"On Saturday, the match between "Machester United" and "Tottenham Hotspur" kicked off the English "Premier" league. In this 4-article series, it is written about what each club did in the off-season and how the chances of each club are evaluated for the upcoming season.
Today, another 5 clubs will be reviewed, including several teams hoping to stay in the middle of the table. Also, those teams hoping that their season will go so well that they can showcase themselves in European competitions.
Stoke City
Last season: 9th place in the "Premier" league. History in the "Premier" league: 8 seasons, highest place - 9th (twice). Added to the team: Glen Johnson (free from "Liverpool"); Shay Given (free from "Aston Villa"); Moha (free from "Barcelona B"); Ibrahim Afelay (free from "Barcelona"); Marc Van Ginkel (loaned from "Chelsea"); Jakob Haugaard (for 600 thousand euros from "FC Midtjylland"); Philipp Wollscheid (for 3.8 million euros from "Bayer Leverkusen"); Joselu (for 8 million euros from "Hannover 96"). Left the team: Robert Huth (for 4.2 million euros to "Leicester City"); Steven N'Zonzi (for 9 million euros to "Leicester City"); Asmir Begovic (for 11 million euros to "Leicester City"). Betting companies' forecasts: Odds of qualifying among the top 6 teams are 17.
This season, Stoke City lost three experienced players. If the loss of Robert Huth will hardly be felt by the team, the departure of Asmir Begovic could be very painful. Although the club acquired two goalkeepers during the summer, it is obvious that the biggest burden will fall on the team's veteran Jack Butland. How this 22-year-old footballer manages to handle the duties of the main goalkeeper will strongly influence where his team will finish the season.
Another player whose loss will negatively affect the team is Steven N'Zonzi. The midfielder played in all matches last season, so a gap was created in the team that coach Mark Hughes will have to fill. Approaching the start of the season, it seems that the "Chelsea" player Marc Van Ginkel is targeting this position. The midfielder fought for a place in the "Milan" team at the end of last season, so more is expected from him in the "Stoke City" club this season than ever before.
Although the most famous newcomer to the team is Ibrahim Afelay, it is unlikely that spectacular performances can be expected from this player. Never really established in the "Barcelona" club, last season he failed to become a key player even in the "Olympiacos" team, so it is unlikely that he will do so at a higher level.
If Stoke City can replace the leaders who left the team, it can be assumed that their season will once again end in the middle of the table. However, expecting them to make a leap to the top would be quite naive. If the young Jack Butland fails to handle the goalkeeper duties, the team may drop to a position where teams are relegated to the "Championship" competition.
