Of course, one could refer to the point earned by CFR Cluj-Napoca after the visit of Chelsea and argue that there is not such a big gap in quality after all, but it would be foolish to overlook the fact that the London side simply had a bad day. Every club is prone to delivering a performance that lacks penetration, as Arsenal duly demonstrated against Hull City last weekend in the domestic league. However, a re-evaluation of the mentality required to win is all it takes to steady the ship when a team possesses that much quality, and the Gunners' slick passing punished Porto's inadequacies on Tuesday night.

The fact that Arsenal and Liverpool, the 3rd and 4th best teams in England respectively, defeated FC Porto and PSV Eindhoven, league champions in their own nations, shows the superiority of the English Premier League over other countries. Of course we are already aware of this gap in class; three of the last four teams in last season's Champions League hailed from England. The other was Barcelona, who offered nothing in their semi-final against Man Utd and are relying heavily on a combination of dodgy refereeing decisions and the mercurial talents of Lionel Messi to guide them through the opening stages of their league and European campaigns.

Both Mourinho's Inter Milan and Juventus, giants of the Italian game, could only muster draws in their games whilst Bayern Munich and Lyon played out a 1-1 draw, with both teams looking out of sorts in these opening stages of the competition.

So what does this mean for European football? An English club has graced the final of the Champions League in each of the last four seasons, most notably with the all-English affair between Chelsea and eventual winners Manchester Utd last season. It is seen as a disappointing failure in this country if any one of the "big four" does not make it to the quarter-finals at the very least. There has not been this sort of domination of Europe by a nation since the late 1970s when English clubs won the competition five years running from 1977-1982. Would another run like that make the competition stagnant and less enjoyable?

One of the chief beauties of a football game is that the best team does not always win (once again, I refer to Arsenal vs. Hull City). It is this unpredictability that draws people to the game. However, over the course of a season or a lengthy competition such as the Champions League, the best team (or at least one of the best teams) does invariably win. And rightly so: if a club is made up of the most talented players and they play to the best of their ability then no-one can hold that against them. Did anyone begrudge Roger Federer winning Wimbledon five times in a row? No, because he had put in the hard work to become a good player and then simply exercised his talents to achieve his goal. So in a purely footballing sense, I fully welcome English clubs having continued success in European competition.

The only frightening part of English clubs dominating Europe is the financial implications. None of the other nations would be able to keep up with the wealth of the Premier League, but the greater worry is closer to home: the money earned from European success would propel the "big four" even further away from all the other clubs in the football league in terms of both trophies and financial resources. If that were to happen - and it is a distinct possibility -then the only hope of breaking that monopoly would be for the billionaire investors to come and throw their oil money at clubs such as Manchester City or Aston Villa. Then we are left with an on-going transfer merry-go-round as the world's best players arrive with hugely inflated wage demands and quash any hopes of young local talent coming through. This in turn would basically ensure that the England national team would never compete for a championship ever again.

So with that in mind, let us all hope for a surprise package to cause some upsets in the Champions League this season. I am hopeful of further success for FC Cluj, the team from Romania. With four points from their opening two games against Roma and Chelsea, they have shown they have the bite to potentially be the final nail in the coffin for one of the title hopefuls.

The big four - Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Liverpool - are looking for the title in this 2008-09 season.

Which one will be the greatest amongst the great?

Will the current champion be able to renew the title?

Let us analyse the reigning title owner - Man U.

So what defines this season's Manchester United?

• Side-Kick

  Well, it is inevitable to mention Manchester United had an issue to resolve during pre-season: the Cristiano Ronaldo issue, that is. Does anyone really think this matter is over and resolved? No, not by far. And why? - would you ask. Quite simply because although he is still an MU player, his head is already be in Madrid, where the sun shines for the whole year (and I don't just mean the 9 months of the season...) There is so much to be said on this theme, I'll come back to this at a later opportunity, assuring you for now that we will all be debating this again soon.
  

• Recycling In-House Talent

  MU has since the end of last season failed to hire any new player into the club. But this doesn't mean everything is the same.
  
  Assuring the comeback of Fraizer Campbell who had been on loan to Hull City, MU has also promoted two of his young Brazilian players to the main squad: the twin brothers Fabio da Silva (left defender) and Rafael da Silva (right defender). About these two, Sir Alex Ferguson has said: they are sensational!
  

