Saturday, August 15, 2009
So the new 2009/10 EPL season is upon us football fanatics once again. I'm excited, yet Liverpool's squad looks weaker than in previous seasons. Here's my little own review of the top 4 sides.
Manchester United.Goalkeepers: The Red Devils currently have Edwin van der Sar as first choice, with this probably his last season. They have two back-ups in Ben Foster and Tomasz Kuszscak, which would be capable of playing in any of the top 10, if not top 6, sides. Hence they have much quality in this department, and the three would be rotated much in the league and cup wherever Sir Alex sees fit, with Foster probably second choice and Kuszscak as third-fiddle. Youngster Ben Amos also has a squad number. (Ranking in relation to the other top 4: 1st)
Defence: Rafael, Gary Neville and Wes Brown are all capable of filling in at right-back, with Brown probably more likely to be Sir Alex's first choice. The first choice pairing of Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand is very strong and solid, and with Jonny Evans and the versatile John O'Shea as very strong back-ups. Fabio will play second-fiddle to Patrice Evra, and with that Man Utd's defence looks very strong in depth for the coming season. Ritchie de Laet also has a squad number. (1st)
Midfield: With Cristiano Ronaldo gone, the goalscoring workload will surely be spread out more evenly this season. Antonio Valencia and Ji-Sung Park are the probable candidates for the right-wing, with Luis Nani and Zoran Tosic battling it out for a place on the left. Ryan Giggs can play both in the centre and on the left, with youngster Gabriel Obertan hoping for some substitute appearances. In the centre, Darren Fletcher looks more and more in the first eleven, with Michael Carrick the firm favourite for a first team spot. Paul Scholes, Anderson, Darron Gibson and the returning Owen Hargreaves will provide different dimensions of play and more options in the middle. Youngster Tom Cleverley also has a squad number. (1st)
Attack: Dimitar Berbatov and Wayne Rooney are the probable first-choice. Michael Owen will be vying for a spot in the side too, keeping everyone on their toes. Danny Welbeck and Federico Macheda will have much more of a shout this season after Carlos Tevez left. (2nd)
Arsenal.Goalkeepers: Manuel Almunia will be the undisputed first-choice in goal. Lukasz Fabianski is a decent goalkeeper that any relegation-threatened side would want in their side, and will provide ample back up for the Spaniard. Vito Mannone is the other option in goal. (4th)
Defence: Bacary Sagna and Gael Clichy will be the first-choice full-backs. The first choice pairing of William Gallas and Thomas Vermaelen will also see Gallas capable of filling in at right-back if needed. Mikael Silvestre and Johan Djourou are good enough back-ups in central defence for the Gunners. Kieran Gibbs and Armand Traore are Clichy's back-up at left-back. Philippe Senderos, who could be leaving the club soon, is another option at centre-back. Hence the defence looks in good shape for the coming season. (3rd)
Midfield: The centre will certainly see Cesc Fabregas as the pivot, but it will be interesting to see who partners him. Denilson, Abou Diaby and Emmanuel Eboue all can play there, but the former should be the defensive midfielder. Aaron Ramsey, Samir Nasri and Andrey Arshavin can all play there too, but they can also play outwide, on either side. Tomas Rosicky and Theo Walcott are probably preferred wingers, with Jack Wilshere waiting in the wings for a start. Most of the midfielders are versatile and can play anywhere across the midfield, so it is surely that they have enough options to fill in when needed. (4th)
Attack: With Emmanuel Adebayor out of the club, Nicklas Bendtner will have a pivotal season ahead of him. Robin van Persie is surely one of the two first choice strikers, but Arsenal have good back-ups in the shape of Carlos Vela and Eduardo. Arsenal have a good enough strikers this season to grab at least 40 goals this campaign. (4th)
Chelsea.Goalkeepers: Petr Cech is one of the best in the league already, he is the undoubted first choice at Chelsea. Without Carlo Cudicini anymore, the Blues back-up are not very reliable. Henrique Hilario and Ross Turnbull can do the job a odd-game, but not on a consistent basis should Cech sidelined for an extended period of time. Certainly, this area Chelsea aren't the strongest in depth. (3rd)
