Saturday 18 August 2012

Barclays Premier League: The Title Showdown


A Barclays Premier League season brings huge expectations and hope with it. From mouthwatering top of the table clashes too some equally interesting relegation battles, the BPL is like a soap opera in itself. Like a much awaited seasonal TV series the league has its fair shares of ups and downs. A fair bit of drama follows with teams either over performing or underperforming at critical junctures putting entire predictions into disarray. Despite all this only a couple of clubs begin as favorites to clinch the league championship. As usual we have the two teams from Manchester and European Champions Chelsea followed by dark horses Arsenal as favorites to lift the title, forming the new BIG 4.


Manchester United:
Perennial favorites Manchester United will once again begin this season the more or less the same way, the only difference being that they will be the Challengers to Manchester City’s Champions. After what has been an extremely fruitful transfer window, Sir Alex Ferguson has managed to pick up a couple of quality signings to strengthen a team that missed out on last year’s title by mere seconds. With Japanese playmaker Shinji Kagawa now added to the United midfield and a deal for meteoric Dutch striker and last year’s BPL Golden Boot Robin Van Persie almost completed, SAF will be hoping that he has done enough to wrest back the title from Mancini’s boys. One of the major points of concern though for Manchester United has to be that of underperforming French full-back Patrice Evra. Once considered as among the best of his generation, Evra has struggled for form and consistency in the past season. A bid to replace him with Everton’s left English left back Leighton Baines has reportedly failed. Also on the roster will be the young blood of Englishman Nick Powell and Chilean Angelo Henriquez. Manchester United though will have to deal with some serious issues in the starting line-up with a mouthwatering group of strikers in Rooney, Persie, Hernandez and Welbeck to choose from. What happens to Berbatov is yet to be seen. In the evergreen Giggs and fantastic trio of Young, Valencia and Nani, United truly have a world class squad. Their main cause of concern is repeated injuries. Players like Nemanja Vidic, Darren Fletcher, Phil Jones and Chris Smalling being injured for long periods of time was the main reason they missed out on the title last year. SAF will have to make sure they last the season if they want to even come close to winning the title.


Manchester City:
An uncharacteristically quiet transfer window has seen Manchester City’s big spending cut down to only one £12 million signing in the form of Everton wonderkid Jack Rodwell. With an embarrassment of riches at their disposal, having quality players for every position, Manchester City will begin their title defense as favorites. Roberto Mancini’s men go into the season with a disadvantage having shot stopper Joe Hart and captain Vincent Kompany both suffering from injury niggles. With an in-form Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez alongside temperamental Mario Balotelli at their disposal, City should have no problem in racking up the goals. An unchanged side will also work to their benefit as the squad has already played together and linking up of players during passes and crosses will come far more naturally and easily. Mancini though will be looking to add to his player rosters. With talismanic midfielder Yaya Toure, known for his accurate long range goals, fit and raring to go, and Frenchman Samir Nasri also coming into form, the midfield looks solid and ready. Wingers David Silva and James Milner have been in fine form and Micah Richards had a good outing at the Olympics. Mancini’s new target this year seems to be to get multiple trophies. Their biggest obstacle though, will be handling large player egos. Dressing room showdowns and infighting will have to be managed by Mancini if he wants to deliver trophies he has promised to his Arab bosses.

Chelsea:
Champions of Europe Chelsea will look to lay their hands once again on the title that they have secured thrice under Roman Abramovich. Although a widely criticized defensive display was responsible for that fabled Champions League triumph, Chelsea have decided to break the bank this season to fulfill what has been Roman’s aim of playing “beautiful football”. Almost £65 million have been spent on signing young superstars in Belgium’s Eden Hazard, Germany’s Marko Marin and Brazil’s Oscar to team up with Juan Mata, Ramires and Frank Lampard to provide the attack with some teeth. As Chelsea embark on their first post-Drogba season, all eyes will be centered on £50million signing Fernando Torres. After what had been an extremely torrid first 6 months, Torres has started showing flashes of the brilliance that prompted Abramovich to sign him. Unlike KOP flop Andy Carroll, Torres has actually started to get into his own groove having scored a hat-trick (albeit against relegation threatened QPR) and taking home the golden boot at EURO 2012.The opening goal in the community shield match against League champions City and an assured striking slot will surely add to his confidence. The emergence of young players in Daniel Sturridge and Ryan Bertrand will also add confidence to interim-turned-full time manager Roberto Di Matteo who will look to emulate his successful end to the season. Don’t be surprised if Chelsea manages to battle it out for multiple honors this year as the club will also compete for the FIFA Club World Cup and the European Super Cup.


