Top 10 Intriguing Subplots

With the new season fast approaching, we look at ten of the Premier League's most intriguing subplots.

A look at some of the Premier League's most intriguing subplots

With the new season fast approaching, we look at ten of the Premier League's most intriguing subplots. How will City line up? Will Pardew and Kinnear come to blows? Will Di Canio explode? 10. How Will Norwich Line Up? Norwich's transfer business has been one of the biggest success stories of the summer, but the onus is now on Chris Hughton to get the most out of the club's investment. The manager has spent wisely to improve a squad that jumped five places to 11th in their final two fixtures last season and endured a desperate run of just two wins from 19 matches between December and May. The sizeable outlay (for Norwich) on Ricky van Wolfswinkel and Gary Hooper suggests a change of style in the new campaign as Hughton perhaps plans to return to the 4-4-2 formation which played a part in the Canaries failing to win any of their first nine games. The real concern over Hughton's blueprint is how Wes Hoolahan will be used. Considering the Ireland international largely impressed playing just off the striker in a 4-4-1-1 system, one would assume that Hughton will look to find him a new role. If Norwich can adapt more readily to a new approach one year on, they could be in line for an encouraging season.
9. Will Martin Jol Cope With Renewed Pressure? After coasting through last season with his band of geriatrics, the pressure is suddenly back on Martin Jol following Mohamed Al-Fayed's decision to sell Fulham to Shahid Khan. The moustachioed billionaire will no doubt be looking for an upturn in fortunes should he invest in the playing squad before the end of the window and if he chooses not to spend, well, it will appear that he has already made up his mind on Jol. With an ageing squad and a lack of creative spark, Fulham are desperate for quality new additions to avoid being dragged into a relegation battle and Jol has only a month to agree a budget, earmark his targets and steer the Cottagers on course for an improved season. It'll be intriguing to see if Adel Taarabt flounders or flourishes in west London.
8. Will Mark Hughes Improve Stoke's Style? After ditching Tony for Mark in a mid-table management decision, Stoke are evidently hoping to edge towards a more attractive playing style in the new season. Signing a young'un from Barcelona may have been a decent (and obvious) place to start but Hughes has a huge job on his hands to gradually dismantle his predecessor's ethos. The Welshman can succeed at Stoke, but if he attempts too much, too soon it could prove catastrophic, with Charlton's downfall cited as a similar example. In many ways this is a make-or-break season for Hughes and unless he can help the Potters move forward, his reputation in the Premier League may never recover.
7. How Will The Promoted Trio Fare? The answer to this regular pre-season poser has been met with little optimism this summer as Cardiff, Hull and Crystal Palace prepare for life in the Premier League. Attracting the requisite calibre of player is a perennial concern for promoted sides and in that area all three have struggled, with Cardiff recently knocked back by Toulouse midfielder and Tottenham target Etienne Capoue. Both Cardiff and Crystal Palace have broken their transfer records on young strikers - Andreas Cornelius for the Bluebirds and Dwight Gayle for the Eagles - and much of their survival hopes rests on these signings paying off. Meanwhile, Steve Bruce has continued to scrape around the bottom of the market at Hull, shrewdly snapping up Maynor Figueroa on a free transfer and hoping to inject new life into loan signing Danny Graham. Cardiff remain the strongest of the trio, but all three could spend the season scrapping at the bottom.
6. What On Earth Is Going To Happen At Newcastle? Newcastle's problems are gradually becoming clearer as Joe Kinnear spends more time looking for an assistant and learning the players' names than finding the players Alan Pardew so desperately needs. It wouldn't be surprising if Pardew is close to the end of his tether and by revealing that he's "pushing Joe to get a transfer in", it seems that the pair are stumbling towards an eventual collision, in which Pardew's immovable object is unlikely to withstand Kinnear's unstoppable force. The manager has already come close to leaving this summer and if things continue to unravel at Newcastle it's impossible to see him remaining in charge until the end of the season. Strained elations will have been eased, we presume, by the capture of Loic Remy on a season-long loan.
