The Post-Pep Horizon: Tactical Restructuring and the 2026–27 Premier League Power Shift

You're listening to the Men in Blazers media network, suboptimal radio. It's time to predict the entire table, one to twenty, Premier League's about to kick off, and I mean it, we're going to spoiler alert it, the table, hard to predict, all the managerial changes are like breaking transfer window, all the bloody air transfers are so confusing, but Roar, are you ready to make like to receive the blind theme and product who can predict the future in home as the Odyssey, and for see it all? You've seen the Odyssey too many times, Roach. What'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. Roar, you do the honest well 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 four to eight, I really, really do, and Doni, 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, because of his tactical brainies and attacking midfield specialist, look at the goals he coaxed from Crupey from Ryan. Man, we'll get Florian veriting again. He's doing his point back in anger, goal celebration, Liverpool, back-ish, fourth place. Let's go, Chelsea. I'm really torn on Chelsea. I can, I think they'll be better, because they're not in Europe, because Jabilon's 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 fit. Listen to you. I'm going with the manager again, my trust in him, or more my belief in the Shabby Alonso redemption art. Look, Pommie worries, did he kind of jump to the Chelsea offer, repress what happened to Mauritio Pocciatino, 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, maybe believe he's got the power to create chaos out of order, hold your horses, Chelsea are coming. Second, from London to the Midlands, then tricky trees, all of a glass that's not in forest. 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 it was Manthion Manday, who they're starting to sport in Portugal. It's a great signing. Unusually for a Maranacist club, quite a quiet season, I think they're finished ninth. Oh my god, did you crib my crap? Is it alright? Because you know me, religiously, I'm evangelical, I'm actually a glasner right, it's a thing, I believe in that man. I love how he operates, builds cultures, tactical cohesion, mannily died from a brain hemorrhage when he was 36, which is giving him a real sense of perspective, he's going to need all of it, not to be in forest under the face of the Maranacist dressing 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 that art, genemy. Checks note, crystal palace. We're worried about palace, Raj. I think that they may be sold one too many in Matzons Le Coire. If they can keep hold of water and that gives them more of a chance, but even so, you look at this 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. It's still gorgeous. And I think they will survive just, I think not finish 17. They're down on Le Coire, but they've held on to, I think, Adam Warton, this 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, it'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. Rural, the floor is yours. Full them, take it away. Luzimato Silver is a massive blow. Strodd looks a little bit short of quality of its assignment, of goals, lot riding on Gonzalo Garcia, very talented, but he needs supply lines. Really excited about Josh Kin, the number 10 who comes with the Youth Academy, looks like a potential superstar in the making, but I don't think it's enough to save them. I think full ham are this season's West Ham and they finish 18. Again, I think this is nightmare fuel. Whatever the opposite of alignment in a club off, full ham have that now. Owners decision-making is erratic. Avora or below appointment is, to me, insane. What about him? Screams capable tactical mind, squad build, and builds doing a lot of heavy lifting. The goals of Rural, him and his gone, Welsh Banger God, Harry Wilson, gone, not adequately replaced. Full ham smell, like 25, 26, West Ham, I have them in 18, place 2. 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 what? Marca Rooza. A lot of people down on Bournemouth, Rodge. Not me. I think that we underestimate how to touch Rosa is. I think we find it hard to like wait relative achievement in football in general, especially when it's not kind of in front of our eyes. I think Antonio Silver's really good signing. I think keeping an eye on the start 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 done it for 11. God, what's love Bournemouth? I don't care who knows. They were about to work out how dependent the golden war cherry success story was on one and Doni, Iraola. Now he's dekempt to Liverpool. I think there will be a drop off from last year's six-place finish, but not because of Rosa. I think the Europa League rhythm is going to be unforgivable for a squad that's always 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, lead United. I think leads, I don't have a really good season, no relegation worries. They've recruited really smartly. There's momentum behind them, they've got Alan 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 leads finished 10th, but I think it's more of a mid-table 10th than a challenge in for Europe 10th. Last year, survival. This year, consolidation. I like the ambition leads of show and the arrival of goalkeeper James Trafford for big money. The recruitment of Harry Wilson. This is ambition. The will-be improvement. The will-be sharpen challenge. The will-be night games at a rollicking bear pit, Alan Road, vaguely audible all around the planet. I'm not exaggerated. Leads on the rise. 10th place. This is terrible. 