WARNING: LONG READ!
It's been a bit of a surreal week, hasn't it? The news of Wayne Rooney wanting to leave Utd, the F.A Cup final and yet another crucial weekend for the top 4 and relegation battle has been somewhat overlooked due to the news that a certain Alex Ferguson is retiring and David Moyes announced as his successor at Man Utd.
It's a bit of a shock, to say the least. In my lifetime, I have not seen a Man Utd team that has been managed by somebody other than Ferguson and it'll be weird when I watch the Community Shield in August. But, all of a sudden, it feels like a more level-playing field at the top now, almost as if Man Utd had been cheating by having such a successful manager with what seemed to be a power to turn average/good players in to title winners year after year.
Also this season, we've seen the return of German football and a disappointing campaign for all English teams in the Champions League - where the guarantee we had of at least 1 team from our isles in the semi-finals had been snatched away from us. All of a sudden, it looked like we might be witnessing the decline of the Premier League, in the Champions League at least.
However, with the rumours of Man City replacing Mancini with a man who achieved Real Madrid's record points tally whilst playing free-flowing attacking football; Manuel Pellegrini and the probability of Mourinho and Chelsea reuniting, 6 years after their first stint together and Mourinho building an almost unbeatable team, it seems that arguably the top 3 teams in England at the moment (Chelsea, City and Utd) are all going to be having 'fresh starts' with new managers.
Not only this, but, Everton are going to be getting a new manager (Martinez?) and it was only a year ago, that Tottenham & Liverpool swapped experience for youth and new ideas. Both teams with new, young, long-term managers with their own ideas and the backing to build their own teams - both clubs experiencing what could be described as mini-revolutions themselves with big plans for the future (new stadium/stadium expansion too?)
The only 'top' team that haven't gone through/expected to make radical changes is Arsenal, and they're a bit of an unknown quantity anyway. With no 'stars' expected to leave in the summer, surely they can only improve after a possible top-4 finish and maybe it's time for Arsenal to make a statement and go for it?
Is all this a retaliation from the Premier League clubs? All looking to get themselves to the top again? It seems like it. Who knows what'll happen in the next few seasons, but, a new-look Premier League is almost guaranteed and with that, the possibility of English dominance in Europe once again, not only in the Champions League, but, Europa too. Afterall, there's 7 teams mentioned, only 4 qualify for the Champions League!
Expected managers next year (certainly a different league now!):
United - Moyes
City - Pellegrini
Chelsea - Mourinho
Tottenham - Villas-Boas
Arsenal - Wenger
Everton - Martinez
Liverpool - Rodgers
It'll be fascinating to watch new managerial rivalries take place.
Premier League Revolution?
posted on 11/5/13
comment by Ramsey (U5023)
posted 2 hours, 27 minutes ago
The only united players id have in arsenal's starting XI is
De Gea
Rafael
Carrick
RVP
Rooney
-----
Vidic
Ferdinand
Jones
Smalling
Evans
Nani
Valencia
Giggs
Will stroll into the Arsenal first 11
posted on 11/5/13
Vidic
Ferdinand
Jones
Smalling
Evans
Nani
Valencia
Giggs
Will stroll into the Arsenal first 11
=====================
Look I didn't want to get into the petty points scoring going on in this thread, but that is patently not true. How would all your centre backs 'stroll' into our eleven when we have conceded less goals than you?
And as for your wingers, and combined 4 goals and 8 assists between the three of them in the league this season. Not a chance.
posted on 11/5/13
As has been pointed out, United's strength this season and where they are significantly better off then Arsenal, is with their forwards.
posted on 11/5/13
Simply because they are player for player, better than arsenal. The points gap between both teams tells you all you need to know.
Evra as well would
posted on 11/5/13
Vidic - Ever injured.
Ferdinand - Struggles with age and fitness.
Jones -
Smalling -
Evans -
Nani
Valencia -
Giggs - Stroll into our team? He struggles to stroll anywhere.
posted on 11/5/13
The points gap between both teams tells you all you need to know.
=======================
Well, no it doesn't. There's a similar points total between Utd and Spurs - does that mean all those wingers are better than Bale?
Look, I'm not saying that United haven't been the better team, obviously the points total shows that, but it doesn't show why they've been the better team - the manager, the never say die attitude, superior forwards. But if you're saying that because Utd finish top of the league then all their players are superior to all players of all other teams in the league, then you're either on the WUM or are an idiot.
posted on 11/5/13
Couldn't agree more.
Liverpool have the tendency to push forward to CL and should be getting at least EL alongside Tottenham I feel again. Arsenal could be moving on to new heights like Chelsea and I can see Man City winning the league over Man United.
Everton just still that little bit behind the others because they don't have enough resources to improve.
posted on 12/5/13
There's a similar points total between Utd and Spurs - does that mean all those wingers are better than Bale?
........................................
No, outside of their star player though very few could make it into the United team, same as with Arsenal.
posted on 12/5/13
SAF_The_Legend 20 times #SupportMoyes (previously 7_The_Arab)
There's a similar points total between Utd and Spurs - does that mean all those wingers are better than Bale?
........................................
No, outside of their star player though very few could make it into the United team, same as with Arsenal.
How many times did this team of all stars beat Spurs this season?
posted on 13/5/13
How many times did this team of all stars beat Spurs this season?
...................................
Sorry I forgot we judge teams on head to head games only. Spurs champions of England well done..
Moving swiftly back to reality are you implying with your post that only if United had stars players in every position could they keep out only more than a few Tottenham players outside of Bale?!