The big questions: Will we miss David Beckham? Can Chelsea buy the title? Are Arsenal a spent force? Is the Wayne Rooney thing overblown or is it just the way he walks? Who will go down? The answers are below, but for lazy readers the answers are: No. Yes. Yes. Probably. And Fulham, Leeds and Leicester.
ARSENAL: This has been the most depressing summer in the recent history of the Gunners. Jens Lehmann, a 32-year-old often-sent-off German goalkeeper, was all the Gunners could afford. The image of Arsène Wenger turning his pockets out when asked who he would sign at the Confederations Cup will stick with us Arsenal fans for years to come. The financial problems caused by the proposed move to Ashburton Grove will NOT go away.
Prediction: They may just make the top three this year, but it’s downhill from there.
ASTON VILLA: The arrival of David O’Leary hasn’t quite settled the club down like chairman Doug Ellis might have hoped. Like Graham Taylor and John Gregory before him, O’Leary finds himself with not much to spend and plenty of unhappy campers in the dressing room. They’ve signed midfielder Gavin McCann and goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen for £2,25-million each, but don’t expect Leeds-style miracles from O’Leary this time.
Prediction: Lucky to escape the drop.
BIRMINGHAM CITY: The jury’s still out on Steve Bruce as a manager. A great but uncapped centre-half at Manchester United, he struggled in various hot-seats initially. But my man in the midlands tells me this may be a big year for Bruce’s Blues. Talented Frenchman Christophe Dugarry has moved permanently to St Andrews, while David Dunn has moved south from Blackburn for £5,5-million.
Prediction: This is the season they make the transition from relegation candidates to mid-table comfort zone.
BLACKBURN ROVERS: Strange summer. Graeme Souness bought Lorenzo Amoruso from Rangers and the much-wanted Australian Brett Emerton from PSV. But he let David Dunn and Damien Duff go. The bankers will appreciate Souness’s devotion to the balance sheet. And his astute management will show dividends on the field. Could be the surprise package this season.
Prediction: Top seven, perhaps the FA Cup?
BOLTON WANDERERS: Manager Sam Allardyce is loved by fans and journalists alike. And just by keeping Bolton up, he’s doing a fabulous job. Just ask West Ham or Sunderland. He’s spent a mere £500 000 all summer while letting seven prominent first-team squad members go. Still, Ivan Campo is now a permanent fixture and Kevin Davies has arrived on a free from Southampton.They start off with Manchester United on Saturday but things should get easier after that.
Prediction: Relegation escapologists again.
CHARLTON ATHLETIC: The arrival of Paulo di Canio from West Ham is the final Hammer blow for Upton Park fans, who now find themselves looking enviously at The Valley. Charlton will never be fashionable, but with South African Shaun Bartlett scoring plenty of pre-season goals and his Bafana Bafana pal Mark Fish fit again at centre-half, they will always be difficult to beat.
Prediction: Just below mid-table.
CHELSEA: Where do we start? Roman Abramovich has saved the Blues from financial implosion and made them the biggest spenders in Europe. After splashing £70-million on seven players, manager Claudio Ranieri now has the unenviable task of trying to blend all those stars together into a workable unit. Kenny Dalglish managed it with Blackburn in 1995, but I think this might be a two-year job. But no more. Otherwise Sven Goran Eriksson might be asked to do it.
Prediction: I’m going to be controversial and back them. Champions. Take that, Fergie fans!
EVERTON: All this talk about young Wayne Rooney tends to overshadow the miraculous work done by young Scots manager David Moyes. Everton are right up there with old rivals Liverpool in the also-rans category. And the signing of Joseph Yobo isn’t going to change that. If Moyes had money, Everton would be frightening.
Prediction: Eighth. And a disappointing winter for the over-hyped Rooney.
FULHAM: Before Abramovich there was Mohammed al Fayed, the Harrods owner. As sugar daddies go, the Egyptian was right up there. But now Craven Cottage looks likely to become a housing estate and Al Fayed lives in Switzerland, away from the taxman. It shows. They’ve spent no money at all over the summer while seven players have walked away, including Steve Finnan to Liverpool for £3,5-million.
Prediction: Young, untried boss Chris Coleman has been given a real Mission Impossible. Fulham will sink without trace.
LEEDS: Just like Fulham, Leeds have gone from big spenders to paupers in one short season. The pre-season dressing-room argument between Mark Viduka and new boss Peter Reid was apparently quite something. A real sign of how bad things have become at the club. Jody Morris has arrived on a free (because nobody would pay good money for a man who oozes trouble) while Harry Kewell, Olivier Dacourt and Nigel Martyn have all been sold off.
