Premiership Predictions--Midweek, Round 2

1. Tottenham vs. Everton (Tuesday, 3:00 PM, Setanta): Tottenham will be out to avenge their disappointing loss at Sunderland last weekend while Everton tries to build off a dominating performance against Wigan. Leighton Baines has been ruled out of the Everton lineup again due to injury, and the Toffees won only 4 away games in 2006-07. Tottenham have injury problems of their own, which forced them to field a less-than-optimal lineup against Sunderland. It'll be a raucous crowd at White Hart Lane but at the end of the day, it's not the fans that win games. Tottenham-1, Everton-1

2. Fulham vs. Bolton (Wednesday, 5:00 PM, FSC): This game involves teams seemingly headed in opposite directions. Fulham looked very impressive against Arsenal on Saturday and were unlucky to come out of the game without points but Bolton came out flat and got hammered (at home) by Newcastle, 3-1. Unfortunately for the Cottagers, David Healy probably won't be gifted another goal ths time around. El Hadji Diouf should start for Bolton as Kevin Davies and Ricardo Vaz Te are both injured and he could be the difference in what should be a low-scoring affair. Fulham-1, Bolton-1

3. Manchester City vs. Derby County (Wednesday, 2:45 PM, Setanta Xtra): Both teams achieved positive results over the weekend with Manchester City blanking West Ham on the road 2-0 and Derby coming back to get a 2-2 draw against Portsmouth. Sven-Goran Eriksson should be pleased with how well his new signings jelled together and found their rhythm. Play like that again and they shouldn't have too much of a problem against Derby, but it's tough to find consistency when you haven't played together for that long. I like Derby County and the feistyness and resolve they showed against Portsmouth, a better team than City. Manchester City-1, Derby County-1

4. Portsmouth vs. Manchester United (Wednesday, 2:45 PM, Setanta): It's the first game of two months' worth of matches without Wayne Rooney for Manchester United, but Carlos Tevez will make his first start for the Red Devils in this game. Portsmouth came out of Pride Park with a draw on the weekend and now they come home to Fratton Park, never an easy place to play (11 wins, 5 draws, 3 losses there in 2006-07) and the site of a 2-1 win over United last season. I think 'Arry's boys can make it two home wins in a row over the defending champions. Portsmouth-2, Manchester United-1

5. Birmingham City vs. Sunderland (Wednesday, 2:45 PM): I'm still shaking my head as to how Birmingham scored twice at Stamford Bridge last weekend. Sunderland beat Tottenham 1-0 on Michael Chopra's 2nd half injury time winner and will look to carry that momentum into St. Andrews. All I can say is, if Colin Doyle is in goal again for Birmingham, give this game to Sunderland. Keane-O, Keane-O!! Sunderland-2, Birmingham-0

6. Reading vs. Chelsea (Wednesday, 3:00 PM, FSC): I find it amazing that you can get a red card not even a minute after you came on the field, yet Dave Kitson found a way for Reading in their 0-0 draw with Manchester United on Sunday. The Royals sat 10, and then 9, men behind the ball and scratched out a point, while Chelsea took advantage of some horrific goalkeeping to beat Birmingham 3-2. Didier Drogba may start in this game after coming off the bench Sunday. Both teams like to grind out results and one thing is for sure: this will be an ugly, ugly game. Chelsea-1, Reading-0

7. Wigan Athletic vs. Middlesbrough (Wednesday, 3:00 PM): Here's another game that won't exactly be a glorious sight for viewers' eyes. Wigan had a chance to snatch a point at Everton over the weekend but came up short and Middlesbrough squandered a 1-0 lead in their home loss to Blackburn. Wigan were awful at the JJB last season (5 wins, 4 draws, 10 losses), but Middlesbrough were even worse on the road (2 wins, 7 draws, 10 losses). Ah yes, mediocrity at its finest. Wigan-0, Middlesbrough-0

Carling Cup 1st Round

League Two side Peterborough beat Championship squad Southampton today 2-1 in the first game of the Carling Cup's first round. Most of these games will be played tomorrow at 2:45 Eastern Time, though two are scheduled for Wednesday and one more for Thursday.

The Carling Cup is considered to be the third most prestigious trophy in England after the Premier League title and the FA Cup. It was won last season by Chelsea, a 2-1 victor over Arsenal.

To see the complete list of first round matches, head over to http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/league_cup/fixtures/default.stm

Premiership Midweek TV Games

Tuesday, August 14:

Tottenham vs. Everton--3:00 PM Eastern, Setanta; Live


Wednesday, August 15:

Reading vs. Chelsea--3:00 PM Eastern, FSC; Live
Fulham vs. Bolton--5:00 PM Eastern, FSC; Delayed
Portsmouth vs. Manchester United--2:45 PM Eastern, Setanta; Live
Manchester City vs. Derby County--2:45 PM Eastern, Setanta Xtra; Live


•The Blackburn-Aston Villa game and the Liverpool-West Ham game have been postponed due to European conflicts.

•TV times and channels courtesy of soccertv.com

Weekend Recap

Well, what can I say about this weekend? I'll be the first to admit that nearly all of my predictions were wrong, and it was a crazy opening slate of games in the Premiership. We saw injuries, we saw cards, we saw some great goals (including two breathtaking efforts); the bottom line is we saw good soccer, and that's what matters most. The Premiership is back, 37 more games to go!

On to the recaps:


1. Sunderland-1, Tottenham-0 (My prediction: Tottenham-2, Sunderland-1): The first 45 minutes were about as drab as you can get, with only a couple decent chances for each team. Tottenham fielded a less-than-full strength lineup, but no excuses, they came to the Stadium of Light expecting 3 points. Michael Chopra's second half injury-time winner gave Roy Keane a victorious Premiership managerial debut.

2. Newcastle-3, Bolton-1 (My prediction: Bolton-1, Newcastle-1): Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce enjoyed a dominating performance from his side on his return to the Reebok Stadium, where he led Bolton to four consecutive top 8 finishes. Two goals from Obafemi Martins, including a wonderful overhead kick, led the Magpies to a win on the road.

3. Derby County-2, Portsmouth-2 (My prediction: Portsmouth-2, Derby County-0): This is a game Portsmouth didn't deserve to win, yet Derby didn't deserve to lose either, so a draw was the only fair result. A soft goal by Benjani Mwaruwari tied the game at 1 after an early goal from Derby's Matt Oakley. John Utaka put Portsmouth ahead in the 82nd minute but a diving header from Andy Todd just 2 minutes later earned a share of the points for Derby. Portsmouth were caught on their heels early and often in this game and it was a disappointing game for the team from the South Coast. The draw was more than Derby could've hoped for I think, we'll see if they can expand on this good result.

