Mido Not The Answer For Boro

The signing of Mido by Gareth Southgate's Middlesbrough would have been a welcomed signing. This was before Yakubu's name popped up again as a 11.5-million pound transfer target for Everton. Without at least two goalscorers, any English side will struggle at the bottom of the table. Stuart Downing, once again, will be mired on a less-than-mediocre side.

Mido is great in the air and is a good finisher, but even during his best days at Spurs he never struck me as a consistent scorer. Alongside players like Defoe and Keane, he can contribute. Alongside Aliadiere, I'm not so sure. If Yakubu is retained, I think they could be a formidable pairing. Mido playing target man, laying the ball off for a quick pacey assassin like Yakubu would be exciting to see.

The flip side is Everton could really use Yakubu. With James Vaughn out and Andy Johnson a somewhat fragile player, Everton would do well to pick up a player of Yakubu's calibre. Mikel Arteta, who will surely be targeted by the biggest clubs in Europe by the end of the season, would definitely benefit from the Nigerian's presence up front.

Southgate would do well to hang on to his club's top scorer from last year and reap the rewards of two class acts up front.

Barclay's Premier League Predictions

Without further ado, my 2007/2008 Barclay's Premier League predictions:

20. Derby County

The heroes of the new Wembley are certain to be one of the leaguewide punching bags. Billy Davies may not figure in the Sack Race, since he has already been muttering about the lack of genuine transfer funds available to the club and could quit the club long before they are forced to sack him. When your big summer signing is Robert Earnshaw, trouble is on the horizon.

19. Birmingham City

In spite of acquiring attacking players of genuine European pedigree such as former Juve and Auxerre winger Kapo and the intriguing signing of Garry O'Connor, this team is lacking at the back and will suffer at the hands of even the most modest Premier attacking lines. Steve Bruce's name will be amongst the first to come up in the Sack Race and by January this team will be thanking its lucky stars this season's parachute fund is the largest of all time.

18. Wigan Athletic

Wigan will be the side to spend the least in order to drop to the Championship, but their big summer signing may in fact be the difference if they happen to squeak into 17th. Jason Koumas, signed from West Brom, is an excellent player who performed well when Albion was last up in the top flight. Chris Hutchings has yet to prove that he is Paul Jewell, so look for this brave northwest side to struggle this season.

17. West Ham United

Yes. West Ham, ducking the axe yet again. They seem to have added wisely, ditching duds in Harewood and Reo-Coker in favor of stalwarts in Ljungberg, Bellamy and Parker. The problem with the Hammers this year will be the ghost of Joorabchian hanging over the club. The financially astute but politically oblivious Iranian agent and the controversy he has managed to drag West Ham into over Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano will almost make Sheffield United's dreams come true. Almost...

16. Middlesbrough

The changing of the guard will occur in the football mad northwest. Out with the tired and confused side at the Riverside, in with...well, you'll have to wait. Two players scored more than two goals for Boro last year: Viduka and Yakubu. Viduka is gone and Gareth Southgate seems to be bound and determine to allow Yakubu to flee the sinking ship. With only the lost soul who is Jeremie Aliadiere to fill in up front, Boro will sink perilously low in the table.

15. Sunderland

Supplanting Boro up the table will be Roy Keane's Black Cats. They haven't shaken the Earth with transfer signings, but Etuhu will be a force in the center of the pitch and Kieran Richardson will know better than to cross his former captain. If relegation threatens, so may the manager. I wouldn't want to be on the wrong end of a Keano diatribe about relegation over his dead body...

14. Reading

Many would tip Reading to fall back to Earth after their stunning top-half finish last season. I am amongst those wise souls. Reading have too much quality and organization to drop, but little punch to inspire. Gone is stalwart Steve Sidwell, but manager Steve Coppell has enough quality to keep the squad afloat. He has a knack for organizing his overachieving crew in magnificent ways, but the rest of the league has improved, while Reading has largely maintained the status quo.

