Liverpool crash to two defeats in their first three games, Man Utd loses to lowly Burnley, Burnley records second victory over a top six team by beating Everton at Merseyside, Man City and Chelsea make it a 100% winning record so far, Spurs are increasingly looking like Championship material, Arsenal is free scoring and looking like serious title challengers...
Oh well, if the all the buzz is to be believed, the season is going to be really exciting with a top four potentially now a top six, Man City and Tottenham the new favourites. And based on form, Burnley looks like it could spring a few surprises and stay up while Everton might look destined for the dreaded relegation drop.... ..... but really, is it worth the fuss?
Alas, at the start of the season, results often go *whacko*, new teams to the division are high on spirits and players fly in for every ball, which could suggest why Birmingham, Burnley and Wolves are doing exactly what they are not expected to... ... win games.
The Premier League is famed for its energy and over-enthusiasm... but sooner or later, everything pretty much returns to equilibrium when mid season or specifically when December arrives. Fans who get too excited now over the results are not doing justice to what has transpired over many many seasons before the current season.
One clear fact is players tire and get injured over the season, and through a long and arduous season, thinner squads with less quality in depth fade badly. Case in point, Hull City last season. They were top five contenders early last season, only to lose the second half of the season so badly, they were on the brink of relegation. I don't expect Burnley to survive the drop. *You can take that as a prediction from me.
Chelsea and Arsenal might win handsomely now. But we all know the story don't we? Arsenal is just too thin to last a season in Europe and England. They can play pretty against any team but the litmus test comes when a Van Persie or a Fabregas gets laid off through injury, then what? Who can replace them in the team? Zilch. Chelsea, well.... they started the same as last season under a new coach called Luis Felipe Scolari... but we all know what happened to him by mid-season. Ancelotti implements a new formation, it looks great against Fulham, but Fulham is no title challenging team... so no ego booster for the Blues really.
Man Utd are perennial slow starters... they only hit top gear in November/December. Pacing yourself is the name of the game. Rooney has stepped up to the plate as a matchwinner. Now can he do it consistently like Ronaldo did? Liverpool might lose twice already but the issue here isn't about the record in three games, its more about what they seem to be lacking and what is painfully obvious to the bystander. No creative playmaker means less chances. Less chances means less goals. No matter how good Torres is, he cannot convert what is not created. Gerrard who is likely to fill that position will see his goal ratio dry up from last season. Rafa doesn't need to panick into buying, but can he solve the problem without doing so?
Man City is like an unproven entity. If they can get their act together, they might work out because of the players bought. Most of these players have proven track records. But the team balance is awfully off. Playing Barry and Ireland in midfield and having Robinho and Wright Phillips on the wings to support a front two is what I reckon a very adventurous lineup with little cover for the back. But with the defending quality of Lescott and Toure as well as having a more than able keeper in Shay Given, they might actually have some consistency in terms of results. Mark Hughes knows he needs time to build a championship team, but his exponential and growing investments so far also mean less and less time expected of him. Will his Arab employers be patient with succees as they profess to be or are they just another Abramovich in disguise? That is crucial to what pans out over the rest of the season for Man City.
All in all, its only been three games, there is really nothing to fuss about. And even if there is, it shouldn't be taken as definitive for the season.
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