Bound For Glory

Arsenal
IN: Luzhnyi (Dynamo Kiev), Malz (1860 Munich), Silvinho (Corinthians)
OUT: Diawara (Marseille), Garde (retired), Grondin (Saint-Itienne), Crowe (Birmingham), Bould (Sunderland), Hughes (Fulham, loan)
With Arshne Wenger understandably opting to wait until the Nicolas Anelka mess played itself out before buying any more new players, Arsenal s squad had a work-in-progress look about it as the season began. A couple of the French flops were cleared out, Steve Bould went to Sunderland, and Ukraine captain Oleh Luzhnyi was brought in at right-back. But Seaman and Adams are both fighting niggly injuries, and considering the well-documented shallowness of Arsenal s squad, why Wenger has loaned Stephen Hughes out to Fulham is a mystery.
The Arse will be anxious not to repeat the mistakes of last season, when an undisciplined, goal-free start to the campaign ultimately cost them the title another reason why they need a new striker (Thierry Henry of Juventus, their latest mooted purchase, is more of a winger). On their day they re a frighteningly strong unit, but there s a suspicion that they may be marginally past their peak.

Aston Villa
IN: Boateng (Coventry), Garayeb (Hapoel Haifa), James (Liverpool)
OUT: Bosnich (Manchester Utd), Grayson (Blackburn), Lee (Burnley), Scimeca (Nottm Forest), Collymore (Fulham, loan)
It s a huge year for Villa. It could be the season where they stop messing around and confirm their place among the ilite of English football with a top-four finish, or it could see them slide back into their mid- 90s trough of mediocrity. It could be the year for John Gregory to assert himself as the natural successor to Kevin Keegan at international level, or the year where he gets fired in disgrace after an ignominious cup exit at the hands of Huddersfield.
Apart from Bosnich, who missed much of last season anyway, Villa have retained the virtually all-English side that led the table from August to January last term. George Boateng, poached from Coventry, is a useful if overpriced signing, while Najuan Garayeb has been impressing for Israel in the Euro 2000 qualifiers. However, David James, even at only #1.7 million, looks a dodgy purchase: Gregory should stick with Michael Oakes between the posts for now. Like Leeds, Villa won t win the Premiership, but will command respect from all opponents.

Bradford City
IN: Halle (Leeds), Myers (Chelsea), Scott (Sunderland), Sharpe (Leeds), Wetherall (Leeds)
OUT: Steiner (QPR)
Bradford may have one of the youngest managers in the league Paul Jewell (34) but he showed the experience of a sheepskin-coat-wearing old hand in filling his squad with Premiership cast-offs as soon as promotion was clinched. Bradford are markedly short of star names, excepting 26-goal striker Lee Mills and former Rangers midfielder Stuart McCall, so Jewell s side needs all the top-flight experience it can get. Lee Sharpe will be desperate to prove a point after disastrous spells at Leeds and Sampdoria, while 33-year-old Norwegian destroyer Gunnar Halle looks like he has another year left in him at least.
Bradford are naturally favourites for relegation, if for no other reason than they re an unglamorous club who haven t been at this level since 1922 (when they got relegated along with Manchester United). But, like Leicester and Derby in 1996-97, they could surprise people.

Chelsea
IN: Cudicini (Castel di Sangro), Deschamps (Juventus), Hxgh (Fenerbahce), Melchiot (Ajax), Sutton (Blackburn)
OUT: Duberry (Leeds), Goldbfk (Nottm Forest), Kharin (Celtic), Myers (Bradford), Newton (Birmingham), Vialli (retired)
It was a strangely anticlimactic season for Chelsea last term, unceremoniously bundled out of all three cups and drying up in front of goal just as the title race came to the boil. Some Blues fans I know blamed it on the injury to Gustavo Poyet, but really, it s a sad state of affairs when you re relying on a 31-year-old central midfielder as your main source of goals in tight games.
Chris Sutton, a #10m buy from Blackburn, might fulfil the role of 20-goals-a-season man, but it s got to be backed up by better performances from his team-mates at the back. Chelsea s defending improved a lot last season, but Frank Leboeuf still can t head the ball properly, and Marcel Desailly persistently squandered possession at vital moments last season: each is weak where the other is strong.
Gianluca Vialli s other signings range from the pragmatic (Deschamps, presumably to play a holding role in midfield) to the mystifying (Denmark defender Hxgh, a 33-year-old coming from Turkish football). Chelsea remain a damn good side, and I d imagine they will be in championship contention again, but they will have to reach deep inside themselves to take the title.