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. We're at a home of breath. As a rate for you analysis, a micro-character electric boo-a-loo. The big challenge, as we said before, Rodgers is can-character. Weave his magic when they're in the Champions League as well, and ideally not being embarrassed by drums being one of two cups. I think United will consolidate the season. I don't think they'll quite get into challenging for the title territory. I can't remember if I said they were going to finish 4th or 3rd. It's one of the two. Let's say 3rd. For me, this is the hardest call. As like inputs, we do not have what have united. Quite a missionary position for building success last year. We're just down to the lack of distraction and loss of strain. They didn't have to play in Europe, solely in themselves in both cups at the earliest opportunity. Not bad. I think they was inside the club, think they're a bit short. Recruitment-wise, as we stand, they need a body or two. I think Tealamons 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 are about 5th 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 underclubed Coventry rush to be honest. I've got them 19th. But looking at the bits of quality they had in the squad already, you're angry who they signed from Denmark. I think they might be competitive, but I do think I'll go back down. I'm going to stick with 19th, but I'm conscious it's a bit of a risk. We've both seen the script. I don't know, man. Frank Lampod has so much to prove to himself and to the football world and 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. Ibswitch, one and out last time round. Rour, say it ain't so. Ibswitch 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 drawn and signed an unknown Dutch goalkeeper. That's what you do in the Robin Roof paradigm. They've spent a huge amount of money. I think they're the fifth biggest spenders in Europe as things stand. Erdo, the fifth biggest spenders in the world. Erdo, all planets. Erdo, all planets. No one in the solar system has spent like hip switch. It's at the four teams who spent more than them. 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 hip switch, the town, the team, the shareings of it all. I'm intrigued by the young Brazilian forward, Emerson. I also let Enceisau will find out if the memory of a lone spell or the player he is now comes through. Gary O'Neal is 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? Not this season. And to you, whole city, we're all back in the Premier League for the first time since 2017. Tell me now, do they get to stay? I just don't see how they can, Roger. They were so far off being ready to be promoted last season. It came as a surprise even to kind of Hall's most ardent fans. They've signed a lot of players. I don't know if they've brought in enough quality to 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 Hall's city fans. They weren't meant to get promoted. They had terrible statistics, XG-wise, in the championship, which is somehow overcame in the Southampton spy gate toxified playoffs. So the team who weren't meant to be here, they won't stay here. Points will be scanced. They've reached one Tiger fans on this journey to 20th from Tigers to Seagulls. It's all nature people. It's all watching at the end of the day. Brighton Raw, Europa, conference bound Brighton, dot, dot, dot. Will affect their lead form. No question about that. Injuries to Mitoma and to Minte early in the season. That'll be a problem as well for Fabian Herzler. It's cited by St. Luke of Ustovich. 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 that season. So what I'm going to say is 12th place, but they win the conference lead. God bless you. Script for script, word for work, because I revere you, Brighton. The analytics team, they rarely missed energising pickups like Vuskovich. Never played a game for Spurs. I think they will regret seeing him playing with spelling for Pascal Stroke coming from Leeds. It's going to be fascinating to watch that dynamic. That Europa conference, the admission will ultimately stretch them, but it will only diminish them slightly. 12th place. That conference lead victory, which Raw, just assured you, I'm backing you up in that. Make great memories as you go to parts of Eastern Europe. Even Eastern Europeans don't know exist to victory up the Seagulls. Let's say this word with fear, Everton. 