As the English Premier League season comes to close, Asif Khan looks back at the season and also what to look forward to in the next season.
I had written an article last year on my blog about how the more the things change, the more they remain the same. As the season is nearing to an end I get a strong feeling that I can publish the same article again and it will still fit in the current seasons happenings. Albeit, with some minor changes.
Replace Chelsea with Liverpool chasing United for a title that United won quite easily, like the year before. Replace Liverpool with Arsenal as the team threatened to be placed out of top four and more or less the situation remains the same.
United are in the Champions League final against last year semi-final opponents. There is speculation about Ronaldo and Tevez careers at United, again. Chelsea will be looking for another coach, again.
Arsenals young team are the most promising bunch of next big things who will achieve nothing. Arsenal and Liverpool will be looking to strengthen their squad in the summer to launch a more serious challenge for the title.
Aston Villa and Everton will have to try another year of hard work to break into top four and when it will seem like they are about to break in, they will capitulate. Big stage fever probably.
The similarities are so many that I am already bored of comparison. So why don't things actually change?
If you believe the so called pundits of sky sports, every year they say the same old things, like how this years title challenge is so much more thrilling then ever. But the fact is, through most part of the second half of the season Manchester United looked in command. Liverpool did surge ahead to the top and stayed there for a while, but all the time, United had a game or two in hand and unlike Liverpool they don't let such advantages slip.
Well except for few things like Liverpool never winning the title, things do change, but it takes a while. The biggest of the changes this year is, Arsene Wenger accepting that he needs to bring in couple of players in the summer to strengthen his squad. Considering how arrogant the Frenchman is (like every other one of them), it is a big thing for him to accept that he does need to change.
All leagues go through a period of domination by a club or a group of clubs from time to time, like Liverpool till 90's came around. Manchester United have had an amazing record under Ferguson in the Premier League and are looking to do the same in Europe. Mourinho won two titles and many cups in his two years in charge when it seemed Chelsea cannot ever be beaten and who can forget Wenger's Invincibles.
So what should we expect next year?
Another year of United domination of the league after a bad start?
Another year of the same speculations?
A lot what will happen depends how well the clubs do in the summer transfers, If as rumoured Liverpool can get hold of David Villa or David Silva or both, it will bring their squad to a point where they can actually win something.
If Arsenal actually go out and do 3-4 good signings and finally manage to get rid of Adebayor and finally manage to get Eduardo and Rosicky fit, they will have a squad that will be strong enough and big enough to kick every Premier League club out of their way to win the elusive trophies.
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