One truly craves the start of the new Premiership season on days like today. You know the feeling, slumped on the couch, snapping through the sports news channels. You’re just waiting for one of the generic blonde female presenters to appear after another series of adverts for mid-market car manufacturers. Fingers crossed its ‘now’. She has been talking about golf all day. It must be now. It has to be the time for her to turn to her right and say to her male counterpart “So Clive/Brian/Dale, first day of the new season, who are you backing?”
At which point a silken blanket of relief will drape across you. You will realise the two month Groundhog Day has ended. Suddenly you’re in your favourite seat in your favourite bar with your most passionate football supporting friend, and it’s his round.
She returns to the screen to begin the teasing sentence ‘…action continues at Old Trafford…’ you know the one, just enough football related information to jolt you from your semi-slumber, how did you miss this you’re thinking, then she continues, ‘England have lost three wickets in the last…’ and before she has finished her sentence you’re watching Israel play Norway in the UEFA under-19 championships on Eurosport.
So the wait for the new season continues. The day will come though, if we focus and believe, together. But while we wait for the blonde to utter that hallowed sentence, let us speak. The summer has been riddled with transfer speculation. This writer thinks some squads have been severely weakened, few have strengthened sufficiently and the Premiership as a whole has made some strange choices.
We’ll start alphabetically, put speculation aside and speak only of confirmed deals.
Arsenal –
I am a big Wenger fan but Hleb, Silva, Lehmann, Gilberto and Flamini out. Samir Nasri and Aaron Ramsey in. Surely the manager will add to his squad mid-season to appease the demanding Arsenal faithful. I’ll begin with Ramsey.
Admittedly I was impressed with what I saw of him last season but the 18 year old Welshman has a lot of work to do to make up for the loss of Hleb, let alone the other midfielders Wenger has rid himself of. He is creative, has great feet and most importantly, so far he has not let more physical players knock him off the ball, but the jump from the football league is a big one. I question if Ramsey has the frame to withstand the bustling power of some of the premierships bigger defenders. The one really worrying thing that creeps into my mind when I watch him is ‘James Milner’.
I’m not an avid viewer of the French league, so my knowledge of Nasri is taken solely from online sources. Titles like ‘Nasri - the new Zidane’ certainly had my mouth watering. Further research only adds to the accuracy of the title. Born in Marseille of Algerian heritage, tough childhood, signed for Olympique Marseille aged 10. Voted the Young player of the year in France in his first season. Capped for France at all levels from under-14 to senior international. His career so far is more impressive than that of the messiah with the monks’ hair was at age 21.
Whether he will perform as well in the concrete mixer that is the premierships midfield battle is up for debate. He is more technically proficient than Ramsey, but not as accustomed to he physical requirements of the English game. He is equally comfortable on the right side as he is in the centre. Overall, although Ramsey has been pursued by various premier league outfits from the age of 14, I think Nasri will have a bigger impact for the Gunners in his debut season. Maybe not a new Zidane this year but if Wenger can mould him the way he did with Reyes, who knows.
I predict that unless the Gunners sign an experienced midfielder, and a solid defender before Christmas they may struggle to keep pace with Chelsea, United and possibly Liverpool [if they perform]So far, a side that has weakened over the summer.
Aston Villa -
Over the last ten years Aston Villa has been the antithesis of a mid-table Premier league club. Nothing more, nothing less. Their fans were never particularly passionate or numerous. Their stadium is neither huge nor intimidating. Their style of play was always plain and defensive. They were rarely giant killers. Most importantly though, their squad has been little more than a bunch of journeyman professionals. However, two years ago a pair of trump cards walked into Villa Park, O’Neill and Robertson.
The passionate Northern Irishman, undoubtedly one of the leagues best managers and his often overlooked assistant, Scotland’s John Robertson, is surely one of the best partnerships in the league since Cloughie and Taylor at Forrest in the late seventies. They are a combination that has the coaching skill to turn a journeyman into a true footballer.
I should be noted - the Cloughie-Taylor pairing had an amazing eye for talent that O’Neill and Robertson are yet to match. Cloughie found players in the lower divisions that he signed and bred into solid professionals, O’Neill has bought established pros either nearing the end of their careers or on the cusp of making a name for themselves. Last year’s successful signings, Reo-Coker from West Ham and Petrov strengthened a midfield that has lacked that spark and creativity since Patrik Berger was in his heyday. Expect this year’s one big name signature, Steve Sidwell to flourish in the disciplined regime developed by O’Neill and Robertson at Villa
Park. The bustling midfielders’ career has become stagnant while he has been sitting on the bench at Chelsea. This writer feels if you threw Paul Scholes and Roy Keane into a concrete mixer, diluted it by about 50% and hit the power switch you would have something resembling Steve Sidwell. A very solid footballer. Toss a dash of Martin O’Neill’s coaching talent into the mix and you can be assured the new signing will not disappoint.Looking at the Villa first team there is one glaring absence, a quality goalkeeper. Steve Taylor has never really fulfilled the potential he showed as a youngster, and for a quality football team he is a back-up keeper at best. Villa should invest in young Ben Foster for the forthcoming season or looking to the future, possibly Shane Supple at Ipswich. Speculation has linked the Villains with several keepers including Brad Friedel and Paul Robinson, but O’Neill seemingly feels Taylor is developing into a strong keeper.
Last week the club signed American international stopper, Brad Guzan from MLS side, Chivas USA, who will compete with Taylor. Although I have my doubts over the English shots-stopper’s ability Villa have no other clear weaknesses. Their upcoming season should be their best in years.
Blackburn Rovers -
The summer has seen a changing of the guard at Blackburn Rovers with the much reviled Paul Ince replacing Mark Hughes who took the reigns at Manchester City. Former Manchester United, Liverpool, Inter Milan and England star Ince has cut his managerial teeth in the lower divisions with Macclesfield and MK Dons but there are doubts as to whether he has to ability to step up to the plate this soon.
With star players Roque Santa Cruz and David Bentley the subjects of much transfer speculation, the signs aren’t great for Rovers. At least they have the majestic Brad Friedel (should he stay), and the acquisition of Paul Robinson this week sees them sorted for goalkeepers.
Bolton Wanderers -
It looks like Bolton are in the middle of a rejuvenation. They have finally rid themselves of El-hadj Diouf who hasn’t performed since Korea and Japan in 2002, he was off-loaded to Sunderland earlier in the week. Gerard Houllier should be lynched for subjecting Premiership fans to the Senegalese strikers’ game since he signed him for Liverpool following that World Cup. Fabrice Muamba has put pen to paper in a £5million deal. Although Muamba is a solid pro the fee seems a little steep. Time will tell. Gary Megson’s redevelopment continues.
The addition of Johann Elamander from Toulouse to replace Diouf will sure up an inconsistent strikeforce. The Swede is of similar calibre in terms of ability to the Senegalese international. His workrate and general attitude puts Roy Keane’s new signing to shame. Ivan Campo was released, and although a respected player in his heyday, the nest-headed Spanish international has been counting his beans the last few seasons. Another good decision by Megson. Bolton fans can look forward to a solid performance this season, but the real results of Megson’s choices may not been seen for a few years yet.
Next - Chelsea, Everton, Fulham
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