Knowledge is power

I can’t believe it but the English Premier League 2007/08 season is about to start again! The kick off is this Saturday, August 11th. It feels like yesterday when the 2006/07 season was still in full swing. Sometimes, it feels like soccer teams, players, coaches and managers never rest.

English soccer clubs had a couple of months to get their rosters ready for the new season. Teams renewed expiring contracts and traded players to gain strength in all positions. Player managers worked hard to get the best deals for their clients.

Players had a chance to take a couple of weeks off before coming back for pre-season training and friendlies. Of course, those unfortunate enough to be from the American continent and had to play in the Gold Cup barely had an opportunity to rest. I am not surprised that some didn’t bother answering the call of their home country and instead stayed back in Europe for some time off from the game of soccer. It won’t be long before these players have to play 2 games every week for their club. No wonder many of them complain that there is too much soccer being played calling upon UEFA and FIFA to take action towards reducing the number of games played in one year.

Coaches probably had less time to rest. First they had to make difficult decisions about which players they must keep around. Second, they had to find new players that can replace those who had leave and do a better job. It is no secret that most coaches rarely get their first choice players, especially if those players are good and sought after by many clubs.

Regardless, I expect the Premier League this year to be as competitive and fun to follow as in the past. All eyes are focused on the big clubs such as Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool which will be fighting for championship once more. It is hard to tell which team will end up on top at this point.

I will be following the English Premier League and other European leagues and competitions thought the year and I plan to bring you the most interesting news and some insight on the clubs and their members.