There is dramatic and then there is Kun Aguero’s injury time winner on the final day which brought the curtain down on one of the most enthralling Premier League seasons in recent memory. Sir Alex almost choked on his chewing gum as the ‘noisy neighbours’ secured their first Premier League title and established their credentials as one of the big boys. The nail biting finish left football fans around the world craving for more and while the Euro’s and Olympics kept us engaged, nothing can quite match the weekly grind of league football.
And with the season about to start, City remain favourites to retain their Premiership crown; they have arguably the most balanced squad ( defensive cover aside) and having broken their duck will be looking to kick on from last season. That being said, the blue half of Manchester is notorious for messing it up in grand style and now with the spotlight firmly fixed on them, it remains to be seen whether they can handle the pressure of being the numero uno of English football. As they say, getting to the top is one thing, staying there a completely different proposition.
United will be eager to regain their throne and the arrival of Shinji Kagawa and Robin Van Persie has certainly bolstered their attacking options but further strengthening is required unless United want to rely on the midas touch of Sir Alex who has been carrying the team for a couple of years now. One can argue if United really needed to spend a sizeable amount on a player they could have perhaps done without and spent it on a central midfielder instead of relying on the nearly 60 year old Paul Scholes. The chasing pack also includes Chelsea and Arsenal who have underlined their aspirations by making some quality signings. Chelsea, on the back of their Champions League triumph have managed to attract exciting young players like Eden Hazard, Oscar and Marko Marin. Patience as always will be in short supply though as sugar-daddy Abrahmovic will want instant return on his investments. Di Matteo, who already pinches himself everyday to check if he’s living a dream will be constantly looking over his shoulder and that, is never a good thing, Couple that with lack of quality/ numbers in both defence and in the forward line and RDM could have a problem on his hands. Arsenal, like Chelsea, will be fielding one of the most exciting attacking line ups this season with Podolski, Giroud and Cazorla all joining the ranks. The departure of Robin Van Persie is a blow but Arsenal, provided they click, have enough attacking talent to compensate for his loss. Wenger would do well to spend the cash received from RVP’s sale on defensive recruitments which would make them serious title contenders.
Rounding up the European hopefuls are Spurs, Liverpool and Newcastle all of whom face contrasting challenges ahead of the new season. Spurs and Liverpool start life under new managers with each bringing a distinct footballing philosophy to their respective clubs. With cash seemingly in short supply at both clubs, their seasons could depend on how quickly the existing players adopt the ethos of their respective manager. Continuity should not be a problem at Tyneside as they look to continue the good work of last season but the nuisance i.e. Europa League could take its toll on the team and adversely affect their league position. Newcastle, very much the surprise package last season will also have to deal with huge expectations not least from their own fanatical fans and this could put further pressure on a team that has historically flattered to deceive more often than not.
Swansea and Norwich, who did remarkably well in their debut season, will have to deal with Second Season Syndrome and that too without their original managers at the helm. Rodgers and Lambert, left for pastures anew in the summer and while the men who have replaced them (Michel Laudrup at Swansea and Chris Hughton at Norwich) are both capable, replicating the success of last season could be difficult.
Speaking of teams that could struggle, the relegation battle can often be more entertaining than the fight for the title and with the financial stakes getting higher by the season, expect each point to be contested till the very end. The three promoted teams (Reading, West Ham and Southampton this season) are always favourites to go down although that nearly never transpires. The likes of Wigan and QPR are likely to be mired in the aforementioned dogfight and it will be interesting to see if Roberto Martinez has used up all his luck or whether he’ll be repeating Ari Gold’s line of. “Call me Helen Keller because I’m a f….. (to be censored) miracle worker” come the end of the season.
This promises to be one of the most exciting seasons in the Premier League not just because of the level of competition and the intricate subplots that enhance the drama of watching the Premier League but also because of the raft of stars that have joined the shores. The Premier League, despite its popularity has failed to lure or retain some of the bigger stars of the game but with all the aforementioned players joining in and then some more, we’re all set for a blockbuster of a season. Let the talking stop and football begin.
