Monday 13 August 2012

Redknapp tips Manchester City to retain Premier League title

The 65-year-old was sacked by
Tottenham this summer after
seeing Spurs fail to secure
Champions League football
despite finishing fourth due to
Chelsea's victory in the
competition.
But the Englishman retains a
strong opinion on the English
game and, amongst other tips,
has predicted that Arsenal may
struggle should they lose Robin
van Persie.
Redknapp, who was recently
appointed a Sky Sports Fantasy
Football ambassador, said: “I
suppose City will be favourites
and then Man Utd, Chelsea and
Tottenham again.
"Arsenal will be in for a tough
season this year if they lose Van
Persie, I think they’ve got it all to
do and Tottenham could finish
above them this year.
“[Sir Alex Ferguson] will want to
win a trophy this year and they’ll
push Man City all the way.
“I think Liverpool will do better.
People say there’s a long
rebuilding process going on at
the club, but they’ll be there.
They’ve got fantastic players in
my opinion – [Luis] Suarez,
[Andy] Carroll, [Steven] Gerrard,
[Jamie] Carragher, Glen Johnson,
a great goalkeeper in Pepe Reina
and some good central
defenders. They should be
pushing for the top four.
"If Alan [Pardew] gets
[Newcastle] into the top five
again, top six even, it will be a
miracle. He’ll do well if they finish
seventh or eighth this year."
The veteran manager also picked
out some star performers for the
new campaign, with strikers
Suarez and Fernando Torres
predicted to impress for
Liverpool and Chelsea
respectively.
He added: “I think players like
Suarez will be up there, he’s a
good goalscorer and makes
goals, he’s a fantastic talent. I
also think Torres will get his
chance to play this year now that
[Didier] Drogba has gone, he
could be a big goalscorer.
“You’ve got to look at the teams
that are going to be up at the
top, that’s where the goals are
going to come from. Looking at
Man City, players like Aguero
should score more goals this
year, as will Tevez if he stays.
Suarez is also capable of getting
more goals.”
Looking at the bottom end of the
table, Redknapp expressed his
belief that all three promoted
sides will avoid the drop, and
backed QPR to significantly
improve after narrowly escaping
relegation last season.
He continued: "They’re all equally
balanced and I think they could
all stay up this year. I’ve got a
feeling that with Sam [Allardyce]
West Ham will be strong - there’s
great support at Upton Park, it’s
a difficult place to go.
“Southampton have done
fantastic too. Nigel Atkinson has
performed a miracle there to
bring them up two divisions and
again it’s a great stadium, full
house every week.
"And Reading, they’ve got a new
owner, a Russian who looks like
he has plenty of money as well,
which is good for them. I think
all three will stay up, though I
wouldn’t want to say which one
will finish higher, I think it’s dead
even.”
“I think QPR will do OK, they’ll do
a lot better than last season. Mark
[Hughes] has gone out there and
bought some strong characters.
He knows his players and he’ll
get the best out of them.”

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