WHO WILL WIN THE PREMIERSHIP?
The most exciting league in the world has started and it promises to be a fantastic season.
Can we avoid a ‘Conte season’ at the bridge?
Can Tottenham finally win something or will it be mass exodus at season’s end?
Can Mourinho restore the glory days to Old Trafford?
Can Wenger go one better on Mourinho by winning in Europe and finish in top four?
Can Pep survive another season by landing a silverware?
Is Everton the most underrated team in the premiership?
Can Klopp handle the midweek games with his squad?
Several questions and most likely several answers. The premiership is back and I don’t think anyone would bet on any team winning the title, unless they’re happy to part with good money. It’s that close at the top and it will be closer by the end of January 2018.
I believe the team that would win the league this year would have to be versatile, with lots of tactical innovation. They would have change personnel and systems for different games and most likely, switching tactics and systems during games.
A BRIDGE TOO FAR AS CHELSEA START THE CONTE SEASON
It took Burnley three quarters of an hour to untie the knot so perfectly tied by the Blues last season.
Ignore the first red card – and the second one which didn’t come until nine minutes to full time – the signs are ominous at the Bridge; the war of words with Costa, the sale of Matic, injuries to Hazard, Pedro, loans for Zouma, Loftus-Cheek, Abraham : and sale of Chalobah and Solanke (who insisted he wasn’t staying)
Why so many players leaving after a winning season? Is everything well at the bridge?
‘The Conte Season’ has started, I am not fully convinced all is well and I hope that the Bridge would not be completely out of sight by time the injured players get back.
It started with the FA Cup final – I said at the time that the Chelsea players just didn’t turn up and were content with just winning the league – and the display against Arsenal reminded me of 2015/16 season after the league was won.
The players had once again downed the tools and could not be bothered to fight for the Cup. Arsenal boys were hungrier on the day and from minute one, it was obvious that Chelsea boys were already on holidays in their heads.
Against Burnley on Saturday, they capitulated after 15 minutes, succumbing to the crosses and power of Burnley.
It’s still a long road ahead, but the Bridge seems to be too far at moment for Chelsea and just hope this does not degenerate into a palpable discord, this time between board and coach, or as Diego Costa has suggested, between players and coach who has no empathy or closeness with his players.
How do you justify a text message to sack a player in this age of social media?
And can any true fan forgive the sale of Matic? Or rather why did Matic ask to leave Chelsea? I hear the odds are on Conte to be the first coach to be axed this season, especially going by the history of Chelsea FC and their managers in the past.
MANCHESTER UNITED TURN ON THE POWER
I watched Manchester United play against Manchester City, Real Madrid, Barcelona and a few American teams during pre-season.
While the pace was frightening upfront, the midfield lacked cohesion and the defence looked unsettled.
Against WestHam on the first day of the season, I saw one more signing in Nemanja Matic and he has brought stability to the spine of the team, plugging those holes that teams have exploited in the past, calming the defence down and dictating the pace of attack – sometimes he needed to slow down the speed racers in the team while other times he was the one sending them on the run – and running the show in the middle of the park. How did Matic leave Chelsea? I am still short of words about that one….
Mourinho needs to solve his full backs out however, as he needs to have keys to unlock opposition defence from the sides whenever teams close shop and also create a variety of attacking options that way. My other question mark for United is whether Lingaard, Rashford and Martial are truly ready to put up with the pressure of a big club like United, every weekend in the premiership and midweek in Europe. Are they ready to step in with the goals as well? And what if Lukaku is injured, who steps in?
Regardless, power, pace, skills, goals and dominance were evident to see at Old Trafford on Sunday, signalling the intention of Mourinho’s men for the season ahead.
TOTTENHAM HAVE JUST ELEVEN
Eleven very good players and then what?
I am surprised that Daniel Levy and Spurs have opted to have a quiet transfer window.
The law of nature says that if you stop progressing you stagnate and decline.
Runners up in last two seasons, no trophy yet in the cabinet and no cheques written in the transfer window!
No wonder Kyle-Walker left, no wonder Danny Rose is echoing the voice of the dressing room. If Tottenham don’t go out and strengthen this window, they have allowed others to close the gap between them, or even overtake them.
With Champions League football and other domestic competitions, I am unsure as to whether Pochettino can manage the potential hazards and landmines of the next few months.
Throw in Danny Rose’s comments (or should I say the Messenger of the dressing room’s comments because trust me, he won’t go out publicly like that without the backing of his teammates) and you know a season without trophies this year could end the era of this set of fine youngsters together as a team
LIVERPOOL CONTINUE WITH WOBBLY DEFENCE AS THEY BATTLE TO KEEP COUTINHO
If you’re a Liverpool fan hoping to go back to the glory days, you’ll probably need to wait a bit longer. If the defending against Watford was a preview of what’s to come, then the alarm bells are already ringing loud and clear for Mr Klopp.