• Quality and Stability

  We have all gotten used to MU's tactic of not hiring much - this is a team that distanciates itself from the rest for another reason: the stability of the coaching team (Sir Alex Ferguson, for one, has been in the club for over 20 years). And even assisting coach Carlos Queiroz' move to head the Portuguese National Team, while it constitutes a great loss, shouldn't be enough to disturb this stability.

In terms of hiring new players, the moto is less is more. As in, a small number of very good (and expensive) acquisitions who will add something (or a lot) of value of the squad, those types of players who will make the difference (like Totenham Hotspurs' striker Dimitar Berbatov, rummored to be on his way to the club). Sometimes this is an investment - perhaps the player will not be an immediate success in their first year in the club, but you can safely bet this will eventually happen.

Whether or not this current state of affairs will be enough to ensure they retain the title, remains to be seen as the 08-09 Premier League unfolds.

West Brom are perhaps the only one of the promoted sides that will believe they should stay up. They have a fair amount of attacking flair and they certainly shouldn't be embarrassed at this level, if they can get their defence right then they should have a decent shot at staying up. On the other hand, it's hard to see which one of the established sides they will finish above. Certainly teams like Wigan, Sunderland, Bolton and Fulham look a lot stronger then they did twelve months ago. MiddlesBoro and Newcastle both have genuine quality in their attack so it's hard to see either of them getting dragged to far in to the battle. The only other teams that could realistically have a shocker are West ham and Blackburn, but after both teams finished so comfortably in mid table West Brom fans shouldn't hold their breath.

It's hard to predict how many goals West Brom's forwards will score this season. Luke Moore has a reasonable record in the top flight and Tony Mowbray will be looking for him to bag double figures as a first team regular (he was never really considered a regular at the Villa). Roman Bednar has looked a good player when playing in the SPL and the championship, it remains to be seen whether he will hack it in one of Europe's top leagues. Ishmael Miller only played a handful of games for city, and even in the matches he did play he was mainly deployed on the wing, so it's hard to judge his top flight potential on his tom there. He has bags of pace and he always looked lively for the Baggies last term. Although Miller is unlikely to get twenty odd goals he should be able to make some sort of impact.

In midfield Jonathan Greening plays as the holding midfielder, which says a lot. The former Manchester United man has played the majority of his career on the left wing. He has perhaps played the best football of his career in recent seasons at West Brom but Premiership midfield's are more unforgiving than Champioship midfield's. Alongside him will be Slovakian midfielder Robert Koren. Koren is a good passer of the ball and a regular goal scorer but his defensive ability is questionable. Teixera is in the same mould as Koren. Chris Brunt is a high energy wide player who scores the occasional wonder goal.

West Brom will be hoping that new signings Zuiverloon and Cech stiffen up a shaky defence, both are versatile enough to play at full back or centre half but is most likely Zuiverloon will play at right back and Cech at left back. The centre half places are likely to be filled by Neil Clement and Leon Barnett (especially after they were given the number six and number five shirts for this season).

In goal Scott Carson has a bit to prove. His form suffered after letting in that goal from Kranjacar's weak shot at Wembley and he will be hurt by Villa's decision not to sign him on a permanent basis.

Who have they signed?

Zuiverloon is a Dutch under 21 international who plays best as an attacking full back, he can also play centre half. He will miss the start of the season after being named in Holland's squad for the Olympics.

Marech Cech has been signed from Porto where he was used mainly at left back. He has also been used as a centre back and a defensive midfield player

Scott Carson was thrown in at the deep end in premiership football, his first game was at Old Trafford whilst at Leeds. After putting in a credible display and only conceding one goal scouts started to watch him. A move to Liverpool followed but he found himself out on a series of loan moves. His best season in terms of performance bizarrely came at Charlton; who were relegated that season. After being thrown in a massive game on his club debut; the same thing happened in competitive international matches when he started England's decisive game against Croatia. The occasion and the state of the pitch got the better of him and have probably ended his international career before it began.

Who should they sign and why?

Although he is much maligned; Hosam Ghali was by far the best player in Derby's struggling side. Tottenham are desperate to get rid and the Egyptian would add much needed strength to West Brom's midfield. They could also do with strengthening at centre half; big Steven Pressley is still looking for a club and reportedly wants a move south. The former hearts captain is getting on now but should have another year or two left in him.

Star Man

Berbatov, he may be gone by the time you read this but the Bulgarian is sheer class. His work rate maybe leaves a little to decide but his touch and his finishing skills are exquisite.

