The UrbanWire

The last time England met Brazil in 2002, a young buck-toothed genius playing for Paris Saint-Germain named Ronaldinho sent the entire nation into tears with a glowing individual performance to end Sven Goran-Eriksson and Co’s World Cup dream at the quarter-final stage. Final score that day in Shizuoka, Japan: England 1 Brazil 2.

5 years on, the nation which invented football and the nation that beautified it met again on a stage totally fitting for such a clash of the titans—the new Wembley Stadium.

In that manner, nothing’s changed, in that David Beckham is still being worshipped by England fans as the bright white hope of the national team, and poor little injury-prone Michael Owen still leads the attack of arguably the world’s most publicised international team. (Read more)

EVERTON

The glory days may be returning to the blue half of Merseyside. Manager David Moyes has moulded his side into one capable of combining finesse and flair with hard graft and an exceedingly impressive work ethic.

There’s a feeling that the Toffees could creep into Europe unnoticed with their tried-and-tested formula of less is more. Even with one of the league’s smallest squads, close-season signings Phil Jagielka and Leighton Baines add depth and class to the backline while the loan signing of playmaker South African Steven Pienaar from Borussia Dortmund may prove to be an inspired decision by Moyes. American goalkeeper Tim Howard, once of United fame, made his move to Everton permanent. Out of Goodison Park go flop James Beattie, utility man Gary Naysmith, goalkeeper Richard Wright and defender Alessandro Pistone, the latter spending more time on the treatment table than on the pitch.

Enigmatic midfielder Leon Osman will prove crucial with his goals from midfield. Mikel Arteta, who may be one of the most underrated playmakers in the league, is the fulcrum of the side and his partnership with Irish hardman Lee Carsley may be the key to sustained league success this season, with the latter doing the dirty work and allowing the Spaniard greater freedom to launch Everton’s attacks. Upfront, England hopeful Andy Johnson hasn’t gotten off the scoresheet yet this season, but his pace and ingenuity in the 6-yard box should ensure that statistic doesn’t remain long. Strike partner Victor Anichebe, looks good to fulfill his promise into a place in the first team.

With the irrepressible Aussie Tim Cahill and young striker James Vaughan returning from injury, Everton’s prospects for a Uefa Cup place look decent. Add to that the robust, rock-like partnership of Joseph Yobo and Joleon Lescott in the heart of the defence and they look more than certain to clinch a European place come May.

Player to watch: Arteta. At just 25, the Spaniard will be banging hard on the door of the Spanish national team if he keeps performing well.

LIVERPOOL

Over at the other half of Merseyside, this may just be the season Liverpool go all out for domestic honours, evident by the uncharacteristic splurging on big-money attacking signings by manager Rafael Benitez.

Undoubtedly, the biggest name is young, pacy and goal-hungry Spaniard Fernando Torres, prised from his beloved Athletico Madrid for a record £26.5 million ($79.5 million). The move has sparked many of the Liverpool faithful into expecting a prolonged assault on the league title which has eluded them since 1990. The Spaniard got off the mark with a trademark storming run and finish against title rivals Chelsea, and if he can pick up 20 goals this season, Liverpool will be in there or thereabouts come May .

But it isn’t only about Torres, as far as Benitez is concerned. Benitez has strengthened his side’s attacking prospects with a host of other promising signings, with Ukrainian Andriy Voronin, Ajax’s Dutch starlet Ryan Babel, West Ham’s Israeli matchwinner Yossi Benayoun, all arriving at Anfield with the purpose of creating and scoring goals.

This season, Liverpool haven’t lapsed into their usual sluggish start, but hit the ground running, just failing to beat Chelsea at Anfield thanks to some poor officiating by referee Rob Styles. In addition to their strike force, the backline is likely to be as stingy as ever with Scouser Jamie Carragher as anchor. His defensive partner, Danish youngster Daniel Agger’s flair for the spectacular is a bonus, and Kop beloved Steven Gerrard as energetic and inspiring as ever.

Most importantly, if the Reds can remain consistent, they might just do well this season.

Player to watch: Torres. The arrival of El Nino has sent pulses racing among the Kop faithful, and should he reach his target of 20 goals, Liverpool will be able to stay in the title race.

MANCHESTER UNITED

The champions haven’t had much luck lately, with star Wayne Rooney ruled out for the next couple of months with a broken foot in the season opener against Reading, and Cristiano Ronaldo incurring a 3-match ban for his youthful brashness in his retaliatory headbutt against Portsmouth’s Richard Hughes.

An uncharacteristic stuttering start to the season (they’ve yet to win in 3 matches) wouldn’t be as damaging if rivals Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea hadn’t started as well, with all 3 sides still unbeaten and the first 2 having only played twice. With this season looking to be one of the most closely-fought title races yet, Ferguson could ill afford to drop so many points that early in the season, and his mounting injuries does little to help the cause.

Argentinian star Carlos Tevez finally made his move to Old Trafford after a long drawn-out transfer wrangle with West Ham, but the stocky forward was meant to play alongside Rooney, not replace him and looked lost in his lone role upfront in the games against Portsmouth and Man City. Similarly, pricey summer signings Luis Nani and Anderson (clinched for a combined total of approximately £31 million ($93 million)) will need time to settle, and the latter is still out with injury.

However, United have shown their famous fighting spirit when the chips are down, and it would be a fool who dismisses their title credentials so early. The less-lauded signing of Owen Hargreaves looks to be a shrewd move by Ferguson, as the midfielder can pass, shoot and most importantly, tackle, providing the perfect foil for the less-defensively inclined Michael Carrick and Paul Scholes to work their magic upfront.

Nevertheless, they need to get their act together sooner rather than later, or the typical surge at the turn of the year may not even be enough to make up the deficit to win the league.

Player to watch: Tevez. It’ll be interesting to see if he can shoulder the burden of firing his new club back into title contention, or if he’ll wilt in the pressure-cooker atmosphere among the elite.

ARSENAL

Manager Arsene Wenger’s decision to sell his star player and Arsenal’s record goalscorer, Theiry Henry may be vindicated. The Gunners haven’t set the Premier League alight as yet, but they haven’t exactly imploded gleeful fans of the rival clubs were visualising.

Wenger has shown his managerial skill by fearlessly letting go of players whom he feels have reached their peak, (see Marc Overmars, Emmanuel Petit, Robert PiresPatrick Vieira). Dutchman Robin van Persie, touted to be the next Dennis Bergkamp, has already stepped up to the plate with 2 goals in as many games. Well-known for being a scorer of great goals, he will have to become a great goalscorer this season. His only hindrance in his rise to stardom is his rashness and suspect temperament which probably comes with his youthful age. and

Spaniard Cesc Fabregas, has been handed the reins and responsibility of driving the side forward. Still only 20, the cultured midfielder seems to have been around for ages, and his impeccable vision and enormous array of passing, coupled with maturity beyond his years, will be invaluable to Arsenal’s search for silverware this season.

