Five things we predict for the new Premier League season

So the new Premier League season kicks off today, and to celebrate another much anticipated season we've lined up five things that we think will happen this season. Five things to amaze and delight you, five things that'll have you longing for this new season to get cracking, five things that will surely have your socks rolling up and down, all by themselves...

1. There will be at least one early big name managerial casualty. We're talking one of the Big Boys, as pressure will quickly mount on any team that doesn't get off to the flying start expected by many. We're not sure which Premier League boss will be heading for the chop, but the safe money would have to be on Mancini at Manchester City, if his rebuilt City side fail to get off to anything less than a cracking start. If I had had my football predictions hat on yesterday I would have gone for Arsene Wenger at Arsenal. But he apparently put pen to paper on a new deal this morning (or at least it was announced this morning), so the chances of him going would have to be much slimmer now.
2. The surprise team of the season will be... Newcastle. Everybody will be expecting a minimal impact from the Geordies, and this might actually be in their favour. Chris Hughton did a great job to get them back in the Premiership at the first attempt, and with players like Sol Campbell joining them over the summer, they could do well.
3. The clamour for goal-line technology will reach bursting point. There will be a huge match decided by yet another poor refereeing decision, and the calls for goal-line technology will go nuts! Perhaps this will be the season when the FA decide that enough is enough? I expect to see a red-faced, seething Sir Alex to be involved somewhere...
4. The young England players called upon by Capello will shine brightly. The players expected to bring England into the next era will have a great season in the Premier League overall. The Arsenal trio of Walcott, Wilshere and Gibbs will play well when called upon, while Bobby Zamora, Michael Dawson, James Milner, Ashley Young and Adam Johnson will also do well. Will Capello be daring enough to use them in actual Euro 2012 qualifying games, that's the real question...
5. The Premier League's new heroes will be... Hernandez over at Manchester United and Chamakh over at Arsenal. Two strikers brought in over the summer, when given opportunities they will impress. A Rooney-Hernandez partnership could be lethal when in full flow, while the height and skill of Chamakh could finally supply Arsenal with a replacement for Adebayor, especially as Bendtner is out for the first few weeks of the season.