TITLE CONTENDERS
1 - MANCHESTER UNITED: A hungry ManU along with the strike force additions Sir Alex brought in bring the title back to Manchester.
2 - CHELSEA: A year older and a title later, the Blues fall just short, even with the addition of Michael Essien.
3 - ARSENAL: The Gunners close the gap between themselves and the Top Two, but don't have the defense to lift the trophy. Bet-hedging caveat - if Wenger signs a top-flight goalkeeper before the August transfer window closes, Arsenal wins the league.
4 - EVERTON: Without the Jolean Lescott distraction, David Moyes avoids the disastrous start from last year and snags the final Champions League spot.
EUROPEAN CONTENDERS
5 - LIVERPOOL: Roy Hodgson is the right guy for the job, but the uncertain ownership situation prevents him from finishing the job this year.
6 - MANCHESTER CITY: I'll believe Mancini can blend his All-Star team into a league-winning team when I see it, not before.
7 - FULHAM: Mark Hughes has something to prove, and the Cottagers don't have Europe to consider.
8 - TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR: An extended European adventure will pull Spurs away from their top four finish from last year.
SAFELY MID-TABLE
9 - STOKE CITY: The defense is just as stingy, and there's a little more offensive punch for the Potters.
10 - ASTON VILLA: If you're a Villa fan, and you're not incredibly angry at Martin O'Neill for leaving your boys in the lurch like this, there's something wrong with you.
11 - BIRMINGHAM CITY: Last year was no fluke, as Birmingham can play defense and has enough offensive threat to push for a top-half finish.
12 - SUNDERLAND: The Black Cats probably should be higher than this, but with the talent they have they won't be any lower.
13 - BOLTON WANDERERS: A full year of Owen Coyle will open up Bolton and add some goal-scoring to their tough defense.
RELEGATION SURVIVORS
14 - NEWCASTLE UNITED: Welcome back to the Toon Army.
15 - BLACKBURN ROVERS: Big Sam's anti-football is enough to keep Blackburn up, but there's not enough goals in the squad to push to the heights of last year.
16 - WEST HAM UNITED: Avram Grant is the most underrated and underappreciated manager currently in the Premier League. Now that he has an actual squad to deal with, the Hammers will be comfortably safe.
17 - WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS: Even with Mick McCarthey's fear of second season syndrome, Wolves set enough of a foundation last year to survive another season.
THE DOOMED
18 - WIGAN ATHLETIC: Too much talent has left and not enough has come in to keep the dream run alive for Wigan.
19 - WEST BROMWICH ALBION: No one wants to see the Baggies yo-yo again, but there's not enough steel in the side to stay up.
20 - BLACKPOOL: Wonderful story. Terrible team, by Premier League standards
Friday, August 13, 2010
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
YTG Re-View: USA 2-0 BRA
THE GOOD ...
- THE FIRST TEN MINUTES: No, that's not a typo. After cartoon-like disasters at the start of each game at the World Cup, the Americans actually came out swinging and looked the better team at the start. Landon Donovan had an awfully good case for a penalty kick in the third minute of the game, and if the US gets that early goal, who knows what the rest of the game would look like? Where was that opening fire in South Africa?
- DEBUT NIGHT: Young players like Omar Gonzales got their first sniff of international soccer in a great venue, in front of a great crowd, against a great (at times, REALLY great) team. Regardless of the outcome, that kind of experience is invaluable.
- THE AMERICAN GOALPOASTS: In the second half, as the Brazilians pretty much owned the ball and the game, it was the American woodwork that was the most effective defender for much of the period. Absent the doinks off the white bars, the score would have looked a lot worse than it ended up.
THE BAD ...
- THE REST OF THE GAME: Once Brazil got their legs underneath them, they pretty well ran the game. While the US had a few bright spots and a couple of chances, the game was pretty much all Brazil.
- DEFENSIVE INTENSITY: In an eerie flashback to the goals scored against the US in the World Cup, Brazil's goals came after a disturbing lack of pressure on the ball as Brazil was creating. The US, at least for one game, fixed the slow start issue, but has yet to address the not-playing-the-ball-tight issue.
