By katie lambeski
So if you believe all the news after last weekend’s round of English Premier League, you would believe that the competition is just about done.
It is between the reigning championss Manchester United and their noisy neighbours, Manchester City. For mine, this title race looks a very exciting one and hopefully will be a season to remember for a very long time.
This year’s league can be won by three teams, Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool; yes in that order. Chelsea can also possibly be in the mix.
Let’s start with the supposed winners already; Manchester United.
If you compare last season’s best XI to the one that took on Arsenal, it is a very different team. This season, players like Ash Young, David de Gea, Phil Jones, Tom Cleverley (back from Wigan) and Danny Welbeck (back from loan at Sunderland) have come in.
All have had an impact, early on in this season. Cleverley has been compared to Paul Scholes by Sir Alex, Ash Young looks to have fit perfectly into the team and Welbeck and Rooney look like forming a great partnership up front.
De Gea, on the other hand, looks far less certain of himself in the posts. He will grow into the position, but will take time.
This Manchester United side keeps on rebuilding, with change going through the playing ranks.
The Red Devils are probably the team to beat this season. They are going to be very hard to beat, particularly at Old Trafford.
Manchester City is definitely up there in terms of challengers for United’s crown. As expected, they have spent quite a lot in the summer transfer window, with huge signings in Sergio Aguero and Samir Nasri.
They look to have added that extra, attacking edge into the side. That was desperately needed as City weren’t all that exciting to watch last season and they needed that attacking flair. With Nasri, Silva, Dzeko and Aguero in their front third, that is a very silky and creative side.
All of this leaves Carlos Tevez in a strange position. After the start they have had, he is not in their best XI. But you can do worse than having Carlos Tevez coming off the bench.
Add some strong defence in Kompany, Lescott and Yaya Toure and you have a well-balanced side and one that can chop and change the way it plays.
I’m expecting Man City to really push their neighbours for top spot.
Also a team, hard to forget is Liverpool. I think they can win the Premiership this season. They seem to have regrouped and rediscovered themselves under King Kenny.
They have gone back to the future in a sense with bringing back Dalglish. It was a great move from the new American owners.
Also important is that they have spent up this year. Suarez and Carroll joined in January, now Stuart Downing, Jordan Henderson, Charlie Adam, Jose Enrique and Craig Bellamy signed up in the transfer window.
They have shown some attacking flair and Suarez has been at the forefront of it and with the work-horses Dirk Kuyt, Andy Carroll and Steve Gerrard in there, they can score a few goals this season.
Another important thing is the players look genuinely happy out on the field, and with Anfield behind them, they can win it.
Chelsea is another team that will be up there as the season goes on, but I doubt they can win it. They have also started slowly.
However, if you collect enough points early, you can set yourself up for a challenge for the Premiership. If you are a red or blue Manchester fan, well you wouldn’t be too worried about Chelsea. I haven’t seen anything to start the season to think otherwise.
Andre Villas-Boas has just came in and he has get to them to play the way he wants them to play. The biggest headache he will have is what to do with Torres and Drogba? He needs to sort that out if Chelsea are going to be play any part in the race this season.
I hope Chelsea and Abramovich give Villas-Boas the time needed to make the team his own.
North London isn’t in the best shape at the moment. Arsenal have had a very poor start, on and off field. They lost Nasri and Fabregas and were thrashed 8-2 by Manchester United. It is doubtful if they make top four.
However, they have finally invested a bit of cash in the side, with Andre Santos, Per Mertesacker and Mikel Arteta joining yestrerday.
Where has it been all summer? Who knows. They aren’t that bad a side on paper, but the Gunners just don’t have that discipline needed to fight when needed.
They are in for a long season. As are Tottenham. They have gone backwards. They haven’t bought any players, which is a statement in itself.
Modric is unhappy and they’ve lost Pete Crouch. I hope they prove me wrong because I love the style of football they play and I hope they can charge at top four, but I doubt it.
It looks to be a great season. Bring on this weekend.
