By Gabriel Knowles
August 15th 2008 @ 5:51am
Loading ...Only four teams can win the EPL
David Gallop must wish Sir Alex Ferguson coached the Bulldogs instead of Manchester United. Considering the Scotsman stood firm in the face of a 70 million pound bid for Ronaldo, Sonny Bill wouldn’t have got halfway to the airport under Ferguson’s watch.
At least Gallop can console himself with the knowledge that his league is more competitive.
Anyone could win the NRL, but only four teams are really in the running to take out the Premier League.
And even that’s fast becoming a two horse race.
Especially given that Tottenham look set to lose Dimitar Berbatov, the man whose goals have helped put them on the cusp of an elusive Champions League place, to United for 28 million pounds.
Retaining Ronaldo and the imminent acquisition of Berbatov could be the defining deals of the upcoming season.
It will be interesting to see how Berbatov meshes into a frontline that was irresistible at times last season. Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez have an almost sixth-sense like understanding, and with Ronaldo to return from injury shortly, there’ll be no shortage competition for spots.
Berbatov may just become the most expensive impact player in the league not wearing a Chelsea tracksuit.
The defending champions have the inside running, although they’ll have to rely less on the aeing guile of Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs in midfield and do without the tactical nous Carlos Queiroz.
Ferguson’s long-time assistant has been crucial to United’s recent successes and his departure to manage Portugal is said to be one of the major reasons Ronaldo wanted to leave.
Michael Carrick’s consistent form, and the emergence of Nani at the backend of last season, and a fully fit Owen Hargreaves, should be enough to see them over the line again.
The biggest threat to Chelsea’s title tilt is their embarrassment of riches.
Big name players such as Michael Ballack and Andrei Shevchenko don’t take to sitting on the bench well. New manager Luiz Felipe Scolari has the unenviable job keeping all those overpaid egos in check. But ‘Big Phil’ has enough tickets on himself to mix it with the best of them.
Much will depend on how new signing Deco slots into an already crowded midfield with Frank Lampard, Michael Essien and Ballack also competing for places.
Portuguese newcomer Jose Bosingwa should keep the Stamford Bridge crowd entertained with his marauding runs from right back.
And the petulant Didier Drogba looks to have found peace after an unsettled 2007/08.
Drogba at his best is a handful for even the leading defenders in Europe. If the grossly under-qualified Avram Grant managed to make United wait until the final day of the last term to clinch the title, Big Phil will have to win the Champions League if the title eludes Chelsea again.
Otherwise he’ll have to massage his own jobless ego next off-season.
Arsenal must be quietly confident of crashing the party this season. They led for much of last season and only finished four points adrift in the end.
In the end, it was their lack of depth that undid them and it could well be their undoing this time around, too.
Despite bringing in France international Samir Nasri from Marseille, they’ve lost first team players in Mathieu Flamini, Alex Hleb and Gilberto Silva.
Arsene Wenger will need to buy another player who isn’t a teenager to ensure Arsenal greatest achievement this season isn’t in making a profit on the transfer market again.
Rafa Benitez, on the other hand, could learn a thing or two from thrift-minded Wenger.
The Liverpool manager seems intent on breaking the bank, with little to show for it on the domestic front. Signing Robbie Keane for nearly 20 million pounds to partner Fernando Torres up front when his Euro 2008 winning strike partner David Villa was reportedly available for a similar price could come back to haunt Benitez.
Chasing Gareth Barry when he already has (the arguably better) Xabi Alonso was just plain disruptive.
Given the resources he’s had access to, this could be Benitez’s last shot at it with Liverpool.
Unless he can put out a consistent line-up, Liverpool will stay bottom of the top four.
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(34)
Spiro Zavos said | August 15th 2008 @ 8:39am | Report comment
The salary cap argument insists that spectators like competitions where every team gets a chance of winning through the restraints of buying a champion team. But even with salary caps the usual suspects come up trumps. Without a salary cap you can build dynasties like Manchester United, and Arsenal and Liverpool in the past.
My feeling is that the spectators love dynasties and glamour teams and players. Golf’s TV audience has plummeted by as third without Tiger Woods. Basketball has become a minor sport in Australia, following the boom during the Michael Jordan era.
So Manchester United are making the Premier League the world’s most-watched tournament. I don’t believe this would have happened if manager Sir Alex Ferguson did not have the chance to buy the team he wants to put on the field.
