Ahem. Right. So without further adieu, here's my top 4 and the unbiased reasons supporting them:
4) Liverpool
Oh, that's damn freakin' right, Old Turtle. It took me a while to pick between your lot of underachievers and Arsenal (who, by the way, I'm picking to come 5th this season), but after much thought, I think it's a reasonable call.
Simply put, they don't have enough quality in depth. With the exception of the sensational Torres and the sometimes magical Gerrard, there's not really much that Liverpool could call on to put on a show. Babel's still fairly inconsistent, Dirk Kuyt will NEVER be a World-class striker and let's face it, Daniel Agger aside, Liverpool's defense look like they could really, really struggle this season.
But then again, there's still a certain Robbie Keane. So we'll see how that goes.
3) Tottenham
Now, I know they lost on the opening weekend, but still, there's no denying the quality and flair that Spurs have at their disposal this season.
I mean, think about it. Darren Bent scored like 13 goals in 4 friendlies. Modric, Bentley, dos Santos really seem to complement each other, and we're not even talking about Berbatov, Lennon or Huddlestone yet. Now this is a team with a lot of firepower, which kinda reminds me of that of Arsenal's Unbeatables a few years back - when their midfield was creating more chances than they could finish (Pires, Ljunberg, Bergkamp, Vieira and co) . Defensively, they've got a solid left-wingback in the form of Gareth Bale and a central defence duo that consists of Jonathan Woodgate and Ledley King - when fit - IS formidable, if you ask me.
Hell, even their new 'keeper, that Gomes fella looks good. So, yeah.
Spurs for third.
2) Chelsea
A lot of people seemed impressed by The Blues' performance on the opening weekend. I mean, sure, they played well at home against a half-decent side and 4-0 is quite a formidable scoreline, yes - but am I only one who thinks Chelsea are being over-hyped here?
OK, before those who knows where my allegiance lies when it comes to football starts bashing me - hear me out. There's no denying Chelsea's quality, yes. A team that boasts names like Deco, Ballack, Lampard and Drogba ought to be reckoned with. Their improvement in the past couple of seasons, starting with Mourinho's reign and now Scolari's reign, has been extraordinary, no doubt about that.
But think about it. Chelsea has ALWAYS been strong. Hell, I'll even go as far as saying that they probably have had the best squad in the past three seasons - because it's true.
But what do they have to show for it?
Two BPL titles, a couple of league cups, a couple of FA cups, and a Champions league final appearance.
Which should be a splendid achievement, if we're being truthful.
But then again, if we ARE being truthful, we're also talking about a team whose billionaire owner has spent, to date, around 300 million pounds in transfers in five seasons, has seen two great managers sacked and dissent in the locker room until, of course, Scolari came.
Being truthful would be to say that Chelsea have underachieved. The amount of money spent should have ensured a dominance in the league and in Europe - which looked likely in the earlier Mourinho reign - until, of course, the owner started being a real prick.
Scolari's a great manager, I don't doubt that. Hell, I'm a big fan of Big Phil. But then again, Jose Mourinho and Avram Grant were great managers, as well.
It's the guy up there, signing the cheques and asking for instant results that's really fucking things up at the club. Buying established players are good, no doubt, but in today's game - there's also the demand for youth. Hence why Liverpool, Arsenal and Man Utd are always developing or buying younger players.
When was the last time we saw Chelsea invest in youth? Wayne Bridge? Glenn Johnson? Two promising youths who, in the end, were sold to lesser clubs not because of the lack of potential but because of the lack of time to develop at a big club.
Which makes my point, exactly. There's no way that Chelsea can ever breed youth. There's just no time. Abramovich demands instant success. He's always been like that since day one he bought the club.
Which is why I think they'll falter again this season. And the season after. And the season after that.
My honest-est opinion?
They'll end up like Bayern Munich of the old. Which is a good thing.
Because I really, really hate them. :)
1) Champions of the BPL
Haha, so I'm biased. But screw you guys, I don't need a reason for this one.
I just love them :P
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