Theroar.com.au
So if you believe all the news after last weekend’s round of English Premier League, you would believe that the competition is just about done.
It is between the reigning championss Manchester United and their noisy neighbours, Manchester City. For mine, this title race looks a very exciting one and hopefully will be a season to remember for a very long time.
This year’s league can be won by three teams, Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool; yes in that order. Chelsea can also possibly be in the mix.
Let’s start with the supposed winners already; Manchester United.
If you compare last season’s best XI to the one that took on Arsenal, it is a very different team. This season, players like Ash Young, David de Gea, Phil Jones, Tom Cleverley (back from Wigan) and Danny Welbeck (back from loan at Sunderland) have come in.
All have had an impact, early on in this season. Cleverley has been compared to Paul Scholes by Sir Alex, Ash Young looks to have fit perfectly into the team and Welbeck and Rooney look like forming a great partnership up front.
De Gea, on the other hand, looks far less certain of himself in the posts. He will grow into the position, but will take time.
This Manchester United side keeps on rebuilding, with change going through the playing ranks.
The Red Devils are probably the team to beat this season. They are going to be very hard to beat, particularly at Old Trafford.
Manchester City is definitely up there in terms of challengers for United’s crown. As expected, they have spent quite a lot in the summer transfer window, with huge signings in Sergio Aguero and Samir Nasri.
They look to have added that extra, attacking edge into the side. That was desperately needed as City weren’t all that exciting to watch last season and they needed that attacking flair. With Nasri, Silva, Dzeko and Aguero in their front third, that is a very silky and creative side.
All of this leaves Carlos Tevez in a strange position. After the start they have had, he is not in their best XI. But you can do worse than having Carlos Tevez coming off the bench.
Add some strong defence in Kompany, Lescott and Yaya Toure and you have a well-balanced side and one that can chop and change the way it plays.
I’m expecting Man City to really push their neighbours for top spot.
Also a team, hard to forget is Liverpool. I think they can win the Premiership this season. They seem to have regrouped and rediscovered themselves under King Kenny.
They have gone back to the future in a sense with bringing back Dalglish. It was a great move from the new American owners.
Also important is that they have spent up this year. Suarez and Carroll joined in January, now Stuart Downing, Jordan Henderson, Charlie Adam, Jose Enrique and Craig Bellamy signed up in the transfer window.
They have shown some attacking flair and Suarez has been at the forefront of it and with the work-horses Dirk Kuyt, Andy Carroll and Steve Gerrard in there, they can score a few goals this season.
Another important thing is the players look genuinely happy out on the field, and with Anfield behind them, they can win it.
Chelsea is another team that will be up there as the season goes on, but I doubt they can win it. They have also started slowly.
However, if you collect enough points early, you can set yourself up for a challenge for the Premiership. If you are a red or blue Manchester fan, well you wouldn’t be too worried about Chelsea. I haven’t seen anything to start the season to think otherwise.
Andre Villas-Boas has just came in and he has get to them to play the way he wants them to play. The biggest headache he will have is what to do with Torres and Drogba? He needs to sort that out if Chelsea are going to be play any part in the race this season.
I hope Chelsea and Abramovich give Villas-Boas the time needed to make the team his own.
North London isn’t in the best shape at the moment. Arsenal have had a very poor start, on and off field. They lost Nasri and Fabregas and were thrashed 8-2 by Manchester United. It is doubtful if they make top four.
However, they have finally invested a bit of cash in the side, with Andre Santos, Per Mertesacker and Mikel Arteta joining yestrerday.
Where has it been all summer? Who knows. They aren’t that bad a side on paper, but the Gunners just don’t have that discipline needed to fight when needed.
They are in for a long season. As are Tottenham. They have gone backwards. They haven’t bought any players, which is a statement in itself.
Modric is unhappy and they’ve lost Pete Crouch. I hope they prove me wrong because I love the style of football they play and I hope they can charge at top four, but I doubt it.
It looks to be a great season. Bring on this weekend.
Theroar.com.au