Arsenal:
Arsenal, dark horses of the premier league. Arguably the club which flatters to deceive year after year. Once, an invincible club in the premier league, the Arsenal of today somehow manages to scrape into the top 4 year after year. Although they have a quality group of players and a fine manager, they, for some inexplicable reason manage to remain without a major trophy every year. Having lost Cesc Fabregas and now strike spearhead Robin Van Persie, Arsenal would have seemed to struggle to even compete for Europa League spots if not for some very shrewd signings by Arsene Wenger. For a manager whose name sounds like he was made for Arsenal, Wenger has been forced to take into some serious budgetary constraints while building his squad over the years. Usually a fan of French players and the French league, Wenger has gone against his natural nature to pick up Malaga’s Spanish winger Santi Cazorla and Cologne’s German veteran forward Lukas Podolski. In former Montpellier Ligue 1 top scorer Olivier Giroud they have a well-developed replacement for outgoing captain van Persie. Arsenal too boasts of an enviable frontline of Cazorla and Walcott in the wings and Podolski and Giroud up front. Their main cause of concern should be the defense and if they can make a quality signing before the window ends they could truly threaten to tilt the leagues balance in their favor. Arsene will though have to look out for long term injuries like those suffered by Wilshere to not put a dent into his plans. They should start small by aiming for the Capital One Cup and FA Cup as priority targets.

Sunday 12 August 2012

Chelsea Vs Manchester City Community Shield 2012 Preview


                                                       


After what has been a rather agonizing wait for the first professional game of the season, Chelsea look to kick off their campaign with a win against Defending Premier League Champions Manchester City in the 2012 Community Shield.

What is usually a rather inconsequential game in the English football season, has created much hype and interest this time around given that the two richest clubs of English football will square of at Villa Park today. In what will be less of a match and more of a financial muscle-flexing and parading of their respective squads, a new-look Chelsea FC will look to stamp their authority as European Champions on an unusually unchanged Manchester City.

With a bunch of new signings in Belgian superstar Eden Hazard, Brazilian wonder-kid Oscar and slick German winger Marko Marin, Chelsea will look to play some beautiful football. With an unchanged solid defense at the back and the new influx of youthful creativity into the squad Chelsea's Russian owner will look to duel it out with City's Arab owner as to who is the original money spending Kingpin of the premier league.

Chelsea now under former Assistant and Interim manager Roberto Di Matteo have confirmed that they will be fielding an extremely strong squad as they expect to challenge with enough enthusiasm for each of the Seven Trophies they are eligible for.

Chelsea will unfortunately be without new signing Marin who is holding of a minor hamstring injury. he will not be risked. Chelsea are expected to lineup with experienced and in-form shot-stopper Petr Cech in goal. With a usual Ivanovic, Luiz, Terry, Cole back four. With Romelu Lukaku having joined former Chelsea player and assistant coach Steve Clarke at West Brom on loan Chelsea are left with only two out and out strikers in Fernando Torres and Daniel Sturridge. Torres is expected to lead the attack today. The main question that lies is who makes the cut for the 5 midfield slots as Di Matteo is sure to go with his Champions League winning 4-2-3-1 formation. Hazard is expected to start while Oscar will probably start from the bench.

Manchester City are reportedly without their central midfielder Gareth Barry and burly right back Micah Richards. Pablo Zabaleta will probably take his place then. The real toss up is between Lescott and Kolo Toure for the second centre back's slot, with Toure the most likely starter. Samir Nasri will probably get a chance to shine after some neat performances at Euro 2012. As usual Sergio Aguero will lead the attack with Mario Balotelli and Carlos Tevez will most likely playing a support role in the wings or off the bench.
Big man Yaya Toure will as usual play in the central midfield. David Silva is a lock-in for his left wing role.
Joe Hart is out of the squad with a back injury, which will see Romanian keeper Costel Pantilimon make rare appearance.


Line Up:




Bench: Hilario, Paulo Ferreira, Ryan Bertrand, Gary Cahill, John Obi Mikel, Oscar, Daniel Sturridge

Bench: Gunnar Nielsen, Gael Clichy, Joleon Lescott, Nigel De Jong, Adam Johnson, Carlos Tevez, Edin Dzeko


Expected Result: 2-1 (Chelsea Victory)