All but 20% of the season already gone and it's starting to get some sort of form:
- Arsenal looking strong, but they do have a habit of peaking too soon and falling off the closer to the end of the season we get.
- Man City stuttering but still picking up points.
- Liverpool also not looking as formidable as last term.
- Spurs? Looking quite comfortable (spit!), but, with them, going all spursy is only ever one game away.
- Bournemouth? Their squad's probably too small to make a sustained play for a European spot. Mid-table beckons.
- Chelsea. May well have found their mojo (spits again!) so could well make the top 4 this term.
- Sunderland? "Surprise! Surprise!" as Cilla would say. No sign of them falling off a cliff (yet), but suspect a lower mid-table finish from then and not pushing for a relegation slot.
- Brighton & Hove Albion. Bob-bob-bobbing along. Suspect upper mid-table for them.
- Aston Villa. Stuttering but safe.
- Crystal Palace. Punching well above their weight again. If they beef up in January could well be another good year for them although Europe may take a toll on their PL campaign should they progress. Comfortable safety beckons, however.
- Manchester United. Can't see beyond a mid-table finish for this lot, whatever happens at managerial level. Even if they turn Liverpool over later today.
- Newcastle United. An unexpectedly (for me) slow start for them, but I expect them to finish just outside the European slots.
- Everton. Everton is as Everton does. Possible cup run, but nothing else.
- Fulham. Probably all hinges on whether or not they can hang on to their manager. At the moment it looks like mid-table is their destiny. If Silva goes then bums might squeak.
- Leeds United. Leeds, Leeds. Were slated by many to go straight back down, but I don't think that will happen. They'll end up not too far from the relegation zone though.
- Brentford. Relegation candidates? We'll probably have a better picture after Monday evening.
- Burnley. Plenty of spirit and effort but not enough end product. For me, one of the teams vying for a relegation spot.
- Nottingham Forest. If "Free fall" had a physical manifestation, this would probably be as close as it gets. Will anyone actually want to take on the task of stopping the rot given that the owner expects (for some strange reason) instant success out of the new manager's box. Looking more like they've got their name on one of the relegation slots already.
- West Ham. Many in MSM feel that Nuno can turn the ship around and, with what is coming out of the club I'm starting to feel the same way. Nothing spectacular though - lower mid-table and Sullivan's master PL survival business plan looks more likely to come to fruition than not.
- Wolverhampton Wanderers. What can one say. Had their heart torn out and it shows. For me, along with Forest they'll soon settle into one of the available relegation places, leaving just one (more) available.
Burnley, Nottingham Forest & Wolverhampton Wanderers for the drop.