On today’s edition of ESPN FC, two of their Analysts gave their Premier League season predictions. Both of them picked Manchester United to finish third. Which is exactly where I picked the Red Devils in my season picks too.
ESPN FC Sir Ian Darke Top 4
1. Chelsea
2. Arsenal
3. Manchester United
4. Manchester City
ESPN FC Brian McBride
1. Chelsea
2. Arsenal
3. Manchester United
4. Liverpool
Actually, Sir Ian Darke had the same exact top four as I did. He truly is one of my favorite announcers in all of sport. He’s the master of the euphemism. During last summer’s World Cup, he described some previous World Cups, which were boring and bad as “we’ve had some indifferent editions.”
Darke described the Gunners, his choice to finish second with “I always thought about Arsenal but they were always a team of poets, passers and dreamers really. Arsene Wenger was enchanted by the idea that he could just pass his way to the title in the last decade. He’s come to realize that they need that steelier, grittier side.”
Most of the United talk on ESPN FC centered around what you would expect- how David de Gea saved the team over and over again while a very suspect defense resided in front of him.
McBride was really high on Liverpool’s Christian Benteke signing and he sees City starting to falter. That was the reasoning behind his bold pick taking the Reds over Man City.
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and writes The Sports Bank.net, which is part of the FOX Sports Engage Network. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes to the Chicago Tribune RedEye edition. He also appears regularly on numerous talk radio stations all across the country.
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