Chris Kamara - Sky Sports Expert

Kammy's PL picks

Kammy backs Torres and Alves for big seasons

Posted: 15th August 2008 10:03

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Chris Kamara

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It's a dangerous game, making pre-season predictions. But with just days to go before the big kick-off in the Premier League, the Soccer Saturday gang have gallantly agreed to put their necks - and their credibility - on the line.

Who will lift the Premier League trophy in May? Which manager has made the shrewdest buy? Who is most likely to do a Derby?

And which member of the panel has been hogging the sun-loungers all summer?

Read on as the finest pundits on the box use their encyclopaedic football knowledge to predict the new season's stars, strugglers and stragglers, as well as give each other some gentle ribbing!

Chris Kamara returns to your screens for Soccer Saturday this weekend and he gave us his top tips for the new campaign.

Champions

Under normal circumstances I'd say Manchester United no problem, but it's hard to tell because we just don't know how Luiz Felipe Scolari is going to react. We don't know what style he's going to adopt and how evident he's going to be at Chelsea, much like we didn't know what impact Jose Mourinho was going to have in his first season. Scolari says he's going to go one better than Jose, so it will be interesting to see what happens. I'd say it's between the two of them and we're just going to have to wait and see.

Champions League spots

It will be hard for anybody to break into the top four and I think we'll see the same teams in the Champions League spots. Manchester United and Chelsea will be the top two with Liverpool third, the signing of Robbie Keane will be a very good one for them. I think Arsenal's lack of buying rules them out of the title race, but I can't see Portsmouth or Spurs finishing ahead of them this season.

Fit for fifth

I think it's between Portsmouth and Spurs. I like the fact that Harry improves his team every season and that's a difficult thing for a manager to achieve. Last year they did great, but he hasn't sat back and stuck with the players who did well for him, he's added to it. Peter Crouch and Jermain Defoe didn't play well in the Community Shield, but is an improvement on what they had last year.

Surprise package

Afonso Alves will be the surprise of the Premier League this year. He's won the golden boot in Holland and was Middlesbrough's second top scorer even though he didn't play in that many games last season. Like 90 per cent of the foreign players who come into this country, he'll take a season to settle. He's only been here since January and I think he'll do well this season.

Going down

I think every team has a fantastic chance of survival when they start the season. I didn't tip relegation sides last year and I'm glad I didn't because I wouldn't have expected Birmingham to go down and Reading's relegation was a surprise. Only Derby was a bit of a foregone conclusion after a month of the season. It's too early to be writing any of the teams off and it's one market I'm not going to be sticking my neck out on.

Golden boot

Fernando Torres is a shoe-in. Cristiano Ronaldo won't score as many goals as he did last season, that's for certain, Emmanuel Adebayor won't score as many goals and Didier Drogba may have to share the goals with Nicolas Anelka at Chelsea. So I feel Torres is a certainty because he'll play much more at the start of this season. You can get about 4/1 on him at the bookies and you'll have to wait a season, but you'll collect on that one

Best buy

I'm looking forward to seeing Deco in the Premier League because he'll change Chelsea from a defensive side to an offensive side. Under Mourinho and Avram Grant they've always played with a holding midfield player, but if they play Deco alongside Frank Lampard or Michael Ballack then it will make them a much more offensive outfit which could be quite exciting.

Barking buy

The one that baffled me was Kevin Phillips leaving West Brom for the sake of a two-year deal. The thing about Phillips is that he wants to play and West Brom should have given him the deal. If by January he was struggling to score goals, they could have easily offloaded him because all the sides in the Championship know he'll score goals at that level. Saying that, it will prove to be Birmingham City's gain

Soccer Saturday summer slacker

That's easy - it's Stelling of course. He's the fattest of the lot and every time you look at him it's like you're watching in widescreen. I saw him falling off the stage on Sky Sports News earlier this week because he's so fat!

Comments

Marc Kelly (Middlesbrough fan) says...

Kammo..im happy to see that you,ve took notice in the boro.. we,ve come a million miles since maclaren went. Gareth will be one of the top prem managers in years to come. Id just like to say every weekend i watch soccer saturday and the panel (thompson charlie merson & mat ) dont give enough credit to the Boro and the lower teams below the top four... it really gets my goat. And yes alves will surpise people this season he wants the golden boot and in my mind theres only torres close to competeing with him. I think boro will finish strong and push that extra mile and come up with a top eight finish...or even europe....cumon boro..

