As the 2014 Dream League gets underway, here is an analysis of the chances of each of the 16 participating managers. Manager’s prospects for the new season are subject to a weighted analysis based on the current and past season scoring exploits of the players bought at auction, the calibre of their defensive unit, their remaining finances and last season’s final league position. Managers are ranked in comparison with each other. It doesn’t purport to be the most scientific analysis ever produced, but it might give some pointers as to how the season may pan out.

The analysis will be delivered in four separate issues over the next few days as we build up to the first set of qualifying fixtures next weekend.      

Part 1:  Bottom Four Bobs

Despite a good 3^rd place finish last season, the stats point to Graham struggling this time around. Never one to throw his money about, his biggest signing was the promising Everton midfielder Ross Barkley for £4.5m. However, up front, he does have a few enigmatic names to call on such as Fernando Torres, Stephen Fletcher and Andy Carroll, as we well as the relatively unknown Libor Kozak at Aston Villa. That said, Graham isn’t entrusted with huge sums of money in his day job for nothing, and as such he has kept back £7.4m to invest during the rest of the season.  

Last season’s runner-up has gone for the all-my-eggs-in-one-basket approach this season and spent all his funds at the auction but only bought the bare eleven players plus a substitute goalkeeper. However, it is quite difficult to totally waste £35m and there is no doubt that Andy has some talented individuals in that squad, including Thomas Ince, Steven Gerrard and Nick Powell on loan at Wigan from Man United. Andy will be hoping that Powell gets more game time than most loanees have had at Wigan in recent times and that the rest of his threadbare squad stay free of injury and suspension. On the plus side, only having eleven players rather than the full permissible quota of eighteen means it won’t take him long to pick his team each week.    

This is Greeny’s first season in the Dream League but, despite an auction night wobble when he struggled to understand the concept of a maximum squad size of eighteen players, he ultimately managed to put together a squad that might just about hold its own. As well as the marquee signing of Austin, whose 23 goals were largely responsible for Andy Charleston finishing second last season, he has also signed Swansea’s Michu for £5m. He also has the more than decent Lewis McGugan of Watford in midfield, though the rest of the squad will have to chip in more than they have in recent seasons if he is to do well.

In over twenty-five years of the Dream League, I cannot ever recall a Bournemouth player commanding an auction price of almost £6m. Still, that’s what happens when a player opens his season’s account against the mighty Wigan Athletic, especially if the Dream League manager concerned is an avid Wigan fan. Paul has signed three strikers who are making their Dream League debut in the shape of Erik Lemala from Tottenham, Ricky Van Wolfswinkel from Norwich and the Watford front-man, Fernando Forestieri. Paul has space for fourt more players in his squad and has roughly £1 available to spend one each come the Autumn auction in a few weeks’ time.

Next up… predicted finishers 12^th up to 9^th.