Weekend Premiership Openers - Game On

Aug
17
2009

Weekend Premiership Openers - Game On

So it’s back, the best league in the world for the ‘beautiful game’. The opening weekend immediately revealed some surprises with the near-written-off Wengers Army hammering Everton at Goodison 6-1, whilst the other top clubs mostly got the business done (one exception see below), and the new arrivals found out just what a step up the Premiership is from the lower leagues. All that money brings in teh best talent in the world and you better be on your game if you want to compete. Talking of Big Money, the new Billion-Dollar Gorilla in the room is of course in the pale blue of Man City. They looked very sharp on Sunday with a swift 2-0 victory and only about half the new £200 million-worth of new players taking the pitch. Man U conversely seemed tired and ageing with all the old faces and the new ones being, well old themselves in Micheal Owen who failed at one point to hit the back of the net when out in front on his ‘owen’ - can he get his youthfulness back? But when you roll out Scholes and Giggs yet again on the first day and you see the newer upcoming clubs full of fresh hungry players like Spurs’ Modrich & Co. you have to wonder is it a season too far for this squad? Ferdindand’s woeful errors in an England shirt made him look tired too to me.

But aside from the Young Gunners coming so fast out of the blocks the other big story was Liverpools’ Loss. Losing to Spurs at White Hart Lane isn’t a crime, but the manner of the loss will have fans and Raffa worried - billed as ‘Liverpools Big Year’ by many, they looked nervous, lacking in invention and like Man U they looked tired and stale - only 2 changes in the squad which realistically spluttered through on the back of Gerrard and Torres goalscoring, and some poor form by the Top 3 clubs. And there was a giant Alonso-shaped hole in their midfield - possibly an irreplaceable partner to Gerard and Torres? They look like they might be heading for a crisis to me - I predict Torres leaves mid-season and the club sinks into self-doubt on the back of a range of defeats and injuries. Or… Raffa gets out the chequebook - if there’s any money left. Lets hope they can challenge this year though. Morale wise they must show some bounce-back against Stoke on Wednesday and get the big guns firing goalwards or my predictions will come true even earlier!

So let the Games Begin! Enjoy.

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