4. Everton-2, Wigan Athletic-1 (My prediction: Everton-2, Wigan-0): Finally, I got one right! Everton dominated this game for 80 minutes and held off Wigan for a home win. Leon Osman and young Nigerian up-and-comer Victor Anichebe scored for the Toffees, and new signing Antoine Sibierski scored what turned out to be a consolation goal for Wigan. Leighton Baines was held out of the game due to injury, but I have no doubt he'll be in the lineup when Everton play at the JJB in January.

5. Blackburn-2, Middlesbrough-1 (My prediction: Blackburn-3, Middlesbrough-0): What a pathetic crowd at the Riverside for this game. First game of the season and Middlesbrough can't even get a sellout?? Roque Santa Cruz scored just two minutes after making his debut as a substitute for the injured Benni McCarthy, and fellow substitute Matt Derbyshire sent a curling beauty into the top corner of the net only 23 seconds after he came in. Stewart Downing put Middlesbrough ahead 1-0 on a free kick, but Boro couldn't hold the lead at home.

6. Manchester City-2, West Ham-0 (My prediction: West Ham-2, Manchester City-0): You can debate about who you think was the most impressive team this week, either City or Newcastle, but for my money I'll take Sven's boys. The new signings jelled together and simply outclassed West Ham, spurred by goals from Rolando Bianchi and Geovanni (absolutely comical defending on Nedum Onouha's run to set up Geovanni; Onouha is a defender for God's sake!). Great road victory for Manchester City.

7. Liverpool-2, Aston Villa-1 (My prediction: Aston Villa-1, Liverpool-1): A magical goal by Steven Gerrard gave the Reds the victory at Villa Park, one they fully deserved but looked to be denied after Gareth Barry converted a penalty to tie the game 1-1 in the 86th minute. Gerrard's free kick could turn out to be the goal of the season, and it gave Liverpool the 3 points they needed after a tough, physical affair in Birmingham. Ashley Young played extremely well for Villa in defeat.

8. Arsenal-2, Fulham-1 (My prediction: Arsenal-3, Fulham-0): Fulham manager Lawrie Sanchez should give serious thought to starting Tony Warner in goal more often this year as Warner, who started on just 10 minutes' notice after Antti Niemi got injured during warmups, stood on his head in net all game long. Arsenal were very fortunate to win the game. Jens Lehmann's mistake was punished by David Healy not even a minute into the match and Fulham succesfully defended their lead for 80+ minutes. Robin van Persie's booming penalty kick equalized for the Gunners and Aliaksandr Hleb won the game in injury time, snatching the points from Fulham.

9. Chelsea-3, Birmingham City-2 (My prediction: Chelsea-2, Birmingham City-0): Shoddy goalkeeping was the major theme throughout this game. Goals by Michael Essien and Claudio Pizarro could've, and should've, been saved by Birmingham goalie Colin Doyle. Mikael Forssell put Birmingham ahead early after redirecting a flick by Liam Ridgewell, but that lead was short-lived. Jose Mourinho shouldn't be disappointed by his team's performance as Chelsea clearly controlled the game but giving up 2 goals to Birmingham is a bit troubling.

10. Manchester United-0, Reading-0 (My prediction: Manchester United-2, Reading-1): Full credit to Reading for snatching a point from this game, but Manchester United can't be happy with this result. They had their chances and were even up a man after Reading's Dave Kitson got sent off in the 72nd minute, not even a minute after coming off the bench. A hairline fracture of Wayne Rooney's foot will keep the England striker out for 2 months, and the decision to let Alan Smith and Giuseppe Rossi doesn't look too wise right now. Calling Dong Fangzhuo, calling Dong Fangzhuo!

Premiership Superlatives-Predictions

The 2007-2008 Premiership season starts tomorrow, and I couldn't be more excited. It's been an exciting summer with Copa America, the Gold Cup, the FIFA U-20 World Cup, the 2007 UEFA U-21 Championship, and David Beckham's arrival in MLS. However all of that comes secondary to the Premier League for me, and I'll be up early to watch Sunderland and Tottenham kick off the season tomorrow.

I've already made my predictions as to where I think each team will fall in the table at the end of the season. Without the individual players though, there would be no team. These predictions are all about them, the players we all love to watch who compete for the teams we all love to root for. Not all of the categories are real and it's likely that not many of my picks will be correct, but really, did Manchester United deserve seven players in the Premiership XI last season? No. The players (and manager) who get awards often get them either out of reputation or because the team they're on. Here we go:


Most Outstanding Player: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)

Most VALUABLE Player (who means the most to their team): Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)

Top Scorer: Didier Drogba (Chelsea)

Most Outstanding Goalie: David James (Portsmouth)

Manager of the Year: Harry Redknapp (Portsmouth)

Best Bargain Buy (incoming transfer worth $8 million US and lower): Freddie Ljungberg (West Ham)

Biggest Flop (incoming transfer worth $20 million US and higher): Fernando Torres (Liverpool)

Most Outstanding Newcomer (first season in the Premiership): Sulley Muntari (Portsmouth)

Top Young Player (21 years old and younger, two or fewer full Premiership seasons): Tied; Ryan Babel (Liverpool), Gareth Bale (Tottenham)

Most Missed Player (player who departed this summer): Thierry Henry

Feilhaber Secures Work Permit

Brazilian-born American international midfielder Benny Feilhaber has been granted a work permit by Britain's Home Office, clearing the way for him to complete his move to Premiership new boys Derby County from Hamburg SV, a Bundesliga club. A player must take part in 75% of his country's international games in the last two seasons to get a work permit and Feilhaber doesn't meet that requirement, which is why he had earlier been turned down.

Feilhaber was also eligible to represent Austria on the international level and turned down approaches from their coach, Andreas Herzog, to play for them.

After his second season playing for UCLA, Feilhaber was selected to play for the US U-20 team in the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship, hosted by the Netherlands. An impressive performance there led to a move to German club Hamburg SV that same year but he has appeared in only 9 league games for their senior team since he signed.

Feilhaber is doing what Eddie Johnson should've done: take advantage of interest from a Premiership club. Johnson's development as a player has been stunted by continuing to play in MLS. Yes, he's one of the league's top strikers and won't have any problem continuing to be one if he stays in MLS, but it won't make him any better of a player and it hurts his chances to play for the US National Team. Feilhaber turned in a breakout performace at the Gold Cup and turned some heads across the world. Moving to Derby County is just a stepping stone for him; nearly everyone is an agreement that Derby will be relegated from the Premiership after this season, but a good year (and he'll get more than his share of playing time) could result in moving to a bigger club, one that is a Premiership mainstay. He joins another talented young player, Giles Barnes, in the Rams' midfield, and fellow Americans Carlos Bocanegra, Brian McBride (captain), Clint Dempsey (who all play for Fulham), Tim Howard (Everton), Brad Friedel (Blackburn), Marcus Hahnemann, Bobby Convey (both at Reading), Johann Smith (Bolton), Jonathan Spector (West Ham), and Eric Lichaj (Aston Villa) in the Premier League.

