Who Will Be The Champions??? (Premier League 2000 - 2001)

Member Name: Snoop Dogg!

Product:	Premier League 2000 - 2001
Date:	20/08/01 (52 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Lots of new fantastic players, should see a tighter title, Also should be a great relegation battle

Disadvantages: none

It is that time of year again when the country goes mad over the start of the English Premiership. As an Arsenal fan I am happy to see it come round again. It is the time when all the teams get to try out there new signings and all the fanatic football fans get to see there favourite players play again. The first day of the season lived up to all the hype with the bigger teams winning their games and there was as usual the odd team that surprised every body. I am going to write an opinion on how I think the teams will fair up over the season and who will come where in the premier league

1st Place: Arsenal
Key Men: Viera, Henry
Of course I have to put these at the top because they have bought so well this season(it has nothing to do with that I support them). Last year they ended up second to Man U by a long way but this season I think they will go one better because of such fabulous signings such as Campbell and Van Bronckhorst who can only add to a already great team. Now that the have strengthened the team in all positions we shall over power united. Arsenal have shown already at the beginning of the season against Middlesborough showing that our away form will get better and our team is working as a unit it will be very hard to really find any weaknesses In the team. Also we have strengthened our team with the promising Jeffers, Inamoto and Wright and have a big bonus in keeping Viera.

2nd Place: Manchester United
Key Men: Van Nistlerooy, Scholes
Man U have also bought big this season with the signings of Van Nistlerooy and Veron they will be a better attacking team this season than last. They will score many goals this season but I think that the weakness will be in the defence with the only good defender they have got is Stam. I thought that United needed to buy areally strong defender which they have not done which will be exploited in big premiership games and European matches. The 2 new imports will prove to big but now t
hey have a over crowded Midfield so one of them have to be dropped which won’t be good for whoever it will be.

3rd Place: Liverpool
Key Players: Owen, Gerrard
I think that with no really major signings this season I cant see Liverpool really getting better. They showed they have got potential last season with a treble. They are strong defensively and have a big attack but with only Gerrard being they only good midfielder they have got they will not have the push to get to the top. Westerveld is not the best keeper in the world and I can see him making some costly mistakes.

4th Place: Leeds
Key Players: Kewell, Viduka
Again another of the top teams that have not really added anyone to there team which I think is a big mistake because they had injuries last season and O’Leary moaned about not having enough players and he has done nothing about it. They have a strong forward line with a good midfield but lacking in the defence area and will concede many goals. They need a better first half of the season this season which I think they will do but still not strong enough to compete with the other teams.

5th Place: Chelsea
Key Men: Petit, Hasselbaink
They have bought big this season with the signings of Petit, Lampard, Galles and Zenden the will push for the top a lot harder. They have an all-round quality tean slightly weaker in defence but will still do well. I think that communication will be the problem because they have so many foreigners in the squad. The midfield will now be one of the best with the likes of Petit, Lampard, Zenden and Gronkaer in there.

6th Place: Sunderland
Key Men: Phillips, Quinn
Last season they had a pretty average season not really doing anything special. They do have one of the most deadliest strikers in the Premiership in Phillips and with Quinn and new signing Laslandes they will be scoring many goals but with lack of good defensive quality will struggle to bea
t some of the better teams but will still scrape in at 6.

7th Place: Aston Villa
Key Men: Ginola, Hadji
Villa have been struggling to get anywhere in they past few seasons and have put in some poor performances over the years. They have got some really good players in there but Gregory is not playing the likes of Ginola week in week out and are not doing as well as expected. If Villa don’t perform this year I can see Gregory getting the sack. They are bringing in some good talent like Vassel and Hendrie and are not playing them which will hinder them this season.

8th Place: Fulham
Key Men: Saha, Van Da Sar
Fulham were the best team in Div 1 last season and with the performances they put in I can see them doing well this season because they will do what Ipswich did last season be the dark horses. They have a strong attack with the goal machines Saha and Boa Morte scoring they will put pressure on the Mediocre teams. With the purchase of Van Da Sar he will save them in many game which will help them to a respectable 8th.

