Ice cold in Alex. (Premier League 2000 - 2001)

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Product:	Premier League 2000 - 2001
Date:	05/02/02 (209 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great finish

Disadvantages: ITV 2

With Alex Ferguson surprisingly re-opening contract talks to stay on at The Theatre of Dreams.The season yet again takes a twist in one of the best run-ins ever. The recent up turn in form at Old Trafford surely came from that old dog getting that glint in his eye back on the training pitch in a game and legacy he just cant let go.

He knows he bought badly in Bhartez and others and didn’t bite the bullet early enough to stop that alarming end of the year slump. But can the up serge in form be enough to win a record forth straight Championship.
But this is how I think they will finish in May.

1) ARSENAL…….I think the distraction of the Champions league may not be so critical to their strong squad as they have never won this tournament.They have man for man players as good as Man United and have the advantage of losing only three games. This counts in the statistic mad world of the Premiership winners.
I don’t think they will get away from Man United but the Reds will let them in at the death. A record 33 consecutive straight games scoring by the Gunners beginning and culminating with the one all draw against Southampton shows they have the firepower.
They are flash and arrogant with the ball and like to walk it in. But United have lost seven games with the far more serious Champions League almost on us.

2) MANCHESTER UNITED…..I think they may be flying now with a run of relatively easy games with ten wins out of eleven so far. That form was only punctuated by the Liverpool home defeat that put the Scousers back into the mix.
The easy fixtures will keep coming through Feb and early March until they will come really up against it with a trip to the top three teams in the last five games. These will probably be pressured up by Champions League games that are Uniteds real goal here.
Will Britain’s manager make “calculated”selections like he did for the Middlesborough
fiasco. They basically had to sacrifice a damaging fixture pile up there by throwing that match.

3) CHELSEA………..I think the players are beginning to realize that the Chairman and Manger may not be up to the job but they are. Zolas feet are working like the great writer and philosopher culminating in that extraordinary FA cup goal.
Hasslebaink is full of goals as he is class and that’s why the three top goal scorer’s teams are at the peak come April.The midfield is bedding in and the back four and squad as strong as ever.
With only three defeats and the drawing out of their system. These guys will be pushing hard now, especially with no extra congestion of the Champions League.
The fact that the top three have better away records than home shows how important wins like Leicester away are for Chelsea are.
At cracking e/w odds of 33-1 in the bookies you can get better value than that.

4) LIVERPOOL………They are just too inconsistent for the top spot with their form flicking around like a Chernobyl dial.Heskey may be scoring again but he’s not top of the league class. Owens legs will be saved the moment Liverpool’s Champions League matches come up and England to will be worried about their little Billywhizz.
The transition from cup team to Champions is very large indeed and the lack of guts to win the little games will cost them in the end.


5) NEWCASTLE UNITED……..The Dyer injury and the FA Cup run will probably be the telling factor here with Bobby’s voice giving out like Bellamys equally frantic legs. They fight like warriors against everyone and Shearer has that look in his eye without the responsibility of England.
Although ironically that club country denial will line him up for an unexpected World Cup call up that even he can’t ignore.
Their never say die attitude and habit of scrapping wins isn’t going to give them a ch
ampionship though. They will be swallowed up like a front runner at Newmarket in grade one race.

6) LEEDS UNITED……The court case and another disciplinary against Bowyer has probably skewered their miserable season for the great pretenders.The combative midfielder is out for six weeks with an FA ban for something happened ages ago and you feel some vendetta’s coming from headquarters here.
The manager has the pressure of the threats on his family and an undisciplined team knocking back his critical rhythm to win the championships. The EUFA cup is really all that’s left here as this season looks more wasted and wrecked than Brixton on a Saturday night.

7) ASTON VILLA………Gregory was right to go as he knew he wasn’t going to get much more money and respect from Ellis to match both their egos. The ex manager like so many before who have been and gone are at Villa Park to balance the books.
Deadly Doug would rather spend small to finish seventh than an extra 40 million to finish fifth and in the red.
Graham Taylor is back for unfinished business with his reappointment today. His discipline and intelligence should secure a better relationship with the chairman of mutual respect and a EUFA place. With his football knowledge some decent signings and if Ginola is given the license to play to Angels feet then it could set up next season nicely.

8) TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR…….Like their name suggests,they need the cup competitions to spur them on with league performance.The manager now as a player then was just the same as he and his team went missing mid table.
But they need Europe to bump up revenues big time to get back on schedule to be one of the big six. The strike force is poor though and the goals will need to come from midfield and the oldies to maintain their Euro ambitions.