This season, Wenger’s ‘team in transition’ have shown so far that they have the ability to stand up to and even prevail over the rough, physical and usually over-the-top play from opponents like Blackburn.

That said, the squad still lacks depth, with only 3 signings so far this season, forward/winger Eduardo da Silva, fullback Bacary Sagna and stand-in goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski. Dark horses they might be, but injuries to key men on the flanks and the centre of defence, not to mention the enforced departure of players for the African Nations’ Cup next Jan could cause them dear. Unless Wenger strengthens his side with one or two more signings (read: Nicholas Anelka), his promising side look to remain just that—promising, at least for one more season.

Player to watch: van Persie. Henry’s departure means that the Dutchman will now have to take on the scoring responsibility with a minimum 20 goals.

CHELSEA

Having started the mind games early with Liverpool, big-mouth Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho created greater controversy after the Liverpool game when he described his players as not being divers and cheats because they are a “naïve team”. With Didier Drogba still on the club’s books, many others will beg to differ.

Mourinho himself hasn’t gone out and spent a fortune on his usual summer spree this time around, but instead choosing to consolidate with free transfers and the odd purchase. Bayern Munich striker Claudio Pizarro, Reading’s midfielder Steve SidwellBolton’s Israeli centreback Tal Ben-Haim arrived at Stamford Bridge with no transfer cost, while French World Cup winger Florent Malouda joined for around £13 million ($39 million).The latter already has made an instant impact in his new blue colours, scoring in the Community Shield loss to Man United and his Premiership debut against promoted Birmingham. and

Another new signing Pizarro also scored against Birmingham, and has linked up well with Didier Drogba so far. This could spell doom for costly flop Andriy Shevchenko, who already looks consigned to the bench. At the back, John Terry proved just how vital a player he is to Chelsea, as without him, Chelsea leaked 4 goals in their opening 2 games. With England boss Steve McClaren also needing the England captain to aid an ailing England’s Euro 2008 qualification campaign, a spat between McClaren and Mourinho looks impending should Terry get injured playing for his country.

Midfielder Lampard, the other cog in the Chelsea wheel, also faces the same situation with England. However, if these 2 and last season’s Golden Boot winner Drogba can stay fit over the course of the season, Chelsea look good for at least one piece of silverware this season.

Player to watch: Malouda. A vital part of the French set-up, the lwinger has adapted to the hurly-burly of the Premiership in no time and will be a key player with his goals and assists from the flanks.

SUNDERLAND

Probably the strongest team of the 3 promoted sides this season, long-suffering Sunderland fans may just hold the bragging rights over their arch-rivals Newcastle this season, thanks in part to the fiery Roy Keane.

The fashion in which the ex-Manchester United captain led the Black Cats from championship cellar dwellers to champions was nothing short of spectacular, with the Irishman instilling grit and a never-say-die attitude to his team.

Keane has strengthened his side with 2 main categories of players—fellow Irishmen and Manchester United discards. No less than 8 Irish players will be plying their trade at the Stadium of Light this season; one of them being Anthony Stokes. The 19-year-old striker, plucked from Arsenal’s reserves after a glittering loan spell at Scottish side Falkirk, has been given the task of leading the Black Cats’ frontline this season while still barely out of his teens. His confidence will no doubt be boosted by Keane assigning him the No. 9 shirt, a visible sign of the trust placed in him.

Keane has also acquired Manchester United utility player Kieran Richardson for a £5.5 million ($16.5 million) fee and is audaciously seeking to reunite the striking partnership that fired Man United to the treble in 1999. One half of the Deadly Duo has already been brought to the Northeast in 35-year-old Dwight Yorke, and rumours have it that Keane is looking to sign the other half whom he played with to such success 8 years ago, Andy Cole. But then again, the reunited duo didn’t exactly replicate their form at Blackburn a few seasons ago.

Barring an injury crisis, Sunderland have enough quality and desire for a place in the top half.

Player to watch: Keane. Oh ok, he’s not playing, so I guess Stokes. The youngster will be eager to show Arsene Wenger what he’s missing by selling him to Sunderland.

BLACKBURN

Currently contesting for a place in the Uefa Cup proper, Blackburn Rovers may find that this season shapes up rather similarly to the last. And that will be no mean feat, as is retaining big-name stars Benni McCarthy and Morten Gamst Pedersen at Ewood Park from the luring eyes of the Big Four.

Besides top scorer McCarthy staying for yet another season, the brilliant Norwegian Pedersen, despite reportedly being made an offer by Arsenal, also remains a Blackburn player for now, and that must add to the feel good factor around the club right now. With the prospect of another season of Pedersen causing havoc on the left with his wicked left foot crosses and spectacular volleys and England hopeful David Bentley’s bombing runs down on the right flank, Blackburn look good to balance successfully both their domestic league and European ambitions.

Add to that the transfer coup of signings strikers Roque Santa Cruz from Bayern Munich and Dutch Golden Boot winner at the European Under-21 Championships Maceo Rigters and the season ahead looks to be immensely promising for the 1995 Premier League champions.

The only sore point for Rovers fans might be seeing their team relinquish their league position at the expense of chasing European glory. Expect to see them finish there or thereabouts come May, but not quite.

Player to watch: McCarthy. The pacy hitman will be 30 come Nov and is probably at his peak right now.

NEWCASTLE UNITED

There is a revolution of sorts at St James’ Park right now. Long-time Bolton boss Sam Allardyce has finally decided to take his talents elsewhere and take the short trip across North England to one of the biggest sleeping giants in English football, Newcastle United.

Newcastle fans are hoping for a renaissance of sorts this season. And they may not have to wait long, as Allardyce’s moves in the transfer market have been ruthless, but shrewd so far. The former Bolton manager showed no mercy in removing the club’s underachievers immediately after he arrived, dumping twin burdens Titus Bramble and Antoine Sibierski on poor Wigan, chucking the injury-prone Scott Parker and more recently, Kieron Dyer, to West Ham for a very respectable £14 million ($42 million) and relieving Olivier Bernard and Craig Moore of their benchwarming misery.

