It doesn’t seem long since the last football season ended. That’s because only 34 days ago Spain and Holland kicked the crap out of each other to conclude what was, on reflection, an uninspiring and disappointing World Cup. No great teams, no great players – actually plenty of great players; none of whom lived up to their reputations – no great games, few great goals. One of the great talking points, perhaps a little condescendingly and with more than a hint of irony, was the unbeaten run of New Zealand. In fact, there was such a dearth of quality that the world was duped into thinking Spain played so beautifully. Credit to them, but it was possession football and could hardly be compared to the incomparable Barcelona of the past two years.
Defending champs Chelsea
So with a mixture of scepticism and hope, the English Premier League begins again this weekend. Right now, the scepticism has more to do with the state of the national team, but it has a knock-on effect that has rendered the start of the season a little too soon for many people’s liking. Yet there is much hope, particularly after last season’s wide open race for the Top Four and a title race that went to the wire. This year the hope is greater still that there are more challengers to a throne that has only been reserved for 3 teams over the past 15 years.
It’s fair to assume defending champions Chelsea and runner-up Manchester United will again figure strongly at the top of the league tables over the course of the 40 weeks. Neither team has strengthened their teams significantly from last year. Chelsea lost Joe Cole, Deco, Ricardo Carvalho, Michael Ballack and Juliano Belletti and brought in Yossi Benayoun, Ramires and a couple of other young’uns. However they have Michael Essien and Jose Bosingwa back from long term injuries and if they can keep healthy – always a big if – they should be more comfortable than at times last season.
Sir Alex - still got the moves
Nor have United strengthened much, aside from adding Chris Smalling and Javier ‘Chicharito’ (‘little pea’) Hernandez. But again, if they can retain a modicum of health compared to last year they will be much stronger. However expecting another career year from Wayne Rooney would be asking a lot; entering the season short on fitness portents a slow start, but by the same token after taking a beating from England fans over the past two months, he’ll feel right at home again up amongst his Mancunian brethren.
Arsenal stumbled over the final month last season when it appeared at one stage they were odds-on to take the title. But the familiar curse of injury struck and they folded meekly in the end. This year will be tougher to gauge. Captain and barometer Cesc Fabregas has his heart set in Barcelona, but his contract is with Arsenal. And with the London club unwilling to relinquish the talismanic midfielder, he’ll be in North London for the time being. It’s hard to predict great things when the best player wants to leave, however he’s still there, along with Arsene Wenger who, like him or not, always produces teams that play inspiring football with what seems like ever-dwindling resources. This season though, Arsenal has an unmatched crop of young talent that’s likely to figure strongly. Watch out for guys like Keiran Gibbs, Jack Wilshere, Aaron Ramsay and Theo Walcott, who are surprisingly enough, all British.
Insert generic cliche about looking over their shoulder this season
Tottenham were the big movers of 2010, finally breaking the grip that the Big Four had on the Top Four. With Harry Redknapp at the helm and an impressive array of attacking players (Crouch, Pavlyuchenko, Modric, Keane, Defoe), Spurs effectively beat City to the fourth spot by knocking them over on the penultimate day of the season. So now Champions League football awaits at long last (although they still need to qualify for the group stages), but having not added much to their squad, they look the most vulnerable of last year’s final four. Resources will be stretched and while they have high ambitions, one only needs to look at Liverpool last year to see what that can do to a side. They will attack and they will impress, but staying in the Top Four and being competitive in Europe is a tall order for a club who lack the experience of juggling a title race with top calibre European competition. They open the season against Manchester City, which should be as compelling as it is important, considering at the end of last season they were separated by only three points.
Nice….whatever it is
Manchester City has bucked the trend of prudential spending this off-season, with 80 million pounds outlaid already, a figure that’s expected to hit 100 mil by the time the transfer window closes on August 31. An impressive squad with a quality manager in Roberto Mancini, Man City are chasing success and only thinking short-term, even though they have a clutch of quality young players. This means the pressure will be on the manager to provide results now – top four is the bare minimum expectation. With players like Adebayor, Tevez, Adam Johnson, Yaya Toure, David Silva, Vieira, Gareth Barry, Nigel de Jong and Roque Santa Cruz, the squad is drenched in quality. However there is a question mark over whether a team that has been thrown together rather than given time to develop will be able to succeed at such short notice.
Aston Villa are in trouble. Four days before the season kick-off, manager Martin O’Neill has resigned. He and the owner have differing opinions as to how the club should proceed. Having lost Gareth Barry last season and with James Milner set to follow him to City before the transfer window closes, O’Neill can be forgiven for his decision if you think that good players are a key to success. They still have some young class in Gaby Agbonlahor and Ashley Young but after something of a dream run to sixth last season (they were in the hunt for the top four until the final month) they will be hard pressed to improve. With the other teams around them looking stronger and more confident, a start to the season like this is the last thing the Birmingham club needs. They’ll need to strengthen the squad for any chance at the Top Four, and they should manage that if they get the 30 million for Milner that’s being thrown around. But they may also need a miracle.