9) FULHAM ATHLETIC……Surprisingly solid form at the back has kept th
em out of trouble all season.The French attacking players have been excellent with no real form drop of as such.The manager knows his own countries transfer market but is a little too reliant on it I do believe.
But with a 70 million redevelopment of Craven Cottages site in the offing and money in the bank, this season has been just right for bedding into The Premiership.

10) WEST HAM UNITED…….Everything has settled down at Upton Park now with Dicannio staying and their class midfield ready to sing to. Kanoute will get them a bag of goals now he’s fit and scoring with the old master Paulo getting in on that act to know he’s cool.
Defensively it’s not as bad as it was and Schemmel was a wise buy with his mobility. If they score more than they concede then this nice little safety perch will do very nicely for an entertained Hammers crowd.

11) IPSWICH TOWN………They say that the team bottom at Christmas always goes down from the top league. But George Burley is a class manager and just shows that knee jerk reactions from chairman when the side is in trouble is not always the right one.
The diminutive Scotsman off Ipswich lineage has proved that sticking to your guns is the way to go. They are the second best form team in the Premiership and flying right now with Perralta looking good and Finini George flying this way just as fast.

12) SUNDERLAND………..Its time for over cautious Peter Ried to move on as this has run its cause. He knows it and the fans no it with them soon to turn on mass. His media friendly cheeky chappy image keeps them of his back.
But shareholders and season ticket punters wont take much more of this decaying form and the announcement will be expected.
Phillips and Quinn are not going to get them in Europe or is their inconspicuous striker in Laslandes.

13) SOUTHAMPTON…….The curse has been lifted and sinc
e the day the witch did her thing they haven’t looked back.Well its better than having Barry Fry pissing in every corner.
Home form should keep them safe, as will their returning strikers in Bettie and Pahars near the end of the campaign.
Once Strachen has his new contract at the helm, they may have more integrity to work with after the Hoddlegate and Jones disgusting sacking back then.

14) EVERTON….…Gascoignes unlikely bid for a world cup place seems to be the only reason to go watch these guys.They always have enough to stay up and make money to. Be it match fixing by Wimbledon or poor managers. The lucky buggers cling on like the hero in a cliff top movie scene every year.
Hopefully one year the script guys will write the perennial losers out of this story soon to save us all boring matches.

15) BOLTON WANDERERS……..Although they have fallen from the top of the pile in September to the near bottom in Feb.You just feel theres enough fight in Alladyce tam to beat the drop.
The northern European players at the back are his guts and Rickets will want to bust the net to keep Svens eye busy for the run in and world cup selection.
Everyone tipped them to go down from day one and they may just be right. But I think they have enough gumption to stay up.

16) BLACKBURN ROVERS……….Their excellent cup performances have detracted from the league and they are right in the thick of it now.Its going to be a fine balancing act for Souness to keep going in the knockouts whilst being full strength for the league.
They have the talent in the middle and Andy Cole was a shrewd signing by the opportunist Scot.But the defense sucks in this format and I cant see them being able to plug that leek. But they ain’t going to drop,,,,,are they?.

17) CHARLTON ATHLETIC…Curbishley is used to bouncing around the leagues with his beloved team and bringing them back up again. ThatR
17;s what he does well and nothing will change with a satellite London club like these guys.
They have just enough firepower through the front and middle to alleviate their blatant defensive problems. Hanging on by the skin of their wallets.

18) MIDDLESBROUGH……..Their lucky unearned win against United in the Cup will be the highlight of the season as another relegation battle looms.
Their best player is again crying of the harsh Northeast winter with the replacement seeing sense and going Northwest.
They scratch around looking for one-goal wins and seem about as likely to be a force in the premiership as Mike Tyson for a rape helpline advert. They look the most inept outside of the obvious two.

19) DERBY COUNTY……Ousted and now the new boss of his once Midlands rivals in this club, Gregory describes the teams run in as fourteen cup finals.But he’s just copped a three match touchline ban for three of the most critical ones in the top two teams and the six pointer against Bolton.
For all his antics and jumping around for his new employer I don’t think he will have enough to keep this dire lot up.

20) LEICESTER CITY…Pretty awful from start to finish with a manager that specializes in taking down clubs and bringing them back. But the financial hit Coventry took shows that its not so easy in this region of the country and I can see them declining radically now.

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