Neal Collins previews the English Premiership soccer season, which kicks off this weekend with the Charity Shield
Arsenal
Manager: Arsene Wenger. Odds on being sacked this season: 6-1. Last season: Uefa Cup final, second in Premiership. This season: Make no mistake, the loss of Emmanuel Petit and Marc Overmars will cut deeply into Wenger’s carefully laid plans. The aborted transfers of Brazilian pair Edu and Edmilson (who weren’t Portuguese enough) have thrown a real spanner in the works. Let me put my cards on the table: I’m an Arsenal fan and I’m deeply worried about the Gunners holding their place in the top three this season. Verdict: Fifth in Premiership. Players in: Lauren Mayer (from Real Mallorca for 7-million); Guy Demel (Nimes, free); Robert Pires (Marseille, 6-million). Players out : Nigel Winterburn (to West Ham, undisclosed fee); Davor Suker (West Ham, free); Julian Gray (Crystal Palace, undisclosed); Tommy Black (Crystal Palace, undisclosed); Emmanuel Petit (Barcelona, 8-million); Marc Overmars (Barcelona, 25- million); Narada Bernard (Bournemouth, free); Jay Bothroyd (Coventry, 1-million); Keith Fahey (Aston Villa, free). Aston Villa Manager: John Gregory. Odds: second favourite, 6-4. Last season: Sixth – little better than mid-table mediocrity. This season: David Ginola’s arrival is little more than window-dressing, a lame attempt by chair Doug Ellis to keep the fans happy. Sadly, the players don’t seem too happy – too many want away from Villa Park, a sad fact which spells trouble for the admirable Mr Gregory.
Verdict: Real mid-table mediocrity, 11th to 16th. Players in: Alpay (Fenerbahce, 5,6-million); Luc Nilis (PSV Einhoven, free); David Ginola (Tottenham, 3-million); Keith Fahey (Arsenal, free). Players out: Benito Carbone (released); Darren Byfield (Walsall, free); Steve Watson (Everton, 2,5-million); Mark Draper (Southampton, 1,5-million); Michael Blackwood (Wrexham, free). Bradford
Manager: Erm… Chris Hutchins. Odds: favourite at 8-11. Last season: 17th – the great escape. This season: They can’t possibly survive again, can they? Saviour and former boss Paul Jewell has left for Sheffield Wednesday, to be replaced by the faceless Chris Hutchins and his signings are similarly unimpressive – Dan Petrescu and David Hopkin both looked worth it two years ago. Verdict: Down they go, rock bottom. Players in:Peter Atherton (Sheff Wed, free); Ian Nolan (Sheff Wed, free); Dan Petrescu (Chelsea, 1-million); David Hopkin (Leeds, 2,5m). Players out: Andrew Patterson (released); John Dreyer (Cambridge, free); Neville Southall (released); Stephen Wright (released). Charlton Athletic Manager: Alan Curbishley. Odds: 5-2. Last season: Division one champions. This season: I can’t see them doing a Sunderland and surging into the top half of the Premiership. Though Curbs did well to bring them up again so quickly, they will struggle to avoid the yo-yo effect. Jonatan Johansson may be their saviour, but he hardly staggered my Scottish friends at Ibrox. Verdict: They’ll survive. Just. Players in: Jonatan Johansson (Rangers, 3,75-million); Ben Roberts (Middlesborough, free); Claus Jensen (Bolton, 4-million); Radostin Kishishev (Litets Lovech, 300E000). Players out:Anthony Barness (released); Sam Turner (Stockport, free); Keith Jones (Reading, free); Simon Royce (Leicester, free); Mark McCammon (Brentford, 100 000); Matt Holmes (retired); David Hockley (released); Kevin James (released). Chelsea
Manager: Gianluca Vialli. Odds: a worrying 2-1. Last season: Fifth, FA Cup winners, European Cup quarterfinalists. This season: Champions. There. I’ve said it. Chelsea did well last season, no matter what the critics say. They won the FA Cup, did well enough in Europe and will adapt better to the domestic games this winter. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink will relish a return to the Premiership while Eidur Gudjohnson, the Bolton striker, is another inspired buy. Mario Stanic is no midfield mug. This will be the year of Vialli. Or Ken Bates will get rid of him.
Verdict: Top dogs. Players in:Carlo Cudicini (C Di Sangro, undisclosed); Mario Stanic (Parma 5,6-million); Eidur Gudjohnsen (Bolton, 4-million); Seb Kneissl (Frankfurt, free); Jimmy Floyd Hasslebaink (Atletico Madrid, 15-million).
