Chelsea or Manchester United? The balance of power is changing again
On the face of it, Chelsea will win the league again this season. They have the money and the players, and their team has improved since last time they won it.
Chelsea also have Mourinho, who has proved to be a great coach and over the past couple of years he has shown he has what it takes to win the title. As well as building on what was an already impressive team he has also engendered a strong team spirit, and built an almost seige mentality in the players and the fans.
Its not fair to say he’s bought the league. This just sounds like sour grapes and jealousy. Others have tried to buy the league and failed. Yes he’s spent a huge amount of cash but Chelsea are only playing catchup with Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool, etc. who have all spent as much if not more than Mourinho has over the last few years. Souness and others have proved that money alone will not buy you success, you need to have talent too, and he has this.
But this year the Premiership is far from decided. Manchester United have come out of the blocks fast, and although Chelsea have all but caught up, its worth remembering how slowly the other pretenders to the crown started the previous two seasons campaigns. They let Chelsea out of their sights and never caught up.
Whilst United were up for it, both Arsenal and Liverpool forgot to get out of bed in August. They are getting back on track quickly enough, but United had an explosive start, and everybody took note. Sir Alex Ferguson has been around for a long time, and he knows what you have to do to win the title. He let Chelsea slip away from him previously, but you get the feeling that he wont do it again. Chelsea have raised the bar and United have been the first team to respond.
The cracks are starting to appear at Chelsea too. Not just in terms of results, or even league position, although they are not as good as previous years. Chelsea just don’t seem as hungry as they used to be. They have come to expect to win, rather than to fight for it, and while they have invested money trying to improve the quality of their players, you have to ask if they have diminished the heart that Chelsea once showed?
Players like Terry and Lampard will always give 100%, but can they carry the club? What about Shevchenko or Cole? Where is their will to win? They have the skill but what about their passion? What comes first for them; their bank balance or their club?
United on the other hand have developed a mixture of skill and steel. Its what has stood them so well over the years. And more importantly, United are hungry. Once again they are pretenders to the crown and they want it back. Who is the hungrier, Chelsea who have tasted success and come to expect it, or United who want in back?
Arsenal and Liverpool will be chasing as usual, but they don’t seem to have found that X factor yet, They have the skill and the passion but they don’t seem to have the stamina to constantly grind out results.
So this season instead of a walkover it’ll be a two horse race - and one that will go down to the wire, and will only be won by a nose (probably a purple one!)
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15 opinions for Chelsea or Manchester United? The balance of power is changing again
Rob
Sep 27, 2006 at 9:23 am
Yes, United’s preformance at Benfica last night really showed what a technically brilliant bunch of payers they are. Committed, incisive, great passing and movement, and literally hundreds of shots on goal. I bet Chelsea are quaking.
Nick
Sep 27, 2006 at 10:03 am
Yes, you can tell predict a whole season from one game. Your comments make you look a fool, all teams play badly at times and even loose sometimes (its lucky Chelsea only play Boro twice a season). United have a chance of winning the league, its a smaller chance then Chelsea maybe but a far greater chance then the other teams in the Prem. The article merely points out that if we had had this start last season we would have finished far loser to Chelsea, although I’m sure they would still have won.
Sack the Juggler
Sep 27, 2006 at 10:07 am
actually I predicted this before the start of the season and for the same reasons - try taking the chip off your shoulder and reading the article again….
Nick
Sep 27, 2006 at 10:34 am
actually I predicted this before the start of the season and for the same reasons - try taking the chip off your shoulder and reading the article again….
————————————————
who?
Max Kamarake
Sep 27, 2006 at 11:41 am
The only hope Man Utd have of getting the premiership back is first of all to manage not to lose till the January transfer window opens and after that,buy a holding midfielder thet will do the tough tackling and passing in front of the back four!(Like Marcos Senna!)
Sack the Juggler
Sep 27, 2006 at 12:20 pm
I’m sure United will strengthen in January, they have basically stated as much and SAF has indicated his shopping list to the press
Sir Cecil
Sep 27, 2006 at 12:35 pm
Articles like this are are so worthless, one wonders why on earth the writer thinks they might be of any interest to readers. Pure drivel. One of the two top teams might win the PL this season. Wow! The downside of the internet is it gives a voice to wastrels.
Sack the Juggler
Sep 27, 2006 at 12:47 pm
The downside of the internet is it gives a voice to wastrels.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
hung by your own petard Sir Cecil….
El Matajo
Sep 27, 2006 at 1:38 pm
What a load of bull!!
You say….
“Its not fair to say he’s bought the league. This just sounds like sour grapes and jealousy. Others have tried to buy the league and failed. Yes he’s spent a huge amount of cash but Chelsea are only playing catchup with Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool, etc. who have all spent as much if not more than Mourinho has over the last few years……”
Name me ONE club (and I include Real Madrid who were the closest in comparison..) who has spent in excess of £350 million pounds in two seasons, and who has NOT had to sell ANY players in return or, more importantly, have to balance their books????
THAT is the difference and THAT is why no-one who is objective can give the Chavs any merit for winning two back-to-back Premiership titles.
Sack the Juggler
Sep 27, 2006 at 1:54 pm
my point was he’s spent that money in the last couple of years to catch up with Man U, Liverpool and Arsenal who have spent that over a longer period.
Manu United in particular have regularly spent huge amounts on players; Veron, Ferdinand, Rooney, etc.
Arsenal on the other hand have been able to develop their squad with a strong scouting network that over many years has allowed them to pick up relative such as Anelka, Ljungberg, Viera, even Henry was only £10m.
Chelsea could spend time trying to grow bit by bit, but they wanted to put themselves on a par so they had to spend over the odds and in a short space of time. Once they are settled their spending will be in line with that of their preimership title rivals.
El Matajo
Sep 27, 2006 at 2:10 pm
All that is well and good…
But let’s not forget that Mourinho inherited a very strong team from Ranieri (arguably his best players…Terry and Lampard… were already there!!), and then he was given a blank cheque-book!!!!
My point is you cannot be so simplistic as to give all the plaudits to Mourinho!
Especially since the football he preaches is ultra-defensive and ugly, granted…. maybe effective… but ultimately not that great!!
Give me Arsenal’s, Man Utd and especially Liverpool’s at their peak any time!
Sack the Juggler
Sep 27, 2006 at 2:33 pm
I agree with you about the football styles, let hope Chelsea mature with age if not, they’ll be known for turning sexy football into ugly football!
Strat
Sep 27, 2006 at 9:15 pm
Any style of playing that is successful is pretty. End of the story.
And about Mourinho- managing a club is not about getting the best player for each position as some of you seem to hint, best coaches of the world failed to succeed with Real Madrid having great players at their disposal. I think similar problems can occur in Inter soon (of course every team has worse periods, but bad signs are showing imo).
jok
Sep 28, 2006 at 8:56 am
“Any style of playing that is successful is pretty. End of the story.”
You talk bollocks.
Yeh it must make it so much harder having unlimited funds to spend!! Chelsea have spent so much more than any one else that anyone comparing them with even what Man Utd have spent in the last decade is a complete fool. Man Utd have spent in 10 yrs about 1/3 of what chelsea have spent in 2!!
Strat
Sep 29, 2006 at 1:22 pm
“You talk bollocks.”
Does it make these “bollocks” false?
“Chelsea have spent so much more than any one else that anyone !!”
So? It would be simplier to say “I don’t like Chelsea, because they are winning and my club can’t”, but I guess it’s better to use any other argument you can think of.
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