Premiership Predictions--Opening Weekend

1. Sunderland vs. Tottenham (Saturday, 7:45 AM, Setanta): If he plays (he's questionable due to injury), it'll be a tough debut for Sunderland's new goalie, Craig Gordon, with the quality of attacking players Tottenham possesses. However, don't just write off Sunderland at home in front of what should be a capacity crowd at the Stadium of Light as it's their return to the Premiership. Tottenham-2, Sunderland-1

2. Bolton vs. Newcastle (Saturday, 10:00 AM, Setanta): A warm welcome back to the Reebok for new Magpies manager Sam Allardyce will be the most exciting part of a game between injury-racked Newcastle and old-as-dirt Bolton. Bolton-1, Newcastle-1

3. Derby County vs. Portsmouth (Saturday, 10:00 AM--2:15 PM delayed, FSC): Premiership new boys Derby County, already missing their best player in Giles Barnes, will be the first team to see just how good Portsmouth will be this year. Portsmouth-2, Derby County-0

4. Everton vs. Wigan Athletic (Saturday, 10:00 AM, Setanta Xtra): New Everton left back Leighton Baines makes his debut against the team he played for since 2002, when he was just 17. The start of the new era at Wigan under manager Chris Hutchings won't be a pleasant one. Everton-2, Wigan Athletic-0

5. Middlesbrough vs. Blackburn (Saturday, 10:00 AM): Benni McCarthy and Roque Santa Cruz, Jason Roberts, Maceo Rigters, or Matt Derbyshire + Middlesbrough's extremely depleted back line, especially in the center (which wasn't that good to start with) = no contest. Blackburn-3, Middlesbrough-0

6. West Ham vs. Manchester City (Saturday, 10:00 AM, FSC): Has new Manchester City manager Sven-Goran Eriksson ever even watched any of his 8, to this point, new signings play a game before?? It takes a while to build chemistry and get used to the Premiership. West Ham-2, Manchester City-0

7. Aston Villa vs. Liverpool (Saturday, 12:15 PM, FSC): Game of the week figures to be this one. Aston Villa is a team on the rise and Liverpool brought in a host of talented players this summer. Liverpool scored just 18 goals in 19 away games last season (13th best in the league) en route to only 6 wins. Can Torres help turn that around this year? Aston Villa-1, Liverpool-1

8. Arsenal vs. Fulham (Sunday, 7:00 AM, FSC): Arsenal plays the beautiful game, Fulham are draw specialists who sit 9 or 10 men behind the ball, content to boot the ball up field all game long. Fulham invested a lot of money into a lot of players, mostly defenders. That won't matter one bit here. Arsenal-3, Fulham-0

9. Chelsea vs. Birmingham City (Sunday, 8:30 AM, Setanta): "Eh, the boys played well, I thought the boys deserved better and the boys will go out and give it 110% next week, I'm sure of that", says Birmingham manager Steve Bruce after the game. Injuries are plaguing Chelsea, but they'll keep the unbeaten streak at Stamford Bridge going. Chelsea-2, Birmingham City-0

10. Manchester United vs. Reading (Sunday, 11:00 AM, FSC): Reading will have to fight the second season jinx that almost cost Wigan their spot in the Premiership last year. They won't get relegated, but they won't get a result out of this game either, not against the defending champions. Manchester United-2, Reading-1

Premiership TV Games this Weekend

Saturday, August 11:

West Ham vs. Manchester City—9:55 AM Eastern, FSC; Live
Aston Villa vs. Liverpool—12:00 PM Eastern, FSC; Live
Derby County vs. Portsmouth—2:15 PM Eastern, FSC; Delayed
Sunderland vs. Tottenham—7:40 AM Eastern, Setanta; Live
Bolton vs. Newcastle—9:55 AM Eastern, Setanta; Live
Everton vs. Wigan Athletic—9:55 AM Eastern, Setanta Xtra; Live


Sunday, August 12:

Arsenal vs. Fulham--7:00 AM Eastern, FSC; Live
Manchester United vs. Reading—11:00 AM Eastern, FSC; Live
Chelsea vs. Birmingham City—8:25 AM Eastern, Setanta; Live


•The EPL Review Show (highlights) comes on at 8:00 PM ET on Sunday night on FSC, 9:00 PM ET on Setanta. I definitely recommend this show if you missed games over the weekend, check it out.

•TV times and channels courtesy of soccertv.com

Premiership Preview--1. Manchester United

1. It'll be back-to-back Premiership titles for the world's most popular club side, Manchester United. A come-from-behind 4-2 road victory at Everton last April 28 sealed the deal for the Red Devils and they went on to win their 16th Premier League/old First Division crown. The rich only got richer this summer as big names like Owen Hargreaves and Carlos Tevez joined the ranks at Old Trafford, and the addition of supremely talented youngsters Anderson and Nani mean the future is bright in Manchester. The thing that separates Manchester United apart from every other club in England is that their past, present, and future all are intertwined and play vital roles on the team. The old guard, the guys who played in Manchester United's glory days in the late 1990's like Gary Neville, Ryan Giggs, Ole Gunnar Solksjaer, and Paul Scholes are all irreplaceable for the time being. Players who are there to help Manchester United win now, individuals such as Hargreaves, Rio Ferdinand, Michael Carrick, Patrice Evra, Nemanja Vidic, Gabriel Heinze, John O'Shea, Darren Fletcher, and Mikael Silvestre also play varying roles of importance, with Ferdinand, Hargreaves, and Carrick obviously the players who have the bigger say in the success of the team. Then you've got the players of both the now and the future, the cornerstones of the team. Cristiano Ronaldo and 21-year old striker Wayne Rooney, as well as new signing Carlos Tevez, are world-class players right now, but players that will also be in Manchester for a long, long time. They're the type of players you build your team around, and Nani and Anderson are just a season or two away from stepping into the void that will be left by that old guard. Gerard Pique, a young Spanish defender, showed off his talents this summer at the U-21 World Cup and will turn out to be a good player for United if given the chance. Manchester United are loaded up and down their roster, and winning a second consecutive league title is more than possible for the Red Devils, especially with the best Premiership manager out there in Sir Alex Ferguson.