Mick of Newie said | August 15th 2008 @ 9:43am | Report comment
Spiro
I am no ManU fan but to give Fergy his credit, he built the team before he started buying. The victories of the 90’s were built mostly around their youth products like Beckham, Gary & Phil Neville, Giggs, Scholes and bargain buys like Dennis Irwin, Peter Schemichal, Roy Keane and Eric Cantona. Man U have spent $$ in recent years but even then they generally bought players on the way up like van Nistelry, Ferdinand, Rooney and Ronaldo.
Man U didn’t make the EPL the most watched league in the world, they were just fortunate that their reign at the top co-incided with the true globalisation of international sport through pay TV and the related establishment of the EPL where for the first time in Europe the clubs took control of their own destiny from the old boys clubs at the football league and ran the EPL as a business in its own right.
What is interesting is that in the EPL supporters of say Bolton or West Ham have different asperations for the season as a Man U or Chelsea fan yet they still fork out big $$ to watch. Contrast that with the salary capped leagues in Australia where crowds rapidly decline the moment supporters realise it is not their clubs year (eg Penrith Panthers story in SMH yesterday).
We accept the salary cap in Aust almost without question. The logic appears to be you can be a bandwagon jumper, don’t support your club in any committed way just wait for the cycle to come around hopefully every 10 years or so and leap on.
Ando said | August 15th 2008 @ 10:02am | Report comment
I’m just interested in how Tottenham are meant to be a top four team when the top four IMO is ManU, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool.
The Keane over Villa comment could be explained by the fact that Keane is an established Premier League player who is accustomed to the conditions in England and is a proven goalscorer in the country. Villa might have required time to settle to the pace and style of the league, regardless of his understanding with Torres.
Kazama said | August 15th 2008 @ 10:41am | Report comment
Really it is already a two horse race. Arsenal and Liverpool have fallen way behind the global powers that are Chelsea and Man United. It seems Arsenal just doesn’t have the money to field the sort of teams it had in the late nineties / early naughties. Liverpool seems more obsessed with Europe than the EPL and their line-ups since Rafa took charge, or perhaps even before that, reflect a more European mentality and that just doesn’t translate into domestic success. Unless another billionaire steps in and takes over a club, there won’t be any change to this for a while.
As for a salary cap in the EPL, I don’t think you’ll ever have that situation – the big four have become far too important to English Football and its subsequent success in Europe for the FA to endanger that by introducing a salary cap.
Ben of Phnom Penh said | August 15th 2008 @ 10:44am | Report comment
The problem is that such dominance takes much of the interest out of the league itself and tends to focus it on the big clubs and the relegation battle. This works well for TV audiences as lucrative markets in Asia can be sated with a few important games, however this does tend to reduce interest in the results of mid-table clashes. The Bundesliga model, where clubs expenditure is linked to their revenues, is an interesting one and results in a more even competition whilst still allowing those clubs with big turnover, such as Bayern Munich and Werder Bremen, to build a legacy. Though how, on that basis, Dortmund continues to flounder is beyond me.
Pippinu said | August 15th 2008 @ 10:49am | Report comment
I agree with Kazama – looking through the respective lists of the “big 4″, and clearly those of Arsenal and Liverpool are not the quality of “Chelsea” and “Man Utd”.
Having said that, Wenger is a great manager and I’m sure Arsenal will push the other two all the way till the end of the season (playing the most attractive football again).
Liverpool?
Perhaps another good CL campaign beckons?
Tottenham?
Forget about it.
The only other interest is whether Everton, Pompey and Villa can maintain their possies from last year and whether any of Hull City, Stoke City and West Brom can survive the drop.
Kazama said | August 15th 2008 @ 11:42am | Report comment
Ben
Yes, the Bundesliga model is an interesting one, but you have to wonder if it is stopping the (bigger) German clubs from having much of an impact in Europe. As for Dortmund, it seems as if it there is something wrong with that club at the administrative level and this is spilling onto the pitch. They remind me a bit of Richmond in the AFL, another team that seems to fail no matter how many chances / concessions it is given.
