Robin The Boy Wonder
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Premiership 2008/09I missed the boat slightly on this one.
For the football fans among us (that's two of us then), here's the place to debate the current season, the ups and downs, the thrills and spills, the chase and the excitement and, of course, The Mighty Arsenal.
So who will win the Premiership...?
I hate to admit it, I really hate to admit it, but my money's on Chelsea. On paper, they look fantastic and seem to have a real strength in depth that other squads simply lack. The players who were reputedly leaving (Lampard, Carvalho & Drogba) are all still with the club and there appears to be a real solidarity about them, particularly after their Champions League defeat to Man Utd.
Manchester United will probably finish second after their usual, slow start while Liverpool will collapse spectacularly. They always do. Benitez just won't be able to resist the temptation to rotate his players to within an inch of their lives.
What of The Mighty Arsenal?
I hate to admit it... but probably, and realistically, fourth. Flamini was simply amazing last season although I think, as time passes, we will find that we miss Hleb's silky passing skills so much more. Arsenal are a far weaker team for not having these two players. We have a talented young squad and some players must be given their chance of first-team football this season - Djourou & Diaby are on my list to excel this year. Walcott? Maybe.
Who's Going Down?
It's early days yet but I think the three promoted clubs from last season are all going back down: Hull, Stoke & West Brom. I think Bolton and Wigan will also struggle (Fulham will gel after time - and also after they find another new manager) but I just can't see beyond those three. That said, I would love Hull to stay up.
Spurs. Villa. Everton. Can Anyone Break into the Top Four?
Spurs have the potential to do so although, as we saw last weekend, the Berbatov saga will probably need to end before they find their feet this season. I think this year is a transitional one for them - wait until next season; then we'll see what this Spurs side is really made of.
Aston Villa look very strong defensively now and I can't help but have a soft spot for Martin O'Neill. I think they will almost certainly finish fifth.
Everton will slip into mid-table. I think lean times are approaching Liverpool's second club.
Keep an eye out for Portsmouth; once they find their form, the sky could well be the limit for them. Oh, and never say never to Newcastle either. Middlesbrough are ones to watch and should improve on last season's placing quite comfortably.
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So, there we have it. My thoughts. What's yours? Any talking points? Any concerns? Rants to get off your chest? Anything to say about the Respect campaign? This is the thread to post.
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