on the beautiful game...

The hotel reservations for Bangkok are finalized! What does this have to do with soccer? I actually pleaded and maybe even begged Jenny to stay at the hotel with the official Manchester United bar/restaurant of Thailand! (Please note: this is a four star, newly opened hotel with a pool/swim up bar, spa, sauna, etc- she is not exactly going to squalor!) First match- United v Birmingham live in Thailand! SWEEEEET! I'm not sure how well I'm going to be able to contain the exclamation points in this post, such is my excitement for the new season, regardless of the fact that I am worried this could be a down year for United. That said, I like to think I follow football as much as any crazed fan in Britain, so I need to put some predictions down to test myself. So here it is, a season preview!

United- United's midfield looks really shaky, as does the bench unless Michael Owen miraculously stays healthy all year. I don't see this happening, so unless there is some action in the still open transfer window, I think a few unnecessary points will be lost. Maybe a buy in the January window after some of this summer madness? The defense is still solid, although Van der Sar out for 2 months, at his age, is a real worry. I actually get the Manchester United channel here in Korea (apparently for the other 22 hours of the day this channel shows other programming, but I have never bothered to investigate this) and I am worried that some of my 4 am wake up calls will result in a sour mood at school, whereas except for one occasion this spring, I was tired but happy at work.

Chelsea- Looks the part of title winners/far into the champion's league. Everyone is saying the right things about the new manager, they beat some quality opposition in the preseason, and they have a favorable early schedule. Last season the Essien injury and Drogba sulking derailed the season; now that the players are a year older, are they any more adept at dealing a similar situation this year? Probably not. Did the captain's flirtation with Citeh affect the locker room? Is their goalkeeper one of the world's best, or is he a little past it?

Liverpool- Up until the sale of Alonso, mentioned as possible front runners. I don't see it. Liverpool possess arguably the two finest players in the Premiership, although one of them seems to have hamstrings that snap once a fortnight. Can they add another midfielder for depth after this sale? Can they continue their last minute goal luck from last season? Without question, this is the toughest team to place. First? Fifth? Bridesmaids again?

Arsenal- The team everybody thinks City will supplant in the top four? But why? A whole season of Arshavin, plus healthy Eduardo and Rosicky? As ever, thin in depth, but a strong strike force and seemingly a strong club spirit. I'm going out on a limb to say that they must be feeling a little "No one believes in us" at this point and feel like they have something to prove. I'm not sure if this season will finally break their trophy drought, but this team will be better than people expect, although a tough opening fixture could have the vultures circling very, very early.

City- Can they crack the top four? How many more players will they bring in before the transfer deadline? Is the manager up to the task? With the players already spoiled by lucrative salaries and expensive gifts from the owner, will they be motivated in the winter months to grind out wins? Perhaps I'm being overly conservative, as based on talent City can now compete with anyone, and their financial muscle is second to none (however, this does not mean everyone wants to play for them...). They seem to have recruited the right type of player... and I still don't see it happening. How strong is their backroom staff? Their trainers? How will high salary players cope with being rotated? Too many questions, and perhaps a slight personal loathing that prevent me from putting them higher.

Other thoughts- Tottenham have a good manager and a good squad this year, but it is Spurs. Somehow always in disarray. If they maintain a year of stability, they can match the preceeding teams on their best day. Aston Villa will be in decline through no real fault of their own, save losing two key players and not adequately replacing them. Too much competition, even for a skilled manager. Fulham will drop several places due to the improvement of other teams while they are stagnant. But it is nice not to be worried about relegation for the first time since I began following the league. There are too many candidates to easily choose who will go down, though I think Sunderland can rest easy this year as they have appointed a good manager who has bought several players. Will Burnley attain the lowest point total in history? I don't think so because of team spirit and an uncomfortable ground for visitors, but certainly on talent they lag far behind.

I get to see United in Vietnam this Sunday, and Thailand the following Sunday, taking my countries I have watched United in total to 8, I believe.

So, the final prediction:
1. Chelsea
2. Arsenal
3. United
4. Liverpool
5. City
6. Spurs
7. Everton
8. Villa
9. West Ham
10. Fulham
11. Sunderland
12. Blackburn
13. Wolves
14. Wigan
15. Bolton
16. Birmingham
17. Portsmouth
18. Stoke
19. Hull
20. Burnley