The SWSL 2004/5 Premiership Season Preview

First of all (naturally), a few words on our own prospects for the season ahead:

As a Newcastle fan, it’s very difficult to know how to feel. On the one hand, there’s good reason for optimism. After years of speculation, we finally get to see the prolific if temperamental Dutchman Patrick Kluivert in a black and white shirt, while our other signings are also full of promise: in James Milner we’ve got another talented young Englishman, Nicky Butt should bring some much-needed steel in front of the back four and Stephen Carr will provide an attacking outlet from right back (however harsh it will be on Hughes). And all for little more than £8 million. Speed, Viana, Lua Lua, Griffin and Stephen Caldwell have left, but in terms of transfer dealings (and especially given the fact that we only added Bowyer to the squad last summer), we can be justifiably satisfied.

However, there are also grounds for concern – most obviously the evident tension behind the scenes between Shearer, Sir Bobby and Fat Freddie, but more immediately the conjunctivitis infection which has decimated the squad and may have a crucially damaging effect on our start.

Nevertheless – and it’s only usually at this point in the season that I allow myself to indulge in such flights of fancy, so humour me – it’s not beyond the bounds of possibility that we could be lifting the title come May. Of course, our prospects depend upon numerous factors – defensive lynchpin Woodgate staying fit, Shearer continuing to hit the back of the net with frightening regularity, Jenas rediscovering his form and everyone else playing out of their skins, not to mention our rivals slipping up. Too much to ask? Perhaps. But up until kick-off against Middlesbrough, we can dream…

And now for the four sides I still see as our closest rivals:

Arsenal
Perhaps the memory of their invincibility last time around has faded too quickly, but on paper at least they don’t look quite as terrifying a prospect. Having haemorrhaged several players this summer, their squad looks a lot thinner, replacements Robin van Persie and Mathieu Flamini are unknown quantities in Europe’s biggest leagues, Lehmann is far from infallible in goal and the loss of Vieira would be a severe blow, even if a player of Maniche’s quality was to take his place. Still, any team with a backbone of Campbell, Pires, Ljungberg, Henry and Reyes is going to be extremely tough to beat.

Chelsea
Outgoings aplenty at Stamford Bridge as new coach Jose Mourinho trims and remodels his squad, the players on their way out either aging or underperforming. Abramovich’s billions mean that money is no object in the transfer market, and as a result they’ve bolstered an already impressive squad with some phenomenal continental talent – Didier Drogba, Mateja Kezman, Arjen Robben, Paulo Ferreira, Petr Cech, Tiago Mendes and (most significant of all, for my money) Ricardo Carvalho. The psychological battles between Mourinho, Wenger and Ferguson are going to be fascinating, and, with Lampard and Terry blossoming into key players for club and country, this could (and perhaps should) be their season.

Liverpool
Far more departures than arrivals, but Djibril Cisse gives them real quality up front, while wily new manager Rafael Benitez is sufficiently tactically astute to get the best from a very talented bunch of players who seem to have stagnated under Houllier’s command. When on his game, as he was for the latter half of last season, Gerrard would grace any midfield in the world. The major worry for the red half of Merseyside, though, is the increasing likelihood of losing Owen – they’ll need to find a freescoring replacement, and fast.

Man Utd
Refreshingly poor last time around, but though they still haven’t solved the problem created in midfield by Beckham’s departure last year, Ferguson has identified his squad’s other deficiency – striking cover for van Nistelrooy – by signing Louis Saha and Alan Smith in addition to the talented youngsters Liam Miller and Gerard Pique. Scholes’s international retirement can only be to their benefit (see: Shearer, Alan), and with van Nistelrooy fit, Ferdinand free from suspension and Ronaldo and Gabriel Heinze back from the Olympics, they’ll be a force to be reckoned with.

And now the rest:

Aston Villa
At the back O’Leary is banking on Scandinavian steel, pairing Swede Mellberg with Dane Martin Laursen in front of his countryman Sorensen inbetween the sticks. Up front, I’m sure Villa fans would agree that it’s about time Vassell showed the same form for the club that pays his wages as he does for his country, and in tandem with a fully-fit Angel and the creative supply-line that is Solano, they could be challenging for European places again.

Birmingham
Much as I despise Steve Bruce, I must grudgingly concede that he’s worked wonders at Birmingham. Consolidation last season, though it looked like a UEFA Cup spot was on for a time, and that’s what they’ll be aiming for again. Bruce made his moves in the transfer market early, taking Emile Heskey from Liverpool and securing the continuation of Forssell’s loan from Chelsea, while capturing Jesper Gronkjaer to supply the ammunition. Add in Muzzy Izzet and Mario Melchiot, as well as Dunn and Upson returning to fitness, and they should do well.

Blackburn
For a team boasting a midfield of Emerton, Tugay, Ferguson and Thompson, their pretty dismal showing last season would have been a bit of a mystery were it not for their porous defence and shot-shy attack. While the arrivals of Dominic Matteo and Paul Dickov are unlikely to improve things significantly, for Rovers fans there is at least the feeling that they’ve snapped up something special in Jon Stead.