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 Europa. But I also think it ends with a solid lower mid-table finish. I can't quite work out where I put them around the kind of 12 to 15th slot, but it's somewhere in there. Let's say Europa. The risk of getting myself a trouble later on, let's say 14. Oh God, bless you, optimistic man. Oh, one that's only just get this camera here that's stopping me for kissing you on the mouth. Last season we did so much with so little no fullbacks, no real striker. We've done very little to change that rule. Add to that the David Moe summit of silence in which he didn't even speak to club media. Not a happy man, we don't know why. Sign that as something, as they say in Scotland, is not bueno. I do love the pickup of Christian norguard, he's a quality player on a mission to prove himself to real leader to that midfield. We have his delirious. We've kept ilion and die for now. Another season of no fear, but not much to tingle the extremities, 15th place, or lukewarm battle lovers, exult. It could be worse for more fans, you could always be new castle. Yeah, and they're in turn in sight in the same position. I don't think they're relegated. I think there's teams that are worse than them, but this has been a really distressing summer, losing any hell, losing finale, losing drawden, losing Bruno de Marraich, not really as we're recording, replacing them with any one of particular notes to be perfectly honest. I liked Matthias. Yeah, I sold a new coach. I think he'll take a little bit time to establish himself. I would say new castle finish 15th, but it's more of a mid table 15th than a relegation 15. Oh, this is bad. How bad. We're going to find out. I wasn't sure whether they're the full of West Thames, or if they just have enough raw. I think the question is, he was going to replace their manager Matthias Yaisal 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 deserving going to redefine the very word spursiness? No, just the word spursiness means what it means and words have to have some meaning that's constant. You can reclaim them. You can reclaim them. You can reclaim them. You can't in the course of one season change the word spursiness, otherwise there's nothing 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 spent it mostly very well. Couple of the players a little bit overpriced. Deserby had that three months run into kind of work out which bits of the story light. That's important. I'm not quite as high on them as you are, so I'm going to say they will finish 7th, getting back into your... Oh, get the rights, the broadcast one spurs, preseason game on your YouTube channel and you just go all in. Roy, I'm so bullish on Tottenham Hotspur. I think Deserby's got real control of this club. And he wants to show the world his roar again. I like the spine, the physical spine of Tanali and Matthias Fernandez. I know they need a striker. I think they'll get one and they are going to surge. Know Europe to take the diversion of energies away just to return to the self-image of entertaining fighting, winning football third place, savor its spurs fans, because I know you'll never take happiness for granted again. You don't have a whole London top three. One of the themes of the season. It's extraordinary. Unai Emery. An Ashton Villa roar. Man, it's a wizard. Well, they'll come to me work again. I feel really bad about Villa, because I came into this this hot house, expecting to say Villa to finish second. I think there's a real case to be made. Their continuity, the presence of Emery is repeated ability to get the maximum amount of his resources. He couldn't. We'll stand him in really good stead for this season when so much is in Florets. But I have now taught myself into Chelsea finishing second, which means I'm downgrading 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 where I have squad in transition. The players they have coming in are so intriguing. Manzambi 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 gone actual acquisition. It's like voluntarily catching a disease on purpose. I think there'll still be a cockpit of a challenge, but the loss that may hold them above all is a set piece guru, Austin McFay, a year of slightly lesser and an eighth place finish. To a team that I admire so much, it's a beast. It's Brentford. I'm going for them in eighth, Rodge. 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 San Gare 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 the last season. They should have won at Anfield. They didn't. They might be glad of it. I think they finished eight. To be a Brentford fan is to be blessed, everything. Their ownership group thinks through and executes turns out to be really planned for. I think the goal is to keep improving and I believe they will. Mamadou Sengare, a new midfielder, is going to be, I think, the impact new arrival of the season at Frontrey, Wattara, Tiago, Shada will keep co-hearing. All of it feels wonderful. And unless Keith Andrews has a deeper, difficult second album as manager, I see progress. Seven plays, Europe, B's on tour, who's coming. Sondland, no reason for Sondland to worry the season at all. I think Europe will mean they can't have the same kind of top half finished that they had last season so unexpectedly. That window, last season, was magnificent. They barely got a full run. 