Every year, for the past few seasons, we’ve done a Premier League prediction table where I and you, the readers, make our picks on how the final Premier League table will look at the end of the season. The picks are made in August, so it’s often a tough call to make especially since new transfer signings haven’t had much time to bed in at all. Plus, managerial changes don’t often happen until late in the year.

Nevertheless, here’s how we did. My predicted end of the season table was as follows:

1. Manchester United (C)
2. Manchester City
3. Chelsea
4. Liverpool
5. Arsenal
6. Sunderland
7. Tottenham Hotspur
8. Fulham
9. Everton
10. Newcastle United
11. Aston Villa
12. Stoke City
13. West Bromwich Albion
14. Swansea
15. Norwich City
16. Wolverhampton Wanderers
17. Bolton Wanderers
18. Wigan Athletic (R)
19. Queens Park Rangers (R)
20. Blackburn Rovers (R)

And here were your picks.

I came close to predicting the champions correctly — if Aguero hadn’t scored, I would have had my first and second pick correctly. Chelsea finishing in sixth instead of third place was a shock, but who could have predicted that Andre Villas-Boas would have done so badly at Stamford Bridge? Liverpool’s eighth place finish was a shock. I really thought that Dalglish could have steered them to fourth based on the talent at their disposal. Arsenal took advantage of Chelsea and Liverpool’s poor league form by finishing in third, despite me picking them to finish in fifth position.

I thought Sunderland was going to be the surprise team this season based on the amount of money that Ellis Short spent in the transfer window, but who could have predicted that Steve Bruce could have done so badly at the Stadium of Light? I should have swapped Sunderland and Newcastle around for a better prediction.

At the bottom of the table, most of us could see the writing on the wall that Blackburn Rovers was doomed under Steve Kean, so I predicted they would finish in last place. Under Neil Warnock, I didn’t rate QPR, and based on the way they were playing, they would have gone down if it wasn’t for Mark Hughes. I also predicted Wigan would get relegated, but I was wrong on that one.

I believed in Swansea and Norwich, so I put them at 14th and 15th position — yet they did even better than my predictions by finishing 11th and 12th. I’m particularly proud of my Swansea prediction because almost everyone — pundits and fans — predicted that Swansea would get relegated.

Here’s the final Premier League table to compare.

As for the picks from you, the readers, many of you predicted that Newcastle would get relegated, Liverpool would finish in first, second or third place, and Swansea would finish bottom. Manchester United, like me, was the most predicted champion.

Of the readers who made their prediction between August and September, the person who came the closest was a reader named Bob.

Interestingly, very few people picked Manchester City to win the title before the end of August, and we all (myself included) were all over the place regarding the bottom three. No one who posted a comment in August or September predicted the correct three relegated sides.

If you have some time to go back through the 156+ comments, they make for some very interesting reading.

I hope you enjoyed the Premier League table prediction game. We’ll open a new one up for the 2012-13 season in early August.

When Manchester United strode out onto the Camp Nou pitch on May 26, 1999 to contest the Champions League final against Bayern Munich, it was the first appearance by an English club in the competition’s final since the Heysel tragedy of May 29, 1985. During that gap, the tournament underwent several significant changes, including the introduction of group stages and the addition of additional qualifying clubs from the best countries.

Manchester United, along with Liverpool and Chelsea are the three English clubs to have lifted ol’ big ears in the Champions League’s modern history. Each one has won it in wildly improbable ways.

In the 1999 final, Bayern, sitting on a 1-nil lead in stoppage time, was Carl Smith in The Graduate at the altar in the Santa Barbara church about to marry Elaine Robinson. Suddenly Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer struck, and Bayern saw their prize slip away like Carl watching Ben Braddock spring from the church with his girl. Man United’s comeback was fit for a movie of its own, complete with iconic quotes from Sir Alex Ferguson – “Football. Bloody Hell.”  and then-UEFA president Lennart Johansson – “The winners were crying and the losers were dancing.”

Liverpool’s 2005 match against AC Milan in Istanbul was the club’s first appearance in the European Cup/Champions League decider since their 1-0 loss to Juventus in the Heysel final. Down three goals at the half, the odds of a Liverpool win at the interval were reportedly 250 to 1. Indefatigable, the chants from Liverpool’s huge traveling contingent resounded through the stadium through the break. Captain Steven Gerrard’s 54th minute header then sparked six unforgettable minutes of magic that crested with a young Xabi Alonso staring down Dida for a potential score-levelling penalty. Liverpool fans could be forgiven for momentarily thinking they were the victims of some grand cosmic tease when Dida saved the shot, but Alonso set off worldwide pandemonium when he raced in to put back his own shot. The victory, secured by Jerzy Dudek’s manic dancing moves, was salvation for a club that had finished behind Everton that season and had seen their place as the dominant club in England usurped by the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal in the Premier League era. Five European Cups for Liverpool, the most for any English club, and the trophy was theirs to keep permanently.