Ferguson and the new American chairmen Joel and Avram Glazer spent a lot of money this summer to bring in top-level talent. $46 million US was invested in three midfielders, Brazilian-born Anderson, who can play a variety of positions, the Portuguese winger Nani, and defensive-minded central midfielder Owen Hargreaves. Nani is very similar to fellow countryman Cristiano Ronaldo in his style of play. He can operate on either wing and would be the heir apparent to Ryan Giggs, who probably doesn't have more than two seasons left in him. Anderson is almost two years younger than Nani, and his versatility will pay dividends for United both this season and in the future. He's capable of playing on the left wing, as a central midfielder, behind the striker, and as an attacking left-back (think Roberto Carlos), though he probably will be used mainly in the midfield this season. Canadian-born Owen Hargreaves' presence will be important as well. Having him in the lineup will allow Michael Carrick or Paul Scholes, whoever is playing, to move forward. Scholes has never been known as a gifted tackler but has had to play more defensively in past years as United have never really had a true holding midfielder since he's been there. Having him go forward to show off his passing and shooting ability will be possible with Hargreaves on the field. Striker Carlos Tevez finally arrived after much controversy surrounding his agent, Kia Joorabchian, and his former club, West Ham. Combined with Wayne Rooney, these two make up a lethal combination of youth, pace, power, and scoring ability that can be matched only by Tottenham in the Premiership. Tevez will probably miss the start of the season as he'll need time to get fit and acclimate himself to the rest of the team, but when he gets into the lineup, watch out. Louis Saha will move back to his familiar role as 3rd-choice striker, and old veteran Ole Gunnar Solksjaer will also be used this season. Strikers Alan Smith and Giuseppe Rossi both left Old Trafford this summer, though Manchester United have a buy-back clause with Rossi that would allow them to bring him back if they so desire. Winger Kieran Richardson departed for Sunderland as his future with the club was in serious doubt when Nani was brought in. He'll play for former teammate Roy Keane at Sunderland, where he'll benefit immensely from more playing time.

August will be a tough month for United as not only do they have to travel to Portsmouth and host Tottenham, they play Manchester City (away) in the always hotly-contested Manchester derby. September 23 is their first meeting of the season with Chelsea; it's at Old Trafford and will be a must-watch game. What should be four easy wins follow that game before a trip to the Emirates to face Arsenal in early November. Another road game against a "Big Four" team comes against Liverpool on December 15, which begins a packed stretch of 4 games in 14 days. February brings Tottenham and Manchester City again, and the game of the season will take place on March 26 when United go to Stamford Bridge in a game that could decide the Premiership. Chelsea haven't lost a league game at home under Jose Mourinho and Manchester United will look to end that run when they visit West London.

Bottom Line: Though Manchester United will probably put a lion's share of focus on the Champions League, they should win the Premiership as well. A Double won't be out of the question (Champions League and Premier League), though Barcelona look to be the team to beat in Europe. They have, for my money, the world's best player in Cristiano Ronaldo and he'll lead the team again as he's coming off the PFA Player of the Year and PFA Young Player of the Year awards. The load on his shoulders will be considerably lightened with Tevez and Hargreaves coming in this summer, and the defense will do the job as well. Manchester United now boast the best midfield in the Premiership as well as one of the two best striking corps (United have better starters, Tottenham has more depth) in the league. This team has the makings of a Premiership champion all over it, but can they win the Champions League as well? Not if Chelsea and Barcelona have something to do with it.

Premiership Preview--2. Chelsea

2. The 2006-2007 Premier League season was decided on April 28 when Chelsea, needing nothing short of a win, welcomed Bolton to Stamford Bridge. After falling behind 1-0, Salomon Kalou equalized and an own goal by Bolton goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen put Chelsea up 2-1. On the same day, in the northwest of England, league leader Manchester United were in deep trouble against Everton, down 2-0 50 minutes into the game. A Chelsea win coupled with a Manchester United loss would've put the two teams equal on points and set up a massive showdown to decide the league at Stamford Bridge just two weeks later. However, a 54th minute goal from Bolton's Kevin Davies leveled the game at 2-2, where it would finish, and Manchester United scored 4 consecutive goals to beat Everton 4-2 and effectively wrap up the title.

Chelsea hope to write a different story for the 2007-2008 season. French winger Florent Malouda was the club's only cash buy as he came over from Lyon. The other three players brought in this summer (Tal Ben Haim, Claudio Pizarro, and Steve Sidwell) by José Mourinho were free transfers; absolute steals as each of those players wouldn't have come cheap if they were still under contract with their respective clubs. Malouda's breakout performance at the 2006 World Cup for France was followed up by his earning the Ligue 1 Player of the Year award for Lyon in the 2006-2007 season. At $26 million US, he's going to be counted on to produce on the wing in Chelsea's vaunted 4-3-3/4-5-1 formation. Tal Ben Haim moved over from Bolton and provides Mourinho with a legitimate 2nd/3rd option at center back behind John Terry, and will also be used at right back and even left back if need be. This frees up the powerful Michael Essien to return full-time to the central midfield role at which he excels. Peruvian international Claudio Pizarro's transfer from Bayern Munich is a solid move for Chelsea. Behind Didier Drogba, who scored a team-high 20 goals in 32 league games last season, and Salomon Kalou, the striking choices for Mourinho aren't too reliable. Ukranian forward Andriy Shevchenko only scored 4 goals in the Premiership last season (in 22 games; Kalou scored 7 in 19 games) and can't be counted on yet, though increased production is expected from him as he's now had a full season to adjust to the Premier League. Pizarro brings Champions League experience and production to a team that will undoubtedly be focusing on Europe's top competition this season. Midfielder Steve Sidwell had it made at Reading; starting and playing every game he was fit enough to take part in was a given with Steve Coppell's club but he wanted to play for a higher-profile team that played in Europe. He'll provide some depth to the Chelsea midfield; but with Michael Essien, John Obi Mikel, Frank Lampard, Lassana Diarra, Claude Makelele, and even Michael Ballack all playing in the center, Sidwell's playing time figures to be limited.