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 cante regen, for at least half of the season until Afghan. I think that they will be absolutely fine, that they'll do well in Europe, but they're primarily formal 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 squad. I don't think I've had enough of a refresh this summer 13th place, which in light of the suffering Sondland of experience, big picture over the last decade is still. A wonderful achievement. Manchester City, let's get knee jerk and overreact, and the community she'll beat down raw. How low can you go? Marrest it out. Yes. Harlan's a fraud. Yes. Everybody needs to be sold. I think you would be a little bit worried, even with all the caveats around it, not being a serious game, the trophy not counting. Although, to be fair, Roge, City did count the community shield when Dwadiola won it. So you're telling us to count it when you lose it as well. You can't just be like, well, it doesn't count if we lose. For the last five. Intellectual consistency, Roge, that's what we're here for. I think City will suffer for losing Dwadiola. There's always going to be a bit of a difficult adjustment after a manager like that leaves. It's the union. The football, it happens, but also losing Bernardo Silva, losing Roderick, two and it's then losing John Stones. All that stuff matters. They're going to spend a huge amount on their midfield. They've spent getting on for a billion dollars over the last year, 18 months. It's a lot. To try and prepare for the post Dwadiola world, I think it will still cost them a little bit to get back to where they want to be this season, the finishing force. Manchester City, post pep, post Roderick. It's going to be a season of reckoning. This looks like a squad sure enough experience. Bernardo Silva, the key absence on the culture, the leadership, there may be the will be late late signings, but this is very much, I'm shocked at this, a depreciating unit left behind by Pep Guardiola, that I think will be factored into his legacy as a footnote, did not create a true transition plan for his successor to Inherit. I think this will be a very challenging season for cities, fans by the road, incredibly high standards. The question is the pure hunger, the will, the desire of Erling Holland, how much will that drive them? I actually can see them coming in six places. Arsenal, no side has gone on to win the league after lifting the community shield since 2018, but that curse. The thing for me, Rod, is that no one apart from Pep Guardiola retains the Premier League, it's really hard to do. There is a massive drop off emotionally, physically for all the effort you put in to winning that first title, especially when it's the first one for 22 years, but I just don't see a huge amount of challenge to Arsenal. So as much as there will be all this chaos behind them between 7 and 7 and 8, where any of those teams were I've predicted in those positions, please let this up and attach it to any socials that I used. Between 2nd and 7, there is so much uncertainty for Chelsea, Liverpool, United City, Villa, all of them, Tottenham. There are also uncertain, so many question marks, any of those teams would finish in any of those positions, but I don't think any of them can touch Arsenal, who I think will sail to the title. It will be a season of chaos except at the very top. They have too much depth, too much experience, refreshed, I think, in nuanced ways, as much as a clench face can be in nuanced way. That's what Bruno Gilmereche is, his hunger, solace is fresh legs in mind. I was shocked to be at the training ground last week, spending time with them in Maccala Teta, the players, the staff were openly talking about becoming dynastic, but they're going to do it. In a season of chaos, it will be the stability that will win out and win the dog. We'll have to change an A to win again, first place rule, and it will not be close. If you want to go deeper on these, find our part one, part two, north and south where we go through every team in detail, but let's cap this. Player of the year, it's the only other thing that we can really proclaim, absolutely ridiculously cavalierly, tell us who we'll be. For a long time, Man City felt really hard done too, because their individual players never got individual awards, and then it never seemed to understand as a club that that was because all of the credit went to Wadiola. I think now that Wadiola's gone, the player of the year, by a long way, will be the talisman of this Manchester City team, the player who stands up to fill the absence. Who's enough? No, Erlin Harland, roach. I think Erlin Harland will store a lot of goals and win a big shiny individual trophy, and then next summer there will be a big will he won't he departure for Real Madrid issue around a giant Norwegian striker? Hart says Beto, head says Bruno Gima Resh. That's how we think about it. You tell us how you think about it. In the comments, 1-20, have had it. Be kind to ever to. Big, big love. Courage.