MANCHESTER DIS-UNITED

MANCHESTER DIS-UNITED

(Mohammed Salah celebrates as Harry Maguire scoffs in the background)
Thirteen Premier League titles, three-time Champions League winners, and the team that revolutionized English football in the ‘90s and 2000s have fallen off the bridge into a massive ditch. The club hasn’t won a league title in nearly ten years with that trend looking to continue for another season.

The fall of a great English giant is very appalling to others but to the supporters, they have a prime example as to why this has happened. The Glazer family that also owns the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are what the fans have shown to be the downfall over the last nine years, and even before that. They were voted the worst owners in England’s top division last season and the outrage has continued into this summer and the new season.

(The Glazer brothers who run the club)
Spending $1.2 bn on players directly from only club revenue, while having the club in more than $600 million in debt and not investing a single penny doesn’t bode well with supporters. Not to mention the dividends they continuously take out of the club without reinvesting.

Decisions on the board level over the last few years have screwed United. Giving players massive contracts in terms of salary which makes it hard to move a player, vetoing managers’ request to sell or terminate players, and forcing managers to pick certain players is killing the club.

Some on-field decisions seem to be political and not based on form, playstyle, or anything. Harry Maguire is undoubtedly the worst captain and waste of money in Manchester United’s history but still starts every match. Scott McTominay who shows week in and week out that he is a limited player gets picked for every game, and Marcus Rashford, who credit to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, made people believe he was good for the better part of two years, is hit and miss at best.

(Disgraced captain Harry Maguire echos his frustration)
Now there is a new manager, no ties to the club, no ties to the Premier League, no ties to England whatsoever, who is being handicapped by the incompetence of the board members and those supposedly in charge of the footballing side. Erik Ten Hag sees the issues (midfield, backup striker, right winger, right-back, etc.) but has only been given a center back, a backup left back, and a playmaker in Christian Eriksen.

The club is now in disarray with the fans applying the utmost pressure on those “greedy Glazers” to sell the club with former board member Michael Knighton organizing a consortium to accomplish a hostile takeover of the club. Joel and Avram Glazer must not have any shame if you constantly go to games and the fans of your club sing that “they’re glad your brother’s in a box and they hope you are too.” If that isn’t a sign to leave before things escalate I don’t know what will.

Just Stay Home

Just Stay Home

I recently read something that was absolutely disgusting. It was about your mom. Then it got even worse. I read this series of articles about welfare cheats. Disgusting, lying, scumbag welfare cheats.

Jon Ledecky and Scott Malkin own the New York Islanders. They’re also welfare queens sucking at the tit of government giveaways. Their scam: promising to build things in exchange for politicians making you – an actual taxpayer – pay more in taxes for. Take the deal that the rich land barons cut with former New York State Governor and not-former creep, Andrew Cuomo, to build a new arena at Belmont Park in Long Island. The governor boasted that he was driving a tough deal with them; he was going to make the owners shoulder the burden of paying 92% of a brand-new $104 million train station at Belmont. That’s a cool $97 million from the people who will benefit most from this investment.

Who’s number one? NOT YOU.

But that number is about as true as Cuomo’s denying he didn’t hit on his female aides. Reality? In the first place, $74 million of that $92 billion bill is coming from a loan gifted to them by New York State, er, by your savings account. And on terms that you, in your wildest dreams, will never get. In the first place, the ownerss get 30 years to pay back $67 million of that loan. But, that’s not going to be big deal for them because the loan IS INTEREST FREE. In other words, New York State taxpayers are laying out $67 million to a couple of billionaires up front, and THEN, receive nothing over 30 years for the pleasure. The loss over that time in compounded interest comes to a minimum of $30 million. Also, you may have noticed that the $67 million is $7 million less than the original loan. Why? Because you can’t ask a welfare cheat to pay bills now like ordinary schmucks like you, can you? Eat $7 million of rich dick on your dime, cheerleaders. Rich people buy politicians and create the message that gets sold to you, and you love taking it in the ears and spewing nonsense bac out of your mouth as to why these are the job creators. THEY ARE NOT.

