Arsenal FC :: Life after Thierry Henry.

[Mark.]

Draws all round, its going to be an interesting last day of the tournament, good luck

[c0nr4d]

looks like it'll be a competitive one lookin forward to some positive results

[kibaxx7]

.:: Wenger: "We believe we can fight for the title"
Arsenal manager also talks about Denmark striker Bendtner.

Arsène Wenger gave a press conference after the draw against Lazio in the Amsterdam Tournament and spoke about the result and the performance against the Italian squad: "We had a very young side out against a Lazio team who defended very well. The game could have ended up 2-2 or 3-1 for us, easily. It is good for us to see the young players realise their belief from game to game. We hope we can win against Ajax."

"We believe we have a chance to fight for the Premiership. It is important that we kept the belief high and the spirit high. Good results in the friendlies help. The level of the Premiership is very high these days because everybody aspires to win it," said the French manager, when a reporter asked him about the use of friendlies in the offseason.

The manager also believes the “raw talent” of Nicklas Bendtner may need further time to develop; Wenger sent his 19-year-old striker out on loan to Birmingham City last season to learn his trade. He came back with valuable experience and a burgeoning reputation.

As a result, Bendtner is now in the first-team squad. Wenger believes the tall, powerful Dane will compliment his other forwards - Robin van Persie, Eduardo and Emmanuel Adebayor -, however the Frenchman knows both player and manager may have to be patient.

“At the moment he is a raw talent,” said Wenger. “Nicklas is not completely ready to start in the Premiership and I wanted to give him as many games as I could in pre-season to help him understand what is needed. He is an intelligent and open-minded boy. We can have a frank discussion on what he has to do and he listens then tries to do it," he added. "There was a lot of interest in him around Europe but we wanted to keep him and extended his contract. He is super quick, very tall with good technique and he is intelligent. He just needs to play at a higher pace now.”

[kibaxx7]

AFC Ajax Amsterdam - 0 (0)
---- Stekelenburg; Ogararu, Heitinga, Stam, Emanuelson; Gabri, Schilder, Davids; Bakircioglü, Huntelaar, Luque :: 4-3-3
---- 12' Ogararu; 68' Gabri; 79' Colin Ogararu; 85' Schilder
Arsenal FC - 3 (2)
---- Fabianski; Sagna, Touré, Gallas, Clichy; Denilson; Walcott, Fabregas, Rosický; van Persie, Bendtner :: 4-1-3-2
---- 11' van Persie (1-0); 19' Walcott (2-0); 68' Flamini Walcott (injury); 72' van Persie (3-0)

AMSTERDAM, August 4 -- Robin van Persie, on 2 occasions, and youngster Theo Walcott scored as Arsenal cruised to a Amsterdam Tournament triumph, which propels them all the way to the title and gives them their 2nd tournament in a month.

Ajax enjoyed the first chance of the game in the second minute when Albert Luque's header was punched clear by Gunners keeper Lukasz Fabianski, playing his first game in Arsenal colors, but after that the visitors dominated possession and chances. Nicklas Bendtner could have opened the scoring in the fifth minute but he headed Tomas Rosický's cross wide and Walcott had his shot from the left of the area saved by Maarten Stekelenburg.

Stekelenburg was on hand again in the 9th minute when he parried Cesc Fabregas's stinging 25-yard shot but the ball fell at the feet of van Persie, who slotted in a low shot from the left and opened the scoring. The Ajax keeper had little to do in the Arsenal goal but he was alert to tip Bendtner's shot from the right edge of the box round a post just two minutes later. The hosts could have levelled terms, but Klaas Jan Huntelaar headed weakly from Edgar Davids's free-kick.

At the 19th minute, Arsenal doubled their advantage in stunning fashion; Theo Walcott collected Rosický's free-kick on the right and lobbed Stekelenburg from 25 yards. Nothing else interesting happened until the second half, where Arsène Wenger's squad continued to rain shots on Ajax's goal with Fabregas attempting an audacious volley and Rosický forcing a diving catch from Stekelenburg from a corner.

With the Gunners still dominating after the restart, they could have added a third goal when Fabregas's free-kick was punched clear by the Ajax keeper. Urby Emanuelson's header over the bar was the only chance of note for Levante in the closing half-hour. Walcott could have added to the score in the 63rd minute but curled his shot just over, and another Rosický's free-kick whistled past the left post. Five minutes later, Gabri ended Walcott's run in the left and the Gunners youngster got injured. Gabri earned himself a yellow card for that action.

But in the 72th-minute, van Persie made no mistake when he launched a ferocious piledriver into the top of the net from 30 yards to cap Arsenal's win, in the game and in the tournament.

SS Lazio - 0 (0)
---- Ballotta; Scaloni, Siviglia, Firmani, Kolarov; Ledesma; Behrami, Mutarelli, Mauri; Pandev, Makinwa :: 4-1-3-2
---- 61' Meghni Mutarelli; 78' Zauri Firmani; 87' Kolarov
Atlético Madrid - 1 (0)
---- Leo Franco; Seitaridis, Fabiano Eller, Pablo Ibañez, Pernía; Luis García, Maxi Rodríguez, Motta, Simao; Mista, Agüero :: 4-4-2
---- 16' Luis García (1-0); 51' Simao; 66' Antonio López Motta; 84' Fabiano Eller

AMSTERDAM, August 4 -- Luis García struck a goal for Atlético Madrid after quarter of an hour and Lazio could find no reply. Lazio's miserable afternoon was compounded two minutes from time by the dismissal of Aleksandar Kolarov.

Atlético manager, Javier Aguirre, saw his team begin the match well with Maxi Rodríguez's cross to the far post finding Mista, who could not convert from close range. At the other end, Leo Franco made a neat save from Stephen Makinwa's header following a 10th-minute corner to prevent Lazio taking the lead.

The deadlock was soon broken when Thiago Motta provided the pass for García, who found himself all alone in front of home goalkeeper Marco Ballotta, and made no mistake, slotting into the bottom-right corner to put the Spanish side one up.

