Battle For Supremacy – English Premier League 2008-09 Preview
The battle for ultimate supremacy will begin on August 16th. But there are a few questions raised on the champions of yesteryear. With last year’s title hunt lasting till the last match played, this year’s title promises nail-biters even before the season starts. Now, let us see what we can expect from this season of Barclays Premier League :
The Champions : Manchester United
Chasing their third straight EPL title, ManU has been in news all this summer (thanks to the transfer saga regarding Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to Real Madrid.) And with the news that Ronaldo is staying for atleast another season, the fans and Sir Alex Ferguson can expect that their double title treat can continue this season also.
ManU’s attacking has to furious this season if they have to beat Chelsea and Liverpool. They are in desperate need of a striker who will round-up the formation (Ronaldo-Roonay-Tevez.) Maybe Tootenham striker Dimitar Berbatov is the right choice that ManU will opt for before the transfer session ends. And this season may also witness the genius of Wayne Rooney taking the center stage this time.
Equipotential Challengers : Chelsea
Missing both Champions League and English Premier League to ManU with slight differences, Chelsea has undergone a massive change this summer to be the perfect team this season. Avram Grant’s failure to bring glory to Stamford Bridge made his way out of Chelsea. And then came the Portuguese flavor.
They signed “Big Phil” Luis Felipe Scolari as their new manager. Chelsea also bought Barcelone playmaker Deco and Jose Bosingwa from FC Porto. Rumors had it that Ronaldinho, Eto’o were to join the Blue team. But they had to settle with Didier Drogba’s extended contract and now they are not sure if Frank Lampard is committed with them for long-term. However they are equally matched favorites for this season with a strong midfield presence of Michael Ballack.
Battle for third : Arsenal
Arsenal saw a big change in the team formation as Jens Lehmann, Mathieu Flamini, Alesander Hleb and Gilberto Silva left the club. Their replacement for Hleb is French international Samir Nasri. Welsh teenage Aaron Ramsey’s sign is a big step for manager Arsene Wenger.
Midfield is still a challenge for the manager. Cesc Fabregas needs a good companion in the segment for the team to be a consistent and good performing team. Emmanuel Adebayor remains the key player for the team. This season they have to play really hard to secure their third spot. Truth be told, any title win is still a mile away, but with miracles happening all around, they need a lot of luck.
Waiting for History : Liverpool
It is always hard to write them at the end of any list. Because they were once the king of kings. Liverpool is still looking to end their 18 year long for the title. The difference this season could be Robbie Keane, their new 24 million pound striker from Tottenham Hotspur. This makes their forward (along with Fernando Torres) a lethal one. But the team as a whole needs to play their 200 percent if they can expect of any title this season.
Whose our money on : ManU are still the best in the game. But soccer is not about one team and that makes it a interesting sport to watch. So support your team (whichever) and enjoy the game more than anything else.