New season brings new hope

Various football leagues around the world kicked off this weekend, and isn’t this just happening at the right time? People were just getting over their World Cup hangovers, and now we face another 10 months or so of top soccer all the way from Europe. The season curtain-raisers happened last weekend, with Manchester United convincingly beating Chelsea 3-1 in the Community Shield at Wembley. For the players who performed badly in South Africa, it offers a shot at redemption.

Clubs have also invested a lot of money in new playing staff. Manchester City have spent truckloads of cash again to strengthen their team, and it will be interesting to see how the team is going to shape up. They have brought in Yaya Toure, David Silva, Jerome Boateng, Aleksandar Kolarov and Mario Balotelli, with a net spending that comes in at just less than £100-million. They need to at least secure Champions League football, or else Roberto Mancini will be out of a job.

Last year’s English league champions, Chelsea, did not make many changes to their playing staff, adding only Yossi Benayoun and Brazilian International Ramires, while runners-up Manchester United have added the exciting yet raw Javier Hernandez and 20 year-old defender Chris Smalling. Another interesting addition has been Bebe, who two seasons ago was homeless and representing Portugal in the Homeless World Cup.

Sir Alex Ferguson needs the key members of his squad to stay off the treatment table if they are to wrest the title back from Chelsea and hold off the challenge of big-spending neighbours City. A crippling injury list ruined United’s chances of claiming a record 19th title last season, with Owen Hargreaves, Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Paul Scholes, Michael Carrick, Edwin van der Sar, John O’Shea, Anderson, Wes Brown, Gary Neville and Michael Owen all out for long periods. Ferguson’s side must overcome their injury curse if they are to challenge again

Liverpool have been exiled from the Champions League this season and have moved swiftly to replace Rafael Benitez with Roy Hodgson as they look to put the horrors of a seventh-place finish behind them. They are on the lookout for new owners, as the current American owners have put the club up for sale. One thing is certain: Liverpool can hardly stoop any lower than the depths that Benitez took them last season. Their biggest transfer coup of the off-season has been convincing Joe Cole to join on a free transfer, and getting Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres to commit their futures to Liverpool.

Arsenal have had a frustrating off-season as they spent much of their time fighting the relentless Barcelona charm offensive in their hunt for Cesc Fabregas. Laurent Koscielny has been brought in to replace the departed William Gallas, while Marouane Chamakh came as a free agent. Arsene Wenger believes he has a squad capable of challenging for silverware, but some people might feel otherwise.

Having finally achieved the goal of Champions League football, Tottenham face an unfamiliar situation this season. So far Harry Redknapp has not tinkered with the team that delivered the much-coveted 4^th place last season, and there have been no additions to the Spurs team. Keeping hold of a top-four slot without any notable additions before the end of August looks an impossible task, especially with the added workload and the strengthening of teams by rivals. With Manchester City and Liverpool looking to press for the top four, Spurs could find their foray into the Champions League a one-season adventure.

Martin O’Neill’s departure from Aston Villa has definitely dented their good work of the past three to four years. He made Villa a force to be reckoned with on a shoe-string budget and also had the smallest squad in the league. He was at loggerheads with the club owner as the owner was looking to cash in on his two prized assets — James Milner and Ashley Young — yet O’Neill still had to make the team competitive. They won their game against West Ham convincingly, but it will be interesting to see if they can last the season.

For most clubs, their hope is reaching the 40-point mark. It’s the magical mark that usually ensures another year in the top flight. The three teams promoted from the Championship are widely tipped to drop straight back down, but Newcastle, West Brom and Blackpool can take heart from the efforts of Wolves and Birmingham in 2009/10. They will also be joined by the usual in one or more of Wolves, West Ham, Birmingham, Wigan and Sunderland. The dogfight looks like its going to be a very interesting one.

The Premier League’s return would seem low-key compared to its previous big build-ups. But up until May 2011, expect 10 months or so of top quality soccer and lots of entertainment.