Premier League 
/ Lee Dixon / 05 August 2011 / Leave a Comment 
Familiar faces who have been there and done it before
"So it’s Manchester United for me again. The Betfair layers aren’t taking too many chances and have chalked them up as favourites but there’s value in the 2.84 nonetheless and that’s where my money will be going."
In his first-ever column for Betfair, Lee Dixon tells us how he goes about working out the Premier League winner every season and why it's United who will be carrying his money.
When trying to work out who's going to win the Premier League at the start of every season the first question that comes to mind is: can anyone beat Manchester United this year? That may seem like an overly simplistic way of looking at things but such has been their dominance for the best part of two decades that I think that's not the worst approach to take.
Manchester United
Few would argue that Sir Alex Ferguson is one of the greatest managers the game has produced or that he seems to get better with age. The squad at his disposal is clearly world class. Having the background staff who know the football club like the back of their hand helps, as does the fact that Old Trafford is one of the most intimidating venues to come and play at in world football. But the one thing some people overlook is the strength of the dressing room. Big characters like Rio Ferdinand, Ryan Giggs and Wayne Rooney who have been at the club a long time and seen it all before. Natural winners who instil great self-belief within the squad and teach the younger players and the new signings about the Manchester United way.
They've made some good signings, too. David de Gea may take a little time to find his feet in a new league but he looks a good keeper from what I've seen of him. Ashley Young is very much a typical United player, not afraid to put in the hard yards in training and on the pitch and a guy who seems to possess that winning mentality. The most intriguing signing for me though is Phil Jones. It's easy to assume he's been brought into the squad as cover for Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand as a centre-back but I watched him play quite a few times for Blackburn as a holding midfielder and I was highly impressed with his reading of the game and composure in that more advanced position. Sir Alex may yet spring a surprise and have him pencilled in for a similar role, but we'll have to wait and see.
Chelsea
Chelsea have a good chance of course. Their fans will feel they really should have won the title last year and are still scratching their heads about why exactly they suffered a mid-season lull after starting brightly. Andre Villas-Boas arrives with fantastic credentials and the comparisons with Jose Mourinho are inevitable. But it's a long old season and winning this league at the first time of asking is a very tough task. I'm pretty sure Chelsea will come very close but I'm going to swerve them at their current price.
Manchester City
I've always felt that since the take-over it was always a question of when City would win the title rather than if. They've made good progress every year since the owners came in and the big cheques were signed off and they've already achieved two of their big objectives by winning some silverware in the form of the FA Cup and qualifying for the Champions League. I think they'll close the gap to the eventual champions even further this year but I think the City faithful may have to wait just that little bit longer.
The others
Arsenal and Tottenham can never be completely discounted at the off but they're not my idea of potential winners. Liverpool will improve but I can't see them doing it either.
So it's Manchester United for me again. The Betfair layers aren't taking too many chances and have chalked them up as favourites but there's value in the 2.84 nonetheless and that's where my money will be going.
Recommended Bet: 4 pts Manchester United to win the Premier League @ 2.84
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