Allardyce then proceeded to create his own team in a busy summer, signing Czech fullback David Rozehnal and Villarreal left-back Jose Enrique Sanchez Diaz for a combined total of £9.2 million ($27.6 million), rescuing troublemaker Joey Barton from Manchester City for £5.8million ($17.4 million) and Alan Smith from Man United for £6 million ($18 million), and showing his marvellous business skills in landing northeastern rivals Middlesbrough’s Mark Viduka, Chelsea utility player Geremi and ex-Lyon captain Claudio Cacapa on free transfers.

The long-suffering black-and-white half of Northeastern England already has had just cause to celebrate Allardyce’s appointment at St James’ Park, as they found themselves top of the league after the opening day courtesy of a 3-1 whipping of Allardyce’s ex-club Bolton.

With the forgotten man of English football, Michael Owen, looking fit for selection, and the in-form Obafemi Martins and giant Viduka waiting impatiently to be unleashed on unsuspecting defences, Newcastle fans could be within touching distance of a European place and success in the cups again.

Player to watch: Martins, if he stays. The pint-sized hitman with the pace and power will be crucial in Allardyce’s blueprint for success.

MANCHESTER CITY

Should Newcastle fans be delighted at the way their team has so suddenly taken a turn for the better, then Manchester City fans will be downright bewildered at how their side has changed in the months between the end of last season and now.

Not only have the club had a new owner and chairman, beleaguered former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, in has come new manager, former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson.

The Swede obviously felt that the squad he had inherited from former manager Stuart Pearce was inferior in every respect, and has gone on to revolutionise it. To date, the number of signings he has made is 8…and counting. It would be all too easy to cast his summer spending as another quirk of his, especially considering the convenience of having a new owner’s loose purse-strings, but the team has gotten off to a great start with Brazilian Elano Blumer, earning rave reviews so far.

Besides Elano’s impressive debut, in the 2-0 win against West Ham United, Italian striker Rolando Bianchi and Brazilian Geovanni, once of Barcelona fame, got the goals, but more amazingly, the entire team played like they had been doing so with each other for ages. Bulgarian winger Martin Petrov also sparkled, offering direct running in the reconstructed City midfield.

The new chairman has already stated he expects European football in 2 seasons’ time. Should City maintain their explosive start through the freezing winter months, yours truly reckons it might just come a season sooner.

Player to watch: Bianchi. The 4th- highest scorer in Serie A last season has already shown the potential to be the goal poacher that Man City needed so badly last season.

PORTSMOUTH

Pompey (the affectionate fans’ name for their club) may quite possibly be THE team to surprise everyone this season. After Harry Redknapp’s relegation Houdini act in 05/06, and barely missing out on Europe last season, Portsmouth will be pushing for Europe again this season.

Pompey have really invested heavily over the summer with fleet-footed David Nugent, joining from Championship side Preston North End for £6 million ($18 million), as well as Nigerian forward John Utaka, for a club record £8.1 million ($24.3 million). Redknapp has clearly so much confidence in the duo that he has allowed long-time fans’ favourite Lomano Tresor LuaLua to leave for Greek champions Olympiakos. Attacking midfielder/winger Sulley Ali Muntari, one of the stars of the Ghanaian team at last year’s World Cup, is the third big-money capture at £7 million ($21 million).

With the unpredictable but superb Nwankwo Kanu persuaded to stay at the club by Redknapp and the consolidation of what is possibly the Premiership’s most underrated midfield in Pedro Mendes, Matthew Taylor, Niko Kranjcar and Muntari himself, Redknapp has also shored up the defence to great effect, with Sylvain Distin and Hermann Hreidarsson arriving from Manchester City and relegated Charlton respectively. With the core of the defence in Sol Campbell, Lauren, Linvoy Primus and Dejan Stefanovic going nowhere, Portsmouth sure look like a much better unit this season.

Player to watch: Muntari. Once described as the next Edgar Davids and Kaka rolled into one, the 23-year-old can dribble, pass, shoot and tackle.

FULHAM

Manager Lawrie Sanchez has cleared out the dead wood in Claus Jensen, Michael Brown, Tomasz Radzinski and sent Icelandic striker Heidar Helguson packing to Bolton Wanderers. In their place comes a strikeforce with real pace, in Leeds United’s David Healy and West Brom’s Diomansy Kamara. The former is currently the top scorer in the 2008 European Championships qualifiers with minnows Northern Ireland. If first impressions are anything to go by, breaking his Premership duck against Arsenal after barely 53 seconds may just have won over the fans.

Kamara, has played at this level before for Portsmouth and West Brom, and proved frustratingly inconsistent—able to conjure up beauties from nowhere on certain days, and equally capable of horrendous misses on others.

The duo should be adequately supplied with service from the flanks in the shape of American Clint Dempsey and new signing Hameur Bouazza from Watford. In the middle, the makeshift partnership of Steven Davis and Alexei Smertin, the former joining from Aston Villa in the off-season, looks solid if unspectacular, and there’s still Papa Bouba Diop and shaggy-haired Jimmy Bullard in reserve.

However in defence while the towering Zat Knight may have shown signs of finally becoming reliable asset, it will be harder to find a consistent partner who can play in tandem with him. The American Carlos Bocanegra is notoriously inconsistent, as shown by his costly rash challenge on Arsenal’s Kolo Toure which offered Arsenal a route back in the game, and new signing Aaron Hughes will need time to settle. Outside on the flanks, the trio of Moritz Volz, Liam Rosenior and Paul Konchesky are decent going forward, but not so adept when tracking back in defence.

Player to watch: Healy. The former Leeds United man got his Premier League career off to the best possible start and it’ll be interesting to see if he finds can maintain his goalscoring form.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

Amidst all the hype among the papers that North Londoners could finally break into the top 4 this season, only one fact remains—Tottenham have a long, long way to go before they can even truly consider themselves ready.

Splurging a king’s ransom for promising young players is one thing, getting them to fulfill their potential is another. So far, the expensively assembled strikeforce of Dimitar Berbatov, Robbie Keane, Darren Bent and Jermaine Defoe have contributed to a grand total of zero goals in 2 games (their only goal this season has been scored by Anthony Gardner) and at the time of writing, the club find themselves propping up the league table.

At the back, boss Martin Jol signed Southampton’s 18-year-old Gareth Bale and Auxerre defender Younes Kaboul for a combined fee of around £18 million ($30 million). Granted, injuries to first-choice centrebacks Michael Dawson and Ledley King have no doubt weakened the club’s cause to push for glory both in the league and in the Uefa Cup this season, but a team that dreams of achieving big really needs to have a large and capable squad. Sadly, Spurs haven’t shown that they’re up to the mark yet.

Picking up points early on is essential if Spurs are not to become bogged down by their European exploits later in the season, but unless they improve on their atrocious start fast, dreams of finishing 4th will remain as it is, just a dream.

