It’s not long now!

In a few weeks, the greatest football league on earth, the English and Welsh Premier league, will begin.

Yes, the 21st Premier league kicks off this month and it could prove to be its best.

Just think, it was back in 1992 when Brian Deane scored the first goal in the in the newly formed Premier league – for Sheffield United in a 2-1 victory against Manchester United.

Believe it or not, it was a French attacking midfielder, with Spanish ancestry, who changed the way we see race and racism in football.

The man in question was Eric Cantona, who scored the first hat-trick in a 5-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur at Elland Road – not for Manchester United but Leeds United.

How much has changed, as out of all the football clubs I’ve just mentioned, it’s only Man U who still remain in this league.

Back then, foreign players were a rarity as it was Italy’s Serie A who monopolised football’s greatest talents.

That’s no longer true as England is doing the business.

That’s why Chelsea’s owner is from Russia and another football club is owned by the American Glazer brothers, despite many Manchester United supporters wanting them to go!

Many in this country will insist the British style of football has been undermined by the sheer volume of foreign players over here.

But it’s likely those same fans will probably admit seeing the likes of Gianfranco Zola, Dennis Bergkamp, Thierry Henry and Peter Schmeichel over here, playing the beautiful game has illuminated English football.

It’s also important to note not all foreign players come here with massive fees and big reputations.

Christiano Ronaldo was only known in football circles when this gawky 19 year-old came to join Manchester United for a fee of £12.24 million. Liverpool’s then manager, Gérard Houllier, had the opportunity before Sir Alex of having him but felt Christiano was too young to come to our shores.

One of the reasons it must have hurt Roman Ibramovich to let go of manager Andre Villa-Boas was due to the £13.2 million compensation they paid Portuguese team Porto for his short-lived services.

Now Spurs have him, they should be worried as its clear their London neighbours are saying: ‘hello boys, not only are we here to stay in top-flight football and we’re going to remain playing in Europe too.’

That is the only reason I can conclude in getting rid of popular manager Mr Harry Redknapp; he was able to turn Tottenham Hotspur around from regulation when he took over in October 2008 but an early exist from the Champions League last year showed his one weakness: strategy.

A Premier league manager needs to have this as well as be a good motivator.

So all the best to the new manager of Spurs as I’m sure he realises he’s got big shoes to fill - as soon as anything goes wrong, the Spurs faithful will be screaming for the return of Mr Redknap - that’s just the way it is.

Unlike 1992, football in the here and now is big business – just look at how quick another American, in the shape of a company, ESPN have joined the party, immediately after the collapse of Sentana Sports.

My sneaky fancy came true last season, which is why some of my mates felt I was mad not to put money – unlike the rest of them, who did and promptly lost it – on the Red Devils winning the Premier league.

I always felt the if Manchester City establish a potent strike force which they did with Mario Balotelli and Carlos Tévez and if their manager, Roberto Mancini, discovered more attacking ambition at key moments in games – as they displayed in their home demolition of Chelsea in March, when Chelsea’s Fernando Torres failed to score, despite having an open goal - they would and did, become the noisy neighbours from Eastlands who won the title since 1968.

The warnings about Man City’s emergence were there when they got Tevéz in July 2009.

So be warned Chelsea over Spurs getting AVB!

So who do I think will win the league in 2012-13 – tune in for that one later!

Light and Love

Andria

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