It's a season of big changes at the lane. They have bought a fair few players in and they have let a fair few go. It will certainly be interesting to follow Tottenham's progress this year. Juande Ramos is the first manager in the premiership era (without any affiliation to Arsenal that is) to win silverware at Spurs so it's understandable that the fans believe in him. Spurs, however, have had plenty of false dawns in the past and there is not yet enough proof to suggest this time will be any different.

It's worth noting that Spurs have so far only purchased creative, flair players. With Aaron Lennon also still about Spurs are certainly blessed in that area of the park. It would be fair to say that they still lack a defensive midfielder worthy of a serious push for the champions league places. I have pencilled Ledley King in this position but I'd be surprised if Ramos went the same way. It is likely that Zokora will start most games despite the fact he hasn't played well for Spurs since his first two months at the club.

The additions of Woodgate and Hutton last year stiffened up the defence. Paul Robinson is not a bad keeper but the relationship between him and Ramos was never going to work so they did need to bring in a keeper. Gomes has performed very well for PSV in recent European campaigns and probably caught the manager's eye when the Dutch giants knocked Spurs out of the EUFA cup last season. Brazilian keepers tend to be a bit dodgy, In terms of both temperament and consistency, and Spurs don't currently have an experienced back-up. Reports suggest they are on the case and they may be just as well.

Another position that Spurs are working on is that of the main striker. Dimitar Berbatov probably thinks he's a bit too good for Spurs and unless they break in to the top four he will never be 100% happy. Spurs fans are still sweating on whether he will decide to leave or not. After Robbie Keane's recent departure they are more worried than ever as they would be left with only Darren Bent. There are reports linking them with the Russian duo Arshavin and Pavlychenko but that policy would have to be seen as risky. Russia is a totally different environment to the rest of Europe, both in social and footballing terms. It's certainly hard to think of a great deal of Russians who have made a successful career away from their home land in recent years. With Spurs still smarting from wasting £11 million on Rebrov, they might think twice about signing players from that part of the world again. As yet it is unclear whether Spurs really do have a chance of landing David Villa. Euro 2008's top scorer would prefer to go to Real Madrid or Barcelona but if they can't stump up the cash then he may settle for working with a Spanish manager.

Where will they hope to finish?

Above Arsenal; in other words fourth.

What position would be seen as acceptable?

If they had a good run in both the EUFA cup and the F.A cup then most Spurs fans would settle for sixth.

Where will they actually finish?

As long as Berbatov stays, or they get a worthy replacement, then they should finish in fifth.

Who have they signed?

You will probably be sick to death with most of the press talking about how “technically gifted” Luka Modric is and how he is supposed to be the “new Cruyff”. I know I certainly am. I am also reserving judgement on a player who we have only seen in a handful of international matches, even if he did play well. He has been the outstanding player in the Croatian league for a few seasons but I'm not convinced that's a definite seal of quality. He has good feet, an eye for a pass and makes clever use of the half turn. He is a similar player to Paul Scholes in many respects(he is certainly nearer to Scholes than Cruyff anyway). If he is half as successful in the premier league as the ginger genius than Spurs will get value for their money.

Giovanni Dos Santos has also been given a tag that he may struggle to live up to, he is supposedly the “new Ronaldinho” (the buck tooth Brazillian before he got fat and stopped playing that is). Dos Santos has been used in a few different positions in his career so far but his favoured one is just off the front man. Dos Santos rose to prominence at the under 17 world cup a few years back. He was one of the three outstanding players along with Manchester United's Anderson and Arsenal's Carlos Vela. He then spent a couple of years developing his technique in Barcelona's B team before slowly starting to make appearances in the first team over the past two seasons. He ended his Barcelona career in style by netting a hat-trick on the final day of last season.

Everyone knows about England winger David Bentley following his success at Blackburn and we have already covered Brazilian international keeper Gomes

You might be able to question Defoe's all round game but he guarantees goals. A starring role at Pompey should see him push for an international place

Harry Redknapp's achievements at Portsmouth should ensure him legendary status. In just seven years Portsmouth have gone from a team struggling to maintain their second tier status to F.A cup winners, firmly established in the top half of the premiership. All this at a club whose stadium seats less than 20,000. His budget, however, hasn't been as restrictive as you would think, both Mandaric and Gaydamak have incurred significant personal losses in order to fund Harry's rebuilding job. There are signs that Gaydamak has either run out of money or run out of patience. The signing of Peter Crouch has been offset by the loss of Muntari and Harry has reportedly been told that if he wants to sign Wright Phillips and Kaboul then he needs to off-load more players. That probably means trying to sell John Utaka, David Nugent and Pedro Mendes. If there are no takers for those three then Harry could be left frustrated in his attempts to push Pompey in to the top six.

