Premiership Round up #2 - September

There has been a lot of talk this season about the Premiership being comprised of 3 mini-leagues, one vying for the title, another for UEFA cup spots and a third fighting for survival. It’s hard to argue with such reasoning as just 2 months in we can see where the battle-lines have been drawn.

At the top only Arsenal have been convincing with their band of mercurial players on the crest of a wave. Many people had written them off due to a poor last season and the loss of Henry but the attacking talent they have only relies on one of their match winners to be on song to turn any match (which last season none of them, when fit, did). However with waves come troughs as well as crests and I would have to be concerned regarding the mentality of the squad. 2 years ago they looked the best team in Europe by miles and then a strange Gallic complacency took over and they faded badly. Whether this psychological weakness still exists remains to be seen.

Liverpool, and in particular Torres, have impressed but only on occasion with their inconsistency usually blamed on the “squad-rotation” policy of their manager. The “resting” of players so early in a season is indeed questionable but I think there’s more to it than that. The signing of some exciting attacking players was meant to address the overly defensive nature of the team but there still seems to be a dearth of creative players at the club.

Liverpool may have a lack of creativity but the club at the top of the second grouping, their neighbours Everton, have almost none. The fact that such a dour team lie in 5^th at the end of September speaks volumes about the quality of the league.

Other supposed contenders for that position, namely the likes of Aston Villa, West Ham and (oh dear) Spurs, may have more flair and ingenuity but it goes to show that its good old fashioned slog-work that prevails in the, alleged, “Best League in the World”.

The masters of ugly football, Chelsea, have suffered under the weight of the promise of attractive, flowing play as their current position testifies. But all is not lost for the type of play everyone likes to see, Man City and their Brazilian playmaker Elano have been scintillating at times whilst also finding the right balance with the likes of Dunne, Richards and Hamann providing the steel.

At the bottom, Derby find themselves looking as out of place as Sunderland (05/06) and Wolves (03/04) before them. Derby aside, it is the hardest of the 3 “battles” to call as so few points can make such a big difference. The likes of the currently struggling Bolton are easily able to swap places with the on-form and battling Wigan in only a matter of weeks.

I think it goes back to what I was saying in the August round-up - about form being temporary and class being permanent – but in a league so bereft of class it’s hard to know what to expect. Perhaps it is this unpredictability that earns the Premiership it’s plaudits.