Chelsea's Rivals for the Title?

Ancelotti's dismissal was both unexpected and expected. Unexpected in the sense that he actually did a good job. First he clinched a historic double in his first attempt with virtually no addition to the squad of his own liking. In his second season he fought the way through to a 1st-runner-up that was made so difficult by the grave mistakes of his bosses.

In with André Villas-Boas, a young 33-year-old manager. Everyone is doubting his credentials and every Chelsea fan is worrying that they may have another manager next year around if he could not win the Premier League or the Champions League title. 

So which clubs are standing in his way to repay the club's faith in him? Are the threats from these clubs real?

Liverpool: Could They Keep Up with Time?

Liverpool had a new regime under the King and the right-hand man Chelsea fans know so well: Steve Clarke.

Dalglish is undoubtedly a hugely respected player and manager in the history of the club. But sentiments aside, his record of 10 wins, 3 draws and 5 losses since he took over in January is not convincing at all, and in fact it was this set of results that deprived Liverpool of a passport to Europe this season.

OK, many blamed everything on Hodgson for the dismal results. Dalglish is even given a big budget to reinvigorate the squad. Luis Suarez is a good buy, but Andy Carroll, not unlike his predecessor now at Chelsea, still has to prove his price tag.

Those brought in this summer are largely untested in the challenge for trophies. Besides Suarez and Carroll, Charlie Adam (Blackpool), Jordan Henderson (Sunderland), Stewart Downing (Aston Villa) are those diligent players, but do they have the experience and winning mentality for trophies? With the exception of Alexander Doni (AS Roma), they have not been tested at the highest level.

Not only the players, Kenny Dalglish and Steve Clarke themselves have to prove that they can keep up with time.

The declining results by the end of last season, the inability of Clarke in assisting Gianfranco Zola to organize a decent defense by the end of their reign at West Ham, show that what he learnt from Jose Mourinho needs to be refreshed.

The results in their pre-season games this summer, though not an accurate indication of what is to come, may somewhat reveal something is wrong.

Though many tip them to break into the top four this season, I seriously doubt it and I think they could only struggle to get a Europa League place.

Prediction: Sixth

Tottenham Hotspur: Energetic

Harry Redknapp, unlike Dalglish, would be happy if he could keep his stars at the club.

Tottenham is a money-making club and they make wise business decisions. But it also means that every player is open for sale at the right price, as his assistant manager's "Freudian slip" admitted. Luka Modric, Gareth Bale, Peter Crouch and the largely-unused Niko Kranjcar could all leave this summer.

With no European competition as bait, it would be hard for Redknapp to bring in quality players. Also, Redknapp's style of using more or less the same squad left them depleted in the second half of the season, along with their ability to keep up with Man City in the pursuit of Champions League qualification.

But if Redknapp could keep Modric, they still have a very good squad. Title contender, of course, no; but Champions League qualification, very probable.

Prediction: Fourth

Arsenal: Deja Vu

It is rumored that Cesc Fabregas is leaving the Emirates Stadium in 48 hours. Until then, he is still in Arsenal shirts, but in practice he no longer is.

The same situation happened years ago with Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry. Widely rumored to leave for new pastures, they remained at the club under the persuasion of their manager Arsene Wenger and their fans. But their doubts over their decision to stay turned them into shadows of their past.

Same with Fabregas. Injuries aside, his dip in form was alarming, and it was even so hard to find a smile on his face in matches. So, same for Samir Nasri, even if they stayed on for another season, it is doubtful if they could perform at their highest potentials as before.

And for the rest of the squad, as evident in the departure of Gael Clichy, the erosion of the will to fight due to their lack of trophies has finally surfaced. If Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is the high-profile summer acquisition, this is a club in rapid decline.

Prediction: Fifth

Man City: A Real Test for Mancini

The question is simple. If Carlos Tevez stays, Mancini's squad could challenge for the title; otherwise, they would not even come close.

Twenty of the 60 League goals came from Tevez in Man City's last campaign, the second highest scorer was Yaya Toure with eight. In terms of goal attempts, Tevez made a whopping 120 while the second-best came from David Silva's 64. 

Could "Kun" Aguero do the same if his compatriot leaves?

Another big weakness in Man City's hunt for the title lies in Mancini himself. His great reputation as a player and Inter manager seem to affect his relations with his players. Of course, not all managers have to be friends with their players, but Mancini seems unable to truly understand his players, not to say gel or motivate them.

So the Man City squad is still a scattered group of individuals with little motivation, and it seems unlikely that this is going to change. His lavishly-assembled squad giving away the Community Shield in such a way to the youngsters from the other side of the city is a good demonstration of that.

Prediction: Third

Man United: Always the Contender

He understands his players like a father, he cares for them, he could keep up with the ever-changing demands of the game, he is willing to accept his failure and improve, he has established a system that is always competitive. Alex Ferguson is definitely the manager of the century, and he is going to do it again this season.

Last season, Man United could have won the Premiership, but deep in Fergie's heart he must have known that a massive restructuring of the team is needed. Just 80 points with 5 away wins out of 19, if not for the sudden suicidal dip in form by Ancelotti's men, he knew he would not have won it so easily.

His squad has well-matured in the last season. Rooney, Javier Hernandez, Nani, Vidic, Evra, etc. have all proven to be world-class players. De Gea, despite his mistake last weekend, is one of the most renowned young keepers in the world.

But the midfield is an area that must be well-addressed, as shown in the Champions League Final, in which Man United was overrun by Barca. A modern midfielder who could tackle, distribute, pass, do free kicks is high on the list.

If Wesley Sneijder joins Fergie's squad, the Champions League-winning team that could match Mourinho's Inter Milan may be seen.

Prediction: First/Second?

Chelsea: Is Age a Problem?

Many doubt whether Villas-Boas could do the job at his age. Marcel Desailly, Roy Keane, etc. But fact is fact. He did a treble at Porto last season.

To win one trophy you could say it was down to luck. Plus another two, including one European trophy, plus a whole league season without losing a match. This is not something luck can give you. This young man is no ordinary 33-year-old.

And some say it is because of the lower standard of the Portuguese League. What about the Europa League? And the lower standard of the Portuguese League also mean Porto is no Barca or Man United.

A less star-studded squad in a league with lower standard is not much easier than Man United or Chelsea clinching the Premier League title.

What about the ages of the players? It is well-documented that the backbone of Ancelotti's men is well over 30. But do not forget the ability of Carlo Ancelotti in prolonging the playing career of the old players, as he performed magic at AC Milan with Maldini, Ambrosini, Gattuso, etc.

The 30+ players may not be as old as they seem. The likes of John Terry, Didier Drogba and Ashley Cole are still at very high levels. Malouda, though not as speedy as he was, is now more experienced, and you could see his influence in the build-up of attempts in the Chelsea and French squads.

And people often forget that even Chelsea has a 20-something group. Though Michael Essien is injured, Branislav Ivanovic, John Mikel, Ramires, David Luiz are quality players; the former two proved their values in the double-winning season of 2009/10, the latter two contributed their parts in the revival of the team in the second-half of last season. Not to say the £50m-rated Fernando Torres.

Plus the addition of Daniel Sturridge and McEachren and they have a good backup. The squad is not the finished article and it is thin compared to Man United. But to write them off is absolutely premature. 

Prediction: First/Second?

So, Who's Going to Win It?

Will the ribbon on the trophy be blue or red this season? We're going to find out, starting from this weekend!