tomorrow.
The biggest circus in the world (© Sky) the Premier League.
Where in the Champions League places will the usual suspects finish, who will be the smaller team that sets the pace early on only fade into mid table mediocrity, will any of the newly promoted sides will stay up how long before a certain one of them get’s their first win – is Hull or Stoke who are this year’s Derby – and long many weeks does it take a board to panic about their start and fire the guy who got them into the promised land, or will one of the established lot beat them to it.
And all this is going to be done while showing the officials respec innit.
Spurs, well they’ve gone through the preseason they same as the last few years, beating nearly everything put in front of them – lower league sides and top Italian sides – knocking goals in left right and centre. Form they certainly didn’t take into the start of last season as they made a dog of a start, as the board planned the removal of BMJ for Ramos.
This year, well still talked about as the side to challenge the top four with the money spent on the likes of Modric, Bentley – Arshavin hopefully – even though they sold on Keane and chances of Berbatov staying is up in the air every day. It’s a shame ManUre didn’t press ahead with their rumoured interest in Henry to pressure us to sell them Berba, as we could have offloaded the incredible sulk to Barca who would need a new striker after all and ManUre would be left with either no new forward or a player Fergie said was over the hill not long back.
If Berba is to go they should still sell him to Barca if they can, even if it’s at cut price because as someone recently said “they do things the right way” unlike a certain other club who tap up and unsettle players under contract at other clubs.
Keep the defence fit, a tough ask with Woodgate and Ledley in the centre, especially if the latter can’t stop falling out of chavy nightclubs, rat arsed with his trousers round his ankles and some blonde munter. But with them two at their best, Bale on the left Gunter or Hutton on the right, Gomes between the sticks hopefully we won’t see so many of those last minute corner/free kick/screamer winning goals.
No doubt Robinson will be outstanding at Blackburn, especially when we play them, it was a situation where everyone needed a change. Ever since that Neville own goal away to Croatia things have just gone downhill for the big ‘keeper, though I still say his confidence wasn’t helped by those in front of him for club and country.
Modric and Bentley will certainly add to the midfield. Modric has in him to run a game, with a good eye to pick out runners and the ability to find them with passes. Bentley, yup still don’t like the guy or think he should ever play for England but in the league he can deliver crosses and set pieces, bit of luck he might teach Lennon how to deliver the final ball or give the little winger that kick up the arse he needs to up his game.
But are the good things these two new signings bring going to be undermined by the lack of a decent defensive midfielder and the presence of vice captain Jenas in there giving the ball away at every opportunity?
Up front has Bent’s time come, had an outstanding preseason, though you may think that scoring against Championship, Division 1 and Division 2 sides is his level, I’m sure I did read that even though his goals per game last season wasn’t that good if you base it on time spent on the park his goals/assists per minute ratio was better than Keane and Berba. He did it for Charlton a team that was relegated, with a decent run in the side as a first pick striker in the right formation, a bit of confidence will he justify that price tag?
Would still like to see Arshavin brought in, not as a replacement for Bent who I would like to see be given a go, but if not Giovanni dos Santos was skinning people for fun and putting in good balls over the last few weeks, if he can take that on could be a steal from Barca.
‘Boro tomorrow, dullard side mainly sellers over the transfer window – guaranteed a boring nil-nil away draw then.