Yet to sign any central midfielder or central defender, the main problem has not been addressed during the window and I feel that Liverpool are starting the season on a back foot tied already.
Phillipe Coutinho has told the club he wants to move on but whether he goes or not, a seed of discontent has been thrown into the dressing room, threatening to derail Jurgen Klopp’s map of success.
If I was Liverpool, I’ll take Barca money – they have a lot in the bank at the moment from Neymar’s sale – and go and buy a striker, another top defender, full back and defensive central midfield player.
Without these signings, I think Liverpool may fall short this year.
CAN WENGER FINALLY DELIVER THIS SEASON?
Without Ozil, Sanchez, Koscielny, Ramsey, Arsenal outplayed Chelsea in the charity shield. I think this is the first time in many years that I would put Arsenal in the mix of those who would fight for the title come end of the season.
If he can overcome his obstinacy, if he can manoeuvre the landmines of the Europa league and if he can keep his players happy and fit, Wenger has a chance to deliver the title this year…. if.
With a potential first seven players that many clubs would envy (except defence) and an array of talent on the bench and with different qualities all over the park, Arsene Wenger has the odds stacked in his favour
Can he see it? Can he handle the mind games? Can he utilise his cards?
But the big question is: Will Sanchez still be an Arsenal player by the end of the transfer window? If he goes, he will be difficult to replace.
PEP PLUGS THE HOLES AS HE MOUNTS A TITLE CHALLENGE.
In three transfer windows, Pep Guardiola has had the opportunity to address the cracks he met in the building at the Etihad and he is doing a good job of it, albeit with the Sheikh chequebook, but whoever won anything consistently without spending?
Pep has repeatedly said he is renovating the old house he walked into and is turning it into an edifice that would win many titles.
Walker, Ederson, Mendy, Danilo, Bernardo Silva and you can say he is fixing all the leaks, the cracks and the damp, but there is something hidden behind the walls at the back of the house, it’s the defence that is threatening to leak more goals this year, especially if Mr Kompany ever goes on the treatment table.
That would once again be Pep’s Achilles heel; at Barcelona he could afford a lightweight defence because of the way his teams dominate possession (and having Messi surrounded by Iniesta, Xavi, Busquets, Etoo, Thierry, Ronaldinho, Zlatan, Puyol and the others also helped) and at Bayern he could even afford a certain Javi Martinez (a midfielder) at central defence, because let’s be honest Ingolstadt, Darmstadt or Mainz would not pose a threat to Bayern home or away.
But the premiership is a different kettle of fish and the gap is getting ever closer each day, every team would give you a fight and if they catch you napping, even a draw could potentially put an end to your title aspirations.
Has Pep learnt his lesson yet? He needs a reliable world class centre back if he is to win the title in his second season in England and in spite of his array of talents, only eleven can play. It would be interesting to see how City fare after 15 games.
EVERTON DO THE BUSINESS
Rooney, Keane, Klassen, Pickford, Sandro, Sigurdsson? Don’t bet against an upset from Everton bulldozing their way through into the top four or five this season.
Assembling and Ideal team to go far in the cup as well, Everton look set under Koeman to mount a credible challenge on all fronts.
Norman has laid the marker down and the message from the manager is simple: we’ll be there if anybody slips or sleep.
Well It’s ready, set, go, so let the games begin.
I’m worried about spurs’ lack of depth which could come back to haunt them.Levy’s brinkmanship in the transfer market would soon undermine pochetino’s brilliant job at spurs and his rigid wage structure could see the team ripped apart.As regards my title favourites I feel it’s going to be a battle between the Manchester teams with arsenal as a dark horse.The last top four place will be a scrummage among Liverpool,Everton,Tottenham and Chelsea.Antonio conte combustive nature could either result in the sack or him walking out on Chelsea.Thanks for a great job @ JMO
I agree with you totally. Spurs have to move on to another level now. They have played second fiddle long enough, now Levy has to step the game up or the team would stagnate and decline.
Adedeji Adeyemi I would be worried if I am a Tottenham fan. reason? Now the radar is on the players from top European teams, so how do you keep a player on £70k a week when he is being offered £300k elsewhere? If you do the maths, it’s a no brainer, so Levy has to decide either to up the game or Spurs stand the risk of taking few steps back from next year. Toby Aldewerald already has refused a new contract, and to be honest, its just a matter of time before the Barca, Madrid and Manchesters come knocking again. They’ve already lures Kyle-Walker away this year, who is next?