If Pompey are to have success this year then their little and large partnership of Crouch and Defoe will have to hit the ground running. One interesting sub plot is that they are effectively competing against each other for a spot in the England team, it will be interesting to see if this affects the relationship between them on the pitch. Maybe Defoe will become a bit more selfish in order to make sure he gets more goals than Crouch.

In midfield Niko Kranjacar should supply the front two with plenty of ammunition. He would prefer a role as a central playmaker but Portsmouth's system allows him to cut in from the left. On the other side John Utaka has become unpopular with both the manager and the fans due to his lack of application. In 2006/07 he was one of the French league's top players and on his debut for Portsmouth he looked like Thierry Henry in his Arsenal pomp. What has gone wrong since is anyone's guess but he has the talent to succeed in the English game. The alternative is Glen Little who was the best right winger in the second tier for a spell of about five years (briefly interrupted by an unsuccessful stint at Bolton). He performed well in the top flight for Reading in the 06/07 season but he is now approaching his 33rd birthday and is unlikely to make a major impact this term.

In the centre of the park they have the best holding player outside the top four in Lassana Diarra. Strong, athletic and comfortable on the ball he will prove a bargain at around £5 million as long as he feels settled on the south coast. Alongside him they have Diop who has so far failed to repeat the form he showed in the 2002 world cup with Senegal. He also had a good spell early in his Fulham career. If he can find this kind of form again then Pompey's defence should have a significant barrier in front of them.

Portsmouth's ageing back five should have at least one good season left in them; but with only Glen Johnson under the age of thirty it's the area Harry most needs to replenish.

Who have they signed?

We know all about Peter Crouch who was probably the most under-rated striker in England for a couple of years. It can no longer be denied that Crouch is an effective player but the jury is still out as to whether he can do it against the top sides. He scored a hat-trick against Arsenal in 2006/07 and he has a good record in the champions league which suggests he probably can.

We have already covered Glen Little.

Who should they sign and why?

Harry is after Sean Wright Phillips and if he could pull that one off then it would surely prove a major coup. Although S.W.P hasn't done it on a consistent basis for Chelsea

He would most probably shine once again at a club which gave a guaranteed first team spot. If S.W.P is a little out of their budget then Giles Barnes of Derby might be worth a punt.

Harry could also do with a more youthful centre back, there is a possibility that Anton Ferdinand might be available and because of the West Ham connection Harry should already know him well.

Where will they hope to finish?

Fifth or sixth

What position will be seen as acceptable?

Like so many other teams outside the top four it depends on their progress in the cups.

Where will they actually finish?

They have a small squad so if they take the cup competitions seriously (especially the EUFA cup) it will have a detrimental effect on their league form. I'll say that they'll finish ninth. I think they'll reach the quarter finals of the EUFA cup as long as they field their strongest side.

In mid October last year Wigan looked like relegation certainties. They struggled to score goals and didn't seem to have any quality in their side. Then Steve Bruce arrived and everything started to fall in to place. All of a sudden players like Kirkland, Ryan Taylor and Valencia started to find their form. In January Bruce bought in Wilson Palacios and the Honduran gave Wigan much needed quality in the centre of the park. This summer Bruce has been busy; adding the likes of De Ridder, Kapo and Cattermole to his squad. Wigan are now a totally different team to when Bruce first took charge. They will hope to steer way clear of the relegation dogfight this season.

There are still plenty of problems with Wigan's squad: in attack they lack a striker who will score ten or fifteen goals. Last years top scorer Marcus Bent has left the club after failing to secure a permanent move following his loan spell. Emile Heskey will lead the line well and look to bring Wigan's talented attacking midfielders, such as Valencia and De Ridder, in to play. Heskey's all round play at Wigan has earned him an international recall but he only scored four goals last term. A.Zaki has never played club football outside his native Egypt so he remains an unknown quantity in European football.

Marlon King doesn't look up to it in the premiership and he is likely to move before the window closes.

With limited options in the forward positions; Wigan will look for plenty of goals from their attacking midfield players. Valencia has now settled in to English football after an up and down first season. He is now showing the type of form that he produced in the 2006 world cup, when he inspired Ecuador to reach the last sixteen for the first time.

