Race for Golden Boot Glory
The English Premier League (EPL)start this weekend and fans all around the world are anxiously crunching calculators to predict which player will end this season as Golden Boot winner. The Golden Boot is given at the end of every Football League season to the player who has scored the most goals accumulated over the course of the 10 months that the league program runs.
Here at GEM we decided to do some predicting of our as to who will hold taht distinguished title come May next year
Last years golden boot was a even split between Manchester United's Dimitar Berbatov and Manchester City's Carlos Tevez.The likeliness of any of these two repeating the feat has been greatly reduced by their respective clubs off season purchases with Berbatov now possibly only the 3rd or 4th best striker on Uniteds books and Tevez embroiled in a push to get away from Manchester City.
Manchester United
Preseason top scorer: a lad by the name of Wayne Rooney, Ever heard of him? it seems the England International has taken his season ending form of last season into this seasons pre-season friendlies. Rooney was a major part of reason that United scored an impressive 28 goals in 7 pre-season games.
Also watch out for: Javier Hernandez or "Chicarito". The young mexican may not have played pre-season but he did finish very strongly for the Old Trafford club last season and Finished Goalden Boot winner at the recent Gold Cup. He's young and can only get better.
Chelsea
Preseason top scorer: Daniel Sturridge. 3 goals in the last 3 matches ensured that the English Striker grabbed the pre-season headlines away from the fact that Chelsea's first 3 goals of the pre-seasons came from Own Goals. Thanks to sturridge and some great play by some of Chelsea's fringe players the London club won the Barlays Asia Trophy.
Also watch out for: It seems far too cliche to say Fernando Torres but the Spanish Lad has to come good at some point and with Drogba under a cloud and Anelka looking less and less likely to remain at the club it may be D day for Nando to deliver.
Manchester CityPreseason top scorer: Shaun Wright-Phillips, the eternal blue it seems that no matter how bad it is behind the scenes at City Wright-Phillips can always be trusted to stay loyal why else would a player leave chelsea to return "home" to City, sit on the Bench for another 3 seasons and then end the 2011-2012 Pre-season as City's top scorer. The lad did put away his chances but how much playing time will he get over the quartet of Strikers ahead of him at City.
Also watch out for: Dzeko, Bad boy Ballotelli and Sergio Aguero have all as yet to prove their price tags by going on a good run of goals and in the risk of being called flops tehy need to deliver. Also Johnson, Milner and Silva have shown Great form this pre-season, especially in their capture of the Dublin Super Cup, and may come up from the Midfield to help their ailing Brothers up front.
ArsenalPreseason top scorer: Robin Van Persie. The Dutch International signalled his intentions for the season with 3 goals in Arsenals last 3 pre-season matches, but despite Van Persie heroics Arsenal still crashed out to New York Red Bull in the Emirates Cup
Also watch out for: Gervinho. The young Ivorian International was a close season signing from Lille where he scored 13 goals on his way to helping the french side win 2 trophies. If he can carry such form into the EPL he could be Arsenals first golden boot winner since Thierry Henry in 2006.
Tottenham Preseason top scorer: Rafael Van Der Vaart. He, like Tottenham, only really got going late into their victorious Pre-season Vodacom Challenge tournament in South Africa, but when he did there were real fireworks. The Dutch International scored some wonderful free kicks and did well to ensuring his place in a packed Spurs midfield for next season
Also watch out for: Crouch. The bean pole striker may not be pretty but he scored the same amount of goals as Van der Vaart in Pre-season, albeit against weaker opposition, showing he is still the big man at Tottenham.
Liverpool
Preseason top scorer: David N'gog and Andy Carrol.Equal on goals scored but highly unlikely to even play together that often in the next season
Also watch out for: Luis Suarez. The man many Africans still despise for his part in Ghana's defeat in last years World Cup has come good since arriving Merseyside. He will hope to follow up his good form late last season with a successful second season for the reds.
So there it is, our guide to the Premier League 2011/2012 season Golden Boot candidates.
Did we miss anyone? we do you rate/slate?
Let us know in the comments section Below.
In : Football