The first weekend of the 08/09 season saw Tottenham lose away to Middlesbrough, Manchester United held to a draw at home to Newcastle, Portsmouth destroyed in a game that will be as remembered for Chelsea’s tactical superiority as the lack of effort from Pompey players and Everton lose at home to a Blackburn side that has lost 2 of its best players over the summer (see all results here).

Shocking, shocking results. United have thrown away the title, Pompey will join Everton in a relegation scrap and Tottenham will probably join them once Berbatov refuses to come back from Bulgaria. It’s the end of the world as we know it….

Or maybe some perspective is in order Chelsea’s performance, and United’s opening day blitz 2 years ago, just go to underscore how difficult it can be to hit the ground running at the start of the season, and after United won the title last season despite suffering their worst start since the Premier League started, maybe there’s more to the season than winning/losing the first game