19 August 2003
It’s perhaps interesting to note that one of only two home sides to lose on the first weekend of the Premiership season was Liverpool: runners up in 2002, they started brightly but faded drastically last year as opponents wised up to their long-ball tactics and reliance on M. Owen for goals. That didn’t stop him scoring heavily, but it did keep them out of the Champions League. And after their loss to Chelsea, a match for which the players were surely fired up, the question is not will they get back there this season, but will they get back there in the next few seasons?
By all accounts (I haven’t seen the match) they played well against Chelsea, but the only goal they scored was a re-taken penalty — a controversial but correct decision from the referee. But even if Liverpool have taken a step forward, it’s not likely to be enough. While they take baby steps, Chelsea — the only one of last year’s top four who they were even close to, football-wise — make giant strides.
Yes, I’m convinced that Newcastle are still far ahead of Liverpool on the pitch. They’ve only bought the troubled (to put it mildly) Lee Bowyer over the summer, strengthening an already exciting midfield. With Shearer aging, this could be the year for Shola Ameobi to really stake a claim for the place in the first team. The old man isn’t done yet, though, as his two goals in the draw with Leeds show.
Now Leeds are interesting. I’ve tipped them to go down, and you might think that Sunday’s performance has me re-thinking that. Viduka and Smith were spiky and threatening up front, and Lamine Sakho looks like an excellent signing. Take the long view. They’re bleeding money, still. As we saw last year, clubs that are in trouble financially and don’t sell in the summer find themselves in deeper trouble still come the January transfer window. It’s likely then that Leeds will need to sell, but who can they sell? The man who kept them up last year, the extraordinary pie-eating Aussie — no, not Shane Warne — Mark Viduka. Oh dear oh dear.
Charlton were the other home side to lose, coming up against a Manchester City side that has been strengthened over the summer and hit the ground running. They now have one of the best squads outside of the elite, with Tarnat, Sinclair, Seaman, and Bosvelt providing a wealth of experience to go alongside youngsters Shaun Wright-Phillips and Joey Barton.
Fans of Charlton shouldn’t be too worried. Their side traditionally has an incredibly hot streak at one stage of the season, passing their way around far more expensively-assembled sides, but consistency has been lacking. Although they’ve been widely tipped to go down, that’s not going to happen unless Paolo Di Canio works his destructive magic from the inside.
Now I’m going to be brief for a few matches. What the hell was Leicester’s penalty given for? Still, credit to Sir Les Ferdinand for the thunderous headed second goal, made possible by a mighty leap that left him and Claus Lundekvam concussed. Unfortunately for him and Leicester, Kevin Phillips’s scorcher inspired Southampton to fight back for a 2-2 draw. Portsmouth looked comfortable against a still-rubbish-away Aston Villa side, who got another dodgy penalty (they’re a trend at the start of the season).
After years of striving, Wolves are back in the big time. It’s tough up here, boys…but then you know that already, having been spanked 5-1 by Blackburn. Perhaps they should take a leaf out of neighbours Birmingham’s book, although there is only one Robbie Savage. His antics were enough to see off Spurs, whose injury problems are the stuff of legend. Will Kanouté make a bid to become a White Hart Lane hero and spend the whole season injured? It’s the only interesting thing going on there at the moment.
Arsenal are at it again, winning with ten men against Everton. Henry looked as good as ever, and the rest of their team’s class. Need to do something about poor old Sol Campbell, though. And while I’m sure Middlesbrough vs Fulham was an exciting match, I really can’t be arsed to write about it.
So on to the big game, Manchester United vs Bolton. We played well for seventy minutes, were well-organised but lacking a cutting edge (hurry up, Mario! Don’t leave us with Kevin and Henrik!). Until, that is, Cristiano ‘the other’ Ronaldo came on the pitch.
This may sound like sour grapes, but everyone should calm down. First, he cost more than 10 million pounds. Unless I’m very much mistaken, that’s more than our first eleven on Saturday cost us. Second, our full backs were…Ricardo Gardner and Nicky Hunt. The former is not a full back, he showed that when played there last season. Too much of an amusement arcade. Hunt shows promise, but he’s only young — not as young as Ronaldo, admittedly — and defenders take a while to settle in.
Third, remember Verón’s start for United? He scored a brilliant goal against Everton, I think it was, and the rest of the Pemiership was quaking. They’d won the title at a canter, and added one of the world’s classiest players to their side. So what happened? They finished third. Just a recent history lesson is all.