As The Page Turns

As we take our first few steps into a Premier League season, a storm of hope and dread hangs above every team. For all of them, the summer has offered plenty of time for preparation and for anxiety to build. There are more hopes and dreams right now than can possibly to be fulfilled – that’s the beauty of a new season. Of course, we all hope our team wins every competition available, but can’t we have hopes for others too?

Let’s start with the champions. The Gunners have their long-sought-after golden patch on their shirts, but do they have the mettle of champions? A major criticism of Arsenal was their mentality. They didn’t always look confident and comfortable, even against lesser opposition; it just wasn’t the swaggering triumph the media supposedly wanted. The critiques aren’t all unfair. Arsenal were frenetic and frenzied at times on their way to the title. In fact, I’d say that playing with fear nearly cost them the league. Their draw against Wolves showed Arsenal’s insecurity at its peak. I hope that getting over the championship hump with have shed some demons for Arsenal. Their squad is full of attacking talent and more expansiveness could take them to the next level. It’s okay to be defensively brilliant; it just becomes a problem when a team starts to look desperate to get in their defensive shell.

Arsenal isn’t the only team that could find new confidence and security. Leeds and Sunderland, two historically significant clubs, entered last season as bottom-feeders. Twice-relegated Daniel Farke was heavily doubted in his goal to keep Leeds up. Meanwhile, Sunderland was returning from a hiatus that took them as low as the third tier. Despite the doubts around both clubs, they survived relegation with ease; Sunderland even fought their way into the Europa League. In year two back in the Premier League, they both have the chance to establish themselves as mainstays. I hope they relish that opportunity and have their sights set on Europe, not just on survival.

The second thing I hope to see this season is responsibility from the higher-ups, specifically from Chelsea and Nottingham Forest. Both clubs have been ravaged by the poor planning and emotional decision-making of owners, sporting directors, and other leadership. They’ve cycled through managers and transfer strategies at an alarming rate. This lack of patience and planning has greatly injured the trajectory of both clubs. I hope that this season, ownership across the league takes initiative and shows the patience to build something sustainable. Hard decisions need to be made sometimes, but if you make them too fast, you’re just setting up an even harder one.

Lastly, I want to see an emphasis on identity. Last season, clubs like Liverpool and Spurs were the perfect examples of the disarray that comes when identity is lost. Not only is identity important to winning, but it also keeps the peace. Brighton had rough patches and what pacified supporters? The football did; Brighton play beautiful football and are committed to their playing style, come what may. Similarly, Bournemouth persevered as their squad was stripped of its stars and leaders over the course of the year. No personnel losses ever ruined the team’s trajectory because they had a plan that the whole club believed in. The plan turned out to be a good one and commitment to it pushed the Cherries over the speed bumps imposed by player departures. Managers that fail to instill identity in their teams this season will be the first to fall and players who won’t buy into the plans of their clubs will keep the benches warm. You can’t buy success and you can’t hold onto hope alone in the current Premier League landscape. If your opponents and supporters don’t know what you’re about, there’s a good chance that you’re not sure either. You know what the best teams and best players want to do to you and you often still can’t stop it; that’s the beauty of identity.

I hope we’re all excited to make memories this season. I hope we’re all ready to yell at the TV and each other in joy and disbelief. I hope we get to see teams play confidently and that accountability and identity abound. Clubs with at least two of those three things stand a dang good chance to reach their goals and you better watch out for those that have all three. Those teams are the teams you don’t ever forget.