Chelsea entered Bayern Munich’s ground on Saturday as the first road team in the final since Liverpool escaped AS Roma’s Stadio Olimpico with the cup in 1984. Roman Abramovich took control of Chelsea in June of 2003. Despite considerable domestic success since then, beginning with the club’s Premier League title in 2005 (its first top division claim since 1955), Abramovich’s supreme desire has been the Champions League. The cost to be Europe’s boss has been hundreds of millions of pounds spent on players and nine managers (including caretakers). At the time of Andre Villas-Boas’ March sacking, it looked like the trophy would be Abramovich’s ‘rosebud,’ an impossible obsession that made all other success unsatisfying. Yet Chelsea’s determined defence absorbed wave after wave of Bayern attack. And George McFly doppelganger Mario Gomez made gift after gift of a fresh football to fans sitting in the upper deck high above the Chelsea goal. And Didier Drogba soared past Jerome Boateng to unleash that header. And Petr Cech denied Arjen Robben’s penalty in the first extra-time session and then stopped Ivica Olic and Bastian Schweinsteiger in the shootout to seal perhaps most improbable of the aforementioned three victories.

Which of these three Champions League comeback triumphs is the best? That’s for you to decide.

Notes: I did not include Manchester United’s win over Chelsea in 2008 as it was not as improbable and not as truly dramatic (John Terry’s miss was tragicomedy, not drama) as the other three. I also decided to concentrate on the modern Champions League era, thus excluding prior wins by Liverpool, Nottingham Forest, and Aston Villa.

The 2011-12 Premier League season has ended, but in several weeks many of the top Premier League sides will be playing friendly matches across North America on their pre-season tours, to help promote their clubs in the United States and Canada, as well as gaining much needed practice and training in the lead-up to the 2012-13 Premier League season that begins in August.

Here’s the latest list of Premier League clubs that will be touring the United States and Canada, including ticket information.

If you haven’t purchased your tickets yet, hurry and order them today before you’re disappointed. This is a golden opportunity to see these Premier League clubs in person.

Chelsea

Chelsea, 2012′s Champions of Europe, will be hitting the United States this summer with four high-profile friendlies, going from the far-flung corner of Washington State all the way down to Florida to finish their tour. This will not be one to miss.

• Wednesday, July 18, 2012 versus Seattle Sounders — CenturyLink Field, Seattle — 6:30pm PT — Order tickets.
• Sunday, July 22, 2012 versus Paris Saint-Germain — Yankee Stadium, New York — 7pm ET — Order tickets.
• Wednesday, July 25, 2012 versus MLS All-Star Team — PPL Park, Philadelphia — 8:30pm ET — Order tickets.
• Saturday, July 28, 2012 versus AC Milan — Sun Life Stadium, Miami — 6pm ET — Order tickets.

Liverpool

With a new manager and a new kit for next season, Liverpool supporters will be optimistic that next season will see more silverware being won by one of the most famous English football clubs in the world. This is the first time that Liverpool has played in North America since 2004. Don’t miss them this time!

• Saturday, July 21, 2012, versus Toronto FC — Rogers Centre, Toronto — 4pm ET — Order tickets.
• Wednesday, July 25, 2012, versus AS Roma – Fenway Park, Boston — 6:30pm ET — Order tickets.
• Saturday, July 28, 2012, versus Tottenham Hotspur — M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore — 1pm ET — Order tickets.

Tottenham Hotspur

After narrowly missing out on qualification for the Champions League, Tottenham will be very motivated to reach new heights next season. With a team of world-class players, the Lilywhites have the foundation to push on. Let’s see how they do in pre-season, in front of their very passionate and loyal supporters, to warm up for the new season.

• Tuesday, July 24, 2012, versus LA Galaxy — Home Depot Center, Carson, (CA) — 7:30pm PT — Order tickets.
• Saturday, July 28, 2012, versus Liverpool — M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore — 1pm ET — Order tickets.
• Tuesday, July 31, 2012, versus New York Red Bulls — Red Bull Arena, Harrison, (NJ) — 7pm ET — Order tickets.

Swansea City

One of the most entertaining teams of the 2011-12 Premier League season will be traveling from Wales to America for their first ever US tour. The attractive, free-flowing soccer from Swansea will be a delight to watch, as the Swans prepare for an important new season where the pundits will probably mention the sophomore curse about one hundred times!

• Tuesday, July 24, 2012, versus Colorado Rapids – Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City (CO) — 7pm MT — Order tickets.
• Tuesday, July 31, 2012, versus San Jose Earthquakes — Buck Shaw Stadium, San Jose — 7:30pm PT — Order tickets.

Stoke City

Stoke City has a lot of close ties to the United States including one of their board members owning a USL team in Florida, as well as an academy in the States. And now The Potters, who have one of the most vocal sets of supporters in the Premier League, will be touring the United States, coming soon to a city near you.

• Tuesday, July 24, 2012, versus Columbus Crew — Crew Stadium, Columbus — 7:30pm ET — Order tickets.
• Saturday, July 28, 2012, versus Orlando City — Citrus Bowl, Orlando — 7:30pm ET — Order tickets.
• Wednesday, August 1, 2012, versus Sporting Kansas City — Livestrong Park, Kansas City — 7:30pm CT — Order tickets.

Aston Villa

Aston Villa will have a new manager and probably a more attacking style of soccer by the time they come to the United States on tour in July. With American owner Randy Lerner in charge, it’ll be a good test for Villa to see how they do against three strong MLS sides especially given the poor season Villa had under Alex McLeish in 2011-12.

• Wednesday, July 18, 2012, versus Philadelphia Union — PPL Park, Philadelphia — 7:30pm ET — Order tickets.
• Saturday, July 21, 2012, versus Chicago Fire — Toyota Park, Chicago — 7:30pm CT — Order tickets.
• Tuesday, July 24, 2012, versus Portland Timbers — JELD-WEN Field, Portland — 7:30pm PT — Order tickets.

