Who will cross the finish line first..?

horsesOur crystal ball spoke to us clearly and concisely when the excitement and anticipation of the 2009/10 season kicked-off.  We made our predictions. We chose the chosen ones and it was off to the races.

As the best of the best galloped into the eyes of victory and defeat, we raved, we ranted, we posted and we polled about the beautiful game. And as the race to be crowned champion nears its end, we can’t help but wonder, who will cross the finish line first?

For so long Chelsea have been the favourites to scoop the Premier League title. If I remember correctly, we warned the Stamford Bridge outfit not to celebrate too soon. At Christmas, the Chelsea players and faithful believed they had it in the bag. There was an evident cockiness to them which has become synonymous with Chelsea. But a loss to Everton and a whipping by Manchester City in their own park soon made the Blues players and fans realize the fight to the finish will not be so easy. Did they under estimate their opponents? Did the John Terry scandal hurt them? What would they do without Drogba? Will the iron Chelski curtain find its strength again as they head towards the finish?

With Wayne Rooney turning on the style and making a case to be European Footballer of the Year, Manchester United are once again finding their strength and form at the right time. Determined to create history and make it four Premier League titles in a row, the Red Devils are as hungry as ever for silver ware. They’ve already bagged the Carling Cup, they have one eye on a Champions League quarter final spot and they are two points clear at the Premier League summit. Granted they haven’t been as exciting to watch as a team this term, but Rooney has given us every reason to be up for watching Manchester United play. Do you think they’d be flying if Ferdinand and Vidic were fit all season? Do you think Rooney deserves to be Player of the Year? Has Valencia been a success? Will Berbatov be the man United fans want him to be?

And what of Arsenal? After losses to Manchester United and Chelsea, everyone had written off their title chances for good. How could the Gunners win the league if they couldn’t beat the two best teams in the country? Somehow, some way, Arsenal have hung in there. Even though they lost to the big two, they picked up some good results in games we’ve easily seen them lose over the last few seasons. Beating the likes of Stoke and Hull has helped. Losing Ramsey to such a horrific injury has not. But unlike the Eduardo injury experience which saw Arsenal implode that season, it appears this time around the team are galvanized to win it for Ramsey. They seem to have a purpose we may not have seen in recent times. Can Arsenal finish strong without Fabregas? Would they be clear of United and Chelsea on points at this stage if Van Persie hadn’t been injured? Was Vermaelen the best buy of the season? How good could Arsenal actually be if they bought three more world class players?

The rest of the league are fighting for a fourth Champions League spot, a Europa League place or just plain old fashioned survival. How do your predictions match up to what you thought at the beginning of the season? Who do you see wining it all? Chelsea? Manchester United? Or Arsenal? Can Tottenham really steal a Champions League birth? Will Manchester City or Aston Villa ruin their coming out party? Will we see another famous old club like West Ham go down? Has Hull City’s luck finally run out? When Portsmouth go down, how much further will they sink over the next few years? Remember Leeds?

There is still much to play for. It’s sad that the season is almost ending but fear not fellow footie fans! The silver lining is that we are in a World Cup year so the wait for some quality football won’t feel like eternity. Could this be the year Wayne Rooney shines on the world stage? Is it his time to be crowned a world football superstar? The race to the finish line is almost over. The only question is, who will win?

12 thoughts on “Who will cross the finish line first..?”

  1. As I ranted on the “What does your crystal ball say” post. I think Utd making history with 4 in a row is a good bet. Rooney will win the title for Utd. I have no doubt. Utd will beat Chelsea and take them top of the league. No doubt Rooney has had a great season a is a great player , however I still can not class him in the same league as Messi and Ronaldo. There is something more entertaining in these two players then Rooney.
    Valencia has been good these year still has more for us to see he hasn’t had his @take a bow’ moment yet. I think Fergie will sell Berba come transfer window. He has been a bore to watch.
    Ferdinand and Vidic…could you imagine if they were in the squad more this season…would Utd be 10 points clear and Premiership title over? I think so.

    Chelsea Chelsea Chelsea…..spoke to soon? Even I did. I thought they had it in the bag. Season has been rather unpredictable. Can they hang on? I think not. I think the best they will do is 3rd. Can Chelsea fans believe it? Who would have thought. I am quite happy about this situation. It always great to see a fellow London team fail. Terry definitely put a downer in the dressing room with the scandal because he is the strength of the Chelsea team, as he visually showed us the captain armband. Drogba is a force up front but I think Chelsea can live without him. Dont care too much for the Drog.

    Arsenal. Well I knew they would do well they are always up there. Can they do it? I don’t think they can, but what do I know I said Chelsea will win the league. Van Presie’s injury was a blow and the Arsenal fans thought that there goes the season but they have hung in there. Arsenal fans should count there lucky stars for Vermaelen he has been the strength of the defence don’t think he has put a foot wrong all season. Soccer Diva are you having a laugh? Wenger buy 3 more world class players? Were you dreaming when you posted that?

