I love a new season. In some ways, I prefer it to the end of season runout where the result is usually inevitable.
At the start of a new season, you have new teams, new signings, new managers – a world of potential ahead of them all. Unless you’re a Bolton fan, of course.
Best of all, you get new Fantasy Football and tipping comp leagues. I currently have two fantasy footy leagues – one with three separate teams going – plus two tipping comps, including our own (click here to sign up if you haven’t already) . I really should do more work, shouldn’t I? (By the way, if you fancy your chances, you can take me on at the official premier league fantasy footy and use this code 402699-165499 to join the au.fourfourtwo.com league.)
But I love the intrigue of trying to find the new season’s stars who will get regular starts, avoiding the dogs who always let you down even when in a good side, and jumping on the right bandwagon before the wheels come off (I give you Charlton, Everton, Portsmouth...)
Based on this weekend’s performances, there are already some new faces who look like they will dominate the coming EPL season.
Kapo’s goal for Birmingham City was simply awesome. I had the Brummies going straight back down to the Championship until I saw Kapo in action. He looks like he could be true class – and teamed with Forssell, those two alone could be (just) enough to keep their Premiership dream alive.
Roque Santa Cruz is another EPL star in the making. He was brought on as a sub for the injured Blackburn Rovers hero of last season, Benni McCarthy – and scored in a matter of seconds. If that kind of form continues, Rovers could be back in contention for Europe instead of just a lower half finish.
Chelsea had a quiet transfer season – but their two main imports to the team look like they could be devastating. Florent Malouda and Claudio Pizarro were hugely impressive on their Premiership debuts and give Chelsea’s depth of squad a massive boost. It was good too to see Shaun Wright-Phillips get two games in a row after starting in the Community Shield match last week too. He played well in both games (at last), and Joe Cole’s guaranteed start could now be under threat.
And as for Manchester City – how good did they look? I was one of the Sven-haters when he was in charge of England and I still maintain he sucked as a national team coach. But as a club coach, I think he might just have what it takes. His failing with England was a determination to simply grind out results with the risk of the occasional dull draw or surprise loss. You can't get away with that in charge of England – but it can be a recipe for league success (by City standards, at least).
He appears to have bought well with Bianchi, Corluka and Garrido impressing on their debut – and the team gelled well together despite having been assembled within days of the season’s start...and few of the players actually sharing any common language. At least that’ll come in handy when they qualify for Europe.
Over at Old Trafford, Manchester United look to have been less successful in the transfer market. Finally capturing Carlos Tevez wasn't just a good move for them, it was essential as will now be shown with Rooney’s injury. Nani however so far hasn’t impressed me in the little I’ve seen of him. He’s got a great goal celebration but was a poor man’s Ronaldo in both the games he’s played. It’s early yet, but so far he’s nothing to get excited about it. I look forward to seeing Anderson in action however... United are filled with class though so you could argue they don't need too many new faces. But it’s an ageing squad...and an injury-prone one.
Some teams though, you look at and just wonder how they will succeed in the cut-throat English Premier League. Bolton are stuffed. Sammy Lee was left in the lurch by Fat Sam Allardyce’s move to Newcastle (where he’s got strikers galore and finally almost got Newcastle enough defensive action to finish in the top six) – and he’ll pay the price this season. If he survives long enough to see the season out.
Likewise Gareth Southgate at Boro who is humming and hawing his way out the door and out the Premiership over contracts and transfers. Viduka was lucky to get out when he did.
Fulham are another who have leaked players without bringing any class into the line-up with the possible exception of our own Adrian Leijer, but one good defender doesn’t make a team. Derby are completely out their depth in the EPL and will go straight back down, despite what I’m sure will be some white-knuckle, grim-faced performances.
Sunderland won’t. Roy Keane is Manchester United’s next manager in waiting and he will ensure his team’s survival through some smart strategies that will be greater than the sum of his players, and their belief in him will be enough to get them through, even with a substandard squad.
Wigan will be battling relegation, as will Reading. Both clubs impressed in their debut Premier League seasons, but Wigan began to slip last season and have done nothing to arrest that slide for the new season. Reading shone last season but the best they can hope for is a repeat of the stranglehold they put on United attack at the weekend to keep them at best mid-table...but more likely bottom five.
I think Villa fans would have hoped for more transfers into the side during the close season but there’s still a couple of weeks for them to swoop on someone big...otherwise it’s all down to Martin O’Neill’s genius to see them make any sort of challenge – and that won’t be enough in itself.
Spurs are once again touted as being top four challengers. Yeah, yeah. Not going to happen, sorry. But they could still finish above Arsenal who probably lack the depth in the squad to last the whole season – although I really want to see Eduardo da Silva in action before making any final decision on the Gunners.
No matter what Lucas Neill says West Ham are going to struggle without Tevez. Dean Ashton just ain’t in the same league and Zamora might be above average for his age...but it’s not enough to get them winning games. Everton will do okay, Portsmouth won’t do as well, but they all should avoid any danger of dropping down.
