Premier League Preview Part 3, presented by YETI: Men in Blazers 08/20/26

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0:41It's time to predict the entire table. 1-20, Premier League's about to kick off. And I mean it, we're going to spoiler alert at the table. Hard to predict. All the managerial changes, a late-breaking transfer window, all the bloody air transplants are so confusing but raw. Are you ready to mate like Tiresias, the blind Theban prophet who can predict the future in home as the odyssey and foresee it all?

1:04Roger Bennett:You've seen the odyssey too many times, Rog. That's all I can think about. Because that is what we're about to begin. And let's start with Liverpool. They're your boys. Ro, you do the honest while they finish. There's lots of teams that are really unknown at the moment. Because of the fact there's so much transfer business still to do. I think you will see signs of promise and excitement from Liverpool this season. But I think it ends with a sixth place finish. I see them being anywhere between fourth to eighth. I really, really do. And Dhoni, not overwhelmed by the cop situation. I'm going with what I think is the best outcome, because I'm the nice kind of guy.

1:37Because of his tactical brain, he's an attacking midfield specialist. Look at the goals he coaxed from Kruppi, from Ryan. Man will get Florian verzing again. Isak doing his point back in anger. Goal celebration, Liverpool backish. Fourth place. Let's go. Chelsea.

1:54Roger Bennett:I'm really torn on Chelsea. I think they'll be better because they're not in Europe, because Xabi Alonso is a really good coach. They've made some good signings. He's good looking. He's really good looking. He's very nice. I think that not having the fatigue of those extra games in the Champions League, Europa League, Conference League, whatever it is, will be a massive difference. So I'm going to say Chelsea second this season. But in my initial draft of my table, I did have Chelsea fifth. Listen to you. I'm going with the manager again. my trust in him or more my belief in the Shabby Alonso redemption art.

2:24Look, Pomi worries that he kind of jumped at the Chelsea offer, repressed what happened to Mauricio Pochettino who singed his career at Chelsea after failing at PSG. But that acquisition of Morgan Rodgers and the sage cultural acquisitions of Danny Welbeck and the corpse of Jordan Henderson as leaders in that dressing room made me believe he's got the power to create chaos out of order. Hold your horses, Chelsea are coming. Second, from London, to the Midlands. Them tricky trees. All of a glass in the Nottingham Forest.

2:54Roger Bennett:Relatively quiet transfer window so far. They may obviously add to that but they've kept hold of Morgan Gibbs-White. Losing Anderson's a big blow. I think Ousmane Diomande who they've signed from Sporting in Portugal is a great signing. Unusually for a Marinettes club. Quite a quiet season. I think they'll finish ninth. Oh my God. Did you crib my crap rule? Is that right? Because you know me. Religiously, I'm evangelical. I'm actually a Glastnerite. It's a thing. I believe in that man. I love how he operates, builds cultures, tactical cohesion. Man nearly died from a brain hemorrhage when he was 36, which is giving him a real sense of perspective.

3:26He's going to need all of it at Nottingham Forest under the face of the Maranakis threshing machine. I think those two forces, one healing, constructive, the other self-sabotaging, deeply destructive, will balance each other out. Destination mid-table, ninth place for Forest. From Forest to their arch enemy, checks note, Crystal Palace.

3:46Roger Bennett:Worried about Palace, Rog. think that they've maybe sold one too many in Mattson's Le Croix. If they can keep hold of Wharton, that gives them more of a chance. But even so, you look at their squad, I'm not sure that the magic's still there. I think they will flirt very heavily, like a 76-year-old, with relegation. He's still gorgeous. And I think they will survive just, I think they'll finish 17th. They're down on Le Croix, but they've held on to, I think Adam Wharton is critical. that South London demigod is my LSR, is deeply, deeply important. I'd agree they've not reinforced enough to be able to compete on those two fronts, the Europa League and the Premier League meat grinder.

4:25It's going to make them do something, I think, similar to last season. 15th place then, 14th this time round from South London to Plummy West and Full Ham, as they call it in certain parts of America. Raw, the floor's yours. Fulham, take it away. Losing Marta Silva is a massive blow.

4:42Roger Bennett:squad looks a little bit short of quality of excitement of goals lot riding on Gonzalo Garcia very talented but he needs supply lines really excited about Josh King the number 10 who comes with the Youth Academy looks like a potential light superstar in the making but I don't think it's enough to save them I think Fulham are this season's West Ham and they finish 18th again I think this is nightmare fuel whatever the opposite of alignment in a club are Fulham have that now owner's decision making is erratic Alvaro Abuelo appointment is, to me, insane. What about him? Screams capable tactical mind.