I’m not done with the handouts. To bring the Islanders back to the Coliseum between the era from the UBS land grab and from the horrible, horrible Barflays Center in Brooklyn? That was allegedly masterminded by cheapskate and local legend – and by legend, I mean stories that are made up to make excuses for failures- by “Long Island Hockey Savior” Charles “Leveraged Takeover at Computer Associates” Wang? The arena needed an upgrade to their ice making system. The cost for upgrading the ice, upgrading the wiring needed for media to properly handle games at the coliseum, and the upgrades to the already upgraded locker rooms? $6 million. And who paid for it? Want to guess? You. Me. Not the team owners benefitting from the arena and it’s upgrades. $6 million dollars for free. Again.

Oh, and that original deal when the Islanders moved to Brooklyn that required them to play two preseason and four regular season games at the Coliseum or pay a $1 million a year fine? That fine that the team ignored for 3 years? Hmmm..to me, that’s a $3 million fine. Yet that was subsequently WAIVED because why should laws and contracts count for rich people? Imagine the outrage of waiving bail  on a $400 dollar theft? Yet imagine how ignorant you are by turning around and ignoring multimillion dollar criminals because you want to be them? Sell outs. Meanwhile, Belmont wasn’t even Charles Wang’s idea, or any of the present owners. Check out this picture from a 2013 Newsday article:

Seems familiar….

Maybe the BEST handout is the almost ABSOLUTE lack of taxes that the UBS arena will pay for taking up land on the border of New York City and the most expensive county to live in among the United States. A New York City audience. An affluent fanbase. And what is the tax bill? $10,000 an event for just 100 events a year (the Islanders already give you 41-44 events a year), or $1 million dollars flat if you have less than 100 events. At least the arena is paying something- a pittance, as the amount of sales tax collected on BEER sales alone in the first two Islander home games of the season was $90,000. If the sellers of the $22 beer took one dollar of revenue for each beer sold in the first two games of the season and used that to cover their $10,000 an event bill? They would cover 5 dates. In short? Paying just $1,000,000 annually is absolute taxpayer robbery.

Hmm, what are the naming rights of an arena on public land going for at UBS? A mere $17.5 million per year for 20 years? I’m thinking that 80% of that should go back to the public, minimally.

And the hotel that they’re building across the street in the old Belmont parking lot? Oh, that will be 100% tax free for 20 years. Because the billionaires needed that leg up to get by. Meanwhile, with a parking lot removed, event nights and overflow hotel events will be putting thousands of cars on the local streets, eating up homeowners parking spots and creating terrible ass clenching traffic. What did the local community get out of this land deal again? Based on the page dedicated to Community page on the UBS website? Fucking nothing. I guess they weren’t rich enough to get free money.

All paid for by you, yet you get no benefits.

I could get more political and discuss how Nassau County’s Republican Party being the constant “Party of No Progress” since Herbert Hoover cost the county their TWO major league sports team (Ralph Caso and the Long Island Nets in the 1970’s, and fat bitch Kate Murray and the Islanders just a few years ago). I could discuss how the nearly $300,000 that Oak View Group, running UBS, paid to Andrew Cuomo’s political coffers led to millions in waived fines, tax fee deals, and $50 million in taxpayer dollars for free to rich people, as well as the interest free loans and tax free land use that follows it. I could say that the Supreme Court’s growing political bias allowing cases like Citizens United to become law from the bench without human approval, allowing companies who are somehow psychopathically considered citizens to exceed political donations limits that can be made by citizens to gain control over politicians? This has led to this overly toxic top down, citizen destroying corporate climate in this nation ruining so, so many things since the 1990’s. Like personal freedoms. You know, things Americans are supposedly supposed to love.

And what does it cost you, the fan, to attend an event at UBS?  $35 to park your car, then take a bus to get to the arena because the parking close to the arena is incredibly limited. $22 for a beer. $4 for a bagel with nothing on it, $20 for a bagel with chicken on it. Seats? You can spend thousands a game if you really wanted to, for a team where the owners haven’t invested in the team once the doors at UBS opened.

Here is what we do know. 100% sold out seasons tickets, or 11,000 tickets out of 17,255 for hockey. Add in individual purchases and the Islanders sold out 99% of their seats in year one, or 16,492 tickets per game. That’s 258 more seats sold per game than actual seats in the Nassau Coliseum. We know that nearly singlehandedly, the Islanders pushed NHL league revenues back to pre COVID numbers, and had one of the three greatest financial turn a rounds in league history.

