The Great EPL 2010-2011 Title Race

14th August! The date when the much awaited EPL kicks off to begin another season of franticness. This EPL season is most likely to be another topsy-turvy ride, with many teams pushing for the honors. Apart from the usual top four of Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United; Spurs and Manchester City would also be pushing hard for the title.

Manchester City

Having already splurged 75 million pounds in new acquisitions in the summer in addition to the 100 million Pounds last term, Man City are looking stronger than last year. Manager Mancini said in a Press conference that he wanted two quality players for every position. A squad boasting of new signings of Yaya Toure, David Silva, Jerome Boateng, and Aleksandar Kolarov, he has certainly managed that!

However, with the new EPL rule of having a cap of 25 players with atleast 8 home grown players, it remains to be seen who Mancini decides to drop or let go. Even then, keeping so many top players happy may not be the easiest of the tasks for the Italian tactician. Moreover, with each passing day, City close in on Balotelli and James Milner.

On paper, they easily have the best team in England. But how they play as a team will be interesting to watch!

Tottenham Hotspur

With talented attacking players like Modric, Lennon and Kranjcar, Spurs played one the most flowing football last season. The find of the season for them was Gareth Bale. He was terrible initially when he played at left back. But he reveled as a left winger.

This should be the season where Spurs build on their 4th finish from last year. Whatever be the case, they are sure entertainers!

Liverpool

Having disappointed everyone last season, Liverpool will keep a realistic target of finishing in top 4. They seem to have a mediocre squad in comparison to the title contenders.

With the signings of Serbian winger Milan Jovanovic and Joe Cole on a free transfers, Liverpool seem to have won a lottery. Also the signing of the promising 18 year old defender Danny Wilson from Rangers for a mere 2 million Pounds seems to be a bargain.

Liverpool fans must be delighted to see the flop Alberto Riera leave. Liverpool have let go of the talented Israeli, Yossi Benayoun to Chelsea. However, he would not be missed much as they already have Joe Cole to fill in the boots.

Liverpool will in most likely struggle to finish in the top 4. However, with former Fulham manager, Roy Hodgson who guided the mediocre Fulham to the finals of the UEFA Cup last term, at the helm, anything can happen.

Arsenal

Arsenal play a brand of football which is very close to that of Barcelona's. Having almost lost Captain Marvelous to Barcelona, Arsenal can surely compete for the title this season with Cesc in the team. A squad which boasts of tremendously talented young players this can be their turn around season.

Having signed Bordeaux striker Chamakh on a free transfer and the French Laurent Koscielny for a fee in the range of 10 million Pounds, Arsenal look stronger than last term. Koscielny will act as a direct replacement for WIlliam Gallas who has moved. Chamakh will add more firepower to the squad.

In all fairness, Cesc will again be the center of Arsenal's play. They look amazing when he plays and the opposite otherwise. Their season will depend on a lot on their want away Captain. Given the young squad has one more year of experience, Arsenal should be competing for the top prize come the business end of season.

Chelsea

Having lost Ballack and Joe Cole, most will think that Chelsea would be a weakened unit this season. But with one of the most experienced sides in the Premier League, they are stronger than ever. They have Essien coming back into the team and he is a real match winner.

The signing of Benayoun from Liverpool is a master act. He will surely add more creativity to the team and is a replacement for the talented Cole. Chelsea are also closing in on Brazilian Ramires, and if the deal is done he will be a direct replacement for the German Ballack.

With their experience Chelsea will surely be right up there from start to end.

Manchester United

This season would most probably be a transitional season where Sir Alex gives more games to his crop of young and talented players. Gibson and Cleverly are talented to say the least. Cleverly has especially caught the eye with his goal scoring prowess from midfield.

Having signed two young players back in January, namely, Javier Hernandez and Chris Smalling, Sir Alex Ferguson chose to be quite in the summer. The Mexican Hernandez has looked especially promising with his performances in the World Cup and the pre-season friendlies.

This season will surely act as "change of guard", given the old horses will most probably retire after the current term. They may find it difficult to compete with Chelsea, but one thing is for sure, with the current mix of youth and experience, they will surely be among the mix come business end of the season.

Whatever happens this season, it is sure going to live up to the expectations. With atleast 6 contenders competing for the Title, it is going to be the best EPL season yet!

