adminAFTER a long summer it’s finally back. The Barclays Premier League season kicks off this weekend for what promises to be the most exciting campaign in recent years after months of upheaval and change at a number of Premier League clubs.For signs of change look no further than the champions, Manchester United. After 27 years and 38 trophies Sir Alex Ferguson stepped down from the top job at Old Trafford to enjoy retirement. David Moyes will be the man to fill his considerable shoes, after the former Everton boss was hand-picked by Fergie to be his successor.
But will United be winners under another Scot? With the future of Wayne Rooney still undecided, and some patchy pre-season form, it hasn’t been the smoothest of starts for Moyes.
Across town at Manchester City there has also been change as Roberto Mancini was ousted after his failure to win a trophy and replaced by Manuel Pellegrini.
The squad already has a new look to it, with City bringing in £90 million worth of talent in Fernandinho, Alvaro Negredo, Stevan Jovetic and Jesus Navas. The pressure will be on Pellegrini to return the Premier League crown to the Etihad.
Trying to break the Manchester hegemony will be Chelsea, who have seen the return of the “Special One”, Jose Mourinho. The Portuguese’s return has seen the Blues installed as the bookies’ favourites, helped along by investment in Andre Schurrle and Marco van Ginkel. The club are still chasing Rooney and his signature could see a power shift from Manchester to London.
The battle for fourth place appears hotter than ever, with Tottenham investing to bid to close the one point gap to Arsenal and secure that elusive fourth spot. But all the good work of bringing in Paulinho, Nacir Chadli and Roberto Soldado will be undone if key man Gareth Bale decides his future lay elsewhere.
Arsenal fans have again been frustrated by the lack of transfer activity. The free transfer of Yaya Sanogo from Auxerre is their only bit of completed business this summer, despite a high-profile chase for Liverpool’s Luis Suarez.
On Suarez, nobody at Anfield seems to have the faintest idea whether he is coming or going, least of all the player himself, it seems.
Shrewd investment has Norwich City looking at a potential top-half finish, while Aston Villa and Sunderland have made a number of changes as they look to improve on last season’s positions.
Swansea will look to improve again as well as make their mark in Europe.
Newly-promoted Cardiff City have made their ambitions clear by smashing their transfer record three times, while Palace also broke the bank to bring in Dwight Gayle from Peterborough. Steve Bruce has made some carefully considered signings that could help Hull City stay up.
Elsewhere, long-serving Stoke City manager Tony Pulis was replaced by Mark Hughes and Roberto Martinez stepped into Moyes’ shoes at Everton. Newcastle United finally got Loic Remy after a frustrating summer of inactivity.
What’s going to happen? Who knows. But we can’t wait. Roll on the next nine months…-Sportsmail.
Online Reporter