The English Premiership is a mere seven days away, and if the melodrama in the off season is an indicator, the action on the field promises to be a corker. Last season’s top three teams Man Utd, Man City and Chelsea, have new managers. Jose Mourinho, the self-proclaimed “special one”
has returned to Chelsea. David Moyes has moved from Everton to replace the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson at United. Moyes has a hard act to follow and has not endeared himself to fans with the lack of activity in the transfer market. Moyes’ futile month long chase of Cesc Fabregas is mercifully over with the player declaring he never had any intention of leaving Barcelona.
Manchester City sprung a surprise by hiring Manuel Peligrini from Malaga to replace the hapless Roberto Mancini who fell on his sword in the shape of Mario Bolotelli. In contrast to David Moyes, Peligrini has been on a spending spree. At the time of writing approximately 86 million pounds has purchased 4 new players (Fernandinho (Shakhtar Donetsk, £30m, Stevan Jovetic Fiorentina, £22m, Jésus Navas Seville, £17m rising to £22.9m, Alvaro Negredo Seville, £16.4m rising to £20.6m.) City recouped 10 million with the sale of Carlos Tevez to Juventus.
However the football headlines have been dominated by three prima donnas wanting to leave their clubs for new and richer pastures. Real Madrid has pursued Tottenham’s Gareth “Cornelius” Bale relentlessly for the past couple of weeks, but recoiled at the asking price which is a staggering 85 million pounds. Nevertheless the Spanish giants have turned the Welshman’s head and he appears desperate to be fitted for his sombrero and run with the bulls. Prediction: it’s only a matter of time before a deal is agreed upon.
Liverpool’s Luis “Twilight” Suarez is an enigma. Henry Winter in the Telegraph called him a toxic cheat. Here is a very talented player with a penchant for scoring goals, but I agree his D&A is quite suspect. He has openly rebuffed Liverpool demanding to leave for a club that will play in the Champions League. He recently signed a four year contract which has little meaning these days. I don’t understand why Arsenal’s manager Arsene Wenger would want to sign a player who last season served lengthy suspensions for racism and biting an opponent. Prediction: Liverpool will not sell him to another Premiership team but a transfer to Paris St Germain or Real Madrid is a possibility. Prediction: Suarez will be shipped to the Continent: darkest Africa, the mystical Orient or the Australian bush perhaps.
Meanwhile at Manchester United Wayne “Fat Boy” Rooney is very disillusioned with his lot at the club. His ego suffered a massive blow when new manager David Moyes declared that Robin Van Persie was the club’s No 1 striker despite Wayne ruling the roost for the past seven years. To my mind Rooney has never lived up to expectations, but it could be that the media has an over inflated opinion of his talents. He was touted as the poster boy for English football but failed miserably at the 2010 World Cup. I believe he lacks the nous to apply himself correctly, and talent alone is not enough at the top level. Chelsea has made three bids of around 25 million all of which have been rejected by United. Prediction: he will probably remain at United for at least another season.
My home town team Swansea City is preparing to embark on their third season in the Premiership with an improved squad. Paper talk had manager Michael Laudrup shortlisted for every managerial vacancy during the summer, but mercifully he is still at the helm. He has bought very shrewdly breaking the Swans transfer record in the process: Wilfried Bony (Vitesse Arnhem, £12m), Jonjo Shelvey (Liverpool, £5m rising to £6m), Jordi Amat (Espanyol, £2.5m), Alejandro Pozuelo (Real Betis, £425,000), Gregor Zabret (NK Domzale, Undisclosed), José Cañas (Real Betis, Free), Alex Gogic (Olympiakos, Free), Jernade Meade (Arsenal, Free), Jonathan de Guzman (Villareal, Loan), Jernade Meade (Unattached.)
The Swans campaign will have added spice for the new season with the promotion of arch rivals Cardiff City. Who would have thought two Welsh clubs would be playing in the English Premiership in 2013-14? On a final note congratulations to Arsene Wenger for surviving 17 years as Arsenal’s manager. Longevity in Premiership management is the exception rather than the rule.