He has been linked to Manchester united but that is unlikely to happen this season. If, however, Valencia carries on improving at Wigan (and Christiano Ronaldo leaves for Real Madrid) then that transfer might just happen next summer. Kapo made his name under Guy Roux at Auxerre but he has failed to settle since leaving the French club. He briefly shone under Steve Bruce at Birmingham but found himself marginalised when McCleish took charge. Former Ajax winger De Ridder also found himself with limited chances to impress under the former Scotland manager. He has impressed in pre-season games for Wigan and could well be one to watch this season.

In the engine room Wigan have Palacios and Cattermole, which has the making of a good partnership.

Defence is a problem area for Wigan with ageing Mario Melchiot and the error prone Titus Bramble still classed as first team regulars. Paul Scharner is occasionally brilliant but he sometimes goes missing. Emerson Boyce is a good professional who can perform at right back and centre half. Ryan Taylor can play at full back and is able to operate on either flank, his best position is arguably further up the park but he looks to be Wigan's best option at left back.

In goal Chris Kirkland has started to rebuild his reputation after a spell at Liverpool in which he rarely played and was often injured. If he has another good season and stays injury free then he might just convince Capello that he is the solution to England's long term Goalkeeping problem.

Who have they signed?

Oliver Kapo was once seen as one of France's great young hopes. Along with D. Cisse, Kapo was the key player in Auxerre's title winning side but he has failed to repeat that form on a consistent basis. He had disappointing spells at Juventus and Monaco before joining Levante. The Spanish club's financial troubles led to his sale to Birmingham. He can play on the left but he favours the position just behind the main striker.

Daniel de Ridder was trained at the famous Ajax academy where he honed his technical skills. He was always in and out of the team at the Dutch giants, prompting him to move to Celta Vigo. Last summer he won the under 21 European championship with Holland (playing as an over-aged player) before moving to Birmingham, where he showed flashes of brilliance but failed to hold down a first team spot. He obviously did enough to impress Bruce and he is expected to make a bigger impression in English football this term.

Lee Cattermole showed potential during his time at Boro. He is a committed and passionate player. He is strong in the tackle and has a good positional sense. He should significantly improve Wigan in the centre of the park.

Abou Zaki impressed at the African cup of nations. Like many of the Egyptian squad he has good technical ability. He has been the top striker in the Egyptian league (which is by far the strongest of the African leagues) for a few seasons but is unproven outside Africa.

Who should they sign and why?

Wigan desperately need someone to score ten to fifteen league goals for them. It is a hard place to sell so they will have to think outside the box. Ipswich have a young striker called Danny Haynes who looks like he could well make it at the top level. He has good feet, bags of pace and can get past defenders. He would be a good foil for Heskey. Ivory coast striker Baky Kone (currently with Nice) would also fit the bill.

Where will they hope to finish?

Somewhere between tenth and twelfth.

 

What position would be seen as acceptable?

They'll probably be reasonably happy to avoid relegation so I'd say sixteenth

Where will they actually finish?

Seventeenth

Don't write off Stoke's chances of survival just yet; they are similar, in many respects, to the likes of Wigan and Reading and they might just surprise a few teams. They have a style of play that is effective if not easy on the eye. The team is filled with good championship level players and some of them should be able to make the step up to premiership football.

In attack they will hope that new signing Dave Kitson hits it off with Ricardo Fuller, who has something to prove at this level after an unsuccessful spell at Portsmouth. Mo Sidibie is a more direct, physical threat and they are likely to turn to him when all else fails.

In midfield they have three players who have performed well in the championship in Liam Lawrence, Glen Whelan and seyi Oloufinjana. If two or three of these players can make the step up then Stoke might just stay up. Liam Lawrence has had one season in the top flight before with Sunderland but he wont want to be reminded of that as Sunderland set a new record low points total (since smashed by Derby). It's perhaps unfair to use that as evidence against him as he wasn't the team's worst performer.

At the back they have former Newcastle and Portsmouth full back Andrew Griffin alongside two former Manchester united trainee's in Ryan Shawcross and Danny Pugh. They also have Carl Cort's brother Leon, who for years was thought to be the less successful of the siblings when he was playing in the basement division with Southend. Leon is much bigger and much more imposing than his brother and he played a big part in Southend's promotions. Experienced Danish international Thomas Sorenson completes the back five.