Pippinu
There’s no dispute that Wenger is a good manager, and that his teams play an attractive brand of football, but as we’ve seen recently in the EPL to win the league you need players that have experience to know when to defend and make your opponents come to you so the opportunities to score present themselves, like Mourinho’s Chelsea which won two titles by ‘grinding out’ results (admittedly in a different way to A-League teams, like those coached by John Kosmina, try to grind out results. Mourinho’s Chelsea were hardly a team of ‘long-ball thugs’, they were a quality team, a well organised team and deserving champions). Looking at Arsenal’s list, I just don’t see enough of said experience; I see a bunch of exciting young talents that I think will provide us with plenty of action but give their own supporters more than a few nervous moments, and this will be Arsenal’s downfall this season IMO. They’re a bit thin in defence as well, and this isn’t a good thing for a team aspiring to be EPL champions, in comparison to Chelsea’s and Man Utd’s defences.
Pippinu said | August 15th 2008 @ 11:57am | Report comment
Kazama
Sagna, Gallas, Toure and Clichy make up a handy back four – it’s a question of whether they’ll stay on the park for most of the season, because there ain’t much else (to plug defensive holes).
To lose both Hleb and Flamini makes for a much weakened midfield – I also note that Cesc and Rosicky are injured – so I’m wondering who’s left for the opener!! Nasri and Walcott??
No argument about the quality upfront: Adebayor, Van Persie and Eduardo – but the latter two have their own fitness problems.
I’d back Arsenal in a 21 round season – but 38 rounds – that’s a bloody long season when there ain’t much back up!
Kazama said | August 15th 2008 @ 12:36pm | Report comment
Pippinu: “it’s a question of whether they’ll stay on the park for most of the season, because there ain’t much else (to plug defensive holes).”
This is what I meant by “They’re a bit thin in defence.” I have no problem with Gallas and Toure, quality players, maybe a little rash at times (though so are Ferdinand and Carvalho) but as for Sagna and Clichy, they’re not exactly in the same league as Chelsea and Man Utd’s selection of wingbacks, IMO at least. Even Liverpool’s wingbacks are better than Sagna and Clichy. I think if you put Liverpool and Arsenal’s squads together, you’d have a team easily capable of winning the title. As they both are, you are right, they’ll struggle over the 38-game marathon that is the EPL to keep the pace with the much deeper squads of Chelsea and Man United.
You’d have to wonder how Sydney FC’s paper-thin squad would do in a 38-game season. I think once the A-League has 10 teams, you’ll see teams having a better balance in their squads to deal with the increased length of season. Assuming they can find enough good players, that is. What we don’t want is 10 copies of Gerard Houllier’s Liverpool – i.e. teams packed with Brendon Renaud-esq ’squad players’ – which contained such superstars as Igor Biscan, Salif Diao, Bruno Cheyrou and Bernard Diomede. I’m going off the topic a bit here but maybe I’ve touched on an issue teams may have with a longer A-League season once Nth Qld and the GC are in.
Lazza said | August 15th 2008 @ 1:33pm | Report comment
Interesting to read that the RL is backing off from it’s threat of legal action against Williams and Toulon.
I think someone has whispered in their ear that having the “Salary Cap” tested in court might not be such a great idea. Perhaps the AFL have got involved as well since their dreams of becoming a national sport would die a quick death if Aussie Rules returned to being a free market competition.
Any sport that relies on being a “Socialist Collective” to survive can’t be that strong. One court challenge and it’s all over!
Slippery Jim said | August 15th 2008 @ 3:47pm | Report comment
Good article, Gabriel, although I had a chuckle at the fact you think Chelsea won’t beat Utd this season due to too having many good players. Man Utd will have a shaky start to the season which will mean they have to play catch up, Liverpool are no longer top four. I hope Everton displace them this season (for irony reasons). Arsenal have lost their focus on winning and will also trail this season. Chelsea will, of course, win at a gallop. “Win what” You ask? Everything that counts is the answer. Hope this clears things up for everyone
jimbo said | August 15th 2008 @ 4:18pm | Report comment
The usual suspects again and the clubs spending the most money are winning the Leagues right across Europe.
Interestingly these clubs still have a relatively high turnover of players as compared to other clubs, because they have very high standards to achieve and even the players get bored with winning all the time.
Phil Coorey said | August 15th 2008 @ 6:37pm | Report comment
As a West Ham fan – I’m just hoping they don’t get relegated
Ben of Phnom Penh said | August 15th 2008 @ 6:50pm | Report comment
As a Nottingham Forest fan at I still have bit of a wait before the EPL becomes relevant once more. As for Chelsea winning everything…. I think there is going to be a serious tilt at the Champions League coming from the likes of Bayern Munich and Real Madrid; Juventus have something to prove as well.
