Wednesday, August 12, 2009

The Barclays Premier League season is about to begin

Thank goodness for football fans like me. We have been bereft of some really good foot ball action for about 2 months now. And come this weekend, we, the guys will have a reason to stay home!! Woohoo!! Money saved!!

Now talking about the latest season, I'll try my best to give an honest opinion on the coming 2009/2010 season. No doubt I'm a Red Devils fan, but this is what i really think. Might still be slightly Biased though. Oh also, This is also what i feel after watching the first episode of Football Focus on ESPN earlier.

These are my picks for the Top 4 places in the league:

1. Manchester United. While MU have lost both Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez, they have reinforced the squad with a few names. The most notable would be Owen and Valencia. Now we have lost a total of over 50 goals from 2 players last season. I have no doubt that these 2 new signings will not be able to score that many goals between them. But I do feel that they still have a strong enough squad to win the league. To win the league means to get the most points playing against all teams in the same division. While MU maybe weaker, and looks easier to defeat against the rest of the top 4, I think they are capable of defeating all the other teams while snatching a few point from the top 4.

2. Chelsea. I believe that Carlo Ancelloti will have his work cut out for him this season. If he doesnt win a thing, he's going out the window. Although they may not have any big name signings, Ancelloti has the management acumen to get the best out of his players while playing a new formation. Lampard in the his enw position behing the 2 strikers will be dangerous, just like Paul Scholes in his heydays. They have an already strong squad but i feel they may not be able to win the league this year as the African Nations Cup in December will leave them without their top players like Drogba and Essien.

3. Liverpool. While they may have made lots of money selling Xabi Alonso, I dont think Glen Johnson and Alberto Aquilani will do much to boost its squad strength. While Liverpool has quite a big squad, but they do not have many match winners in there. If they can overcome their over reliance on Stevie G and Torres then they maybe able to be champions or at least challenge for the title. I think Xabi Alonso will be a big loss to them as he is a great passer of the ball. Aquilani, on the other hand, maybe a good young player with lots of potential, but it is also a lot of unfulfilled potential. Unless he can step up to the plate and adapt very well to the English league, he may not have much of an impact this season.

4. Arsenal. They have effectively lost the chance to win the title several years ago when they sold Vieira and then Henry and then Eduardo and then.... the list goes on and on. This season they have sold Kolo Toure and Adebayor. And full back Phillipe Senderos seems to be on his way out. Looking at their squad, they are very lightweight. Even more lightweight than last year. While they may have some of the brightest prospects in the league playing for them, but I dont think the team has enough mental strength to pull through the tough times. If there is any team that could replace another team from the big 4 this season, i would think that it could be Tottenham or Man City. ANd the team they are most likely to replace? Arsenal. I really feel sorry for Arsenal fans. They should and can do better, but they aren't moving forward.


Anyways, thats my analysis for the top 4 this season. May come up with more as the days go by.



Boodyboy, out!!

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