Coventry City
IN: Caruso (Internazionale, loan), Chippo (FC Porto), Hadji (Deportivo La Coruqa), Nuzzo (Internazionale, loan)
OUT: Boateng (Aston Villa), Climent (Club Brugge)
In bringing Moroccan international Mustafa Hadji to the Midlands for under #5m, Coventry have pulled off the transfer deal of the summer. Hadji, a fast, Laudrup-like attacker, is the most talented individual to have emerged from Africa since George Weah. His presence at Highfield Road could go a long way towards ensuring Coventry s survival this year. The other North African import, Chippo, is best remembered for clobbering and hacking Ronaldo out of the game when Morocco met Brazil during France 98. He will take over from the departed George Boateng in central midfield.
The question is not whether Hadji has the talent to be a success in English football; it is whether or not Gordon Strachan can accommodate both him and the similarly effervescent Darren Huckerby in the same team. Much will depend upon how Strachan handles this one.

Derby County
IN: Esposito (Fiorentina), Fuerten (San Lorenzo), Johnson (Crewe), Oakes (Hull)
OUT: Wanchope (West Ham)
Apart from the sale of Costa Rica s Paulo Wanchope to West Ham, Derby have been unusually quiet in the transfer market. The chief new arrival has been ex-Crewe midfielder, Seth Johnson: like Newcastle s Kieron Dyer, he s a fine young player at Nationwide level who may find the step up in class too much to handle. Midfielder Stefano Eranio has signed a new contract, his compatriot Carmine Esposito has arrived from Fiorentina under the Bosman ruling, and that s about it. Derby will finish in eighth or ninth place, as usual.

Everton
IN: Campbell (Trabzonspor), Gough (Kansas City)
OUT: Bakayoko (Marseille), Materazzi (Perugia), Dacourt (Lens)
Last season was probably Everton s most depressing campaign for years. For much of the year they looked a cast-iron certainty for the drop, having managed to score only three times at home in the first six months of the season. The goals of Kevin Campbell saved them the hassle of yet another last-day relegation scrap, but he can t do it all on his own this time which is where 19-year-old Francis Jeffers comes in.
Three of the six players Walter Smith signed last season have gone as quickly as they arrived, but it shouldn t make much difference to the team s strength. Bakayoko always looked too clumsy for English football, Materazzi seemed to get sent off every other week, and only Dacourt will be genuinely missed in midfield. More will be required from John Collins, who was a grave disappointment alongside Dacourt last year. If he improves, and if the attack gets its act together, Everton could sneak into the top ten.

Leeds United
IN: Bakke (Sogndal), Duberry (Chelsea), Mills (Charlton), Bridges (Sunderland)
OUT: Granville (Man City, loan), Lilley (Dunfermline), Sharpe (Bradford), Wetherall (Bradford)
At the end of last season, it was commonly agreed that this lot were just three players or so away from mounting a genuine championship challenge. Two months on, David O Leary has indeed got his hands on some new acquisitions but, to be frank, they don t look like the men to fire Leeds to their fourth league title. With all due respect, I doubt if Charlton s right-back, a Chelsea reserve defender, a teenager from Sunderland and an inevitable Norwegian were what the fans had in mind.
That said, Leeds look a cut above most of the rest. They possess an exceptional goalkeeper in Nigel Martyn, and some of their younger players Bowyer, Woodgate, Smith and especially Harry Kewell are among the best in the country. They won t win it, but, as with their 1-0 defeat of Arsenal last May, they ll have a substantial say in who does.