So my question again is, why are you giving free money to billionaires? And why aren’t billionaires using that money to improve, say, the product on the ice instead of making a walkway under the horse track to stop the expense of providing busses from their far away tax payer funded personal train station?

Has anyone noticed prices for tickets and concessions and parking going down with all of these free tax dollars going to owners? No? Why am I not shocked in any way? #ThievesGottaThieve

If the state is going to do such, there should be clauses like “win 50 games or you owe an extra $50 million over the next 2 years.” If you have a billion dollars, that’s not a whole lot. But the politicians won’t do that, because all of that free tax money going to rich people allows those rich folk to use those tax bucks to buy most politicians and discriminate against taxpayers. People complaining about welfare recipients should be deeply offended to know that the greatest per capita welfare recipient in the United States are businesses.

Check out this article by a conservative writer. The $9.5 million IKEA received to hire 175 people? IKEA isn’t a job creator. The government is. IKEA however, IS a job killer, as many local Mom and Pop furniture stores went out of business and laid off workers because of that free tax money. Companies don’t create jobs. Demand creates jobs. One group of prosperous people does not a nation make.

Now I’m sure you’re wondering why I’m complaining about the Islanders. That, my friends, is the thesis statement. 41-50 home games a year for not only a free use of public land, but a SUBSIDIZED use of public land plus state paid upgrades on a temporary home seems absolutely illogical to me. What my real issue is lies a little farther north and west of UBS arena.

Look at this absolute buttfuckery if you will.

In case you hate reading, here is the short of it. The Buffalo Bills wanted a new arena because they’re finally good. Being good is one of the ways teams hold an axe over their community to get something done. If the Islanders would have realized that earlier, maybe Charles Wang gets his lighthouse instead of running a club like a penny pincher, which would have shown up in his architecture as well. So what did the Bills get?

  • $600 million in taxpayer money from New York State
  • $250 million from the taxpayers of Erie County, where Buffalo is located
  • More than $13 million a year over the next 30 years of taxpayer money to maintain an arena that’s used for 10 games a year.
  • An arena used for ten games a year. TEN GAMES A YEAR.

Surely, you’ll say, the team owner is picking up something more than the $1.3 billion that the county and the state is laying out. They are. Terry Pagula is laying out $550 million in initial costs. You know, along with the $600 million that state taxpayers and the $250 million that Erie residents are laying out for 10 games a year. Oh, and some of those Erie residents will attend Bills games, so they are clearly being double and triple taxed, unlike the estate tax which impacts 1 in 200 people after free, untaxed millions act as a buffer.

Funny, it doesn’t LOOK broken…

Surely Pagula and his $6 billion in wealth will pay for arena upkeep, right? Yes. Up to $1 million a year, less than 8% of what New York state and Erie taxpayers are laying out for the same purpose. And I’m sure that this deal with the state has everything to do with New York not wanting to lose the loser Bills or bowing to threats by the team owner to relocate and nothing to do with the husband of the Governor having business dealings specifically in Bills Stadium. Nah, that kind of access that you’ll never get clearly lacks have perks!

The Bills arena will cost $1.4 billion dollars. The Buffalo Bills as a team are valued at $2.5 billion dollars. The team couldn’t have taken a mortgage like a homeowner against their own assets and pay for their own shit? Nah. Because they know that you will sign up to pay for them being rich while your decisions keep yourself limited.

Nah, because rich people love convincing you that a guy getting free food is bad, while they take $1.3 billion in free land, tax money, and 30 year maintenance contracts paid in reverse. And rich people love buy, borrow, die, as it sticks you with their bills if and when they default, and by default they mean that they’re only seeing $5 million in profits so why not have taxpayers take over the debt on the unpaid loan?

Say that there was a different way to spend that level of money. Say there was a way to spend it that would increase commerce, job opportunities, education accessibility, and ease traffic through New York City? There is? Wow! And it would help more than 17,244? Or 60,000? Get the fuck out!

The cost for a tunnel making a Syosset to Westchester commute 20 minutes would be $16 billion over 50 years. Seems VERY affordable in comparison. A full on 12 mile bridge from Oyster Bay to Connecticut would have cost $55 billion in 2018. Sadly, when the bridge was first proposed in 1955? That shit would already be paid for and we’d be planning a replacement 100 year bridge right about now.