5. Is Paolo Di Canio A Ticking Time Bomb? Anyone who watched Paolo Di Canio ranting and raving on the touchline last season will have been looking forward to more of the same from the manager in his first full campaign at Sunderland. The Italian certainly offers entertainment value, but it appears he can also make a shrewd decision or two given his overhaul of the Black Cats' stagnant squad. As well as gambling on several cheap signings who will be hungry to prove themselves in the Premier League, Di Canio's acquisition of established internationals Emanuele Giaccherini and Jozy Altidore represents quite the coup. However, building almost an entirely new team is not an easy task to achieve and with outcasts such as Lee Cattermole still hanging around, there is potential for the manager to lose his cool at any moment. A poor start and there could be fireworks at Sunderland.
4. How Will Martinez Change Everton? After spending several years at opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of playing style, Roberto Martinez and David Moyes ended the season with the Scot taking over at the champions and the Spaniard relegated with Wigan. Martinez soon jumped at the opportunity to replace Moyes at Goodison and quickly added three of the Latics' players to his squad in a move that left some observers feeling unconvinced. It's a typical tactic for managers to raid their old teams and Martinez's signings, which include Barcelona wonderkid Gerard Deulofeu, suggest the manager will attempt to recreate his expansive, if flimsy, system at the DW Stadium. Concerns remain over whether Everton's players can adapt - particularly if Martinez opts to play three at the back - and Phil Jagielka remarked in July: "This pre-season has been drastically different." The outcome of speculation over Marouane Fellaini and Leighton Baines' futures will also have a big say in Everton's season, but it's both a nervous and exciting time for the Toffees after Moyes' 11-year reign.
3. Can England Strikers Rise To The Challenge? The nation's dearth of attacking talent has left Roy Hodgson with a severe headache just 12 months before the World Cup and, should England qualify for the tournament in Brazil, the manager will be hoping that the leading candidates to support Wayne Rooney will all take a big leap forward. Rooney himself has issues to resolve - not to mention the need to prove himself at a major international competition - but one would expect Hodgson can rely on the Manchester United striker despite the current uncertainty over his future. Whether Andy Carroll, Danny Welbeck, Jermain Defoe and Daniel Sturridge can be counted on is a different matter entirely, with none of the quartet fully establishing themselves in Hodgson's plans. Although Welbeck has impressed for England, it goes without saying that he must improve on his single Premier League strike for United last season. After his Liverpool nightmare was brought to an end, Carroll's aim is to now remain fit and in contention for a place on the plane while Sturridge can hopefully maintain the blistering form that saw him grab ten strikes in 14 league matches following his move to Anfield. And as for Defoe, he must avoid bench duty at Spurs if he is to fulfil the role of back-up at what would be his last World Cup. There's food for thought for Hodgson and much to prove for the four England hopefuls.
2. What Changes Will Pellegrini Bring To City? How Manchester City will line up under Manuel Pellegrini is one of the most intriguing subplots to the new season, with the former Malaga manager speaking openly about his plans in pre-season. "I like attractive football, attacking football, so that all the people who come to the stadium will enjoy the way we play," said the Chilean at his official unveiling. "We are not going to be a team who will score a goal and then go back waiting for a counter-attack. We will always try to play at the opposite end of the pitch, and play attractive football." That aim should be facilitated by the acquisition of Fernandinho - known for his ability to spark quick transitions from defence to attack - while Jesus Navas will also add pace and width to a team that struggled to vary its attacking approach last season. Pellegrini has also asserted that City have the best strikers in the top flight after recruiting Alvaro Negredo and Stevan Jovetic - who may be deployed as a counter-weight to Navas on the left - and perhaps the main concern is how the new manager will keep everyone happy. Roberto Mancini might have a few words of advice for his successor in that respect.
1. How Will Rooney And Suarez's Futures Be Resolved? With four of the Premier League's biggest clubs affected by two of the biggest transfer sagas of the summer, one wonders what will be the lasting impact of Wayne Rooney and Luis Suarez angling for moves. For the two clubs looking to resist their rivals' advances, the concern is that both players will become sulking, disruptive influences if they are made to stay. Manchester United and Liverpool's fear of strengthening a direct rival may mean that Chelsea and Arsenal miss out, and with the big kick-off fast approaching, that could prove to be a huge blow for both sides. Unless United and Liverpool can find replacements, or Chelsea and Arsenal alternatives, there will be a clear winner and a clear loser in both of these scenarios. This article first appeared on Football365