Defying the Critics

Numerous champions have ironically attributed the inspiration for their success to criticism; even that intended to bring them down. At the dawn of this new Premier League season, many clubs will be anxiously rubbing their hands at the opportunity to defy critics.

Southampton is arguably the team that has suffered the most ridicule this summer as they have overseen an exodus of six star players and the manager credited with their remarkable season. While most pundits predict that their new look squad led by a novice manager to the Premier League will descend from the echelons of challenging for European football to a relegation dog fight, Ronald Koeman will be determined to prove that he has the managerial wit to be a Premier League hit. Southampton’s cause may be helped by Crystal Palace’s crazy decision to part ways with the manager who impressively transformed their season from certainties for relegation to the brink of a top half of the table finish. The wisdom of West Brom’s decision to offer Alan Irvine his first managerial assignment will also be tested especially after their ostracized sacking of the highly regarded Steve Clarke.

While West Brom’s Alan has a blank slate to fill, Newcastle’s Alan has a dark slate to clean. On top of embarrassing the club and his managerial colleagues with an unprovoked head-butt of an opposition player, Alan Pardew oversaw a dreadful run in the second half of last season that included six straight defeats. After enduring very loud boos from his own fans and most pundits begging for his head, Alan will want to make the most of the miracle that he is still in a job by turning around the fans’ opinion of him.

If any manager can think that Pardew is in an enviable position, it is Sam Allardyce who can never do enough to win the support of West Ham’s owners and fans. He may have got the club promoted and helped establish them in the Premier League with two decent end-of-season table standings, but his efficient playing style is being held against him. Although none of his previous teams have been renowned for playing with flair, the club owners have bought the players they feel should enable him to do more than just win, as they need him to do it with style. Most pundits have him together with Aston Villa’s Paul Lambert as odds on favorites for the sack. Big Sam will be extra motivated to prove that with the right resources, he has the coaching ability deliver the silky football to turn around his club’s apparently insatiable fans.

Probably the most inspired outfit contending at the top end of the table will be Manchester United. After enjoying peerless dominance for twenty odd years, United’s players suffered unfathomable ridicule in a limp season they will be eager to forget. Given that the blue moneybags in Manchester and London have added so much quality to their already lavish squads, qualifying for the Champions League may be as far as inspiration can get this United squad. Standing in United’s way will be a finally munificent Arsene Wenger and Brendan Rogers who has already made ten new signings. Wenger will be inspired to prove that Arsenal’s nearly decade long trophy drought was merely enforced by the club’s long term investment in a stadium rather than a sign that he has been surpassed by modern day coaching.  Rogers on the other hand will be motivated to prove that his self-belief is not misplaced and that he is leading a genuine Liverpool renaissance that will not be halted by the departure of a single troubled player.

The highlighted clubs, their players and managers may face different challenges to defy their critics but they all approach the new season with renewed optimism and defiance that they believe will help them upset the odds. In the dog-eat-dog World that the Premier League is, it has to be at the expense of another that one can realize their objective. Who will have the last laugh?