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Hard to bet against Manchester United once again Premier League favorite
After six titles in eight years, betting against Manchester United in the English Premiership is quickly becoming akin to putting your money on the Washington Generals to beat the Harlem Globetrotters. It's not that Sir Alex Ferguson's men have necessarily made huge strides in the off-season (in fact, some might argue that they've regressed), but rather the gap between United and the competition was so wide that, at best, it has closed a little. PREMIERSHIP DREAMERS: Manchester United's midfield remains one of the very best in the world and is a class apart in the Premership. If the middle four can stay healthy and suspension-free (that means you, Roy Keane ) there will be plenty of cover for a backline which is looking increasingly creaky and lots of goalscoring opportunities for the strike force of Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole. Fabien Barthez, picked up for US $13 million, will be a major talking point in goal. His unorthodox, full-throttle style makes him a genius to some, a fraud to others, but his record is solid. The main question is whether the generally conservative Ferguson will stick with him after the first few mistakes or whether he'll get the Mark Bosnich/Massimo Taibi treatment (i.e. get taken out with the week's trash). Remember, Sir Alex's judgment when it comes to keepers hasn't exactly been stellar. If Ronny Johnsen, back from a year on the sidelines, is fit and ready he'll be a big help to Jaap Stam in the heart of a defense which looks rather thin down the flanks (the Neville brothers seem increasingly out of their league and Denis Irwin is now 35 years old).
It will be boom-or-bust for Gianluca Vialli's Chelsea, a club which, on paper, looks best suited to breaking United's hegemony. The Blues spent some US $40 million on strikers Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Eidur Gudjohnsen, midfielder Mario Stanic and defender Christian Panucci. Hasselbaink will be asked to do what mega-dud Chris Sutton couldn't: score goals. His strike record over the past four seasons is exceptional, and, together with Gianfranco Zola and Tore Andre Flo, forms a top-notch frontline. Panucci and Stanic hadn't exactly been tearing up Serie A in recent years (the former was benched after a bust-up with Inter boss Marcello Lippi, the latter found himself left out of Parma's 3-4-1-2 formation), but if they find the right motivation in England, they can make a huge contribution. Without the Champions League as a distraction, Chelsea will have few excuses if it doesn't give United a run for its money. Last year Leeds was crippled by the fact that David O'Leary insisted on playing the same eleven for much of the season, but still finished third. The club still lacks depth (especially if Lee Bowyer and Johnathan Woodgate are carted off to prison, which is a distinct possibility), but its nucleus of young talent is one of the best in Europe. The hugely underrated Olivier Dacourt (a US $12 million signing from Lens) adds even more toughness to a fearsome midfield, but newly acquired Australian striker Mark Viduka has the biggest upside of all. He's still raw and it remains to be seen if he can score at this level, but his combination of size, strength and skill has scouts drooling. If Viduka proves to be the real deal and if Harry Kewell and Michael Bridges continue to progress, Leeds can challenge for the title. Arsenal lost half of its midfield when Emanuel Petit and Marc Overmars joined Barcelona for a combined US $50 million, but that loss may not be as serious as it seems. Both had quiet campaigns last year and new signings Robert Pires and Lauren Etame may well pick up the slack. Still, manager Arsene Wenger has plenty to worry about up front (where Thierry Henry remains the only genuine striker) and at the back, where projected starters Lee Dixon (36), Tony Adams (34) and Martin Keown (34) are all showing signs of age. Throw in the fact that goalkeeper David Seaman is a shadow of his former self and it becomes clear that Arsenal needs to spend some of the US $35 million transfer surplus it accumulated this summer and bring in new players. Gerard Houllier's Liverpool made waves this summer by acquiring German international Markus Babbel and a trio of midfielders in Gary McAllister, Nick Barmby and Bernard Diomede. Expectations are high, but look beyond the surface and things aren't quite as rosy. Babbel was surplus to requirements at Bayern Munich, Diomede is coming off two disappointing seasons, Barmby did well last year but has had a checkered career and, as for McAllister, well, he turns 36 on Christmas Day. Their impact remains to be seen. The real question will be how well Houllier manages his crowded midfield (there are eight potential starters) and, especially his frontline (he has three England internationals -- Emile Heskey, Robbie Fowler and Michael Owen -- and one will get the short end of the stick). GUNNING FOR EUROPE: Tottenham Hotspur lost David Ginola, but that could be an addition-by-subtraction situation as the flamboyant Frenchaman never really fit into boss George Graham's system. If Serhii Rebrov settles, his partnership with Steffan Iversen could work wonders and the defense is also stronger thanks to left back Ben Thatcher (acquired from Wimbledon). Italian virtuoso Paolo Di Canio can carry West Ham into a UEFA Cup position, especially if supremely talented youngsters Michael Carrick and Joe Cole blossom and if new strikers Davor Suker and Fredric Kanoute take some of the scoring pressure off him. Aston Villa's fortunes will rest on whether the players stop trying to escape from the club ( Paul Merson, Gareth Southgate, Steve Stone and Ugo Ehiogu all requested transfers) and on whether Ginola can perform week in, week out. Still, Alpay is a nice pick-up at the back and, if healthy, Dion Dublin will score goals. Sunderland's Kevin Phillips may not repeat last year's heroics, but Peter Reid's team can do well, especially if new signings Don Hutchinson and Julio Arca live up to expectations. Newcastle is also in with a shot at Europe, provided Carl Cort (who cost US $11 million from Wimbledon) meshes well with Alan Shearer and Kieron Dyer continues to improve. If Christian Bassedas settles, he will add the vision which was often lacking last year. STUCK IN MID-TABLE: Middlesbrough signed three big names ( Alen Boksic, Joseph Desire Job and Christian Karembeu ) and two players formerly billed as rising stars ( Paul Okon and Noel Whelan ). All five have failed to live up to expectations in recent years (whether through injury, ill will or sheer ineptitude) and, for now at least, it is looking like a huge roll of the dice. Leicester City's best new signing is manager Peter Taylor, one of the sharpest coaching minds in England and a guy who could make fans forget Martin O'Neill, while Everton wheeled and dealed its way to a stronger lineup, especially in midfield where the busy Niclas Alexandersson will team up with the elegant Alex Nyarko and the vicious Tomas Gravesen. If mega-gamble Paul Gascoigne (signed from Middlesbrough) actually produces something, it will be a nice plus, though few are counting on it. Derby County should also be respectable, now that Branko Strupar has learned the ways of the Premiership. RELEGATION DOGFIGHT: Manchester City has a brand, spanking new frontline in George Weah and Paulo Wanchope. The rest of the team is spotty (particularly in midfield), but the striking talent should be enough to avoid relegation. New boys Benny Carbone and Dan Petrescu are quality players, but they simply don't fit into Bradford's lump-and-run approach which is why, despite all its spending, it looks a lock to go down, along with Ipswich (no money, same cast as last year). The final relegation spot should go to either Coventry (which hasn't replaced Whelan and Robbie Keane ), Southampton ( Glenn Hoddle has no money to spend) or Charlton.
London-based Gabriele Marcotti writes a weekly column on international soccer for CNNSI.com.
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