Will Manchester City pick up where they left off earlier this season steam rolling the competition? Or, will another side wrestle the trophy from the blue side of Manchester?

Here are my predictions of the most likely title contenders:

Manchester City

This season’s title winners.

Photo credit: AFP

Without a doubt, Guardiola’s team will be odds-on favorites to lift the title again next season. They have a deep, well-balanced squad and the best manager in the world. In the Premier League era only Manchester United and Chelsea have managed to repeat as title winners.

Manchester City may very well focus more energy on lifting European silverware. With their attention diverted, it will be challenging to keep a group of thoroughbred talent satisfied and motivated. These combined factors make it look less likely they are repeat champions.

Manchester United

Manchester United were my favorite to win the title this season.

I watched some of their early games and thought they looked disciplined and powerful. With De Gea in goal, Smalling and Jones in defense, Matic and Pogba in midfield and Lukaku up front, they had a strong spine. A quality necessary to grind out results and a bevy of attacking talent in reserve.

Ultimately, it didn’t come together for the Red Devils. Mourinho hasn’t gone this long without a league title many times in his career. It’s taken a few seasons to acquire his players and stamp his brand on United. They should not be counted out in the title hunt next season.

Liverpool

With a talent-filled squad and an enthusiastic manager, Liverpool are my favorites next year. The starting eleven are good enough to compete with any squad in the world. As they’ve proven in recent matches against Manchester City.

Bringing in Naby Keita will add a dynamic, box-to-box midfielder to their ranks. Questions remain whether they can turn their classy European performances into week-in, week-out results in the Premier League.

Tottenham

Spurs ability to compete for the title rests on their ability to hold on to top players and build on the young English core.

Are they finally willing to rebuff big money offers for the likes of Kane, Dier and Alli? If they want to compete for a title, Pochettino will need to not only hold on to key players but also add depth and ability to the squad. Still, a lack of title winning experience and depth probably means only a Top-4 race at the new stadium in North London next season.

Chelsea/Arsenal

I group these teams together because they both seem to be in need of significant investment and change before they’ll compete for the title again.

Neither squad looks to have the ability to challenge for a title based on current form and squad composition. While Lacazette and Aubameyang could yet form a title-winning front line for Arsenal. They are in desparate need of quality defenders and a midfielder who can dictate the game.

Chelsea, on the other hand, haven’t been able to replace the guile and goal-scoring ability of Diego Costa. A player who rescued more than a handful of points for them in all competitions. Managerial uncertainty at both clubs only adds to the lack of title winning credentials.

What do you think? Are Liverpool the favorites? Will the Manchester clubs swap the title between them? Let us know in the comments below.

Super clubs dominate European leagues. Fans of smaller teams in those leagues will feel more strongly about borrowing the concept of a salary cap. Though you will not find agreement on what is the best league in the world, most soccer fans hold strong opinions about what their favorite league lacks as compared with other leagues around the world.

While the structure of leagues develop for a variety of historical and economic reasons. I have assembled best practices in four key areas from leagues around the world. My efforts are to create the ultimate soccer league.

Playoffs

Depending on the number of teams in the league, my ultimate soccer league will have playoffs. The best 4-8 teams at the end of the season will determine who wins the league title.

European leagues have history and tradition. The model of regular season results providing seeding for a do-or-die postseason has several benefits over the European, points-driven model.

Late season drama in a post-season knockout competition is severely lacking when you have runaway leaders of leagues. It would certainly add excitement to current league races. In England and Scotland, for example, top teams will get one more bite at the apple to take home the title.

Though soccer purists may argue that the league table provides the most accurate measure of the “best” team, you only need to look at Manchester City’s recent result against Liverpool to question whether they are, in fact, the best team in England.

Promotion / Relegation

Ask any Major League Soccer fan what the league could do to improve. They will likely chew your ear off with why promotion/relegation would be a welcome addition to U.S. professional soccer.

The ultimate soccer league and its lower level leagues would provide for a system of the top/bottom 2-3 teams to be promoted and relegated between divisions.

In regards to integration of lower level leagues, the European soccer structure is far superior to the U.S. The promotion/relegation system provides excitement at the top and bottom of each league and year-to-year change in terms of the teams that play each other.

With the title race all but over in England, I for one can’t wait to see a team like Southampton claw its way out of the relegation zone or Huddersfield Town secure survival. No doubt the celebrations will put the title winning parade in Manchester to shame.

Salary Cap

Let’s face it, watching two teams like Paris St. Germain versus Metz play is not the tastiest fixture in soccer. A salary cap for this new league concept would help to ensure a degree of parity throughout the league.

Still, there’s something attractive about watching teams who have spent gobs of money compete. If U.S. sports are any indication, however, you would still see loaded teams and dynasties emerge within a salary cap structure because teams distinguish themselves in other ways – coaching, location and tradition – to attract the best players.

Player Draft

As U.S. soccer teams get more involved in the youth landscape, the draft system is becoming increasingly irrelevant.

Top teams are signing talent straight from their youth academies in much the same way as European clubs. Still, to allow poor performing teams to jump start their recovery, the draft system for incoming talent is an effective tool.

Last but not least, possibly the toughest decision on the list focuses on youth development. In order to protect local talent, I’d propose a limited number of local players that can be “tagged” by a club as exempt from the draft. Otherwise, entry-level talent should come through a draft pool that each team can access through the draft.

What are your thoughts on my ideas? And what ideas do you have from other leagues that would make the ultimate soccer league the best in the world? Let us know in the comments section below.