Arsenal may have fronted the red (and white) carpet that rolled in 2008 yet they eventually proved that a five point lead and recent championship-winning experience does not equate to success come the season finale. That Liverpool posses a slimmer advantage and only distant recollection of a serious title fight suggests Manchester remains, for the time being at least, the destination for sensible money, contrasting the insensible kind elsewhere in the city.
United have a stronger squad and first team than last season and even assuming their current formation continues to underperform, a return to the tactics of 07-08 remains a feasible plan B. And those last two words have been noticeably lacking in the Chelsea set-up recently. Scolari has overseen a regression towards predictable offensive play with few additions save a couple from his Portugal days; a defender apparently more focused on accruing fantasy football points than defending and a playmaker ageing by the game. Expect the infamous oligarch to be seeking a fourth representative on West London earth by the close of ‘09.
Given the largely woeful and superb half-seasons of Arsenal and Villa respectively, the latter may come to regret their relatively meagre lead of three points. Whilst I’d love to see Villa hang on, if only for the feats of athleticism Martin O’Neill would produce if they did, a slight turnaround for either team will probably see them narrowly drop to fifth, especially with Wenger set to break his ethical code and actually sign someone. Moving down the table, West Brom will surely succumb to relegation, Stoke will follow them after becoming the first team to be crippled by a solitary shoulder injury and John ‘Pompy FC‘ Westwood may finally have to find a new way to get on TV, his love affair with MOTD cameramen cut short.
On the continent, Inter will comfortably retain the scudetto despite underwhelming performances and an inevitable crash out of Europe, infuriated by the triumph of their city rivals in a series of global friendly tournaments designed to cash in on ‘brand-Becks’. This will leave the door open for Barcelona to claim the Domestic/European double this year, a likely feat should they manage to win their way through the lottery of English teams that the latter stages has become. Looking further ahead, October will see the Republic’s qualification hopes entirely dependent on their playoff opponents, whilst England will achieve comfortable qualification, allowing Capello a 2010 of media adulation before eventual World Cup failure. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
