Premiership New Year Report

By tdf, January 1, 2007

Table above taken 31/12/2006

The leading pack

Despite increased investment in players and coaching staff, those teams closest last season to challenging
Chelsea for the title have once again all but fallen by the wayside. All except Manchester United. Mourinho’s major signings of last Summer have so far proven to be ,at best, in need of a longer settling in period. The previously world class Ballack has been depressingly mediocre in the Chelsea midfield with Lampard consistently out-shining the German national team Captain. Shevchenko, the 30 million pound man from AC Milan, could turn out to be the most disastrous waste of money in the history of football. The Ukrainian hit man has taken to the premiership as woefully as a polar bear stranded in the Sahara desert. Kalou the costly teenage striker, appears energetic but hardly of the quality required to be successful in the Premiership. And with Robben sporadically in and out of the treatment room, the majority of the team’s goal scoring responsibilities have fallen to Didier Drogba, who has, this season, really found his footing in the English top flight. At the turn of the year, the Ivorian leads the top scorers chart with 20 goals to his name and his contribution to Chelsea’s season can not be under appreciated. Were it not for him, the team could be closer to Bolton (in 3^rd) than the runaway leaders Man U. After two years spent hanging on to the cashmere coat tails of Chelsea, Manchester United seem to have, this season, found the formula to wrestle back control of the crown that no team has worn as regularly since it’s conception; The Premiership.
Ferguson has eruditely constructed a team of youthful exuberance, world class talent, experience and hunger for success. Vidic has seamlessly slotted into the defensive blockade alongside Rio Ferdinand and with Neville maintaining praise-worthy form at right back, Heinz increasingly dependable on the left and the elfin Van De Sar producing the most consistent goalkeeping security the team has witnessed since the Schmeichel era, the United rear-guard has been immense. Carrick, while lacking the bite and growl of Keano, has gradually found comfort in the anchorman role. His passing range and accuracy combined with threatening forages forward is winning over the Old Trafford faithful. It will be interesting to see what happens if Hargreaves finally arrives at United; because with Scholes seemingly back to his best I would guess Carrick would be the one to drop down. Saying that, I have no doubt that Hargreaves would dramatically enhance the United squad. He is an English Gattusso, which, coming from me- an ardent fan of the Italian General-is praise indeed. I would love to see him playing in the Premiership, but I doubt Carrick would feel the same! But back to the story of the current league leaders. As mentioned Scholes, having fully recovered from the injuries which have plagued him over the last 18 months, has been arguably the best midfielder in this country. His goals, assists and wonderful to watch tenacity, have added power to the heartbeat of United. Giggsy has also been performing at a high level but it is the opposite winger, Ronaldo, who has shone the brightest of them all. After the Portuguese player’s very public controversy with team-mate Rooney at this year’s world cup, I wasn’t sure how the two of them would thereafter be able to play together in the same team. But Fergie knows how to adopt the paternal role and the elderly Scot knows better than to allow two of the most promising youngsters in the world game to part company. Ronaldo has been scintillating, bewildering audiences week in week out with high speed garrincha-esque dribbling skills which now lead more often to spectacular goals. It has taken a while to see Rooney reach anywhere near the rhythm which makes him one of the deadliest strikers ever born into this galaxy, but his contribution to the fortunes of his club have been growing month by month in terms of explosiveness and vitality. His speed of thought is still second to none and when his shooting boots really become alight with flames- which has yet to happen this season- the rest of the league beware. Saha and Solskjaer have provided adequate supporting roles to the leading protagonists behind the charge which has propelled Man U six points clear at the top of the league.Up there, but no where near the top…

Bolton should be congratulated for their ultra solid first half of the campaign and if they can keep their star players fit, the team could well achieve a highly coveted champions league place in May. Anelka, Diouf, Nolan and Jaskelannan have provided a column of strength through the centre of the Allardyce’s first team and with Campo, Davies and Speed offering reliable consistency, Bolton have developed into a seriously hard to beat or contain, premiership outfit. Arsenal have in my opinion prospered from the absence of Henry, due to a mixture of fatigue and injuries, with the responsibility for winning games falling onto the shoulders of the players who are usually in the shade whilst King Henry soaks up the limelight. The defence isn’t amazing but there is much youth and promise with Ebou in particular impressive as a marauding, violent, right back. Hleb and Rosicky are fast adjusting to the English game and Spanish youngster Fabregas is showing signs of turning into a midfielder of platinum worth. The gangly figure of Adebayor, together with Van Persie, has stepped up their game in order to fill the void left by their French talisman with the young but always entertaining Walcott delivering several sterling cameo roles. Theo must be one of the quickest players in the league; faster than a leopard with an eagle eye for the goal. However, the gelling of the team has been sporadic, and at times, the Gunners have been disturbingly well beaten. On the other hand, they create so many chances with their mixture of high speed passing and movement that when they play well, their opponents seem likely to suffer a heavy defeat. Work to do for Wenger, with this team showing encouraging signs of becoming once again a major threat to the top two.

Liverpool hasn’t made any improvements on their form of the last few seasons. Benitez spends millions more than any previous Anfield boss yet isn’t able to make any progress in building a bridge from
Liverpool to the territory where Man U and Chelsea are battling it out to the death for the top honours.

Well this report is shaping up already far more lengthy than I had hoped for, so I will skip the middle of the road teams and head straight towards the foot of the table…

AT rock bottom we find Watford who deserve to be there having managed only one victory up until now. Ade Boothyrod always comes across as an honourable man bossing a respectable club, but his team especially after the cruel injury suffered by ex Gillingham great, Marlon King, have struggled to offer any sharpness in attack and have in turn failed to convert many evenly contested, in terms of spirit and work rate, games into victories. Unless they sign a proven goal scorer in the January transfer window
Watford are going down. How strange to see Curbishley return to football to manage the hopelessly struggling Hammers whilst the man he replaced, Alan Pardew, arrives at Charlton in a quest to save them from the relegation that looms ever larger on the horizon. Both these teams are in great need of a charismatic leader to lift their spirits and reinvigorate their play with fresh ideas and iron. I think Pardew has the easier task of the two due to his larger than life passion for the game and horrifying lack of luck over the last 4 months. It seems criminal to me that Tevez isn’t playing regularly for West Ham, and Mascherano, but from what I understand; one or both may be sold in the January transfer window. If either Charlton or Westh Ham are to survive, then who will take their positions in the bottom three???

Southgate’s first season as a premiership manager may well end in heartbreak unless Yakubu and Viduka start scoring regularly. Those strikers could save Boro’s season. Sheffield United look the most susceptible out of the Blackburn/Wigan/Blades group but realistically those currently at the bottom seem destined to stay there due to a combination of lack of quality and too much ground to make up on teams who possess far more talented squads.

Awards:

Team of the season- Manchester United. OAP Ferguson looking well placed to reclaim the title.

Player of the season- Ronaldo. As much as I despise him for his petulance and irritating vanity the Portuguese winger has looked like the most dangerous player on the pitch in every game he has played.

Best Manager- Steve Coppell. His Reading team are sitting pretty in the top half of the table to the dismay of many experts who had predicted their downfall.