For many, it’s been a long and agonising wait for the English Premier League to once again resume proceedings, but the start of the 2009-10 season is only a matter of days away.
Goal Weekly! checks out the prospects of the eighteenth Premier League season.
The Title Tilt
It’ll be interesting to see how Manchester United will cope with the substantial loss of Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez, but to write off United collecting their fourth successive title would be a school-boy error.
Sir Alex has been able to chuck in a couple of (dubious) replacements, but the injury-prone Michael Owen and the somewhat inexperienced Antonio Valencia just don’t seem to have the ability to strike fear into defences that the Portuguese pretty-boy and the Argentine assassin did last year.
United have the uncanny ability to win games when they’re not playing well, and whether us neutrals like it or not, that’s what winning Premierships is all about.
As we said, write them off at your peril.
Arguably United’s biggest challenge will come from the blue-boys of London, Chelsea.
They’ve ousted their interim coach and have picked up the big signature of Carlo Ancelotti, who will undoubtedly bring vast experience to Stamford Bridge.
England is foreign territory for Ancelotti, but if Chelsea can back up their impressive pre-season and the Italian can get Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka firing on all cylinders, they may have the deadliest strike-force in the league, governed by a master manager.
While it’ll be hard to predict what Ancelotti will bring to Chelsea (we hope it’s attractive attacking football), the mystique surrounding this season’s title challenge from West London makes it hard to discount the Blues taking the challenge to United.
Liverpool went point-for-point with United last campaign until the dying stages, but whether they can sustain a second title challenge without big-name signings is questionable.
Every year they appear to be ready for a serious title tile, but every season they disappoint.
Once again they’ll rely on the pairing, and fitness, of Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres, who are deadly as a package, but the Reds struggle when they’re on the sidelines.
Alberto Aquilani has big boots to fill to fit into the Anfield structure with the departure of Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid a real concern for the Red’s regimented midfield.
If Gerrard and Torres can stay fit for the 38 games of the season – a highly unlikely scenario – then Rafa’s Reds may be able to muster a title challenge.
It’s a big IF.
Arsenal are unlikely to challenge for the top position, with the failure to sign big names likely to come back to bite Arsene Wenger’s side on the backside once more.
That’s our prediction anyway. In the current footballing climate where big money equals big results (in most cases), Arsenal have failed to match the big spending necessary to mount a necessary title challenge this term.
The loss of Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Adebayor to rich boys Manchester City may see the light-blue side of Manchester vie for Arsenal’s grip on their comfortable but-going-nowhere fourth position on the league table.
We’ve got no idea why Wenger sold such talent to a potential fourth-place rival, but our diagnosis suggests the Frenchman may be in need of a psychiatrist to sort out where his head’s at.
They’ve managed to hold onto much sort-after star Cesc Fabregas for another season, but the lack of signings may see Arsenal struggle to feature in the top four, where there has been a position for them in their poor previous seasons.
Manchester City are likely to pip the Londoners of fourth place, with Mark Hughes’ extravagant spending spree enticing Tevez, Adebayor, Toure, Roque Santa Cruz, and Gareth Barry to a already strong line-up.
Nearly on par with Real Madrid’s shopping antics, City will definitely be a side to watch.
They even have the potential to go all the way if the necessities click.
Mid-Table mediocrity
It’d be hard to go past Everton, Tottenham and Aston Villa vying for the remaining European places, but Fulham had a surprise year last year and finished about 10 places higher than they are accustomed to, so predicting who will fill out the mid-table places is difficult to say the least.
West Ham have their moments, but it’s unlikely that Wigan, Stoke and Wanderers will finish higher than 10th.
Relegation Dog-fight
Will another big-name team like Newcastle or Middlesbrough face the dreaded drop, or will newly promoted Wolverhampton Wanderers, Birmingham City or Burnley go straight back down?
Hull, Blackburn and Wigan better watch their backs too; they’re often embroiled in the dog-fight that is the relegation battle.
Only time will tell, but don’t be surprised if the likes of Portsmouth – who has lost several key players – head down to the Coca-Cola Championship next season.
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