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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jimbo
Guest
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!
Slippery Jim
Guest
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 ;)
Dave
Guest
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
Guest
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
Guest
Lads Before writing off Man U look at their unavailable list last night: Anderson, Saha, Tevez, Hargreaves, Park, Nani, Ronaldo, Carrick (half a game off injured) and Berbatov (sorry l'm jumping the gun a little there :) ). Let me know how we are going when they all return.
MIdfielder
Guest
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 .............
Slippery Jim
Guest
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"...
Koala Bear
Guest
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... :) ~~~~~~~
jimbo
Guest
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.
Benjamin
Guest
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.
Slippery Jim
Guest
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).
Phil Coorey
Guest
Bosnich was frigging excellent in the commentary booth.
Benjamin
Guest
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.
Slippery Jim
Guest
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
Guest
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.
Koala Bear
Guest
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
Phil Coorey
Guest
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.
Big Kev
Guest
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.
Slippery Jim
Guest
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!
Rabbitz
Guest
Technically, only one team can win... Sorry - Couldn't resist Rabz