Defence: Jose Bosingwa is the probably first-choice, especially with Carlo Ancelotti's new diamond-midfield formation. Branislav Ivanovic is the second-choice at right-back, with the versatile Paulo Ferreira and Juliano Belletti other options. Ricardo Carvalho and John Terry are the certain centre-backs, with Alex and Ivanovic the reliable back-ups. Ashley Cole will have left-back almost to himself this season, but an injury should see either midfielder Yuri Zhirkov or Ferreira fill for him. Chelsea's defence might look suspect with a few injuries. (2nd)
Midfield: Ancelotti's new-look diamond will see Frank Lampard spearheading at the tip of it. John Obi Mikel is the likely defensive midfielder, with Michael Essien and Florent Malouda at the sides of this diamond. Michael Ballack and Deco have a chance in the centre two positions of this diamond, and wingers Zhirkov and Joe Cole will face a fight to regain their spot from Malouda. Chelsea have much versatile options in this midfield area, and this new diamond should suit them well. (2nd)
Attack: Nicolas Anelka and Didier Drogba are the preferred pairing upfront. Salomon Kalou is a good enough back-up for the two. Dani Sturridge is an exciting prospect, but needs more experience and the top level. Andriy Shevchenko is the other option, and will want to prove himself should Ancelotti give him a chance. Chelsea have one of the best pairings in the league, but in terms of depth, they are lacking. (1st)
Liverpool.Goalkeepers: Jose Reina is the confirmed number one for Liverpool, and will be hoping for another Golden Glove come end of the season. Diego Cavalieri is the second-choice, capable of filling should Reina get injured. Peter Gulasci is the third-choice, but needs more experience and will only be thrown in if both Cavalieri and Reina are seriously injured. Liverpool have enough depth in this department, though. (2nd)
Defence: New-signing Glen Johnson is almost certain the right-back, with Philipp Degen a decent enough back-up. Stephen Darby will be hoping for some chances this season as well. Jamie Carragher is the other certainty in defence, but will be looking to see who partners him, whether it's Daniel Agger or Martin Skrtel, both of which provide different options for Rafa Benitez. Fabio Aurelio, Emiliano Insua and Andrea Dossena should be constantly rotated this season, with Aurelio probably the preferred choice. Martin Kelly and Daniel Ayala are the other options, but lack experience in the top-flight. Liverpool have good prospects in the defence, but with only eight defenders with a good amount of experience, they certainly pale in comparism to Man Utd. (4th)
Midfield: Alberto Aquilani and Javier Mascherano are the likely first-choice midfield pairing in Rafa's 5-man midfield. Lucas will be hoping to pipe Aquilani to that midfield spot, and this season will be a pivotal one for him as well. Jay Spearing is the other alternative with his tenacious workrate. Dirk Kuyt should be the first-choice on the right, with Nabil El Zhar the confirmed second-choice at right-back. Ryan Babel and Albert Riera will have to battle it out for a spot on the left, with Yossi Benayoun a very good option for Rafa, as he can play across the attacking spectrum of Liverpool's forward line. Damien Plessis is another option in centre midfield for Liverpool. Rafa will have a solid first-choice midfield, but beyond that, especially in centre mid, should he need options, even without injuries, it could be lacking; but on the wings, there look to be enough dimension for him to change the game. (3rd)
Attack: Fernando Torres will be the lone forward with Steven Gerrard the link between him and the midfield, with Gerrard being part of the midfield 5 as well. David N'Gog and Krisztian Nemeth are the young back-ups to Torres, with N'Gog the likely second-choice to Torres. Andriy Voronin can play in both Gerrard and Torres' positions, and will be hoping to make an impact off the bench this season. Liverpool have a magnificent duo upfront, but beyond that lacks much proven quality. (3rd)
Haha yeah. I know this is a damn long review. But yeah I love doing this sorta things. I have to let go some of my frustration, and this seems to be a nice way to do it. Have to go study soon!
Bye~!
my thoughts at 3:11 pm