The editorial team at ESPNSTAR.com have pondered long and hard, and these are our picks for those who will rise and fall this BPL season.
While it's certainly understandable that tribal loyalties can sometimes rule the heart over the head, these picks were made based on their clubs' respective performances during the 2010/11 Barclays Premier League season, as well as the reinforcements brought in so far this summer, and it would be much appreciated if our beloved readers would take that into account before unleashing any vitriol.
Premier League Champion
Manchester United
Fresh from winning their record-breaking 19th Premier League title, it must have been heart-breaking for Sir Alex Ferguson to watch his squad crushed in the UEFA Champions League final by Barcelona, but the Scot did not dwell on the failure for long, and has since made some heavyweight changes to his playing staff during the summer transfer window.
While the wily tactician was certainly aware that the Red Devils were losing seasoned campaigners in the form of Edwin van der Sar, John O'Shea, Wes Brown and Paul Scholes, he has made a concerted effort to replace with quality - thanks to the financial backing of the club's American owners - and has splashed over £ 50 million to bring in Phil Jones, Ashley Young, and David De Gea.
In the cold light of day, the Red Devils look simply unstoppable in their quest for their 20th Premier League title, as they have arguably the strongest squad compared to their title rivals, with almost two world-class players in every position jostling for a starting spot in Ferguson's first 11.
Of course, United do have chinks in their armour, with defence the department that could trouble Ferguson most this season.
It will not have gone unnoticed by rivals that new signing De Gea looked raw and nothing close to the finished product when he conceded two savable goals during United's 3-2 Community Shield victory at Wembley. If the Spaniard crumbles under the Premier League's unrelenting pressure, the gamble that Ferguson took to spend £18.9 million on him could come back to haunt the Scot, who will have visions of his previous goalkeeping flop, Massimo Taibi, staring him in the face.
And then there's Rio Ferdinand. Plagued by injury in recent seasons, Ferdinand often looks a pale image of his former magnificent self. At Wembley, United's defence looked stronger when Ferdinand departed the scene at half-time.
With the England international's star clearly on the wane, United fans will be hoping that either Chris Smalling or ex-Blackburn Rovers defender Phil Jones can make up for the deficiencies often associated with Ferdinand.
Still, these are manageable problems, especially given the decades of experience that Ferguson has had, and if Wesley Sneijder does make a shock move from Milan to Manchester, the Red Devils could be simply unstoppable in England!
Runner-ups
Chelsea
It must have been torrid watching for Chelsea fans towards the tail end of last season, as the Blues mounted an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to retain their Premier League crown.
It wouldn't have helped that former manager Carlo Ancelotti's hangdog expression seemed to be of a man who knew there would be no stay of execution. So it proved, as Russian owner Roman Abramovich swung the axe and sacked the Italian in search for yet another manager who could lead them to glory in an attacking fashion.
While the brickbats from most quarters of Stamford Bridge were directed towards Abramovich for his role in the sacking of Ray Wilkins, the Russian may have pulled off another masterstroke by paying off Porto for their young, but extremely talented manager, Andre Villa-Boas - a rising star often likened to former Chelsea favourite Jose Mourinho.
While Villa-Boas may not have the same brashness as the "Special One", he is certainly no less special himself, having taken Porto to the Portuguese Supercup, the Primeira Liga, the UEFA Europa League, and the Portuguese Cup, and his arrival should provide the catalyst Chelsea need in order to build yet another Premier League-winning side.
However, the truth is that with several key members of this Chelsea squad on the tail-end of their careers, even a manager as talented as Villa-Boas will take some time to work his magic. He will be consoled by the fact that there is clearly young talent to work with in the form of England stars Daniel Sturridge and Josh McEachran, as well as the arrival of big-money signing Romelu Lukaku.
Nevertheless, the loss of Michael Essien to another knee injury during pre-season, is clearly illustrative of the frailties in this Chelsea squad.
While the Blues can never be written off, given the experience in their squad, it is hard to see them matching United strength-for-strength when the numbers in the treatment room start to pile up, especially with his spinal players - John Terry, Frank Lampard, and Didier Drogba - all in their 30's.
The wild card in this prediction, of course, is the enigmatic Fernando Torres.
Will he be able to recapture his form, or will the Spaniard continue to disappoint after his £50million transfer from Liverpool last January? If he does fire, all will be well and good at Stamford Bridge, but if Torres continues his malaise, Villa-Boas may find the Spaniard a millstone around his neck, especially if Abramovich puts pressure on the Portuguese to play the lavishly paid striker.
Third Place
Liverpool
The rejuvenation of Liverpool was one of the more heart-warming moments in the Premier League last season, as the Reds rose like a phoenix from the ashes with the return of one of their most favorite sons, Kenny Dalglish, to the top job at Anfield.
It was interesting to note the effect of the Scot's return, especially when contrasted against his predecessor, Roy Hodgson. Under Dalglish, Liverpool scored 35 goals in 18 league games, compared to a paltry 24 in 20 under the Englishman.
What is interesting to note, is how the Liverpool manager has changed the way the Reds approach the game, with an emphasis on swift counter-attacks and accurate shooting. OPTA stats indicate that the Merseyside club averaged more possession under Hodgson, with 53.2% compared to 50.6% under Dalglish, yet increased their shooting accuracy from 43.2% to 51.4%.
