2012/13 Premier League and Football League predictions

The new football season is just hours away

The dust has not even settled yet on the fantastic 2012 Olympic Games, but the football season is already upon us.

If the coming campaign is anywhere near as exciting and nail-biting as the last one, we are in for a treat.

Manchester City go into the Premier League season as defending champions and they are surely favourites to retain their title, although city neighbours United have strengthened well and Chelsea also look much-improved.

There are not any real relegation certainties this season, and that makes the campaign's relegation battle fascinating as half the Premier League's teams look to be of a similar standard.

I tried predicting the finishing positions of all 92 Football League teams last season and was woefully off the mark, but I'm going to have another go now. I can't be any further off the mark than last season, so here goes...

Premier League

1. Manchester United - Their frontline looks fierce after the capture of Robin van Persie, while Shinji Kagawa is an excellent signing in midfield. Sir Alex Ferguson will be more eager than ever to win back his title.

2. Manchester City - Roberto Mancini has been frustrated in the transfer market this summer but City have a fantastic team and will not be far off retaining their title.

3. Chelsea - Roberto Di Matteo is under incredible pressure to live up to the standards he set by winning the Champions League and FA Cup last season, but with new signings like Oscar and Eden Hazard, Chelsea should be much-improved in the league.

4. Arsenal - Robin van Persie's departure will leave a gaping hole in Arsene Wenger's team, but with new arrivals like Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud, and the potential for more with the van Persie money, Arsenal should still be strong.

5. Tottenham Hotspur - Andre Villas-Boas will be eager to prove himself at Spurs after his nightmare at Chelsea, but Spurs have been greatly weakened since last season and face a huge task to replicate last year's fourth-placed finish.

6. Newcastle United - Last season's 'surprise package' have again been written off ahead of this campaign, but with players like Tim Krul, Yohan Cabaye and Papiss Cisse, they should again trouble the 'bigger teams' and have a successful year.

7. Liverpool - Brendan Rodgers accepted a long-term challenge when he took over at Anfield in the off-season, and his first campaign at Liverpool could be one of slow growth rather than anything revolutionary.

8. Everton - David Moyes continues to get Everton punching above their weight and if they can have a strong start, a season similar to Newcastle's last year could ensue. Nikica Jelavic's goals will be crucial.

9. Southampton - Very ambitious under Nigel Adkins and should have similar success as Norwich and Swansea last season. If their swoop for Gaston Ramirez comes off, it should be exciting times on the south coast.

10. Queens Park Rangers - Last season's final day survival has given the club a new lease of life and they haven't been afraid to splash the cash this summer. Their squad looks far too big, but they have more than enough quality to be much-improved in this campaign.

11. Stoke City - The Potters don't have Europe to worry about this season and certainly shouldn't have any worries as far as relegation is concerned. A top-half finish should be the target.

12. Sunderland - Martin O'Neill has not strengthened his squad as much as he would have liked this summer, so Sunderland should not progress as much as he would want this year, but his presence alone should be enough to see them comfortably safe and a possible top-half team.

13. West Ham United - Sam Allardyce is under huge pressure to deliver at Upton Park this season, but Hammers fans should accept that for one season, at least, survival will be a successful campaign.

14. Fulham - The Cottagers have lost key players Danny Murphy, Andy Johnson and Pavel Pogrebnyak so far this summer, while Clint Dempsey and Moussa Dembele could follow, so Martin Jol could be in for a frustrating season at Craven Cottage which could result in a relegation battle.

15. Aston Villa - Paul Lambert should have a galvanising effect at Villa Park but it is difficult to predict where Villa will finish this season as the squad is not too different to the one led by Alex McLeish last year.

16. Reading - Brian McDermott has brought in some quality players at Reading this summer and they should have a strong start to the season. If they can maintain that, like so many other promoted clubs have failed to do, they should comfortably survive.

17. Norwich City - Chris Hughton has his work cut out at Carrow Road as it will be almost impossible to follow the job Paul Lambert did there, but the former Birmingham and Newcastle boss has proved his worth over the last three seasons and could see them through a relegation battle.

18. Wigan Athletic - The Latics were a joy to watch at the end of last season as they played their way out of trouble, but they will again find it difficult this year, particularly if they lose star man Victor Moses to Chelsea.

19. West Bromwich Albion - Steve Clarke has taken over from Roy Hodgson at the Hawthorns and the mid-table security offered by Hodgson is something the Scot will be looking to replicate. The Baggies are about to find out just how much of a galvanising effect Hodgson had at the club.