Player to watch: Berbatov. The Bulgarian enjoyed a dream debut season, but really needs to start firing in the goals regardless of who he partners up front.

BIRMINGHAM CITY

If Birmingham City don’t take anything else away from this season, at least they could claim they nearly prevented Chelsea from notching a record 64 home matches without defeat. The side ran last season’s runner-ups close, with new signing Olivier Kapo, signed from Italian giants Juventus for a bargain £3 million ($9 million), showed glimpses of his undeniable talent with a gem of an equaliser.

Other than Kapo, manager Steve Bruce has made a few shrewd signings to add all-round experience to his side, with Franck Queudrue, Liam Ridgewell and Stuart Parnaby all adding width to the defence, while Scottish striker Garry O’Connor was thrown a lifeline from the frozen pitches of Russia to play a part in the Blue revolution. Dutch winger Daniel de Ridder, is another promising star to look out for and is sure to make an impact in England sooner rather than later.

Bruce has also raided Arsenal’s reserves to good effect, and Swede midfielder Sebastian Larsson, English midfielder Fabrice Muamba and Swiss centreback Johan Djourou (on loan) will all be plying their trade with the Blues this season. The trio will likely play a major role in ensuring that Birmingham remain in the top flight for another season, as their experience and quality gleaned from playing under Arsene Wenger should help see the Blues through to a comfortable mid-table spot.

Player to watch: Kapo. If the French-Ivorian attacking midfielder can keep injury-free and turn on the flair for Birmingham this season, midtable safety shouldn’t be a problem.

ASTON VILLA

When I asked an Aston Villa fan what he thought of his team’s prospects for the new season, he replied, “Just refer to the Liverpool game.” He may be right. In many respects, the season opener was a real anticlimax, and should one take a look at the club’s summer signings so far, the word anticlimax looks to be potentially a reality for the Villans at the end of the season.

That is because we all know what wonders manager Martin O’Neill can work on a squad of limited ability, let alone a team brimming with such youthful potential and talent as Aston Villa’s. The inspirational Northern Irishman raided fellow Premiership rivals West Ham’s stables not once, but twice in the off-season, snapping up sulky ex-Hammers captain Nigel Reo-Coker for £8.5 million ($25.5 million) and striker Marlon Harewood for £3 million ($9 million). With his famed man-management skills, don’t expect to wait too long to see these 2 smiling on the pitch again.

The duo are added to a squad currently overflowing with youthful British attacking talent, with strikers Ashley Young, Shaun Maloney, Luke Moore and Gabriel Agbonlahor all already listed on the club’s books, and whose combined age adds up to a mere 87 years. Along with the erratic but brilliant Norwegian giant John Carew, and the Bulgarian Stiliyan Petrov dictating play from the middle of the park, Villa’s attacking options look immensely promising.

However this season may yet turn out to be a case of déjà vu for Martin O’Neill’s men. Last season, the Villans shot right out of the blocks and were in the European places until just before the turn of the year, when injuries weakened the side and caused the inevitable tailing off in terms of performances.

Besides the 2 ex-Hammers, the only other additions so far this season are goalkeeper Scott Carson on loan from Liverpool and 18-year old American defender Eric Lichaj. Unless O’Neill can lure a couple of big faces to bolster his injury-prone side, midtable for Villa may just be about right this season.

Player to watch: Agbonlahor. Martin O’Neill revealed that the 20-year-old was played out of position for much of last season. Should he be allowed to display his pace upfront this time, watch out for some trembling centrebacks.

READING

Easily the biggest success story in the Premiership and a scriptwriter’s dream come true last season.

The Royals barely missed out on the Uefa Cup places last season, but in truth (and as manager Steve Coppell will probably tell you), that’s probably a blessing in disguise. The last club which finished in similar uncharted waters was Ipswich Town in 2001, clinching a marvellous 5th position and qualifying for the Uefa Cup in their debut season. 12 months and several big signings later, they crashed out of the top flight, never to return.

Perhaps this is why wily boss Coppell did his utmost best to ensure that Reading didn’t enter Europe this season. He has repeatedly reinstated his desire to focus on the Premier League. In changing as little of last season’s crew as possible has probably endeared his side even more to the romantics. The only new faces at the Madejski Stadium so far are Kalifa Cisse, a £1 million ($3 million) French midfielder from Portuguese side Boavista, and Emerse Fae, an Ivorian midfielder signed from Nantes for around £2.5 million ($7.5 million).

Coppell’s best piece of business has been retaining the unheralded strike partnership of Kevin Doyle and Leroy Lita which yielded 20 goals last season and the much-vaunted left-back Nicky Shoreyi. Even though midfield general Steve Sidwell has left on a free transfer for Chelsea and a top-half finish may be beyond them this time around, the likelihood of achieving safety before May shouldn’t be scoffed at.

Player to watch: Doyle. He’ll have to cope with increased attention from defenders this season. Another double-figure haul would be truly impressive.

WIGAN ATHLETIC

The signs indeed look ominous at Wigan.

Back at the end of season 2006-07, before the euphoria of that smash-and-grab win over Sheffield United on the last day of the season had even settled down, inspirational boss Paul Jewell decided to throw in the towel, leaving the door free for a familiar yet not fondly remembered figure in Bradford to step in—Chris Hutchings, a manager infamous for Bradford’s relegation soon after.

Fast forward to 2007 and selling Leighton Baines to Everton will not have helped morale among the side. Hutchings’ summer signings would have hardly helped appease the fans either. The clumsy and error-prone Titus Bramble has joined from Newcastle in a free transfer, along with 32-year-old Antoine Sibierski, the mediocre Michael Brown brings his abrasive brand of football along from London and Mario Melchiot becomes the new captain after his capture from Rennes.

New signing Jason Koumas will be the one the club is pinning hopes on. The Welsh playmaker, procured for a massive £5.3 million ($15000000) from West Bromwich Albion, has the potential to run the show from midfield with his vision, but the feeling remains that the club is too shallow in depth to be able to sustain another long-drawn Premership season.

Player to watch: Paul Scharner. The goalscoring Austrian International will need to chip in with a leader’s performance at the back now that Baines and Arjan de Zeeuw have left the JJB stadium.

DERBY COUNTY

Can Derby buck the trend and survive the curse of the play-off winners? In recent years, 3 out of the 4 previous play-off winners have returned back to the Championship after a sole season in the top flight.

