An ardent Premier League follower would be more than aware of all the changing colors which we get to see in the changing landscape of football, almost on a daily basis. Such as, Cesc Fabregas’ amazing journey from Arsenal to Chelsea, to Manchester United blaming Chelsea and Manchester City for spoiling football by their mindless spending (LVG actually spent 150 mil peanuts this season, someone mistook it for pounds). However, what this article is intended to be is less controversial (from now on) and more analytical; less metaphorical and more literal. The intention is to discuss how in recent history the ‘glorious Reds’ have been in decline, and might give way to the ‘resurgent Blues’.
Before the advent of the Premier League and even in the initial years of the league, there was an outright dominance of the teams in red – the teams being Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool. Brimming with big name players and with rich history these were the clubs every teenager wanted to represent, without so much even thinking of the possibility of donning the jerseys of their fiercest rivals – Manchester City, Chelsea and Everton respectively, i.e. the Blues. Even in terms of financial power and league standing the Reds had always been miles ahead of their Blue counterparts.
But this Red dominance is slightly complicated to track post the 2003-04 campaign. After Arsenal’s transition from the title of ‘the Invincibles’, to the title of ‘4th place and proud’, and the pumping of Russian and Middle-Eastern money into Le Blues, things have changed drastically. It’s not saying that all of the reds have slipped into decadence – but since the last decade the blues have had bigger pockets, bigger names and with that, bigger aims with every passing season.
Since the 2003-04 Premier League season, the blues of Chelsea, City and Everton have collectively won, 5 PL titles (Chelsea – 3, City – 2) as compared to the 5 won by the Reds (all Manchester United). Now that may seem like level pegging, but the significance of the comparison becomes clear when compared to the period from the decade earlier (1994 – 2004), which was overwhelmingly Red. The ratio of Reds to Blues stood at a staggering 9 : 0.5 (Manchester United – 6, Arsenal – 3), that too assuming Blackburn Rovers to be half blue!
The Merseyside Angle