Under Pressure!

You may be smiling now, but ....

Even before a ball had been kicked the pressure was already building in some quarters..

Was Arsene Wenger deserving of another season ? Quite a number of Arsenal supporters didn't think so.

Had Liverpool progressed under Jurgen Klopp? His record was on a only par with their previous sacked manager Brendan Rodgers.

Pep Guardiola had endured a bruising first season in English football as Man City failed to challenge for the title, eventually finishing 15 points adrift of Chelsea in third place.

Even at Man Utd, second in the table, voices have been heard questioning their style of play as being too defensive minded.

At Everton, the opposite was the case. For a change, early activity in the transfer market had seen several transactions improving the team in much needed positions and Wayne Rooney had returned to his spiritual home. Romelu Lukaku had been sold to Man Utd for a considerable sum funding most part of the incoming transfers and few were sorry to see him go given his poor attitude and performance in games that counted.

Who would have thought so early in the season that the managers of the last two Premier League champions would be under pressure, with one of them already dismissed.

Following the high expecttion, Ronald Koeman has not found it easy combing his new players into an effective unit and the Goodison faithful are becoming increasingly frustrated.

Slavin Bilic is also finding it difficult at West Ham with the club alarmed at the start to the season and, in particular, the form of his big summer signings – especially Marko Arnautovic who has struggled since his move from Stoke City for a fee which could rise to £24 million.

Only 8/9 games have been played as yet so plenty of time for fortunes to change and as Bob Dylan once said :-

' And don’t speak too soon

For the wheel’s still in spin

And there’s no tellin’ who that it’s namin’

For the loser now will be later to win

For the times they are a-changin’