Prediction: They’ll join Fulham on the slide.
LEICESTER: How they bounced back to the Premiership despite their financial collapse is beyond me. Manager Micky Adams might be able to explain it. He’s signed a total of 11 players for less than £500 000 this summer, including Les Ferdinand, Keith Gillespie, Craig Hignett and Ben Thatcher. But you need more than veteran journeymen to survive in the top flight.
Prediction: Straight back down again.
LIVERPOOL: Steve Finnan and Harry Kewell are a couple of top-class signings. But there is unrest among Liverpool fans, worried about the lack of adventure in Gerard Houllier’s sides. Kewell should open things up for Michael Owen … but only if he’s allowed to play.
Prediction: A disappointing campaign. Eighth or ninth. And Houllier goes.
MANCHESTER CITY: Kevin Keegan has made some fascinating signings to celebrate their arrival at the wonderful new City of Manchester stadium, home of the last Commonwealth Games. The days of arriving at Maine Road and having to pay some lad to protect your car are finally over! And with free signing David Seaman in goal and West Ham’s Trevor Sinclair on the wing, there’s a level of security on the field too.
Prediction: Safe. Perhaps even Uefa Cup contenders.
MANCHESTER UNITED: On paper they should win it again. Sir Alex Ferguson has sold off that pretty chap with the hair (his name esapes me) and over-priced Argie Seba Veron. He’s brought in promising American goalkeeper Tim Howard, Brazilian World Cup winner Kleberson, young Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo, Sunderland’s young Frenchman David Bellion and the fabulously named Eric Djemba-Djemba. All that work and the ageless Scot says he doesn’t ever want to give up. Scarey. Just to avoid boredom I’m backing Chelsea to pip them.
Prediction: Second. Just.
MIDDLESBROUGH: For all his huffing and puffing this summer, boss Steve McClaren has spent nothing in the transfer market. Alan Wright, the Premiership smallest full-back has arrived free from Aston Villa, but that’s hardly going to guarantee success. Oh, and the little Brazilian Juninho told my mate Neil Ashton he’s fit and raring to go again this season. With Gareth Southgate and nearly-fit Ugo Ehiogu at the back, they’ll be solid enough.
Prediction: Mid-table or better. But not much.
NEWCASTLE: They’ve added Jonathan Woodgate and Lee Bowyer to a dressing room that already boasted controversial stars like Kieron Dyer and Craig Bellamy. But Sir Bobby Robson says he can handle it, and he’s got plenty of experience in these things. If only he could be trusted to remember their names!
Prediction: Fourth or fifth, with plenty of shenanigans.
PORTSMOUTH: Harry Redknapp has a certain something. West Ham must have though they were well rid of the great wheeler-dealer but look what’s happened to them since he left. And look what’s happened at Pompey since he arrived. Fratton Park desperately needs a lick of paint but the squad appears to be right up to Premiership standard. Teddy Sheringham has joined the Redknapp revolution, along with Patrik Berger and Dejan Stefanovic, among half a dozen foreign arrivals. But I think they’ll miss Paul Merson, who’s already starring for Walsall.
Prediction: Mid-table security. May just start with a bang.
SOUTHAMPTON: Wayne Bridge joined the pilgrimage to Chelsea with Graeme le Saux going the other way, along with £7-million. Not a bad deal for Gordon Strachan that. If James Beattie stays fit the Saints should go marching on confidently enough. And he’s got talented Scotsman Neil McCann to provide a little extra service too.
Prediction: Top ten, though I’m not sure how Strachan manages it.
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR: With neighbours Arsenal spending buttons, Spurs have gone out and bought three strikers for more than £13-million. Frederic Kanoute (£3,5-million from West Ham), Helder Postiga (£8,25-million from Portugal) and Bobby Zamora (£1,5-million and rising from Brighton). They needed to do something after their awful slump at he end of last season. I’d like to say they’ll go down and Glenn Hoddle will bow out with Graeme Souness taking over. We can but dream.
Prediction: Just below halfway.
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS: Most people think they’re going to struggle. Not me. David Jones is an astute manager, adding Arsenal’s Oleg Luzhny to a canny squad which already includes Denis Irwin and Paul Ince, two men who know a bit about Premiership football. Steffen Iverssen and Jody Craddock have also come on board and I reckon they can survive.
Prediction: A couple of points clear of the trap door.