Simao Sabrosa came close to putting Atlético two ahead three minutes later when he tried his luck from 25 yards, but his left-footed effort drifted narrowly wide of the left-hand upright. Aguirre's team had more to play for out of the two teams and that continued to show as the half wore on. Cristian Ledesma looked to get Italian team back on level terms nine minutes before the interval, but his strike from all of 35 yards failed to trouble Franco.

Sergio Agüero then had a couple of chances to extend Atlético's advantage, the first from a free-kick and the second from open play, but drilled both over the crossbar. Goran Pandev sent over a cross midway for Lazio through the second half, which skimmed the top of Franco's bar, and that was as close as Genoa came to an equaliser. After 73 minutes, Pablo Ibañez just failed to connect with a dangerous cross from Simao.

Then, Serbian Kolarov let his frustration boil over after 88 minutes and was shown a straight red for his over-zealous complaints.

[kibaxx7]

(remember, 3 points per win, 1 point per draw, 0 points per loss, and 1 point extra per goal scored).

[kibaxx7]

Draws all round, its going to be an interesting last day of the tournament, good luck

Yep, it was interesting, at the end we were able to get the title

looks like it'll be a competitive one lookin forward to some positive results

Thanks man

[Chaser7]

wait what Lazio fired their manager with 2 minutes to go in the match? Or what does "2 minutes from time" mean?

Anyways, nice recap. weird how these tournaments don't have everyone play each other, but ok. Is the regular season next?

[kibaxx7]

wait what Lazio fired their manager with 2 minutes to go in the match? Or what does "2 minutes from time" mean?

2 minutes from time means, 2 minutes left Dismissal = red card (to Kolarov, the defender).

Anyways, nice recap. weird how these tournaments don't have everyone play each other, but ok. Is the regular season next?

Yes regular season next. Will write a very short preview about the season only.

[buzzy]

Man, that's one of the best presentations i've ever seen. From the tiny ball to the arrows of the subs and the little yellow and red cards.

Everything looks just so fine, keep it up mate!

[kibaxx7]

.:: Wenger: "Van Persie has been transformed"
Walcott injury against Ajax.

The transformation of Robin van Persie is close to completion according to Arsène Wenger.

The Dutchman, 24 today, arrived at Arsenal in May 2004 with a reputation as a talented, if wayward, striker-cum-winger. A little over three years later, the manager admits Van Persie will be shouldering most of the goalscoring responsibilities when his side kick-off their Premiership campaign against Fulham, in 2 weeks.

“I think Robin has been transformed in a very good way since he arrived,” said Wenger. “He has become a great passer of the ball as well as a talented player; and like any talented player, he is always worried about individual skills but he has improved and, for me, become a complete team player.”

Wenger also added that “Robin’s responsibilities have got higher now Thierry has left. Before it was all on Thierry's shoulders now it is more on Robin’s. I want him not to worry about that, just play good football, enjoy it and not be injured.”

The French manager also talked about the injury Theo Walcott got in the Amsterdam Tournament against Ajax: the Gunners are set to be without the youngster for at least one week. It is not certain if he will play against Fulham.

Walcott scored at the Amsterdam Tournament against the Amsterdam team, but then injured his ankle in the hour mark. Speaking to Arsenal TV Online on Thursday, Wenger called Walcott's loss as "completely disruptive. He has an ankle injury and the first news that I have is that I don't know exactly how long he will be out, but it's one week at least. Three or four weeks is the worst scenario that could happen."

[kibaxx7]

Man, that's one of the best presentations i've ever seen. From the tiny ball to the arrows of the subs and the little yellow and red cards.

Everything looks just so fine, keep it up mate!

Thanks a lot man... there you have another article!

[Mark.]

Good work bro, well done on the win over Ajax.

Any potential signings on the horizon? I rekon a out and out winger would be good for the team, someone like Jeremy Menez or Hatem Ben Arfa maybe.

[kibaxx7]

Good work bro, well done on the win over Ajax.

Any potential signings on the horizon? I rekon a out and out winger would be good for the team, someone like Jeremy Menez or Hatem Ben Arfa maybe.

Honestly, I was thinking in getting Ben Arfa. There's other probable signings but I don't want to talk about them right now

[GoHornets]

Too bad Walcott is out. He's my favourite gunner.
Good to see Van Persie becoming the franchise player

[kibaxx7]

.::Gunners' last 3 friendlies
Two wins and a draw end Arsenal's offseason

Arsenal FC - 2 (1)
---- Almunia; Sagna, Touré, Gallas, Clichy; Hleb, Gilberto Silva, Fabregas, Rosický; van Persie, Adebayor :: 4-4-2
---- 29' Fabregas (1-0); 32' Adebayor; 53' Adebayor (2-0); 66' Eboue Toure; 75' Eduardo Adebayor
Cardiff City FC - 0 (0)
---- Oakes; Loovens, Capaldi, Purse; Sinclair, Scimeca, Rae, McPhail; Whittingham; Fowler, Hasselbaink :: 3-4-1-2
---- 46' Thompson Scimeca; 75' MacLean Hasselbaink; 81' Rae; 89' Sinclair

Arsenal FC - 3 (0)
---- Lehmann; Eboue, Touré, Gallas; Diaby, Gilberto Silva, Fabregas, Walcott; van Persie; Adebayor, Eduardo :: 3-4-1-2
---- 11' Diaby; 63' Fabregas (1-1); 71' Eduardo (2-1); 73' Bendtner Eduardo; 79' Flamini Gilberto Silva; 82' Gallas (3-1)
Preston North End FC - 1 (1)
---- Henderson; Mawene, Chilvers, Jones, Hill; Sedgwick, Whaley, Carter, Pugh; Carroll, Gallagher :: 4-4-2
---- 21' Whaley (0-1); 55' St. Ledger Carroll; 81' Nicholls Gallagher

Arsenal FC - 1 (0)
---- Fabianski; Hoyte, Senderos, Gallas, Clichy; Fabregas, Denilson, Walcott; Hleb; Eduardo, Bendtner :: 4-3-1-2
---- 61' Bendtner (1-1); 74' Hoyte; 77' Diaby Hleb; 81' van Persie Eduardo
Plymouth Argyle FC - 1 (1)
---- Larrieu; Seip, Wotton, Doumbe, Hodges; Buzsaky, Nalis, Norris; Teale, Ebanks-Blake, Halmosi :: 4-3-3
---- 28' Ebanks-Blake (0-1); 33' Buzsaky; 79' Gosling Hodges

[Mark.]

