BARRY HORNE: New football season the most open and competitive for a decade

15 August 2009 00:00
It's that time of year again and I have to say that I'm looking forward to this new season as much as I have any since I finished playing. The relative lack of spending at Manchester United and Chelsea in conjunction with big spending at Manchester City and Tottenham and investment at Villa and Liverpool promises to make this campaign the most open and competitive in more than a decade. Sir Alex Ferguson has lost two key members of last year's title-winning squad, without replacement. Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs are 12 months older and, for all of Fergie's undoubted ability, United will not be feared as they have been in the past. In pre-season, Arsenal have looked superb going forward. Cesc Fabregas, Jack Wilshere and Andrei Arshavin have all impressed but, yet again, Arsene Wenger has failed to rectify a long running problem - they are vulnerable at the back. Chelsea have added to their squad and looked very solid in the Community Shield and, for me, they will be the team to beat and I think Liverpool should run them close, having spent the money from Xabi Alonso's sale and a little bit more. Of those who are aspiring to get into the Champions League - the usual suspects are Spurs, Villa and Everton - there is a nouveau riche Manchester City. People have questioned Mark Hughes' spending, suggesting that he hasn't acquired top, top players. But what he has got, however, is a group of players from the best of the rest and his squad has a very good balance to it; the one position I think they may struggle in is up front, where I don't think Roque Santa Cruz is as good as Mark thinks he is.

Source: Liverpool_Echo