Death of the “Top Four” in England

I remember the days when it was obvious which clubs would finish in the top four positions in the English Premier League. Not anymore.

Saturday, July 14, 2012

I remember the days when it was obvious which clubs would finish in the top four positions in the English Premier League. Not anymore.At the beginning of each season, pundits across the world would debate about which club would most likely break this dominance, only to be disappointed at the end of the season.Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool had monopolized the top for too long much to the distaste of neutrals, who found it a tad boring.Thank goodness the picture has changed now; the situation now has made the Premier League to blossom into what we always suspected- the most interesting league in Europe.Teams like Tottenham Hotspurs, Newcastle and Everton have claimed their rights now; they have indicated that Champions League glory isn’t for a select few but for every club willing to fight till the end.Clubs like Liverpool have felt the sting of that competition and have fallen in the safe zones where they neither face relegation nor enjoy the splendor of playing around Europe.  If Chelsea hadn’t lifted the Champions League trophy, they would as well have suffered those bitter blues.Unlike the traditional greats like Manchester United and Arsenal, other teams have somewhat been uplifted only after scooping free spending tycoons willing to splash the money on big-name signings.Before Roman Abramovich, Chelsea was nothing but a top flight English team, winning nothing but enjoying the splendor of participating in every tournament, more or less like La Liga’s Villarreal or Serie A’s Roma.In comes Manchester City, a club that has proved without a doubt that money can buy silverware. Always languishing halfway the table in the past, Man City often fought relegation battles, something unimaginable right now with the likes of Sergio Aguerro and Yaya Toure in its ranks. Man City clinched the trophy under the nose of Manchester United, who seemed to have retained it before they self-destructed. Every point gained and lost counted, as the league went to the last wire to be decided by goal difference.Unlike Leeds which drowned and never surfaced again after showboating with greatness, Newcastle United came back with a bang and showed just how hard it is for a traditionally strong club to go and never return.The new season is now a month away but it feels like ages for football lover; we seem primed for the best entertainment ever.Can Man City retain the title? Can Tottenham and Newcastle keep impressing? Is Manchester United still good enough? Which positions will Arsenal and Liverpool finish in this time round? Can Chelsea cope without Drogba? These and many more questions wait to be answered.Never forgetting the major new entrants, Eden Hazard at Chelsea, Lukas Podolski at Arsenal and Shinji Kagawa at United; will these talents mesmerize us or fall like some have come and done? Either way, we are destined to have another blockbuster season.Predictions aside, I fully anticipate the forthcoming Premier league season to be more mouth-watering than any other we have watched before.RushAfrican on Twitter