    O my lovely Spurs…. 4th at the moment seems so far away and out of our reach I feel. With Chelsea, Utd and Arsenal to play…and all want the title. I think I will just say Tottenham will have a big say on who wins the title.
    Villa will finish 4th Martin has done wonders at Villa this year. Man City? Well what a disappointment they turned out to be.
    The bottom 3 as the table stands are exactly as I predicted. Could I at least get something right?

    I almost cant wait for next season. With clubs not having money to spend the likes of Man U and Liverpool, with Arsenal only doing the usual one big signing. Will this open the top three for Spurs, Villa and Man City. O i cant wait!

    I ALSO CAN NOT WAIT FOR THE WORLD CUP. I feel it, its coming home. Too many years of hurt…its time. You can find me in a pub with a beer and watching the beautiful game. COME ON ENGLAND!

  2. Its not interesting as we all like to predict what will happen next.

    I tell you what is interesting how Arsenal fans are all talk and no silverware.

  3. LOL! No silverware is an issue for Arsenal and there is no doubt about that Lady Yid. But Tottenham fans need to just relax a little. Winning the Carling Cup recently doesn’t make the blue and white side of London a success. Football success also goes in cycles. The question is when will Man Utd’s cycle bloody end?!! Lol…

    Arsenal have spent the last 3 years rebuilding and this year we are truly seeing these efforts pay off. Arsenal haven’t spent as much as United or Chelsea and they probably don’t have as many “world class players” but somehow they are up there with both of them. What they need to do is start beating them. Only then will everyone look at them differently. Vermaelen is a special player and a great buy worth every penny of the 10 million they paid for him.

    Think of what Tottenham have spent this season and where you are. In truth, Tottenham really haven’t progressed too far down the road since Martin Jol left. This season could be the season they make the Champions League and only then can you truly say they’ve experienced success since Jol left. If you fail to make that Champions League spot, you would have spent millions again and have nothing to show for it!

  4. I dont care if the carling cup is a tin of beans. Wes till went to wembley soaked in the atmosphere cuddled a stranger and won. Man Utd’s cycle will never end.

    Good Luck to Arsenal they have a great chance. Will the title be settled at White Hart Lane AGAIN? (if spurs get through to the FA CUP match will postponed and could be one of the last games of the season.)

    Would be a great season for the North London clubs Arsenal win the league and Spurs win the FA Cup and finish 4th. Can Arsenal please not win the title at white hart lane. Have we not suffered enough? lol

  5. LOL! That game at the Lane is going to be intense. Let’s hope the London clubs do win something in the end. How much would Tottenham love to stick the knife into Arsenal fans hearts should it come down to that game! Don’t you just love footie?!

  6. Just thinking of that game is giving me heart problems. Dont even know if I could bare to watch.

    How much would Arsenal love to stick the knife into spurs’ 4th spot.

    footie is great!

  7. Lady Yid how great if we stick the knife into their title race!

    Honestly i think the last few seasons when we have played Arsenal at home we have been the better team but it still finishes a draw, it has to change in our favour at some point.

    No Fabregas, possibly no Gallas and Arshavin. Will Sol play in that game? it will be ideal for us to win that game with Sol Campbell playing and kill their hopes of the title.

    Talking about cycles, when is Spurs’ time?

  8. The landscape of that game has changed completely without Fabregas, Gallas and Arshavin. Surely Spurs fans want to beat Arsenal too when they have their best players on the pitch.

    The last few derby’s at the Lane have definitely been tight and this could well be Spurs’ year. But there is also a grit and determination to this Arsenal team we’ve not seen in recent seasons. Their fight back against Barca was impressive.

    Could it be Theo’s day to shine? Or will Bentley come back to haunt Arsenal again? Either way, as the pundits say, “it should be a cracker.”

    Fair dues to Arsenal. They’ve been given stick all season again for not buying. Wenger has been ripped to pieces and yet this season they are competing better than any other in the last 4 years. Imagine if they bought a world-class goalkeeper, a right back, another quality midfielder and a shark in front of goal…they are close to United and Chelsea with only having spent on Vermaelen, who by the way is the best buy of last season…

  9. we still have injuries too, when we seem to get someone back another player gets injured.

    Vermaelen is a great signing. Niko Kranjcar has to be up there for signing of the season too, for the price of £2.5million and has settled in and done a great job.

  10. Agree about Kranjcar. Always thought he was quality and the price is a bargain. For me he’s impressed more than Modric since he’s been at Spurs. I still haven’t seen that world-class consistency from Modric.

    It will be a very interesting game…may the best team on the day win…

  11. Thanks Jonesy and Soccer Diva now I am more anxious and nervous then ever.

    TIME TO STICK IT TO ARSENAL. COME ON YIDS!

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