Which leaves me with Liverpool. I was convinced the addition of Fernando Torres alone was all they needed to win the Premiership and Champions League. Now I’m not so sure. Babel and Voronin look promising, as does Torres, but Chelsea look very good. Very, very good (if still lacking depth in defence) and sadly, I think they could again go all the way this year. But Liverpool could well challenge them right to the end with United trying to force their way into contention.
Either way though, there’s a lot of late nights and fantasy football transfers ahead. Get in!
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But forget all the above. There is one player I really, really want to see in action – and he’s not in the EPL (yet). He’s also not a World Cup Winner (yet) playing for Sydney either.
Kaz Patafta has got me more excited than any other player right now. By all accounts the Victory youngster – on loan from Benfica - made a great impact when he came off the bench against Sydney at the weekend.
We had a great feature on him last month (click here if you missed it) and I can't wait to see him take his place in the A-League.
++++
Of course if someone had bought the TV rights to broadcast the Pre-Season Cup live, I could have seen Patafta's talent on show already. It’s a shame SBS couldn't come to the party for that if Fox Sports didn't have space in the schedules.
The Pre-Season Cup is a great idea - it gives the A-League clubs a chance of a proper hit out against quality opposition before the season starts, and it takes the A-League out to the areas not currently served by local A-League clubs, spreading the football message.
Some clubs might treat it like a series of warm-up matches – but mainly because they are allowed to, with the matches played almost in a veil of secrecy. No live TV coverage and ignored by the mainstream media, fans have to rely on us at au.fourfourtwo.com and club websites to get the scores and match reports.
It’s worth more than that now. The first one was a bit of a mystery, as was the whole A-League. The second one started to take shape. And the third one should have been taken much more seriously than it was.
It’s time to promote it as more than a warm-up, get it on telly (even if it is just the grand final or the final weekend) and let us have a look at our clubs’ latest signings before the season starts. The UK do something similar with the Charity Shield – it’s time for us to do the same.
After all, some of us have A-League fantasy football teams and tipping predictions to make - and we need all the advance knowledge we can get...
++++
SEPARATED AT BIRTH #1
Everton manager David Moyes and Tommy the junkie from Trainspotting.
++++
SEPARATED AT BIRTH #2
Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez and Max the bouncer from Phoenix Nights.
++++
Finally, Sydney are set to move Zdrilic into defence. Well, at least there'll be no danger of him scoring an own goal...
At the start of a new season, you have new teams, new signings, new managers – a world of potential ahead of them all. Unless you’re a Bolton fan, of course.
Best of all, you get new Fantasy Football and tipping comp leagues. I currently have two fantasy footy leagues – one with three separate teams going – plus two tipping comps, including our own (click here to sign up if you haven’t already) . I really should do more work, shouldn’t I? (By the way, if you fancy your chances, you can take me on at the official premier league fantasy footy and use this code 402699-165499 to join the au.fourfourtwo.com league.)
But I love the intrigue of trying to find the new season’s stars who will get regular starts, avoiding the dogs who always let you down even when in a good side, and jumping on the right bandwagon before the wheels come off (I give you Charlton, Everton, Portsmouth...)
Based on this weekend’s performances, there are already some new faces who look like they will dominate the coming EPL season.
Kapo’s goal for Birmingham City was simply awesome. I had the Brummies going straight back down to the Championship until I saw Kapo in action. He looks like he could be true class – and teamed with Forssell, those two alone could be (just) enough to keep their Premiership dream alive.
Roque Santa Cruz is another EPL star in the making. He was brought on as a sub for the injured Blackburn Rovers hero of last season, Benni McCarthy – and scored in a matter of seconds. If that kind of form continues, Rovers could be back in contention for Europe instead of just a lower half finish.
Chelsea had a quiet transfer season – but their two main imports to the team look like they could be devastating. Florent Malouda and Claudio Pizarro were hugely impressive on their Premiership debuts and give Chelsea’s depth of squad a massive boost. It was good too to see Shaun Wright-Phillips get two games in a row after starting in the Community Shield match last week too. He played well in both games (at last), and Joe Cole’s guaranteed start could now be under threat.
And as for Manchester City – how good did they look? I was one of the Sven-haters when he was in charge of England and I still maintain he sucked as a national team coach. But as a club coach, I think he might just have what it takes. His failing with England was a determination to simply grind out results with the risk of the occasional dull draw or surprise loss. You can't get away with that in charge of England – but it can be a recipe for league success (by City standards, at least).
He appears to have bought well with Bianchi, Corluka and Garrido impressing on their debut – and the team gelled well together despite having been assembled within days of the season’s start...and few of the players actually sharing any common language. At least that’ll come in handy when they qualify for Europe.
