At 7:45 AM on August 16, 2014, the Barclays premier league takes full flight once again. First the new boys in town, Leicester city, Burnley and the return of Queens park rangers. Their focal point will be survival and avoiding the relegation zone by may 2015. This all lies with the tactics their managers approach the season. Nigel Pearson, Sean Dyche and Harry Redknapp all have to decide between “parking the bus” and counter attacks their opponents versus “balls to the wall” all out attack but of upmost importance is the quality of the players and their willingness to battle of the shield on their chest and the community.
The battle for champions league positions and league title goes six ways between Manchester city, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester United. Manchester city are the reigning champions but have done little to strengthen their squad but added competition to vital positions, which included a commanding central defensive midfielder (Fernando) to allow Yaya Toure more attacking freedom and Caballero to challenge Joe Hart, England’s number 1. The additions of Mangala and Bacary Sagna stiffens the defense and gives city another successful run at the league but the question still beckons, can they have any impact on the champion’s league this year?
London big clubs, Arsenal and Chelsea both seek to claim their first important trophy in years. Both teams looked to bring in a prolific striker to help their offense, Chelsea have stolen keys parts of Atletico Madrid in Diego Costa, Courtuois and Felipe Luis. Diego costa is the clinical finisher that jose Mourinho needed to replace the shaken confidence of Fernando Torres and although Mourinho has self-proclaimed the team to be a force for the next decade, the team will have to shed its defensive mindset and adapt an expansive attack to gain world wide acclaim and dominance.
Arsenal lost a legend in Lord Nicholas Bendtner but brought in the Alexis Sanchez to add speed which the team begged for and also defensive help in Debuchy and Chambers. Although these are good pick ups, Arsenal is the EPL’S accident waiting to happen, they will dazzle, mesmerize but inevitably they may possibly win the FA cup, bounce out of the champions league in the quarterfinals, loss the league in the last April but keep 4th position in the table.
Liverpool lost the goal scoring machine in Suarez and use the same tactics tottenham used during their lose of Gareth Bale, by buying a surplus of talents. Their season comes down to how sterling, coutinho and Sturidge retain their clinical finishing and counter attacking will emerging the new boys.
This season is going to be one of the best in a decade, the stories will be timeless, the fans will experience joy, despair, the heartbreak but also victory and the champion’s roar.