After watching the gritty, full-blooded performance put up by Billy Davies’ men in their 2-2 opener against Portsmouth, they just might. In many approaches, manager Davies appears to have built a side which is full of desire to stay up. With no real star names and nothing to endear them to the likes of those glory-loving supporters to be found here, Derby might just have enough to pull themselves out of the relegation mire they will undoubtedly find themselves in long before May.

Nonetheless with a long season ahead, a couple of shrewd signings just days before the Portsmouth game may just help to boost their worryingly lightweight young team. The Finn Mika Vayrynen, signed from Dutch champions PSV, looks to be an interesting acquisition with his ability to play on either flank. Where else American Benny Feilhaber, has loads of potential and is one to watch out for with his flair.

One to watch: Giles Barnes. The 19-year-old midfielder made his first appearance in the 2005-06 season and was named the club’s Young Player of the Year last season. Has already struck 9 goals for the club in his short career, and a decent season could see clubs clamouring for his signature soon.

WEST HAM UNITED

Signing a bunch of overpriced and maybe over-the-hill players has left us feeling that West Ham might be in for a bit of trouble this season, especially after the dismal defeat at Manchester City.

Scott Parker has come in from Newcastle United and will replace the gap left by a sulky Nigel Reo-Coker, but Parker’s proneness for long layoffs may be slightly unsettling. New signing Julien Faubert from Girondins Bordeaux, a 23-year-old midfield playmaker from France ruptured his Achilles tendon in a pre-season friendly and isn’t expected to be back before next year. Other big signings include the Craig Bellamy from Liverpool for a club record £7.5 million ($22.5 million) as well as Freddie Ljungberg from Arsenal for approximately £3 million ($9 million).

It goes without saying that the jury is still out on Bellamy who has been signed to replace Carlos Tevez. But the pint-sized Welshman, though possessing the pace of an Olympic sprinter, doesn’t exactly spark the same respect that one would garner from his past employers, and judging from his pre-season comments about justifying his “nice guy” attitude, it’s easy to see that boss Alan Curbishley is going to have to keep a very close eye on him.

The other big signing, Ljungberg, is admittedly mellower, but there’s a niggling feeling that Arsene Wenger is usually right with his decisions to sell big-name players once they’re past their sell by date, nevertheless, if the Swede who’s now West Ham skipper, can even recapture half of his goalscoring form this season. And if the returning Dean Ashton can show why at one point he was in the England set up, West Ham should be looking at a comfortable mid-table spot.

But then again, when you are at a club which includes the likes of Lee Bowyer, Anton Ferdinand and Mr Personality himself, that’s a big IF.

Player to watch: Other than Bellamy who else? It will be interesting to see how his partnership with Ashton works out though.

MIDDLESBROUGH

The reason why Middlesbrough figures in this list is mainly because of the lack of real quality brought in by manager Gareth Southgate in the summer. Yes, signing Real Madrid defender and England international Jonathan Woodgate was a coup, but ominously for Southgate, injury has plagued the former Leeds man to wherever club he goes—from Leeds to Newcastle and then to Real. Building the backline around him, as Southgate has done, may just prove to be a dangerous gamble.

The burly Australian Mark Viduka has left to join the Allardyce revolution at northeastern rivals Newcastle, and the signing of Jeremie Aliadiere from Arsenal hardly acts as adequate cover. Even though he’s just 24, the Frenchman already has seen the dressing rooms of Arsenal, Celtic, West Ham and Wolves, and will forever be remembered among Arsenal fans for contributing a grand total of 1 league goal in the 5 seasons. Moreover, the youngster is injury prone.

With Viduka’s leaving, Nigerian Yakubu Aiyegbeni will be expected to shoulder much of the scoring burden, but even that is not certain as other clubs like Portsmouth, Manchester City, Everton and Birmingham City have shown interest in taking him away from the Riverside.

New signing, Tuncay Sanli from Turkish side Fenerbahce, is a decent acquisition, but it remains to be seen if he can produce the goals in his first season..

The impending signing of Tottenham’s abrasive striker Mido will also boost their attacking options—only if Southgate manages to keep Mido’s infamous temper in check. Mid-table mediocrity beckons.

Player to watch: Stewart Downing. The England international will really have to use that trusty left boot of his to provide the ammunition for whoever is going to be upfront this season if Boro are to avoid getting caught in the relegation battle.

BOLTON WANDERERS

“Big Sam has gone, in comes Little Sam!” was something that almost every sports paper decided to play on at the end of last season. One game into the new season and already Little Sam (Sammy Lee) seems to be sinking fast

After their opening match which saw Big Sam’s Newcastle emerge 3-1 vitors at the Reebok Stadium on opening day, Lee has already faced his baptism of fire and appears to have already pushed the early panic button by pleading for more patience from the Bolton support.

It’s not all doom and gloom at the Reebok though. Sammy Lee appears to have learnt at least one crucial aspect from Allardyce—the wheeling and dealing of players through free transfers and loans. Ex-England Under-21 left back Jloyd Samuel, Swedish winger Christian Wilhelmsson and Mikel Alonso, brother of Liverpool’s Xabi, join for virtually no cost, while Norwegian striker Daniel Braaten, midfielder Gavin McCann, defender Andy O’Brien and Icelandic striker Heidar Helguson’s have made the club no more than £5 million ($15 million) poorer.

Only time can tell if their European endeavours this season might prove to be their undoing.

Player to watch: Wilhelmsson. The Swedish winger best known for his ludicrous rat-tail hairstyle at last year’s World Cup has been handed the number 10 jersey, last worn by Nigerian magician Jay-Jay Okocha, and his dribbling flair and crossing ability will certainly provide a plus point for Bolton in a transitional year.

MANCHESTER CITY
Position: 14th

Points: 42

When you finish the season with the same number of goals scored as bottom side Watford (29 goals), and with midfielder Joey Barton as your top scorer with 6 goals, you just know that it’s going to be a long hard summer in training.

Coupled with the fact that Manchester City racked up the lowest ever goals scored at home in the league in their history (just 10 goals from 19 games and not a single goal at home since January), fingers were pointing at Stuart Pearce (a former England left back) and his misfiring strike force even before the end of the season.

Upfront, the trio of one-time England striker Darius Vassell, new signing former Italian international Bernando Corradi and Greek record signing Georgios SamarasPaul Dickov though, who didn’t even manage a single goal on his return to his beloved Manchester City.

With Barton’s much-publicised disciplinary problems (especially his attempts at another vocation as a plastic surgeon, see Oliver Dabo) and Ben Thatcher’s thuggery early on in the season on Portsmouth’s Pedro Mendes, it seemed that the only newsworthy piece the press would be getting from ‘Citeh’ would be off-the-pitch rather than on it. In fact, calls for the manager’s head were coming in as early as Feb, barely a situation that helps a team’s cause, especially one that has underachieved since the days of Kevin Keegan.

