Across the Pond 2000-01 European Preview

Soccer Digest, Oct, 2000 by Scott Plagenhoef

Another busy--and expensive--transfer season highlighted the preparation for a fixture-clogged European season

England

Manchester United's grip on the Premiership crown was never stronger than it was last year as the club wrapped up the title in a record number of games. This year that grip has been significantly weakened. While Liverpool, Chelsea, and Leeds United continued to make moves in order to overtake the Big Red Machine, United was happy just adding Fabien Barthez to help shore up the team's goaltending. Plus, the club will under significant pressure to secure the services of midfielders David Beckham and Paul Scholes or risk losing one or both to clubs in Italy or Spain more willing to splash out big money for big talent.

Still, in addition to Beckham and Scholes, Roy Keane, Dwight Yorke, Andy Cole, Jaap Stam, and Ryan Giggs are a precocious collection of talent and defenders Wes Brown and Ronny Jonsen return from injuries that sidelined each for much of last season.

United's usual Premiership rivals, Arsenal, had a rough summer. First, Brazilian signee Edu was turned away from Heathrow Airport for attempting to enter England with a phony passport, effectively ending that deal, and then Barcelona swooped for French midfielder Emmanuel Petit and Dutch winger Marc Overmars just weeks before the start of the season.

The deal, worth 30 million [pounds sterling], may have been good business, but Arsenal don't start the season with the necessary replacements and may find luring world-class talent to Highbury after the season has started to be a difficult task.

Petit had begun to become a malcontent and a distraction, but his pairing with fellow Frenchman Patrick Vieira was an unquestioned strength of the Arsenal side. How this effects Vieira's drive is yet to be seen, but with defenders Tony Adams and Lee Dixon and goaltender David Seaman showing serious signs of age, another dominant bulldog midfielder is a necessity. Robert Pires, one of the substitute heroes of France's Euro 2000 Finals victory, arrives to replace Overmars on the left side of midfield.

Arsene Wenger's other French star, Thierry Henry, is now the key man for Arsenal. Henry will team with a rested Dennis Bergkamp up top, with Kanu on hand to deputize. Croatian star Davor Suker moved from North to East London on a free transfer to West Ham.

The biggest challenge to the Manchester United juggernaut, probably won't come from Arsenal, but the Red Devils' old rivals Liverpool. The Reds have disappointed over the past couple of seasons, but they hope to fide last year's late-season surge to a championship--provided their players can remain healthy. As the season kicked off, midfielder Jamie Redknapp was preparing for a long stint on the trainer's table and striker Robbie Fowler was due to sit out the initial run of the new campaign as well.

The Liverpool defense is much improved with Sami Hyypia solidifying the centerback spot, allowing Dominic Matteo and Markus Babbel to push forward. Defensive midfielders Steven Gerrard and Dieter Hamman will also help disrupt opposing team's attacks.

On the attack, the versatile Nick Barmby arrives--from Everton of all places, only the fourth player to ever transfer 'cross the Mersey to Liverpool. Michael Owen and Emile Heskey will lead the attack until Fowler returns and then rotate with the oft-injured striker.

Speaking of player rotation, Chelsea returns a strong squad who aim to challenge for the title. Gianluca Vialli even welcomed a few more key players, most notably former Leeds star Jimmy Floyd Hasslebaink at striker. Vialli discouraged Tore Andre Flo and Frank Lebouf from leaving the side, but couldn't sway French captain Didier Deschamps, who transferred to Valencia. Vialli's depth will be a plus once the World Cup qualifying schedule heats up again.

The youngsters at Leeds will challenge for the title as well--provided they can stay together on the pitch. Between Lee Bowyer and Johnathan Woodgate running afoul of the law and Mark Viduka and Harry Kewell planning on missing much of the early season to play for Australia in the Olympics, Leeds could stutter before the winter break. That would be a shame, as that first stretch of the season is when they excelled last year. Losing veteran defensive midfielder David Batty for the season is a near-fatal blow.

Elsewhere, in the fight for spots in Europe, Everton is banking on a completely revamped midfield and the continued health of Kevin Campbell; Leicester City is leaning on striker Abe Akinbiyi, their record transfer from Wolves; Aston Villa is hoping that prying David Ginola from Tottenham convinces defenders Gareth Southgate and Ubo Ehiogu to stick around; and the Spurs themselves hope Darren Anderton can stay healthy and Sol Campbell slays in North London.

Italy

Italy's Serie A championship came down to the final day--and was nearly sullied by some eyebrow-raising refereeing. Yet, after Juventus entered the season's final match day clinging to a two-point lead over Lazio--thanks to the call back of a seemingly legitimate goal which would have knotted the score and the Serie A standings--the Turin team fell and the Romans celebrated. The game was viewed as a just retribution by Italian soccer fans who felt Juventus long received favor from referees and Serie A officials. Lazio and Juventus both earn places in this year's Champions League, with Milan rivals AC and Inter needing to go through qualifying.