If the first weekend of the Premiership season is anything to go by, then the season ahead may prove to be the most entertaining yet. In week one, we saw a potentially new Liverpool, the solidness of Chelsea with a sharp Fernando Torres, the return of hair on his head and a goal for Wayne Rooney, and to top it all off, the debut of a new Premiership sensation.
So the Premiership is back and once again our lives can feel fulfilled, as we have plenty to talk and argue about. Jamie Redknapp is back looking as well as ever, and he is joined by his new colleague, the infamous and not so handsome Gary Neville. However, everything is not rosy just yet in the Premiership garden, as wrinkles and grey hairs may be soon be appearing on certain Premiership managers.
One man who does not have to worry about that is Kenny Dalglish. His Liverpool side were very impressive in their first half performance against Sunderland, and it would be foolish to read too much into their tired second half performance, as it is the beginning of the season. Charlie Adam and the impressive Luis Suarez look like excellent signings, however, Liverpool still look a bit short in numbers, particularly in defence. Also, it should not be forgotten that Stephen Gerrard is yet to return to the side.
Chelsea kicked off the Super Sunday action away to Stoke City, which was always going to be a tough place to begin the season with. Tony Pulis is assembling a good side with Stoke; with the returning Jonathan Woodgate looking like an excellent purchase should he stay fit. New Chelsea manager Andres Villas Boas will have had a rude awakening at what the Premiership can muscle up after visiting the Britannia stadium. There are plenty of positives for Chelsea fans to take away from the game, with the sharpness and movement of Fernando Torres up front, being the main talking point. Chelsea has a sleeping giant in their camp, and should he wake, along with the imminent capture of Luka Modric, then they will once again be a force to be reckoned with in the Premiership.
Manchester United showed glimpses of brilliance against West Brom, and in the end it could be argued that they were lucky to come away with all three points. However, they never really looked like they got out of second gear, and they lost both centre halves to injury. Wayne Rooney looks to be nearing his best, while Ashley Young continues to look like he has been in the United squad for years. It looks as though Sir Alex Ferguson is content with his squad, and it remains to be seen whether or not he is correct. Tom Cleverley looks a real talent, and who’s to say he’s not good enough to step up to the plate for the United first team. Anderson also played well against West Brom, and this could finally be the time for the Brazilian to step up to the plate. The ever present Ryan Giggs and the returning Darren Fletcher, have also yet to kick a ball this season.
All eyes were on the Etihad Stadium Monday night, as the big spenders Manchester City got their season underway against the Premiership newcomers Swansea. The game was hyped up to be a real David versus Goliath confrontation, but Swansea played very well up until the hour mark. The resilience of Brendan Rogers’ side was finally broken, as the class of Manchester City proved to be too good for Swansea. However, it was a debutante and super sub that stole the show, as Sergio Auguero made his much anticipated debut for Manchester City. The silky Argentinean came off the bench to score twice, with his second strike an early contender for goal of the season. Before the game, all the talk was about whether or not Carlos Tevez would be staying at the club.The question is now, does Manchester City really need him, and how good will they be if he actually stays? The red half of Manchester must be at least a little bit worried.
To return to the topic of managers under pressure, Arsene Wenger could arguably be facing the biggest two weeks of his career. The Cesc Fabregas saga has finally been put to bed, and it looks likely that Samir Nasri will also be following him out of the club. Wenger has always been one to rely on youth and his patented worldwide scouting system; surely now he is going to splash the cash before the end of the transfer window. His side were lucky to overcome Udinese last night in the Champions League qualifiers, and surely now the Frenchman must be aware that his side is lacking seriously in all departments. Arsenal play Liverpool at the weekend, and if Dalglish’s side play anything like they did in the first half against Sunderland last weekend, then Arsene Wenger may get his wake up call a lot earlier than expected.
There’s an old saying, ‘don’t fix it if it isn’t broken’, this is most certainly not the case at the Emirates Stadium.
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