15 Bold Predictions for the 2011-2012 Premier League Season

Although the Premier League season ended just over a week ago, it is not too early to begin thinking about next year's campaign.

Last season, not many foresaw Liverpool's early struggles or Aston Villa's flirtation with the relegation zone for virtually the entire year. Even fewer imagined Dimitar Berbatov's explosion in goals. Hardly any projected the impact Javier Hernandez would have in his first round with Manchester United.

With an entire summer full of juicy transfer rumors and expensive switches, it only follows that some bold predictions should be made for the upcoming season.

Here are 15 bold predictions for the 2011-2012 English Premier League.

Reminder: some of these are very bold.

It should surprise no one that the clubs promoted to the Premiership have a difficult time controlling some of the top teams in Europe, translating into many loses over the course of the campaign.

Dating back to the 2001-2002 season, at least two of the three relegated clubs have recorded 35 points or fewer in every season. The cards are already stacked against Swansea and Norwich.

That trend looks to continue in the 2011-2012 EPL.

Wolverhampton barely escaped relegation last season, with the help of Blackpool and Birmingham. But with a roster that hardly gleams with talent, it is tough to see Wolves surviving another season in the gauntlet of the Premiership.

Mick McCarthy's club finished with the third most goals allowed in the league. And with an attack that doesn't appear to be getting any better, it seems that although Wolves have a date with the nPower Championship, it will come a year late.

West Brom's success last season surprised many, as the club rode the talent of striker Peter Odemwingie to an 11th place finish in the table.

Queens Park Rangers hopes to mimic the Baggies' story this time around. Though reports indicate that the very well-financed club will not engage in a giant spending spree, it seems hard to believe that any team would not look to acquire better talent now that it is in England's top flight.

Despite the allegations of frugality, QPR does have a solid core of talent that looks to publish some positives. Between Adel Taarabt, Alejandro Faurlin, Akos Buzsaky and Kaspars Gorkss, not to mention a highly serviceable keeper in Paddy Kenny, the Rangers should have high expectations going into next season.

Peter Odemwingie's first season with West Brom was a great success to say the least.

The Uzbek-born Nigerian netted 15 goals in his debut campaign with the Baggies, coming virtually out of nowhere to finish fifth in the league in scoring.

The 29-year-old recorded a career year at the Hawthorns, and with the club's well-earned survival in the Premiership, he looks poised to build on his great campaign.

But is West Brom truly home for Odemwingie? Should he produce similar numbers early on, fully expect a more significant club to pick up his services in January, possibly even before the season begins.

Clint Dempsey has paid his dues and established himself as a mainstay at Fulham and in the Premier League.

The American has progressed in each of his five seasons with the Cottagers, and with a career-best 12 league goals last season, the midfielder is looking more comfortable than ever in England's top flight.

The 28-year-old has displayed great development between his years in the MLS and the EPL. With the injuries sustained in Fulham's attack, more of the scoring load was put on Dempsey's shoulders, and he responded positively.

Expect more leadership and results from the feisty midfielder. 

For all the quips about Manchester City's extravagant spending spree during the summer and winter transfer windows last year, the club did what it set out to accomplish.

The Blues qualified for the Champions League with a thundering third-place finish in their final match of the campaign. The club also lifted the FA Cup—the first time City has lifted a trophy since 1976.

Now the aim is much higher. With a year of camaraderie and a roster imbued with supreme talent, City is just a few steps away from clinching a Premier League crown. Yes, some pieces will have to fall in place, but the quality is there for a title.

An in-form Darren Bent can score goals with the best of the lot, and his split-campaign between Sunderland and Aston Villa last year demonstrated that to the fullest.

Though his 17 league goals didn't come close to touching his career-high 24 with the Black Cats in the 2009-2010 season, his form was steady for much of the year. And with a solid core of talent likely returning to Villa Park, Bent's production looks to increase.

Surrounded by Ashley Young, Stewart Downing and Gabriel Agbonlahor, who seemingly has had his role reduced because of an injury-plagued season, Bent appears to be the most reliable goal-scorer of the playmaking group.