Even reaching the FA Cup quarter-final couldn’t save their season, as the entire team contrived to put in their most limp performance in a 0-2 loss to Blackburn Rovers. The blue half of Manchester had a right to expect much more from their team, and it was no surprise when the board finally decided to sack Pearce barely days after the season ended.

The jury is still out on whether Pearce’s lamenting that he lacked the necessary funds and time from the board to build a successful team were justified, but the fact remains the blue half of Manchester now have to get on with life and just banish the memories of a truly forgettable season 2006-07.

NEWCASTLE UNITED
Position: 13th

Points: 43 points

Sigh…Newcastle United. How in the world does one find a reason for why a side with one of the biggest support in the country week in, week out, bar Manchester United and Arsenal, flatters to deceive consistently every season?

The signing of Obafemi Martins for £10.1 million (S$30 million) at the start of the season indicated the ambition of the club—to lift it up to European heights once again. The prospect of a Martins-Owen partnership leaves many drooling, but unfortunately, the occasions that that has happened during this season can easily be counted on one hand. Michael Owen, hailed as the saviour of the Magpies after his move from the Real Madrid bench last season, was crocked after the World Cup (yet again) and stayed out until late Apr.

To his credit, Martins did enough to justify his transfer fee in his first season in England. A return of 11 goals in the EPL showed that the pacy exciting Nigerian has already made the transition from Serie A to the English game after 5 years at Inter Milan. Unfortunately, it was due to injury to key players like Damien Duff, Shola Ameobi and Owen that left Newcastle hanging throughout the season.

However, that cannot be cast as the main fault of another season of mediocrity for the biggest club in the Northeast (though Sunderland fans will beg to differ). Glenn Roeder’s poor management of the backline left the team unsettled—I mean, who seriously expects Thierry Henry, Didier Drogba and Cristiano Ronaldo to be quaking in their boots when they meet a backline of Steven Taylor, Peter Ramage, Titus Bramble and Nolberto Solano?

Roeder will point at the injury crisis for his constantly changing back 4, but one wonders why Bramble was even in the starting lineup at all this season.

Sam Allardyce’s introduction for the eventually resigned Roeder should ensure that Newcastle at least begin to fulfill part of the wishes of their long-suffering fans next season—to see their side play consistently week in, week out.

MIDDLESBROUGH
Position: 12th

Points: 46

In my opinion, Middlebrough actually did rather well this season in coping with the departure of Steve McClaren. The season 2006-07 was Gareth Southgate’s first full season as manager of the club, and while the North Eastern club didn’t exactly set the league alight or reach another Uefa Cup final, they did manage to progress to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup where they were dumped out by eventual finalists Manchester United.

How they must hate the guts of Cristiano Ronaldo though, as twice this season, his dives in the penalty box caused Boro league points and eventually, an FA Cup semi-final.

In the league, however, rookie boss Southgate did a credible job of consolidating, even managing to provide unexpected but pleasant surprises in an early season win over Chelsea as well as 2 draws with Arsenal.

The acquisition of England international Jonathan Woodgate from Real Madrid proved to be a masterstroke, with the long-injury proned man of English football bringing much needed stability at the back, giving Southgate a sound base to build from.

Upfront, the strike partnership of Viduka and Yakubu reaped 26 goals in the league, with Viduka in particular in spectacular goal scoring form for most of the season. The burly Australian played like a man rejuvenated, and on many occasions this season, commentators marvelled at his ‘unplayable’ form. Probably the best striker in England playing with his back to goal, the fact that Boro chairman Steve Gibson himself has pleaded with the Australian to extend his contract at the Riverside shows how highly they regard their No. 9.

With promising youngsters like James Morrison, Lee Cattermole and Stewart Downing continuing to be given chances in the first team, it would appear that there’s more to come from the Riverside next season.

ARSENAL
Position: 4th
Points: 68

It’s safe to say Arsenal’s campaign this season would have pleased the rest of the Big Four (Liverpool, Chelsea and Man United) more than Arsene Wenger himself. A second successive season in 4th place, after the heady heights of the Champions League final last May, no doubt had to be a disappointment for Gunners fans. With the Gunners gracing their spanking-new Emirates Stadium for its inaugural season, it was always going to be tough going trying to settle in, let alone hit the ground running at the start of the season.

Injuries to key men Thierry Henry and Robin van Persie in the second half of the season didn’t exactly help either, with the Frenchman clearly suffering from fatigue in the opening weeks of the season, having played in the Champions’ League final and reaching the World Cup final with France barely 7 weeks later. Yet, in his shadow of his normal self, the world’s most lethal striker still managed to haul his beloved Gunners back from potential 1-goal defeats at the Emirates with crucial goals against Middlesbrough and Newcastle, as well as in wins against Sheffield United, Watford and Reading (2).

Many fans pointed the finger at Wenger’s youth policy for being responsible for the Gunners’ failure to mount a serious title challenge this season, saying that it was not enough to throw in the youngsters and expect them to flourish in the cutthroat atmosphere of the top of the Premiership.

On the contrary, however, it was actually the younger players who dragged the club forward this season and the older ones who disappointed. Players like Cesc Fabregas, van Persie, Theo Walcott and Gael Clichy could safely admit they did the club proud this season with their contributions, while on the other hand, the more experienced and supposedly ‘more mature’ ones like Alexander Hleb, William GallasJulio Baptista let the club and their younger teammates down with less-than-impressive performances. and

Another famous gripe about Wenger’s men this season was their failure to put away chances they created. On more than one occasion this season, the Gunners strung together swashbuckling, intricate passing moves that had even the neutrals drooling, yet often failed to provide the finishing touch on even half of those. As a result, the Gunners suffered disheartening defeats or draws against teams that, on other days, would have been relieved just to get away with a two or three goal loss

Time is essential for the youngsters to grow up but a quality midfield signing or two for next season is a must. Especially should Hleb or Rosicky under perform once again and if the ageing Fredrik Ljungberg leaves in the summer.

LIVERPOOL
Position: 3rd
Points: 68

At the beginning of every season, there’s talk of the Premiership title finally coming to the red half of Liverpool.

Season 2006/07 was no different, with the kopites truly believing their side would be up there with the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea come May.

Perhaps only boss Rafael Benitez had the foresight to look ahead at the end of Nov after a fifth Premership defeat to Arsenal all but ruled the Reds out of the title chase, and realigned his priorities to a bigger, more realistic stage—the Champions’ League.