Posted 11:25 7th September 2008

Lee Osborne (Chelsea fan) says...

1st : Chelsea 2nd : Liverpool 3rd : Man utd 4th : Newcastle 5th : Arsenal 6th : Villa followed closely by blackburn, tottenham and pompy. i think Newcastle are gonna be the surprise team this season, with Keegan bringin in collocini they will sure up defensively and if they keep hold of Martins they will bag goals lots of goals.

Posted 07:00 27th August 2008

Matt Whitehouse (Aston Villa fan) says...

it annoys me time and time again that villa are overlooked and no recognition is given to how well MON has done. I was skeptical this summer with lack of signings and the barry situation but these past two weeks ive seen that MON is a smart, patient guy who has brought in what is needed. our british boys are inspiring for the future of villa and england and i think villa are going to be challenging for 4th and a cup or two this year. just am AMC and FWD needed now to make us a real force, love to see eidur from barca and maybe a 25mil bid for aguero, you can say that is not going to be happen but uefa cup may sway!!. but all you pundits, give us some credit and admit we are up there!!!

Posted 14:05 19th August 2008

Chris Anderson (Sunderland fan) says...

well so gutted we conceded in the last 7 mins thought we played well up till then ,but we need too settle like all teams it takes time ,and im sure we will be the suprise team this year.

Posted 00:38 19th August 2008

Bill Beumont (Blackburn Rovers fan) says...

Chelsea will win the league as man utd have not strengthened their team but chelsea have... deco is a class player! Arsenal will push chelsea and united close... they have lost hleb, flamini and gilberto but the likes of denilson nasri and carlos vela all look like they are going to be class players so they wont be missed! roque santa cruz for the golden boot even if he stays at blackburn... torres will be a close 2nd and ronaldo wont score as many this year and he is injured anyway!

Posted 18:29 17th August 2008

Ian Hooper (Portsmouth fan) says...

Nice one Kammy, its nice to see Harry & Pompey getting some deserved praise, but it may be a bit hard for 5th, specially with europe this season. we have to be happy with top 8 in my opinion. At the top, its a difficult one to call, United are favs, especially if they get berbatov, but scolari could do wonders at chelsea. I think the gunners will lose 3rd to liverpool, but no one will break the top 4 as everton have had a tough pre season and spurs need to get players in, more so if they lose berbatov.

Posted 17:56 15th August 2008

Maximilian Vespor (Bolton Wanderers fan) says...

I think everyone writing Arsenal off is ridiculous. Hleb is a quality player but they have much more available and have signed Nasri who will add quality to the first team. Losing Flamini won't effect them too much as he did well last year but wasn't as important as others and will be replaced relatively easily with Diaby, Denilson or Ramsey. Walcott is ready to perform at the top level, Van Persie is back and Rosicky is on his way. They were so close to winning the league last year and if it wasn't for some bad luck they would have so why is everyone writing them off??? Bolton will also suprise everyone this year and will finish in the top 8, we will be nowhere near the relegation scrap and with a couple more additions could be challenging for Europe. I hope Hull stay up but have a feeling they will go down along with West Brom and Stoke,

Posted 17:20 15th August 2008

Sam Steer (Fulham fan) says...

That's a bit harsh on Stelling Kammy! He's not that fat! I love the banter on that show, looking forward to another year of football. COYW! Top 10 this year!!

Posted 17:02 15th August 2008

John joe Ryan (Manchester United fan) says...

Champs: Man Utd, followed by Chelsea, then Arsenal and Liverpool. 5th: Spurs and then Villa who will come close to 4th. Portsmouth will have slow start and struggle to catch up. Relegated: Stoke, Hull followed by Bolton (with Fulham, WBA and Middlesbrough close). Best Buy: Bentley or maybe Crouch Surprise Player: Afonso Alves looked good at the end of season or maybe Nani. Andy Johnson will probably start with a bang and fall away Top Goalscorer: Torres, with Ronaldo injured, with an outside bet being Bent because there is get tonnes of creativity with Bentley, Modric, Dos Santos, Jenas, Lennon and Huddlestone behind him. Biggest Flop Signing: Robbie Keane, as Irish it hurts but I think that he will not so much be a flop, he just wont live up to the billing(20m is too much), or Modric, may not live up the hype, I hope they do (to an extent). Cuellar to be next Lorenzo Amoruso or Barry Ferguson, the leap. Villa or Spurs for League Cup, Chelsea or Liverpool will win FA Cup and its either United, Real or Barca for Champs League (probably Barca because back to back is unlikely)

Posted 16:42 15th August 2008

Daniel Barker (Middlesbrough fan) says...