Who have they signed?

Dave Kitson has scored goals wherever he's been and acquitted himself quite well in Readings two seasons in the top flight. He's not bad in the air but finishes better with his feet. Even in a struggling team he should finish with a goals tally not far off double figures. Seyi Oloufinjana is a Nigerian international, he is a big strong, energetic midfielder and he should form a good partnership with the more creative talent of Glen Whelan. Thomas Sorenson has suffered with injuries over the past few seasons but he was once one of the premiership's better keepers and has to be viewed as something of a bargain as he arrives on a free.

Who should they sign and why?

Stoke could do with a natural left footer in midfield. Cardiff's Joe Ledley or Barnsley's Brian Howard would welcome a move to the premiership. They could also go back to Reading to enquire about Bobby Convey or Stephen Hunt.

Stoke could also do with some Premiership experience at the back. Harry Redknapp is desperately trying to sign a centre half for Pompey (possibly Youness Kaboul) and if he manages to bring someone in he would probably let Linvoy Primus go.

Where will they hope to finish?

Realistically they will look at sixteenth as being achievable

What position will be seen as acceptable?

Like Hull; Stoke will probably be content if they avoid humiliation so eighteenth or nineteenth.

Where will they actually finish?

If the established teams hadn't strengthened I would have said sixteenth but seeing as they have I'll say nineteenth

Perhaps of more urgent importance is the issue of Berbatov.

The sale of Van Nistlerooy was undoubtedly the catalyst for united's recent success. Although the Dutch man was a consistent goal-scorer he made united seem a little predictable. There were a fair few teams who had “figured united out”. Teams such as Blackburn and Middlesboro regularly got results against the reds, both home and away. After getting knocked out of the champions league in the group stages in the 05/06 season Alex Ferguson's future was seriously under scrutiny. Things were so bad that the Glazers issued a statement to say they were quote “disappointed” with United's recent form but Fergie's job was safe for now. The statement didn't actually say “for now” but it was very much implied. The future looked bleak but things improved after an unexpected turn of events. A fortunate tie against Barnet in the third round of the league cup ensured that the usual mixture of reserves and youngsters made it safely through. After that Fergie decided to take the competition seriously because there were no longer any European fixtures to worry about. It was in the quarter final against Birmingham that Fergie had his EUREKA moment. He picked pretty much his strongest side but with Louis Saha playing instead of Van Nistlerooy. United won 3-1 but they could have just as easily scored 5 or 6. Without their main target man; united were so much more fluid than they had been over the past few seasons. Rooney in particular was rampant. Although Fergie didn't drop Ruud straight away his mind was still made up; united were better without him. When Saha was fit the system worked brilliantly but it wasn't long before the French man started to pick up injuries again. In the summer of 2007 united sold Alan Smith and G Rossi but managed to bring in Carlos Tevez. This left them with three strikers in the squad, but with Saha injured more often than not it was effectively two and when Wayne Rooney was out of the team United simply weren't the same side.

As it stands now Fergie has a bit of a headache, he will probably let Saha go before the window closes and that leaves him with only the inexperienced Frazier Campbell as cover. It's pretty much accepted that united need the option of a big, imposing striker who is good in the air. Where the debate lies is whether this player should start most games or just come of the bench as and when required. It is highly unlikely that Berbatov would accept a role as an impact player and if he signed it would threaten both united's blend of football (which would undoubtedly have to change to accommodate the Bulgarian) and possibly put Carlos Tevez's nose out of joint. The problem is that unless Fergie can find an arial threat who doesn't mind being viewed as the third choice striker he's damned if he does sign Berbatov and damned if he doesn't.

Another issue that may prevent united from a third successive title is the departure of Carlos Quieroz. The Portugese assistant certainly had a major influence in United's style of play and he has an undoubted affinity with the likes of Ronaldo and Nani.

Who have they signed?

So far they have only added a young Italian striker named Petrucci from Roma. He is an unknown quantity as he has only really played for Roma's youth team. Don't expect to see him in a league match anytime soon as he will be a reserve team player this season. He might make the occasional outing in the league cup, or the last group game of the champions league if United have already qualified.

Who should they sign and why?

Well it comes down to that third choice striker again. Although it is unlikely to happen this summer; Benzema would be united's best option. He would fit in well with united's fluid and interchangeable style of play. He is still young enough to accept a supporting role in his first season at a genuine European giant and he can also effectively play in the wide positions so he could fill in for the likes of Ronaldo as well as Tevez and Rooney.