However, critics of Benitez will again enquire, in a less than friendly tone, about the Reds’ failure to maintain the pace at the very top, and there may be several reasons why. Firstly, it appeared that the team relied too much on inspirational captain Steven Gerrard. While one of the best all-round midfielders ever to grace both Anfield and Wembley, Gerrard does sometimes have his off-days and if he doesn’t play, then the general consensus is that Liverpool don’t either. A noteworthy example: when Gerrard struggled to open his account for Liverpool early on in the season, after his World Cup exploits with England, the rest of the team appeared clueless and uninspired in front of goal.

Dutch striker Dirk Kuyt worked his socks off and netted a healthy return of 12 goals in his first Premership season, but Benitez’s insistence on playing a lone striker upfront meant that the Dutchman toiled without much support.

The need for a 20-goal-a-season striker is apparent—think what a Fernando Torres, Samuel Eto’o or even Berbatov, could do to a Reds lineup that already boasts an enviable midfield depth of artists and artisans, in Xabi Alonso, Gerrard, Mohammed Sissoko and the Argentinean Javier Mascherano

Besides the obvious consistency problem upfront, the fact that Liverpool emerged with the worst record in the games among the Big Four has to be one of concern if Benitez is serious about challenging for the title. In six games played against rival challengers, ‘Pool’s record reads: Won 2, Drawn 0, Lost 4.

Benitez, like the shrewd tactician he is though, would have duly noted all the points win which Liverpool were lacking this season and rest assured he would have ruminated on just how to solve them. It remains to be seen if the players will actually carry out Phase 4 of the Rafa-lution next season.

CHELSEA
Position: 2nd
Points: 83

For the first time since Jose Mourinho landed in London, Chelsea weren’t crowned champions of the Premiership, and it has to be a bitter pill to swallow for the cocksure and ever-controversial Portuguese manager.

Ivorian striker Didier Drogba certainly did his utmost to help Chelsea’s cause this season with 20 goals. In a season where he was expected to play second fiddle to record £30 million ($90 million) signing Andriy Shevchenko, the burly Ivorian confounded his critics with a true goal machine’s performance, ensuring that he was the first name on the team sheet every week.

As Drogba flourished under Mourinho’s tutorship this season, another big name withered. Shevchenko, touted for great things after a typical ruthless finish against Liverpool in the Community Shield on his Chelsea debut, flopped spectacularly in his first season in English football. The running joke around London was that Carlos Bocanegra of Fulham scored 5 league goals this season, one more than Shevchenko—and he’s a centre-back!

The other big signing, Michael Ballack, also promised much, but delivered little. It was easy for the German skipper to raise himself for midweek Champions’ league glamour ties against Barcelona and Porto. But when it came to playing on the cold, wintry frozen pitches of Charlton and Wigan, Ballack looked uninspired, disinterested even.

It remained for Ghanaian Michael Essien, to raise Chelsea’s game above ordinary levels when they were running on empty at the end of the season chasing four competitions. The combative midfielder drove his teammates on by both fair and foul means. He also went some way to justifying his enormous £24.4 million ($73.2 million) transfer fee when he showed amazing versatility by playing well as a defensive midfielder, right-back and even centre-back!

However, even Essien’s exploits proved to be insufficient to match up to this season, and rumours are abound of a simmering feud between Mourinho and owner Roman Abramovich quite possibly result in one or the other leaving the club before next season.

For sure, Abramovich’s riches have ensured that the standards are now being raised to phenomenal levels, and it’s now inconceivable to end up without either the Premiership title or the Champions’ League, or even both, at the end of every season. It appears that success has come at a price to Chelsea, and while the boss appears to be safe for now, it’s worthwhile to note the potential of more conflict and challenges ahead in a whole new grueling season.

MANCHESTER UNITED
Position: 1st
Points: 89

There can only be one word to describe Manchester United this season: unstoppable. From the opening day of the season, Alex Ferguson’s men signalled their intentions to the rest of the league in the best possible way with a 5-1 thrashing of Fulham.

From then on, the rest of the league could only watch and wonder as the Red Devils swept all before them, ending with a massive 83 goals scored.

17 of them from Cristiano Ronaldo, whose displays saw him scoop all 4 of the Professional Footballers’ Assocation (PFA) awards, as well as the Football Writers’ Association Award.

The 22-year-old Portuguese star dazzled virtually every Premiership defence this season with his blistering pace and wizardry on the ball. Poor bewitched fullbacks were left on the ground as the winger led from the front, inspiring his teammates in the process.

The other R of Man United, the bullish Rooney, worked in tandem with Ronaldo and hammered 14 goals in the league.

But it wasn’t all attack which brought Fergie’s men their first title since 2002/03. The backline contributed with a real obstinacy to concede, with 17 clean sheets and Dutch goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar finally looking like the goalkeeper the team had been missing since the departure of Peter Schmeichel.

The newly forged central defence of Serbian Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand also blossomed, with the Serb already looking a steal at £7 million ($21 million).

With Ronaldo finally putting pen to paper in a new deal that will keep him at Old Trafford till 2010, the future of one of the world’s brightest young players has been secured. With Ferguson starting his transfer activity early on with a triple haul of Bayern Munich’s Owen Hargreaves and promising youngsters Luis Nani and Anderson from Sporting Lisbon and FC Porto respectively, the message is clear to those who are eyeing the title next season—come and get it if you can.

Bolton Wanderers
Position: 7^th
Points: 56

Sam Allardyce before his shock resignation had established a team with real fight and desire at the Reebok Stadium, and credit has to be given with the work he’s done on a shoestring budget.

The Reebok was buzzing at the start of this season with the quite remarkable coup of the Incredible Sulk, otherwise known as Nicholas Anelka, from Turkish side Fenerbahce. Having played among the best in Europe at PSG, Arsenal, Real Madrid and Liverpool, the moody maestro’s capture provided the spark in Bolton’s ranks,

The Frenchman was paired alongside the abrasive Kevin Davies and the equally controversial Senegalese El-Hadji Diouf in Bolton’s three-pronged attack, with Allardyce looking to bring European football back to the Reebok.

Anelka proved a revelation in attack and showed signs of his world-beating abilities, with 11 goals in the league. Goal scoring wasn’t his only contribution though, as he set up a considerable amount for strike partners Davies (8 goals) and Diouf (5 goals), as well as old warhorse Gary Speed, who enjoyed an Indian summer in terms of goal scoring with 8 league goals.

It was definitely no coincidence that Bolton went on a 5-match winning streak in December, with Anelka in red-hot form. The Frenchman bagged 5 goals in 5 games in that period, which proved crucial in eventually seeing the Lancashire club through to the Uefa Cup, albeit by the skin of their teeth after a stuttering finish to the season.

