I think Liverpool will win the Premiership title for 2003 with the new edition of 'serial killer' El Hadji Diouf, Michael Owen & Emile Heskey who will stop them that is a mighty strong offensive trio.
Arsenal will be our biggest threat...but ManUre may be trouble if they can fix that sieve they call a defense...
unfortunately i see manure dominating this season. remember what happened after their last disappointing season....the friggin treble.
I can't see the Arse doing it. In fact, I think they'll be this years disappointment domestically, though I have a feeling they may do better in Europe. Wenger is worried, and rightly so -- I think -- that the World Cup finals will have a damaging effect on the pysche of the French players. They haven't got a goalkeeper (though they may sign one soon) as Seaman, whatever you think of him, is probably no longer a full season, Championship player and Wenger by his own admission has pretty much given up on Richard Wright. With Tony Adams gone, there are questions in the centre of defense of leadership departments, too. Cygan may be the man, but he still has to prove it. As for the next captain, however good he is, he won't be Tony Adams. I think this is probably a transitional year for the Arse. Frankly, if Man Ure do sort out one or two positions, I think it's theirs for the taking. I am still not completely convinced by Liverpool as Championship material, though they are a very good team.
I could careless about Heskey. And you have to think that the jury is still out on Djouf. Signing Duff would make me worry about Liverpool taking it. Arsenal are again chasing Rustu (sp?) since Fenerbahce aren't going to keep him. Getting Van Bommel is what Arsenal need. With Pennant looking to break into the squad, Parlour may be expendable, giving Arsenal more money to spend. Will anybody take Kanu? He definitly is expendable with Jeffers, Aliardiere, Bergkamp, and Wiltord all being possible partners for Henry.
I too have picked Liverpool to win it this year. Man Utd. will put up a stern test. They are still absolutely loaded and should they add a defender before the start of the season it will make a huge difference. If Newcastle just had some more depth they could make a real run at it. I just think they'll peter out with the CL to play in as well. Arsenal? I just have a feeling it won't be their year. They certainly, however, are way more than capable.
Interesting thoughts. Who else would be a candidate in goal. If they can't get Rustu, who else might they go after? What are the thoughts in England regarding Kasey Keller?
I think the general concensus is that he is a decent keeper nothing more, nothing less. A mid table keeper if you will. I thought he was pretty good a Leicester and maybe he could be a back up keeper for one of the top teams.
NEWS JUST IN: 1. Peter Ridsdale has said that Rio Ferdinand can go to Man Utd for £35m and a nice shrubbery. 2. Robert Pires to start season. "My knee injury was only a flesh wound" said the French international.
I think Newcastle will be dangerous. No worries about Man United. They haven't even DRAWN with Liverpool in 5 games... all wins for the Scousers. Arsenal will be there, and Leeds? Only if Fowler has an amazing year.
The way the rats are jumping ship and the rest going on the block. Robbie will have to have an amazing year..he'll only have the groundsman for support..! Newcastle...Nah..! Hey 1950 is that you..? Where the hell have you been..sleep deprevation..?
He he he .... it had to happen. If Chelsea win the league I will come back here and publicly commit to do something involving hats and eating. I'll even fly over to whereever you are and do it for you as a special, end-of-season performance. Manchester United will enter this season as favourites for the title. They were favourites BEFORE the Rio thing. Rio Ferdinand could have a massive impact - I have nothing but total, absolute admiration for his skills as a defender, ever since I saw him for West Ham against Leicester four years ago. I saw him again at Anfield when Leeds beat us 2-1 a couple of years ago and he was flawless, he had Owen and Emmo in his back pocket for the entire game. He was applauded off the pitch by the entire crowd, he was that good. Put him in that thing the Rags hilariously call a defence and all of a sudden United won't be having to score 4 goals a game to get the three points. But - and this is key - they will probably still score bags of goals anyway. That equals at least one pot per season. They may not win the league, but this is one of those seasons where that old cliche "Whoever comes ahead of United will win the title" is entirely apt. Liverpool can do it. We have the defence, we have the firepower. What we have so far lacked is a consistently excellent midfield unit. Individually there is much to commend in there, but collectively they have not all fired at the same time for a sufficiently lengthy period. Last season Gerrard struggled to recapture his form of the previous campaign, Spud was Spud and Smicer was, well ... crap. The addition of Cheyrou excites me - he is the real deal and could well do the business. Distaste for the man aside, Bowyer will also be a massive shot in the arm for the midfield unit. So, if the midfield fires throughout, then I can see us doing it. If not, it's United all the way.
I can't help thinking all these Senegalese players will be failures in the epl, or at least they'll take a long time settling in. Just because they hit form in the WC they get snapped up immediatly and this i think is a mistake. Liverpool i think won't see a massive goalscoring increase from the introduction of diouf, talented player though he is. If Man Utd pull their thumbs out, get Rio and possibly another defender Quality Defender then their defense won't be so ''hilarious'', keeping in mind Wes Brown, the Nevilles and Silvestre are very solid defenders. Never underestimate Man Utd, you may hate them for being miles more successful than your club, but they're only successful because ultimatly, they kick ass, its just Ferguson made a few mistakes this season.
There's that thing again - that syndrome, that disease that causes Scuzzers to look at a lumpen, hapless no-mark and think "Hmm ... now THAT lad can defend!" IF Manchester United replace two of their four starting defenders, and do so by purchasing arguably the most in-form defender in the world right now, alongside another "quality" player, THEN they will not be a risible shambles at the back. Read that again. That's what you just said. In other words, you concurred that their current set-up is beyond any form of acceptable joke. Gary Neville is the only player in that list who is even remotely worthy of note as a competent (at best) defender. His younger brother has just completed a season that saw him fail - and fail miserably - to get even a halfway regular spot in the worst United defence to have taken to the field since Dennis Law back-heeled the red half of Manchester into oblivion. Mikael Silvestre? Please ... Good acid test - name a Premiership club that would buy him if he were put up for sale today. In fact, if lickul Phiwip is to be believed, we may soon actually get to see that process in action. He has announced that he will seek football elsewhere if he does not break into the first team at United on a regular basis this season. Macclesfield Town fans beware ...
And one more thing ... I know from other posts you've made that you're only a wee lad, so I shall forgive you the, hahem, "short" view of football's annals. But if you ever get round to delving into this sport in any more detail, you will find that my club is quite considerably more successful than the one you claim to support. By quite a margin, you'll doubtless be flabbergasted to find.