Chelsea… and Spurs. If Chelsea clicks into gear under one of the best young coaches in football, Xabi Alonso, they will better their 10th-place finish by 5 to 7 positions. Spurs finished 17th last season, and their recruitment, coupled with the tactical nous of De Zerbi, by number of positions jumped, I expect Spurs to do better than a 7-position leap. The player I expect to properly punch above his weight is Carlos Baleba. He is tailor-made for his role at the new-look Man United midfield, and he needs to proper pull up trees for them if they are to go better than last season. For young players, watch out for Myles Lewis-Skelly’s development. A good prospect. He might have a fight in his hands to make a greater impact than Citybound Ayoub Bouaddi and Villa’s giant teenager, Brian Madjo. If he stays fit, Mali’s Mamadou Sangare, brought in from Lens as the club’s record signing, will scorch Prem defenders. A relentless operator, he is both a prime asset in attacking and defensive phases.
6. Best Pound for Pound Signing vs Worst Signing
Value vs Waste
Who’s the best value for money, and who’s the biggest waste of money this window. Double trouble. Spurs and City are dealing. Savinho and Marmoush for €150m. Frankfurt were due a signing-on bonus on any future sales of the Egyptian, so City’s sleight of hand meant they overvalued Savinho, to undervalue Marmoush and pay less in commissions to the German club. The Savio signing in total comes to €100m. Meaning that at half that amount, 27-year-old Marmoush might be the best pound-for-pound player given his pedigree. Elliot Anderson might just justify the calls of him being the next Kalvin Phillips. The jury is out on him, especially because he cost the best part of 116 million of the King’s best English pounds. Too much for a player who is not a great technician.
7. Manager of the Season
Tactical Mastermind
Who’s cooking with what they’ve got. Results + style + overachieving. Andoni Iraola, if he gets a tune out of his players, might just give the Midlands club a season to remember…positively so. Honourable mention to Xabi Alonso. He might have had problems reining in Madrid’s megastars, but the man who went undefeated in the BuLi with Leverkusen might show why he is one of the most highly rated managers about.
Rule: Once it’s locked, it’s locked. No edits in January.