9th Place: Tottenham Hotspur
Key Men: Carr, Poyet
As they did last season Spurs will end up mid table once season they have got a Ordinary team compared to the high flyers of the league. Poyet will be a great addition to them with a showing of his immense quality for Chelsea last season. The will pick up the points at the lower clubs and lose some to the top ones. Sheringham will be the goal machine for them this season but he will not be enough.

10th Place: Ipswich
Key Men: Stewart, Holland
Last season these were the surprise package picking up lots of points for a newly promoted team. The will score many goals again with Marcus Stewart doing the same as last season. Last year I think they did well because they were under dogs and they had no pressure. I think that this season the other teams will suss them out and will not do as well because there weak defence will not be able
to cope with other teams strong attack.


11th Place: West Ham United
Key Men: Cole, Di Canio
They looked shaky in defence last season with the sale ofFerdinad and they will lose a bit in midfield with the sale of Lampard. They still have some quality In there with the likes of Cole and Carrick who will be able to feed the talent of Di Canio who will always create something out of nothing. People have been criticizing the managerial tactics of Roeder who I think is a total Jack Ass and the chairman should be ashamed of appointing him.


12th Place: Newcastle United
Key Men: Robert, Dyer
Newcastle are known as a big club and over the past few seasons have not really lived up to the expectations of fans. The have wasted good money on the unproven Bellamy but looked to have spent good money on France’s Laurent Robert. They lack quality up front since Shearer has been out of sorts and they lack ant sort of good defence so I think they will end up low again this season.


13th Place: Charlton Athletic
Key Men: Johansson, Bartlett
They have one of the strongest attacks in Johansson and Bartlett and will score enough goals to keep them out of trouble. The have a fairly strong midfield for there calibre and should just pick up enough points to keep in the league. They will need to get some vital away points if they are to avoid the drop though.

14th Place: Blackburn
Key Men: Jansen, Grabbi
One of the only team to have won the Premiership since it has been going and Blackburn will be looking to keep there place in the league. They will find it hard to survive with them being the new boys but I think that they have just got enough in there to keep them above some of the other teams who might struggle this season.

15th Place Leicester City
Key Men: Wise, Scowcroft
Leicester over the past couple of seasons have deteriorated by a long margin. They used to be a strong solid unit b
ut along the way they have lost that somewhere. They will be in a relegation battle near the end of the season and I think that Dennis Wise will be a good leader for them even though he is a little gimp who thinks he is hard(did you see him when he picked a fight with Viera). They will just have enough ordinary players to keep them up.

16th Place: Middlesborough
Key Men: Southgate, Boksic
Again another team I think that has gone down in standards over the past few years.
They are the weakest of the North East teams and only really have a couple of good players like Boksic who still is able to bag a few goals for them and I think that Southgate will dramatically enhance the Boro defence.

17th Place: Everton
Key Men: Radzinkski, Ferguson
Everton I think we only hang on by the skin of their teeth because they have sold the 2 best players they had in Jeffers and Ball. This will dramatically drag them down the league. I think there new signing Radzinkski looks quite impressive for them and they will really only hang on by a couple of points in my opinion.

18th Place: Southampton
Key Men: Le Tissier, Pahars
Like the past few seasons in a row Southampton in my opinion will battle at the bottom and I think that this season they won’t be able to avoid the drop and will go down. I think that Pahars will score many goals for them but I think that there seriously weak defence will crumble too often and they will concede to many and will be playing Div 1 footie.

19th Place: Derby
Key Men: Ravenelli, Christie
They were in the relegation battle last season and I see them going the same way as Southampton. They have bought in Ravenelli and that was a shock because you wouldn’t think that Derby could sign such a legend. He will score few goals because of the lack of service and that will be the same for the young talented Christie.

20th Place: Bolton Wanderers
Key Men: Nolan, Fransen
>Bolton are the team who have come up and gone straight back down. They might be top of the table after there 5-0 drubbing of Leicester but I can only see that as one of their only wins. They have got no quality players and have made no big signings to boost there chances of staying up.

That is my prediction for the Premiership and the beginning of the season. I think that it will be a closer title chase than it was last season and Man U will be defeated and knocked off their perch. They are many big names to join the league and it will make it the most exciting ever. Please leave comments on what you think will happen and all the new signings.

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