ALL GOOD THINGS must come to an end, and with just over 24 hours to go to the start of the new season, it’s time for the fourth and final installment of our Premier League power rankings series.
And so we get to the league’s big boys. Who could struggle to hold on to their place in top four? Who has the potential to make good on their title ambitions? And, crucially, can anybody stop Manchester United from further increasing their record-breaking haul of league titles?
5. Liverpool
Last season: 6th
A few of Liverpool’s more optimistic (read: deluded) fans might tell you that they have every chance of winning the league this season, but the realists in red will be over the moon with a return to the top four and Champions League football. This time last year, Liverpool would certainly have been in the bottom half of the power rankings table — lurching from crisis to crisis, saddled with debt and in very real danger of going out of business. But a new era has dawned at Anfield, and this is Kenny Dalglish’s first real opportunity to make a success of the second coming. His summer signings were exciting, if overpriced, and if all the new faces in the dressing room gel quickly, Liverpool’s troubles could soon be forgotten.
4. Arsenal
Last season: 4th
There’s not a huge amount to say about Arsene Wenger’s transfer policy that hasn’t been said many times before. The Frenchman’s reluctance to spend money came back to bite him last weekend when injuries to Thomas Vermaelen, Johan Djourou and Sebastien Squillaci highlighted just how thin Arsenal’s defensive cover is. Now that Cesc finally appears to be Barcelona-bound, a sizable amount of the Gunners’ attacking thrust will rest on Robin van Persie’s shoulders, and Arsenal desperately need him to stay fully fit. There is still time for Wenger to right some of these wrongs, but if the transfer window closes without any further additions, Arsenal could find themselves slightly off the pace.
3. Chelsea
Last season: 2nd
Chelsea may not have spent too much money on immediate first-team reinforcements, but they have arguably made the most important signing of the summer by poaching Andre Villas-Boas from Porto. Though key figures like Cole, Terry, Lampard and Drogba are aging, the Blues’ squad is still top class and more than capable of winning a fourth Premier League title in eight years. For that to happen, a number of events will need to coincide — most importantly, Fernando Torres will need to recapture the magic of his first season at Anfield and Villas-Boas will need to channel the tactical ingenuity of his time with Porto. An exciting but uncertain year awaits for Chelsea fans.
2. Manchester City
Last season: 3rd
By rights, a team with the financial backing of Manchester City should be streets ahead at the top of the power rankings. So why do they have to settle for second best? Man for man, they have the best team in the Premier League — many of their reserves would stroll into other clubs’ starting line-ups. But until they deliver a league title or European challenge, there will be intense pressure on both the players and the manager, and that can often prove to be a crippling burden. Sergio Aguero is a world class addition to the team, and with David Silva flourishing as the side’s creative engine, this could be the year that the “noisy neighbours” back up the talk.
1. Manchester United
Last season: 1st
Like it or not, Manchester United remain the dominant force in English football and are the team to beat in 2011/2012. Rebuilding was always going to be United’s priority in the off-season and the champions appear to have played the game perfectly. Fresh blood in the form of Ashley Young, Phil Jones and David de Gea will strengthen the team in key areas, while Tom Cleverley and Danny Welbeck look set to reap the rewards of time spent on-loan last season. When all the teams are rated and reviewed, however, at the heart of United’s dominance is one man: Alex Ferguson. If the red half of Manchester are to fend off City and step up a perch to league title number 20, it will be Fergie’s managerial brilliance that paves the way.
Do you agree with our power rankings? Have your say in the comments below.
