10 bold predictions for European football in 2015

2014 was a brilliant year for football. Many milestones were reached, records broken and the unexpected became the norm. It was a roller coaster year for those who enjoy the beautiful game.The most notable occasions were Atletico winning the La Liga, Real Madrid winning the Champions League, Arsenal ending their trophy drought, Liverpool qualifying for the Champions League and the FIFA World Cup in Brazil. The year 2014 packed a punch and then some.The 2014-2015 season too has been off to a brilliant start and it is now showing suggestions of great in 2015 when it encounters when we reach the finale. Now, it is very hard to predict how things can go in football, especially when the game itself is so unpredictable. but here's an attempt at some of the most outrageous things that could happen.Keep in mind that these are predictions and bold ones at that. With that said, here's to a brilliant 2015.

#1 PSG to finish outside top 3 in Ligue 1

Things haven't gone exactly to plan for Laurent Blanc and his double-winning charges. After winning the title last season, it was expected that PSG would ease to another title after Monaco's misadventures in the title market, but the Ligue 1 has stepped up to offer them more than a challenge.

Buoyed by the recruitment of Marcelo Bielsa, Marseille have dominated the league from the off. A bygone conclusion morphed into a two horse race and then a three horse race when Hubert Fournier's Lyon joined the race. Marseille and Lyon now sit above PSG in the table with 41 and 39 points respectively. It is not a lot more than PSG's 38, but then again they're not subject to the same pressures as PSG. Blanc and his players have come under increasing scrutiny with every week spent not occupying the top spot.

PSG's troubles do not end with the teams above them. Christophe Galtier's AS Saint Etienne have slowly crept their way to put themselves into a position to challenge for the Champions League places. St-Etienneare currently two points behindLe Parisiens and look potent enough to go ahead ofthem in the coming months.

#2 Brendan Rodgers to get fired

Brendan Rodgers will point to last season's achievements as a sign of his potential and the kind of impact he can have on this Liverpool team, but his effect on the team prior and after has been abject. The way this season is going, it'll be tough to expect anything other than a dismissal from the job should he fail to secure Champions League football which at the moment looks, to be out of his team’s reach.

Rodgers came to Liverpool with a philosophy, a plan and as a devout proponent of beautiful football. He showed a brilliant commitment to all this in his early months. He even exhibited his ability to cope and adapt to changing circumstances, showing brilliant nous in altering tactics and tailoring them to the needs of his teams, but sadly it has all fallen to the wayside this term.

His incessant rotating of the starting eleven to cope with the mid-week games has proved unsuccessful, the constant tactical changes have exacerbated the team’s weaknesses, the defense is leaky as ever and his signings have bombed, most notably Balotelli and Lovren. This season has been a comprehensive failure for him as a manager and any renaissance, that could potentially save his job, looks way out of reach for him at the moment.

#3 Borussia Dortmund will get relegated

Many are of the opinion that Dortmund will eventually navigate their way to safety. When there is talk of relegation favourites, there has not been a mention of Der BVB, such has been the belief in their abilities despite finishing the first half of the season second from bottom.

While it is perfectly normal to espouse Dortmund's cause and their potential based on the individual talent in the squad, their characteristics haven't translated into the collective as yet this season, causing much reason for consternation. Injuries have played their part, big names have failed to perform and the new strikers have failed to fill the Lewandowski shaped hole in the team. The season so far has been an unmitigated disaster.

Confidence is low and motivation seems almost non-existent. The players and manager have quite a robust reputation, enough to secure a move to a bigger club even if relegation is to befall them and at the moment, it is hard to see how Klopp will pull his team out of this stupor.

#4 Arsenal will spend big in January

If there is one thing Arsene Wenger abhors more than crony capitalism and rag-tag football, it is the January transfer window. The Arsenal manager is a famous detractor of the winter transfer window and on occasion has even called for it to be completely removed from the football calendar. It will then be very surprising when he goes out of his way to secure his transfer targets.

Arsenal have picked up their form after a slow start to the season but don't look anywhere formidable despite the extravagance of the summer. Wenger will want to supplement his squad for the rest of the season as well as the coming season to keep the Gunners in the hunt for some silverware, and failing that, at least a Champions League qualification.

The requirements are the same as they have been for the last few Januaries. An imposing midfielder to relieve Flamini of his duties and defensive cover for Laurent Koscielny who has found himself injured a lot this season. There is also talk of players like Cavani and Reus moving to the club, but it is unlikely Arsenal will be looking to strengthen their attack any further after buying Welbeck and Sanchez in the summer.

#5 Tottenham Hotspur will win the Capital One Cup

After a rocky start under Mauricio Pochettino, Tottenham are finally finding their feet and adapting to his style. Spurs have attained solidity under their new manager and with passage of time, one can only expect them to become stronger.