They look a bit confused but they are all on the same team
If the only way for Villa is down then by all means, Liverpool’s season is sure to be an improvement on their disastrous campaign, and last, under Rafa Benitez last season. From second in 2009 to seventh in 2010, the Reds couldn’t have got it any more wrong, and the catalogue of problems was glaring. But there is renewed hope on the red half of Merseyside, with a new manager in Roy Hodgson – a well-respected and well-travelled manager who is known for inspiring his players. Key figures Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher and Fernando Torres have re-committed to the club, while Joe Cole has moved north to try and reignite his career. Christian Poulsen and Milan Jovanovic have brought strength to the midfield, and though Javier Mascherano will likely be granted his coveted move to Barca, there is much to like about the squad. There is a new feeling around Anfield – a breath of fresh air after the pall that had descended at the end of Benitez’ rein – and expectations will be far more conservative than last season. Yet Liverpool should move up the table at the very least. Hodgson’s style will be much better suited to a squad that will be dangerous if it comes together and is injury-free. But there is a caveat: if they’re not Top Four by season’s end, the exodus of talent will be much more real than the threat that was posed this off-season.
Outside of the seven that challenged last campaign, Everton is the only other team expected to offer any sort of change to the establishment. Their failure to capture Landon Donovan, however, will hamper their progress. Mid-table will feature plenty of old faces, including Newcastle, who are making a welcome return to the top flight. Relegation contenders are always a bit tougher to pick, especially with no guarantees like Portsmouth or Burnley anymore. However Blackpool look as good as any to get the dreaded chop.
Since everything revolves around the Top Four in the Premier League, here are a few top fours to look out for this season.
Top 4 Transfers
Joe Cole: on a free transfer, he’ll add class and creativity to a Liverpool that suffered without Gerrard and Torres for 21 games last year.
David Silva: perhaps not the same player he was a couple of seasons back with Valencia. But he’s 24 and is deadly up front or on the wing. Will he adapt to the pace of English football, or more pertinently, will he get a game with the attacking riches at City?
Marouane Chamakh: another free transfer, Chamakh will provide the Arsenal forward line some strength and depth after they struggled in the absence of van Persie last year.
Javier Hernandez: Manchester United have had some success in astutely buying young attackers. They’ll hope Hernandez is another of those (10 million squids), and having already scored with a bizarre finish in the Community Shield, he’s a genuine star in the making.
Chicharito - the ‘little pea’
Top 4 Young Bucks
Jack Wilshere: the Arsenal midfielder is bound to get a bit more time on the pitch this year, and at 18 should develop well in a passing system with a stacked midfield.
Dani Pacheco: the Barcelona academy graduate will get plenty more chances with a new manager at the helm at Liverpool; one who’s more supportive of the young and untried.
Keiran Gibbs: another Arsenal youngster who featured in the Three Lions team that beat Hungary at Wembley this week, the 20 year old is a class act at left back and an heir apparent to ex-Gunner Ashley Cole in the national side.
Adam Johnson: probably a bit old to be a young buck, but he’s a quality winger who should find his feet this season with Man City, even amongst the heavy competition on the flanks.
Wilshere - on the left
Top 4 With a Point to Prove
Roberto Mancini: the Man City manager’s first full season in charge will probably be his last if the Top Four remains out of reach.
Fernando Torres, Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard: these three were ineffective at the World Cup without a single goal or assist amongst them. Reputations are on the line.
Mancini has a hell of an orchestra to conduct this season
Top 4 You May Have Forgotten Thanks To Injury
Jose Bosingwa: the smooth Chelsea right back is a class act. He’s got a velvety game that will impress.
Michael Essien: the lynchpin in the Chelsea midfield has been injured and shuffled around the past few seasons. If he’s back to fitness and form, he gives Chelsea a significant advantage every weekend.
Joe Cole: another injured Chelsea star from last year, he’ll be playing 90 minutes up north and because of that should remind us of the player he was three years ago.
Alberto Aquilani: bought as a 24 million pound replacement for Xabi Alonso, he brought with him unfairly high expectations and an ankle injury. He was still good enough to lead Liverpool in assists and while he’s no Alonso, he’s no mug either.
Bosingwa. Nice guy though.
Top 4
Chelsea: still the strongest squad and Drogba says he’s finally injury-free after 6 years struggling with hernia troubles. Yikes!
Manchester United: a couple of holes in midfield and still a few injuries to overcome. Still, Sir Alex will have them in the hunt right to the death.
Arsenal: best player/skipper who doesn’t want to be there (see: Liverpool 2010) doesn’t bode well. Still, a great organisation, a great manager and class in key positions.
Liverpool: if Mascherano doesn’t find a suitor, they are a world class forward short of a world class squad and they’re on the rise. They’ll surprise and impress with their style and resilience.
