Lethario's Take
New season and a lot more news and drama so why waste time dwelling on the past or reasons for such a lengthy absence!! All I can say is the much anticipated start of the Barclay's Premier League arrived and went after so much hype. Unless you are a Bolton fan or have been mesmerized by money bags Manchester City, all the hype was replaced by an anti-climax of reality.Without doing a match by match analysis, its clear to see that after the excitement (fracas) of the UK riots, mots fans expected FIREWORKS in the opening weekend of the league as they hoped to escape from the brutal realities of a sometimes harsh and unfair life. They all hope 90 minutes would provide them with hope for the following 9 months of the season, that 90 minutes would drown the fears they had or give them renewed hope in their team yet all we got were mostly lackluster matches.
It wasn't all doom and gloom though. Here is what I can say after the 1st weekend of the Premier League:
- ARSENAL : The long overdue departure of Cesc Fabregas ended a transfer saga which we had all grown sick of ( although I'm sure many a reporter are now lacking headlines and stories after having a field day with this one). It seems to me Arsene Wenger got this one wrong in terms of timing as selling your best player the day before the season starts is bad business and bad management in my eyes.
The match at St James' Park showed an Arsenal that were definitely going to need extra players besides the current new signings if they will compete at the top level their fans expect them to be at. The win over Udinese will provide the fans with comfort in a time of uncertainty. The Nasri saga should be dealt with as soon as possible to avoid further hiccups to the campaign. All in all, if Wenger makes crucial signings in defence and the midfield, the Gunners could still be in the mix to compete on all fronts during the coming season. Taunts of relegation and calls for Wenger to be sacked are premature.
-CHELSEA: Dad's army, the pensioners, the old peoples home...yes I'm sure Chelsea do have the oldest squad and will be taunted the whole season about that, especially if they do not get the results to keep AVB employed. Another season at Stamford Bridge and another manager ( when will they learn). AVB has the same team as Ancelotti minus a few players (mostly youth sent on loan) so it will be intriguing to see how he will motivate them to bring Roman his PRECIOUS Champions League.
Honestly, let's face it, if AVB doesn't win the Champions League this season he will get fired. Chelsea look a little slower ( old tired legs) although Torres showed sparks of brilliance in their first match.They definitely need to sign Modric rather than Neymar and Sturridge should be given a go as he proved himself last season and pre-season. AVB simply needs to get that extra creative midfielder (Modric would be the best fit) and he would have completed the puzzle in bring the best out of Torres whilst lessening the burden on the aging Lampard.
Torres looks sharp, fit and goal hungry. Its not a matter of will he score now,but when. He could shock us all and end up winning the Golden Boot because after all, it is the nature of the beast!! Torres is definitely the main man this season, how he handles that pressure will determine Chelsea's season.Chelsea will hope they avoid major injuries as the squad lacks depth. AVB does have a star signing in Eva Carneiro though he will be hoping John Terry and Cashley Cole can keep it in their pants!!
-LIVERPOOL: King Kenny's revolution continued with absurd though necessary expenditure during the transfer window. I am not saying he spent too much money but rather spent too much on some signings ( Henderson).The purchase of midfielders such as Adams and Downing will definitely help provide with as well as add support to Andy Carroll in terms of crosses for set pieces!! But as the match vs Sunderland showed, GREAT expectations were turned into a harsh reality after a disappointing draw.
I must say I missed having a go at my Liverpool friends after some years in the wild!! Their team has an excess of midfielders but does look strong although the defence needs strengthening. This was exposed in the 2nd half against Sunderland. A new younger experienced centre back is needed to give the team stability at the back as their pre-season showed frailty as they conceded 15 goals. This will be worrying King Kenny.
All in all Liverpool are dark horses for the titles as they will not be playing in Europe this season ( walking alone) so will therefore be able to focus solely on the domestic front. King Kenny will definitely need to off.load some of the excess baggage in the midfield so he has the right mix providing Suarez and Carroll the perfect supply. I must say, Suarez penalty miss was APPALLING.
-MANCHESTER CITY: Our noisy neighbours got off to a flying start humbling Swansea 4-0. The Tevez saga has not done much damage to City as they went out and bought someone else to replace him ( typical moneybags solution. Honestly City have one of the strongest squads this season and will definitely be in the title race. If they capture Nasri and Sneijder as is reported, they will be the team to beat. Their only Achilles lies in their defensive minded manager Mancini. For all the complaining he does about not having money to buy players, with the ridiculously overpaid squad he has, many a manager would be happy. The truth is unless he drops his cautious side for all big games, City will not go far in the Champions league or title race as nothing is won without risk.
He will also need to sort out the dressing room and build a sense of unity that will drive the team forward. United have that kind of unity which is why when one player is playing badly, others step up and play better therefore keeping the team in the right direction. Discipline will also be another factor with loose cannons like Super Mario in his team. The season sits on Mancini's shoulders rather than Aguero's as he will decide whether to go for it or be cautious!!
-MANCHESTER UNITED: Amazingly, after only purchasing 3 players, the team which EVERYONE was deeming to be to weak and the worst Manchester United side ever last season is now being touted as the ones to win again by EVERY journalist around!!
"hahahaha pardon me I had to laugh at that"
Its funny how much a title changes everything and as usual journalists are out dick riding the reigning Champions, who happen to be Manchester United. The team is looking very strong and youthful which is definitely a good sign for Sir Alex who seems to be building another squad so as to win the Champions League 1 more time before putting on his slippers and calling it a day. The only worry, a BIG worry, is United's new goalkeeper De Gea who has had a shaky start filled with errors. The jury may not yet be out on him being a flop in the Premier league but the prosecution will surely have a case after blunders in the Community shield and at the Hawthornes gifted goals. We must remember that a long list of United legends had shaky starts so its unwise to judge the man already. If United can sort out that minor ( though it could become MAJOR) hiccup, they look strong enough to go all the way.
Injuries to the starting centre backs will provide a stern test for the next batch of United youngsters to prove themselves during a grueling opening 9 fixture list.
Elsewhere, Newcastle need to retain the services of the Twitter crazy Barton if they are to remain in the Premiership and avoid relegation after what I deem unnecessary exodus of influential players like Nolan. Barton may be a loose cannon but he provides the strength and character to hold Newcastle together. Bolton have had a flying start and will only get better.
My Predictions for the season: 1) Manchester United 2) Chelsea 3) Manchester City 4) Liverpool 5) Arsenal
See you soon
It feels good to be back
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