Yeah Ben Arfa would be a great signing, plus there is rumor he may be joining Arsenal in real life.

[kibaxx7]

Too bad Walcott is out. He's my favourite gunner.
Good to see Van Persie becoming the franchise player

Thanks man, I'm not sure if Walcott will make it to play against Fulham; the most probable is that I won't risk him and he will be 100% for the 2nd match.

Yeah Ben Arfa would be a great signing, plus there is rumor he may be joining Arsenal in real life.

Yeah true... if he doesn't come, I already have other names in my mind.

There you have the last 3 friendlies, tomorrow is the preview of the season, and by weekend the season will have already started.

[kibaxx7]

:: Preseason News ::

Saturday, July 7th :: Hleb - £3.36m
We have obtained some fascinating figures from an identified and respectable source close to Gunners manager, Arsène Wenger. They show that Belarus midfielder Aliaksandr Hleb earns no less than £3.36m a year (before bonuses). Spread over the season, that is equivalent to £982 for every minute on the pitch, or about £420 for every yard he covers on the field.

Monday, July 9th :: Monday question: George Boateng
The Sun: George, what do you least like about your job?
Boateng: Battling against relegation.

Thursday, July 12th :: Miller back from injury
Though his injury wasn't long term, there's no doubting the seriousness of Kenny Miller's injury: capsule tear of his left ankle. Derby's manager, Paul Jewell, will perhaps exercise caution as he evaluates his player's suitability for a place in the side. The last thing he wants is to play Miller only for the player to pick up another knock.

Monday, July 16th :: Interview with Emmanuel Eboue
The Sun: Emmanuel, has the training been very strenuous?
Eboue: Tiredness hasn't caught up with me yet. At the moment I just want to keep on playing.
The Sun: How do you see your future developing here with the Gunners?
Eboue: I'll still be here next season, that's for sure. But I don't know what's going to happen after that. I would be happy to sign at any time, but that's not where the problem lies.
The Sun: How's your relationship with Arsène?
Eboue: Excellent. I respect him as a very committed manager. He's always willing to listen to the players, and that's very important.

Tuesday, July 17th :: Sagna gets injured at training
Bad news for Arsenal fans. Bacary Sagna strained his left knee's medial ligaments and will be out for a month. It's certain that he won't play against Fulham. Manager Arsène Wenger will give a press conference today afternoon.

Thursday, July 19th :: Hodgson fires warning shot at Arsenal
The mind games have begun in the run-up to the local derby between Fulham and the Gunners, as Cottagers manager Roy Hodgson dismissed the club rivals. Hodgson praised the fans, acknowledging the importance of the tie and promised "an easy win for the team".

Monday, July 23th :: Robert Green coming back
Having been sidelined with an injury for the team's friendlies, (a pulled calf muscle), West Ham goalkeeper Robert Green will hope his manager Alan Curbishley will pick him to play against Manchester City. Even after a short lay-off, Green will be champing at the bit to get back in action for the club.

Wednesday, July 25th :: Martin Petrov returns
Martin Petrov has seen off his recent injury and is now fit to play for Sven Goran Eriksson's squad. Petrov's groin strain took less than a few weeks to heal, and now Eriksson can select him for the forthcoming match against West Ham United.

Friday, July 27th :: Tainio coming back
Teemu Tainio looks set to return from his injury (torn muscle fibres), which had ruled him out of the reckoning for a first team place recently. Juande Ramos will be delighted to see that his player has shrugged off the setback and could play in the next match, if selected, against Sunderland.

Saturday, July 28th :: Fans disappointed by Keane's move
Sunderland fans couldn't hide their disgust upon hearing the news that Graham Kavanagh was to be sold to Coca-Cola Championship side Stoke City, for a transfer fee in the region of £264,000. They believe that given time, Roy Keane could have found a better offer, more suited to the club.

Monday, July 30th :: Monday question: Emile Heskey
The Sun: Emile, what do you do to get away from football?
Heskey: I enjoy skiing.

Tuesday, July 31st :: Interview with Brian McBride
The Sun: Brian, you just have signed a contract at Reading. What do you hope to achieve with your new club?
McBride: I haven't set any special targets, I take each day's training and each match as it comes.
The Sun: What are your strengths and weeknesses?
McBride: I try to lead the team and I hate losing. Sometimes I'm too ambitious.
The Sun: What do you think of your new manager, Steve Coppell?
McBride: It's going to be a difficult season and I know the training Steve has for us is going to be tough. But having a fit squad always reaps rewards as the season progresses.

Wednesday, August 1st :: Johnson to return to action
If selected, Andrew Johnson will play a full part in the next Everton match against Wigan Athletic. Following his injury (strained medial ligaments) which put the player out of action for the past weeks, Johnson is now fit and ready to return to manager David Moyes's plans.

Friday, August 3rd :: Beye ready to make comeback
"I'm fit and ready to play" was the message of Newcastle's Habib Beye, who seems determined to make a full recovery from his short term injury to stake a claim in the first team. The player went on to say, "you can't let these knocks get you down, these things happen in football all the time." Manager Kevin Keegan will for sure count with him for the match against Bolton.

Monday, August 6th :: Monday question: Ryan Babel
The Sun: Ryan, how high is your monthly telephone bill?
Babel: About £40.

Wednesday, August 8th :: Divided loyalties before the game
Aston Villa's Scott Carson would prefer not give any interviews at present, commenting that "whatever I say comes back to haunt me. Of course, I've still got a soft spot for my old club, but I'm totally committed to winning this game." Villa plays this weekend against Liverpool.

[Mark.]

