90min Writers Reveal Their Predictions and Long-Shots for Football in 2018

It's becoming a bit of an annual ritual this, isn't it? Last January saw the some of our best and brightest threw out some predictions for 2017 - and this year...well, this year we've scrabbled together bits and pieces from anyone who could be bothered to reply to an email between Christmas and New Year's Eve.

For maximum elation/humiliation in 12 months time, you know how it is. Click here to have a look at last year's shouts (and here for the year before), some better than others, and...well, let's get into it shall we?

Chris Deeley

Antonio Conte Leaves Chelsea

Frankly, I'm a touch surprised that it didn't happen in the latter half of 2017, given the clear antagonism between himself and the board - and a less than entirely solid start to the season. Look, it's simple. Stamford Bridge is a volatile environment, the expectations are higher than the resources can reliably deliver and Conte misses Italy. It's not a relationship built to last. 

Long Shot: Bloody I Don't Know, Something That Isn't About Mourinho or Manchester City

Let's say...someone finally stops Don Balon - an actual website called 'Mr. Ball' - being given as a 'source' in any transfer story. Throw in Diario Gol, Fichajes (they've more or less gone anyway) and Indy bloody Kaila, and you've got footballing utopia. 

It won't happen. We're all journalists here, we know we need the stories. But...well, it'd be nice, wouldn't it?

Scott Saunders

Manchester City Will Enjoy Most Successful Season in English Football History

Long shot, maybe? But upon reflection, it's really not.

Pep Guardiola might say that any team that has Lionel Messi in it is the team who are favourites to win the Champions League, but Man City are so incredibly irresistible at the moment. It's showing no signs of stopping. This is a team who you just know will carry on as normal if and when they do finally lose. They're destroying teams, and their defence is finally solid. 

At time of writing, City's defence is the best in the Premier League. And all we talk about is how good they are going forward. They've won the Premier League already. They've got a bloody brilliant chance of doing it unbeaten. 

They'll beat Chelsea or Arsenal in a one-off League Cup final. They're the strongest team in the Champions League. Hell, they'll probably win the FA Cup too. Their players will win Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year, Harry Kane will get injured and Raheem Sterling will win the Golden Boot, or something. Probably.

Long Shot: Swansea City Will Stay Up

Yes, this is more of a long shot than Manchester City winning everything in the world ever. Swansea are doomed. Absolutely doomed. But there are also some other bad teams in the Premier League. Swansea, player for player, might be the worst of them, but stranger things have happened. It looks a long way off at the moment, but you never know.

Jamie Spencer

Manchester City Will Become the First Premier League Team to Hit 100 points in a Single Season

After so many wins in a row, this City side is showing itself to be the best team English football has seen in 129 years of league history. The current Premier League points record is 95, set by Chelsea in 2004/05, but City will probably reach 100.

Long Shot: Neither Ronaldo nor Messi Will Finish in the Top Two of the 2018 Ballon d'Or

Let's say it will be Neymar and Harry Kane at #1 and #2.

Tom Power

One of Spurs' Top Talents will leave for Real Madrid

Will it be record breaker Harry Kane or the apparently in-demand Dele Alli? Who knows, but Tottenham could struggle to retain the services of either star if Los Blancos come calling with a humongous offer next summer. The pair will be in Russia with England for the World Cup and if either have a good tournament, who's to say they won't be strutting their stuff at Santiago Bernabeu in 2018/19?

Long Shot: Jose Mourinho Will Leave Manchester United

He's already pulling out all the classic Mourinho stops as Manchester City run away with the league title and, though it may be a slight shock to say, but the Portuguese egomaniac could find himself out of work next June.

Claims of £300m 'not being enough' to truly contend with Pep Guardiola's side are ridiculous enough, and it could just be that Mourinho walks away from Old Trafford if he doesn't get his own way between now and the summer break.