Why the English Premiership Just Got Crazier

All summer, two English Premiership clubs consistently hogged the news headlines and both co-exist acrimoniously in the same area - Manchester.

First, defending three-titles-in-a-row champions Manchester United sold their most flamboyant player Cristiano Ronaldo to Spain for a world record fee, and then they parted ways with the tigerish striker Carlos Tevez before securing the services of England's forgotten son Michael Owen for free.

Not to be outdone, United's less preponderant neighbors Manchester City, backed by petrodollars from Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, splurged over £100m in a single summer for soccer talents. In their effort to break the stranglehold held by the Big Four in England, City started this soccer season with an startling nine senior strikers on their roster.

Despite being the richest club in the world, I think Manchester City would probably end up with not much more than they had wished for. After all, a great team takes time to build up and gel together. Also, even when they are chasing games, at most three to four strikers can take to the field, leaving the rest sulking on the cold subs bench, that if they even make it there.

What about the rest of the Premiership? If anything, I can't see them being unhappy because each club stands to receive £32m for plainly playing in the elite soccer division. It will be tidy earnings, especially for the smaller clubs. And talking about them, this season will herald a bumper bunch of such 'lesser clubs', such as Wolves, Burnley, Wigan, Birmingham, Hull City, Sunderland, and so on.

The truth is sometimes I wonder if soccer fans are witnessing less interesting Championship-level soccer rather than Premiership soccer. Not only that, with raising players salaries, I shudder to think if fans are in fact overpaying for football that in fact could turn out to be less interesting than anticipated.

Now into the 17th edition since the formation of the English Premiership in 1992, this season could see three major events taking place: first, the rise of Manchester City interesting for top honors, second, the scramble to avoid the relegation trap door becoming more nerve-wrecking than ever and third, Manchester United retaining their crown for a historic four-in-a-row for a recording-breaking 19 English titles.

Why the English Premiership Just Got Crazier

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A Premiership present

With Liverpool's Fa community Shield triumph still fresh in people's memories, one could ask, what can happen this season?

At the time of writing, the Premiership season is just under a week away and already supporters of every Premiership team are by now wiping drool from their mouths at looking the prospect of some of the world's best players week in week out. Premiership teams have seen some changes. Arsenal bought Rosicky from Dortmund, while Aston Villa, shipped out David O'Leary while shipping in Martin O'Neil. Blackburn has bolstered their attacking options, by signing, South African international Benni McCarthy and Wigan's Jason Roberts. Bolton has also scoured the exchange store and has made some astute signings in Meite (Ivory Coast) from Marseille. Idan Tal from Maccabi Haifa. Sam Allardyce has made a famed coup in bringing Meite to the Reebok.

Charlton, under new boss Iain Dowie, has brought in an influx of youth and experience. The Charlton board will want Iain Dowie's side to build on the 13th place they achieved in Alan Curbishley's last season. Chelsea, as always, has made big summer signings in Shevchenko and Ballack. Mourinho has also brought in youth in Salomon Kalou

Everton have bolstered their squad by signing out-of-favour goalkeeper Tim Howard on a season long loan from Manchester United, and Andy Johnson from Crystal Palace. They have also strengthened their defence by signing Joleon Lescott from Wolves, but the hole left by Nigel Martyn's resignation will have residual effects on the whole Everton team. Fulham have strengthened and will hope to build on their 12th place conclude from last season. Fulham hope that summer signings Bullard and Quedrue will add flair and stability to their side.

Under technically brilliant Rafael Benitez, Liverpool has flourished in modern seasons. Bellamy will add pace and give Liverpool more attacking options up front, opposite target man Crouch. Pennant and Mark Gonzalez will add raw pace and skill to the wings while the defence is stocked full of talent, in Aurelio and Paletta. The loss of Hamann has been softened slightly, by the emergence of Sissoko, as a talented keeping midfielder.

Manchester City has brought in players of experience. Hamann from Liverpool, Dabo from Lazio and (a World Cup right back) Trabelsi from Ajax. There squad will be weakened with the sale of David James if Stuart Pearce fails to replace him with a good 'keeper.

Manchester United has shelled out a huge estimate for Tottenham Hotspur's Michael Carrick. Carrick is set to miss the start of the season however, as he picked up an ankle injury during the game with Porto at the Amsterdam Tournament. The emergence of Tomasz Kuszczak as a fine 'keeper convinced Alex Ferguson to pay an undisclosed estimate for the young Polish international. Ruud van Nistelrooy's departure hasn't helped Man Utd's striking options. With only Rooney, Rossi, Saha and Solskjaer the only fit or nearly fit strikers at the club (the famed irregularity is Alan Smith who was converted into a midfielder) Manchester United may find it more difficult when they don't have an established 20-goals-a-season striker.

