'Aki'lles

"There are somethings money can't buy, for everything else there is Roman Abramovich".

Roman has decided (yet) again to spend money like water (or rather like oil) this summer. Bad news for Man Utd., Arsenal and the other traditional big boys of EPL. The Red Devils cannot afford to spend too much money right now with Malcolm Glazer breathing down their neck with a takeover bid. As for the Gunners, quite a lot of their funds are tied up to the construction of their new stadium, don't think they too can afford to sign up any big names this summer. Think about it, getting Bergkamp to sign a new contract was hailed as a big event in Highbury...I give up. And, what about Liverpool? Well lets not kid ourselves, 38 matches require a real depth in squad and lot of consistency, a magical run of 6 minutes will not ensure Liverpool lifting an EPL title. In my personal opinion Liverpool's Champions league victory was either one big stroke of good fortune or maybe it was just a cruel painful joke on Owen.

So will Mourinho & Co. successfully defend their EPL title again? Looks like it and there is no reason to doubt the fact that they will. Agreed, spending money alone is not the sole factor in winning a title, as is evident from the dismal performance of the 'Galacticos' of Madrid. But with Mourinho at the helm of affairs, with the backing of a big spending owner Chelsea can buy just the right players for the right positions.

The upcoming EPL season certainly looks bleak for non Chelsea fans. Hope is all they have.