Rabbitz said | August 16th 2008 @ 7:18pm | Report comment
Technically, only one team can win…
Sorry – Couldn’t resist
Rabz
Slippery Jim said | August 18th 2008 @ 9:27am | Report comment
Man Utd having a shaky start, having to play catch up, Chelsea winning at a 4-0 gallop and top of the table – just call me Nostradamus folks!
Big Kev said | August 18th 2008 @ 9:48am | Report comment
the thing with the Premier League is that there is so much interest apart from just the race for the title (which generally includes 2 or 3 teams each year). Firstly just the passion of the fans. My team, West Ham, sell out every home game and take a large contingent to every away game, irrespective of where they are in the table and whether it is early or late in the season. Add to that the relegation battle, Champions League and UEFA Cup spots also make it more interesting. Then there are the 2 domestic cup competitions, giving all teams (from all divisions and non league) a shot at glory.
Imagine if the NRL was just a normal league without the playoffs – a battle for the minor premiership! 90% of fans would lose interest 1/3rd of the way through the season. They have to manufacture interest with a ridiculous 8 team playoff in a comp of 14 teams! It’s a joke really.
Phil Coorey said | August 18th 2008 @ 9:53am | Report comment
kev – did you see the Hammers game on Saturday?
I fell asleep after it was 2-0 but had happy dreams that the Hammers were able to resign Ashton. Great start to the season for the boys.
Koala Bear said | August 18th 2008 @ 9:59am | Report comment
Slippery Jim (Nostradamus)
What an amazing start to the season and I saw a brief interview with big Phil.. This shall be a season where a club will take out all four trophies … Big Phil has said as much.. And I’m not even going to be my usual arrogant self this year… Man U a shaky start. Yes.. Trouble at Old Trafford..
~~~~~~
KB
Benjamin said | August 18th 2008 @ 10:01am | Report comment
As a Tottenham fan I think it is clear that we are going to struggle this year. If you want to be top 6 then a point away to Middlesbrough is a must.
I am convinced that Ramos is out of his depth. Last season we had 1 good game out of every 3 under him and our Carling Cup success was more due to Grant’s selection inconsistencies than any excellence on the part of Tottenham.
Take the Middlesbrough game as an example; the team was shockingly imbalanced in midfield, and also defence. Why were Bale, Berbatov and King on the bench? Either they are fit to play and start or they are not? Why pay all that money for Bentley and then put him on the left? Mindboggling. Tottenham need to play Zokora in midfield. He is a mediocre player but Huddlestone is too casual with his defensive duties. Also Ramos needs to decide whether Jenas or Modric start. They are too similar to share duties.
The back four, when fit looks pretty outstanding but what good is two maraduing full backs that with a callow left winger playing in the ‘hole’ and your best 7 playing at 11, and no dominant striker either? Spurs have really hamstrung themselves by not offloading Berbatov earlier. Awful decision. At least we can take solace from being better than those Hammers.
Slippery Jim said | August 18th 2008 @ 10:34am | Report comment
I agree with everything you said, Benjamin…KB, I know you don’t have foxtel, you missed seeing Chelsea old boy Bozzer saying he is still a loyal Chelsea fan – good to finally have a blues fan on the commentary team to put those Man City and Liverpool pluggers in their place heh heh…good to have you back Bozzer, and great comments too.
Benjamin said | August 18th 2008 @ 10:43am | Report comment
I’ve got to agree with KB. Chelsea to win it all (within reason). Carrick is out, no Querioz. Saha!? Ronaldo gone for 6 weeks. Nothing would give me more pleasure too. Never would I have imagine Ferguson accepting a draw with Newcastle at OT as a reasonable result. What I love most is that who does Ferguson send out to talk to the press when he’s having a strop now that Querioz is gone? Giggs?
Other than Chels, I fancy Middlesbrough to turn a few clubs over. Alves looks good. Villa look good too. Watching MOTD 2 tonight Hansen and Dixon were adamant that nobody could break into the top 4, which I disagree with on the basis of Liverpool’s mediocrity. If Torres is injured they are in trouble, and Benitez still has no wide-men. What a wolly. Equally Arsenal are going nowhere, which pleases me no end. Wenger loves playing the martyr! If they were juvenile last year how will they fare this year now that their only holding midfielder has been replaced with a child (albeit a talented one). It’s also worth noting that Gallas is a horrible captain. Awful.