Leicester City
IN: Flowers (Blackburn)
OUT: -
It seems that Leicester must have expended half their annual budget on signing up striker Emile Heskey for another year. At press time, their only purchase was that of goalkeeper Tim Flowers, a surprise acquisition from relegated Blackburn Rovers.
The Midlands outfit are an extraordinarily unrefined side to watch, more so even than the much-maligned Wimbledon. Last season, there were signs that their methodology was starting to unravel: they finished a couple of places lower than usual, and suffered some real hidings (a 5-0 thrashing at Highbury, a 6-2 rout at home to Manchester United). They took a point off Liverpool at Anfield, but then, who didn t?
Expect more of the same this year: loooonnnnggg stretches of mediocrity, interspersed with the occasional burst of inspired crudity and the odd four-goal drubbing here and there. They won t go down, though. More s the pity.

Liverpool
IN: Camara (Marseille), Hamann (Newcastle), Heinen (Bayer Leverkusen), Henchoz (Blackburn), Hyypia (Willem II), Meijer (Bayer Leverkusen), Smicer (Lens), Westerveld (Vitesse Arnhem)
OUT: Dundee (Stuttgart), Ferri (Sochaux), Ince (Middlesbrough), James (Aston Villa), Jones (West Ham), McManaman (Real Madrid)
This season Liverpool are harder to size up than ever before. Girard Houllier is trying to purge the team of its weakest players (Jean-Michel Ferri left without playing a game, Phil Babb went on the transfer list last week), but some of the new boys don t look like much of an improvement. The exceptions are Dietmar Hamann, one of the finest midfielders in England; the strong centre-half Stiphane Henchoz; and the intelligent Czech forward Vladimmr Smicer (my tip as one of the two best new imports of the season, alongside Hadji).
With Michael Owen almost certain to miss the first couple of weeks of the season, Smicer should get a few games alongside Robbie Fowler, for whom this season is crucial in terms of getting his England career going again.
When Liverpool get their first-choice XI together, free from injuries, it looks reasonably potent, even without McManaman but the strength of a team is gauged by its subs bench, and they ll eventually be found wanting in that regard. A place in Europe and a decent cup run will constitute success this season. Anything less and Houllier will be quickly let go.

Manchester United
IN: Bosnich (Aston Villa)
OUT: Schmeichel (Sporting Lisbon)
After a few weeks spent jetting around the Pacific Rim in search of flat-footed Orientals to practice their passing against, United return to begin their defence of two-thirds of the Treble. Apart from a change of goalkeeper, the team s the same as before. Sir Alex Ferguson has dropped heavy hints about bringing in two or three young reserves (namely midfielders Mark Wilson and Jonathan Greening, and striker Luke Chadwick) but, like Wes Brown and John Curtis last year, they ll be lucky to get fifteen games between them this season.
Ferguson himself freely admits that United will be taking things relatively easy for the first few weeks of the season. We ll coast until we lose the first game, and then it ll be teacup-throwing time, he said recently. The first fixture of the season proper, away to Everton, shouldn t tax them unduly, but a crunch game against Arsenal looms later in the month. Expect one more new signing, probably a midfielder (Edgar Davids?), before the Champions League group stages get underway.

Middlesbrough
IN: Ince (Liverpool), Ziege (Milan)
OUT:
The suspicion that the Riverside Stadium is becoming a rest home for volatile has-beens was strengthened considerably by Bryan Robson s signing of the moribund Paul Ince. His other new purchase, Germany s Christian Ziege, is a genuinely international-class player, but there s only so much a left-wing-back can do to improve a side s general standard. Indeed, sifting through Boro s squad, it s as much as some players can do to compensate for the inadequacies of others. For every Mark Schwarzer there s a Steve Vickers, for every Keith O Neill a Robbie Mustoe or a Mark Summerbell. A side like Middlesbrough are rarely more than five or six points away from a potential relegation battle. This year promises to be no different.

