Love it or hate it English soccer is back in business as the Premier League kicks off this weekend
SOCCER: Luke Alfred
DURING the first couple of months of the English Premiership, the more fancied clubs behave with brotherly indulgence. By virtue of a couple of narrow wins, Coventry, Norwich or Spurs step forward for their hour in the sun.
We politely ask friends how long they expect the Spurs run to continue and then we all wake up one October morning and realise that Arsenal or Blackburn are gathering momentum and making a charge.
There are few reasons why the above scenario shouldn’t happen this time round. Give or take a new player here or there (not to mention the newly-promoted Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest and Leicester City) there is a sameness to English football that accounts for both its fascination and its capacity to inspire dread. For all those edited highlights featuring deft back-heels by Eric Cantona, there are at least two scoreless draws featuring Arsenal or Ipswich Town; for every sublime skip and cross by Ryan Giggs, there is a scything tackle a la one of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse, courtesy Vinnie Jones.
And you can bet your bottom dollar that in between poring over the scores on Saturday afternoons, there will be one period at least this season when you rediscover your intelligence and richly curse the English game.
Given that you are still on a World Cup high though, a few pointers and selections. The league can be divided into three: contenders, mid-table fodder and those playing a permanent game of tok-tokkie with relegation. In the latter category we can safely dump the likes of Ipswich Town, Leicester City, Southampton and West Ham.
In my defence let me say that I have nothing whatsoever against these clubs. It’s just that someone has to do the dirty work, propping up the league for the glamour boys at the top.
Mid-table looks more interesting, where clubs such as Coventry, Crystal Palace, Norwich, Everton and Manchester City are likely to play accustomed roles. Several of these sides play attractive short-passing football, Norwich being a case in point. Although they sold striker Chris Sutton to Blackburn for a record fee, they still have players such as Ian Crook and the rejuventated Jeremy Goss in their side.
As for Coventry, they’ve managed to hold on to the Republic of Ireland central defender Phil Babb despite the attention of some big money. Peter Ndlovu should exercise commentators pronunciation skills, and the journeyman and ex-South African Roy Wegerle joins up with fellow United States international Cobi Jones in midfield.
I like both Newcastle and Arsenal from the brace of potential Premiership victors and suspect that one of them might go on to win the championship. Although I can never bring to mind Kevin Keegan without thinking of Slade type locks and absurdly short shorts, his reign at Newcastle has been successful and popular.
With players such as Beardsley, Lee, Cole and Clark still around, Newcastle can’t go wrong. Keegan has bought astutely during the off-season and Belgian World Cup star, Philippe Albert (does anyone remember his well-taken goal against Germany?), will join the former QPR defender, Darren Peacock in defence.
As for Arsenal, they remain wedded to their cult of efficiency. They have bought players in their image during the off-season (enter Stefan Schwartz of Benfica) and if they can shake off their traditional slow start will go on accumulating points in their characteristically lifeless way. A possible problem for George Graham’s side is their over-reliance on Ian Wright’s goalscoring abilities. Merson is gifted but not a scorer of goals; Smith can’t have long to go before his legs buckle beneath him. Maybe they’ll be a point or two short.
Then again they have cash in the bank. They might spend their way to goalscoring success.
Given that clubs such as Manchester United, Blackburn and Leeds are likely to be there or thereabout, spare a thought or two for a few outsiders. Aston Villa have always been a pleasing side built on solid defence. Ron Atkinson has spent money in the off-season, bringing the gifted Ghanaian Nii Lamptey from Anderlecht for an undisclosed fee. In players such as Richardson, Townsend, McGrath, Atkinson and Barrett, he has a fine — if ageing — nucleus.
Two other possibles come in the shape of Chelsea and newly promoted Forest. After a roller-coaster season last year, Chelsea’s player-manager Glen Hoddle will be hoping for some stability. He enticed David Rocastle south, and although some thought he was unwise to pay Watford Sterling 2.3-million for Paul Furlong, he desperately needed a class striker.
Talking of class strikers playing in front of a young, gifted side, look out for Nottingham Forest’s Stan Colleymore. Forest are a team for purists and poets — and one has to be warped not to wish them well.