Phil Coorey said | August 18th 2008 @ 10:44am | Report comment
Bosnich was frigging excellent in the commentary booth.
Slippery Jim said | August 18th 2008 @ 11:06am | Report comment
Benjamin, did you see the Arsenal game? Gallas was arguing with his keeper and defenders, getting no respect at all – I can’t believe someone more level-headed isn’t made captain (like Toure).
Benjamin said | August 18th 2008 @ 11:11am | Report comment
Saw bits of it Jim. Didn’t see that but no surprises there. He’s such a tart. Arsenal are just waiting to implode. Even Wenger has become far more hostile and spiteful over the past three years.
jimbo said | August 18th 2008 @ 11:31am | Report comment
Slippery,
I’ll have to come out of the closet now . . .
no, I’m not in love with Frank Lampard . . .
But . . .
I’m a Chelsea Fan,
yes a Chelsea fan too . . . I’ve even walked on and kissed the turf at Stamford bridge . . .
funny taste . . . was that chocolate, mud or doggy poo?
I was Mastrobating last night at the sight of those Blue boys passing and running the legs off the British South Coast’s finest team.
Yes, we may have the richest philanthropist in the world throwing money at them, but I enjoyed the game so much last night I stayed up till way past my bedtime . . . with my mummy’s permission of course.
Koala Bear said | August 18th 2008 @ 11:53am | Report comment
Slippery Jim (Nostradamus), Benjamin, and Jimbo (the Presidente of the CRSL),
It seems now we have the electronic media covered; we lads on Flog duty, Bozza at Fox, and Francis Awaritefe at SBS an avid Chelsea lad … And I think I can speak for Norm as a lad too…
~~~~~~~
Slippery Jim said | August 18th 2008 @ 12:09pm | Report comment
Jimbo, I noticed that you are a closet Chelsea supporter from your fantasy EPL team profile. A champion sports writer like yourself is always going to be a Blues supporter…as Jose would say, “Be Champions”…
MIdfielder said | August 18th 2008 @ 12:24pm | Report comment
KB KB KB KB KB KB KB KB
This thing you have with blue …….. it will make you blue ….. remember its just a jump to the left and a step to the rightaattt.
HOWEVER I think I know your problem………. its a computer virus that sometimes attaches itself to keyboard users.
Its called the C-Nile virus and it makes you blue.
BTW – 2-0 Mariners over Choppers (another blue side) Matty Simon double, Kossie to be red carded.
and KB always remember its just a jump to the left ………….
Dave said | August 18th 2008 @ 12:32pm | Report comment
Lads
Before writing off Man U look at their unavailable list last night:
). Let me know how we are going when they all return.
Anderson, Saha, Tevez, Hargreaves, Park, Nani, Ronaldo, Carrick (half a game off injured) and Berbatov (sorry l’m jumping the gun a little there
Slippery Jim said | August 18th 2008 @ 12:45pm | Report comment
Dave, exactly, Man U’s injury list means they will not be champions this year, I agree we should write them off, as you say. Thanks for adding that titbit…oh, hang on, were you trying to say the opposite? They’re all injured, so they are actually more of a threat??? I’m so confused…what I do know is that the two players who scored (literally) half ManUres goals last year are out. We’re already getting the carpenters in to expand the trophy cabinet for later in the year, and I have invested heavily in London silverpolish manufacturing consortiums…
Dave said | August 18th 2008 @ 12:55pm | Report comment
SJ
Dont worry the in fighting at Chelski will commence again when the players all begin to realise how much more Lampard is getting than they are
.
Slippery Jim said | August 18th 2008 @ 12:59pm | Report comment
Dave, after Mutu hands over his drug money we will have more than enough cash to line everyone’s pockets many times over, don’t you worry about that
jimbo said | August 18th 2008 @ 1:10pm | Report comment
Slippery,
Mutu still owes me for the Steroids I sent him in the post . . .
Fantasy League . . . more like Nightmare League.
I didn’t have enough time to work on a team so I went for the Autopick . . . six of my players didn’t even get a start – including the reserves!