20. Swansea City - Brendan Rodgers did an incredible job at the Liberty Stadium and was replaced by Michael Laudrup, who looks an astute appointment. However, with star players Joe Allen and Gylfi Sigurdsson now gone, and Scott Sinclair expected to follow, the Swans look set for an extremely difficult campaign.

Championship

1. Bolton Wanderers.
2. Leicester City.
3. Wolverhampton Wanderers.
4. Brighton and Hove Albion.
5. Leeds United.
6. Cardiff City.
7. Birmingham City.
8. Nottingham Forest.
9. Hull City.
10. Huddersfield Town.
11. Blackburn Rovers.
12. Middlesbrough.
13. Blackpool.
14. Burnley.
15. Watford.
16. Sheffield Wednesday.
17. Crystal Palace.
18. Peterborough United.
19. Ipswich Town.
20. Derby County.
21. Charlton Athletic.
22. Barnsley.
23. Millwall.
24. Bristol City.

League One

1. Sheffield United.
2. Preston North End.
3. Coventry City.
4. MK Dons.
5. Swindon Town.
6. Portsmouth.
7. Bournemouth.
8. Notts County.
9. Scunthorpe United.
10. Brentford.
11. Doncaster Rovers.
12. Carlisle United.
13. Crawley Town.
14. Colchester United.
15. Stevenage.
16. Tranmere Rovers.
17. Yeovil Town.
18. Crewe Alexandra.
19. Oldham Athletic.
20. Shrewsbury Town.
21. Hartlepool United.
22. Leyton Orient.
23. Walsall.
24. Bury.

League Two

1. Rotherham United.
2. Chesterfield.
3. Fleetwood Town.
4. Gillingham.
5. Bradford City.
6. Northampton Town.
7. Exeter City.
8. Bristol Rovers.
9. Plymouth Argyle.
10. Oxford United.
11. Southend United.
12. Wycombe Wanderers.
13. Torquay United.
14. Rochdale.
15. York City.
16. Cheltenham Town.
17. Port Vale.
18. Dagenham and Redbridge.
19. AFC Wimbledon.
20. Aldershot Town.
21. Accrington Stanley.
22. Morecambe
23. Barnet.
24. Burton Albion.

Conference

Promoted: Luton Town and Wrexham.

FA Cup: Arsenal.

League Cup: Chelsea.

Champions League: Real Madrid.

Europa League: Napoli.

Scottish Premier League: Celtic.

La Liga: Real Madrid.

Serie A: Juventus.

Bundesliga: Bayern Munich.

Ligue 1: Paris St-Germain.

London 2012: A brilliant, seamless and inspiring Olympic Games

The country celebrated after London was chosen as the 2012 Olympic host city

Wednesday 6 July, 2005. Do you remember where you were?

It was the day London was announced as the host city of the 2012 Olympic Games and marked the start of seven years of hope, anticipation and controversy.

I found out the news while at school after my usually-strict English teacher, Mrs Purvis, interrupted a lesson to let us all know.

Even then, as a 12-year-old, I realised what a momentous occasion was just a matter of years away.

The country celebrated but was then brought back down to earth the very next day with the horrific London bombings, which claimed the lives of 52 innocent people.

From then on, the general feeling about the Games fluctuated, but the initial wave of positivity ebbed away and was replaced with cynicism.

It seemed inevitable, though, that once the 2012 Games began, the smiles would return. They did, and then some.

The feelgood factor the Olympics have generated has been immeasurable and the only disappointment is that it is all over (although, of course, the Paralympics are yet to come).

It will be extremely hard to sum up the last couple of weeks succinctly, so I'm not even going to try. These Olympics deserve many more words than I am even able to deliver here.

The Games have gripped the country and all the pre-Olympics negativity about budgets, traffic and safety have now been emphatically swept away. Those who doubted London's ability to be a successful host city must now be feeling rather embarrassed.

The nation has been caught up in Olympic fever and is now about to suffer an almighty hangover.

The terrific opening and closing ceremonies were the perfect bookmarks to what was an almost perfect Games, which was characterised by iconic moments, incredible crowds and unbelievable performances.

An Olympic Games is always helped if the host nation enjoys success, and Great Britain certainly delivered when it mattered most.

29 Gold medals and 65 medals in all were surely beyond anyone's wildest dreams, and it was Team GB's success which provided the momentum which helped the Games thrive from start to finish.

Mo Farah and Usain Bolt will surely come to symbolise these Games, with both men leaving an indelible impression on their sport.

Farah's two Saturday golds - first in the 10,000m and then in the 5,000m - were staggeringly brilliant and the atmosphere he helped generate in the Olympic Stadium will surely live with all who were there, along with those of us unable to get a ticket and watching the BBC's excellent coverage at home.