Other than that united need a long term replacement for Gary Neville; especially as no one outside the club really knows whether he is still the player he once was. United are unlikely to do any business with Real Madrid this summer but Sergio Ramos would be a great signing for United.

Where will they hope to finish?

First

What position will be seen as acceptable?

Second, possibly third if they win one of the cups.

Where will they actually finish?

It could depend on any major changes to the playing staff, which in addition to the loss of Quieroz could destabilise things. They should claim that third successive title, especially as there seems to be unrest amongst all the other contenders.

Star Man

Craig Bellamy just gets the nod over Robert Green, who still can't get a look in at international level despite being England's only consistent keeper under the age of thirty five. Bellamy inspired both Newcastle and Blackburn to the top six and neither of those teams were quite the same after his departure. If he can get fit for the majority of this season then West ham could well break in to the top eight.

West Ham (best said in an exaggerated cockney accent) fans are among the most demanding in the country. Not only do they demand a push for the European places but they want to achieve this by playing attacking football. Why they think they have a Devine right to this is anyone's guess; especially as they haven't finished in the top eight since 2002.

It is true they have been brought up on attacking football but it's not given them a great deal of success. Alan Curbishly is almost universally disliked at Upton Park despite saving the club from certain relegation in the 06/07 season (with a lot of help from a certain Carlos Tevez). It's also worth noting that, despite the lengthy injury list, last seasons tenth place finish was their second best (in terms of the league pyramid) since 2002. Curbishley has said that if the attacking trio of Bellamy, Faubert and Dyer would have been fit then he would have played a more expansive brand of football. He claims that last years 4-5-1 was just a case of adapting to limited resources. West Ham fans have countered with a claim that he has bought injury prone players. Both sides have a point.

It's questionable whether West Ham's best eleven, if and when they are all fit, could push the likes of Spurs, Everton and Villa. If their first choice strike partnership can stay injury free then they should be able to muster about thirty goals between them. Dean Ashton is arguably England's top target man and showed signs of returning to his old self last season. His physical strength and eye for goal make up for his lack of pace and flair. His partner, Craig Bellamy, should compliment him well with his explosive style of play. Carlton Cole has been much maligned in recent years but he is an awkward man to play against, he is a good option to have on the bench especially if the team needs to be a bit more direct.

In midfield much depends how well the wide players, Faubert and Behrami, adapt to the English game. Both are fast, energetic players who get lots of crosses in to the box. It is unlikely they will deliver many goals however so the front two will have to take the bulk of the responsibility in this department. For a season or two Scott Parker was one of the premiership's top midfield players. The arrival of Mourinho and Michael Essien, on top of a lengthy injury, effectively ended his Chelsea career (despite an impressive start under Ranieri). His time at Newcastle was very much a mixed bag as he started well but ended up as a target for the boo-boys. His reunion with his former mentor has been interrupted by injury but he will look to get back to the form he showed under Curbishly in 2003 this term. He used to be a regular scorer at Charlton and West Ham will hope he can find his shooting boots again this term. Youth team product Mark Noble is likely to partner Parker and his energetic and committed diplays made him a hit with Hammers fans. The midfield seems to lack a bit of flair and creativity and Curbishly will be hoping he can get Kieron Dyer fit. It's a long shot but there in is no denying Dyer's talent and if he could put his injuries behind him he could be the man to transform West Ham from an organised and functional side to a good one.

In defence West ham have another player who struggles with injuries in the form of Matthew Upson, the former Birmingham man was a regular in the England squad in 2004 but has had a torrid time with injuries ever since. When he has been fit he has looked as solid as ever. It is a rarity these days for an entire first choice back five to share the same first language. West Ham are one of the only teams to have this luxury and Anton Ferdinand completes an all English back three (with Upson and keeper Robert Green). Ferdinand will always suffer from comparisons with his older brother but he is a good defender in his own rights. He has clearly based his game on his brother and forms a good partnership with the straight forward defending of Upson. Lucas Neil is one of the premierships better right backs (although he is certainly not worth the £80,000 a week he is supposed to be earning). George McCartney is under-rated at left back. As already stated it is hard to understand why Robert Green has been ignored by England. He has the key behind a number of 1-0 victories for west ham under Curbishly; most notably against Manchester United and Arsenal.

Who have they signed?