5:19Squad build. And Bill's doing a lot of heavy lifting. The goals of Raul Jimenez, gone. Welsh banger, gone. Harry Wilson, gone. Not adequately replaced. Fulham smell like 25, 26 West Ham. I have them in 18th place too. I am sorry. From the Thames to the English Channel, we love our bodies of water. Up the cherries. Bournemouth. Now under the management of one, Marco Rosa. A lot of people down on Bournemouth, Rog.

5:42Roger Bennett:Not me. I think that we underestimate how good a coach Rosa is. I think we find it hard to weight relative achievement in football in general, especially when it's not kind of in front of our eyes. I think Antonio Silva's a really good signing. I think keeping Alex Scott is really, really important. Keeping Ryan's really important. I think they'll be fine, not as exciting as last season. They will struggle to manage Premier League in Europe. So I've gone for 11. God, what? Love Bournemouth and I don't care who knows. They were about to work out how dependent the Golden War cherry success story was on one hand.

6:12Donny Irola, now he's decamped to Liverpool. I think there will be a drop-off from last year's sixth place finish, but not because of Rosa. I think the Europa League rhythm is going to be unforgivable for a squad of that size. Still a force, still some big wins on their day. But I agree, Roar, 11th place. What is this? A club I love. Your local boys, Leeds United.

6:34Roger Bennett:I think Leeds are going to have a really good season. No relegation worries. They've recruited really smartly. There's momentum behind them. They've got Elland Road. More night games on a Monday night, the better. But I like the balance of the squad. I like the way that the profile of players they're signing. I think Leeds finished 10th, but I think it's more of a mid-table 10th than a challenging for Europe 10th. Last year, survival. This year, consolidation. I like the ambition Leeds have shown. The arrival of goalkeeper James Trafford for big money. The recruitment of Harry Wilson. This is ambition.

7:03There will be improvement. There will be sharpened challenge. There will be night games at a rollicking bear pit, Alan Road, vaguely audible, all around the planet. I'm not exaggerating. Leeds on the rise. 10th place. Move on out. This is terrible. Awful content. By the way, we've both seen the final script. We both know what... This is not guessing. This is happening, people. From White Rose of Yorkshire to Red Rose rival, Manchester United. I hold my breath as a rate for you analysis of Michael Carrick to Electric Boo-a-loo.

7:35Roger Bennett:The big challenge, as we said before, Rodgers, is can Carrick weave his magic when they're in the Champions League as well? And ideally not being embarrassed by Grimm's being one of two cups. I think United will consolidate this season. I don't think they'll quite get into kind of challenging for the title territory. I can't remember if I said they were going to finish fourth or third. It's one of the two. Let's say third. For me, this is the hardest call. It's like inputs we do not have. What of United's quite missionary position footballing success last year? were just down to the lack of distraction, a lack of strain.

8:05They didn't have to play in Europe. Soiling themselves in both cups at the earliest opportunity, not bad. I think those inside the club think they're a bit short. Recruitment-wise, as we stand, they need a body or two. I think Telemans is an excellent addition. I see a continuation of the pragmatic football that got them to the happy place last year. Still Champions League, there or thereabouts. Fifth place, United fans. Let's go to the newcomers, the promoted teams Coventry a lot of people are high on Coventry of all the new boys is Rory Smith I think I might have

8:38Roger Bennett:under clubbed Coventry Rog to be honest so I've got them 19th but looking at the bits of quality they had in the squad already your entry who they signed from Denmark I think they might be competitive but I do think they'll go back down so I'm going to stick with 19th but I'm conscious it's a bit of a risk

8:56we've both seen the script I don't know man Frank Lampard has so much to prove to himself and to the football world of his ability to manage consistently at the top level. I want to root for him so badly, but I just don't see it. There's not enough veteran, hardened Premier League experience in that team. I think there's also not enough, ultimately, in the striker options to deliver the goals they're going to need to stay up. I see them in 19th place to the tractor boys. Ipswich won an out last time round. Roar, say it ain't so.