Haha some funny questions in there, nice coverage

[kibaxx7]

Haha some funny questions in there, nice coverage

Thanks man I will post the season preview tonight!

[BOSS]

Some good shit you got here man.
I see you still makin' them dynasties.
The presentation is the best i've seen to date.
Keep doin' on what you doing, i'll be checkin' up when I got time.

[kibaxx7]

:: Season Preview | Part 1. ::

Can Arsenal's youngsters really toughen up in time to mount a serious title challenge in the wake of a certain Frenchman's departure?

Thierry Henry's done one, David Dein remains an outcast, and even Arsène Wenger can't decide whether he wants to be at Arsenal this time next year. Down the road, Tottenham have spent more than £30m this summer in an attempt to leapfrog the Gunners. But, hang on... isn't this the same Arsenal whose "kids" reached the final of the Carling Cup? Isn't this the same Arsenal who would've topped a table made up exclusively of the Big Four's results against each other?

Questions over depth and experience linger; and the lack of height in central defence is a concern: at 5ft11in and 6ft respectively, William Gallas and Kolo Touré are less than ideal when it comes to set-pieces, though, actually, last season that had little to do with their size. Back-up Swiss Johan Djourou was more consistent than compatriot Philippe Senderos when called on, and may prove his worth when Touré and Emmanuel Eboué head off to the African Nations Cup in January.

In midfield, too, Arsenal have been bullied, but Cesc Fabregas has added steel and tackling to his sparkling creative game and will be less easily dominated this season. Gilberto Silva seemed to relish his spells as captain last year and the load on both could be lightened by the rise of the 19-year-old Brazilian Denilson, who paired tenacity with a staggering range of passing in a series of superlative Carling Cup performances last term.

In goal, There's uncertainty. With Jens Lehmann on the wane, most probable his last year at Emirates; Manuel Almunia still unable to claim crosses, and the new arrival Lukasz Fabianski an unknown quantity. But their full-backs will be a strength: Gaël Clichy has arguably been more dependable than Ashley Cole on the left, if less dynamic going forward, while Eboué will compete with new signing Bakary Sagna on the right. Even at £6m Sagna would do well to oust Eboué, who, when fit, vastly enhances his team's attack with marauding runs and pinpoint crosses - although those qualities may lead to Wenger employing Eboué on the wing with Sagna behind him.

That would also serve to reduce Arsenal's concerns out wide. Freddie Ljungberg had faded and gone, but Tomás Rosický and Alexander Hleb are particularly comfortable on the flank. It's not even clear who will back them up; Theo Walcott is the likely candidate. But, as ever, Arsenal's biggest problem will be converting the chances they create. Emmanuel Adebayor and Robin van Persie have plenty of qualities but clinical finishing is not one of them. So much rests, then, on Eduardo da Silva - if he turns out to be as prolific as Wenger hopes, then there could be fireworks, because he will not want for chances. With so much uncertainty, Arsenal face an intriguing year. One thing's for sure though: they'll be well worth watching again.

In: Lukasz Fabianski (undisclosed, Legia Warszawa), Eduardo da Silva (£7.5m, Dinamo Zagreb), Bakary Sagna (£6m, AJ Auxerre).
Out: Fabrice Muamba (Birmingham City), Mart Poom (Watford), Jérémie Aliadière (Middlesbrough), Thierry Henry (FC Barcelona), Arturo Lupoli (Fiorentina), Freddie Ljungberg (West Ham United), Jérémie Aliadière (Middlesbrough), Lassana Diarra (Portsmouth).


Villa's ambitious fans were satisfied with last season's mid-table finish, but expect more from Martin O'Neill this time around.

Is Aston Villa's glass half-full or half-empty? The fans clearly believe it is the former, because 24,000 of them, a record number, have snapped up season tickets. The same optimism is evident on the forums and messageboards: for most supporters, qualifying for Europe - either through the league or by reaching a cup final - is a realistic goal. Off the pitch, Villa certainly sport the look of an ambitious club again. This summer they spent heavily on rebranding the club (although a new badge isn't to everyone's tastes) and renovating Villa Park, but an extravagant investment in the playing staff hasn't been so forthcoming. The question is: is that because Martin O'Neill is growing a crop of talented youngsters and spending Randy Lerner's money thriftily on players he actually desires - £11.5m on the West Ham duo Marlon Harewood and Nigel Reo-Coker - rather than blowing it on panic buys, or because he has been unable to attract top-five calibre players, such as Shaun Wright-Phillips and Jermain Defoe?

O'Neill was given a year's grace last August. Despite the lack of arrivals this summer, O'Neill has slowly overhauled the squad in the past 12 months, with deadwood disposed of and John Carew, Shaun Maloney and Ashley Young, among others, purchased at a combined checkout price of £35m. It is now O'Neill's team.

These three were bought to spruce up Villa's goal tally, but have managed just six between them in 2007. Indeed, not one Villa player registered double figures last season as they drew a Premiership-high 17 games despite losing as few (10) as Liverpool. A sharper cutting edge is demanded this season, and the onus will be on the 6ft 5in Carew to remain healthy and be the focal point of the attack (with Harewood as his reserve) as two of Gabriel Agbonlahor, Young, Maloney and Luke Moore buzz around him. Stilian Petrov, who scored only twice last year while playing a more reserved role than he enjoyed at Celtic under O'Neill, also needs to do more. Reo-Coker will provide strength and dynamism alongside Gareth Barry, and should free up the Bulgarian to support the forwards.

With the (usually) reliable Thomas Sorensen in goal and the astute O'Neill guiding and goading them, a defence that on paper looks more brittle than Steve Bruce's nose but on the pitch conceded only 41 goals last season should again be hard to break down. Olof Mellberg was the only ever-present last year and fans will hope Martin Laursen, who has played just 25 games since arriving from Milan in 2004, can stay fit to form an all-Scandinavian centre-half partnership. Wilfred Bouma is a cult-hero at left-back - mainly because his curvy shape offers well-fed fans hope of a professional football career - but there is still a gaping hole needing to be filled at right-back.

