A Huge "Pahh" to Liverpool. (Premier League 2000 - 2001)

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Product:	Premier League 2000 - 2001
Date:	27/08/01 (63 review reads)
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Advantages: It's Football.

Disadvantages: Liverpool.

The Premiership’s started. It’s off. It’s been the 2001-2002 Barclaycard Premiership for Ooh, a week now. There have been some pretty strange opening games too. Bolton Wanderers, bookie’s favourites to lose the league started off on top, after a 5-0 win over Leicester, who’s recent buys haven’t made any difference at all (But Wise? Pahh, Give me Roy Keane any day). Anyway, you don’t want to know the current table, chances are it’s already stuck in your head. You want to know who I think is going to win, and who I think are going to lose. Yeah? Well, here you are then…

**My Top seven.

1) Liverpool.

I hate Liverpool. I always have done. I hate Liverpool in general, not just the football team. Maybe It’s got something to do with getting my hand trapped in the big heavy doors at the Walker gallery there, or maybe it’s just from being a Manchester United fan. You see, I hate their smugness, and their ability to show off that they have Michael Owen (Not that I’d want Michael Owen at Manchester United of course, because he’s a Liverpool player). But Liverpool are strong, however much I hate to say so, and they’re on form. They’ve just won they’re fifth trophy in a season, and even if their treble was a really measly treble compared to Manchester United’s of ’99, they have shown that they can win the big games. It’ll be a close-knit contest between Manchester United and Liverpool, even Steven’s all the way, but Manchester United, will let themselves down on a few big games, and although It’ll be a hard fought race, it’s been a long time since Manchester United have showed a weakness, Liverpool will just clinch the title. But it’ll only be a one off, I tell yers.

2) Manchester United.

Manchester United have had a poor start to the season, just beating Fulham, and drawing with Blackburn and Aston
Villa. Poor starts usually don’t mean anything to Manchester United, it’s usually just pre-season nerves and getting back into Premiership play. But this time, I don’t think that’s the case. Their defensive play has been ghastly, and Stam’s departure to Lazio for £16 million isn’t going to help, even if the things he said in his recent autobiography were a bit ‘over the top’, I don’t think that Sir Alex should have sold him, purely because we need him as a defender. The Midfield is United’s obvious strength, with Juan Sebastian Veron being brought in for £28.1m, adding brilliance to the structure of Roy Keane, David Beckham and Ryan Giggs (and of course, Nicky Butt). Ruud Van Nistlerooy will be the star of the season, along with Paul “The complete player” Scholes, and even if Teddy Sheringham’s gone, I’ll still always love him (I still smile every time THAT goal is mentioned, you know J). Manchester United have said that they want to win everything, because this is Sir Alex’s last Season as the Manager at Old Trafford, and they especially want to get the European Cup, as the final will be at Hampdan Park, home of Glasgow Rangers, Ferguson’s favourite team (personally, I prefer Celtic, but never mind that). I think that Ferguson might just be able to get the Cup, but they won’t win the Premiership this year. I just have a feeling.

3) Leeds United.

Leeds United over Arsenal, you say? Yes, Leeds United over Arsenal. Easily. They were forth last season, but last season’s last season, and I think they’re even more serious this year. Paul Robinson, will be challenging for Nigel Martyn’s shirt (Not literally, you realise, I’m sure Leeds can provide him with his own), and he’s already made a huge impact from when Martyn was injured last season. Alan Smith, despite his temper, is still preeettty good, and Robbie Keane too. On
the whole, I think the reason Leeds will get this far this season, is because of their confidence. They have bucket loads of it, and I’m certain they’ll do well.

4) Arsenal.

Arsenal really need another Ian Wright type of character to partner Thierry Henry up front. Henry, will show his skill, and I’m certain will score some brilliant goals again, but someone else is needed. Like Manchester United’s, Arsenal’s defence need a bit of sharpening up. Sol Campbell, in my opinion (£100,000 a week - Oosh!), won’t really be enough to handle the top strikers in the Premiership (Ruud Van Nistlerooy, hehee!), especially now Tony Adams and Martin Keown are tiring a little. This won’t be the best season Arsenal have had.

5) Chelsea.

Chelsea really didn’t do very well last season. They’ve generally been classed as one of the ‘top five’ in the Premiership (the other four, above), and last season’s sixth place wasn’t what they were hoping for. Chelsea could easily do better than fifth, too, but I don’t think they will, because Liverpool, Leeds and Manchester United’s teams really are too strong for Chelsea to put forward too much competition for the title. Claudio Ranieri has made some good buys, Frank Lampard from West Ham United, will prove to be strong, as will Emmanuel Petit, although maybe that is just me being biased towards Manu, for that oh-so-beautiful, wonderful, brilliant (though not the best I’ve ever seen – that was Cantona’s volley in the 96th minute of the 1996 FA Cup Final against Liverpool) goal in the 1998 World Cup against Brazil (Oh, I loved that match – possibly one of the best (except United Vs Bayern in ’99, of course) match I’ve ever seen, though perhaps that might have been because I was there – I WAS THERE!). Anyway, I don’t think this Season will prove to be
anything massive for the blues, but next season, I think, will be (not that next season counts of course – oh well…)

6) Sunderland.