Bolton
Could this be the year they finally capitulate and lose their grip? Gary Speed is a valuable addition to the team, with plenty more football left in him even if he won’t be able to play every game, but Sam Allardyce’s other signings – Michael Bridges, Les Ferdinand, Fernando Hierro amongst them – do not inspire a great deal of confidence. Without the clever promptings and goalscoring prowess of Djorkaeff, the onus is going to fall even more heavily on Okocha – can he deliver?

Charlton
Di Canio may have found the lure of a return to Lazio too powerful, and the loss of the underrated Claus Jensen to Fulham might be regrettable, but Addicks supporters have good cause to look forward with optimism and expectancy. Alan Curbishley has set about investing the money from the January sale of Scott Parker to Chelsea, pursuing an identical policy to Steve Bruce – securing the services of a striker who has stagnated at a big club (for Heskey read Francis Jeffers) and a Danish winger, Dennis Rommedahl, to supply him. Add Danny Murphy to that pair and they look a handy outfit.

Crystal Palace
Doomed, I’m afraid – it’s as simple as that. Promotion was too much too soon for Iain Dowie’s men, and this season is going to be a painful lesson. With the possible exceptions of Joonas Kolkka and Sandor Torghelle, none of their signings look Premiership quality. How long they can delay the inevitable depends on whether Andy Johnson can continue his scoring form in a much better league, and whether Wayne Routledge lives up to his considerable promise.

Everton
A club in terrible disarray, and it could get worse before the end of August if Ferguson manages to persuade the Man Utd board that he needs Rooney to resolve his current injury crisis up front. Numerous players have left for pastures new, and the acquisition of Tim Cahill will essentially be futile if their one existing talent in midfield, Thomas Gravesen, is allowed to go. Rooney, McFadden and Yobo are the only bright sparks, and relegation is a very distinct possibility.

Fulham
Chris Coleman and his side surprised many, including myself, last season, though that was at least in part due to the goals of the now-departed Saha. Coleman has wisely invested in two new strikers, Andrew Cole and Tomasz Radzinski, to ensure they’re not quite so lightweight up front, and the arrival of Claus Jensen will go some way to counterbalancing the loss of Sean Davis to Spurs. Steed Malbranque remains one of the most underrated players in the Premiership.

Man City
Rather less than the sum of their parts last season – much better can be justifiably expected from the likes of Sinclair, Fowler and McManaman. As is the case with any Keegan team, the defence still looks suspect, despite the signings of Danny Mills and Ben Thatcher, but if Anelka starts the season firing on all cylinders and if youngsters Barton and Wright-Phillips continue to make a name for themselves, then they should be comfortably safe.

Middlesbrough
Mark Viduka, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Boudewijn Zenden, Michael Reiziger and Ray Parlour at a cost of just £4.5 million (plus huge wage packets, no doubt)? An excellent summer’s business for Steve McLaren, who has gambled on a wealth of experience in a bid to build on last season’s modest success in the League Cup. Factor in their existing talent – Juninho, Mendieta and the rock-solid central defensive partnership of Ehiogu and Southgate – and Europe simply has to be the target, and an achievable one at that.

Norwich
The Canaries might play football like a Premiership team, but that’s no guarantee they’ll still be with us come the end of the season. Working with a limited budget Nigel Worthington has managed to bring in skilful Arsenal midfielder David Bentley, Swedish international Mattias Jonson and experienced Danish right back Thomas Helveg from Inter, but it’s still going to be a struggle. Players like Robert Green and Adam Drury are destined to make a big impression, but whether Norwich can hang onto them depends upon which league they find themselves in next season.

Portsmouth
After an impressive run-in last time around, Pompey will be looking to consolidate their Premiership status once again. Harry Redknapp’s dabblings in the transfer market have been rather more restrained this summer, though he has signed Lomano LuaLua on a permanent basis. Their midfield looks decent, and with Yakubu gradually becoming more and more the finished article they should score goals, but the defence is brittle and could prove their downfall.

Southampton
The key to Southampton having a decent season was holding onto Beattie, which now looks increasingly likely despite interest from several quarters. His partnership with Phillips reaped significant rewards last year, and they’ll need to do it again to keep a distinctly average side afloat. That said, Michael Svensson has proved an excellent signing at the back, while new face Jelle van Damme is an intriguing prospect.

Tottenham
With the installation of a new management and coaching team comprising of Jacques Santini, Frank Arnesen and Martin Jol, I fully expected Spurs to go on and make significant waves in the transfer market, but it just hasn’t happened. Sean Davis and Paul Robinson are valuable additions to the squad, but there doesn’t seem to have been any momentum. Nevertheless, King is a wonderful talent in defence, Davies on his day can win matches and in Keane, Defoe and Kanoute they undoubtedly have the best strike-force outside my pre-season top five.

West Brom
Having discovered that caution didn’t pay off two seasons ago, this time around the Baggies have been admirably ambitious, splashing out over £6 million to sign (amongst others) Kanu, Jonathan Greening and Martin Albrechtsen. As a result, staying up – while still unlikely – looks more achievable than it did at the start of the summer, though much hinges on whether Koumas sticks around for the whole season.

Update: Kenny has posted his predictions for the forthcoming Premiership season here (as well as a preview of the Championship season here). Suffice to say he's rather less convinced by Newcastle's title credentials - or credentials for European qualification, for that matter - but then love is blind, as they say.