Newcastle United
IN: Dumas (Monaco), Dyer (Ipswich), Goma (Paris SG), Marcelino (Real Mallorca)
OUT: Albert (Charleroi), Georgiadis (PAOK Salonika), Hamann (Liverpool)
For the first time in a while, there are signs of hope for Newcastle s long-suffering supporters. They start 1999-2000 with virtually a new back four: Dumas and Goma are respected names in France, while Marcelino is a regular in defence for Spain. Selling Dietmar Hamann was hardly a good move in footballing terms, though, and buying 21-year-old Kieron Dyer for almost #6m wasn t the smartest piece of business either. However, although they still need another new midfielder, on paper the team looks more cohesive than before.
Surprisingly for Newcastle, the forward line now looks a little threadbare. Shearer is way past his best, Duncan Ferguson has never had a great scoring record, and the only alternatives are the unreliable Temuri Ketsbaia and the incompetent Andreas Andersson. It ll probably cost them a place in Europe.

Sheffield Wednesday
IN: De Bilde (PSV Eindhoven), Donnelly (Celtic), O Donnell (Celtic), Sibon (Ajax)
OUT: Clarke (Preston), Stefanovic (Perugia)
Apart from the Di Canio incident, the only noteworthy thing associated with Sheffield Wednesday in 1998-99 was the fact that they were the only side who managed to beat both Manchester United and Arsenal during the year. They re awesome on their day, but they only seem to have four or five of those days in the course of a season.
Their new signings are a mixed bag. There s Gerald Sibon, formerly a reserve at Ajax, and Gilles De Bilde, a talented Belgian who once broke an opponent s eye socket with a single punch. Dutchman Wim Jonk, easily Wednesday s best midfielder, will be familiar with De Bilde from their days at PSV Eindhoven. Of the two ex-Celtic men, attacker Simon Donnelly, who frequently looked magnificent against the hammer-throwers of the Scottish league, will probably find life hard in the Premiership. Phil O Donnell, an industrious midfielder curiously overlooked by Craig Brown at international level, might fare better.

Southampton
IN: Almeida (Sporting Lisbon), Petkov (CSKA Sofia), Richards (Wolves)
OUT: Monkou (Huddersfield), Paul (Hull City)
You knew Southampton were going to have a hard time of it last season when, in September, they failed to repeat their annual rout of Man United at The Dell. Another year of dispiriting defeats, scrambled relegation-battle victories and last-minute mayhem looms ahead. In the closing stages of 1998-99, they depended on the goals of the little Latvian, Marians Pahars, to an alarming degree. He looks the best striker in a reasonable forward line, but the defence is appalling.
Of the new signings, Dean Richards has been a Nationwide League player all his career, and Milen Petkov is another stereotypically moody Bulgarian who walked out on Celtic when not guaranteed a place. They re going to go down at some point, and this looks like being the season.

Sunderland
IN: Helmer (Bayern Munich), Bould (Arsenal), Schwarz (Valencia), Fredgaard (Lyngby)
OUT: Clark (Fulham), Bridges (Leeds), Scott (Bradford)
It should worry Peter Reid that his team went out of both cups last season to mediocre Premiership sides (Leicester and Blackburn). Those games were indications that Sunderland, far too good for Division One, could struggle at Premiership level. They look solid in some departments Quinn and Phillips a proven goalscoring partnership, Sxrensen a fine goalkeeper but their squad isn t the biggest. Allan Johnston looks likely to go to Rangers before long, and if Sunderland are floundering by Christmas, full-back/winger Michael Gray could follow him.
Last time Sunderland played at this level, in 1996-97, their failure to score goals sent them down. They shouldn t have that problem this time, but new signings Helmer and Bould, with a combined age of 70, can t have much gas left in the tank.
It s hard to envisage Sunderland getting into mid-table, if only because six of the last nine teams promoted to the Premiership have gone straight back down instantly. They re better equipped to survive than Bradford or Watford, though.

