Premier League 2011-12 Season - Best of the Rest

Okay, so having looked at the title contenders and the relegation candidates, what of the rest of the Premier League? Here are my opinions on several other teams this season, and what they can expect:

Fulham
The resignation of Mark Hughes from Craven Cottage in June was a surprising one, but Fulham have not rested on their laurels. They appointed former Spurs boss Martin Jol, who brings with him a wealth of experience from around Europe having recently managed Hamburg and Ajax. The Cottagers have managed to hold on to players such as Brede Hangeland, Clint Dempsey and Bobby Zamora, as well as bringing in several players including ex-Liverpool and Roma full-back John Arne Riise. I anticipate that Fulham will surprise many people this season and finish in the top eight.

Stoke City
Tony Pulis' Potters are something of a success story for promoted teams. Not really given a chance by many upon their promotion to the top flight, Stoke have gone from strength to strength. They now find themselves competing in the Europa League thanks to an FA Cup Final appearance last season. Their signings are ambitious too, having bolstered their defence with the arrival of Matthew Upson and Jonathan Woodgate, who both have points to prove for different reasons. They may yet sign Wilson Palacios and Peter Crouch from Tottenham. I believe Stoke will easily finish in the top 10 this season, or maybe even higher.

Arsenal
The Gunners' problems have been well documented of late, so I won't dwell on them. If, as expected, they lose Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri then the main question is can they replace them? A deal for Valencia's talented playmaker Juan Mata appears to be dead, and they do not yet have a guaranteed place in the Champions League group stage having been handed a tricky qualifier against Italian outfit Udinese. Many times in the past I have written Arsenal off for a top 4 finish, and time & again they have proven me wrong. I really do fear for them this time though.

Tottenham Hotspur
Right, here's an opinion you won't hear in many media outlets - Harry Redknapp messed up last season. With the squad that Tottenham had, finishing outside the top 4 and failing to present the title challenge their manager suggested they could, was disappointing for them. They've gone backwards. With their best player, Luka Modric, wanting out and their other stars of last year, Rafa Van Der Vaart and Gareth Bale primarily, dropping out of form, I don't see Spurs kicking on this season either. And a second successive season outside the top 4 will see their pulling power wane, and further stars wanting to leave. I feel that, without drastic change, this season will be the start of Spurs' inevitable downward cycle.

Final League Table prediction:

1. Manchester United
2. Manchester City
3. Chelsea
4. Liverpool
5. Arsenal
6. Tottenham Hotspur
7. Bolton Wanderers
8. Fulham
9. Stoke City
10. Everton
11. Sunderland
12. West Bromwich Albion
13. Newcastle United
14. Wolverhampton Wanderers
15. Aston Villa
16. Blackburn Rovers
17. QPR
18. Wigan Athletic
19. Norwich City
20. Swansea City

That's it for now! At the start of September I'll do an analysis on clubs' transfer windows, and ask who has improved their squads the most, and who has been weakened.