The 2011/2012 Premier League season has been full of twists and turns, and will go down as one of the best campaigns in the recent memory. From the heart-warming story of Swansea and Norwich, to the season-long scramble to climb out of the relegation spots, to Liverpool’s woodwork woe and the topsy-turvy seasons of the top six teams, it has been a thrilling campaign.

With all to play for on the final day, the best was saved for last. Two last-gasp stoppage time Manchester City goals sealed the Etihad Stadium club’s first top-flight success since 1968, and broke Manchester United fans’ hearts, as their team lost out on goal difference. United threw away an eight-point lead to relinquish their title, whilst City have played some fantastic football this term.

Arsenal sealed third place with victory at West Brom, Spurs took fourth with a 2-0 win over Fulham, whilst Newcastle came unstuck against the Toffees and ended up in fifth. Harry Redknapp and his men must now watch on as Chelsea do battle with Bayern Munich in the Champions League final, knowing that a Blues victory would rob them of participation in next season’s competition.

With Roberto Di Matteo rejuvenating the Stamford Bridge club, most will not chance their free bets in writing off Chelsea, but the final against Bayern at the Allianz Arena will be a fitting end to the club season before Euro 2012 gets under way.

At the bottom, Wolves and Blackburn’s fates were confirmed before the last day of the season, and Bolton joined the pair in being relegated to the Championship. QPR survived by the skin of their teeth despite throwing away a win at City, whilst Wigan’s unexpected heroics see them stay up to fight another day.

Here’s our snapshot, team-by-team preview of the 2011/2012 season, looking briefly at what each team has achieved this season and their plans for the summer transfer window. Feel free to leave your own review of your team (or of the season) in the comments section at the end.

Arsenal

Arsenal fans feared the worst after the sale of Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy last summer, and a shaky start to the campaign hit rock bottom with an unthinkable 8-2 humbling at Old Trafford. However, Arsene Wenger’s transitional side have fought back to capture third place and Champions League football once more for next term.

The highlight for the Gunners faithful was the turnaround 5-2 victory over Tottenham at the Emirates in February, with the respective sides heading in different directions after the result. PFA Player of the Year Robin van Persie has inspired the march up the league with 30 goals in the campaign, whilst the continued progression of Alex Song and rise of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain stand out in a good campaign. A new attacker in the shape of Lukas Podolski will reinforce Arsenal, who will look to push on and challenge for the title next term.

Aston Villa

Villa fans were dubious at best when former Birmingham City boss Alex McLeish was hired in the summer, and the Scot has done little to inspire confidence at the Midlands club. A lowly seven wins this term is the second worst in the league, and Villa have lacked potency in attack, whilst looking short of concentration in defence. McLeish’s men avoided relegation by two points, and the manager’s position will come under jeopardy in the summer.

The final blow of a disappointing campaign was the news of captain Stiliyan Petrov being diagnosed with leukaemia, which has knocked the side for six. Villa must keep Darren Bent in the summer, and spend some money to avoid a frustrating 2012/13.

Blackburn

Steve Kean has had to deal with a barrage of criticism from both the media and a section of his own fans, as Blackburn spent the majority of the season in the bottom three and were relegated before the last day. The sales of defenders Christopher Samba and Phil Jones have blighted the Ewood Park side’s backline, and Rovers fans have had to watch the ball hit the back of their net 78 times this term.

The positives for the Lancashire club are the emergence of young stars such as Junior Hoilett and Grant Hanley, and the return to form of seasoned attacker Yakubu. Hoilett is out of contract and sure to move to bigger and better things in the summer, whilst the future of Hanley, Kean and owners Venkys is still undetermined.

Bolton

Bolton have suffered a downturn in confidence and form over the last 12 months, with Owen Coyle’s men going from a tough team to beat last term to a soft touch this season and suffering relegation. Wanderers have been another side that have looked odds on for the drop throughout the campaign, and their traditional stubbornness, especially at the Reebok Stadium, has been lacking.

The club has been rocked by the health issues of Fabrice Muamba, who suffered a cardiac arrest back in March. Mark Davies has impressed in an under-performing team this year and is likely to leave the Reebok Stadium in the summer. The Trotters should back Coyle in trying to get them back to the top flight, but may have to sell a sizeable chunk of their playing squad.

Chelsea

The promise offered by talented coach Andre Villas Boas failed to come to fruition for Chelsea this term, but a rejuvenation under interim boss Roberto Di Matteo could result in a memorable season for the Blues. Unexpectedly through to the final of the Champions League after heroics against Barcelona, they must beat Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena to qualify for next season’s competition and seal a memorable turnaround. An FA Cup triumph against Liverpool at Wembley was the domestic highlight for the west London club after a sixth place finish in the Premier League.

Di Matteo has reinvigorated the at-times failing old guard, who have proved that they are not ready for the scrapheap just yet. The ability of attackers Juan Mata and Daniel Sturridge has stood out, but one feels that Roman Abramovich must get his selection of manager right for the club to consistently challenge.