So, what is the solution to this highway robbery by billionaire welfare cheat, non-job creating liars? Sports teams were meant to be a monument to civic pride. You have a hometown team to root for! Life is better! It’s like a movie theater, but live! It’s like Broadway, but we don’t want to invest money in theater because that’s intellectual!

If sports were a way to gather people together for a communal experience, in our modern context it has FAILED MISERABLY. Not the players. They love playing. No, the owners are the total scumbags. The owners who think somehow that they’re important to the game because they show up and watch just like fans do, except owners get free millions of dollars for doing such. The owners who tank games on purpose to keep payroll down but never lower ticket prices so their fans can create generational family connections. The owners that turned a fun day at the park into a mortgage payment for half a day of entertainment. Why would the owners be decent?

The owners CAN NOT be decent. How do I know? BECAUSE THEY STEAL PUBLIC TAX DOLLARS IN ORDER TO AOID USING THEIR OWN RICHES TO BUY THEIR TOYS. These assholes are not job creators. They are sinks for tax dollars. Look at how very small government PPP loans created the present super low unemployment rate. Government money, not the billions from Bezos- whose employees can’t even piss without getting fired. They are well dressed thieves. Fuck them one, fuck them all.

That money belonged to you, sucker.

Even Steve Cohen, the man with limitless pockets that bought the Mets? He talked an awful lot of game until baseball made a specific Steve Cohen tax. Suddenly the player spending stopped, and the bullpen looks exactly like that. He cares about winning because it reflects on him, but even he has limits on how he wants to look. A real fan with $16 billion would have burned down $14 billion from day one to win four World Series in a row and have been happy with an asset he can sell for $5 billion after the fact. Imagine burning down a fortune and then turning around and selling it for a fortune? You have to imagine, but these owners don’t, because they steal money to maintain the asset and the present.

He needs your money. Clearly.

And if you’re a mindless fan who follows sports no matter how often your team loses? No matter how often they tank? No matter how frequently they miss the ever expanding playoff field? Grow up. Find a meaningful hobby. Do something new with your life. Take some time off from watching hours of shit a week.

Did you even ever ask the question – why, if my team has the lowest payroll in sports, and TV deals subsidize gigantic aspects of your team payroll, why am I paying $100 a ticket to see a horrible team like the Pittsburgh Pirates? Or the Detroit Lions? Or the New York Jets? This is an $8 value at best.

Folks? Stop giving rich pigs your money. Stop going to games. Stay home.

Owners will move teams to any city that wants them. They have ZERO loyalty to you. So why are you loyal to them, unless you’re a cuck?

Here is your best solution to this absurd matter. Let them move. They may move the Pittsburgh Penguins to Kansas City. And if no one shows up there? Houston moves to New Orleans. And if no one shows up there? New Orleans moves to Savannah, GA. How do I know this?

At one point, New York State had NBA teams in Syracuse, Rochester, and Buffalo. (Syracuse is now the 76ers, Rochester is now the Kings, and Buffalo are now the Clippers). Small cities. And as the league progressed, the teams moved to bigger cities. Well, when big cities are sick of being held hostage for family vacation money to see a 3 hour sporting event? Teams will be forced to move to smaller cities. And they won’t be able to charge as much for tickets, so they’ll have to make prices humane.

Meanwhile? You watch a game at home on your TV. You save $1000 a home game. Your life improves. Yes, your tax money will go to building arenas in weird, small cities, but they’ll be smaller arenas. They may even be fun.

I’d like to end with a rare thing- a publicly held team. The Green Bay Packers are publicly owned. They are super small market. They are incredibly profitable. During a pandemic season with no fans? Team was profitable. The season after the pandemic when fans returned? Once all bills were paid, the Packers had over $70 million lying around. My guess? So do the Buffalo Bills.

Paid for by the public. Also, owned by the same public.

The Atlanta Braves are publicly owned. The state buys them an arena every 25 years because they win a lot, and in reality they don’t want an arena in a minority majority community where the land is less expensive. And the Braves are very successful and profitable. Their stock has gone up 30% in the 24 months that I’ve owned it. Why are you subsidizing that? The 2021 Braves turned more than a million dollars of profit for every home game they had last year, including the playoffs. So technically the Braves cold build their own billion dollar stadium, pay it off in a decade, and still be profitable. But owning a baseball team is a money drain? Time to wake up!

