Outlining what all of the Premier League big guns need to improve next season is usually the stuff of midsummer sports supplements, but we’re stealing a march on the rest, and we’ve even put them in the order we think they’ll finish. How’s that for service?
By Tom Moss
And so it’s over for another year. Yes, there will be those pesky mathematicians out there who refuse to concede it, but since when did we ever listen to those nerds? Manchester United did the necessary and avoided defeat in Old Trafford against closest rivals Chelsea, even going one better by claiming all three points.
So while Sir Alex Ferguson basks in the glory of their record 19th league crown, the rest must retreat to a dark corner, lick their wounds and re-examine their positions in the coming months. Potential targets are already being bandied about, but who should be brought in and who needs the boot?
1st: Manchester United
If this season has proved anything it’s that you don’t have to play beautifully crafted football all the time to win games. (Take note, Mr Wenger.) While capable of moments of both individual and team brilliance, United have become this well-oiled winning, or late-drawing, machine. They never give up the cause and a bag of late points from seemingly hopeless positions made all the difference.
There is still plenty of room for improvement, and Sir Alex will know that more than anyone else, but from their newly created perch, they’ll know that the rest have a lot more to do.
A new keeper will be the priority as will the replacement of perma-crocked Owen Hargreaves, while one or two fringe players will also be tossed aside.
Could Do With: Wesley Schneider (Inter), Alexis Sanchez (Udinese), David de Gea (Atletico Madrid).
Can Do Without: Michael Owen, Owen Hargreaves, Gabriel Obertan.
2nd: Chelsea
A lot depends on whether or not Carlo Ancelotti stays in charge. He should, simply because his record speaks for itself, and there are very few possible replacements freely available. Roman Abramovich isn’t renowned for his sensible approach to football decisions, but even he must surely appreciate what Ancelotti has done since he came in.
A crap manager is one deterrent to Man City attracting the best players, but that’s a problem that should be sorted come the summer
The squad, with too many hangers-on and nearly-men, needs a major upheaval. Fernando Torres should use the summer to recuperate from a season to forget, and if he comes back in good form Chelsea could be a much more dangerous prospect next season.
Could Do With: Kaka (Real Madrid), Gareth Bale (Spurs), Cheik Tiote (Newcastle), Sergio Aguero (Atletico Madrid), Maicon (Inter Milan), Andrea Pirlo (AC Milan), Romelu Lukaku (Anderlecht).
Can Do Without: Frank Lampard, Paulo Ferreira, Jose Bosingwa, John Obi Mikel, Youssi Benayoun.
3rd: Liverpool
After the squalid failure of Roy Hodgson, Kenny Dalglish seems to have brought a long-since-forgotten sense of pride and optimism back into the Liverpool side. In turn, they have responded with some encouraging showings, allbeit much too late in the season to make any impact. The signs are good at the moment with a string of decent young players finally showing a return on their considerable academy investment, and a couple of well-planned summer purchases could be the catalyst to propel the sleeping giants back into the top four next time around.
Could Do With: Ashley Young (Aston Villa), Gael Clichy (Arsenal), Aaron Lennon (Spurs), Gary Cahill (Bolton), Bojan Krcic (Barcelona), Romelu Lukaku (Anderlecht).
Can Do Without: Joe Cole, Danny Wilson, David N’gog, Milan Jovanovic, Christian Poulsen.
4th: Arsenal
Wow, another year, another glaring lack of silverware. The fact that they were challenging on all fronts until a manic-depressive March will hearten some Gunners fans while make it all the harder to accept for others. Arsene Wenger’s God-like status will mean that no question will rise about his future despite his consistent failures, but at least this year he is finally conceding that his side lacks the heart to win big games at big times.
Fab farewell?
Like Chelsea, a considerable change in personnel is necessary. Experience and proven ability must be the name of the game for Arsenal, not raw talent and potential. They are at a critical juncture, and if Wenger doesn’t get it right now his infallibility must be called into question this time next year.
Could Do With: Martin Stekelenburg (Ajax), Gary Cahill (Bolton), Scott Parker (West Ham), Diego Forlan (Atletico Madrid), Leighton Baines (Everton), Per Mertesacker (Werder Bremen), Stewart Downing (Aston Villa).
Can Do Without: Jens Lehmann (that still sounds funny!), Manuel Almunia, Sebastien Squillaci, Emmanuel Eboue, Andrei Arshavin, Cesc Fabregas (if he even mentions the words ‘Barcelona are a huge team, I’m flattered’ once during the summer).
5th: Manchester City
Mega-bucks to spend but still City remain an unattractive option for many of the elite players in and around Europe. A crap manager might be one deterrent – that’s a problem which should be sorted come the summer – but until City finish in the top three or four on a consistent basis, they will struggle to attract the players they need. Plenty of money-orientated players will jump at the chance, but these players rarely have the heart or stomach for a gruelling English league campaign and that will need to addressed if City can realistically challenge.
A huge amount depends on their activity in the summer market.
They’ll be able to afford anyone, and Champions League football would improve their chances. But if Carlos Tevez goes it will be a huge loss as he has carried the side at times almost single-handedly, and a lot of the other big-money recruits haven’t delivered, so they could struggle to hold their own on the two fronts of Premier League and Champions League next year.
Could Do With: Maicon (Inter), Sergio Aguero (Atletico Madrid), Neven Subotic (Borussia Dortmund), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich).
Can Do Without: Joleon Lescott, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Jo, Patrick Vieira, Jerome Boateng.
6th: Spurs
The 2011/12 season will be a huge test for Spurs. Can they earn the right to stay within the enlarged group of possible title challengers in the coming years? That remains to be seen. Some might see them as a flash in the pan, and with Harry Redknapp supposedly lined up to replace Fabio Capello as England manager in the next few years, Spurs can’t afford to waste time.
Their defence in particular needs a huge revamp and up front none of their strikers have hit anything close to top form. If they can hold on to Bale, Modric and a few others, they should maintain their elevated position in the top six, but a major clear-out should occur as they have too many players who can’t quite cut it anymore.
Could Do With: Brede Hangeland (Fulham), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Joao Moutinho (Porto), Jeremy Toulalan (Lyon), Hulk (Porto), Alvaro Negredo (Sevilla).
Can Do Without: Vedran Corluka, Jermaine Jenas, Niko Kranjcar, Roman Pavlychenko, Robbie Keane, David Bentley, Jonathan Woodgate.
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