With the departure of Big Sam, it remains to be seen if Bolton can cope with both a European campaign and the bread-and-butter of the league next season. But if new manager Sammy Lee can prevent a mass exodus of players and at least, maintain a position in the top 10, then it’s safe to say that Bolton supporters, one of the more pragmatic bunch of supporters in the top flight, will certainly be over-the-moon.

EVERTON
Position: 6^th
Points: 58

At long last, the blue half of Merseyside can begin to dream that they may one day be able to replace eternal rivals Liverpool as the Number 1 team on the Mersey. The credit for the Toffees’ revival this season has to go to manager David Moyes, who, in a league dominated by the Alex Fergusons and the Jose Mourinhos, has gone about quietly behind the scenes in building a team capable of taking on even the best in the Premiership.

Moyes has done a credible job in managing to rebuild his teams almost every season, as the Toffees have had their best talent, like Thomas Gravesen and Wayne Rooney, plundered by larger clubs every time they looked like on the verge of achieving greater things.

The £8.6million capture of England striker Andrew Johnson, proved a masterstroke. 11 goals in the Premiership in his first season back in the big-time, as well as his awareness in creating chances for teammates Mikel Arteta (9 goals), Aussie Tim Cahill (5 goals), and young strike partners James Vaughan and Victor Anichebe have ensured the Toffee’s European qualification.

Coupled with the uncompromising steel of Lee Carsley in centre midfield and the awesome long-range shooting from Arteta, and Everton’s midfield already looks complete.

At the back, the signing of Joleon Lescott from Wolves looks to be a real bargain, as the Englishman combined brilliantly with Nigerian Joseph Yobo in defence in what is already shaping up to be a rock-solid partnership at Goodison Park.

However, not all has gone Everton’s way this season, most notably in the form of misfiring striker, James Beattie. It appeared that Moyes had finally lost patience with the ex-Southampton striker, who’s miserably failed to recapture his form for his previous club.

With the transfer market throwing up more potential additions like Jason Koumas and David Nugent, things are looking pretty rosy for the boys in blue. With a few signings, the Toffees could be approaching next season with real optimism that they can indeed successively put up a challenge on various fronts.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
Position: 5^th
Points: 60

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see just who has been Tottenham’s star performer this season. Step forward Dimitar Berbatov, whose contribution to ‘Spurs cause this season far outweighs any other at White Hart Lane. It’s safe to say that the £10.9 million coughed up to Bayer Leverkusen for the lanky frontman has been repaid in full. 23 goals in all competitions, including 12 in the league is a phenomenal achievement in your first season in English football, and that’s not including the 11 Premiership assists provided for fellow compatriots Robbie Keane and Jermaine Defoe, who rattled in 11 and 10 goals in the league respectively.

Berbatov’s contribution is all the more amazing when you consider that despite his giant 1.89m-tall frame, most of his goals have been scored on the ground with Many of his strikes stemming from a mixture of deceptive pace, a sublime first touch, and an outstanding ability to improvise.

One for the future though is England Under-21 Tom Huddlestone. Fans have been raving about his pinpoint passing and vision. A sweet half-volley against Manchester City was all the more spectacular, considering how he made it look all so easy,

On the flip side, there’s a niggling feeling that something is still missing from the squad to take them to the next level. Last summer’s departure of Michael Carrick to Manchester United left Spurs with a hole in midfield which the arrival of Ivory Coast midfielder Didier Zokora has failed to cover. Jermaine Jenas, hailed as Carrick’s replacement with his similar passing style, has yet to mature fully as a player, and his startling tendency to fade in and out of games has to be addressed by Jol if Spurs are to prosper.

ASTON VILLA
Position: 11th

Points: 50

Perhaps the biggest signing of Aston Villa’s season has to be that of Martin O’Neill. The inspirational Northern Irishman has brought a renewed freshness and zest in the club and players after the stagnation of previous boss David O’Leary. With captain Olof Mellberg and Gareth Barry revealing their renewed desire to continue playing for the club under O’Neill at the start of the season, whereas they were on the verge of leaving last season had O’Leary’s tenure gone on, O’Neill is definitely running a happy ship right now at Villa Park.

The takeover from U.S. billionaire Randy Lerner at the start of season 2006-07 helped to finance buys like big John Carew from Lyon and record signing Ashley Young from Watford. This addition of class to Villa’s much-maligned strike force (or lack of it) led to the Villains (as Villa are affectionately known as) finding form in the second half of the season, finishing strongly with a 9-match unbeaten run which saw them just miss out on a European this season, finishing 6 points behind 7th-placed Bolton, but considering this was a season of rebuilding and getting rid of the old wood like a certain Juan Pablo Angel (who crossed the Atlantic and signed for Major League Soccer (MLS)Red Bull New York), this season has just about met with the fans’ expectations.

O’Neill has restored the balance in the team with both pace and guile available in the midfield through Stilian Petrov and exciting whiz kid Gabriel Agbonlahor respectively.

Add that to the fact that the full complement of classy finishing talent in Carew, Young and Luke Moore will be available from the start next season, plus a full pre-season ahead for O’Neill to work with his purchases especially with Lerner’s cash, Villa fans should not be too demanding in asking for a Uefa Cup spot next season.

BLACKBURN
Position: 10th

Points: 52

In Blackburn Rovers’ case, they actually did qualify it to Europe next season. However they’ll have to do it through the Intertoto Cup. Mark Hughes’ men just failed to qualify for Europe through the bread-and-butter of league football, despite a late 6-match unbeaten run.

The main gripe with Hughes’ side this season has been inconsistency, which was attributable to their Uefa Cup commitments.

Unfashionable they may be, but in Benni McCarthy, Hughes may just have unearthed a diamond, especially when you take into consideration the South African’s 24 goals in total this season.

The Welshman’s team continues to mix talent with grit, steel and pure determination. Grafters like the Ryan Nelsen, Aaron Mokoena and Brett Emerton are complemented nicely by the guile of old Turkish warhorse Tugay and the ever-present ‘irritant’ (in opposing midfielders’ eyes, that is) Robbie Savage.

In terms of attacking options, Hughes has a few hugely underrated players at his disposal. The Norwegian Morten Gamst Pedersen has plenty of guile and pace in abundance, and as if that wasn’t enough, a wicked left foot. 21-year-old youngster Matt Derbyshire’s tally of 5 league goals bodes well for the future in his first full season in the team. Arsenal reject, David Bentley, another English youngster, has blossomed under Hughes, and looks set to replace David Beckham in the England set-up.

With rumours that the Big