If you have been to a sporting event in the last decade, you have seen at the personal negative financial impact that attending a sporting event created. A sporting event. If you are a kid fan whose folks pay for everything? Your shock awaits. A game at UBS or a semester of textbooks and a new laptop? It’s time to stop filling the pockets of people who use your own money to steal more money from your by buying politicians and getting their own way ala communism in the Soviet Union, where the class disparity started back then has made Vladimir Putin one of the richest people in the world. Coming from a system of privilege, not communism. Just like these people do here now. And just like Putin, they fuck their subjects hard and often.

Think about the teams that won the last Super Bowl and the last Stanley Cup. What did they have in common? The same owner. Because if you get shittons of public money? You can buy whatever you want, and still get that subsidized. You can own teams in every sport, because the public is paying you to do it. And not shockingly, some people oppose this, but will get shouted down because people look at political affiliation as more important than anything else. Because they’re stupid.

Wake up, people. Set the alarm clock for no more games in person, and watch how much better your life becomes. And if your team sucks? Pay attention to your family and friends instead of watching shit. You’ll thank me for preventing you from committing more of the same mistakes.

ALMOST THERE

ALMOST THERE

(Manchester City players celebrating the Premier League title)
With the Premier League season approaching by the end of the week, some teams look more ready than others. From the relegation fight to the title race and those who are meant to be fighting for the top-4 falling out of contention, here is a quick rundown of each team and their predicted positions for the upcoming season and their readiness.
20. BOURNEMOUTH
(Adam Smith Bournemouth defender)
When it comes to Premier League quality, Bournemouth doesn’t seem to exude any. This time around they could be finishing rock bottom in the upcoming season. Even with Scott Parker at the helm and the additions of Marcus Tavernier, Ryan Fredericks, and Joe Rothwell the squad does not seem capable to compete in the league.

Heavily reliant on Dominic Solanke who in the Championship last season produced 29 goals and 7 assists in the 46-game season may not be able to translate that into the Premier League with Parker’s slow-build up playstyle. Back down they go.

19. LEEDS UNITED
(Joe Gelhardt, Jack Harrison and Daniel James)
After narrowly escaping the drop last season, I’m afraid the Jesse Marsch-led Yorkshire team won’t beat it this year. With an injury-prone striker in Patrick Bamford, a defense that changes shape more than Ghost Rider, and the loss of Raphina and Kalvin Phillips to Barcelona and Manchester City respectively, the strength of the team is not what it was.

The additions of Tyler Adams, Marc Roca, Brenden Aaronson, and Luis Sinisterra are good on paper, however, the latter is out for about three months, and for the others, the speed of the Premier League may prove very challenging.

18. BRENTFORD
(Brentford ace Ivan Toney)
The buzzing bees will have their work cut out for them with the loss of Christian Eriksen who made them a massively better team. In fact, without Eriksen, they won six games from a possible twenty-eight. With the great Dane, they won seven out of ten games contested showing the importance of the playmaker.

Even though the bees have signed two exciting players in Aaron Hickey and Keane Lewis-Potter, with the shrewd signing of Thomas Strakosha on a free, the lack of creativity will be their heaviest issue as second-season syndrome kicks Brentford out.

17. FULHAM
(Fulham players celebrating)
For once Fulham looks like they have invested properly with the acquisitions of former Arsenal and Germany number one Berd Leno, Andreas Pereira from Manchester United, Kevin Mbabu from Wolfsburg, and Portuguese midfielder Joao Palhinha to go along with record scorer Alex Mitrovic, the Cottagers look to secure back-to-back seasons in the top flight since 2001.

Usually, Fulham proves to be a yo-yo club, however, with Marco Silva in charge and the liquid football that got them promoted mixed with the existing quality they have, it could be two straight years for the London-based outfit.

16. WOLVES
(Wolves players celebrating during the 2021/22 season)
The over-reliance on Goalkeeper Jose Sa could spill over into the new season for Wolverhampton and could see their season take a turn for a relegation fight instead of a fight for top six. The permanent deals of Hwang Hee-Chan and Nathan Collins may not be enough to have Bruno Lage’s men back to where they once were.