Living rooms up and down the country surely came alive in the closing stages of both of Farah's victories, as he somehow found the strength and extra speed to kick on and leave his rivals trailing in his wake.

The impact of an Olympic gold medal on an athlete's life is sometimes exaggerated, but for Farah, his life will never be the same again.

He created history in London and will forever be immortal in British athletics, while a knighthood is surely just around the corner.

Farah's Mobot celebration - devised by James Corden and Clare Balding on TV programme A League Of Their Own - became one of the great images of the Games, along with his pose with Bolt on the podium in which each champion performed the other's celebration.

Farah and Bolt both performed each other's iconic celebration

That brings us neatly onto Bolt, who has transcended his sport with his achievements.

There is nobody quite like the Jamaican.

Bolt's pre-race antics are a joy to watch and while he clearly has a very high opinion of himself, that is certainly not a negative where he is concerned.

He has something of a cheeky charm and it seems certain that, in 40 or 50 years time, Bolt will be remembered as the best sprinter of all-time and a character which blazed a trail for his successors.

To win gold medals in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay for two Olympic Games in a row is extraordinary, and it is hard to see him attempting to defend those titles again in Rio in 2016.

The fact is, he doesn't need to. Even people who know nothing about sprinting know exactly who Usain Bolt is.

He is surely the most marketable, popular and recognisable face in the world of sport at the moment and his achievements in London are all the more impressive considering the pressure he was under to deliver and the doubts which cropped up on the eve of the Games.

He may have been beaten twice in the Jamaican trials by training partner Yohan Blake, but once the important business started, Bolt delivered.

He clearly has a steely determination which belies his relaxed and light-hearted image in the moments immediately before a race.

Blake deserves credit, too, as finishing second behind Bolt is almost like winning a gold medal in itself.

Blake will have his time, possibly in Rio 2016, but for now, Bolt dominates sprinting and, indeed, athletics.

Despite Bolt's breathtaking brilliance, the performance of the Games was arguably by the humble and soft-spoken Kenyan 800m champion, David Rudisha.

Rudisha's 800m world record was arguably the achievement of the Games

His world record-breaking performance in the 800m final was staggering and he was so much better than his competitors it was extraordinary.

Rudisha's feat at the front dragged the rest of the field with him as they all broke national records, personal records or season bests.

It would be fantastic to see some sort of fun run between Rudisha and Bolt, possibly at the 'neutral' distance of 400m, to further emphasise just how good the Kenyan is.

The moment of the game was surely 'Super Saturday', when Great Britain won three gold medals in the Olympic Stadium in less than an hour.

That was all started with Jessica Ennis' brilliant heptathlon win, and it says it all for the brilliance of these Olympic Games that her achievements have almost been overshadowed by other performances.

Ennis performed under the most intense pressure as seemingly everyone expected her to deliver a gold medal, and she obliterated the field to send the Olympic Stadium into a frenzy.

Greg Rutherford then unexpectedly added a gold medal in the men's long jump and the evening was capped off by Farah's dramatic 10,000m victory.

Great Olympic Games need iconic moments and this is one that will live with the country, and hopefully the world, forever.

Cycling delivered yet again for Team GB with nine medals, including seven golds, and legends of the sport Sir Chris Hoy and Victoria Pendleton ended their Olympic careers in style.

Bradley Wiggins also cemented his legendary status with a victory in the time-trial, and a knighthood for him seems assured due to his seven Olympic medals - including four golds - and inspirational Tour de France victory.

Wiggins may now have a rival for his Sports Personality of the Year crown in Farah, but one thing is for sure - the winner will deserve it.

Cycling provided GB's first medal of the 2012 Olympics with Lizzie Armitstead in the women's road race, although there was disappointment for Mark Cavendish in the men's road race.

However, this was another glorious Games for British cycling, as the likes of Jason Kenny and Laura Trott offered a glimpse into the future by adding more golds to their collections.

The interest the country has had in these Olympic Games has surely surprised even Seb Coe, who did a fantastic job in delivering the showpiece to London and must have been incredibly proud to see everything come together.

After initial quibbles over empty seats - about which very little could be done as all available tickets were sold - the fantastic arenas were almost all full and vibrant, while even the weather played its part in making these Games special.

The passion this country has for sport was showcased around the world and the Games will surely go down as a resounding success.

British athletes seemed to thrive on their compatriots' successes, with the likes of Alistair Brownlee, Nicola Adams, Louis Smith, Max Whitlock (and the men's gymnastics team), Tom Daley, Christine Ohuruogu, Robbie Grabarz, Anthony Joshua, Luke Campbell, Peter Wilson, Ed McKeever and the rowers all doing their country proud by winning medals, many of them gold.

