The Premier League Trophy

Happy New Year

For millions of fans the New Year starts in August, when the European footballing season kicks off. And in seasons that follow a football world cup, the excitement is just that much more visible. It’s a great chance for young players who made a mark in the world cup to cement their reputations for the long term. Heightened transfer activity after the world cup also changes the dynamic from the previous season, and all teams have to start from scratch.

The relevance of the EPL in a new Galacticos era at Real Madrid and Barcelona

There is no doubt that this transfer window was dominated by the two giants in Spain, the cream of the available players have made no bones about playing for these two clubs, and with major signings, especially of world cup stars, a lot of interest will be diverted to the La Liga, to Barcelona and Real Madrid in particular. With a plethora of stars, even on their benches, both these clubs will be expected to make the finals of the UEFA Champions League. With so much talent playing in Spain, one wonders how the EPL will stay at the forefront of domestic competitions in the world.

The EPL is a superbly well packaged event, its reach and following are unmatched, and even in remote countries the following for some of the smaller clubs in England is remarkable. It’s the competiveness of the EPL that truly makes it the world standard. With a new manager in Louis Van Gaal, Manchester United is now one of five clubs that is expected to go all the way in this competition. That’s a staggering number at the beginning of the season when you compare it to other major leagues in Europe. Even with Athletico’s excellent run last year, many expect the title in the La Liga to be a two horse race, or business as usual. In Germany, few expect anyone to dent Munich’s march to another title. While PSG’s and Monaco’s big spending is bringing interest in the French game, the following will still be limited across the world.

Big Money, Bigger Expectations

When Chelsea were taken over by Roman Abramovic, they broke the bank, and subsequently ended the Arsenal & Manchester United (Between 1996-2004 all titles were shared between these two clubs) stranglehold on the league, and sparked off a financial war among the English elite. Arsenal’s lack of spending in the ensuing years (mainly to finance the new stadium) coincided with a period where Chelsea and United fought the league (seven consecutive titles between these two), only to be threatened by a new member to the millionaire’s club, Manchester City. City’s billions bought in success as well, and threatened a new period of excessive spending, and footballers in the English never had it so good. While United stayed relevant with Sir Alex Fergusson at the helm, the chasm was exposed when he moved on, with United finishing seventh (outside the top three or the first time since 1990).

Liverpool’s resurgence last season though was a bright spark, not just achieved through major signings but by a gradual change of footballing philosophy. That success has given them renewed belief and increased their fan base giving them enough clout to make improved signings. Having fully paid for the new stadium Arsenal too have been active in the transfer market, and not just for selling their top players as was happening for many years. While defending champions City have been laid a little inactive in the transfer market by the new financial fair play rules, and the improved squads of Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool, and with a new aggressive manager in charge at Manchester United, the competition at the top has just gotten a little hotter, and that’s only a good thing. All five clubs are in healthy financial conditions, all of them are now backed by greater expectation, and all eyes will be on them, and the focus as it rightly should, moves back to the players.

Smaller teams play a huge role in the title race

Only in England is the league title not decided only by how well the top teams play, but also by how well lower level teams play against top opposition. In no other league is any game more level than in the EPL. Teams such as Everton and Tottenham can always be counted on to upset the big five and having been in the competition for European places, these teams have great motivation to play well against their more illustrious counterparts. And it’s not just these two, teams like Stoke City, West Ham, Sunderland, Southampton and Newcastle have all had their moments in the big games over the years.

Smaller teams are always capable of beating the big teams in the EPL

It’s what makes playing in England that much more exciting, it’s what makes this one of the best leagues in the world, there are just no games that you can take for granted. Even with a plethora of superstars the big teams have to turn up and play to the best of their ability for 38 games through the season, and with European and other Cup distractions through the season the bigger teams have to rely on squad strength to get them through at times.

A quick look at the title contenders

Arsenal – with the stadium fully paid for and with the club in good financial health, has manager Arsene Wenger putting his money where his mouth was. He promised that he would buy big players when the money became available and he is doing so. Albeit a little disappointed by how they finished the league season after starting with so much promise last season, they’ll want to correct the wrongs of the past. But a cup can do wonders, and lifting the FA Cup at the end of last season gave them the chance to go out there against league champions to start the season, and they didn’t disappoint did they. A 3-0 win against city is a good morale booster, even if people consider the community shield irrelevant. Arsenal should and will focus on bigger things this season, and they certainly have the team for it. Time to re-enter the top three and be title contenders at least till April, that’s the goal that they must set.

Chelsea – with Mourinho in his second season back, with renewed transfer activity that seemed smart rather than just stop gap, mean business. The manager knows now the future stars of this team, and he’s building a unit around them, and this gives them great hope for years to come. Mourinho is smart, he’s tactical, astute and he can take them the distance and keep them fresh come the end of the season. Chelsea’s success will depend on their European run, because only the lure of the Champions league (a title that he doesn’t have with this club) will take Mourinho’s eye of the league. A semi-final in Europe’s premier club competition and a top two finish is a minimum for the Chosen one, and he has the team to achieve it.

Liverpool – without Suarez is the question that everyone is asking. But Brendan Rodgers has been a smart manager from day one, and he’s proving to be irresistible. Using the money made from the Suarez deal on increasing the depth of the squad has shown that common sense is a guiding factor in the new management at Liverpool. A sharp climb up the league ladder, Liverpool played terrific football last season, and having received such a preposterous sum for a player once again marked in disgrace, they’ve definitely gotten the better end of the deal. While Barcelona must now bear the responsibility of the Uruguayan’s erratic behavior, Liverpool have spent that money cleverly and built a squad that will give them a platform for many years to come. While Brendan Rodgers will look at going one better this season in the league, realistically, a top three finish and an extended run in Europe after a long gap will be great for the club to continue the progress of recent years.

Manchester City – have been laid a little low by the new financial fair play regulations but it didn’t stop them from signing four players. The change in the squad will be minimal, but as champions they already boast a top quality side in the league. With a successful first season, Pellegrini will find that his hardest challenge will be to keep his expensive squad motivated, and it is in this season that his managerial resolve will be tested. Once again, City with its vast riches will be expected to do well in Europe as well, and it might be a bigger focus area after last season’s domestic success. At the start of the season this team will look for at least one major trophy, with a larger eye on the continent.

Manchester United – may be the weakest squad of the five to compete in this year’s competition, but having said that a lot of this team has won the domestic title a little more than a year back, sending away Fergusson on a winning note. A lack of motivation and guidance from the top though left them rather rudderless, and it clearly showed how key a role Sir Alex played at United. With Van Gaal, the bosses have decided that they can’t experiment with time, and have gone for someone who has a similar amount of ruthlessness in his demeanor. A lot of United’s season will depend on what the manager will achieve with this squad, both tactically and in terms of motivation but the signs are there. They’ve had a great preseason, and after last season’s bitter disappointments, they’ll be eager to get back on the big stage. Without European distractions this team will look at definitely cracking the top four, and rebuilding their reputations in the process.

Summary

It’s going to be a fiery season for sure. No matter who wins it the English Football League season promises to scale new heights both in terms of viewership and interest levels. Typically a heightened period of transfer activity does not immediately transform to results as new players take time to come to grips with the system and the new teammates. The teams with a more consistent look from last season should start well, so expect Manchester City and Chelsea to get off the blocks quickly, followed by Arsenal and Liverpool, while United if things fall together might see them making a run in the second half of the season. Remember that’s what it used to be like in the 90s as well. It’s red versus blue in the Barclays premier league this season, but few would bet against an all blue one-two this season.