Everton

A season of two contrasting halves, Everton has recovered from a below-par start to the campaign to rediscover form and beat some of the leading teams in the league in the process. David Moyes has celebrated ten years in charge at Goodison Park with another top-half finish and the Scot has excelled given limited resources. Finishing in seventh, ahead of Merseyside rivals Liverpool, gives the club’s supporters local bragging rights, even if they were beaten three times by the Reds this term.

The January signing of Nikica Jelavic has been an inspired one, and the Croat marksman looks to have given the Merseysiders a cutting edge up front. The permanent resigning of Steven Pienaar would be a good move, but Moyes needs to ensure the likes of Leighton Baines and Marouane Fellaini do not leave this summer.

Fulham

Martin Jol took a while to get back into the swing of English football, but the Dutch maestro has ensured that Fulham have been competitive at worst and impressive when they hit their straps. A ninth place is no mean achievement, and they ended up joint on points with Liverpool; the Craven Cottage outfit will look at a top half finish as a strong season.

Clint Dempsey has been the standout player for the Cottagers, who will face a battle to hold onto the United States international this summer. Bryan Ruiz has improved after a slow start to life in England, whilst an attempt to make Pavel Pogrebnyak’s move permanent is expected.

Liverpool

Despite Carling Cup success and the progression to the FA Cup final, this term has not been one Liverpool will look back on fondly. Inconsistent form in the league, especially disappointing results at Anfield, saw the Reds finish in eighth place, with a woeful second half of the campaign threatening the Merseysiders with even dropping out of the top half.

Luis Suarez has shown his best and worst sides this term, with stellar individual performances being counteracted by his racism scandal. The Fenway Sports Group need to further invest in the playing squad if the Reds are rediscover former glories, it needs to select a worthy successor to Dalglish.

Manchester City

Last-day drama brought Manchester City their first title since 1968, with two goals in stoppage time against QPR proving the small margins between success and failure. The new champions have been the most consistent and impressive team this term, and despite winning the league on goal difference are worthy victors. Roberto Mancini’s men have been scintillating at times this term, and the likes of Sergio Aguero, David Silva and Yaya Toure are some of the country’s best.

More big names are expected to join the revolution this summer, with Eden Hazard reportedly the club’s number one transfer target. The future of talented troublemakers Mario Balotelli and Carlos Tevez is still up in the air, but Mancini’s men will look to retain their title and make an assault on the Champions League next term.

Manchester United

The defending champions had the Premier League title in their hands, but surrendered an eight-point lead to be beaten into second place on the last day. Sir Alex Ferguson’s men have not shown the panache and ruthlessness of previous sides, and the Scottish coach will be livid at the nature of relinquishing their crown.

United have undoubtedly missed injured senior campaigners Nemanja Vidic and Darren Fletcher, and have relied on Wayne Rooney for goals. Antonio Valencia has impressed and Paul Scholes coming out of retirement has provided a short-term fix in the centre of the park. The summer should see a couple of players leave, with a full-back and attacking midfielder on the transfer wishlist and needed if United are to wrestle the title back from their noisy neighbours.

Newcastle

The surprise package of the season, Newcastle should be praised for their considerable efforts this term in exceeding expectations and challenging for a top four spot. Although they ended up in fifth place after a last-day defeat to Everton, Alan Pardew and his team should be saluted for an excellent campaign.

Although the Tyneside club will look to strengthen in the transfer window, the real battle will be to hold onto their stars, with Yohan Cabaye, Demba Ba and Cheik Tiote in particular not short of suitors. The January signing of Papiss Cisse has been inspired, and the Senegal international has been one of the stars of this year’s campaign.

Norwich

Newly-promoted Norwich have abided fears that they could be instantly demoted back to The Championship with a no-fear approach and some excellent football along the way. Paul Lambert has his team believing in their abilities; the Carrow Road club finished in 12th place and were never in danger of the drop.

Grant Holt has been the club’s talisman by leading from the front, whilst Anthony Pilkington has looked accomplished and by no means out of his depth. The Canaries will look to be sensible and astute in this summer’s transfer market to ensure another competitive season in 2012-13.

QPR

QPR have had a tough season back in the top flight, and although they got markedly better since Tony Fernandes’ takeover and under Mark Hughes’ tutelage, they needed to wait to the last day of the season to guarantee Premier League football for next term. Excellent home form has been the reason for survival, with victories over Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham sticking out in the memory.

QPR have added some real quality since the turn of the year, with the likes of Djibril Cisse, Bobby Zamora and Taye Taiwo contributing to better performances. If the Londoners can sort out their form on the road, Fernandes’ money could power Rangers into a comfortable Premier League club next term.

Stoke

Stoke have flown under the radar slightly this season in the Premier League, with Tony Pulis’ men continuing to prove tricky customers without threatening the top half or risking relegation. The Potters had their first adventure in Europe, beating some established sides before they were eliminated from the Europa League by Spanish giants Valencia.

Peter Crouch has been a fans’ favourite since moving to the Britannia, and alongside Jonathan Walters has proved a handful for most defences this term, but not scored enough goals. However, for Stoke to really progress you feel added creativity in the centre of the park is needed this summer.

Sunderland

Again a tale of two halves of the season, Sunderland have avoided a relegation-threatened campaign with the replacement of Steve Bruce with Martin O’Neill. The Northern Irishman has added a steel to the Black Cats that was previously missing, but the honeymoon period started to rub off towards the end of the campaign. Despite this, a 13th placed finish will be satisfactory after a poor start to the campaign.