The Rat Race

 

The rat race is a seemingly endless pursuit with little reward or purpose. There is always somebody ahead. Ever pause to ponder, why we need to push, shove, nudge, elbow and shoulder to overtake one, then the next, then another, only to be overtaken by fellow humans or rather “rats” who stayed alive at our finishing line.

The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win, you're still a rat. —Lily Tomlin

The Rat race starts right from childhood. It starts off with the parents of a 3 year old being interviewed in order to decide who the better “rat” is for entering school. Once the poor rat is in, the life aka the rat race begins.

“Top of the class, bottom of the class, you’ve failed, passed, topper, failure,” Come on. It’s (rat) just a 4-year old. That’s called “killing softly”. This race goes on for about 12 long and gruelling years, and then we’re in “The Tenth”. We’re told, “Just do well here and you are set for life.” Little “the rats” know. They fall in the ditch and it’s like an abyss. Soon “The Tenth” is in the past and up comes “The Twelth”.  The greatest test, yet! There are boards, there are competitive, and then there is this new found urge to do ‘different’ things ;) Hell, that’s competitive and leaves everybody rattled, so much so, that we don’t realise that it’s just the sign of things to come. The thing told to us about being “set for life” is simply a deception created to hide the ultimate truth concerning life; life is a rat race.

Perhaps, the more intense the race and the more it is contested, the greater is the claim to an elevated level of development. By any reckoning, it appears to be a primitive stage, rather than an evolved stage of civilization.

It is a known fact that a very long time ago we were primates. Even though this was millions of years ago, we still live the “primate” way!

Primates are hierarchical. The higher up the hierarchy one is the better the chances of survival. We compete with each other over access to food, education, jobs, “mates” etc. Available resources rarely meet the demands made by wild primates or indeed humans and thus competition is a way of life.            

"No matter what you do in the rat race, success is not guaranteed, but if you do nothing failure is" —Paul Ulasien

Subsequently there is college, which is definitely the best time of anyone’s life, where the ultimate “rat race” ensues. Session exams are always a pain. So is the week long studying before the exams and “that” week of the exams. There is an explicit race in these exams. The race can be incredibly like chalk and cheese for different rats that are like chalk and cheese.  Some are racing to come amongst the toppers and beat their “friends”. While others are racing to fail in as many (or less) subjects as their immediate “adversaries”.

Nevertheless, the more interesting race starts a week before the exams, when the “elite” rats are running around to gather notes/books to get them photocopied. They’re often willing to pay extra to get their hands on the photocopies, just in time, and that is as early as a day before the exam. Yes, these rats are that elite.

School, college then what follows is obvious, a JOB.

First, as always, the rats have to race again. Compete against thousands of people. Those who get in, think for a moment that they’re at the finishing line. “Set for life.” Yes? No! The line just got further. Now the race is of a different kind, a marathon. Earlier rats used to crib about “not seeing” themselves work in a 9 to 6 environment, citing reasons like “it’s hectic”. LOL. Well, that is true, isn’t it? It’s more like 9 to 12 now, with atleast 12 hours obligatory.

“Raceism” or more popularly the rat race is not just limited to the professional front. Enter Facebook! We toil late into the night, unleashing an endless stream of status updates and tweets. Then there are always those farms, fishes, homes, mafias to brag about. I once read that this ploy by virtual rats is just an attempt to keep themselves relevant, desirable and in. Well, I think that’s a little offensive. Anyhow, if it is true, then it’s a race, the virtual rat race.  

It turns out virtual life is less about connectivity than self-branding.

People are like lost sheep that have gone astray and don't know who they are, so instead of   searching who they really are, they submit to society and do whatever is in. Be it related to career or “love” life or this virtual life!

At the end of the day, there is just one outcome of ‘The rat race’; fear. Fear of outcomes debilitates us. We begin dreading futile and little things in life. Moreover, that in turn leads to obsessing about the future and obsession is always a bitch! That will make anyone compulsive, cranky and unhappy. Not sad, but unhappy.

There are always reasons, mostly material, to be unhappy, Raceism being the major. The smart thing to would be to stop agonizing over them, especially when they are inevitable. Not only must one want to be happy but it is the very purpose of life. In other words, it is okay to be happy. It is okay to want to be happy.

God, we have been told, helps those who help themselves

`Raceism’ has come to stay in the world.