In the second of a series of articles from our Premier League panel for this season, we focus on the views from Huddersfield Town and newly promoted Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Huddersfield Town @htfcworld
Q. What are the fan expectations?
I would think most Town fans are expecting another battle against relegation. There is hope more than expectation that we may offer more of an attacking threat this coming season but I don’t really see it. Even during our promotion season we were not winning games by several goals, they were mostly single goal victories in which we took the lead and preserved it. I expect more of the same.
Q. Which position does your team desperately need to improve?
Although we did not score many goals, I think that was more down to a lack of chances created by our wingers rather than strikers wasting opportunities. So, I would say we need to strengthen out wide. That said, our two main strikers are both very similar and neither really offer an alternative from the bench. I would like to see a fast striker to offer something different when we need to get something from a game as last season if we went a goal down, that was pretty much game over.
Q. Name a player from your club that will shine?
Aaron Mooy. I think he had a good World Cup with Australia and having experienced the Premier League last season, I think he may push on. But then that is probably the easy answer, I guess if we are to survive again then Alex Pritchard will be the man who HAS to shine to make things happen in the offensive third. He has shown glimpses and clearly has a great footballing brain but, like Mooy, he will be reliant on the movement of others if he is to play to the best of his own abilities.
Q. Where will your team finish in the league and how will they do in the cups?
17th. I dare not say bottom three; Town fans don’t take kindly to anybody suggesting we may end up relegated… (I predict we’ll finish 19th really). I think we’re relying on other teams to underperform as Stoke City and West Brom did last season and then hoping we can avoid a bad start which could set the tone for the season ahead. This will be difficult given our opening fixtures look a lot harder than last season’s.
I think we’ll struggle in the League Cup if we play our fringe players as we did against yourselves last season as we simply don’t have that strength in depth which other Premier League teams do. We should make it past our opening game but then that will more than likely be it unless we get a favourable draw. The FA Cup will hopefully be taken more seriously with a mixture of first teamers so I would hope we can progress quite far – using Wigan as the role model without the relegation and subsequent drop down the divisions.
Q. Predict the title winners, teams relegated and domestic cup winner.
- Premier League: Manchester City
- Relegated: Cardiff, Brighton (Huddersfield really), Newcastle
- FA Cup: Tottenham
Q. Your thoughts on Palace and how we will do this season?
Being at the other end of the country, all I’ve really read/heard on Palace has been the Wilfried Zaha transfer rumours. Presuming Zaha stays, I think you’ll be bottom seven but well clear of relegation. If Zaha leaves, bottom seven and flirting with relegation.
Wolverhampton Wanderers @WolvesBlog
Q. What are the fan expectations?
To be competitive in the Premier League and hopefully avoid a relegation battle. With the squad we assembled last season and the quality of the new signings to date (Rui Patricio, Joao Moutinho and Raul Jimenez) there is definitely an expectation that Wolves should be aiming higher than 17th place. However, I don’t think anyone is under any allusions about how difficult the Premier League can be if things don’t go to plan, particularly for a newly promoted team.
Q. Which position does your team desperately need to improve?
I would personally like to see another centre half come in before the window closes. Wolves play a back three and although there are plenty of bodies, I worry we lack strength in depth. An injury could leave us exposed.
Q. Name a player from your club that will shine?
Hard to look beyond Ruben Neves. He was instrumental last season, took the Championship by storm and we are relying on him to pull the strings in midfield in the Premier League. Admittedly though, the arrival of Joao Moutinho from Monaco should lighten his burden.
Q. Where will your team finish in the league and how will they do in the cups?
I don’t like pre-season predictions as it’s not based on any real logic, but if you’re asking for a guess I’d say 12th in the league and hopefully into the latter stages of at least one cup competition. We haven’t been to Wembley since the eighties so it’s long overdue.
Q. Predict the title winners, teams relegated and domestic cup winner?
Manchester City for the league. Cardiff City, Southampton and Watford for the drop. Please don’t take offence if you support those clubs as it is based on pretty much nothing. I would say you could pick any team outside the top six to eight for relegation. I fancy Liverpool to take one of the cups.
Q. Your thoughts on Palace and how we will do this season?
As of this moment I have not seen much transfer activity, so again very tough to judge Palace as you would expect them to do business at some point. If you carry on where you left off last season I would think you will float somewhere between midtable and the bottom three, but again, what will the composition of the squad be like come mid-August?
If Wilfried Zaha goes and you don’t bring in reinforcements it could be a slog. Equally you could bring in two or three players who build on the solid base Roy Hodgson has constructed and really take you up a level. I harbour no ill-will towards Palace (have just got over that play-off defeat in 1997!) and have always enjoyed watching them at their dynamic best. I thought Bakary Sako, who is in my top ten best players I’ve seen for Wolves, would be a perfect fit but it didn’t really work out for him it would seem, despite the odd missile finish. He is the style of player I associate with Palace and hope we see that identity in the forthcoming season. Good luck!
OUR THANKS TO DANNY AND TOM FOR JOINING OUR PREMIER LEAGUE PANEL FOR THE NEW SEASON. WE WILL REVISIT THEIR VIEWS LATER IN THE SEASON.