The brilliant Brownlee brothers delivered a gold and bronze medal in the men's triathlon

Ben Ainslie won his fourth Olympic gold medal to become the most successful Olympic sailor of all-time, while unexpected success was delivered from Team GB in the equestrian events.

There was also a gold for Jade Jones in taekwondo and medals for Gemma Gibbons and Karina Bryant in judo, while Rebecca Adlington added two more bronze medals in the pool and Michael Jamieson delivered a stunning silver.

Heck, even a British man won a singles tournament at Wimbledon! Andy Murray was brilliant and the victory could provide the platform for him to go on to deliver his potential in tennis' major tournaments.

Some things even the Olympic can't change, though - a British football team still lost a quarter-final on penalties.

The three big slogans surrounding these games have been 'Take the Stage', 'Our Greatest Team' and 'Inspire a Generation', and on all three counts, London 2012 has surely delivered.

David Bowie's classic song 'Heroes' was played whenever GB won a gold medal. It was played so often it would have been easy to grow tired of it, but 'Heroes' became the soundtrack of the Games as the country was caught up in the success of Team GB and the Olympics in general.

There were not too many disappointments for Team GB, although just three swimming medals suggests that sport still has much to improve on.

Cavendish endured a frustrating road race while Pendleton's two disqualifications were infuriating and injuries to Phillips Idowu and Paula Radcliffe robbed GB of two of its best performers, but all in all, these Games have surely gone better than anyone could have dreamt about.

Three Olympic legends - Bolt, Hoy and Michael Phelps - delivered and it was fantastic to see the latter, in particular, end his career on a high.

Phelps ended the Games with four gold medals and two silvers, to take his overall Olympic medal tally to 22, including 18 golds.

There were also great performances in the pool by Missy Franklin, Ye Shiwen and Ryan Lochte among others, while the father of Chad Le Clos, who beat Phelps to the 200m butterfly title, provided a great moment in his excitable interview with Clare Balding.

The inspirational Kath Grainger finally secured her first Olympics rowing gold medal after three silvers, while Nicola Adams became the first woman to win an Olympic boxing gold medal and GB's boxing team delivered.

On the track, Allyson Felix delivered with three gold medals, Sally Pearson took a breathtaking 100m hurdles gold and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce defended her 100m title.

There was world records on the track for Jamaica's star-studded 4x100m men's relay team, David Rudisha, USA's 4x100m women's relay team and a heap of world records went in cycling.

The brilliant volunteers really helped make the Games, and it was fantastic to see them get their due recognition in the closing ceremony speeches.

One of the few disgraces of these Games were the badminton doubles players who played deliberately to lose, but that was just one blot on one of the best Olympic Games in history.

It is to be hoped that the feelgood factor these Olympics have provided will lead to a surge in interest for many sports, including triathlon, gymnastics, women's football (and boxing), handball, judo, taekwondo and so many more, while many budding youngsters will surely be inspired by the likes of Farah and Ennis.

The BBC provided excellent coverage and more than contributed to the success of the Games with insightful analysis and superb presenting - hopefully Lawrenson, Keown, Hansen and co were taking notes.

Gary Lineker, Clare Balding, Sue Barker, Gabby Logan, Ian Thorpe, Michael Johnson, Chris Boardman, and the excitable duo of Denise Lewis and Colin Jackson all impressed, along with the likes of Steve Cram and Brendan Foster in the commentary box, who were excellent - particularly in Farah's two thrilling races.

The 2012 Olympics began with a superb opening ceremony and the iconic lighting of the flame, and ended with a night of celebration in the same place it all started.

Seven teenagers were given the honour of lighting the Olympic cauldron

A lot was expected of London and, with the help of Lord Coe, the athletes, the volunteers, the fans and everyone connected with the Games, London delivered.

Rio has some act to follow in 2016. So do the next members of Team GB.

The 2012 Olympics have been a festival of great sport and it is hard to remember the last time the country felt so buoyant and upbeat.

If these Games do not inspire a generation, then surely nothing ever will.

From Farah to Bolt, Ennis to Rudisha, Brownlee to Brownlee, Phelps to Hoy, these Olympics have featured unbelievable performances, iconic moments and jaw-dropping host nation success.

The country needed a feelgood factor to return and these Olympic Games have provided it. The years of anticipation have been well and truly worth it.

If anyone can follow London, Rio can, but these Games will still be some act to follow.

Britain should be proud, London should be proud, we all should be proud - if there has been a better Olympic Games than this, it must have been one hell of a party.

London, you delivered emphatically and delivered a feast of sport we will never forget. Over to you, Rio.