Players out:Chris Sutton (Celtic, 6-million); Dan Petrescu (Bradford, 1-million); Didier Deschamps (Valencia, 2,3-million); Neil Clements (West Brom, 200 000); Mark Royal (Charlton, free); Mikael Forssel (Crystal Palace, loan); Pierluigi Casiraghi (retired). Coventry City Manager: Gordon Strachan. Odds: 11-4. Last season: 14th, 11 points from relegation. This season: I think we’ll finally see the end of Strachan’s touchline madness this winter. Coventry have spent millions over the years and Strachan has done nothing. This season they’ve got rid of all their brightest stars – from the experienced Gary McAllister to the young Irish striker Robbie Keane – and though the board may be happy, the fans won’t be. Strachan won’t survive the winter, even with the help of talented young David Thompson, surprisingly let go by Liverpool. Verdict: Relegation at the death. Players in:David Thompson (Liverpool 2,5-million); Jay Boothroyd (Arsenal, 1-million). Players out:David Burrows (Birmingham, free); Gary McAllister (Liverpool, free); Steve Ogrizovic (retired); Robbie Keane (Inter Milan, 13-million); Ian Brightwell (Walsall, free); Noel Whelan (Middlesbrough, 2-million); Chukkie Eribenne (Bournemouth, free). Derby County Manager: Jim Smith. Odds: 2-1. Last season: 16th, five points off relegation. This season: If Strachan is lucky to have survived as long as he has at Coventry, then the Bald Eagle’s charmed life at Pride Park is even more surprising. Smith’s transfer dealings cannot obscure the fact that they were lucky to escape the big drop last season. Danny Higginbotham is supposed to be another useful Manchester United reject and we all know how tricky Georgi Kinkladze can be at home. And after all these years of Premiership failure, Mikkel Beck has finally left the country. For all that, I reckon the Rams are in for another battering. Verdict: Lower half again, probably just clear of the drop zone. Players in: Georgi Kinkladze (Ajax, 3-million); Simo Valakari (Motherwell, free); Danny Higginbotham (Man Utd, 2-million); Bjorn Otto Bragstad (Rosenborg, 1,5- million); Youl Mawene (Lens, 500 000). Players out:Marc Bridge-Wilkinson (Port Vale, free); Richard Knight (Oxford, free); Estaban Fuertes (Lens, 4-million); Mikkel Beck (Lille, 500E000); Tony Dorigo (Stoke, free); Sinclair Le Geyt (Port Vale, free); Danny Porter (released); Amrit Sidhu (released). Everton
Manager: Walter Smith. Odds: 5-2. Last season: A disappointing 13th. This season: After the late slump last season and the loss of their unbeaten home record, Wattie has gone out and created huge waves on the transfer market. Gazza? Madness. He’s already lost it twice in friendlies. Alessandro Pistone, Niklas Alexandersson and Steve Watson are all proven Premiership performers while Alex Nyarko and Thomas Gravesen are unknown quanities. Personally, I’d have kept Nick Barmby, John Collins and Don Hutchison and avoided all the fuss, but who am I to judge the man who took Rangers to countless titles in Scotland? Verdict: Top 10 finish. Players in: Alessandro Pistone (Newcastle, 3-milion); Paul Gascoigne (Middlesborough, free); Steve Watson (Aston Villa, 2,5- million); Alex Nyarko (Lens 4,5-million); Niklas Alexandersson (Sheff Wed, 2,5- million); Thomas Gravesen (Hamburg, 2,5-million); Andrew Pettinger (Scunthorpe, 45 000).
Players out: Don Hutchison (Sunderland, 2,5-million); John Collins (Fulham, 2,5-million); Mitch Ward (Barnsley, 200 000); Nick Barmby (Liverpool, 6-million); Carl Regan (Barnsley, nominal fee); Dean Delaney (Port Vale, free). Ipswich
Manager: George Burley. Odds on: 5-2. Last season: Finally overcame the division one play-off jinx. This season: Serious problems lie ahead for the long-suffering Suffolk supporters; Watford-like, they haven’t bought enough to survive. John Scales is no longer the force he once was, Martijn Reuser will need to adapt fast. They waited a long time to get back up, but I can’t see them staying there. Verdict: Second bottom, the yo-yo will come into play. Players in:Martijn Reuser (Viitesse Arnhem, 1-million); John Scales (Tottenham, free); Keith Branagan (Bolton, free). Players out: Micky Stockwell (retired); Marco Holster (Go Ahead Eagles, free); Jonas Axedal (released); John Kennedy (released). Leeds