With rookie boss Gareth Southgate in charge, Middlesbrough might be facing a relegation battle this arrival season. The summer signings of Julio Arca of Sunderland and Herold Goulan from Lyon will add to the squad that has lost the caress of Hasselbaink, and of the power of Franck Quedrue. Southgate seems to have remedied the problem that had been made by Quedrue's departure by the signing of Julio Arca for just under 2 million Gbp.

Newcastle United will be hit hard, by the long-term injury sustained by Michael Owen at the World Cup and, by Alan Shearer's retirement. Without a reliable, 20-goals-a-season out and out striker, Newcastle may find it hard to come by goals. An out-and-out striker is important for Premiership survival. Glenn Roeder may have helped ease the situation with the signing of Damien Duff from Chelsea. Pompey's boss Harry Redknapp has brought in experienced defender Sol Campbell, after he was released by Arsenal, Glen Johnson from Chelsea, on a season long loan, and David James from Manchester City for a reported 1.2 million.

Reading's debut season in the Premiership, may not be helped by the fact that they are relying on last season's team's and bringing in player's from League 1 and the Championship. other of the Promoted teams, Sheffield United, has brought in players who do have Premiership experience.

Tottenham Hotspur has strengthened their squad straight through the signings of Zokora, (an adequate exchange for Carrick), and Berbatov. Tottenham should challenge once again for a top 4 finish. Yet as all of the top 4 teams from last season have improved on their squad's, Tottenham still have a fairly young squad, that might not be able to cope with the pressures of European football as well as the domestic season.

Under Aidy Boothroyd, Watford won promotion to the Premiership. He has since strengthened his squad with the signing of Damien Francis, who has spent one or two seasons playing top-flight football. Watford will need to use his caress and potential wisely, if they are to survive. Although the y do have Marlon King up front, their defence must be vastly improved if they are to survive, and not concede goals.

West Ham flourished in their first season back in the Premiership, and their midfield coped well, with the artful Etherington and Benayoun on the wings, with Reo-Coker and Mullins in the centre. With Marlon Harewood and Dean Ashton upfront, West Harm will be guaranteed goals. Although their defence was very talented the lack of caress will tell as they embark on European football during next season.

Wigan Athletic was the surprise holder of last season as they done 10th and were finalists of the League Cup. Their defence helped them climb the Premiership ladder. The player exodus that has engulfed Wigan will have a profound supervene on the team for the arrival season, as they no longer have Jason Roberts, and the influential Jimmy Bullard, while Pascal Chimbonda's time to come is still in doubt, after he handed in a written exchange request, while in his kit on the last day of last season.

One of the reasons that Wigan didn't conclude in the top 6 was that their form at home was worse than their home form. If Wigan want to qualify for Europe they will need to be more ruthless at home.

For some the title race is over even before it started. With Liverpool, strengthening a strong side Chelsea would do well to change 1-0 wins into 4-0 or 5-0 wins. If the title does go down to goal difference, Chelsea will need as many goals as possible.

A Premiership present

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English Premiership Football Prospects for 2007-08

Can Manchester United repeat their success this year after their unexpected win last time? Many habitancy think they can and they start favourites. They have boosted their squad by signing Owen Hargreaves from Bayern Munich plus Nani and Anderson and have now picked up Carlos Tevez as well from West Ham. They have looked good in pre-season and will be there or thereabouts.

Their biggest challenger will probably again be Chelsea, though Liverpool Arsenal and Spurs will all have a say in that. Chelsea would dearly love to recover the title they lost last season, but then again they seem more interested in the Champions league. No London club has ever won the Champions league and Chelsea would dearly love to smash that unwanted record.

Arsenal on paper don't look as strong, with Henri gone to Barcelona, and continuing rumours that the boss himself Arsene Wenger could be on his way out of the club. Leagues are not won on paper. I have a feeling Arsenal will confound the critics and put in a strong doing this year. Their younger players will be one year older and wiser and anything who writes them off could be standing on risky ground.