Perhaps one of my boldest predictions for the 2011-2012 Premier League is Aston Villa's qualification for Europe. 

Gerard Houllier will reportedly be out at Villa Park, thus opening an opportunity for the club to seek out a quality manager.

The club managed a respectable ninth-place finish after the tumultuous start to the year, beginning with Martin O'Neill's surprise resignation. But with a load of talent returning in the middle and attacking thirds, there is no reason to believe that the Lions cannot squeeze out at least a top five finish.

Tottenham has provided quite a spectacle of football in the last few seasons as Harry Redknapp has slowly built a club fit to compete against some of the top teams in Europe.

As showcased in last year's UEFA Champions League, Spurs advanced to the quarterfinals, only to be outdone by Real Madrid.

A once small-market club eliminating the likes of Inter Milan and AC Milan seemed improbable. But those days of the best European competition may be over.

With the club missing out on the UCL with its fifth place finish, Spurs qualified for the Europa League, which hardly measures up to the quality of the former.

Call it a gut, but Tottenham's run at Europe peaked last season.

He is England's No. 1 and easily the best young keeper in the Premier League.

Manchester City boasted a fabulous defense last season on top of recording the most clean sheets in the league (18). With a back third that looks only to improve or maintain the status quo, City will again have one of the top defenses in the Premiership.

Anchored by that defense and Joe Hart's immeasurable value between the sticks, look for the FA Cup winners to secure the most clean sheets another time around.

With Dimitar Berbatov looking more and more like he will not be returning to Old Trafford next season, Manchester United's roster looks set to have Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez as its primary options at striker.

Rooney's production slowed mightily last season after fatigue became evident. Two EPL seasons and a World Cup could do that to a man. Hernandez, in his first season with United, took advantage of Rooney's shortcomings and recorded 13 goals, a fine statistic for the young Mexican.

Rooney will gain some much needed rest over the summer, and though he should return with complete fitness, Hernandez figures to be the more advantageous striker.

Romelu Lukaku has been making headlines since January, and he's made it clear he wants to come to England and play in the Champions League.

Whichever club acquires his incredible ability, at such a young age remember, should have a centerpiece in its attacking third for years to come.

His style of play is fit for the Premier League. Strength, pace, size, power and finishing are all qualities of the 18-year-old Belgium international.

To give such a young striker a significant allotment of playing time would seem ludicrous, but Lukaku could see enough of the pitch to do what he does best: score goals.

Before this prediction can come into fruition, Carlos Tevez has to leave City.

Of course, no City supporter would wish this, but his stay at Eastlands seems to be shortening.

On the other side of Tevez's departure is the potential for Mario Balotelli and Edin Dzeko to have breakout campaigns. Both possess the quality skills of a top-rate striker, but neither has yet to apply those abilities to their fullest.

But with the Argentine gone, the second-year City forwards will receive the brunt of the playing time. And with time comes form. 

In Arsenal's last 13 league games, the Gunners secured just 18 points, thereby dropping out of the top three and handing its non-qualifying UEFA Champions League position to Manchester City.

It was a terrible collapse from an Arsenal club that many believed couldn't happen, especially under a manager as solid as Arsene Wenger.

But amid speculation that Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri will walk away from the Emirates, a large chunk of the Gunners' special passing quality may leave them as well.

It seems highly improbable that a club that has had its boots in Europe for over 15 years won't qualify this upcoming season, but it may be written in the cards.

With a no-nonsense and rugged defense and possibly an even more talented attack, Chelsea again will have the make-up of a club to achieve a fantastic goal differential in the Premier League.

Last season, the Blues shared the title of the best defense in England's top flight with Manchester City, both allowing just 33 goals on the year. Chelsea also netted 69 goals, good for third place behind Arsenal and Manchester United.

Although Florent Malouda, Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka (if he is even wearing Chelsea colors) are no youngsters, they are all quality forwards and very capable goal-scorers. Grouped with Fernando Torres and Salomon, this is arguably one of the most talented sets of forwards in the Premiership.