Tottenham Hotspur
IN: Korsten (Vitesse Arnhem), Perry (Wimbledon)
OUT: Nilsen (Grazer AK), Sinton (Wolves), Wilson (QPR)
At the time of going to press, George Graham was abandoning his bid to steal Robbie Keane from under the noses of Aston Villa. Had he persevered with it, he would at a stroke have improved one of the more unimaginative attacks in the Premiership, albeit at an exorbitantly expensive cost. Spurs relied on the goals of David Ginola and Allan Nielsen to a large extent last season, and as the season begins Steffen Iversen is the only fully fit recognised forward in the squad.
Mind you, although Graham may have improved his defence beyond all recognition, he s got to do something to make his team more imaginative. Strip away Ginola, who at nearly 33 is not getting any younger, and there isn t that much wit or flair about the side, which is hardly in Tottenham s best traditions. They have too many ordinary players in key positions to make much impact on the championship race.
If it turns out to be an ordinary season, with teams dropping needless points to each other all over the shop, they might just sneak a European place with a bit of luck. The hard evidence out on the pitch, though, suggests otherwise.

Watford
IN: Williams (Chesterfield)
OUT: Bazeley (Wolves)
The last time Watford were in the top division of English football, Michael Owen was a seven-year-old and T Pau and Terence Trent D Arby were still having hits. The Hornets have come a long way perhaps too long in a short space of time, with back-to-back promotions in the space of a year. Watching their 2-0 win over Bolton in the play-off final, it became apparent how bad the standard of football was, and how little subtlety their midfielders in particular possessed. Failure to execute basic 10-yard passes doesn t augur well for games against Arsenal and Chelsea.
Norn Iron full-back Peter Kennedy and Congolese striker Michel Ngonge are the closest they have to star names. The entire team looks too weak for this level, and barring a minor miracle they ll be all but down by February.

West Ham United
IN: Wanchope (Derby)
OUT: Berkovic (Celtic), Lazaridis (Birmingham), Hall (retired), Hodges (Scunthorpe)
West Ham came fifth last May, which says rather more about the standard of the Sky Sports-styled greatest league in the world than it does about their footballing abilities. Talented as much of their side undeniably is, in the course of last season they were handed some unmerciful batterings (5-1 and 4-0 v Leeds, 4-0 v Sheff Wed, 4-0 v Arsenal and, unbelievably, 6-0 v Everton!). If they re a better side than Aston Villa, who finished sixth, I ll eat my Celtic FC mouse-mat.
Harry Redknapp apparently wants to sign one more player before the season gets underway in earnest, to add to Paulo Wanchope, a #4 million capture from Derby who will replace Eyal Berkovic (now at Celtic). Frank Lampard and Paolo Di Canio may be in lambent form, but with the Hammers scheduled to meet Juventus in the Inter-Toto Cup before long, they could do with new blood in a hurry. Mid-table, I d say.

Wimbledon
IN: Badir (Hapoel Haifa), Davis (Luton Town), Pedersen (Eintracht Frankfurt)
OUT: Fear (Stoke City), Kennedy (Manchester City)
I always knew I d end up managing either Brazil or Wimbledon . . . it s turned out to be Wimbledon. So quipped Egil Olsen on the day he assumed the manager s job at Selhurst Park last May. Olsen s propensities towards the long-ball game were well documented during his eight years in charge of the Norwegian national team, but his aesthetic shortcomings will be forgiven by Wimbledon s few fans if he keeps them up for another season (they finished in lower mid-table last year, perilously close to the relegation zone). The newcomers are a veteran Norwegian defender, an Israeli Arab full-back, and a young goalkeeper from Luton. Mark Kennedy, meanwhile, has been put out of his misery with a move to Manchester City. n