Until It Begins....

The 2009/10 football season is right around the corner and fans everywhere can agree on one thing.....[insert favorite team here] is going to have a banner season while [insert arch nemisis] will suffer like dogs!


With the new year and a fresh start for your club, it is time for every fan to follow these three easy steps in preparation for the emotional rollercoaster to come.


Step 1: Grade your team on thier summer transfer activity.

Even though the transfer window hasn't closed yet, many of your club's targets and sales have already gone through. Who's in? Who's out? If you are an AC Milan fan you have to come to grips with the fact Kaka has been replaced by an 11 foot tall Dutchy. Lets hope Huntelaar's large feet are big enough to fill the void. If you follow Real Madrid, maybe you should consider lending your team some money because they have got to be tapped out. At least buy some merchandise, which leads me to....


Step 2: Buy your team's new kit.


New home/away top? New sponsor? Show your support and buy (this year's) colors. Unless of course you follow Manchester United and don't care to look like a traffic sign. Either the arrow is pointing to the direction United is headed in the standings or directly at their junk. Guru Prediction: Vidic is nutmeged a record numer of times this year with the arrow pointing the way.




Step 3: Check the fixtures.

Now is the time to find out not only what's going down on week 1 but also when your club's most important games are. Some dates to keep in mind (and plan your viewing schedule around):

Saturday, Aug. 29 Manchester United v. Arsenal
In the first clash between two of the "big four," Arsenal may have to get a result or get ready for the doubters to champion Manchester City as thier replacement in the short list of elite Premiership squads.

Sunday, Aug. 30 AC Milan v. Internazionale
No other "Derby" on the continent features two teams with as much hardware on the European or league stage as the two Milan giants. Will "the special one" lead the Nerazzuri to a yet another scudetto or will Gattuso finally tear the ACL of each Inter player like he's been trying to all these years?

Monday, Aug. 31 Barcelona v. Sporting Gijon
On paper this looks like a huge mismatch and it probably will be. Last year Barca got off to a slow start in thier first game and never looked back. When we last saw them, the European champs were on the verge of transforming football from a game into an art form. Will Ibra add a new dimension or ruin the picture? Sporting is not anxious to find out.

Happy viewing!