Alex Reid looks at whether the once ever-present appearance of English clubs in the later stages of the Champions League is set to become a thing of the past
Craig Dobson looks at QPR's decision to sack Neil Warnock and replace him with Mark Hughes
Andy Pakes previews this Sunday afternoon clash in the first edition of Game of the Week for 2012
Dave Hughes tells us about his sporting hero, Wes Morgan
This weekend and next see all the English Leagues begin their campaigns for victory and glory once more but after a summer of rumours, speculation and transfers, what should fans expect at the start of a season?
Well, of course there’s the problem of new managers. They take time to get to know their players, their fans, their own influence; not everyone is Jose Mourinho and can win the Premier League title in their second year in charge. Although I’m sure Abramovich will be expecting something of the sort from new headman Villas-Boas…
And it doesn’t help if a manager moves to his bitter rivals: Alex McLeish should expect a fair few boos after his move from Birmingham to Aston Villa and doubtless it will take him a little time to settle in and get Villa, who struggled last season, up and running again.
Players can also disrupt the balance of a team, either leaving or departing. Liverpool have made some huge signings, including Charlie Adam, Stewart Downing, and this will bring huge improvements and exciting talent to the side. Sir Alex Ferguson has rightly labelled them challengers for the title this coming season, despite their poor form last time out meaning they aren’t competing in Europe at all!
However, at the opposite end of the spectrum, a player’s departure can have just as much impact. Take Carlos Tevez for example. Yes, I admit he hasn’t left Manchester City yet but with every passing day bringing no return to Manchester, it looks less and less likely he will ever put on a city shirt again. 23 goals from 44 appearances makes their captain a keystone player and losing him would surely affect the players and the team structure, regardless of how much money has been spent.
The Premier League welcomes Norwich, QPR and Swansea this season and for all clubs moving up or down throughout the leagues, a new challenge awaits. Whether it’s playing in that league for the first time or joining it again after a long absence, there’s always a story to tell. Let’s hope that this season is as thrilling as the last and that our newcomers offer some of the determination, passion and excitement we saw from the likes of newly-promoted Blackpool last season.
The start of the Premier League season is officially marked by the FA Community Shield. Pitching the winners of last season’s Premier League against the victors in the FA Cup, the match considered pointless by many fans.
However, this time around sees Manchester United take on Manchester City and not just bragging rights are at stake: City owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan has injected huge amounts of money into the club and has been rewarded with a place in the Champions League, as well as the FA Cup – City’s first silverware in over 30 years. Considering that the last five winners of the FA Community Shield have gone on to win the Premier League that season, victory for City could truly mark the beginning of a new, successful era for them and Manchester United will be determined to make sure their neighbours don’t steal their thunder if they can help it. Revenge for loss in their semi-final to the same opponents might also come into play.
The Yorker’s prediction: Manchester United win, but only just!
So, I hope you all enjoy the season as much as I do and remember that, as Bill Shankley so rightly said, that “Football's not a matter of life and death ... it's more important than that”.
Watch Manchester United v Manchester City on Sunday 7th August, KO 2.30pm.
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