The Last Word - Sports Blog (Sean Simara)

In what's known as the toughest league of the world to get out of, the Championship this season is looking like a real battle, to just survive never mind winning it. Here's my preview on what will once again be a bumpy ride of a season, The 46 game slog-fest starts on Friday night when Nottingham Forest face Millwall & Derby travel to newly relegated Sunderland. So who will live up to the pre season hype? Who will flatter to deceive? And who will be the shock team of the season? Middlesbrough have spent big, splashing out £9m on Martin Braithwaite from Toulose & Britt Assombalonga £15m from Forest. Gary Monk is in as new manager,  surprising he left Leeds, but it's a unstable situation there. At The Riverside Boro' look the best bet to go straight back up at the first time of asking. Sunderland who also went down look like there in a bit of a mess and things could get even worse. There better players have all jumped ship. The big earners who have done nothing ...

What's the latest? Here we go.... Neymar on his way to PSG? a deal that is just mega money as PSG look to trigger his release clause. But is he really going off to Paris? He wants a Ballon D'or its a Brazil thing. You can't win it when your not the best player at in your team so maybe. However FIFA don't give the award for PSG players. We shall wait and see on that one. Virgil Van Dijk is on 'Van Strike' as he has been training on his own and wants out. What does training on his own mean? Kicking a ball against at wall at Southampton's training ground? No players talking to him? Naby Keita looks like he will be staying at RB Leipzig as Liverpool have had 3 bids rejected. He did nearly cripple a team mate in training this week. West Ham finally landed some players, the signing of Javier Hernandez 'Chicharito' is a good bit of business a proven scorer and for so cheap in today's market. Over at Man City Pep got rid of all his full backs this su...

Here's the latest from the past week. Kyle Walker is now the most expensive defender in football as he sets off to Man City. Now to me Spurs always make good business for the books. Berbatov, Modric, Bale etc Levy is no fool. But if Tottenham really want to challenge again making themselves weaker & City stronger may not be the best way of going about things. 'Sanchez Saga Latest' : He's making comments about playing 'Champions League' football, he may have to force a move out the club himself if he really wants to go. Bayern have said their no interested. At West Ham it looks like Joe Hart will be their marquee signing after passing his medical. For me he is done and West Ham may come to regret this move.  Chelsea's hunt for a new forward may bring the to the door of Sergio Aguero . You would think no way City would sell to a rival and a player who has done so much for them. It would be really REALLY annoying if they land him. Man United mak...

The biggest deal of the week has come as a bit of a shock as Man United ended there interest in Morata and focused their attention to Lukaku who they have landed, from under the nose of Chelsea. So United have replaced the goals they have lost in Zlatan in a big way. Stormzy will be happy. Chelsea could now turn to Morata or Llorente who are now looking a little light up top. Costa looks like he has defiantly played his last game at Chelsea. Tiemoue Bakayoko , should be through the door next week to go with Antonio Rudiger who they signed from Roma, in what has to be the worst 'new player social media video' ever. Rooney has returned home to Everton with his PJs and all. He will have a massive point to prove to all his doubters. Liverpool and Tottenham have been kind of quiet, they don't want to get left behind with so many getting stronger.  Elsewhere some other notable news, West Ham this week were linked to Javier Hernandez and Marko Arnautovic. Some other...

A  new feature this summer looking at some of the latest transfer gossip and deals with my take on them. Alexandre Lacazette to Arsenal looks likely, some big clubs have been sniffing around him for a few summers. Now he's fallen behind Olivier Giroud in the French pecking order, so a bit of a down grade. Probably means Sanchez gone then too? Sanchez to Bayern Munich? Arsenal have said they won't let him go to another English club...yeah OK 'R.V.P' Man City he could easily end up there. City also have the most expensive deal for a English club so far, bringing in Bernardo Silva from Monaco. Pep you may want to buy some defenders though now. Everton have done a bunch of business, there going to get the cash back with the sale of Romelu Lukaku which looks like a return to Chelsea. Sandro Ramirez looks good, Michael Keane & Jordan Pickford is a nice little English pairing. Imagine if they had the England Captain on loan hey? Man United apart from Victor Lindel...

Arsenal will be looking to become the 13 time FA Cup winners this weekend as they take on London rivals Chelsea at Wembley Stadium. There third final in four years, the Gunners will be seeking some joy on what has been a difficult season. Standing in their way, Chelsea who are hunting down a double, which they last did (this double League & FA Cup) in 2010. Both teams have great records at the 'new' Wembley & will be quite comfy in their surroundings. For Arsenal they will be without Laurent Koscielny & Gabriel at the back. Which is a shame for the neutral as they don’t like Diego Costa could have made fun viewing. Chelsea should really be at full strength. No top four for Arsenal is a huge blow, Champions League qualification is what they lived on, and for a team who is fragile most of the time a defeat against Chelsea could have severe repercussions. Arsene Wenger’s position has never been under such threat, the toxic atmosphere through the season has grow...

A quick look back at how my Premier League picks went. I had Chelsea as the Champions, Antonio Conte's first season in English football could even land him a double. Chelsea were like a machine and just stormed there way to the title. As for the rest of the top 4 I had the Manchester clubs, only City though will be playing Champions League via league qualification though. Arsenal shockingly didn't make top 4! Fan TV on Thursday nights it seems for next season.  For the drop the only one I got correct was Hull City, how could I not pick Sunderland!  In the Championship, Newcastle winning the league was pretty easy to call. Even though they made hard work of it. Going against Brighton was a bit of an own goal.  Sheffield Wednesday going up is still on the cards via the play-offs. To go down I got Rotherham United right.  For League One, Scunthorpe United got to the play-offs along with Millwall. The Lions are the ones with a chance of promotion this weekend as the...