It seems like only days since the sound of Vuvuzelas finally stopped ringing in our ears, but already the next keenly anticipated footballing moment is upon us. For English fans (and fans of English football) the time to forget the horrors of the World Cup has arrived. No more wondering what went wrong – time to ponder new questions, and look for new answers. Can Wayne Rooney redeem himself after the embarrassment of South Africa? Will Chelsea retain the title? Can Liverpool shrug off their annus horribilus last year and return to top four form? And how the hell did Blackpool get here and when are they going away?
(In brief answer to the above; Yes, Maybe, Probably not – and they got lucky in a playoff and should be gone by this time next year).
The Premier League is back folks, and it has never been more competitive. Bookmakers have Chelsea ($2.70) and Manchester United ($3.40) as favourites once again – with Manchester City ($6.00) moving into position as third favourites to win the title. The Gunners ($7.00) are still getting backed by some of the true believers, but punters seem to have about as much faith in Liverpool ($13.00) as they do in the honour system – a bad sign for the Reds.
The surprise here has to be once lowly Manchester City, now reborn as the Abu Dhabi Blues, who in just one short year have gone from Manchester’s ugly sister to a projected member of the top four. The lesson here is clear for the kids – if you want to mix with the best in the world, all you need to do is work hard, believe in yourself, and never, ever give up.
Oh – and if you can find some Arabic Royalty to kick in a few hundred million pounds, then that’s just gravy.
Ladies and gentlemen, Premier League football. You have been missed.
