English Premiership Football 2006-2007 Preview - Chelsea's Hat Trick?

Summary: Chelsea's latest excursion into the transfer market has left many fans thinking this season's title race is already a foregone conclusion. On the face of it Chelsea appear to have signed two genuine world class stars in Michael Ballack and Andriy Shevchenko to add to their growing number of A list players. Ballack has been the driving force for both Bayern Munich and the German national team for several years and has always resisted the temptation to move until now. ...

Chelsea's latest excursion into the transfer market has left many fans thinking this season's title race is already a foregone conclusion. On the face of it Chelsea appear to have signed two genuine world class stars in Michael Ballack and Andriy Shevchenko to add to their growing number of A list players. Ballack has been the driving force for both Bayern Munich and the German national team for several years and has always resisted the temptation to move until now. Ukrainian Shevchenko proved his worth in Italy with AC Milan after spending his early years learning his trade at Dynamo Kiev. Indeed, following the decline of Brazilian superstar Ronaldo, Shevchenko has emerged as possibly the world's most feared striker. But both new signings are approaching the autumn of their careers. They've been successful at previous clubs, gathering an impressive collection of medals between the pair of them. Whether the fire continues to burn only time will tell. As one of the few home grown players, Frank Lampard will be hoping to put a mediocre World Cup behind him and find a return to his old Chelsea form. Though Lampard has come in for some stinging criticism from the English press, you don't become a bad player overnight and Frank will be eager for a good start to the season. The evergreen Claude Makelele flourished in the France midfield during the World Cup alongside Zinedine Zidane. Makelele will again be hoping to provide the steel in the Chelsea engine room, allowing the more offensive players the opportunity to hurt the opposition. We can only hope their nearest challengers put up a greater fight than last season when the title race was won at a canter. All said and done, if Chelsea's star names play to anything like their potential, it's difficult to see any outcome other than a third consecutive title for the Londoners.