Post-January transfer window: who’s gunning for glory and who’s heading for the trap door?
Another hectic January transfer window has been and gone, and now the Premier League’s elite has little over three months to turn ambition into reality – attentions turn to the league table.
Title Chase
Ahead of the super opulent battle at the Manchester City stadium tonight (in the sky blue corner, a Shiekh, in the other dark blue corner, an oil tycoon), Surprisingly to most Arsenal sit top of the table two points clear of Manuel Pelligrini’s Manchester City.
Despite the pun in the title, I’m not leaning towards Arsenal in this title race. I’ve been very impressed with their play this year, as I am every year frankly, and a new found resilience to dig out points particularly away from home, has been a most welcome addition to their repertoire (I was so tempted to put ‘to the gunners arsenal’ then. That would have sucked).
Through February Arsene Wenger’s men have Liverpool twice (once in the FA Cup at home, in the league away), Manchester United (h), as well as the little matter of the home leg of their tie with Bayern Munich in the Champions League. They finish up with resurgent Sunderland at home before entering March which starts with Stoke (a) where Chelsea and Manchester United have faltered, stuttering Swansea (h) and then a truly horrible run of four games. Bayern (a), Tottenham (a), Chelsea (a), Manchester City (h)….wow.
If Arsenal took three/four points from those last three league games, considering years gone by, they’d consider that a bonus. Frankly, Arsene Wenger did not do enough (well, anything really) in January to sustain any kind of title push in the business end of the season. An injured Kim Kallstrom on loan wasn’t what the doctor ordered (and the jokes continue), a striker was an absolute must for the north-Londoners; even before Theo Walcott’s season ending injury. If Giroud does get injured, which seems to be the most over-used hypothetical scenario ever to any pundit, then watching Bendtner try and go at it with Vincent Kompany would be borderline amusing.
It’s hard to believe Wenger would be so naive and inept in the market given his well-documented and publicised (mainly by Chief Executive Ivan Gazidis) resources. Whatever the Frenchmen’s reasons, I personally believe he will come to rue them come the end of the season. Arsenal have enormous quality with a fully fit squad, and on any given day they can compete with anyone. Having all those days however in such close proximity, with a strained squad from injuries as it is, doesn’t bode well for them in my opinion. Man City and Chelsea have far superior squads on the whole, and Chelsea in particular have their ace in the hole – Jose Mourinho. That man knows how to win, just check his C.V.
Who will beat the drop?
The bottom-half of the Premier League is tighter than Mike Ashley’s wallet. Only eight points separates positions 20 (Fulham) to 10 (Aston Villa). No one side is cut adrift just yet and every side retains some hope of being a part of the top 20 in the country come August. Following January, some of course have more hope than others.
I’ve been incredibly impressed with Tony Pulis and his Crystal Palace side, and the business he did in January was excellent given their stature and position. The Welshmen is hardly an advocate of total-football and nor would he claim to be. What he does do, is organise teams and equips them with battling and fitness-based qualities. His teams lie down for no-one, and whilst his Stoke outfit weren’t ecstatically pleasing, he avoided the yo-yo effect many promoted teams endure by utilising the squad he had the best way he could, which prominently involved Rory Delap’s gorgeous long-throw.
Palace don’t want or expect miracles at this juncture. They don’t expect to be bopping off Arsenal at the Emirates either. The difference between the Eagles now to Ian Holloway’s albeit brief stint at the beginning of the season is the resolute defence. They’ve stopped leaking the goals and in the process become adept at scraping 1-0’s. Old school, pre-Wenger Arsenal, if you like.
Factor in the signings of Wayne Hennessy, Tom Ince and Scott Dann I believe Pulis has been very shrewd with his business. Two players with Premier League experience, in addition to the young, exciting Ince, who has proven he has the appetite and ability for goals. Considering many believed Palace were dead and buried after 10 games, I now tip them to beat the drop and continue this building process into next season.
As for the predictions, I don’t see Fulham’s fortunes improving too much. They made some half-decent signings, but pinning your hopes on a goal scorer from the Greek league with no Premier League experience what so ever is a huge, huge gamble. Norwich are a decent outfit, but looking at the bottom half of the table, they just don’t score enough goals. Goals get you points at the end of the day, and I can see them slipping further and further into the mire. West Ham depends on the form of Andy Carroll for me, but what I’ve seen from the Hammers this season without him is nothing short of painful. In truth, anyone of the bottom-half of the table could slip into these positions, and especially 18th, but based on what we’ve been treated to thus far and the January activity, these are my predictions:
Title Race
Man City
Chelsea
Arsenal
Liverpool
Relegation
West Ham
Norwich
Fulham
