Premier League season kick-off: The big questions that remain unanswered

THE title race is just the icing on the cake. Beneath that race lie layers upon layers of questions that will make this EPL season as compelling as anything we’ve seen.

Arsenal's English forward Theo Walcott (2nd R) celebrates a goal.

AHEAD of the Premier League kick-off, here’s nine questions we eagerly await to find out the answer to.

Who will Jose fall out with first?

Jose Mourinho has previous with… well, pretty much everyone – but given the concerns at Old Trafford about his past behaviour, it will be interesting to see if the new United boss can reign in his worst traits. Let’s see what happens if the title chase is as close as it should be. Will be it be old foes Pep and Arsene, or maybe new boys Poch and Klopp? Or a ref? Or a club physio…? We’re tipping first blow-up by Christmas…

Manchester United's Spanish midfielder Juan Mata (C) talks with Jose Mourinho.

How long has Arsene got?

Huge transfers. Superstar names. Excited fans. Arsene Wenger has none of these. And everyone else does. So if Arsenal fans were already on his back last season while their rivals were flailing, how will they react if things don’t improve this season? Lose the opener at home to Liverpool and the Frenchman could have a revolution on his hands.

Arsenal's English forward Theo Walcott.

Can Hammers live up to billing?

After manoeuvring their way into the vacant London Olympic Stadium, West Ham now have to fill it – complete with the 30m running track between the stands and pitch – and build on what was their best Premier League season. Coach Slaven Bilic looks like the goods – but can he maintain consistency? It wouldn’t be the first time the bubble has burst quickly for the Hammers.

West Ham United's French midfielder Dimitri Payet (3rd R).

Do you Zlatan?

No. No one Zlatan’s – but Zlatan. Ibra and Jose were always destined to end up at Old Trafford, a place engineered to contain football’s greatest egos. That combination of mythical swagger and overbearing arrogance – and no Champions League football – should see showmanship and silverware back in the red half of Manchester. And the rest of the league will only have those cherished memories of Moyes mediocrity and LVG-induced schadenfreude to sustain them as the empire strikes back.

Manchester United's Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Can Tottenham ‘go again’?

Anyone Spurs fan who watched England’s Euro 2016 campaign (a sewing option that should have been accompanied by circus music, such was the absolute shamble sit was) probably had more reason to cringe than most. In a cast list of Ben Hur proportions, a couple of their players stood out as particularly disappointing. Harry Kane and Dele Alli showed none of the verve and effectiveness expected of them. Was it stage fright, or were they just knackered after an emotionally and physically demanding season. Mauricio Potchettino has a job on his hands lifting his young side after they gave their all and fell short last term.

Want mo’ Moyes?

It’s the appointment Sunderland fans were dreaming of. Forget Sam Allardyce – what the Black Cats really need is a man left wanting at the very highest level and who knows how to keep a mediocre team mediocre without spending a fortune. David Moyes is that man. It is the Stadium of Light and he is the resurrection. Can the man who left Manchester looking so bewildered lead Sunderland back to the heady heights of mid-table?

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Was it really worth the effort for Hull?

Hull City fans probably can’t even remember the euphoria of their day at Wembley last May, when a 1-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday gave them passage to the promised land of the Premier League. They line up against last season’s champions this weekend in abject disarray. Without a permanent manager after Steve Bruce walked out this summer, they lost their best player in Mohamed Diame - and to Championship side Newcastle no less - haven’t made a single permanent signing and are suffering the type of injury crisis that is usually the preserve of Arsenal around Christmas. Before a ball has been kicked it seems like all they have to play for this term is a shot at Derby Country’s record low points tally of 11 in 07/08.

What next for the nouveau riche?

Stoke. Crystal Palace. Everton. Storied names that once invoked torrid nightmares of long balls and short fuses. But with the Premier League flooded with cash, and Leicester breaking the rules, these newly moneyed rank-and-file clubs have ideas above their station. Since when did Crystal Palace have the means to offer 30 million for a striker? How can Everton seriously keep hold of Romelu Lukaku? What the hell has happened to Stoke? The Premier League ain’t what it used to be.

And people get paid for this?

“A new wrapped bladder system ensures the smoothest and most consistent surface - delivering optimal touch and accurate flight. The geometric 12 panel fuse-welded construction employs a new 3D printed ink technique. Finally, the ball’s graphics follow the design principle of ‘Flow Motion’, applying a luminance that ensures excellent visibility while the ball is in play.” That, friends, is a ball. (The new Premier League Nike Ordem 4 ball.)

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Originally published as Premier League season kick-off: The big questions that remain unanswered