With the loss of Roman Saiss, who is now a Besiktas player, and loaning Fabio Silva to Anderlecht, depth may be the issue in Wolves stringing two good performances together.

15. LEICESTER
(Leicester during preseason)
The Foxes are not looking good during this window, and the squad that performed last season clearly cannot be the ones to go again this season, or they will be in massive trouble. Leicester has not made any additions, however, they welcomed Wesley Fofana back from injury along with Johnny Evans.

They however have allowed Kasper Schmeichel to leave for Nice in France, Soumare possibly to go on loan, and speculation over the futures of James Maddison and Youri Tielemans. Brendan Rodgers is also on thin ice with his future and these off-the-field issues could distract players to underperform, that is if Rodgers is still in charge.

14. NOTTINGHAM FOREST
(Forest are filled with young talent)
The newly promoted outfit will be involved in fight for mid-table instead of relegation in their first season back in nearly two decades. The loss of custodian Brice Samba was easily and quickly replaced with Dean Henderson on loan from Manchester United.

The English keeper has a point to prove as he wants the number 1 shirt from David De Gea when his loan move ends. Also, with the acquisitions of Omar Richards, Lewis O’Brien, Neco Williams, and Jesse Lingard, Steve Cooper’s men are ready to stay in the division.

13. SOUTHAMPTON
(Southampton striker Adam Armstrong)
Southampton is lucky to be in the division this season seeing as their form in 2022 was relegation-like, only picking up one win. The Saints are still here though led by Ralph Hasenhuttl and captain James Ward-Prowse.

They have signed quite a few young players such as Gavin Bazunu, one of Europe’s most talented ‘keepers, striker Sekou Mara and midfielder Joe Aribo from Rangers, a bit of youthful exuberance could be what Southampton needs to finish mid-table.

12. EVERTON
(The Toffees looking to put last season’s failure behind them)
Even though they were handily beaten 4-0 by Minnesota United in the preseason and saved themselves in the penultimate game of the season, Lampard’s Toffees only experienced a blip. In the Premier League, the only thing more important than quality is experience.

With that in mind, they have that in James Tarkowski, Dele Alli, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin to nurture the younger players such as Dwight McNeil and Anthony Gordon to help fill the void of the departed Richarlison.

11. CRYSTAL PALACE
(Wilfred Zaha and Joel Ward are the remaining squad members from this picture)
Patrick Vieira has transformed the philosophy of the Eagles since Roy Hodgson left and the fans couldn’t be happier. The loss of Conor Gallagher is going to be a mammoth to overcome seeing as the Chelsea player was at the center of everything good last season and even the signing of Mali international Cheick Doucoure can’t fill.

Now with the acquisitions of teen star Malcolm Ebiowei and Chris Richards, Palace could be involved in a Top seven place for most of the season before succumbing to a late-season push from the others around them.

10. ASTON VILLA
(Villa players John McGinn, Ashley Young, Emiliano Buendia, and Danny Ings)
Steven Gerrard’s Villains could be in for a fruitful season, not only in the Premier League. Jacob Ramsey was a breakout star during the 2021/22 season and has been one of the first names on the team sheet since then. Leon Bailey is going to come back with a vengeance after a not-so-spectacular season, mostly halted through injury.

Brazilian magician Philippe Coutinho made his loan move permanent to Villa Park before Diego Carlos and Boubacar Kamara signed for the Villains. With those additions, 10th may be the best place for them unless Gerrard can get the players doing much more.

9. BRIGHTON
(Captain Lewis Dunk in the foreground)
Potter-ball took the league by storm last season and this season won’t be any different. Fighting off Manchester City to keep Marc Cucurella could be one of the best things done this window. Unfortunately, Chelsea is paying full price for the fullback.

They already lost one key member of the squad in Yves Bissouma and they wouldn’t want to lose another, especially with a £15 million bid on the table for forward Neal Maupay. One of the better managers in the PL to work his magic once more.

8. WEST HAM
(Jarrod Bowen looking to carry on the great season)
The bubble-blowing Hammers have been flirting with the top six for the last couple of years under David Moyes, however, they may see more regression than progression this year.

