REVISITED: Preseason Predictions from the RBM Team

With the 2012-13 season ending last weekend, this is a good time to look back at some of the preseason predictions the Royal Blue Mersey editorial team had made. We were spot on with quite a few things and way off with many others, laughably so on some of those!

Here are the questions asked, and what really transpired.. and then our best guesses follow after that.

Everton's final position: 6th
Top 4: Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal
Relegated: Queens Park Rangers, Reading, Wigan
League Cup winner: Swansea City
Everton's League Cup finish: 3rd Rd
FA Cup winner: Wigan
Everton's FA Cup finish: Quarter Finals
Premier League leading scorer: Robin Van Persie
Most surprising Everton player: Seamus Coleman (possibly Victor Anichebe too?)
Most disappointing Everton player: Nikica Jelavic

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Tom

Everton's final position: 6th, a minor improvement on last year, especially if we start well (please!!).
Top 4: Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal
Relegated: Norwich, Wigan, West Brom. Though I think up to 12 teams could be involved in a relegation battle this year.
League Cup winner: Everton
Everton's League Cup finish: Winners!
FA Cup winner: Manchester United
Everton's FA Cup finish: Quarter-final
Premier League leading scorer: Sergio Aguero
Most surprising Everton player: Tough one, I will probably go for Francisco Junior, with Rodwell departing he and Barkley should see some more first-team action next season.
Most disappointing Everton player: Victor Anichebe, the potential is there, but is doesn't look like he is going to realise it. I hope I'm wrong!

Calvin

Everton's final position: 6th
Top 4: Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal
Relegated: Reading, West Ham, Norwich (at least six teams will be in the dogfight to the end - Wigan, Villa, and QPR included)
League Cup winner: Manchester City
Everton's League Cup finish: Runners-up
FA Cup winner: Tottenham
Everton's FA Cup finish: Quarterfinals
Premier League leading scorer: Rooney - he's hungry, and will dominate.
Most surprising Everton player: Naismith - expectations are higher for Jelavic but I expect Naismith to tie Jelavic for scoring leader on the team.
Most disappointing Everton player: Jagielka - the injuries are starting to take a toll, and Heitinga-Distin looks like more of a solid pairing.

Darren

Everton's final position: 5th
Top 4: Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal
Relegated: West Ham United, Aston Villa, Southampton
League Cup winner: Tottenham Hotspur
Everton's League Cup finish: Semi Finals
FA Cup winner: Everton
Everton's FA Cup finish: See above!
Premier League leading scorer: Wayne Rooney
Most surprising Everton player: Ross Barkley - no surprise to me, but I think to the country as a whole. He should get more of an opportunity to show what he can do, and his talent is unquestionable. The broken leg picked up playing for England set him back 12 months.
Most disappointing Everton player: I really want to put Victor Anichebe here, but his performances won't be most disappointing, they already are disappointing! For me, I think most disappointing Everton player will be Seamus Coleman.

Mike

Everton's final position: 6th. They are better this year than last, and with the teams in front of them not improving I'm sticking with optimism.
Top 4: Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal. I wish I could be more creative, but I can't. If (when) RVP moves, and Tottenham, Newcastle, Liverpool, or yes maybe even Everton do some real business before the deadline, I could see one of the next four nabbing that final Champions League spot. But as it stands now it doesn't seem likely.
Relegated: Reading, Southampton, Wigan. The magic has to end some time for Wigan right?
League Cup winner: Chelsea
Everton's League Cup finish: Semi Finals
FA Cup winner: Newcastle
Everton's FA Cup finish: Quarter Finals
Premier League leading scorer: Wayne Rooney. But Jelavic will be in the mix.
Most surprising Everton player: Fellaini is going to find the back of the net more than anybody expects.
Most disappointing Everton player: Victor Anichebe. Who else?

Brian

Everton's final position: 6th
Top 4: Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea
Relegated: Wigan, West Ham, QPR
League Cup winner: Chelsea
Everton's League Cup finish: Quarterfinals
FA Cup winner: Everton
Everton's FA Cup finish: Winner
Premier League leading scorer: Robin van Persie
Most surprising Everton player: Shane Duffy
Most disappointing Everton player: Steven Pienaar

Sean

Everton's final position: 6th
Top 4: Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal. Boring I know, though I will say that I think Chelsea will finish very close to United, and that at least two other teams (possibly including Everton?) will push Arsenal into May for the last Champions League place.
Relegated: Wigan, West Brom, Reading
League Cup winner: Everton
Everton's League Cup finish: Winner
FA Cup winner: Manchester City
Everton's FA Cup finish: Fourth round after an unlucky draw
Premier League leading scorer: Sergio Aguero
Most surprising Everton player: Leon Osman. I've always been an unabashed Osman supporter, and I think he's going to have a career year, approaching double digit goals.
Most disappointing Everton player: John Heitinga. Not saying he's going to be a disaster, but I wouldn't be surprised if he fails to live up to his form from last year. We haven't exactly had a terrific record with our Players of the Season repeating their production, either.