O'Neill is evolving the team rather than revolutionising it, and this season should be an improvement on their last campaign; but the squad is still lacking in guile, imagination and depth, and will probably struggle to finish in the sixth or seventh position needed to satisfy supporters' ambitions. Victory against Birmingham might help ease any disappointment.

In: Nigel Reo-Coker (£7.5m, West Ham United), Marlon Harewood (£4m, West Ham United), Wayne Routledge (£1.2m, Tottenham Hotspur), Zat Knight (£3.5m, Fulham).
Out: Jlloyd Samuel (Bolton Wanderers), Gavin McCann (Bolton Wanderers), Aaron Hughes (Fulham), Steven Davis (Fulham), Lee Hendrie (Sheffield United).


Steve Bruce wrote a "thriller" back in the day and the new season promises plenty of twists and turns for Blues fans.

Though there haven't been any murders in the shadowy corridors of St. Andrews just yet, the coming season could be a dangerous one for a few senior members at the club, particularly Steve Bruce. If that sounds odd, that's because, at least on the surface, Bruce did lead Blues straight back into the Premiership last season. But it was a campaign that never really caught fire: some of the football was ugly, some of the wins fortunate and fans vented their ire at Bruce and the board. Although relations grew more cordial as the season went on, David Sullivan indicated he and his co-owners were thinking of moving on.

So, when a Hong Kong businessman came in with an offer to buy a part of the club, Sullivan and the Gold brothers listened. Carson Yeung has bought up 29.9% of Birmingham City and a 30% stake would allow him to trigger a bid to assume full control. His money - combined with the extra TV revenue this season - has given Bruce the confidence to spend heavily in the transfer market. So far some £7.5m has been spent on Stuart Parnaby, Fabrice Muamba, Olivier Kapo and Garry O'Connor.

But, there's the antecedent of Tim Bredbury, Rangers' former coach. Bredbury was sacked after only three games, and Bruce's position could be shaky if the season gets off to a bad start. That's why St. Andrews' very own Raymond Chandler will no doubt be delighted that his team begin their season against Chelsea. Away. That's followed by Sunderland and West Ham at home and Derby away. Those three games are vital.

Anyway, there are plenty of other reasons for Blues fans to be positive; at least enough to make the bookies' ranking of them as second favourites for the drop seem ridiculous. The squad is a lot stronger than their last visit to the Premiership. If anything, Birmingham's main weakness is their traditional strength - their defence. Parnaby is the only defender bought in over the summer. Elsewhere they look better than ever. Muamba will provide steel in midfield, Gary McSheffrey was the best player in the Championship last season, Colin Doyle is a superb young keeper (though Ghanaian recruit Richard Kingson will provide fierce competition for the No1 shirt) and even Mikael Forssell has shown rumblings of form in pre-season after three injury-ravaged years. Bruce may have not have to rely on his book royalties for a while yet.

In: Fabrice Muamba (£400,000, Arsenal), Olivier Kapo (£3m, Levante), Garry O'Connor (£2.6m, Lokomotiv Moscow), Daniel de Ridder (free, Celta de Vigo), Stuart Parnaby (free, Middlesbrough), Richard Kingson (undisclosed, Ankaraspor), Liam Ridgewell (£2m, Aston Villa), David Murphy (£1.5m, Hibernian), James McFadden (£5m, Everton).
Out: Stephen Clemence (Leicester City), DJ Campbell (Leicester City), Julian Gray (Coventry City).


Pound for pound, Blackburn might just be the best team in the division, and they boast one of football's most important assets: continuity.

When the transfer window opens, all eyes tend to focus on who is coming in, about the frisson of new signings and the naïve hope that they bring. But with Blackburn this summer, the most important thing was that nobody went out. What we have, we hold. At various points, it seemed they could lose any or all of Benni McCarthy (the grinning fox in the box), Morten Gamst Pedersen (abundantly gifted, if occasionally underachieving, and with a left foot that is just one big sweet spot), David Bentley (as fascinating an emerging talent as any in English football and sharing so much more than initials with David Beckham) and even manager Mark Hughes. But they are all still there.

Except for a foreign surname, Hughes has everything a modern manager needs. He radiates calm, certainty and authority, he believes he is a Special One but is secure enough in his own skin not to prattle on about it at every opportunity, and he has a hushed menace that enables him to control a dressing room. He can also pick a player, as Ryan Nelsen and Bentley in particular prove, and in under three years, he has turned relegation scrappers into an up-and-coming mid-table side with a net expenditure of just £6.1m* - that's little more than Wigan paid for Jason Koumas. Pound for pound, Blackburn might just be the best team in the Premiership.

Hughes's house has been built properly, one layer at a time. In 2004-05 he turned them into football's equivalent of bare-knuckle brawlers, a necessary evil to avoid relegation and the following season they started to play some really decent stuff, beat three of the big four and earned a UEFA Cup place. And last season - though Blackburn slipped from sixth to 10th, as much because of injuries as anything else - they had the new sensation of cup runs to sustain them.

There is no reason to think it should be any different this year. Bentley should continue his dramatic development, and the squad have a trio of hugely underrated players returning to the squad: Nelsen missed the first half of the season, Robbie Savage the second and Steven Reid almost all of it. These are new signings but without the risk that new signings bring. There is an element of a gamble about Hughes's main summer signing, Roque Santa Cruz, who scored just 31 goals in 155 games for Bayern Munich, but Hughes has earned the trust of fans with his work in the transfer market. The main concerns are about squad depth, especially in centre midfield, with David Dunn still awaiting judgement after all these years, Tugay Kerimoglu awaiting his bus pass and Aaron Mokoena awaiting consistency. And neither Matt Derbyshire nor Jason Roberts have presented an irresistible case to partner McCarthy, which is why Santa Cruz and the promising Dutchman Maceo Rigters have arrived.

Overall, however, this is a good, hard-boiled side with an extremely strong spine from the excellent Brad Friedel through Nelson, Savage and McCarthy. And they have one of football's most important and underestimated assets: continuity.