Over at Old Trafford, Manchester United look to have been less successful in the transfer market. Finally capturing Carlos Tevez wasn't just a good move for them, it was essential as will now be shown with Rooney’s injury. Nani however so far hasn’t impressed me in the little I’ve seen of him. He’s got a great goal celebration but was a poor man’s Ronaldo in both the games he’s played. It’s early yet, but so far he’s nothing to get excited about it. I look forward to seeing Anderson in action however... United are filled with class though so you could argue they don't need too many new faces. But it’s an ageing squad...and an injury-prone one.
Some teams though, you look at and just wonder how they will succeed in the cut-throat English Premier League. Bolton are stuffed. Sammy Lee was left in the lurch by Fat Sam Allardyce’s move to Newcastle (where he’s got strikers galore and finally almost got Newcastle enough defensive action to finish in the top six) – and he’ll pay the price this season. If he survives long enough to see the season out.
Likewise Gareth Southgate at Boro who is humming and hawing his way out the door and out the Premiership over contracts and transfers. Viduka was lucky to get out when he did.
Fulham are another who have leaked players without bringing any class into the line-up with the possible exception of our own Adrian Leijer, but one good defender doesn’t make a team. Derby are completely out their depth in the EPL and will go straight back down, despite what I’m sure will be some white-knuckle, grim-faced performances.
Sunderland won’t. Roy Keane is Manchester United’s next manager in waiting and he will ensure his team’s survival through some smart strategies that will be greater than the sum of his players, and their belief in him will be enough to get them through, even with a substandard squad.
Wigan will be battling relegation, as will Reading. Both clubs impressed in their debut Premier League seasons, but Wigan began to slip last season and have done nothing to arrest that slide for the new season. Reading shone last season but the best they can hope for is a repeat of the stranglehold they put on United attack at the weekend to keep them at best mid-table...but more likely bottom five.
I think Villa fans would have hoped for more transfers into the side during the close season but there’s still a couple of weeks for them to swoop on someone big...otherwise it’s all down to Martin O’Neill’s genius to see them make any sort of challenge – and that won’t be enough in itself.
Spurs are once again touted as being top four challengers. Yeah, yeah. Not going to happen, sorry. But they could still finish above Arsenal who probably lack the depth in the squad to last the whole season – although I really want to see Eduardo da Silva in action before making any final decision on the Gunners.
No matter what Lucas Neill says West Ham are going to struggle without Tevez. Dean Ashton just ain’t in the same league and Zamora might be above average for his age...but it’s not enough to get them winning games. Everton will do okay, Portsmouth won’t do as well, but they all should avoid any danger of dropping down.
Which leaves me with Liverpool. I was convinced the addition of Fernando Torres alone was all they needed to win the Premiership and Champions League. Now I’m not so sure. Babel and Voronin look promising, as does Torres, but Chelsea look very good. Very, very good (if still lacking depth in defence) and sadly, I think they could again go all the way this year. But Liverpool could well challenge them right to the end with United trying to force their way into contention.
Either way though, there’s a lot of late nights and fantasy football transfers ahead. Get in!
++++
But forget all the above. There is one player I really, really want to see in action – and he’s not in the EPL (yet). He’s also not a World Cup Winner (yet) playing for Sydney either.
Kaz Patafta has got me more excited than any other player right now. By all accounts the Victory youngster – on loan from Benfica - made a great impact when he came off the bench against Sydney at the weekend.
We had a great feature on him last month (click here if you missed it) and I can't wait to see him take his place in the A-League.
++++
Of course if someone had bought the TV rights to broadcast the Pre-Season Cup live, I could have seen Patafta's talent on show already. It’s a shame SBS couldn't come to the party for that if Fox Sports didn't have space in the schedules.
The Pre-Season Cup is a great idea - it gives the A-League clubs a chance of a proper hit out against quality opposition before the season starts, and it takes the A-League out to the areas not currently served by local A-League clubs, spreading the football message.
Some clubs might treat it like a series of warm-up matches – but mainly because they are allowed to, with the matches played almost in a veil of secrecy. No live TV coverage and ignored by the mainstream media, fans have to rely on us at au.fourfourtwo.com and club websites to get the scores and match reports.
It’s worth more than that now. The first one was a bit of a mystery, as was the whole A-League. The second one started to take shape. And the third one should have been taken much more seriously than it was.
It’s time to promote it as more than a warm-up, get it on telly (even if it is just the grand final or the final weekend) and let us have a look at our clubs’ latest signings before the season starts. The UK do something similar with the Charity Shield – it’s time for us to do the same.
After all, some of us have A-League fantasy football teams and tipping predictions to make - and we need all the advance knowledge we can get...
++++
SEPARATED AT BIRTH #1
Everton manager David Moyes and Tommy the junkie from Trainspotting.
++++
SEPARATED AT BIRTH #2
Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez and Max the bouncer from Phoenix Nights.
++++
Finally, Sydney are set to move Zdrilic into defence. Well, at least there'll be no danger of him scoring an own goal...
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