CHAMPIONS: Arsene hasn't rocked any boats or pulled up any trees in the transfer market, but then you'd hardly expect him to change a lot having gone unbeaten in the previous season. We have Reyes fresh from his Spanish inactivity and now with a smattering of Premiership experience gleaned at the end of last season. Van Persie arrived at a seemingly knock down price and Trabelsi is a target. Those that are moving on will not be missed except Martin because that means in essence that someone else will have to brown van Divers shorts this season. Ray maybe in or maybe out, Freddie should be fitter, a new keeper looks likely but our youngsters will probably have a part to play in the coming season.
BAGGIES: Gary Megson has signed Darren Purse from Brum, so what I hear you cry! He's not going to set the world on fire is he? Far more valuable to WBA will be the experience gained from their previous tilt at the top level. The bouncing Baggies could well be the yo-yo club of the decade. Too good for the first, but not good enough for the Premiership.
BLUEMOONERS: Kevin Keegan will no doubt give us yet another defensive masterclass. Danny Mills should be a help but Ben Thatcher is a Keegan defender through and through. A limited transfer budget won't help, but it seems to be the same for everyone bar Chelski as far as money goes. The big question could be whether Keegan will crack up before he pulls off enough transfer magic to avoid another struggling season. A decent defensive coach would certainly help their cause.
BORO: Viduka and Hasselbaink seem an unlikely pairing and there cannot be a more temperamental strike force in the league, quite how it will pan out will be fun to see if nothing else. Whether or not it works McClaren has certainly had some great support from his chairman once again and Boro are very fortunate in this respect. Winning the Carling Cup by default could yet prove to be a major turning point for the Teesiders.
BRUM: Steve Bruce has been as active as ever in the transfer market with Emile Heskey his star signing, star being a relative term. Such a boring team deserves such a boring striker. More interesting for the Brummies will be their other new additions Muzzy Izzet, Mario Melchiot and Jepser Gronkjaer, all of whom could be considered hit or miss players who may or may not help Bruce to scramble a top ten place this time around.
CHARLTON: Seventh last time out was a major achievement and Dennis Rommedahl should prove a big plus for the ever-clever Curbishley. But Carlton Cole has gone to Villa and Parker will be missed. Charlton should continue to out punch their weight however because their manager is a diamond.
CHELSKI: Having gone 49 years without one it's about time they won a Championship, and their mega-money has made them odds on to do it sometime in the not too distant future. Mourinho could well give Fergusmoan a verbal battering which is something to look forward to, in fact if Arsene and Mourinho gang up on him he may even be reduced to tears. New signings Kezman and that diving little oik Robben will bolster their attack but will they gel? And just who will be shown the door? Chelski are usually all mouth and no trousers, so why should anything change? Quite how you can loan out half a squad and keep the two remaining teams happy remains to be seen. On paper they look to be our major challengers, but football has never been played on paper. Will Mourinho prove to be yet another lippy twat from a small club in Fulham or will he actually get hold of some silverware?
FULHAM: Their return to Craven Cottage might help Chris Coleman but I doubt if they'll set the world on fire. The loss of Davis to Spurs certainly won't help their cause and you can be pretty sure no stunning signings are on the horizon. More players are needed so the transfer market will need to be attacked heartily if they are to do anything at all, certainly if they are to top last season's ninth place.
MANURE: In the end Ferguson was grateful for an F A Cup win last time out and the core of his squad are ageing. Alan Smith should prove to be a good signing but somehow their forward line doesn't look balanced although Ferdinand's return at the back will certainly mean a closer race for the Premiership this time out. If Phil Neville and Butt continue to play they won't catch us but if they can create a balanced side without them they should get closer to the Champions at least. Last year's new boys now have Premiership experience and the transfer market hasn't closed yet so anything is still possible.