In: Maceo Rigters (undisclosed, NAC Breda), Gunnar Nielsen (undisclosed, BK Frem), Roque Santa Cruz (£3.5m, Bayern Munich), Johann Vogel (undisclosed, Real Betis Balompié).
Out: Andy Todd (Derby County), Michael Gray (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Robbie Savage (Derby County).


With Big Sam gone and Little Sammy in place, Bolton's prospects are harder to appraise than any other side.

The eight-year Allardyce's Show is over. So now what? Nobody really knows, which provokes slight excitement but mostly fear, because Bolton are stepping into the unknown - or, rather, the known, as outside of the Sam Allardyce years they have been a mediocre side. The nagging fear is that, be it this year, next year or in 10 years, Bolton are on the path back whence they came. Bolton without Allardyce is like Radiohead without Thom Yorke, the Sopranos without James Gandolfini... not even Daniel Craig could fill these shoes; which makes Sammy Lee's decision to take this as his first management job braver than it might seem.

Lee's work in the transfer market, however, does not inspire complete confidence: Gavin McCann (110 games at Aston Villa), Heidar Helguson (seven league goals from open play in 57 games at Fulham) and Jlloyd Samuel (just five games for Aston Villa last season) moves look dubious. Then again, so did many of Allardyce's signings before he rubbed his healing hands all over them.

Lee also inherited some very good players, of course, like El-Hadji Diouf, the two Kevins, (Davies & Nolan), and Ivan Campo (one of the Premiership's better deep-lying midfielders). On the flip side, their defence looks very weak after the loss of the immaculate Tal Ben-Haim, and fans get up every morning knowing that they lost their best striker, Nicolas Anelka, to Roman Abramovich's hands, and Christian Wilhelmsson, who had a very good pedigree, and left for Spain.

As a consequence their prospects are harder to appraise than any other side (with the possible exception of Sunderland). They could feasibly finish anywhere between sixth and 18th. The precedent of Charlton and Leicester, serial top-half overachievers who lost their long-term manager and were relegated within a year or two, looms large.

In: Gavin McCann (£1m, Aston Villa), Jlloyd Samuel (free, Aston Villa), Blerim Dzemaili (undisclosed, FC Zurich), Zoltan Harsányi (undisclosed, FC Senec), Danny Guthrie (season-long loan, Liverpool), Matthew Taylor (£5.2m, Bolton Wanderers), Gretar Steinsson (£3.5m, AZ Alkmaar).
Out: Tal Ben-Haim (Chelsea), Henrik Pedersen (Hull City), Quinton Fortune (free), David Thompson (retired), Nicolas Anelka (Chelsea), Christian Wilhemsson (Deportivo La Coruña), Abdoulaye Diagne-Faye (Newcastle United).

[kibaxx7]

Some good shit you got here man.
I see you still makin' them dynasties.
The presentation is the best i've seen to date.
Keep doin' on what you doing, i'll be checkin' up when I got time.

Thanks man There's the first part of the previews. Please comment, tell me if there's something you would like to see, or anything.

[Mark.]

Great writing man, you sound like a pro

[kibaxx7]

:: Season Preview | Part 2. ::

After the departure of Mourinho, Avram Grant has plenty of questions to resolve, but his squad and desire are so strong that he'll regain the Premiership title.

In the space of four unseasonably fuggy days in late April, pretty much everyone dismissed Chelsea's 2006-07 season as a failure. A guileless European Cup defeat at Liverpool ended their quadruple ambitions and a draw against Bolton their slim hopes of a third straight Premiership title. They had spent big money - again - but where was the silverware they really craved, the ones that really mattered?

But with the new season approaching, it's worth remembering that despite a truly horrendous injury list (Joe Cole played just 13 Premiership games, Petr Cech 20, Ashley Cole and Arjen Robben 21 and John Terry 27) and the internecine cattiness and chaos that enveloped Stamford Bridge last season, Chelsea still won two trophies, finished second in the Premiership and reached the last four of the Champions League.

Since then, Jose Mourinho and now Avram Grant have plugged the weak points on the wing and in central defence by signing Florent Malouda (from French champions Olympique Lyonnais) and Tal Ben-Haim (from Bolton), made peace with Roman Abramovich and ditched a diamond formation that rarely sparkled. With the spine of the side - Cech, Terry, Michael Essien and Didier Drogba - back together after slipping a couple of discs last season, it's likely that Chelsea will again take all the beating.

It won't be plain sailing, of course, and not only because the African Nations Cup will deprive them of Essien, Drogba, John Obi Mikel and Salomon Kalou for at least a month. Manchester United will certainly be a threat, and so perhaps will Liverpool. Grant, too, has questions to answer, decisions to make.

Whatever happens this season, don't expect Grant to give Abramovich the flamboyant football he craves. The Russian might dream of a team that's admired the way Liverpool in the 80s and Manchester United in the 90s were, but Mourinho's Chelsea will always be more comparable to Don Revie's Leeds - brilliantly organised and proud to push the laws of the game to the absolute limits; respected, but rarely loved.

Not that Grant will care, of course. He's interested in winning trophies, not aesthetics, and he does it better than any manager in the business. As usual, Chelsea remain the team to beat.

In: Florent Malouda (£13.5m, Olympique Lyonnais), Steve Sidwell (undisclosed, Reading), Tal Ben-Haim (undisclosed, Bolton Wanderers), Claudio Pizarro (undisclosed, Bayern Munich), Branislav Ivanovic (£9.7m, Lokomotiv Moscow).
Out: Khalid Boulahrouz (Sevilla), Geremi (Newcastle United), Yves Makabu Ma-Kalambay (Hibernian), Nuno Morais (APOEL Nicosia), Ben Sahar (Queen's Park Rangers).


Paul Jewell's side are going down, probably in 20th place, but that doesn't mean the next nine months will be pointless.

There's always one. The team that gets promoted against all odds and who, from day one, you just know are going down. They arrive in the Premiership with a prom-night ingenuousness and lust for life, but soon find out that the real world isn't quite as advertised in the prospectus.