Liverpool have not won the league for an expected 18 years. Before that they were commonly winning it more than all the others put together. Despite two Champions league finals in the last three seasons it is the English Premier league their fans are so desperate to win. They have spent big money this time too under their new American owners, a reported 22 million pounds on Torres alone from Athletico Madrid. Either he genuinely is the final piece in the jigsaw, or even an foremost piece, remains to be seen. Some of the manager's Spanish signings have been moderate successes at best, like Morientes, now back in La Liga, and the pressure will be on Torres to perform. He will too, but Either it will be adequate only time will tell. The tempestuous Bellamy has gone to West Ham, and Cisse to Marseilles. Last year I tipped Liverpool to win the league and I was wrong. They could do it this time, but will have to get past Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United to do so.

As in the past two seasons Spurs remain the most likely to break into the top four. They have spent big on Southampton's young Welsh full back Gareth Bale, and maybe more importantly 16.5 million pounds on relegated Charlton's striker Darren Bent. Darren has scored goals wherever he has been and now in a better team like Spurs he will be expected to score even more, though Either he will get adequate starts is someone else matter. Spurs have four other top strikers, and Martin Jol has shown he likes to rotate his players. Spurs insistence on signing and promoting home grown talent, a direct opposite of Arsenal's policy across the road, is to be applauded. They could improve, and break into the top four, but for that to happen, one of the top clubs would need to suffer a poor season.

And what of the rest? Newcastle have a new owner, new chairman, and new boss in Sam Allardyce, and some tasty new players too. They have signed former Middlesbrough striker Mark Viduka, they should have the fit again Michael Owen available at last, plus the signing of the tempestuous Barton from Manchester City and Alan Smith from Manchester United. The boss has been quick in attempting to sort out the leaky defence too; something that has plagued the Toon for practically as long as most of us can remember. Expectations on Tyneside are huge. A vitally foremost season for the manager, and many of the players who are at a crossroads. I expect them to succeed.

Manchester City is someone else club under new possession and managership. former England boss Sven Goran Eriksson has taken over and with lots of Thai money to invest he will now be looking for some top players to build a decent side. He has quickly bought scattergun style on relatively unknown players, but the boss has a proven track description at club level. He will need them too as the City squad still looks lightweight and weak. It will all depend on Sven's buys. If he can get good habitancy in, City will genuinely stay up, and may well do better than that. If he cannot, City could struggle, and Sven may turn out to be a one-season wonder in English football. I speculate not, because Sven is a good manager.

Aston Villa have begun to spend some cash under their new American owners too. England Under 21 skipper Reo-Coker has just been signed from West Ham for £8 million though they will need more than him if they are to worry the top teams. Martin O'Neill's side started last season on fire but drifted away alarmingly. The Villa fans will be hoping for better, but I cannot see beyond mid table for them.

Everton had a good season last time and fine for this years Uefa cup but the last time they were in Europe it seemed to distract them, and they had a terrible year. I don't see David Moyes allowing that to happen again. They have signed Jagielka from relegated Sheffield United though that is hardly going to set the world on fire, plus the promising Baines from Wigan. Johnson should be fit again to furnish some goals but they will need more than that if they are to worry the top clubs. Top eight could be their best hope.

Reading, who enjoyed a super season last year in their first ever year in the top flight, have picked up a terrible beginning pair of fixtures. Unsurprisingly they are favourites to be bottom of the premiership by the end of August, but under their quietly spoken astute boss Steve Coppell, they might surprise a few people. The loss of Sidwell to Chelsea is a big blow, though they have signed some of the club's more promising players on long-term contracts. This will be their difficult second season, something that so nearly sank Wigan last time. Reading only just missed a European place last year, anything above the dreaded bottom three this time will be thought about someone else success by all but the most enthusiastic of Royals' fans.

Middlesbrough have lost talisman striker Viduka, and stories abound that Yakubu could supervene him out the door. If that happened I would worry who is going to score the goals to keep them up. Fulham are someone else club who went into freefall last time and only stayed up through a last slight convert of managers. The newly installed former Northern Ireland boss Lawrie Sanchez has already been busy in the markets signing Davis from Aston Villa and Healey from Leeds. A good start could be crucial for them as well.

The fact that West Ham stayed up at all last year was due to their new boss Alan Curbishley, and the courts choosing not to dock them points over the decidedly odd Carlos Tevez affair. The boss has strengthened by signing Parker from Newcastle and Bellamy from Liverpool and should have the talented and much missed Ashton back from injury. He missed the whole of the last campaign after injuring himself in the warm up for an England match. The Icelandic owners seem thought about to take West Ham on to someone else level. Many fans will be watching their improve this time round, some no doubt hoping they trip up due to that protracted court case, but I cannot see West Ham struggling. Mind you no one imagined they would last time out, and they did. Mid table I speculate for the Irons and a good cup run too.