James McClean and Stephane Sessegnon have been the club’s standout performers this term, and O’Neill will look to add his own feel to the club this summer in the transfer market. A commanding central defender is needed to banish lapses in concentration at the back, whilst Nicklas Bendtner’s return to Arsenal will leave a gap in attack.

Swansea

First-time Premier League team Swansea have been arguably the team of the season, playing excellent football and surprising the footballing community with an assured debut campaign in the top flight. Brendan Rodgers employs an attacking brand of football that has to be admired, and the Liberty Stadium outfit will take pride in their wins over Arsenal and Manchester City in particular this term.

A gifted midfield of Leon Britton, Joe Allen and loan star Gylfi Sigurdsson has been the side’s heartbeat, and the Swans will look to make the latter’s move to Wales permanent and add a few more experienced heads to excel next term. An 11th placed finish is an outstanding achievement, in what has been a dream season for the Liberty Stadium club’s fans.

Tottenham

From title contenders to potentially missing out on European qualification altogether, Tottenham fans have been delighted and frustrated in equal measures this season. An at-times scintillating attacking style has seen Spurs within a couple of points of the top this term, but a loss of form since February threatened to destroy a promising campaign.

Spurs finished in fourth but are not assured Champions League football next term, as they must wait to see whether Chelsea will snatch their place by winning this term’s competition. Holding onto stars Luka Modric and Gareth Bale is crucial, whilst a new striker, central defender and in the long-term goalkeeper is needed to continue the White Hart Lane club’s charge for recognition.

West Brom

Roy Hodgson has turned West Brom’s season round since the new year, with a run of positive results moving the Baggies away from the relegation dogfight and comfortably into mid-table; they finished 10th. Such has been the progression of the Hawthorns club, that Hodgson has left the club to assume the England manager’s position.

Peter Odemwingie is arguably the most talented of an enthusiastic group, but has been linked with a move away from the club in the summer. West Brom have missed injured captain Chris Brunt, and need to solidify at the back to finish in the top half next year. Their search for a new manager will begin in earnest now that the campaign has finished.

Wigan

Perennial basement boys Wigan have again had an arduous journey in 2011-12, with the Latics seemingly leaving any resistance to the second half of the season when in danger of the drop. Roberto Martinez’s men have shown that they have what it takes to play in the top flight however by beating Manchester United, Newcastle and Arsenal this term and ended up in 15th place, seven points above the bottom three.

Victor Moses has been a revelation his season and captured the imagination with progressive displays. The DW Stadium club have done well given limited resources, and will look to add a few more lesser-known stars to the squad this summer.

Wolves

Wolves will play in The Championship next term, after a poor decision by the club’s board effectively ended their season. The sacking of Mick McCarthy, despite a bad run of form, has deflated the squad and Terry Connor has not been backed by the players, resulting in a woeful five wins in total this season.

The club will most likely lose their star players such as Steven Fletcher, Wayne Hennessy, Matt Jarvis and Kevin Doyle, and will look to regroup and bounce straight back after demotion to English football’s second tier. Stale Solbakken is set to be announced as the club’s new manager, and the Molineux outfit fans will look to put this season’s disappointments behind them.

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Now that Kenny Dalglish has been sacked as Liverpool manager, the race is on to see who will become the new manager at Anfield.

As you can see from the poll below, there are a lot of available options depending on how much money Fenway Sports Group is willing to spend. Or, they could go for a young up-and-coming manager instead.

Needless to say, the decision by Fenway Sports Group is a massive one. Liverpool supporters will want to improve on their past results, and will have little patience.

Who do you think should be the next Liverpool manager? Vote below, and then let us know your opinions in the comments section below.

The plot line for the joint Liverpool and FOX Soccer documentary about the behind-the-scenes story at Liverpool FC got decidedly more exciting today after it was announced that Kenny Dalglish has been sacked as Liverpool manager. Roberto Martinez is the favorite to replace him according to the bookies, and bets on Martinez and Rafa Benitez have been suspended.

However, earlier today, BBC’s Ian McGarry (who is a guest host on the BBC Radio Five Live Monday Night Club show) said that a current Premier League manager has been approached for discussions regarding taking over the Liverpool FC job. Despite widespread speculation among bookies that Roberto Martinez is the leading candidate, McGarry added that the Premier League manager approached for the job is not Martinez. Presuming that McGarry’s tip is valid, that leaves potential candidates as Paul Lambert, Alan Pardew, Brendan Rodgers, David Moyes and Martin O’Neill as potential candidates. But the chances of Moyes joining Liverpool from Everton would be almost impossible, while O’Neill seems happy at Sunderland. Therefore, this could open up the possibility to give either Paul Lambert or Brendan Rodgers — two managers who both finished just five points behind Liverpool with far fewer resources — an opportunity to step up into the Anfield job.

The decision for Dalglish to leave Liverpool is a wise one. The manager did well last season when he took over from Roy Hodgson, but as manager, the performances of his Liverpool squad during the 2011-12 season were — at times — woeful. It seemed that Dalglish was short of tactical ideas, kept on making excuses and wasn’t able to get the most of a poor Liverpool squad for most of the season. Their 2012 Carling Cup victory came after winning in penalties against Cardiff City, a side that West Ham United streamrolled over in the Championship Playoff semi-finals.

