Barnes: No change on the horizon

Dubai: Legendary England footballer John Barnes does not foresee a change of guard at the top as the English Premier League (EPL) gets set for yet another entertaining season.

"The top four will pretty much stay the same. No, it is not meaningless to have a competition that sees only a handful battle for the top spot. It happens pretty much in any other league, and that is the reality," Barnes told reporters yesterday.

Barnes, who has 84 appearances for Liverpool, is in Dubai for the launch of the 2008-09 EPL season scheduled to start on August 16.

"The excitement is in the football and the nature of the game, and as in the past two or three years, what makes the League exciting is the fight to stay in the EPL," Barnes noted.

"The fight for the top spot has been sort of predictable, but it's not been meaningless. However, the fight at the bottom of the league has been equally engrossing and exciting," Barnes added.

The former England international expected teams such as Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool to gain ground this season. "Of course, teams like Manchester United and Chelsea are the favourites. But I believe Liverpool can get closer to the big ones. I don't believe they can win the title, but they will get cut down on the points difference and that will be progress for Liverpool," Barnes stated.

No more players

Barnes, who won his two league titles with Liverpool in 1988 and 1990, felt that the EPL was at its very best at the moment. "One keeps wondering why there are no top player transfers before the start of the season. The fact is that there are no top players remaining. Ninety per cent of them are already signed up to play in England," Barnes said.

Asked to predict the stars who are capable of lighting up the stage this season, Barnes focused on Portuguese playmaker Deco (Chelsea), Robbie Keane (Liverpool) and a handful of signings at a revamped Tottenham Hotspur.

Total showtime action

For the second year in a row, Showtime will be showing all 380 matches of the English Premier League this season.

Showtime has also launched a new sports package which has a line-up of eight channels for Dh87 per month.

Showtime has also planned a host of new features this season including a weekly show titled 'Goals on Monday'. Regulars Rob McCaffrey and Derek Whyte will be joined by former Premier League players and managers for match analysis through the season.