The beginning of the Premier League season is at all times lengthy awaited, but it comes round so early in the summertime that one can’t assist ending up feeling a little bit however prefer it’s only a continuation of the preseason.
One week you’re taking part in Inter Milan in a pleasant at residence, the subsequent you’re taking part in Man Metropolis and it really counts… the solar remains to be shining and the switch window remains to be open, however the factors depend the identical because the nail biters come Might.
This was the staff’s downfall final yr – a gradual begin (regardless of some good performances) meant that Mauricio Pochettino’s staff have been taking part in catch-up all yr. They actually solely got into gear in week 7, when Cole Palmer emerged as a starter, and an enormous precedence this season is ensuring we don’t find yourself in the identical scenario.
The fixtures fall fairly kindly for the staff on that entrance. We’re already a few factors higher off, and we’ve bought video games in opposition to West Ham, Brighton and Nottingham Forest up subsequent. There aren’t any simple sport within the Premier League, or definitely none which you could depend on being simple earlier than they begin, however that’s as beneficial as runs go.
We had higher take advantage of it although – after that it will get actually nasty via October and November. The next run sees us face Liverpool, Newcastle, Man U, Arsenal and Aston Villa all by the first of December – adopted by Chelsea v Spurs on the seventh to cap all of it off.
That could be a horrible run, and one which may see an actual spiral of confidence if factor don’t exit means. It’s massively necessary that the staff squeeze each final level out of this softer run, in any other case we may discover ourselves in a reasonably determined scenario by mid-December.
Enzo Maresca will hope that each passing week helps the squad adapt to his system increasingly, and if we see enchancment over the subsequent month there’s no cause we are able to’t win factors off these greater groups. However the reverse can be true – if we battle within the subsequent month, it’s laborious to see us stepping into gear in opposition to a number of the stronger sides within the league.
Not like Pochettino’s system, which was very efficient on the counter in opposition to groups who got here out and attacked, whereas Maresca’s seeks extra management of the ball. It will likely be very fascinating to see the way it performs in these two distinct phases of fixtures.