9:29Roger Bennett:Ipswich seems to be learning all the little bits they can from other teams' adventures in trying to stay up they came up they invested in a really good championship team went back down came straight back up a little bit more kind of risky than they would have wanted it to be now that they've got back up they've followed the Sunderland route they've they've gone and signed an unknown Dutch goalkeeper because that's what you do in the robbing roofs paradigm they've spent a huge amount of money I think they're the fifth biggest spenders in Europe as things stand ergo the fifth biggest spenders in the world ergo all planets ergo all planets No one in the solar system has spent like Ipswich, except the four teams who spent more than them.

10:02Roger Bennett:I think it will work. They won't be as spectacular as Sunderland were last season. They might not even be as solid as Leeds were. I think they get to 16th and they survive. I like Ipswich, the town, the team, the Sheerans of it all. I'm intrigued by the young Brazilian forward Emerson. I also like Nciso. We'll find out if the memory of a loan spell or the player he is now comes through. Gary O 'Neill, he's on a revenge mission. and not every revenge mission is successful, we should say, but I think his will be, and by successful, I mean 70 places, your zip switch. What do we say to the God of death?

10:37Not this season. And to you, Hull City, we're back in the Premier League for the first time since 2017. Tell me now, do they get to stay?

10:47Roger Bennett:I just don't see how they can, Rog. They were so far off being ready to be promoted last season. It came as a surprise even to kind of Hull's most ardent fans. They've signed a lot of players. I don't know if they've brought in enough quality to overcome the massive gap. It's really hard to stay in the Premier League. So I'm going to say 20th, but I think they go down with pride. Oh, I think they go down without pride. Are they going to stay up in a word? No. In a few more words, this is going to be a grind of a year for Hull City fans. They weren't meant to get promoted. They had terrible statistics, XGYs, in the championship, which they somehow overcame in the Southampton Spygate toxified playoffs.

11:25This is a team who weren't meant to be here. They won't stay here. Points will be scant. Savour each one. Tiger fans on this journey to 20th. From Tigers to Seagulls. It's all nature, people. That's all we're watching at the end of the day. Brighton roar. Europa. Conference bound Brighton.

11:44Roger Bennett:Dot, dot, dot. Will affect their lead form. No question about that. Injuries to Mitoma and to Minta early in the season. That'll be a problem as well for Fabian Herzler. Excited by St. Luka Vustovic. You and me both. The cornerstone of the team. Young Croatian defender of some majesty. They're not going to get relegated. I don't think they'll be pushing for Europe again next season. So what I'm going to say is 12th place, but they win the conference league. God bless you. Script for script, word for word, because I revere you, Brighton. The analytics team, they rarely miss. Energising pickups like Voskovic.

12:14Never played a game for Spurs. I think they will regret seeing him playing with. Spelling for Pascal Stroup coming from Leeds. It's going to be fascinating to watch that dynamic. That Europa Conference League mission will ultimately stretch them, but it will only diminish them slightly. 12th place and that Conference League victory, which Raw just assured you, I'm backing you up in that. Make great memories as you go to parts of Eastern Europe that even Eastern Europeans don't know exist to victory. Up the Seagulls. I say this word with fear, Everton.

12:46Roger Bennett:The good thing for Everton is that there are other teams who are in worse positions. I think this season ends for Everton fans with a lot of discontent with a lot of murmuring around the hill Dickinson bite your arm off but I also think it ends with a with a solid lower mid-table finish I can't quite work out where I put them around the kind of 12th to 15th slot but it's somewhere in there let's say bite your arm off at the risk of kind of getting myself into trouble later on let's say 14th oh god bless you you optimistic man a wonder it's only just there's cameras here that's stopping me for kissing you on the mouth.

13:22Last season, we did so much with so little. No fullbacks, no real striker. And we've done very little to change that role. Add to that the David Moyes summer of silence in which he didn't even speak to club media. Not a happy man. We don't know why. Signed that there's something, as they say in Scotland, is not bueno. I do love to pick up a Christian Norgard. He's a quality player on a mission to prove himself. He's a real leader too. That midfield we have is delirious. We've kept Iliad and Di for now. Another season of no fear, but not much to tingle the extremities. 15th place or lukewarm bath lovers exult.

14:01It could be worse, football fans. You could always be Newcastle.