- FECKLESS FORWARDS: In fairness, the US was playing a team a class above them and just about everyone else in the world. But it's just disheartening to see the US forwards offering nothing of any significant threat going forward. At some point, Jozy Altidore is going to stop being a young prospect and start having to produce.
... AND THE BRADLEY SWAN SONG?
US coach Bob Bradley is, at the time of writing, the leading candidate to replace Martin O'Neil at Aston Villa. Jurgen Klinsmann is still living in California, not managing a team. Both of those things could change in very short order. The uncertainty surrounding Bradley leaves the US national team stuck in limbo. Whether Bradley keeps the US gig, or whether Klinsmann takes the helm, the US needs to get a leader and a philosophy locked in.
THE BIG PICTURE.
There's no doubt that Bradley has done an admirable job getting the team to where they are now. There's no doubt he's qualified and has earned the right to continue in the job. There's also no doubt that bringing in Klinsmann to replace him would be a clear signal that US Soccer is not satisfied with how things ended in South Africa and wants to move forward and advance. As much as Bradley has convinced me since last year's Confederations Cup run, hiring Klinsmann would move the US team ahead in ways that Bradley simply cannot do. The best-case scenario would be for Bradley to get the Aston Villa job. That way, the profile of US Soccer gets a boost from the first American manager to get a job in the Premier League. Then, US Soccer gets Klinsmann as the national coach, giving them a new voice with the credibility of Germany's 2006 success.
- THE FIRST TEN MINUTES: No, that's not a typo. After cartoon-like disasters at the start of each game at the World Cup, the Americans actually came out swinging and looked the better team at the start. Landon Donovan had an awfully good case for a penalty kick in the third minute of the game, and if the US gets that early goal, who knows what the rest of the game would look like? Where was that opening fire in South Africa?
- DEBUT NIGHT: Young players like Omar Gonzales got their first sniff of international soccer in a great venue, in front of a great crowd, against a great (at times, REALLY great) team. Regardless of the outcome, that kind of experience is invaluable.
- THE AMERICAN GOALPOASTS: In the second half, as the Brazilians pretty much owned the ball and the game, it was the American woodwork that was the most effective defender for much of the period. Absent the doinks off the white bars, the score would have looked a lot worse than it ended up.
THE BAD ...
- THE REST OF THE GAME: Once Brazil got their legs underneath them, they pretty well ran the game. While the US had a few bright spots and a couple of chances, the game was pretty much all Brazil.
- DEFENSIVE INTENSITY: In an eerie flashback to the goals scored against the US in the World Cup, Brazil's goals came after a disturbing lack of pressure on the ball as Brazil was creating. The US, at least for one game, fixed the slow start issue, but has yet to address the not-playing-the-ball-tight issue.
- FECKLESS FORWARDS: In fairness, the US was playing a team a class above them and just about everyone else in the world. But it's just disheartening to see the US forwards offering nothing of any significant threat going forward. At some point, Jozy Altidore is going to stop being a young prospect and start having to produce.
... AND THE BRADLEY SWAN SONG?
US coach Bob Bradley is, at the time of writing, the leading candidate to replace Martin O'Neil at Aston Villa. Jurgen Klinsmann is still living in California, not managing a team. Both of those things could change in very short order. The uncertainty surrounding Bradley leaves the US national team stuck in limbo. Whether Bradley keeps the US gig, or whether Klinsmann takes the helm, the US needs to get a leader and a philosophy locked in.
THE BIG PICTURE.
There's no doubt that Bradley has done an admirable job getting the team to where they are now. There's no doubt he's qualified and has earned the right to continue in the job. There's also no doubt that bringing in Klinsmann to replace him would be a clear signal that US Soccer is not satisfied with how things ended in South Africa and wants to move forward and advance. As much as Bradley has convinced me since last year's Confederations Cup run, hiring Klinsmann would move the US team ahead in ways that Bradley simply cannot do. The best-case scenario would be for Bradley to get the Aston Villa job. That way, the profile of US Soccer gets a boost from the first American manager to get a job in the Premier League. Then, US Soccer gets Klinsmann as the national coach, giving them a new voice with the credibility of Germany's 2006 success.
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