For all hype and punditry, the early proof of the Premier League 2008/9 is that money does not buy success. It can. But it doesn’t look like it for the clubs that spend big. Or for clubs that want or need instant success, one player or more is not necessarily the panacea.  Spurs and Nerwcastle fans must be wondering where it all went so badly wrong.

Tottenham are 749/1 to win the title which is rather more than a long shot and Juande Ramos has dismantled Martin Jol’s side and fielding a bunch of strangers. To add insult Jol has taken Hamburg to the top of the Bundesliga in less time than Ramos has taken to undo his good work. Rumours now link ex Chelsea boss Avram Grant to White Hart Lane? The board’s endorsement of the manager has been made public. 

Mike Ashley has money but seemingly refused  Kevin Keegan’s demands to spend big. In fact he has not  spent very much at all and that could be even worse. A new owner, bringing Keegan back even with money for a relegation dog fight looks less likely at present than a steep fast descent through the Championship to League One, a la Leeds.  In that light Roy Kinnear may not be such a bad choice for the months ahead…

Robinho could not make the difference yet for Manchester City against Liverpool on Sunday, and it is pretty unclear if Rafa Benitez’s summer spending will take Liverpool above Chelsea or Manchester United. Even at Stamford Bridge on Sunday it was interesting how far the pundits got it wrong…Villa to win 2-0 was a 40/1 shot and much touted about on radio and TV, Chelsea were a predictable boring 5/1 for the same score. But  Villa in fact have spent heavily this summer and transparently it has not made enough of a difference. Chelsea on the other hand even with more than half a team out with injury, fielded what many pre-the game had down as a second string side but preceeded to produce another masterclass in modern football. The lesson there is to start with a good manager, or preferably a great one. Or even better with four in succession- Claudio Ranieri, Jose Mourinho, maybe Avram Grant if only because the obituary on his legacy was that he didn’t mess things up, and Felipe Scolari.

Sir Alex Ferguson has also demonstrated over the years the art of buying important players and taking time to integrate them. It might have been overlooked that he has in fact spent £60million on Dimitiar Berbatov and confirming the Carlos Tevez deal this summer. Cristiano Ronaldo was a steal at £13m. Wayne Rooney was £28million. No wonder the forwards looked in good form against Blackburn. His purchases though are additions to the squad to embellish the overall play. They are not wholesale overhauls. That United forward line has been groomed through since the decision to sell Ruud Van Nistelroy in 2006.

Great teams are built on time and foresight. Arsenal are still in contention through  an investment in youth; exravagent sums spent on teenagers whom they can develop and sell on. Arsene Wenger seems to believe the brio of youth is a necessary part of successful chemistry. The great Ajax side of 1994-96 was built on that premise too.

There will be no love lost when Spurs face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea had the hoodoo on Spures for many seasons until the spell was broken at Wembley in the Carling Cup Final and the arrival of Juande Ramos and the svengali and ex Chelsea maestro Gus Poyet. The league game at Spurs last March ended 4-4 and paid out a beautiful 125/1. A repeat perfromance is currently 149/1. Spurs have no points and look blunt in attack. Chelsea under Big Luiz Felipe Scolari look fluent and sharp. But three games and zero points is not quite what Ramos or Spurs were expecting to start the season and there will grit to stop it happening. Ramos may park el autobus across the park and trust to a David Bentley flyer.

Sunderland should capitalise on their good start with a visit from Manchestery City who looked bad in the midweek but may have Brazilian striker Jo in action.

Aston Villa host Liverpool in the late kick-off and judging from what has been seen so far this season Liverpool may be lucky to get anything at all.

£10 pays £98 on three home wins. Bet here

Bet Chelsea

Frank Lampard is physically an exceptional footballer. Until last season the 30 year old barely missed a game. His coverage of the picth in a normal 90 minutes exceeds nearly every player in the Premier League. But the rub is that he is 30. Chelsea’s capitulation in giving him a five year deal is an odd call. the more so as he is not the only thirtysomething around Stamford Bridge these days. Deco is 30. Didier Drogba is 30. This is a good team but as Sir Alec Ferguson has pointed out you don’t win championships with old players, especially considering the intensity of Premiership football.

Euro 2008 was a clear pointer to the fact that youth can prevail in the likes of Holland and Russia. across town Arsene Wenger, that most intellectual of football coaches, has plainly committed the club to youth. And it makes good business sense. Today he sold right back Justin Hoyte to Middlebrough. Hoyte is 23 and has been with the club since he was 11. Arsenal also received a percentage of the money that Spurs spent on David Bentley. Wenger’s policy is good business and produces good football. And he has not been scared to pay the money for teenagers like Theo Walcott and Aaron Ramsay.

Lampard’s deal values him notionally at £30million which is rather more than Jose Mourinho would have paid to take him to Internazionale Milan, although Chelsea perhaps consider that anyone else they might have brought in would have cost similar in wages plus the transfer fee. Lampard said he was very happy. You bet, Frank. There a reccession on the way, unemployment is rising and you just trousered £30million.

Lampard has always been a lucky player for Chelsea. A great many of his long speculative shots have caught a fortunate deflection. He almost plays for it. This is the luck that deserts him when he puts on an England shirt. Roman Abramovich better trust he bought the lucky Lampard and that as has happened with England and Steven Gerrard the Chelsea midfield is not now so crowded he will get shunted out of the play.

Bet Chelsea

If training ground action is anything to go by then Big Phil Scolari is about to unleash a real shock on Sunday against Portsmouth…John Terry in goal. That is where he is playing at Stamford Bridge this morning.

Stamford Bridge. Didier Droga looks set to stay at Chelsea on a £130,000 a week after Felipe Scolari insisted the big Ivorian striker had to stay at the club for the rest of his season. The deal for 30 year old Drogba is for four years, so in 2012 Chelsea could be the pensioners again. But as the Sun put it a Drog is for Life.

Bet on Chelsea to win Premiership

Felipe Scolari opened the transfer wheeling dealing bagging his Portugese general Deco for the Stamford Bridge from Barcelona. The 30-year old-could do what Cesc Fabregas does for Arsenal and probably signals Frank Lampard’s departure to his old boss Jose Mourinho at Internazionale Milan. The fee is reported to be £7.9million.

There’s open betting at BetClick on the big sumemr transfers here