Of the three promoted clubs, maybe the most spirited one will be to see Roy Keane's Sunderland back as Championship champions, especially when he confronts his old boss Sir Alex Ferguson back at Old Trafford where the legions of fans still chant his name. Sunderland have been busy building up a big squad backed by Irish money and they would seem to have the financial clout to keep out of trouble. A good start might be foremost for them too. One feels Mister Keane's measurement and charisma all by itself will be adequate to see them safely into mid table.

Birmingham look vulnerable. They did not have a great season last year despite finishing second, and took a long time to convince their own stay at home fans to turn out. They have bought players but Either they are good adequate to keep the blues up remains to be seen. Currently they are second favourites to discontinue last, and though that might be a tad pessimistic, it does seem likely they will flirt with relegation again. anything else would be major achievement for their yo-yo boss Steven Bruce. By the way you can still land a free bet at betfair.com by inputting the code 6Che3Vpwj when prompted.

The third newcomers are Derby Country. slight Scottish boss, known as mini-Fergie wasted no time in signing former Norwich striker Robert Earnshaw who has scored goals wherever he has been and in partnership with Steve Howard, they could trouble some defences. Either they have adequate class and firepower would be a worry for Rams' fans. They are expected to be relegated, and I think so too, and anything else would be a huge achievement for the board, manager, players and most of all, for the supporters who have bought season tickets in their thousands. They will be looking to emulate Reading last year and Wigan the year before that, but it will be a tall order to do so.

The Lancashire twins of Blackburn and Bolton both had good seasons again last term and with small crowds and slight money to spend, that is a huge testament to their managers. But with Allardyce gone from the Reebok, Bolton under new manager, former Liverpool player, the slight Sammy Lee, could be in for a hard year. A good start would be most foremost for the Trotters and they do have players like Anelka, if they can hold on to him, who can score goals. Bolton will rely on him, but if he doesn't do the business, they could be in trouble. Blackburn still have their super boss in Mark Hughes and with players of the growing stature of the likes of Bentley, Derbyshire and Pederson they should be fine again.

They only just missed out on Europe last time and made the semi finals of the Fa Cup. On their day they are quite capable of beating anyone, and that is a huge achievement for this likeable Lancashire town club. The third Lancashire town club Wigan stayed up last time by a singular point and have since lost their talismanic manager. That is not a great start and though they have signed a handful of new players, their new boss Chris Hutchings is unproven in this league. They are many people's pick to go down this time and they could well go close to that, but something tells me they might just survive again. It will be close.

Portsmouth only just missed a Uefa Cup place by a whisker last season and they have been busy again in the market buying Nugent, the England under 21 striker from Preston, plus signing Kanu for someone else year. There is a much-needed new stadium on the horizon, and they should have someone else good season, but they are a yo-yo club, and sometimes when expected to do well, they don't, and vice versa. Mid table again for me.

Last year two of my four predictions came up, so what about this season? Could this genuinely be Liverpool's year? They will go a lot closer, I am sure of that, but I speculate that Chelsea will still have something in hand to regain the crown and they can all the time spend more cash if they need to. Manchester United would dearly love to do better in Europe and I speculate they will put all into trying to win the Champions league again, something that the boss and fans would dearly like to see.

As for relegation, sorry Birmingham and Derby, but I just don't think Either have the firepower or class to stay up, though I would be happy to eat my words in both cases. The third downer place is a much harder one to call with City, Fulham, Reading, Wigan, Bolton, Pompey, Boro, and Sunderland, all flirting with a bottom three place during the year. For these teams, their future will be decided on the results in the middle of these clubs, where points will take on added significance. I have to pick one though, and somewhat surprisingly I feel that Boro might the ones to go, though Fulham and Wigan could also be in for someone else hair-raising time.

My predictions then: Champions: Chelsea. European Champions: Manchester United. Relegated: Derby, Birmingham, and Middlesbrough. Sorry chaps! Whoever you support, I wish you and your team well. Let's have someone else cracking year with all issues going down to the last week. That would be the ideal for everyone. As Stuart Pearce was fond of saying: Come On!

English Premiership Football Prospects for 2007-08

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