A trip to Anfield to meet Liverpool highlights the first month of Chelsea's schedule, which also includes a home game against Portsmouth. The best two teams in the Premiership square off at Old Trafford on September 23 as Manchester United will look to make a statement for the rest of the season at home and Chelsea will try and make one of their own and get a rare away win at the home of the defending champions. Out of 6 combined games in October and November, 4 of which are on the road, anything less than 15 points would have to considered a disappointment with the quality of teams Chelsea will face in that span. Tough games at Arsenal and Blackburn are the last two before Christmas, and a home game against Aston Villa on December 26th won't be easy either. Chelsea play Tottenham twice in a span of 6 games, once in the middle of January (home) and the other at the end of February. February will prove to be a difficult month for the Blues, as not only do Chelsea have to go to Tottenham, they'll travel to Fratton Park (never easy) and play host to Liverpool. It's downhill from there until the end of the season, however, as Chelsea will be expected to take the maximum points in 10 of the last 11 games. If the title chase is at tight as many people expect it to be, the March 26 game at Stamford Bridge against Manchester United could very well decide the Premiership.

Bottom Line: Two Premiership titles in the past three seasons, as well as an FA Cup, two Carling Cups, and a Community Shield don't seem to be enough for Chelsea fans. The focus this year will be the Champions League as the Blues have never won it in their history. They've been eliminated in the semi-finals in two of the past three tournaments by Liverpool (both under Mourinho), and in three of the past four competitions in total. Another unsuccessful trip to the semi-finals is not going to cut it under chairman Roman Abramovich, and a failure to win the whole thing may cost Mourinho his job. With all that said, Liverpool have a chance to make a run at second place as Chelsea's priorites will lie in Europe, but Chelsea's roster is so deep that they'll be able to hold off the Reds. I don't think Chelsea can win the Premiership this season; injuries are already taking a toll on the London club and Manchester United are looking fit and ready to go. Second in the Premiership and an appearance in the Champions League final in Moscow (where they'll lose to Barcelona) is my prediction.

Premiership Preview--3. Liverpool

3. Liverpool have one goal in mind this year: winning the Premier League. The Merseyside Reds haven't won the domestic title since 1989-90, and though they're arguably the most successful club in England as far as European competition goes, the fans at Anfield are clamoring for a return to domestic glory. Liverpool finished a whopping 21 points behind Manchester United last season and new American co-chairmen George Gillette and Tom Hicks have spent a lot of money this summer to bring in players for manager Rafael Benitez in the quest for a Premiership title. Benitez has developed a reputation as being a great manager in Europe, probably the best out of any other manager in the Premiership, but far from a wizard in the Premier League. He'll have to shake that label if he wants to lead his club to the top of the table this season.

It's been a flurry of activity at Liverpool this summer. 11 new players have made their way to Anfield and 9 will be playing somewhere else this season (though Adam Hammill and Danny Guthrie are only on loan). At just 23 years of age, Spanish striker Fernando Torres cost Liverpool $40 million US but that investment could turn out to be well worth the cost. Torres played previously for Atletico Madrid, where he scored 82 goals in 214 league appearances, and also stars for the Spanish national team (14 goals in 40 games). He joins a striking corps that, quite frankly, is less than intimidating, and his presence and production will be important from day one. Another young player, 20-year old Dutch winger/attacker Ryan Babel, will also play a critical role this season. He'll play a lot on the left wing as incumbent Harry Kewell is constantly injured and fellow new signing Yossi Benayoun is more of a natural central midfielder. Benayoun made the move from West Ham, where he often played behind the striker as an attacking midfielder. He also figures to get his share of playing time as Rafael Benitez has been playing Steven Gerrard on the right side with increased frequency. Benayoun will probably get a chance on the left side as well, but he's never played there before and with quality options there already he'll end up playing in the center. Striker Andriy Voronin came on a free transfer from Bayer Leverkusen, but at 28 years old, he's no spring chicken and returning Liverpool forwards Dirk Kuyt and Peter Crouch are better Premier League options. Liverpool also lost their share of talent this summer. Though he's hot-tempered and always surrounded by controversy, Craig Bellamy is actually a decent player and will score his share of goals for West Ham this season. Two wingers, Bolo Zenden and Luis Garcia, also left Merseyside (though not for greener pastures). Garcia was an important player for Liverpool in his time there, Zenden was a depth player who didn't factor into Liverpool's future plans. Robbie Fowler will be taking a helicopter to new club Cardiff City every day as he's keeping his home in Liverpool, where he earned his legendary status through numerous big, important goals in his decade-long stint there.

After a tough trip to Aston Villa to begin the season and a home game with Chelsea the following week, Liverpool play 13 league games in a row in which they'll be favored to take full points. A road game at Portsmouth in that span will be very tricky, but it's the kind of game Liverpool will need to win if they harbor realistic title hopes. Same goes for home games against the two North London clubs, Tottenham and Arsenal, and a match at Blackburn. Liverpool play host to Manchester United and Portsmouth for the last two games before Christmas, then embark on another long stretch of winnable games. This one's easier than the 13-game run mentioned earlier, as out of the 7 games involved a home game with Aston Villa is the toughest. Trips to Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal, and Tottenham (to close out the season) mark the second half, so Liverpool don't get the benefit of home-field advantage against the Premiership's best teams when it matters most.

Bottom Line: Unlike Manchester United and Chelsea, Liverpool's primary focus will be the Premier League. However, Liverpool don't have the same caliber of players up and down their lineup like those two teams do and that's what is most important. The points gap between the top 3 teams will be much closer than what it was last season, so Liverpool won't be fielding second-string lineups at the end of the year like they did last season (resting players for the Champions League had a lot to do with that as well), and March 22 will be their most important game of the season as it's away at Manchester United. Liverpool will have to "settle" for a run at the Champions League final in Moscow, as they just don't have the firepower to compete with Manchester United and Chelsea.

PK's and a Near-Fight

Manchester United took the FA Community Shield today with a victory over Chelsea. The game was tied 1-1 after 90 minutes and went straight to PK's, where Manchester United goalie Edwin van der Sar saved three in a row and Wayne Rooney converted the clincher to give United the win. We learned nothing new about the two teams; Chelsea played a bunch of second-stringers and Manchester United didn't play with much intensity; they didn't go into many tackles and were content to let Chelsea knock the ball around. Chelsea may start the season without their captain John Terry; Terry didn't play today due to a knee injury and could be unavailable when his team plays Birmingham next Saturday to kick off the year.

Liverpool drew with Feyenoord today 1-1 in a pre-season friendly. Steven Gerrard equalized for the Reds, but let's be honest: The highlight of the match was a nice scrum that flared up after a pair of late, tough challenges. A Feyenoord player, 20-year old winger Royston Drenthe, came in and got all of Gerrard's left shin and ankle then was promptly taken down from the side. The whistle blew for a foul, and another Liverpool player kicked the loose ball into Drenthe, who was on the ground. Pushing and shoving ensued, just what I like to see! Is it hockey season yet??

Community Shield

It's a game that means absolutely nothing in the long run, but today's FA Community Shield (10 AM ET, FSC) will pit Premier League champion Manchester United and FA Cup winner Chelsea at Wembley Stadium in London.