Manager: David O’Leary. Odds on: 10-1. Last season: A creditable third, Uefa Cup semifinals. This season: All that stuff about this young Leeds bunch being the team of the new millennium soured a little bit towards the end of last term. And they go into this campaign with all sorts of injury problems, particularly Harry Kewell’s Achilles tendon and David Batty’s ankle. Lucas Radebe, the Bafana Bafana captain, also has problems. I liked the look of Mark Viduka at Celtic last season – he appears to be the perfect footballing mercenary, a man who can adapt quickly before moving on. But Kewell and Viduka want to play in the Olympics, which would mean they’d be missing until October. They don’t have the depth to win the title. Verdict: Third behind Chelsea and United. Players in:Oliver Dacourt (Lens, 7,2-million); Mark Viduka (Celtic, 6-million). Players out:Martin Hiden (Salzburg, 500 000); Alf Inge Haaland (Man City, 2,5- million); David Hopkin (Bradford, 2,5-million); Tommy Knarvik (SK Brann, free). Leicester City Manager: Peter Taylor. Odds: 9-4. Last season: Eighth, League Cup winners. This season: Taylor was great with England’s Under-21s and did well with Gillingham last season. This is the acid test. If he can keep Leicester up in the top 10 and win the odd cup he’ll be the next England manager. But Martin O’Neill is a tough act to follow and I can’t see any of the Taylor signings as inspirational characters. O’Neill will doubtless lure a couple of Foxes up to Scotland, which won’t help. Taylor’s first season in the Premiership may be a struggle. Verdict: Just above mid table. Players in:Simon Royce (Charlton, free); Gary Rowett (Birmingham, 3-million); Callum Davidson (Blackburn, 1,75-million); Trevor Benjamin (Cambridge, 1,5-million); Ade Akinbiyi (Wolves, 5-million). Players out:Theo Zagorakis (AEK Athens, free); Pegguy Arphexad (Liverpool, free); Ian Marshall (released); Fernando Pasquinelli (Boca Juniors, free); John Hodges (Plymouth, free).
Liverpool
Manager: Gerard Houllier. Odds: 4-1. Last season: Fourth. This season: Houllier has spent 50-million in a year trying to put the Reds back at the top of the pile. The latest arrivals – even Nick Barmby – don’t impress me much. News of captain Robbie Fowler’s latest ankle injury in Belfast won’t do much for confidence either. They did brilliantly to get up among the contenders last season – but I can’t see them improving on that this term. Verdict: Fourth again. Players in: Pegguy Arphexad (Leicester, free); Bernard Diomede (Auxerre, 3-million); Gary McAllister (Coventry, free); Robbie Shields (Tallaght, nominal fee); Nick Barmby (Everton,
6-million); Marcus Babbel (Bayern Munich, free). Players out: Phil Babb (Sporting Lisbon, free); Stige Inge Bjornebye (Blackburn, 300 000); David Thompson (Coventry, 2,5-million); Bjorn Tore Kvarme (St Etienne, free); John Boardman (Burnley, free). Manchester City Manager: Joe Royle. Odds: 3-1. Last season: Second in division one. This season: George Weah, the once-majestic Liberian, may add some spark up front with the not-quite-so-majestic Bermudan Shaun Goater. Together they might just click. Certainly Goater did the business helping the club back into the top flight. They don’t have the quality to compete at the top yet, but given their fan base they may be going head-to-head with United within the next three years. Bafana Bafana defender Mark Fish could yet move to City from Bolton, but time is running out for a return to the top flight for the former Orlando Pirates star. Verdict: Lower half. Players in: George Weah (AC Milan, free); Alfe-Inge Haaland (Leeds, 2,5-million); Paulo Wanchope (West Ham, 3,65-million). Player out: Craig Russell (St Johnstone, free). Manchester United Manager: Sir Alex Ferguson. Odds: an improbable 10-1. Last season: Champions for the sixth time since 1993. European Cup quarterfinals. This season: They hardly broke sweat winning the Premiership again last winter – but I think they may come undone this season. Chelsea have bought big and bought intelligently. The Imperial Lord Ferg has only bought one significant player – Fabien Barthez – who won’t be any better than Mark Bosnich. United will fail – narrowly – to maintain the stranglehold. The big question for South Africans is: will Quinton Fortune play a major part? I fear not. Verdict: Runners-up. Players in: Daniel Nardiello (Wolves, 200 000); Fabien Barthez (Monaco, 7,8-million). Players out:Jordi Cruyff (Alaves, free); John Curtis (Blackburn, 1,5-million); Danny Higginbotham (Derby, 2-million); Massimo Taibi (Reggina, 2,5-million); Patrice Tano (Monaco, free). Middlesbrough
