It has been quite a season this year in the Barclays Premier League. We are witnessing the dawn of a new era that promises to shatter every existing trend and belief we have had all these years.
We are now entering a new world of football, aren’t we? No more can a six year old child predict a score line at ease. The playing field has finally been leveled. I sit up a little more these days when I see the big four play the lesser sides. Which begs me to ask – Who are the Big Four?
But that’s a discussion for another day. This year has two ends to it. On one side, two of the three fighting for the title are not teams one would have expected to see 25 games in. Roberto Mancini has built a machine, that is Manchester City. Now seemingly unbeatable in most games, the likes of Silva, Aguero, Yaya Toure, Nasri and the lot have transformed the image of this club and has made it a world class phenomenon that threatens World Domination in the near future. And then you have Tottenham Hotspur. Big things have always been expected of them but like every other, they perish when the time to shine arises. Not this year though. Harry and his men have shown us that quality football and team spirit does exist outside of the Nou Camp. This is not to say that they are as good, but the football on display is as entertaining.
And then of course there is the perennial force of Manchester United. One can imagine the might of Sir Alex’s faction when they seem to be matching the best despite having a comparatively poor season. With an eye for the future, they have managed a few shrewd signings and you can expect the men in red to take it right down to the wire.
Now here’s the other side, the darker side, of this year’s Premier League season - The Relegation battle. Oh, we have such a thrilling plot in the making. With just 13 games to go, we have all of two points separating bottom placed Wigan Athletic and 16th placed Queens Park Rangers. The teams that fit in between are Venky’s owned Blackburn Rovers, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Bolton Wanderers.
Wolves only recently sacked their manager of 6 years Mick Mcarthy and the reigns are now under the solicitous hands of caretaker Terry Connor. What will become of them, we don’t know yet but my gut feeling says deadline day relegation.
Verdict – Relegation
Off the six though, the most explosive relegation would be Blackburn Rovers. England has never been known to be kind to their foreign owners and with India in the pairing, that makes it all the more sensitive. Cometh the hour, if Blackburn are doomed to a year in the Championship there will be tension. Fans have already begun talking of a footballing coup of sorts that involves a total buyout from the owners. The players are extremely unsettled and are beginning to treat each game as a potential transfer opportunity. Steve Kean has never looked and never will look a Premier League manager but Yakubu’s arrival has been master class and has signaled a revival of sorts for the Lancashire side. An injury to him now could cost them dear. But then again, Yakubu is no Carlos Tevez. Or is he?
Verdict – Relegation
Bolton got it all wrong in the beginning itself. Their opening day’s 4-0 victory did them more harm than good and they have (IMO) the worst squad this year amongst all. They have been in absolute shambles since the beginning and are left with pretty much everything to do in this last quarter. Will they do it? I definitely think they will. Recent performances include a win against Liverpool and a well earned draw against Asenal. With games against Chelsea, Man City, Newcastle and Spurs yet remaining, Owen Coyle’s men will be fired up to take it to the grave.
Verdict - Survival
Wigan Athletic have disappointed me the most. I have had a soft corner for them from the time they took the league by storm in their first year back in 2005-06. Also, more recently that game against Arsenal when Victor Moses single handedly staged a dramatic fight back to snatch the game at 3-2. Sadly, this has been a season most Wigan fans would like to forget. They have been so miserable this year that they will struggle in the Championship too unless drastic changes with regards to the management as well as players are made next year.
Verdict – Relegation
And that brings me to Queens Park Rangers. Talk about transition and you have Neil Warnock’s men. Oh, hang on, they’ve sacked him too haven’t they? There have been changes galore for this princely London club right from the start of the season. The season has brought with it a change in ownership (Tony Fernandes, Air Asia) as well as the newly appointed manager Mark Hughes. What’s amazing to note is that the side that brought them back to the Premier League is almost an entirely different squad that plays for them today. They spent big in the summer and the line-up now boasts of an experienced Premier League squad. That will cost them. They failed to capitalize on the excitement and determination a newly promoted Championship side would have brought in. Take Swansea for instance. Their style of play though has been entertaining and one that is attracting neutrals to watch. For QPR, recent defeats to Blackburn & Wolves have proven to be too costly. They are yet to play Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea in their remaining 13 fixtures. Survival for this side will be a miracle. It will be interesting to see what happens to the likes of Bobby Zamora, Djibril Cisse, Joey Barton, S.W.Phillips & Adel Taarabt should they find themselves potentially plying their trade in the Championship.
Verdict - Relegation
There are massive heartbreaks in store for thousands of fans all over the world. For some, it’s about winning the title. For some it’s about Champions League qualification while for the rest, it’s about mere survival. Deadline day tears will flow like the ancient rivers of Babylon. Tears of happiness or tears of sadness? Stay tuned for more, because this is going to be one hell of an ending.
Twitter: @abhishekiyer7