While Roberto Martinez is being talked about as the favorite for the Liverpool manager position, many Liverpool supporters are dismissing Martinez’s record and are calling for bigger names. The reality is, however, that Liverpool is no longer a top four club as evidenced by the eighth place finish in the season, where “lesser” clubs such as Newcastle United and cross-city rivals Everton finished above them. Many Liverpool fans have a false sense of reality where they believe they are, and that someone of the ilk of a Jose Mourinho or Didier Deschamps should be approached to take over the job. Or former hero Rafa Benitez, who is still idolized by many Liverpool supporters despite his complete fall from grace during the latter years of his Liverpool reign.

The reality is that a Paul Lambert, Roberto Martinez or Brendan Rodgers is someone better suited for the Liverpool job. These are not big names, but are instead gifted managers who know how to manage a team and how to get the most out of them. Tactically, they’re sound. And giving any of them the opportunity to replace Dalglish would be an honor to manage such a famous football club. Given the resources to build the squad, I’m sure any of those three could do a much better job of managing Liverpool than Kenny Dalglish did.

Don’t get me wrong. Kenny Dalglish is still a deserved legend at Liverpool Football Club. He turned around their 2010-11 season after Hodgson was sacked, and he regained a lot of the faith and trust in Liverpool FC. But it’s time for the club to move on. Dalglish did the best that he could, but he was out of his depth. Now is the time to hand over the manager’s job to someone who can rebuild this Liverpool squad into a team that opponents fear.

Here is Liverpool’s statement in full:

“After a careful and deliberative review of the season, the Club came to the decision that a change was appropriate. It is not a decision that was reached lightly or hastily.

The search for a new Manager will begin immediately.

Principal owner John Henry was fulsome in his praise for the outgoing Manager.

“Kenny will always be more than a championship winning manager, more than a championship winning star player. He is in many ways the heart and soul of the club. He personifies everything that is good about Liverpool Football Club. He has always put the Club and its supporters first. Kenny will always be a part of the family at Anfield.

“Our job now is to identify and recruit the right person to take this Club forward and build on the strong foundations put in place during the last 18 months.”

Liverpool Chairman Tom Werner said it was a tough decision, but ultimately one that needed to be made.

“Kenny came into the Club as Manager at our request at a time when Liverpool Football Club really needed him. He didn’t ask to be Manager; he was asked to assume the role. He did so because he knew the Club needed him. He did more than anyone else to stabilize Liverpool over the past year-and-a-half and to get us once again looking forward. We owe him a great debt of gratitude.

“However, results in the Premier League have been disappointing and we believe to build on the progress that has already been made, we need to make a change.

“We are committed to delivering success for our supporters and our ambition remains resolute to return this great Club to the elite of England and Europe, where it belongs.”

Kenny Dalglish’s departure brings to an end his second spell at the Club where, as a player, he won numerous honours, including six English league titles and three European Cup trophies. As Manager he won three league titles, two FA Cups and of course this season, the Carling Cup.

Dalglish said he is proud to have served such a great Club.

“It has been an honour and a privilege to have had the chance to come back to Liverpool Football Club as Manager. I greatly appreciate the work that Steve, Kevin, the players and all of the staff put in during my time and feel proud that we delivered the Club’s first trophy in six years winning the Carling Cup and came close to a second trophy in the FA Cup Final. Of course I am disappointed with results in the league, but I would not have swapped the Carling Cup win for anything as I know how much it meant to our fans and the Club to be back winning trophies.

“Whilst I am obviously disappointed to be leaving the football club, I can say that the matter has been handled by the owners and all concerned in an honourable, respectful and dignified way and reflects on the quality of the people involved and their continued desire to move the football club forward in the same way as when they arrived here.

“I would like to thank all of the staff at the Club for their effort and loyalty. I said when first approached about coming back as Manager that I would always be of help if I can at any time and that offer remains the same.

“Finally, I want to put on record my heartfelt gratitude to Liverpool’s fans, who have always given me and the Club their unwavering support. Without them neither the Club nor I would have achieved anything.”

UPDATE: As of Friday, May 18, Swansea City manager has been approached by Liverpool to be interviewed for the Liverpool job, but has turned down the interview request.

Fulham’s Clint Dempsey has been added to the roster of world soccer stars scheduled to play in a Miami exhibition in late June, according to The World Masters Of Soccer website.

Dempsey, the only US international ever to score 50 goals in the Premier League, will join fellow Premier League stars Didier Drogba and Luis Suarez, as well as former Premier League footballers Javier Mascherano (ex-Liverpool), Diego Forlan (ex-Manchester United), Carlos Bocanegra (ex-Fulham) and Jozy Altidore (ex-Hull City).

In addition to an all-star Premier League line-up, other world stars will play in the friendly game such as Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Dani Alves (Barcelona), Falcao (Atletico Madrid), Diego Milito (Inter Milan), Antonio Cassano (AC Milan), Julio Cesar (Inter Milan), Diego Lugano (Paris Saint-Germain), Ariel Ortega (All Boys), Edinson Cavani (Napoli), Gabriel Milito (Independiente), Ezequiel Lavezzi (Napoli), Alessandro Nesta (formerly with AC Milan), Marco Materazzi (formerly with Inter Milan), Lucio (Inter Milan) and others.

Tickets for the June 23rd exhibition game at Sun Life Stadium in Miami went on sale today. Ticket prices start at $25.

More details about the game can be found here and here.

