Borussia Dortmund
Last Season: Bundesliga – 2nd; DFB Pokal – Last 16; UEFA Champions League – Group Stage; UEFA Europa League – Knockout playoffs; Top Scorer – Erling Haaland (29)
The Question: Will Terzic prove his worth as Number One?
Erling Haaland departing Borussia Dortmund sooner rather than later was pretty much inevitable. The striker who scored 22 league goals from 21 starts last season was talismanic for Die Schwarzgelben, but life without him was almost certain. Yet, the departure of the Norwegian to Manchester City isn’t the headline for Dortmund this season, particularly with the acquisitions of Karim Adeyemi and Sebastien Haller (the latter currently dealing with testicular tumour). Plus, scoring wasn’t exactly Dortmund’s biggest issue last season.
Instead, the headline is the appointment of Edin Terzic on a permanent basis. Terzic took on the caretaker role for the second half of the 2020/21 after the sacking of Lucien Favre; but despite to finishing third and winning the German Cup, the club went for what they thought was an upgrade in Marco Rose. However, the Rose project never got going, and the Austrian departed after a season.
So, Dortmund have turned their attention to Terzic as the full-time boss. Which begs questions of its own; if Terzic was seen in some circles as Number One material, why not keep him in charge after 2020/21? If not, why revert to a seemingly comfortable name instead being ambitious?
It certainly makes for an interesting tale, especially for a team that continues to display mental and psychological frailties, following another short-lived title challenge. The club have done well to bolster their defence, which has been a sore spot in the recent past, but Dortmund once again start the season with doubts about how they can topple Bayern Munich, and with a managerial appointment that surprised a few. The next 10 months will answer a few questions… or provide more.
The Manager – Edin Terzic
The former assistant manager seems to have the respect of the squad, if nothing else, which would have played a key part in his appointment as the head coach. There are questions regarding his mettle as number one, but the fact remains that Dortmund pretty much had their best success since Jurgen Klopp in his short tenure of 2020/21.
Chelsea
Last Season: Premier League – 3rd; FA Cup – Runners-up; League Cup – Runners-Up; UEFA Champions League – Quarter-final; Club World Cup – Winners; Top Scorer – Romelu Lukaku (15)
The Question: How will the new era pan out?
On the face of it, it looked like Chelsea had a more than decent season last term, if not a great one. Finishing behind only Manchester City and Liverpool in the Premier League is no mean feat, and two penalty shoot-outs denied them both domestic cups. There’s no shame in getting knocked out of the Champions League by Real Madrid, especially after dragging them to extra-time at the Bernabeu, plus there were European Super Cup and Club World Cup wins.
But it’s not that simple. Chelsea entered the 2021/22 season looking like genuine title contenders, and initially looked so defensively solid that at some point there was talk of the Blues matching that defensive record from 2004/05. Yet, by the end of the season, they were relieved to not have been dragged into a top-four race. They were top in December, but 11 points from nine games put paid to their title hopes. Chelsea somehow went into last season ahead of schedule; somehow, they ended it behind schedule.
Then, of course, the political upheaval that led to a change in owner occurred. You’d be a sorcerer to have ‘the revisionism of Mikhail Gorbachev would ultimately result in Todd Boehly and his consortium taking over Chelsea from Roman Abramovich’ in your bingo card, but it happened nonetheless.
New owners mean Chelsea are unlikely to splash the cash as heavy as they used to, even if there’s still lots to spend, but it might also mean a bit more longevity for the man in the dugout. But there are problems to address with the squad. Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen are losses from the defence, while Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso are no certainties to stay; and while Kalidou Koulibaly is an outstanding addition, the backline is still short in numbers.
Upfront, it’s not rosy either; big-money signing Romelu Lukaku didn’t fit in, sulked, and has gone back on loan to Inter, yet despite his troubles, he was still the club’s top scorer. The Blues still lack proper cohesion in front, and more often than not rely on Reece James as their best attacking outlet. Raheem Sterling is another brilliant signing, but the issue seems more of combination than personnel. And having a solid attack is key if they’re to challenge. Chelsea won only nine home games in the league last season; Manchester City and Liverpool each won 14.
The Manager – Thomas Tuchel
This is usually the time when the German starts to combust at a job, before moving on. But Tuchel remains, despite Chelsea being usurped to some transfer targets. For all his brilliance, he still hasn’t constructed a cohesive and fluid Chelsea attack in his 18 months at the club. Yet, it’s undeniable how his coaching still elevates this team.
Everton
Last Season: Premier League – 16th; FA Cup – Quarter-final; League Cup – 3rd Round; Top Scorer: Richarlison (10)
The Question: Are Everton set for another season of turmoil?
For, Everton last season wasn’t supposed to happen that way. Despite the animosity towards Rafael Benitez being appointed, surely relegation was a far cry. Yet, with six matches to go, the Toffees were in genuine trouble, so much so that discourse from their city rivals morphed from ridicule to the only thing worse than that; pity. But Frank Lampard and the gang managed to pull themselves away from danger, finishing two places above the drop zone.
So, that was awful, but surely the worst is behind them? Maybe not, as the season hasn’t got going, and Lampard has made claims of a team destined for another battle to survive. The loss of key man Richarlison to Tottenham isn’t helping, and a squad that’s thoroughly short in key areas doesn’t help. But making your side prep for a relegation fight before anything has started is a touch defeatist, and a sure way to generate ire from the Everton fans. Last season was meant to be a one-off, the danger is that it might simply be a prelude.
The Manager – Frank Lampard
Ultimately, the former Chelsea midfielder did the job, despite taking Everton from 16th to 16th, as one-third of their points came between March and May. His managerial credentials are still very much in question, and rightly so, he hasn’t done much to prove he’s little than a man scathing by on reputation. There’s a sense that Lamps hasn’t had the chance to truly be a manager yet, with all the spotlight firmly on him, either for or against. And with a disjointed and mashed up squad - consequences of five years of disjointed and mashed up spending - at Goodison to handle, there’s a lot of managing to be done.
Inter
Last Season: Serie A – 2nd; Coppa Italia – Winners; UEFA Champions League – Last 16; Top Scorer – Lautaro Martinez (25)
The Question: Can Inter regain their title?
2020/21 saw Inter bag a first league title in over a decade. But no sooner had the fireworks stopped than the changes came through; Antonio Conte waved goodbye, Achraf Hakimi followed suit, and Romelu Lukaku did similar. Inter still looked like the favourites to win Serie A for much of 2021/22, and you could say without Ionut Radu’s moment in April, they might have done. But they missed out on the league to city rivals Milan.
Lukaku has returned, though, joining Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Joaquin Correa as the new additions for 2022/23, while Ivan Perisic has moved to Spurs. The arrivals of these players add to a wage bill that’s already a cause for concern – Mkhitaryan joined because Inter offered him higher wages than Roma – and the long-term picture for Inter is uncertain. But in the short-term, Inter are just about favourites to regain their crown.
The Manager – Simone Inzaghi
Losing out on the league title shouldn’t put a dent on the work the former Italian forward did in his debut season at the San Siro. He definitely brought his attacking flair from Lazio – no team scored more than Inter in the league last term – and he also scaled the Champions League group stage hurdle, while giving Liverpool a run for their money in the Last 16. The way looks up for Inzaghi, and even if Inter stall in their progress, it might not stunt his.
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