Multiple starters from both teams will be held out of the lineup as there's no point in risking them getting injured before the Premiership season kicks off next week, and what you'll see will have the excitement of an NFL pre-season game.

Net profits from the match today (ticket sales, match programs, etc.) go to various charities throughout England. At least it's for a good cause, right?

Premiership Preview--4. Tottenham

4. Tottenham has finished 5th in each of the past two Premiership seasons, unable to crack the top four and the Champions League spots that come with it. Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, and Arsenal have made up the top four in those two seasons and in three of the last four seasons in total, but that stranglehold will come to an end in 2007-2008. Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has spent more than $60 million US this summer to bring in additional players for manager Martin Jol and it will be their contributions that catapult Tottenham into 4th place this season. If you're young and British, Tottenham have an interest in you (Aaron Lennon, Michael Dawson, Jermaine Jenas, Tom Huddlestone, Wayne Routledge, Ben Alnwick, Philip Ifil, Gareth Bale, and Darren Bent).

The prize signing is Bent, a 23-year old striker who spent the last two seasons toiling in obscurity with Charlton Athletic. Bent scored 31 goals in 68 games for the Addicks and after Charlton got relegated this past season, it was clear he was going to move to a bigger club. Tottenham paid a hefty fee for him ($32 million US), but got a player who will make their already-superb striking corps (Berbatov, Defoe, Keane) even better. Each of those players scored 10+ league goals last season and though Defoe's production will drop a bit this year with the addition of Bent, Keane and Berbatov should be good for more than 10 goals again this year and I'd expect Bent to do the same. The player whose addition I feel will prove to be the most important this year is left back Gareth Bale. At just 18 years of age, Bale is already a starter on the Welsh national team (2 goals in 5 games; he was first capped at the age of 16) and played regularly for his Championship team (Southampton) since 2005. He was the Football League (Championship, League 1, League 2) Young Player of the Year for 2006-2007, and possesses a truly lethal left foot which has helped him become a brillant free-kick taker. Bale has been compared favorably to fellow Welsh player Ryan Giggs, and though he's not the most defensive-minded left back, he should jump right into the starting 11 for Tottenham as he's already a better player than any of the other options Martin Jol has at that position. It was basically left-back-by-committee last season at Tottenham and the club didn't spend $10 million US to sit an 18-year old on the bench. Younes Kaboul, a 21-year old French defender, was wrestled away from Auxerre and will begin the season as a starting center back as the captain, Ledley King, is injured (again!). Kevin-Prince Boateng was the Best Young Player in the Bundesliga last season with Hertha Berlin and adds to the dearth of central midfielders that Tottenham has. Tottenham lost no one of note this summer (Reto Ziegler was the biggest name to depart), and have a great team (at least on paper) for Martin Jol to tinker with.

Tottenham shouldn't have much of a problem through their first three games of the season, and a trip to Old Trafford on August 26 will be a statement game. Beating Manchester United away will prove they're for real, and a draw wouldn't be a bad result either. Tottenham hosts Arsenal just 3 weeks (2 games) later in a North London derby, another big game for them, and then will go to Anfield to play Liverpool on the first weekend of October. The schedule isn't very difficult at all from there until the middle of December when two consecutive road games bring Portsmouth and the second North London derby with Arsenal just 3 days before Christmas. Tottenham will then play Chelsea twice in a span of 6 games, games that also include a home date with Manchester United an away game at Everton. 10 straight winnable games follow that second match with Chelsea, and a home game against Liverpool finishes out the season.

Bottom Line: Arsenal and Tottenham are both very young teams, but the difference is Tottenham have some older, more experienced players (Robbie Keane, Didier Zokora, Steed Malbranque, Pascal Chimbonda, Dimitar Berbatov, Paul Robinson, etc.) who all play important, critical roles on the team. Whereas Arsenal's lineup is centered around young players who are relied on heavily, Tottenham can ease their younger players into the lineup because the veterans are still producing. The older guys take the pressure off the kids and mentor them while winning at the same time. The young players are able to mature at their own pace and aren't put into the lineup by Martin Jol until he's certain they're ready to handle playing in the Premierhip environment. Tottenham has fewer question marks than Arsenal, a very, very underrated manager, and more certain financial backing. This team is ready to crack the top 4 and play in the Champions League next season.

Premiership Preview--5. Arsenal

Before I get to this preview, and I apologize in advance for its length, let me say that I've gone back and forth between who I think will finish 4th and 5th this season. It's the toughest decision I'll make in this whole Premiership preview, but for me, it came down to one prevailing factor: Youth and the relative inexperience that comes with it. I don't believe a club's manager can overcome that; he can be a brilliant tactician and have a knack for putting the right people in the right places, but I don't think there's any getting around youth, and that's why Arsenal will finish below Tottenham this season.

5. Two more of the "Invincibles" are gone, and now just three of the stars who played on the unbeaten 2003-2004 team remain with Arsenal. Freddie Ljungberg and Thierry Henry bid their respective farewells to the North London club, and a new era in a new stadium is underway. This could also be manager Arsène Wenger's last season with Arsenal as he hasn't yet, and probably won't, sign another contract after his current one runs out in 2008. He may be looking for another challenge with another club or he may even retire from soccer completely, but either way there's a very real possibility that Arsene Wenger won't be on the sideline after this season. Arsenal finished 4th last season, 8 points ahead of Tottenham. There's no question that their future is extremely, extremely bright but as far as the "now" goes, Arsenal have some real question marks to answer.

That first question, and the most important, is how do you replace Thierry Henry's contribution to the club, both off-the-field and on? Say what you will about him having a disappointing season last year, but the fact remains that he was tied for second on the team in league goals scored with Gilberto Silva, a fellow "Invincible" (10 goals each), despite playing 17 games less than Silva and 5 games less than Robin Van Persie, who had 11 to lead the team. In 254 Premiership games since 1999-2000, Henry bagged a whopping 174 goals and chipped in 77 assists. In 84 games in European competitions with Arsenal, Henry scored 42 goals. The point is, you can't replace that in one summer, not with new signing Eduardo da Silva, not with anyone. Per the club's official website, Togolese striker Emmanuel Adebayor will miss the start of the season with a groin injury (which tend to linger for a while), and Robin van Persie really isn't a natural goal scorer; he benefited greatly from playing off Henry. Eduardo da Silva is unproven, having never played in any high-profile league (Bundesliga, Serie A, La Liga, or even Ligue 1), much less the Premiership. Henry was also Arsenal's captain and leader from 2005 until this summer. He'll pass the armband onto Gilberto Silva, who's certainly capable, but his English isn't great and I can't imagine he speaks French that well either and French is certainly a language that's prevalent on Arsenal.