More than 61,000 votes cast by soccer fans worldwide to recognize the best of the 2011-12 English Premier League (EPL) season

We’re proud to announce today the winners of our 4th annual EPL Awards, sponsored by Football Media. The 2012 winners are chosen by the readers and editors of EPL Talk, and honor the best soccer content and performances of the 2011-12 Premier League season.

“We rely on the EPL Talk readers to drive our annual readers choice awards, because they are among the most demanding and knowledgeable soccer fans on the planet,” said EPL Talk Editor and Publisher Christopher Harris. “Websites, podcasts and blogs are critical to keeping soccer fans constantly updated throughout the season, so when a nominee earns recognition in our awards, it really means something.”

The EPL Awards are based on the responses of thousands of EPL Talk readers, who voted from May 2 to May 13, 2012. The online ballot, which was compiled by the editors of EPL Talk, included more than 400 nominees. In addition to the readers choice awards, the editors of EPL Talk selected an Editor’s Choice Winner for each category.

Here’s the list of winners for each individual category:

Best EPL Blogs, Websites and Books

Best EPL Blog

• Dirty Tackle (Yahoo), Readers Choice and Editors Choice Winners

Best EPL Blogger

• Brooks Peck (Dirty Tackle), Readers Choice Winner
• Kieron O’Connor (The Swiss Ramble), Editors Choice Winner

Best EPL Club Blog

• ToffeeWeb (Everton), Readers Choice Winner
• ArseBlog (Arsenal), Editors Choice Winner

Best EPL Coverage Online

• The Guardian, Readers Choice Winner and Editors Choice Winners

Best EPL Writer

• Jonathan Wilson (The Guardian), Readers Choice Winner
• David Conn (The Guardian), Editors Choice Winner

Best EPL Forum

• Grand Old Team (Everton), Readers Choice and Editors Choice Winners

Best EPL Tweeter

• ArseBlogger (ArseBlog), Readers Choice and Editors Choice Winners

Best New Football Book

• The Smell Of Football (Mick Rathbone), Readers Choice Winner
• Brian Clough: Nobody Ever Says Thank You (Jonathan Wilson), Editors Choice Winner

Best Online Football Game

• Top Eleven, Readers Choice Winner
• I AM PLAYR, Editors Choice Winner

Best EPL TV, Radio and Podcast Coverage

Best EPL TV Feature Show

• Fox Soccer Report (FOX Soccer), Readers Choice and Editors Choice Winners

Best EPL Goal Highlights Show

• Match Of The Day (BBC), Readers Choice and Editors Choice Winners

Best EPL TV Commentator

• Martin Tyler (Sky Sports), Readers Choice and Editors Choice Winners

Best EPL TV Co-Commentator

• Gary Neville (Sky Sports), Readers Choice and Editors Choice Winners

Best EPL Video Site

• 101 Great Goals, Readers Choice and Editors Choice Winners

Best EPL Podcast

• Men In Blazers, Readers Choice and Editors Choice Winners

Best EPL Podcast Presenter

• Alan Davies (Tuesday Club), Readers Choice Winner
• James Richardson (The Guardian), Editors Choice Winner

Best EPL Podcast Pundit

• Keith Dover (Tuesday Club), Readers Choice Winner
• Roger Bennett (Men In Blazers), Editors Choice Winners

Best EPL Club Podcast

• The Anfield Wrap (Liverpool), Readers Choice Winner
• The Spurs Show (Tottenham), Editors Choice Winner

Best EPL Radio Show

• 606 Football Phone-In (BBC), Readers Choice Winner
• World Football Phone-In (BBC), Editors Choice Winner

Best EPL Players and Managers

EPL Player of the Year

• Robin van Persie (Arsenal), Readers Choice and Editors Choice Winners

Best EPL Manager

• Sir Alex Ferguson (Manchester United), Readers Choice Winner
• Roberto Mancini (Manchester City), Editors Choice Winner

Most Improved EPL Manager

• Alan Pardew (Newcastle United), Readers Choice and Editors Choice Winners

Best EPL Striker

• Robin van Persie (Arsenal), Readers Choice and Editors Choice Winners

Best EPL Midfielder

• Antonio Valencia (Manchester United), Readers Choice Winner
• Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Editors Choice Winner

Best EPL Defender

• Jonny Evans (Manchester United), Readers Choice Winner
• Vincent Kompany (Manchester City), Editors Choice Winner

Best EPL Goalkeeper

• David De Gea (Manchester United), Readers Choice Winner
• Joe Hart (Manchester City), Editors Choice Winner

A complete list of nominees and winners can be found at www.epltalk.com/awards
About Football Media
Football Media have helped more than 150 football sites like EPLTalk.com increase their revenues, and help brands like adidas, Heineken, FedEx, Castrol, Ladbrokes, ESPN and Sky reach over 30 million online football fans each month. For more details, visit footballmedia.com.

Caught your breath yet from Sunday’s Premier League season finale excitement? What a way to end the 2011-12 season. After 38 games, the table doesn’t lie, or so says the time-honored cliché, and Manchester City is deserving champions.

With that said, I’ve been surprised at how little outcry there has been, or discussion at the least, about using goal difference as the first tiebreaker when determining final positions in the league table. I’m not exactly sure why that method has been so accepted for so long and not questioned at all. Could it simply be because that’s how things have always been? If that is the case, that’s ridiculous.