14:04Roger Bennett:Yeah, and they're in kind of the same position. I don't think they'll get relegated. I think there's teams that are worse than them, but this has been a really distressing summer. Losing Eddie Howe, losing Tonali, losing Gordon, losing Bruno Di Mares. Not really, as we're recording, replacing them with anyone of particular note, to be perfectly honest. I like Matthias Jaisel, the new coach. I think he'll take a little bit of time to establish himself. I would say Newcastle finished 15th, but it's more of a mid-table 15th than a relegation 15th. Oh, this is bad. How bad? We're going to find out.

14:32I wasn't sure whether they're the Fulham of West Ham's or if they just have enough raw. I think the question is, who's going to replace their manager, Matthias Jaisel, when he's fired? And will he be good to keep them up? I think they will make it, but only because there are four squads worse than them, 16th place and a self-inflicted wretched season of misery not a pivot because I want to talk about Tottenham Hotspur is Roberto De Zerbe going to redefine the very word spursiness Rob?

15:00Roger Bennett:No just the word spursy means what it means and words have to have some meaning that's constant you can reclaim them you can't in the course of one season change the word spursy because otherwise there's nothing solid for us to stand on I think much better season no risk of relegation I think they've spent a lot of money I think they've spent it mostly very well a couple of the players a little bit overpriced. De Zerbe had that three-month run-in to kind of work out which bits of the squad he liked. That's important. I'm not quite as high on them as you are, so I'm going to say they will finish seventh, getting back into Europe.

15:28Get the rights to broadcast one Spurs pre-season game on your YouTube channel and you just go all in. I am so bullish on Tottenham Hotspur. I think De Zerbe's got real control of this club and he wants to show the world is raw again. I like the spine, the physical spine of Tonali and Mateus Fernandes. I know they need a striker. I think they'll get one and they are going to surge. No Europe to take the diversion of energies away, just to return to the self-image of entertaining, fighting, winning football. Third place, savour it Spurs fans, because I know you'll never take happiness for granted again.

16:04Roger Bennett:Are you going for a whole London top three? One of the themes of the season. Extraordinary. Unai Emery and Aston Villa roar. Man is a wizard. Will the alchemy work again? I feel really bad about Villa because I came into this, this hothouse expecting to say Villa to finish second I think there's a real case to be made their continuity the presence of Emery his repeated ability to get the maximum amount of his resources will stand him in really good stead for this season when so much is in flux but I have now talked myself into Chelsea finishing second which means I'm downgrading Villa to fifth because I do think there's a little bit of a lack of experience in that side that's what I have squad in transition the players they have coming in are so intriguing.

16:46Manzambi is a powerhouse, a wonder. I think he's going to be one of the young stars of this league. He is raw. I don't understand the Garnaccio acquisition. It's like voluntarily catching a disease on purpose. I think there'll still be a cock fist of a challenge, but the loss that may horn them above all is their set-piece guru, Austin McPhee. A year of slightly lesser and an eighth-place finish.

17:12to a team that I admire so much.

17:14Roger Bennett:It's the B's. It's Brentford. I'm going for them in eighth, Rog. As we said before, I think Keith Andrews, no reason for him to have a difficult second season. They've recruited judiciously, not spectacularly. They've added a little bit of strength when they need it. They've got Nsangare, a player who is really, really highly thought of. We know what we're getting from Brentford, but they're so adaptable. They're so flexible. They're so smart. I don't see any reason for them to drop off at all. Plus, they missed out on Europe on the last day of last season. They should have won at Anfield. They didn't.

17:39Roger Bennett:They might be glad of it. I think they finish eight. To be a Brentford fan is to be blessed. Everything their ownership group thinks through and executes, turns out to be really planful. I think the goal is to keep improving and I believe they will. Mamadou Sangare, new midfielder, is going to be, I think the impact new arrival of the season, that front three, Wattara, Thiago, Sharda, will keep cohering. All of it feels wonderful. And unless Keith Andrews has a dip, a difficult second album as manager, I see progress. Seventh place, Europe B's on tour. Who's coming? Sunderland? No reason for Sunderland to worry the season at all.

18:17Roger Bennett:I think Europe will mean that they can't have the same kind of top half finish that they had last season so unexpectedly. That window last season was magnificent. They barely got a foot wrong. We mentioned a lot of them in the full previews. The one that we didn't mention, Noah Siddiqui, who looked like a kind of Kante regen for at least half the season until AFCON. I think that they will be absolutely fine. They'll do well in Europe. but their Premier League form will suffer. So I'm going to say that they will finish 13th. Back to earth with a bump campaign. Reality bites. European Odyssey comes too soon for a squad.