The EPL season kicks off today and the headlines that hogged the papers are not just the players and coaches. Even service providers such as Singtel and Starhub are squabbling!
One of the items on my bucket list is to watch a premier league match "live" in person and the next question which you may ask is "which team do you support".
In Singapore, if you throw a stone on a football fan, you are likely to hit either Manchester United or Liverpool fan. And trust me, they are passionate.
I started watching soccer when Liverpool and Everton were hogging the limelight when i was young. Over the years, I have realized that I don't really support the teams but the managers who lead the team because they created the style which teams play.
For example, I like Arsene Wenger when he was leading the team of invincibles back where they play very attractive attacking football and had a season where they were unbeaten but his "stinginess" in spending on marque players probably hindered his success even though he has trained up many great players.
I like the way in which Jose Mourinho dethroned Alex Ferguson in his debut season and his flamboyant style.
I like the way in which Alex Ferguson rebounded each time he is defeated and had the "last laugh" the next season where he caused his rival manager to be sacked. He is definitely one of the greatest manager in EPL history. Time will tell if his hand-picked successor is the right choice but in my view, no, even though I admired the things David did at Everton. Manchester United is a different ball game altogether and is definitely not going to give him more time than they have given Alex Ferguson as circumstances has changed.
I have no idea who this new Manchester City manager is but I think he will outperform David Moyes. We can check back again at end of the season.
Now back to my bucket list. I think i will be in London in September. Which games should I watch ? There are 2 games I have in mind.
Liverpool versus Manchester United or
Arsenal versus Tottenham.
The tickets are super expensive but they are all sold out except those in the "resale" market. Anyone can tell me how to get a ticket from a reliable website?
Now, who will win the EPL this season? My money will be Chelsea and this will be my top 5 list. It is actually a tough call as some big transfers are still pending :-P
My predictions:
1. Chelsea
2. Manchester City
3. Tottenham
4. Manchester United
5. Arsenal
Let's check back again when the season ends to see if I have gotten the top 5 teams right. It's a long season!