By looking purely at goal difference, we gain, admittedly, a pretty decent picture of how the table is ordered by points. Logic tells us that the best teams win more games, outscoring their opponents and thus accumulating a better goal difference. On the flipside, teams near the bottom will have lost more games and thus accumulated a worse goal difference. Just as a broad, general tool, goal difference can be a useful tool to capture the state of the league.

Broad and general is not good enough, though, when millions of pounds in prize money and potential European qualification places, as well as relegation, is on the line. Using head-to-head results is by far the better method to order teams, one that actually prioritizes what the tied teams have done against each other. If teams are tied, and the definition of “tie” is that they are supposedly equal, surely the best way to determine who is better would be to look at how they fared on the field. Goal difference can be fluky, and significantly altered by just one or two good or bad results with high-scoring final outcomes. But it must be said that whether goal difference or head-to-head results were used Sunday, Manchester City still would have been crowned champions.

Liverpool, however, finished on 52 points, good for 8th-best in the league but exactly equal with Fulham in wins, draws, and losses. Even though Fulham beat Liverpool twice this season, they finished in 9th, behind Kenny Dalglish’s woefully disappointing outfit. Why? Because Liverpool managed a superior goal difference.

West Brom, who had a terrific season under Roy Hodgson, lost to Swansea home and away but finished ahead of the Swans on the basis of one goal scored, the second tiebreaker behind goal difference. Norwich City, who like Swansea had a fantastic first year in the Premier League, tied on points (47) with both Swansea and West Brom, but finished behind BOTH of them despite defeating Swansea twice and splitting victories with West Brom. That dastardly goal difference again, up to its unjust tricks. If head-to-head was used instead, Norwich (with 9 points gained from their 4 games against tied rivals) would finish in 10th, ahead of Swansea in 11th (with 6 points gained) and West Brom in 12th (with 3 points gained).

According to the Liverpool Daily Echo, figures from the 2010-11 season indicate that each higher place is in the standings is worth an extra £800,000 in prize money. Fulham, for me, should be awarded that ahead of Liverpool, and Norwich an extra £1,600,000. On the flip side, of course, Liverpool would miss out on £800,000, and West Brom would lose £1,600,000, a nice bit of cash for a mid-table outfit.

You may think to yourself, “£800,000?? That’s nothing”. In some cases, to some teams, you may be right. However, Sunderland bought the outstanding young left winger James McClean for £350,000 from Derry City last August. Shaun Maloney, who had a terrific game for Wigan against Manchester United in April — getting a goal and helping lift Roberto Martinez’s side out of the relegation zone — cost the Latics only £1 million. Swansea paid £1.6 million for Michel Vorm — one of the best goalkeepers in Britain this year.

Good, inexpensive players can be found through scouting and development. Extra prize money can go into the transfer kitty, pay loan fees, or help pay wages.

It’s not just prize money in the hundreds of thousands of pounds or few million. What if goal difference decided even more valuable positions like the difference between staying in the Premier League or being relegated to the Championship? Or what about the financial and prestige difference between playing in the Champions League and playing in the Europa League, or even playing in the Europa League and playing in no European competition at all?

If you take a look at the final Premier League table this season, simply organized by goal difference rather than points, you’d find an interesting result. The top four and bottom four teams would stay the same, and that’s to be expected.

However, Newcastle, who everyone would agree had a great season with Premier League Manager of the Year Alan Pardew guiding a team built on cheap signings, finished 8th instead of 5th. Sunderland’s revitalization under Martin O’Neill helped boost them to the 9th-best goal difference, but they still finished 13th in the league. Aston Villa, my favorite club, was simply awful to watch this season yet still managed the 14th-best goal difference, two places ahead of their actual final position. Stunningly, they were only two goals in difference worse off than Norwich, who had a far more impressive season and should have finished 10th, as I mentioned earlier.

The point is, goal difference simply just doesn’t matter that much, at least not enough to be the first tiebreaker when there are, potentially, millions of pounds on the line. Head-to-head results are a better option, one that some other leagues in Europe have been smart enough to implement, including Serie A, La Liga. If it’s good enough for two of the best leagues in the world, I don’t see why it shouldn’t be good enough for the Premier League as well.

An exhibition game entitled The World Soccer Masters Tour will feature Didier Drogba, Luis Suarez, Javier Mascherano, Lionel Messi, Diego Forlan and several other high-profile footballers in a game to be played at Sun Life Stadium in Miami on June 23, 2012.

Other stars scheduled to play include Falcao (Atletico Madrid), Dani Alves (Barcelona), Edison Cavani (Uruguay), Alessandro Nesta, Diego Milito (Inter Milan) and Marco Materazzi. Former Brazilian coach Dunga will manage Lionel Messi’s team.

As part of The World Soccer Masters Tour, the two teams will play against each other in Bogota, Colombia on June 21, 2012.

“It will be a real soccer show,” said the organizer to The Miami Herald, on Saturday. “The fans will be able to watch an open game, without pressure, with Messi and the other stars displaying all their fancy play on the field.”

According to The World Soccer Masters Tour, the June 23rd game will be televised live on FOX Soccer.

Tickets are available via Ticketmaster and will go on sale on May 15, 2012, starting at $25.

In addition to The World Soccer Masters Tour exhibition game, another high profile game will be played in Miami this summer when Chelsea plays AC Milan in a July 28 friendly at Sun Life Stadium.