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Although the Premier League has only just finished and we still have quite some way to go before the English top flight returns in mid-August, I thought it would be quite good to predict next year’s victors without knowing various signings, who the new managers are etc. as it would be more fun and more challenging to predict who they will sign, which manager they will hire and will this affect their title chances. So without further a do, let’s get started.
First of all unsurprisingly, I believe the title race next season will be a three horse race between Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea. At this moment in time their squads and resources are far ahead the likes of Arsenal’s and Tottenham’s, and any other team will struggle to break into this top 3.
Actually, this may come as a surprise for some people that I have predicted Chelsea will comfortably be a member of that top 3, especially as last season they only just made the top 3 and even worse, the season before they finished 6th. However, I believe the various signings Chelsea made over the last two seasons really improved their squad with the likes of Hazard, Oscar, Mata and Luiz really adding another dimension to Chelsea’s play. This season just gone was a transitional period for the players to learn how to work and gel together and especially in the 2nd half of the season, Chelsea seemed to have gelled and really come into their own. Although it seems incredibly harsh for Rafa Benitez to not be offered a permanent job after steering the helm of the Europa League trophy, it looks incredibly likely that Jose Mourinho will take the hotseat having parted company with Real Madrid. This is no doubt a mouth-watering prospect for all Chelsea fans and with good reason, they will be expecting a lot from Chelsea next term. Mourinho was one of the very few truly successful managers under Abramovich’s reign, if not the only, and who’s to say he won’t bring this touch of class back again to Chelsea? We all know he’s a class manager, who perhaps did not meet the expectations of the Madrid fans and the Spanish media but let’s face it, the media over here and the Chelsea fans love Mourinho and he loves them. Chelsea will no doubt be a force next season.
The outrage of many Manchester City fans was broadcast when Roberto Mancini was sacked in the run in to the end of the season, with Man City already confirmed to have failed their quest to retain their title. A lot has been said about the side’s chemistry, stating that despite vast amounts of talent and flair present in this Man City side, they are simply too inconsistent, perhaps too content with their lavish and expensive lifestyles that they have lost the desire to work as an integrated machine. Fact was that last season Man City were a team of invidual fragmented stars. It remains to be seen what Manuel Pellegrini will be bring to Man City, with him being the almost certain successor to Roberto Mancini, after all, he did do a great job with Malaga, propelling them into a major Spanish force in times when money was abundant and when it wasn’t. But can he make it to that next level? He certainly didn’t at Real Madrid, being disposed of after only a season, how can he face the high expectations at Man City if he couldn’t at Real Madrid. I believe Pellegrini is a great manager and if Man City stick by him they’ll rake in the benefits but I doubt he will hit the ground running and get Man City’s UAE owners the title they expect.
The climax of this season just gone has been one filled with mixed emotions for Manchester United fans as despite winning the club’s 20th title overall and 13th of the Premier League era, Sir Alex Ferguson’s announcement to retire at the end of the season has spoiled the Red Devils faithful somewhat. They will know too well that Sir Alex had a knack for getting every fraction of a player’s potential ability out of them and that showed this season. Despite almost breaking the record points tally this season, many would argue that this is not a magnificent United team and no doubt if Man City had came anywhere near close to how they played last year, they would not have strolled to the title as easily as they have. The team is filled with aging players and David Moyes, Sir Alex’s successor, will have to bring in the right players this summer if he’s to mount a serious challenge to retaining the title. Of course David Moyes is a wonderful manager and will have his United team put on a good season next term, but will he be able to overcome the teams sneaking up on United? It remains to be seen, but for sure Moyes will give it a hell of a go and will try his utmost to fill the biggest boots one has ever had to fill in football management.
I can almost guarantee that next season’s title race will be a much a closer encounter and it will be between two teams, Chelsea and Man United. Man City fans will reluctantly admit that the jury is out on Manuel Pellegrini and whether he can get the best out of a team with excess wages and lifestyles. If he can get the players to play his way and as a team not as individuals, Man City would be absolute contenders but this will not happen, at least not for this year.
Now, between Man United and Chelsea, I believe Chelsea will just pip it. They have a team that really started to come into their own in the latter half of the season and with a crowd faithful and incredibly talented manager in Jose Mourinho back in the hotseat, I just feel the flair and attacking prowess of this Chelsea team will just pip Man United to the title. For the first time in 26 years, Man United are going to have to learn how to play without Fergie at the helm and with a squad of talented yet aging players, the summer signings are going to need to make an instant impact and so will David Moyes. But the reality is, this is unlikely to happen. David Moyes is a talented manager but Rome wasn’t built in a day.
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Game of Ninety 