The Scots' £20million acquisition of Stewart Downing is a clear sign of his intent to carry on in the same vein, as the England star's crossing ability will certainly compliment the pace and power of Andy Carroll, and the duo could very well strike up a partnership not unlike the way David Beckham and Ruud van Nistelrooy did for the Red Devils till 2003.
The Merseyside club's American owners are also clearly working hand-in-hand with Dalglish to ensure that Liverpool continue riding the crest of their resurgence, splashing the cash this summer window to bring in youngsters with quality like Jordan Henderson for £16million.
The arrival of Charlie Adam from Blackpool could also prove to be a masterstroke from the Scot, as the £7million buy can certainly add some class to their midfield.
While a title-tilt may still prove too early for Liverpool, they certainly look a firm prospect to push for third place, especially with the recent signing of Jose Enrique from Newcastle. Dalglish has been looking for a quality left-back ever since taking over from Hodgson, and in the Spanish international the Scot has found the last piece of the puzzle in his backline.
What could prove crucial for Liverpool towards the business end of the season is the fact that they will not be distracted by European football, unlike their rivals, which will certainly give Dalglish's men an advantage as they push to return to the pinnacle of English football this season.
Fourth
Manchester City
Manchester City for fourth will certainly raise many eyebrows, given the number of big names in their squad, as well as yet another star signing this summer in the form of Sergio Aguero.
The Citizen's FA Cup victory certainly showed that Roberto Mancini's side are on their way to a bigger and brighter future under the ownership of Sheikh Mansour.
Fans at Eastlands may, however, have to wait a while longer before they can watch the Premier League trophy hoisted in the blue end of Manchester, which is why fourth place could be as good as it gets.
The fact is that the alchemy needed to blend a successful title-winning squad is something that cannot be bought, and even though the individual stars at City boast world-class pedigree, it is certainly not a guarantee of immediate success, despite the best efforts of Mancini last season.
What separates the Red Devils from their "noisy neighbours", apart from a bulging trophy cabinet, is a winning mentality, which was evident in the way Ferguson's men fought back from being two-goals down at half-time to triumph 3-2 to win the Community Shield against City. The loss will certainly vex Mancini, who will be wondering what more he needs to do in order to give his squad the belief of champions.
It will certainly not help that he has to deal with players like Mario Balotelli and Carlos Tevez. The duo may be supremely talented, but their constant disruptions to the squad - Balotelli with his antics, and Tevez with his complaints about Manchester - certainly distracted City at crucial points of last.
There will certainly be no arguments that Mancini has landed a quality player by signing Aguero , despite his £38million price tag, but question marks remain over the Italian's other summer signings, Gael Clichy and 20-year-old Montenegro defender Stefan Savic.
While Savic is certainly a buy for the future, the same cannot be said about Clichy, and it was almost ironic that the Frenchman was the most culpable for United's winning goal at Wembley, as the left-back hesitated disastrously, leaving Vincent Kompany on the back foot and Nani with a free run to goal.
City will also have to face the same challenge that Tottenham Hotspur did last season, in having to balance the rigors of both the Premier League as well as the UEFA Champions League, and with the volatile stars in his ranks, it may be simply too much to juggle for Mancini, whose own head could be on the chopping block should the Citizens fail to fire early this season!
Relegation suspects
Norwich
Back-to-back promotions have certainly raised the profile of Norwich manager Paul Lambert, but the 41-year-old will face the challenge of his career in trying to keep the Canaries from dropping straight back to the Championship.
He has tried to bolster his squad as well as Norwich can afford, bringing in players like Bradley Johnson from Leeds United, Steve Morison from Millwall, James Vaughan from Everton, as well as Ritchie De Laet and Kyle Naughton on loan from Manchester United and Spurs respectively, but the truth is that these players, while talented, are certainly not of the caliber required to secure 17th place at the end of the Premier League season, especially when the injuries start piling up.
Swansea
There are interesting similarities between last season's new boys Blackpool, and Swansea, who find themselves swimming the big league at the Tangerine's expense. Under Brendan Rodgers, the Swans have gained a reputation for free-flowing, attacking football, not unlike Blackpool under Ian Holloway.
Unfortunately, it is also extremely likely that Swansea will suffer the same fate of relegation, given the big gulf in quality between the Premier League and the Championship. Unlike fellow promoted side Queens Park Rangers, they will be unable to buy their way out of relegation in the January transfer window, and this will prove to be their downfall.
Wigan Athletic
Wigan fans at the DW Stadium have had to contend with two relegation battles over the past two seasons, and this time, the Latics may find luck deserting them, especially with the sale of star Charles N'Zogbia, whose goals and assists were crucial in keeping them in the Premier League.
With the Frenchman having left for Aston Villa, and loan signing Tom Cleverly back at Manchester United for bigger and better things, Roberto Martinez will find the lack of firepower hampering another miracle this season, and crucially, will not find chairman Dave Whelan keen to splash the cash in January, especially with attendances falling at the DW Stadium to a paltry 16,812, the second-lowest in the Premier League.