Keeping Declan Rice was a massive statement and adding Gianluca Scamacca for £35 million, Alphonse Areola for £8 million, and defender Nayef Aguerd for £30 million there is depth for Moyes’ men but not enough that can fill in the right way.

7. NEWCASTLE
(Could Newcastle get Maddison before the start of the season?)
Premier League money boys are not spending what most people expected but they are spending to make sure they improve on last season. They already made the loan move of Matt Targett permanent from Villa, they also signed the likes of Nick Pope and Sven Botman.

The Magpies are also trying to recruit a striker after missing out on Hugo Ekitike with names like Benjamin Sesko being mentioned. They are also in for James Maddison from Leicester with the Foxes rejecting a £40 million bid and holding out for £60 million. The latest reports were that a bid amounting to £50 million was lodged and Leicester was inclined to accept the offer but time will tell.

6. MANCHESTER UNITED
(United players during a water break)
New manager Erik Ten Hag has his work cut out for him, but if the play in the preseason can be translated to the league then United fans are in for a treat. Acquiring Tyrell Malacia and Lisandro Martinez from the Eredivise where Ten Hag was last, and also Christian Eriksen are welcome additions to a team that floundered for most of the season.

The saga of Frenkie De Jong looks to be going until the end of the transfer window with the midfielder still not approving a move to Old Trafford after a £72 million fee was agreed between Manchester United and Barcelona. Reports are that the player wants the deferred payments that Barcelona owes him amounting to £17 million. United is still short in some areas so for now, 6th is the best position for the Red Devils.

5. CHELSEA
(New signing Raheem Sterling)
Chelsea has seen all of their summer targets go to Barcelona (except Koulibaly) and has really dented their transfer plans. Todd Boehly who is also co-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers wants to pick up where his predecessor left off in terms of recruitment.

Chelsea lost the likes of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen, loaning out Romelu Lukaku to Inter Milan, the Blues need massive reinforcements as they look to add one of Presnel Kimpembe or Wesley Fofana, and also Denzel Dumfries to four-time league champion Raheem Sterling. Timo Werner may also leave the London club, however, he would need to take a massive pay cut from his current £270,000 per week salary to do so.

4. ARSENAL
(Mikel Arteta with Gabriel Jesus)
Arsenal may finally be back under the guidance of Mikel Arteta and look set for future seasons. Arteta, who I predicted to be Manager of the Season, has assembled a team of youth, experience, and serial winners.

Adding Gabriel Jesus as the missing piece upfront to Bukayo Saka and Gabrielle Martinelli could only be better than last season. A utility player in the form of Oleksandr Zinchenko who can play both left-back and center midfield, and a midfielder in Fabio Vieira from Porto Arsenal’s depth is frightening.

3. TOTTENHAM
(Spurs striker Harry Kane)
Spurs under Antonio Conte have been unrecognizable compared to other seasons, and I say that in a good way. The Italian took a team from 8th place and looked disinterested to 4th place and brimming with confidence.

That will only get better with the additions of Yves Bissouma, Richarlison, Ivan Perisic, Djed Spence, and Clement Lenglet to name a few. It should be smooth sailing for Tottenham and possibly a trophy this season.

2. LIVERPOOL
(Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mohammed Salah, and Fabinho in the background)
They may be favorites to many others but not for me. Liverpool has one of the best XI’s in the league and one of the best coaches in the world in Jurgen Klopp but they don’t have the depth to go all the way this time. Signing Darwin Nunez for £64 million plus add-ons to replace Sadio Mane is a good deal and Fabio Carvalho is definitely going to be a star.

When you want to be in a title race though depth is key. If an important player such as a Trent Alexander-Arnold goes down injured he has no backup. They may look complete but they need to add in the right areas to be contending until the final day.

1. MANCHESTER CITY
(Erling Haaland with Ruben Dias in the background)
Manchester City has a good chance to defend their title from twelve months ago, not because they are better than Liverpool but have more quality options than the Merseyside team. Erling Haaland is a fantastic player but that miss in the community shield could change the narrative briefly.

Not to sound idiotic or anything but the way Guardiola sets his team up and plays, Haaland will find himself on the bench more times than a few because he just won’t fit. Julian Alvarez would suit the striker position more of how Pep plays so he could feature more than the Norwegian in their title run.