The second question pertains to Arsenal's back line. Kolo Toure has great speed and strength and is one of the best center backs in the Premiership. William Gallas can play anywhere across the back, though he prefers to play in the center, and is capable of turning in great performances on his day, but his day doesn't come often enough. Left back Gael Clichy is a real up-and-comer at the age of 22 and has play has been good enough to cause Arsenal fans to forget about their former left back and current England left back Ashley Cole. Other than that, it's shaky for Arsenal. Young Swiss center back Philippe Senderos has all the power and strength you could ask for and is a great ball-winner in the air, but a lack of speed and the mental aspects of the game trouble him. Emmanuel Eboué will move from right back to the right side of midfield. When he was fit, Eboué was the starting right back for Arsenal; the problem is he's rarely healthy. A whole host of untested young players will be counted on to step up this season, including new signing Bacary Sagna, Johan Djourou, and Justin Hoyte. Can this back line perform up to the level they'll need to? I'm not sure.

Arsenal haven't been able to go out this summer and buy the big-name, expensive players because of some ownership questions. It's widely rumored that the club will be bought out as soon as sometime this season, possibly by a well-known American, Stan Kroenke. Kroenke is a sports tycoon in the US, co-owner of the St. Louis Rams (NFL) and the Colorado Crush (AFL), and owner of the Colorado Avalanche (NHL), Denver Nuggets (NBA), Colorado Mammoth (NLL), and the Colorado Rapids (MLS). The current board won't spend big money to get players for Arsene Wenger with the possibility of new ownership coming in soon. That has resulted in Arsenal losing a whole lot more this summer than they've been able to bring in, and subtraction isn't the way to contend with Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea, and even Tottenham.

A game at Blackburn will be their toughest of the first month of the season, but out of 3 league games, Arsenal should start off with 9 points. September gets a bit shakier as Arsenal host Portsmouth and then go to White Hart Lane to play Tottenham in the first vicious, always hotly-contested North London derby of the season. The first difficult stretch doesn't come until late October-early November, where road games at Liverpool and Reading await, as do home games with Bolton and Manchester United. It's smooth sailing from there until mid-December until the beginning of the new year. Four games in 14 days will be tough, particularly the away matches at Portsmouth and Everton. Arsenal also play host to Chelsea in that time, and they'll welcome Tottenham to the Emirates for the second and final North London derby of the year. That should be a classic match; it takes place on December 22 and what a Christmas present it will be for those of us in the US. The last long run of difficult games comes in late March and stretches through mid-April. It sees Arsenal play 5 games in total, including away dates at Chelsea, Manchester United, and Bolton, as well as home games against Liverpool and Reading. Those 5 games will be the make-or-break stretch of the season for the Gunners. Take 10-12 out of the maximum 15 points, and they can think about a top 4 finish and the Champions League.


Bottom Line: Arsenal's remaining strikers each have great talent, more than enough to finish in the top 5, but I don't think they can get the job done against the defenses that Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, and even Tottenham can put on the field. The midfield is great, no qualms there, but the defense has question marks after Kolo Toure and Gael Clichy. Arsene Wenger is a brilliant manager and gets the best out of the lineup he puts on the field, but he's simply going to be outgunned this season. The club is too young and inexperienced to contend for a Premiership title this season and maybe even next season, but come 2009-2010, especially if Stan Kroenke buys Arsenal, look for Arsenal to mount a serious challenge and reclaim their place as champions of England's top flight. As far as 2007-2008, expect 4th at best.

Tough Draws for Arsenal and Liverpool

The Champions League third qualifying round draw has been released, with the winners of each tie advancing into the group stages of the biggest club tournament in the world.

The Premiership sends four teams to the Champions League each season. The winner and runner-up of the Premiership (this season, Manchester United and Chelsea respectively) goes automatically into the group stage, while the 3rd and 4th place teams (Liverpool and Arsenal) have to advance out of the third qualifying round.

Liverpool will meet French club Toulouse FC, who finished third in Ligue 1 last season. Toulouse have no players on their roster, except maybe Swedish striker Johan Elmander, who will stand out to you unless you're a fan of them or the LFP (Ligue 1 and 2), but this won't be an easy tie for Liverpool. Don't get me wrong, Liverpool will advance barring an upset of major proportions, but Toulouse will throw everything they have at a club that's been one of the best in Europe over the past few seasons and won the Champions League in 2004-2005.

Arsenal drew Czech club Sparta Prague, one of the most successful clubs in both Central and Eastern Europe. Sparta Prague won the Czech domestic league last season (Gambrinus Liga) and have been regular participants in the Champions League since 1997. Their entire roster is comprised of Czech players except for three individuals, two of whom are Slovak and the other is French. Like Liverpool, Arsenal will most likely progress into the group stages, but it won't be without a fight.

These ties and the others that make up the third qualifying round are scheduled August 14/15 and August 28/29. Specific dates for Arsenal and Liverpool haven't been determined yet, but when they're released I'll update this post with their confirmation as well as which team is home first.

For the full draw, see http://www.premierleague.com/page/Headlines/0,,12306~1084152,00.html

Premiership Preview--6. Portsmouth

6. This is the most improved team in all of the Premiership, there's no question about it in my mind. Portsmouth finished 9th last season, just 2 points out of a UEFA Cup spot, but this team is the best seen on the South Coast since the sides that won the old Football League in 1948-1949 and again in 1949-1950. Portsmouth, under one of the finest current managers in England, Harry Redknapp, have come from almost-certain relegation in 2005-2006 to 9th place last season, and this year will be even better. They started off last season like a house on fire with 5 consecutive clean sheets, and though they cooled off towards the end of the year, it was a dream finish for Portsmouth fans. It's going to be a huge, huge mistake to underestimate this team in 2007-2008.

One paragraph can't even begin to summarize the players Portsmouth brought in this summer. Franco-Russian chairman Alexandre Gaydamak has spent more than $40 million US to improve this up-and-coming team. Most notably, strikers David Nugent and John Utaka (from Preston North End and Rennes, respectively), midfielders Sulley Muntari and Arnold Mvuemba (Udinese and Rennes), and defenders Hermann Hreidarsson and Sylvain Distin (Charlton and Manchester City) are all new signings that will greatly impact this team. They lost only Andy Griffin and Svetoslav Todorov, two players that would've played no role for Portsmouth this season anyway. There are no glaring weaknesses anywhere on the team; Portsmouth have a great goalie in David James, a solid, if not outstanding, back line and incredible roster depth there, a midfield that is young but extremely gifted, and an attacking corps that will more than get the job done. Kanu led the team last year with 10 league goals; I guarantee that 10 will be nowhere near the team lead this season with the players Portsmouth brought in.