It's hard to see how Derby can buck a trend that, since the Premiership's inception, has included Swindon, Leicester, Bolton, Crystal Palace, Barnsley, Wolves and Watford. Like Watford last season, their players just aren't up to the job. It may be going too far to tag them 'Donkey Derby', but some of the players would probably struggle to get a game for the top sides' reserves.

Not that that should tarnish the upcoming season. Derby may be among the Premiership's have-nots, but they must have an attitude for the next nine months, to enjoy the ride come what may. After all, it is better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all.

Paul Jewell has been busy in the transfer market all summer. Robert Earnshaw, a Craig Bellamy-like figure even down to his innate modesty, should get a minimum of 10 league goals a season in any company. But he, along with other signings like Tyrone Mears or Claude Davis, belong to that group of players stuck between English football's second tier - outstanding in the Championship, doomed to struggle (usually in vain) against relegation in the Premiership.

It will be fascinating to see how the richly gifted Giles Barnes copes in the sort of exalted company he will hope to keep for the rest of his career. For most of his team-mates, however, this is a one-year only deal - they might as well enjoy it while it lasts.

In: Robert Earnshaw (£3.5m, Norwich City), Kenny Miller (£2.25m, Celtic), Emanuel Villa (£2m, Tecos UAG), Robbie Savage (£1.5m, Blackburn Rovers), Tyrone Mears (£1m, West Ham United), Hossam Ghaly (loan, Tottenham Hotspur), Danny Mills (loan, Manchester City), Andy Todd (free, Blackburn Rovers), Ben Hinchliffe (free, Preston North End), Claude Davis (free, Sheffield United), Lewis Price (free, Ipswich Town), Eddie Lewis (undisclosed, Leeds United), Mike Sterjovski (undisclosed, Genclerbirligi), Benny Feilhaber (undisclosed, Hamburg SV), Roy Carroll (undisclosed, Rangers).
Out: Andy Griffin (Stoke City), Mohammed Camara (Norwich City), Gary Teale (Plymouth Argyle), Lee Holmes (Walsall), Stephen Pearson (Stoke City), Lewin Nyatanga (Barnsley), Stephen Bywater (Ipswich Town).


David Moyes' side could go far in the UEFA Cup this season - but at the cost of a top six Premiership finish.

Sadly for David Moyes, English Top 4 broke clear of the pack long ago, with Everton's fourth-place finish in 2005 being a hugely commendable but freakish exception. So a repeat of sixth place is realistically the best Liverpool's other half can hope for this year; with the strengthening of the runners and riders around them this summer, even that goal may be out of reach. How, then, can Everton seek to improve on last season? In practice, they're unlikely to, but theoretically a lengthy cup run on top of more of the same in the league would do. However, both domestic cups are now also dominated by the fantastic four - Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United contested last season's showpieces at the Millennium Stadium and Wembley - so the UEFA Cup is Everton's best hope of glory (if that is the right word) this year.

The problem with this is two-fold. First, Moyes will have to prove he is tactically cuter than suggested two years ago when Everton's dogmatic approach led to failure at the first hurdles in both the Champions League (though they were admittedly unlucky in Villarreal) and, more embarrassingly, in the UEFA Cup. Secondly, Everton do not have the squad to cope with the extra fixtures a prolonged jaunt in Europe entails - such a campaign would impact on their league prospects, as it has for Middlesbrough and, to a lesser extent, Spurs in recent seasons.

Last season Everton played just four extracurricular matches in the cups - Spurs played 20 - enabling eight players to start 31 or more league games. Were they to reach, say, the UEFA Cup quarter-finals, this would add 10 fixtures to the schedule, placing severe strain on a squad that has welcomed only three new faces this summer: South African left-winger Steven Pienaar on a season-long loan from Borussia Dortmund, odd-job man Phil Jagielka, who will fill in for the influential Joseph Yobo - an ever-present last season - when he jets off to the African Nations Cup in January, just as Nigerian Aiyegbeni Yakubu, who came from Middlesbrough.

This shortage of newcomers made it imperative that Moyes clung on to his trio of star players in the off-season: the goal-grabbing Tim Cahill and graceful Mikel Arteta, who both autographed new five-year contracts, and Andrew Johnson, whose form took a tumble last season after he struck six times in his first seven games for the club. Equally important were the signatures of 19-year-old hotshots James Vaughan and Victor Anichebe - the most exciting pair of young strikers in England have committed to the club until 2011 - and the return of Thomas Gravesen on loan from Scotland.

More worrying still for Everton fans is Moyes's tendency to alternate top-half with bottom-half finishes. The best chance of preventing an extension of this quirky streak to a sixth season may be for early cup eliminations to allow Everton to concentrate their efforts on the Premiership. This leaves Moyes with the tricky, but crucial, decision over which competition to make his priority, because he's unlikely to succeed on both fronts. If he tries to, the Toffees may be chewing over a season of disappointment; and they may slip even further behind the leading group.

In: Phil Jagielka (£4m, Sheffield United), Steven Pienaar (loan, Borussia Dortmund), Aiyegbeni Yakubu (undisclosed, Middlesbrough), Manuel Fernandes (loan, Valencia), Thomas Gravesen (loan, Celtic).
Out: Richard Wright (Southampton), Gary Naysmith (Sheffield United), Alessandro Pistone (RAEC Mons), Scott Phelan (Bradford City), Lukas Jutkiewicz (Plymouth Argyle).


Many of Fulham's signings have questions to answer, points to prove, but there is enough quality to keep them away from a relegation battle.

When it comes to assessing Fulham's prospects this season, we're all guessers. They've had a decent pre-season, and at a recent press open day the mood in the camp seemed far more upbeat than it was a year ago, but predicting how a newly embedded manager - unproven at Premiership level - will do with a squad that hasn't just had a facelift but a multi-organ transplant is devilishly tricky. They could just as easily finish 10th as 18th.

Even so, Fulham supporters are probably right to be optimistic. Last summer, the Cottagers spent just £4m; this time around it's been £20m-plus. The players who've been brought in - mostly a mixture of Premiership old-timers and bright young things - might not quicken the pulse, but they won't need time to adapt to English football either.