The likes of Eriksen, Kane and Chadli have found their footing in the team and are performing consistently for the North Londoners. It is not unreasonable to think that they will be a stronger force to be reckoned with in the foreseeable future. However, a Champions League berth seems unlikely at this point as the teams above them have shown a similar spike in form. Their best chance of glory this season lies in the knock-out competitions.

This upturn in form has come at the right time for Spurs as they find themselves in the semi-finals of the Capital One Cup. They are the overwhelming favorites in their fixture against minnows Sheffield United. There is the small matter of facing Liverpool or Chelsea in the final, but Liverpool are beatable and given their 5-3 win over Chelsea last night, Spurs will approach the competition with complete confidence. Things definitely are looking well rosy for Spurs after a rocky start to the season.

#6 Barcelona will struggle

Luis Enrique has had a decent start as Barcelona manager. A look at the La Liga table is enough to infer that it has been a satisfying performance, but one can't ignore the feeling that there is unrest among the fans.

The Blaugrana faithful have been highly critical of Enrique so far, mostly because the football on display is not on par with that of Guardiola's Barcelona. It is somewhat unreasonable to hold Enrique to such lofty standards, but such have been the expectations of him. For him to live up to those standards is going to require a renaissance of the likes of Xavi, Iniesta et all, and at their age, it is frankly impossible.

The recent ruling by the Court of Arbitration of Sport has ensured that Barcelona will not be able to recruit during the year and this will show in the team's performance. The expectations levied on the team, coupled with getting the older stars to perform while not being able to recruit could see Enrique crumble and eventually might cause Barcelona to lose their way.

It is going to be a long and hard 2015 for Barcelona and a lot will now rest on Messi's shoulders.

#7 Crystal Palace to get relegated

Crystal Palace might think themselves shrewd for being able to tempt Alan Pardew into switching sides, but it might not pan out so well for them. Pardew, for all his strengths, isn't the kind of manager that can pull a sub-par team away from a relegation scrap. His only accomplishment in the top tier, till date, is the fifth placed finish he acquired with Newcastle in 2011-12, a feat he hasn't come close to repeating.

He started this season with no wins from the first seven games. It wasn't too unfamiliar a scenario for him and explains the clamor among the Newcastle fans to get rid of him. His record at other clubs isn't all too sparkling as well, with him getting fired at each and every one of his earlier clubs bar Newcastle.

The situation in the boardroom at Crystal Palace is much better than what it was at Newcastle and should allow Pardew to work unhindered by political and financial restraints but it is a task that might just be too much for him.

#8 Bournemouth to qualify for the Premier League

Eddie Howe's Bournemouth caught the eye in the run-up to their quarterfinal appearance against Liverpool in the Capital One Cup. As it turns out, they've been excellent in the league as well, and if all continues to go well, they should qualify for the Premier League.

Eddie Howe has made them a force to be reckoned with. Since their promotion to the Championship in 2013, they've been an attacking force to be reckoned with and are setting the division alight with their goal scoring prowess. They currently sit at the top, one point above Ipswich Town, but judging by their past performances, they should easily be able to secure promotion with their only real rivals being Ipswich.

This will be a historic promotion if it does happen, as Bournemouth have never before played in the Premier League.

#9 Real Madrid will defend the Champions League title

Real Madrid had a splendid 2014 and judging by their winning run, they look all set to continue in the same vein.

Madrid, in 2014, made a habit of dancing, dancing on the graves of the teams that dared face them, and at the time of writing, there is not a single team that can match them in Europe. Madrid were incredible in their campaign to win the much-coveted 10th Champions League title and they have only surpassed their previous performances since then.

Ronaldo is in the form of his life. Bale and Rodriguez have comfortably adjusted to being called galacticos and the likes of Benzema, Isco and Pepe have performed incredibly well. Real, on the whole, are on a dream run and it'll take something special to topple them.

This special team will, therefore, be favourites to do something which has never been done before i.e, defend their crown in the Champions League. They have the talent, the depth, and most importantly, they have a manager who has considerable experience in winning the Champions League.

#10 Jose Mourinho will end 2015 without a trophy

And finally, we finish with the boldest of predictions. Mourinho ended 2014 without a trophy, a rarity for him given his ability to swindle a trophy out of the most difficult of circumstances. He started the current season with renewed vigour and a team that can match the best in the world, but there have been signs that show that Chelsea might struggle with complacency.

Chelsea are easily the strongest team in the Premier League this season, but they haven’t been able to dispatch the ghosts of last season quite as easily as they do their rivals. A lack of focus seems to plague them when they face teams not quite at the same level.

Sunderland, Southampton, Newcastle and Tottenham have all managed to trouble the Blues. and their recent defeat against Tottenham highlighted this fact. If this problem is not nipped in the bud, and there is a good chance it will be, it could cost Chelsea dear in the coming year.