Nice Rejoinder to Slur A in the Telegraph:
[size=13pt]Liverpool should be title favourites, no matter what Sir Alex Ferguson says[/size]
[size=11pt]Somewhat unbelievably, the most cantankerous old man in football, Mr. Ferguson, has already dismissed Liverpool’s hopes of winning the Premier League. Yet if the Overlord of English football feels it necessary to lay into Rafa Benitez’s side without a ball of the new season being kicked, it surely only means one thing: Liverpool are a major threat to Manchester United’s hegemony.
Ferguson’s critical assessment - “Liverpool have just had probably their best season for 20 years, finished up with 86 points and still finished four adrift. It will be hard for them to match that, let alone improve. Other teams will read Liverpool better†- is borne out of fear. For while the Anfield club have just lost a key figure in Xabi Alonso, it does not come close to the impact United will feel without Cristiano Ronaldo.
Liverpool fans have been ridiculed in the past for their regular pre-season refrain of ‘This is our season’, but 2009-10 really could, and should be. Never will they have a better chance of ending their league title drought, never will they be better prepared.
Benitez has improved his already formidable defence with the signing of Glen Johnson, and if he replaces Alonso with the exciting Alberto Aquilani and then uses the rest of his transfer budget to sign a striker and/or an out-and-out winger, then I believe Liverpool will win the Premier League by five or six points.
United, going for a record fourth consecutive title, will badly miss Ronaldo, no matter much they protest otherwise. You cannot take the Portuguese’s goals, assists and general aura out of a team and not weaken it. Replacing Ronaldo with Luis Antonio Valencia is akin to trading in a Ferrari for a BMW. Valencia is very good, but he will not score 20+ goals this season and that will put extra pressure on Ferguson’s strike force.
While United fans are now pretending they were never that bothered about Carlos Tevez, the departure of the Argentine has weakened their front line. An awful lot is resting on Dimitar Berbatov, one of last season’s most underwhelming signings, and Michael Owen, one of last season’s most underwhelming footballers.
United simply do not look the force that Liverpool do, no matter how much Ferguson tries to talk himself, and anyone who’ll listen, into it.
Chelsea will be the team to push Benitez’s men closest, and with a strong, settled side rejuvenated under the command of the now departed Guus Hiddink, they will start the new campaign infused with confidence. But the priority at Stamford Bridge is to win the Champions League, and while Carlo Ancelotti has the squad to compete on all fronts, I feel they will fall short of Liverpool.
Arsenal’s fate is reliant upon their next moves in the transfer market. If Arsene Wenger adds the commanding centre-half and defensive midfielder his team needs, they could launch a sustained title bid. However, with injury concerns over the returning Tomas Rosicky and Eduardo, and major upheaval at boardroom level, the environment at the Emirates does not seem conducive to success at present.
Will Manchester City break up the Big Four cartel? The potential is certainly there, and with their summer outlay, that should be the very least of their ambitions. However, I still feel it is unlikely. Mark Hughes has a massive job on his hands moulding his new-look squad into a cohesive unit, and whether he can handle the rampant egos in his dressing room, coupled with the elevated expectation levels foisted upon him, is highly debateable. I expect Hughes to be gone before Christmas, and replaced by Jose Mourinho.
Predictions are almost designed to make you look foolish, so with a heavy heart here is my top seven for the 2009-10 season:
1. Liverpool
2. Chelsea
3. Manchester United
4. Arsenal
5. Tottenham
6. Everton
7. Manchester City
By Rob Kelly - Last updated: August 6th, 2009[/size]
