With the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson and Roberto Mancini at the end of last season, the 2013/2014 Premier League will only contain two managers who know what it is like to lift the trophy: Arséne Wenger and José Mourinho.
Even these two luminaries of the Beautiful Game cannot be said to have had recent exposure to the twinkling token of English football. Wenger last lifted the trophy in the 2004, whilst Mourinho won it in 2006 and has since been on a European tour, grabbing titles in Italy and Spain before returning to his beloved Chelsea for the upcoming season.
With all this said, would it be such a surprise if these two men were to battle it out at the top of the table next term? To speak of this assumes two things: one, that Moyes' new-look Manchester United will need a season of adjusting to a non-Ferguson figure at the helm; and two, that Manuel Pellegrini may need time to adjust to the rigours of an English Premier League season. This is without even considering how well Tottenham may do having strengthened in the summer.
These two outcomes are not beyond the realms of possibility. Wenger, although having slipped down the pecking order in recent years, still knows what it takes to win the title. And if the early movements in the transfer market this summer are anything to go by, he might be gearing up for a huge push towards the league this year. Gonzalo Higuaín is on the verge of joining the Gunners, and a substantial bid for German international Lars Bender was rejected by Leverkusen recently. This early business bodes well for Wenger, as he looks like he is finally ready to prove the doubters of his master-saving-plan wrong.
On the other hand, Chelsea under Mourinho look even more of a title-winning team. Combining the already-in-place trickery and flair of Oscar, Juan Mata, and Eden Hazard with Mourinho's high-tempo, defensively-solid tactics makes for a frightening combination for the rest of the teams in the league. Mourinho won the title in his first two seasons in England, without even breaking a sweat, so there is no doubt the man knows how to deal with pressure.
The signs look good for a breaking of the Manchester-based hegemony at the tob of the table. All that remains is to see whether Wenger and Mourinho can take advantage and seize their opportunity.
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Click to ClaimSam publishes regular feature and tips pieces for Howtobet4free. He has a blog, crackingjabulanis.blogspot.co.uk, and can be found on Twitter by following @Gaytski.
