The Barclays Premiership opens this weekend, and what a season we have ahead of us! Would there be another surprise team like Southampton, punching above its weight this season?
How damaging would results against relegation candidates affect the top teams?
Would it be a photo finish at seasons end or would there be a Champions elect by December?
How would Bournemouth, Watford and Norwich City fare among the elites?
WENGER DRAWS THE FIRST BLOOD
We start at the Emirates where Arsenal drew the first blood, and I’m not even talking about Arsenal’s Community Shield victory over Chelsea’s Jose Mourinho but I’m talking about the 12 point move from Stamford bridge to the Emirates Stadium; Peter Cech.
So Chelsea have not lost their goalkeeper – they have Thibaut Courtois – but they have handed over 12 points to Arsenal for £10 million. How costly would that £10m be on prize giving day?
Arsene Wenger has finally addressed one of the biggest concerns he has had to his title challenge in the last few years – the man between the sticks.
That Petr Cech is a world class goalkeeper is no doubt, that he is one of the top three goalkeepers in the Premier League is also no news, add to the fact that he has been a serial winner at Chelsea, Arsene Wenger seems to have made a steal from his arch enemy, in his quest for the Premiership that has eluded him for over a decade.
Cech would win you three games and get you a few draws each season, that’s how good an asset he is for Arsenal.
My only worry for arsenal is still at the back, and with Wenger refusing to just go into the transfer market just for the sake of it, Arsenal still look thin on personnel at the back, but if Coquelin stays out of trouble and off the injury table, it’s game on for the gunners, especially with the quality of players in their squad.
CAN THE ROMAN EMPIRE DOMINATE AGAIN?
I still struggle to find any team that has won a major title and subsequently refused to strengthen personnel and it’s also hard to fathom how Chelsea have held on to majority of their fringe players from last season.
That Chelsea was the best team in England last season is not debatable, but what is also indisputable is that they fell very short in their Champions League campaign.
If the goal is to repeat last season’s title success and compete with Europe’s best this season, so why has Jose and the decision makers at Chelsea refused to shuffle the pack and raise the bars at the bridge?
When you’re on a high, you move 3/4 fringe players on and acquire 4 players that would immediately challenge for a place so you can keep everyone on their toes.
With the current squad Chelsea have, the Bridge is still too far to cross in Europe – Bayern, Madrid and Barcelona still hold the aces – and the other worry for a Chelsea fan is that they have not gone to the market and have not pulled away from the rest of the race horses. All the other race horses and even the wannabes have made more explosive signings to bridge the gap between Chelsea and themselves, a fact that Mourinho has constantly stated this past week.
Chelsea play direct through the middle or from the wings, and their full backs rarely attack like most top teams do. With Diego Costa out (any betting man would have bet on that to happen this season so I’m surprised Chelsea did not plan for that) and Remy not exactly the like for like replacement to compliment Chelsea’s direct play and Falcao not yet the clinical one that has tormented European defenders previously, one’ll struggle to see how Chelsea play. Once Hazard and Willian are caged in (as most clubs’ll do this season) I don’t know how Mourinho plans to solve that puzzle with Azpilicueta and Ivanovic.
Chelsea need three point games and not one point games and it’s yet to be seen how that would happen as often as last season, but then with Jose, you won’t bet against him unlocking that code somewhere.
Whether Bergovic, Danilo, Traore and Nathan can be seen as true additions remains to be seen, and for Victor Moses, Falcao, Mikel, Ramirez, Oscar and Remy, I hope they reward the manager who has put absolute trust in them.
CITY LOOK TO CLOSE THE GAP
Pellegrini starts the Premiership with the saying “My players are angry” I wonder if it has to do with their transfer dealings?
Dzeko out. Milner out. Jovetic out. In come Delph and Sterling. Perhaps it’s the board’s way of saying we would wait until December to decide the faith of the coach, or is it the arrogance and confidence of a team that potentially boasts the best squad in England -there are two good players for every position – time would reveal but selling those three and bringing in those two is just substituting like for like isn’t it? Milner for Delph. Sterling for Dzeko. And as for Jovetic, they really got rid of him when they took his name off the Champions Leqgue squad for Bony in January didn’t they?
So if they have a fantastic squad, why was it then so difficult for City to win anything last season with that squad?
Tactics? Personnel management? Rotation? Injuries? Or a combination of all of those factors?
That City will be up there fighting for titles this season is a given, but would they be winning anything? Could they? Should they? It starts on Saturday.
AND THE WINNER IS…..
If I had to pick the team most likely to win the Premiership from the top 4 last season, based on their satisfaction in the market, it’ll have to be Manchester United.
Shneiderlin, Dephay, Schweinsteiger, Darmian, Romero (in case they still lose DeGea) and now maybe Pedro from Barcelona for DiMaria.
Van Gaal still wants a world class central defender but even without one, he seems to have sorted his defensive problems for now with Shneiderlin, Schweinsteiger and Darmian, and with Carrick and Blind, he can play with two in front of his back back four or three, and can alter his formations as it suits him. Herrera, Mata, Fellaini, Janujaz, Valencia and Young all compete for other midfield and wing slots while Rooney, Dephay, Wilson and Hernandez? try to slot in the goals.
Van Gaal has assembled a team that can play direct, from the wings, from the wing backs and one that can now pass the opponent to death if the need be.
Can they get off the blocks in style? Would they be able to dominate opponents from the beginning of the season as they did towards the end of last term?
THE SURPRISES?
Southampton and Liverpool and perhaps Everton have fantastic foundations to build on, but they a big squad, quality, some leaders on the pitch, goal scorers, character, and superb tactics to be able to give the top four a run for their money.
That I think is what separates the top four from them and/or any other teams.
One thing is certain, this would be a very exciting season, and the teams that can pull away from the grid by the end of August stand a better chance of achieving their season long goals.
For some it’s 40 points and safety, for others it is a mid-table finish, and some just want European football to expose and develop their players, while the big guns want Champions League revenue, the ultimate prize for the Sharks is one or two of the big four prizes: the big ears in Europe, Premiership, FA Cup or the League Cup.
Let the games begin.