Portsmouth have the most ridiculously difficult stretch of games to start the season out of any team in the Premiership. After opening the year at newly promoted Derby County, it's home against Manchester United and Bolton, away to Chelsea and Arsenal, back home against Liverpool, at Blackburn, and then home against Reading. Insane! With that schedule, Portsmouth won't start the season as well as they did last season, but I guarantee they'll bounce back. Obviously seeing all of the tough teams the first time around at the beginning of the year means Portsmouth will only see teams they should beat for the rest of the first half. Another tough run of games in December (Everton at home, Aston Villa away, Tottenham home, Liverpool away, and then Arsenal home) will be tricky as well. However by my estimation, the season ends with 13 winnable games in a row, the toughest of which is at Tottenham.

Bottom Line: Portsmouth's main problem last year, the one that kept them from playing in Europe this season, was an inability to win away from Fratton Park. They recorded just 3 road wins in 2006-2007, along with 7 draws and 9 losses. At the very least, I believe Portsmouth will have to get that road record to .500 (even in wins and losses) to have a chance of finishing higher than 6th this year. If they do that, this team certainly has the talent to join Tottenham and the "Big Four" in breaking away from the rest of the Premier League. Finishing in a UEFA Cup spot should be a given for Portsmouth. Harry Redknapp has built a great roster on the South Coast, one that is a class above the teams I predicted to finish lower. The question is, can they climb that next step up the ladder? We'll see.

Setanta is Coming to Dish Network

I'm sure everyone has heard the news by now, but Setanta Sports has reached an agreement with satellite provider Dish Network to have their channel carried to subscribing customers.

This is great news for me personally as I have Dish Network at the house, and coupled with Fox Soccer Channel, I'll have more of the Premier League than ever before.

As The Gaffer over on epltalk.com wrote, a relatively inexpensive basic package is available for those who don't have Dish Network and want it, including Setanta. Go to www.soccerondish.com for that package, and visit dishnetwork.com for their other programming packages.

I definitely recommend Dish Network to anyone who doesn't have it. As far as sports packages go, Dish has NHL Center Ice, College Gameplan (football), ESPN Full Court (college basketball), and MLS Direct Kick. Unfortunately, they lost out on NFL Sunday Ticket and MLB Extra Innings to DirecTV, but Dish Network is worth the money in my opinion.

Premiership Preview--7. Aston Villa

7. Aston Villa finishing 7th place this season is going to be predicated on one thing--scoring more goals. Their total of 43 league goals in 38 games was good for just 12th best last season (they finished 11th overall), and was a major contributing factor to not finishing in a UEFA Cup spot. Villa closed out the season unbeaten in their last 9 games and in 10 of their last 11, but 6 of those games were draws, 5 of which were either 0-0 or 1-1. Winning just 3 of those 6 (while still getting a draw in the other 3) would've resulted in a 7th place finish and a place in Europe, but they couldn't score enough goals to get it done.

Aston Villa was raided for players this summer; Fulham and Bolton each signed two players who played for Villa last season, and Lee Hendrie went to Sheffield United. However, with all respect to the players that left Villa, none of them was the kind of player who left a gaping void in the club. Midfielder Steven Davis rejoined his former national team manager Lawrie Sanchez at Fulham, but he wasn't really factoring into Aston Villa's plans under manager Martin O'Neill. Another midfielder, Gavin McCann, is a reliable player when healthy, but numerous injury setbacks marred his time at Aston Villa and he made a move to Bolton. A reduction in playing time led defender Jlloyd Samuel to also leave for Bolton after playing for Villa since 1998, but he, too, was struck by the injury bug over the past couple seasons and the emergence of Wilfred Bouma at left back signaled the way out for Samuel. Aaron Hughes, Davis' teammate with Northern Ireland and that team's captain, also went to Fulham. Hughes is a very versatile player who can play anywhere in the back or in midfield and out of any of the players who left Villa, his departure hurts the club the most. However, full credit to Martin O'Neill and billionaire American chairman Randy Lerner for going out and spending some money to bring in two big-name, proven players to help address the club's weak areas. The addition of Marlon Harewood gives O'Neill four extremely capable striking options to choose from (Gabriel Agbonlahor, Harewood, Luke Moore, and John Carew). With West Ham since 2003, Harewood scored only 3 league goals last season, but averaged a goal every three games for them in his time there (47 goals in 142 league appearances). Nigel Reo-Coker looked disinterested at times with West Ham last season, but the former England U-21 captain is still only 23 years of age and possesses both excellent defensive and attacking qualities. He joins a midfield that is one of the best in the Premiership, maybe even the best of the teams that aren't part of the "Big Four". Captain Gareth Barry, the "Beast of "Birmingham" is a supremely talented ball-server from the left side, Stiliyan Petrov is solid, Patrik Berger revived his career with Villa last season after some outstanding play towards the end of the season, young players Craig Gardner, Isaiah Osbourne, and Shaun Maloney all have great potential, but the player who could turn out to be the best of the bunch is Ashley Young, who can operate as a striker or as a winger and has exceptional pace and quickness.

No month in the schedule stands out as being exceptionally difficult, but there's only one month that shouldn't give Aston Villa much trouble (November; home against Derby County, away to Birmingham and Middlesbrough). That game at Birmingham is the first Birmingham Derby of the season, and Villa will host Birmingham at Villa Park on April 20, the fourth-to-last game of the year. In the first three months of the season, Aston Villa will play three of the "Big Four", one in each month, but they all come to Villa Park (Liverpool, then Chelsea, then Manchester United). The last 6 games of the season are all winnable, with an away game at Everton the toughest of the bunch.

Bottom Line: Scoring goals shouldn't be a problem this season for Villa with the strikers that they have, coupled with no Juan Pablo Angel to give playing time to (he scored only 4 goals in 23 league appearances last season before moving to MLS). Villa allowed only 41 goals last season, but the defense has a few question marks aside from Olof Mellberg and Bouma. Goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen had to be helped off the field with an injury in a friendly at Toronto FC last week, and Villa will really need him healthy enough to start the season as they have to get out to a good start. I can't see Aston Villa finishing much higher than 7th, certainly no higher than 6th, and if they don't score like they should they could play their way out of a UEFA Cup spot.

Premier League Unveils New Website

The new, official website of the Barclays Premier League was launched this morning. It's still at the same address (www.premierleague.com), but the rest of the site is completely different and considerably more modern.

Check it out if you get a chance, it's definitely an improvement over the old site.