Manager: Bryan Robson. Odds: 15-8. Last season: A patchy 12th. This season: The pressure is on Robbo yet again. Another 10-million has been spent, another record wage bill has been agreed, Fabrizio Ravanelli-like, for Alen Boksic. Christian Karembeu is a real quality player and could do the business where Gazza couldn’t. They’ve got just about the right team, but have they got the right coach? Verdict: Sixth. Robbo lives to fight on. Players in: Christian Karembeu (Real Madrid, 2,1-million); Paul Okon (Fiorentina, free); Mark Crossley (Nottingham Forest, free); Noel Whelan (Coventry, 2-million); Alen Boksic (Lazio, 2,5-million); Joseph Desire Job (Lens, 3-million). Players out: Ben Roberts (Charlton, free); Paul Gascoigne (Everton, free). Newcastle United Manager: Bobby Robson. Odds: 5-1. Last season: 11th, six points behind arch- rivals Sunderland, after a bad start which saw Ruud Gullit sacked. This season: Robson worked post-Gullit wonders last season; he’ll need to do even better this time. I’ve been saying for two years that somebody should buy Carl Cort. Bobby went and did it and I think that the Alan Shearer/Cort/Duncan Ferguson triumvirate should be enough to see real improvement. Verdict: Seventh or eighth. Players in: Christian Bassesdas (Veles Sarsfield, 3,5-million); Carl Cort (Wimbledon, 7-million); Daniel Cordone (Lens, loan). Players out: John Karelse (released); Alessandro Pistone (Everton, 3-million); Paul Robinson (Wimbledon, 1,5-million); Carl Serrant (Sheffield United, loan); Silvio Maric (Porto, undisclosed); David Cunningham (Livingstone, free); Fumaca (released). Southampton
Manager: Glenn Hoddle. Odds: 15-8. Last season: A relieved 15th. This season: Uwe Rosler can score goals, Mark Draper can play a bit, Patrice Tano … who knows? Hoddle did what was required last season and he will probably do it again this season. But I can’t see Southampton challenging for Europe until they’ve got a decent ground and a bigger income. Verdict: Just above the drop zone, as always. Players in: Uwe Rosler (TB Berlin, free); Patrice Tano (Monaco, 2-million); Mark Draper
(Aston Villa 1,25-million). Players out:Luis Boa Morte (Fulham, loan). Sunderland
Manager: Peter Reid. Odds: 6-1. Last season: Seventh after a great start. This season: Nobody (including the many Sunderland fans I know) can work out how Sunderland stayed up with the leading bunch for so long last season. They’ll certainly struggle to get up there again this winter – in fact I can see a winter of discontent ahead for the popular Reid. Niall Quinn is getting no younger and Kevin Phillips surely can’t repeat his 30-goal Premiership performance. Don Hutchison will help, but he won’t be enough. Perhaps Reid should have gambled on Kaizer Chiefs’ striker Siyabonga Nomvete – who trained with them twice – to bolster his strike force. Verdict: Mid-table or lower. Players in: Tom Peeters (Mechelen, free); Jurgen Macho (FC Vienna, free); Julios Arca (Argentinos Juniors, 3-million); Don Hutchison (Everton, 2,5-million); Stanislav Varga (Slovan Bratislava, 650 000); John Kennedy (Worksop, 80 000). Players out: Alan Johnston (Rangers, free); Sam Aiston (Shrewsbury, free); Gerry Harrison (released); Greg Shannon (released); David Duke (Swindon, free). Tottenham Hotspur Manager: George Graham. Odds: 5-2. Last season: An unhappy 10th. This season: GG’s honeymoon is over. He has to produce something this season to add to the League Cup triumph two years ago. Neil Sullivan’s arrival could mean the end for Ian Walker in goal (not before time) while Sergei Rebrov’s arrival will have sold a few season tickets. Without David Ginola though, Graham will need to be right up among the title contenders to keep the fans happy. Verdict: Marginally better than last season; eighth or ninth. Players in:Neil Sullivan (Wimbledon, free); Sergei Rebrov (Dynamo Kiev, 11-million); Ben Thatcher (Wimbledon 5-million). Players out:John Scales (Ipswich, free); David Ginola (Aston Villa, 3-million); Allan Nielsen (Watford, 2,25-million); Espen Baardsen (Watford, 2,25-million); Peter Crouch (Queens Park Rangers, 60 000). West Ham United Manager: Harry Redknapp. Odds: 5-1. Last season: Ninth. This season: They recovered from a couple of ropey patches to emerge in the top half – just. Redknapp continues to produce entertaining but inconsistent teams. Expect more of the same this season though Nigel Winterburn, at 37 still the best left back in the country, and Davor Suker, another thirtysomething worth his weight in gold, may help. Credit to Harry: he hardly paid a penny for the pair of them. Verdict: Battle of midway. Players in: Frederic Kanoute (Olympique Lyonnais, 3,7-million); Nigel Winterburn (Arsenal, undisclosed); Davor Suker (Arsenal, free); Hayden Fox (Sanfrecce Hiroshima, free).
Players out: Mark Vivien Foe (Lyon, swap); Samassi Abou (released); Ian Feuer (Wimbledon, free); Manny Omoyimni (Oxford, free); Sam Aiston (Shrewsbury, free); Neil Ruddock (Crystal Palace, free); Stephen Purches (Bournemouth, free).