Date Posted: 8/19/2013 1:02:10 AM
Posted By: Abudennis Membership Level: Silver Total Points: 840
The English Premier League is preferably the most celebrated league in the world of football. It is the league with the widest base of supporters, especially in Africa. This is because many of African greatest stars have traded their careers in the English Premier League. Recently we have our own Kenyan national team captain Victor Mugubi Wanyama playing for English side Southampton. Wanyama played a full match in his debut for Southampton in which his team won 1-0 away. He becomes the first; not only Kenyan, but the first East African to do so in the English Premier League. Without doubt; the team has also drawn a fan base in the Kenyan football fan base. I included; I can say I will on the side follow on Southampton and see what our own boy will be doing.The English Premier League 2013-2014 officially kicked off on the weekend of 17th and 18th of August 2013. Many of us have their own expectations; either positive or negative depending on the team we differently support. We shall hear of who has prepared well or poorly, but all will be decided by the end of 38 league games in mid May 2014. Many have brought in new players, others have sold out and true to it that football in Europe is rather very good business.All said and done, and now that the fire is lit, let us have some minutes and run through the first preferably eight ‘major’ teams in which four are under new managers. One, two, three....here we go,,,1.Arsenal: Arsene Wenger.Currently this is the longest serving football manager in the English Premier League. He has 17 years under his belt after the retired Sir Alex Ferguson who had 27 years. This makes Wenger preferably the most experienced manager in the league that is just underway. Definitely; he will want to rely on that aspect and hope that it will end the 8 year trophyless drought. Let us keep some facts right here. Wenger is making good profits for Arsenal. The management at the club is happy with him, a good reason as to why they will never fire him. Those being hurt most are the fans.Arsenal began their campaign at home against Aston Villa. The first match saw Arsenal lose 3-1 to the visitors. Well, Manchester United lost to Everton on their debut match the previous season and ended up winning the league. But Arsenal has not lost a debut match of the league in 10 years and this should be a wakeup call to Wenger. Wenger should definitely use that match to see the potholes in the team and mend it fast. He has been eyeing so many big stars to bring to the emirates but has got none so far. The transfer window always runs till the end of August. Amongst the big stars he had in the books was Gonzalo Higuain from Real Madrid whom he later lost to Napoli. Another was Luis Gustavo from Bayern Munich who later joined German side Wolfs berg for a term five years. Another is Luis Suarez from Liverpool who the later would never be ready to sell a fellow English major club. Others named and have not signed at the Emirates are their former captain Cesc Fabregas currently at FC Barcelona, Wayne Rooney at Manchester United. Worse to Wenger are that his players are always prone to injuries. The season has just begun and some of his stars might be away for up to six weeks. These are Carzola, Arteta, Monreal, Gibbs and Vamerlain. Yet this is the time they may need them most.What players Arsenal might look upon this season? Wilshire, Carzola and Arteta will be good in the mid field. Djiroud, Podolski and Walcot will need a helping player in the striking force. At the back; Koscielny will really have to prove why Arsenal made no mistake in not letting him go. But the defense line really has to be repaired, for he has not a strong back up on that.2.Chelsea: Jose Mourinho.The Portuguese talisman is back to the English league, in the same team, having been away to Inter Milan and Real Madrid for 6 years. Now, the drama man is back to the spots. His first spell in England was between 2004 to 2007 and we can all agree he surely had a good run. He calls himself the ‘Special One’, and he will stand to prove that to the many that disagree to that. We can all say the ‘drama boy’ is back, and as usual; we shall all get lots of it.Mourinho has already said he has enough in his stores and will not be signing any bigger names. Chelsea have not had any big names apart from Radamel Falcao from Atletico Madrid who later joined Monaco. This happened much earlier even before the return of Mourinho. On Mourihno’s target is Wayne Rooney whom he might fight for till the last notch.Chelsea’s first game of the season 2013-2014 was at Stamford Bridge against the newly promoted Hull City under Steve Bruce. Chelsea won the game 2-0. An average start, though many thought the Blues would really humiliate the Hull City Tigers. Frank Lampard had lost a penalty in the early moments of the game. He later scored an amazing 30 yard free kick just after the half hour mark to add onto Oscar’s earlier goal in the eleventh minute. From how the game carried onto the 90 minutes, Chelsea did not play to the expectations. Hull City came out as the better side in the second half, missing a couple of chances. Chelsea were rather so defensive in the latter half of the game.What players Mourinho might look upon this season? Back too with him from Real Madrid is Essien, who together with Hazard, Mata and Lampard will do well in the mid field. The talented Oscar and Lukako from loan at WesBromwich Albion the last campaign will give many defenders a hard time. Torres and Ba will have to prove for their prices else the Portuguese manager may want to do away with them in January transfer window. Cole, Ivanovic and Cahill will form a tight trio to rely on in the back in the back.But remember, this is a very new kind of English Premier League than the one he had prior. Many have known how to deal with the manager, so he will just have to plan well for his cards on every match.3.Manchester United: David Moyes.He has been in the English Premier League for 12 years under Everton but now starting at Manchester United. He is taking into very big shoes and MUST prove that he deserved the slot. He has had a very bad pre-season; but that has been so for Manchester United since the very early days of Sir Ferguson. He is getting a ready team, so his duty will just be to perform. United works under systems, and if the systems are kept, then Manchester United will remain.He began his first match away at Swansea. He was outplayed in the first quarter of the game, but a good performance later on. Won 4-1, and if he can hold on that and repair on his midfield then he will handle through. We all know that a win against Swansea at the Liberty Stadium, thumbs up for David Moyes and his boys.Moyes is definitely the other man that has had many stars in his books but not landing any yet. Just to mention Cecs Fabregas from Barcelona, Gareth Bale from Tottenham, Pepe and Khedira from Real Madrid. Definitely, he will be selling Wayne Rooney but not to Chelsea. In my take; Rooney will need a team that will revive his career. He has played too long into his 27 years and he may not last psychologically in the presence of Robin van Persie.What players Moyes might look upon this season? Moyes has Ryan Giggs as an assistant and as a player. This will be a very influential man, not necessarily as a player but on ideas. Carrick is not known to many, but Ferguson stack to him most times. For strikers; Robin van Persie has just begun, so he is here again to prove that under any manager; he is still be a finisher. With Robin van Persie are Zaha who is super, but needs time to grow, another is the silent Kagawa and Chicharito who will also serve Moyes well. On defense; I think Rafael has now developed, and with the aging Evra and Vidic they should perform, besides the young generation of Evans and Smalling.4.Manchester City:
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