In sixth place, will be Sunderland. Because Sunderland, are relatively good. Ipswich proved stronger than them last season, though not this. Kevin Phillips will once again be the Star Man, and his bundles of pace will be needed this season, if Sunderland want to fulfil expectations. They have a great stadium, which is always good for a home side (The stadium obviously isn’t as good as Old Trafford, though). All they need now is a decent winger.
7) Aston Villa.

I think Aston Villa will finish above Ipswich Town this year, mainly because other teams know what to expect from the Tractor boys, and will fight harder against them. Villa, anyhow, have a decent-ish squad, with of course, the very decent, Peter Schmichael. Even though I’m sure Schmikes will find it hard playing in the Premiership again, mainly from the point of view that this season he’ll be challenging Manchester United, rather than helping them, I think the Greatest Dane of them all will prove strong. Aston Villa may not get this far, because they don’t really have the confidence or ambitions to do so, but I think if they became a more consistent side, they can do.

**My bottom five.

15) Blackburn Rovers.

Blackburn will need a few seasons to establish themselves in the Premiership. They’re not the strongest of sides, despite having quite a few ex-Manchester United players in there (John Curtis, Henning Berg, and Keith Gillespie to mention a few), but I think they can build on that, and their manager Graeme Souness will. I think David Dunn and Matt Jansen will prove their excellence this season, but as I’ve said, I think Blackburn need a while to show their potential.

16) West Ham United.

I think West Ham could have been a really good team. They had some
strong players, before Rio Ferdinand left for Leeds, and Frank Lampard JNR for Chelsea. They still have Joe Cole and Michael Carrick, though, who I think are both brilliant. They also have Paulo Di Canio, who even though his goal knocked Manchester United out of the FA Cup last season, I can’t hate, because he’s such a skilful and imaginative player. I’m not too sure that their new manager Glenn Roeder will prove to be all that great, and I think that he may fail to hold on to their best players. However, I think West Ham may have an up-and-coming star in Jermaine Defoe.

17) Middlesborough.

Maybe, just maybe, my placing of Middlesborough in 17th place is just showing my hatred of them too much. I hate them almost as much as Liverpool, you know. I despise them, sometimes even as much as I hate Liverpool. But maybe it’s not, maybe, it’s because that’s where I honestly think Middlesborough will finish, a good few places below last season. I think that what M’borough fans want to see is mainly a sign that the team is coming together, but personally, I don’t think they will. Steve McLaren, even though he was a brilliant Coach, I personally don’t think he’ll be the best manager. Alan Boksic will be Boro’s top scorer and star man again, in my reckoning, and I don’t think Paul Ince will be exactly ‘rated’. Middlesborough: Pahh.


18) Leicester City.

I don’t think Leicester, despite last season’s 13th position, will stay up. They have some drastic improvements to be made, perhaps starting off with losing Peter Taylor. He’s made some poor buys, even though Dennis Wise is supposedly OK, I think he’s getting on a bit. Ade Akinibiyi, isn’t one of the best either. I think Leicester need to realise that players such as Muzzy Izzet and Robbie Savage have a lot more in them then what they’re showing so far.


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br><br>19) Derby County.

I think the rams were lucky last season to get away with finishing 17th. They have some good players, such as Goalkeeper Matt Poom (I do love the song – “Who kept the balls out – Poom, Poom, Poom Poom” – that Derby fans sing), and of course Malcolm Christie, who perhaps only needs to improve his finishing to become one of the best strikers in the country. However, Derby are an easy team to break down, and they will be broken. Still, I think they’ll be back.

20) Bolton Wanderers.

So, they started off at the top of the Premiership, and I think they’ll finish at the very bottom. They might even be last years Bradford City. (‘Big’) Sam Allardyce will have a hard season, but I think he’ll do as well as anyone can with Bolton. I sort of feel sorry for Bolton really. They sort of deserve to be in the Premiership, because they’re just one of those sides. Henrik Pederson is one to look out for, but I think Dean Holdsworth, the centre forward, will prove their best player.

So that’s it. Who I think will be the best, and be the worst. You may or may not agree with me, but this is what I think the Premiership table will look like at the end of the season, whether you do or not. Ahh well, thanks for reading anyway.

noodle.gorillaz2001© - Who’s always been useless at ending opinions.

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