That said, many of Fulham's signings have questions to answer, points to prove. Diomansy Kamará is pacy and direct but his scoring record - 25 goals in 72 games in English football - is nothing to write home about, especially for a £6m striker. Steven Davis was Aston Villa's player of the year under David O'Leary, but slipped a little last season and didn't seem to be trusted by Martin O'Neill. Lee Cook danced through Championship defences for QPR, but won't find it so easy at a higher level. David Healy has thumped in 25 goals in 53 games for Northern Ireland but averages just one in four in English league football.

But even if the new boys don't all fire, there is surely enough quality in Fulham's squad to avoid the drop. The underrated Alexei Smertin has starred in pre-season, with Clint Dempsey not far behind. If Jimmy Bullard gets back to full fitness, Fulham's midfield won't lack for fire or spite. Even the most obvious area of concern, central defence, has been addressed with the signings of Chris Baird (Southampton's player of the season) and Aaron Hughes.

The big unknown, of course, is just how well Roy Hodgson will adapt to life in the "new" Premiership after 10 years as he last managed in England in the 97-98 season with Blackburn. But the signs from the summer are good; training has been harder and more focused, the players complimentary about his methods. You can bet your life that Hodgson's team will be scrapping for every tackle, every second ball, every point, ensuring they earn it from other teams too.

In: Chris Baird (£3m, Southampton), Lee Cook (£2.5m, Queen's Park Rangers), Steven Davis (£4m, Aston Villa), David Healy (£1.5m, Leeds United), Aaron Hughes (£1m, Aston Villa), Diomansy Kamará (£6m, West Bromwich Albion), Paul Konchesky (£2m, West Ham United), Kasey Keller (undisclosed, Borussia Monchengladbach), Dejan Stefanovic (undisclosed, Portsmouth), Seol Ki-Hyeon (undisclosed, Reading), Jari Litmanen (undisclosed, Malmo FF), Eddie Johnson (undisclosed, Kansas City Wizards), Erik Nevland (£1.8m, FC Groningen), Paul Stalteri (loan, Tottenham Hotspur), Hameur Bouazza (£3m, Watford), Leon Andreasen (undisclosed, Werder Bremen), Danny Murphy (undisclosed, Tottenham Hotspur), Brede Hangeland (undisclosed, FC Copenhagen), Toni Kallio (undisclosed, BSC Young Boys).
Out: Mark Crossley (Oldham Athletic), Claus Jensen (retired), Tomasz Radzinski (Skoda Xanthi), Heidar Helguson (Bolton Wanderers), Michael Brown (Wigan Athletic), Liam Rosenior (Reading).


Unless Rafa Benítez wises up away, Liverpool have no chance of finishing higher than third.

In his three years at Anfield, Rafael Benitez has recruited some truly rotten rubbish. But he's generally been quick to recognise and get rid of the flops, meaning his net expenditure is relatively low. Even this summer, when he's forked out a fortune in a bid to finally liberate Liverpool from 17 years of domestic strife, he's recouped nearly half of what he's spent, making his net outlay a tad over £20m. If that stat means he should be spared accusations of spectacularly squandering money (wasting time may be another matter, however), shouldn't the relatively modest expenditure also mean it's unreasonable to expect Liverpool to really rival Chelsea and Manchester United? Yes, but then again, the fact is Liverpool could win the Premiership this season. Their defence is undeniably formidable, two of Benítez's best signings, Pepe Reina and Daniel Agger, combining tightly with two of Gérard Houllier's best, Steve Finnan and John Arne Riise, and homegrown hero Jamie Carragher.

At home, despite the fact that Chelsea were unbeaten at Stamford Bridge and United amassed 47 home points to Liverpool's 46, it was Liverpool who were the most hostile hosts: they crushed almost everyone at Anfield, including Arsenal, Chelsea and United, who nevertheless fluked a victory, the only side to do so in the league, which brings us on to their big problem: away, their flaws came all too frequently into focus. On their travels they averaged less than a goal per game and mustered fewer victories than Bolton.

Fernando Torres could improve that record. His wonky shooting in pre-season notwithstanding, he seems to have the ingredients of a top finisher, meaning he could become the first Liverpool player in Benítez's reign to score more than 12 league goals in a season, but poxy finishing was only part of the problem: too often Liverpool struggled to even create chances away from home. Javier Mascherano and (in his moment, as he left for Juventus) Momo Sissoko are efficient destroyers, but neither has yet learned how to pass; away, Xabi Alonso tends to hide; and last season Jermaine Pennant was the only Liverpool player who could outwit defenders, but too often then confounded his forwards by crossing into the wilderness; even Steven Gerrard didn't storm many barns on the road. Yossi Benayoun, Andriy Voronin and Ryan Babel may inject more ingenuity - but even if they do, Liverpool will still have one big obstacle to overcome: Benítez's seemingly irresistible urge to tamper with his team.

Last season, the ludicrous line-ups began on the first day at Sheffield United and led to early, very predictable 3-0 defeats at Everton and Arsenal, after which their league campaign was over. So, man for man, Liverpool possibly remain inferior to United and Chelsea. Manager for manager, they definitely do. Two facts that add up to third place.

In: Fernando Torres (£26.5m, Atlético Madrid), Yossi Benayoun (£5m, West Ham United), Ryan Babel (£11.5m, Ajax), Andriy Voronin (undisclosed, Bayer Leverkusen), Lucas Leiva (undisclosed, Gremio), Charles Itandje (undisclosed, RC Lens), Sebastián Leto (£1.8m, Lanús), Martin Skrtel (£6.5m, FC Zenit St. Petersburg).
Out: Craig Bellamy (West Ham United), Djibril Cissé (Olympique Marseille), Mark González (Real Betis Balompié), Luis García (undisclosed, Atlético Madrid), Boudewijn Zenden (Olympique Marseille), Jerzy Dudek (Real Madrid), Robbie Fowler (Cardiff City).