NEWCASTLE: Sir Booby Robson needs his squad to stay fit in what should be Snow White's last season. If their youngsters can last the season in what looks to be a lightweight squad they could pose a threat and James Milner appears to be another useful cog in a young wheel. But Robson needs success sooner rather than later and although the foundations for the future seem to be in place I doubt if they are ready just yet. A poor start will also pile on more unwanted pressure from the Toon army.
NORWICH: Worthy First Division Champions but can they bridge the gap? Arsenal's David Bentley will have to prove his worth in an unglamorous squad if City are to survive. It's possible they could surprise a few teams in the early part of the season but new teams find it hard to keep it going and Norwich will probably be no exception. Still at least Delia's pies should be worth trying when we visit.
PALACE: The Premiership wasn't short of ugly managers before Dowie gatecrashed the playoffs. As the form team at the end of last season they cruised through to an unexpected promotion. But as we all know getting there is one thing, staying there with a young squad will be something else. Their fans have already been shafted with exorbitant ticket price increases – will their team be shafted and bounce straight back down? I suspect that three other Clubs will have to play really crap all season if Palace are to survive the drop.
POMPEY: Happy Harry survived and surpassed all expectations last season. Pompey fans are the biz and LuaLua is now a permanent fixture but I don't see David Unsworth as being sprightly enough to cut it on the South coast. High expectations might prove to be their downfall but all clubs now need a top transfer wheeler-dealer to survive and Harry is that man.
POOL: Gerrard staying at Liverpool was important to the competitiveness of the Premiership and Houlier leaving should change their tedious tactics and improve life for the red half of Merseyside. Owen looks to be getting fit again and they could mount a challenge. How serious it will prove to be might depend on how quickly new manager Benitez and new boy Djibril Cisse settle in. Heskey leaving should be a big plus, but can you really see them closing the gap on the top three?
ROONEYTON: Or Everton as they could well be before the start of the season were disastrous last time out and the noises coming from such leading lights as Radzinski do not bode well for the coming season. An ageing squad and dressing room unrest points the way to a relegation battle and a possible last season in Toffeetown for the miserable looking David Moyes. Can Rooney save them and does he really want to?
ROVERS: Sourness is playing around in the bargain basement once more, attempting to re-shape his squad on a shoestring. Dickov's arrival from Leicester is a plus as should be the experienced Dominic Matteo from Leeds. But he still has Yorke and Cole on the books and they both look to be light-years past their peak. It could be down to the youngsters such as Jon Stead to determine just how much Rovers will struggle this season.
SAINTS: With Strachan gone the Saints dropped like a stone and Sturrock will struggle to match their former manager's achievements with the club. Especially if his recruitment drive has peaked with the arrival of an ex-Tottenham beanpole called Peter Crouch. The Saints will have a tough season unless more late arrivals change things.
SCUM: Will Jacques Le Unsanitary follow such wonderful overseas managers as Ardilles and Gross into Totteringham folklore? Can the Totts new backroom team turn things around? Will kerbs be left uncrawled this season? New recruit Davis seems a reasonable start, Defoe is already in place but Robinson is just another lardy, nothing keeper in a long line of nothing keepers. I expect Spurs to improve, but with such a low base level to improve from that shouldn't prove too difficult.
VILLA: O'Leary has dumped the gangling Crouch on the Saints and nabbed the more promising Carlton Cole on a year's loan. Most clubs it seems loan someone or other from Chelski. Perhaps the Premiership should look to limit the numbers of loan players allowed. The experienced Dane Martin Laursen also arrives at Villa from AC Milan. No doubt Villa will be looking for another top-six finish but they won't be alone there and might find it harder going this time out.
WANDERERS: Two strikers have been transferred in from their respective sickbeds – Michael Bridges and the creaking Les Ferdinand, whether either will contribute much is debatable but the erratic Bolton will no doubt be depending on their star man Jay Jay as much as ever to lead their crusade. Allardyce will no doubt continue to wheel and deal right up to the transfer deadline. I can't quite see them finishing as high as eighth again, but who knows.