Kammy you re a hero in these parts, boro for the FA CUP should of won it last year. Watch out for EMNES absolutely lightning. Boro 6th come the end of the season!!!

Posted 14:26 15th August 2008

Keir Beales (Chelsea fan) says...

we hav a replacement for makelele his name is obi mikel. he is still youngand learning but anytime i see him i am confident he will play well. and we also have essien to play their. we needed a creatyive midfielder so deco was ideal,.

Posted 14:00 15th August 2008

David Farries (Rangers fan) says...

I agree with kammo on most things however i feel aston villa are the team fighting relegation this year! Im a rangers fan and extremeley disappointed that carlos cuellar left rangers for such a SMALL team! And due to this reason, i feel carlos is going to have a howler and cost villa vital matches by getting - pure karma! Obviously villa are not going to be relegated but its just a thought and the fact that martin oneil is the manager makes the experience a whole lot worse. United for the title, torres for the golden boot and bruce to be sacked first!!! FYI - Stelling looks average on my 15inch tv dvd combo. . .but take it to 42inch lcd tv we have a monster!!!

Posted 13:48 15th August 2008

Sander Van den bogaard (Liverpool fan) says...

Chelsea will become the new champion of England, boosted by Drogba and Anelka. Further I guess that the Trotters will become the surprise of the season.

Posted 13:32 15th August 2008

Christopher Benjamin (Chelsea fan) says...

A new season and a new manager with a larger-than-life personality, Chelsea will be hoping that Luiz Felipe Scolari turns out to be even more special than Jose Mourinho

Posted 13:31 15th August 2008

Gazza Rowls (Manchester City fan) says...

Madness, Stoke will be the surprise package of the season. They have the right sort of fighting mentality that you need when coming up to the prem, Liverpool for the league, they are going to sneak up behind and snatch it away, while the big 2 fight over europe.

Posted 13:02 15th August 2008

Karl Le fevre (Liverpool fan) says...

I think Kammy has it spot on generally except i do expect Spurs to be challenging The Arsenal for 4th spot this year due to Arsenals lack of spending this transfer window.

Posted 12:51 15th August 2008

Ian Pearson (Middlesbrough fan) says...

i think justin hoyte will be a good sighning for the boro if he comes. given a full season under his belt and a years exsperiance we will see just how good he is gareth southgate is assembling a good youthfull side with bags of pace and energy i agree with chris kamara alves top 3 marksman in prem digard will catch the eye i just think boro is going to have a good season never been this exsitted since robbo took over 13 years ago.i just think southgate is doing it right instead of us paying a kings ransom for over hyped over payed over weight 30 somethings with no sell on fee the futures bright the futures RED AND WHITE my pridiction for boro gut says 9 heart says 6 CoMe On BoRo

Posted 12:47 15th August 2008

Scott Corner (Everton fan) says...

Chris i think you have forgot about Everton this season too push the top 4 all the way. David Moyes every season doesnt buy much and we still finish in the top six. Everyone says Spurs every season too be more likely to finish in the top 4 but that doesnt happen, so lets forget about them. The only team who will be up there with Everton is Villa because they have a proper manager and quailty all over the field. Chris switch your brain on mate. My top 6, 1.Man Utd, 2. Arsenal, 3.Chelsea, 4.Everton, 5.Liverpool, 6.Villa......bottom 3, Hull, Boro.

Posted 12:42 15th August 2008

Yasin Azam (Arsenal fan) says...

i agree with kammo but i think it will be tough for man utd if ronaldo does not fire these year.spurs should break into the top four with liverpool missing out by a ponit.best buy would be jo of man city at the end of the season

Posted 12:37 15th August 2008

Tim Cox (Aston Villa fan) says...

Not a single comment about Aston Villa? We've been in the market and news headlines more than most this season with some great signings and hope for some more before the closure of the transfer window. I fully expect to see Aston Villa chasing for a UEFA spot this season over Portsmouth

Posted 12:34 15th August 2008

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