The changing landscape of the Premier League
It’s been a long summer and after waiting for what felt like an eternity, the English Premier League is back with all its glory. It seems like only yesterday that Sergio Aguero scored that emphatic last-minute winner against QPR, which made Manchester City the champions of English football. A lot has happened since Euro 2012 and the Olympics. Here are my views on how the scenario has changed and what we can expect from this season.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – AUGUST 19: Manchester City Manager Roberto Mancini issues instructions during the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester City and Southampton at Etihad Stadium on August 19, 2012 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
I’ll start with the champions themselves. After a historic win last season Roberto Mancini finally vindicated the huge chunks of money spent on his team by the Sheikh. But the ensuing summer has been frustrating for Mancini, as his bosses haven’t really invested in the side and bought the players he wanted. This is because of not being able to offload the likes of Santa Cruz, Adebayor, Kolo Toure. Jack Rodwell is the only major addition this summer and considering the size of City’s midfield, it will be hard to imagine whether he will get enough chances to fulfill his potential. All in all, with Carlos Tevez now having committed his future with City, they are undoubtedly the team to beat this season.
Chelsea did the double last year by winning both the FA Cup and the Champions League under Roberto di Matteo, who was finally appointed as full time manager in the summer. The Premier League though was a failure with the team registering their lowest position in the Abramovich era. And the Russian responded in style to sort out that blemish by investing £64 million and bringing in the likes of Oscar, Hazard and Marko Marin. With these signings we can look forward to a change in their style of play this season. Di Matteo might have preferred a defensive formation last season, but all his teams in the past were known for their offensive talent. He must now find a system that draws the best from the mercurial talents of Hazard, Oscar and Juan Mata but which also retains the resilience, epitomized by John-Obi Mikel, Frank Lampard, Ramires and Raul Meireles. With all these points in mind we can certainly look forward to a more attacking Chelsea this season. But with the absence of the iconic Drogba to lead the line, it will be interesting to see how a Torres-powered Chelsea will perform this season.
WEST BROMWICH, ENGLAND – AUGUST 18: Liverpool manager Brendan Rogers looks on before the Barclays Premier League match between West Bromwich Albion and Liverpool at The Hawthorns on August 18, 2012 in West Bromwich, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
With the eloquent and articulate Brendan Rodgers at the helm there has certainly been a sense of positiveness about Liverpool this preseason. The man certainly has the talent to change Liverpool’s fortunes as he proved with Swansea last season. The signings so far may not have been high-end transfers but they have indeed been clever ones. Rodgers has decided to bring in people, who know his philosophy and style of football which is a good idea. But their success will depend on how he integrates them with the likes of Gerrard, Joe Cole and Suarez. With a top four finish seeming the likely target, whether Rodgers can impose his philosophy along with winning the games will be an interesting prospect. Keep your fingers crossed if you are a Liverpool fan.
The most exciting transfer story this preseason has been without doubt Robin van Persie’s transfer to Manchester United. With the top two goal scorers of last season (RvP and Rooney) and the likes of Welbeck, Chicharito and Berbatov in their squad, United fans will surely look forward to lots and lots of goals this season. But in reality it may not really work, a lot will depend on how deep Rooney drops to receive the ball, now that van Persie is likely to operate as a number nine. It’s never as simple as putting two great forwards next to each other and multiplying the goal output (Ask Drogba and Torres). Other than the arrival of Van Persie, the signing of Kagawa has been a shrewd move. If he does adapt to the English game quickly, then him along with Valencia on the right wing and Nani, Young on the left have the potential to cause havoc. Although the central midfield doesn’t seem to have the x-factor, it might yet be sorted out if either Axel Witsel or Moussa Dembele is signed. In the end, it will be exciting to see Van Persie in action along with Rooney. It could work, or it could be one of Real Madrid’s ill-fated Galatico moves. At the very least, van Persie’s move guarantees a renewal of the bitter rivalry between Arsenal and Manchester United.
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND – AUGUST 18: Tottenham Hotspur Manager Andre Villas-Boas looks on prior to the Barclays Premier League match between Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur at Sports Direct Arena on August 18, 2012 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Chris Brunskill/Getty Images)
This is a career defining season for Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas. There is some intrigue surrounding his appointment after what happened at Chelsea. If he did learn some lessons from his Chelsea experience, it will be the fact that man-management is a vital element in running a football club, something which is epitomized by the man he has replaced, Harry Redknapp. With the departures of Corluka, Kranjcar, Pienaar, Nelson and Saha, there are indeed concerns about the depth of the squad. With negotiations seeming to have stalled between Spurs and Adebayor, who spent the last season on loan at the club, it will be vital for Spurs to sign a top class striker to complement Jermain Defoe. If they cannot hold onto Modric, then M’Vila or Moutinho look like the likely replacements. Apart from that, the signing of Vertonghen is likely to fill the void left by the retired Ledley King. Realistically it is hard to predict what will happen at Spurs until their transfers have completed and their squad is finalized. The club have entered a new era under Villas-Boas and it will be interesting to see where it will lead them to.
It has been a similar story at Arsenal, their key players and captain have left the club. The departures of Song and Van Persie, two players who were the most consistent last season will surely cause some problems for the team. Wenger though has learned from his mistakes last season and replaced them with quality players like Giroud, Cazorla and Podolski. If the arrival of Nuri Sahin does materialize and with the long awaited return of Jack Wilshere and Abou Diaby, the midfield does seem to have enough quality in them to challenge most teams but the league title may be out of reach. Although if the new recruits hit the ground running instantly, then we could potentially witness the end of a long trophy drought for Arsene Wenger.
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND – AUGUST 18: Newcastle United Manager Alan Pardew looks on from the stands after being sent from the touchline during the Barclays Premier League match between Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur at Sports Direct Arena on August 18, 2012 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Chris Brunskill/Getty Images)
Newcastle are the dark horses in the league, with strikers who can score goals in abundance and a solid midfield, they have the potential to match or do even better than what they did last season. Their shrewd transfer policy has caught the eye of many teams and this in turn has resulted in clubs raising their asking price when Newcastle are in the transfer market. Newcastle have bid for Lille right-back Mathieu Debuchy, former FC Twente striker Luuk de Jong, and have signed Ajax midfielder Vurnon Anita. The negotiations for their targets have drawn into a long saga, something which has infuriated Alan Pardew and have developed some tensions between him and the board. They have the added bonus or responsibility of playing in the Europa League this season. In order to prevent what happened to Stoke when they played in Europa League last season, they need to sign some players and build their squad depth. In the end, they do have a good squad, but if the said transfers don’t materialize and injuries rob them of their key performers, then they could well end up in mid-table obscurity.
Once again this season, the Premier League is setting up to live up to its billing as arguably the best league in the world. After taking into account what happened last season, you would be a fool if you think you can predict the league. So sit back and enjoy the drama unfold before you.