V. Behrami. The Swiss international has been a consistent performer in Serie A for Lazio over the past three seasons. He can play as a full back or a wide midfielder and can operate on either side. He covers a lot of ground, has pace and athleticism and is a good crosser of the ball.

Who should they sign and why?

West Ham have a big squad and a huge wage budget for a mid-table club. The person they most need to bring in is a world class fitness instructor, as well as a top physio. They need staff who can get the likes of Bellamy, Ashton, Dyer, Parker, Upson and Faubert fully fit.

Where will they hope to finish?

Seventh

What position will be seen as acceptable?

Depends a lot on what type brand of football they play. If the team are playing with a lot of width, keeping the ball on the deck and scoring goals then the fans would probably tolerate a place in the higher regions of mid table, such as eleventh.

Where will they actually finish?

Depends a lot on injuries but I'll say thirteenth

Outside Newcastle there are, for the first time in ages, not many people that expect much from Kevin Keegan's side this season. No one is talking up their potential or their fire power or anything else for that matter. Even with a huge wage budget, one that dwarfs superior teams like Everton and Villa, the consensus is that the best that Toon fans can be realistically expect is the upper regions of mid-table. Maybe top eight and a subsequent inter-toto spot.

Newcastle do have four or five players of real quality and if Keegan can build some team spirit (something he usually does quiet well) then maybe, just maybe they can look towards the top six. One of his main tasks will be to get Damien Duff to rediscover his Mojo. It is perhaps easy to forget how good a player Duff was. He was the major factor behind Blackburn Rovers re-establishing themselves as a premiership side and, with the aid of Robbie Keane, he helped an otherwise very average R.O.I team put in a decent showing at the 2002 world cup(for those who think I'm being harsh remember that the likes of Mark Kinsella and Gary Breen were in the starting line up). The turning point for Duff came when he lost his place in the Chelsea side to Joe Cole in the 2005/06 season. It's fair to say we have only seen flashes of the old Duff since then. Towards the back end of last season the likes of Butt, Beye, Enrique and Owen started to hit form but Newcastle still looked to be lacking a bit of flair and creativity. The signing of energetic wide player Guttirez indicates that last seasons wingless 4-3-3 was a short term marriage of convenience. Newcastle have a tradition of playing 4-4-2 with an emphasis placed on getting lots of crosses in to the box. It's what the fans want and Keegan is likely to return to that style.

At the time of writing, Newcastle were in advanced negotiations with Argentine international Fabio Collocini. This could mean that Toon find themselves with a decent back five for the first time in many years. On paper it's hard to find a major weakness with Given,Beye,Enrique, Collocini or Taylor. Unfortunately for Keegan the game isn't played on paper and he will need to work on their effectiveness as a unit. In midfield, Nicky Butt seems to have finally adjusted to life after Man United. There is competition for a place alongside the former England international. Joey Barton would be the best option if he didn't have, to put it politely, “issues”. More mentally stable options come in the form of Geremi, who was a good player before spending three years on Chelsea's subs bench, and new signing Danny Guthrie.

Up front, keegan will be able to count on the likes of Owen, Viduka and Martins to score goals but he will need one or two of them to really catch fire if they are to make a serious impact in the top half of the table.

Who have they signed?

Collocini is a tall, strong centre back who is both good in the air and strong in the tackle. In 1999 he moved to Milan but he failed to get a rgular place in the side with the likes of Nesta ahead of him. A series of loan moves to Spanish clubs followed and he eventually settled at Deportivo. At Deportivo the competition for places wasn't as fierce and he has played regularly over the last three seasons. He should significantly improve Newcastle's poor record of purchasing centre half's.

Danny Guthrie also found himself with tough competition for a starting place. His best position is in the centre of midfield and at Liverpool he found the likes of Sissoko, Alonso and Gerrard in his way. His loan season at Bolton was a bit up and down, but then again it's not easy fighting relegation in your first season as a premiership regular.

Guttirez is an Argentine international who has signed from Mallorca. He plays best as a wide player and he can operate on either side. He has bags of energy and an admirable work rate. He wont beat two or three players but he will get up and down the pitch and supply plenty of crosses. He is an occasional goal-scorer and averages four or five a season.

Where will they hope to finish?

Optimistically, sixth

What position will be seen as acceptable?

Depends very much on performances in the cup and the amount of goals they score.

If they are satisfied with the style of play the fans will accept tenth

Where will they actually finish?

Eleventh