13. Manchester City

He's baaaack! Yes everyone's favorite mad scientist, Sven-Goran Eriksson, has resurfaced (got bored of the girls in the redlight?) to take control of City. Poor City... I think Sven will make Man City a better team in the long haul (as long as the human rights fugitive with the deep pockets stick around) but he admitted to not having seen any of his signings acutally play. Sven can sight the best player at each position and is decent tactically, but fails to find players who can actually play TOGETHER (see the England squad, WC '02, '06 and EC '04). His signings will largely take at least half the season to mesh, but after Christmas the formula will be improved. Poor City...

12. Fulham

If Fulham are relegated, I wouldn't be surprised. If Fulham finish just outside the UEFA Cup, I wouldn't be surprised. Lawrie Sanchez seems determined to fill his squad with American internationals, but they're, like, in the FIFA top 20, right? No, really he likes Villa rejects and guys who demand England caps when they clearly suck...The core of Fulham's side is still intact and they have a knack of fending off relegation. The money appears to flow into the transfer market with great ease, so if relegation looms in January, where there's a will there's a way, by al-Fayed!

11. Everton

Merseyside's poor cousins have been struck with an early season injury bug that appears to have struck the people that score goals in the squad...Cahill and Vaughn are out and Johnson will be laid up soon, stay tuned. Phil Jagielka, alongside Phil Neville, provide two fine utility men for a very shallow squad. David Moyes will prove is worth by the end of the season, keeping the Toffees well above the drop whilst never truly threatening the boys at the top.

10. Aston Villa

Err...Martin O'Neill, what are you up to? Reo-Coker? Harewood? Huh? After leading West Ham just clear of relegation, these are shorley the men for the the job right? Wrong! Short of Gabriel Agbonlahor becoming the second incarnation of Ian Rush in the mid-80s, Villa will once again come up short. I admire O'Neill a great deal, but I think his pleas in defence of Randy Lerner the tightwad are growing a bit thin. Show him the money already.

9. Bolton Wanderers

The loss of Big Sam results in the drop of the Trotters. Not too far, thankfully. The land of misfit toys will keep on truckin', with a few interesting additions (watch for Mikel Alonso) and two dire losses (Sam himself and Tal Ben Haim). Anelka, Davies and Diouf will put the ball away one more time, but Sammy Lee will find things a bit tougher than when his old boss was ruling the roost.

8. Newcastle United

The Toon Army will be ecstatic that More Money is available to spend on overrated players via Mike Ashley's cash. This time around, the holder of the Big Chequebook is Big Sam. This is good. However, it appear that the traditional Newcastle nemesis, Injuries, will do their best to thwart Sam's plans. Alan Smith, Mark Viduka and Geremi will be fine additions to for the Magpies, but so would an injury free Michael Owen. Healthy, this team could very well be in Europe by the end of the season...otherwise, we all know the story.

7. Portsmouth

Harry Redknapp's squad will come of age this season. After several seasons of hot and cold play, the south coast's main representative will put it all together in the upcoming campaign. David Nugent and Sylvain Distin bolster an already competent Premier squad. If not, Southampton will always hold the door open for Harry...

6. Blackburn

Finally, the first side that has an outside shot at a Champions League spot for 08/09. Outside I said! Geez... Benni McCarthy showed all-world class last campaign and will be odds-on to look good again this year. Roque Santa Cruz will only add to Mark Hughes steadily improving side. Morten Gamst Pedersen remains one of the best players not with the top four in the league. Blackburn will impress in the UEFA Cup and will impress in the League.

5. Tottenham Hotspur

Darren Bent...not worth 16.5-million. Don't get me wrong, I think Tottenham are a great squad, Bent is a great player, but only a regular international should really command that kind of coin (especially when your nation is striker bereft England). They have good strikers, good midfield, absentees at the back. They have too much class not to finish top-six, but not enough to squeak into the upper class of the English pecking order. Martin Jol may be looking to the Dutch national squad before March...

4. Arsenal

By default (read, Tottenham's inadequacies) Arsenal will be back in the 3rd round qualifiers next August. Henry is a blow, but he didn't figure in almost half the season anyways. Van Persie is the real deal, he will certainly improve on his 11 goal tally from last season, helping to make the Emerites faithful forget their departed talisman. Da Silva, by many accounts, is a bit of enigma (Zagreb?!?) and Wenger has yet to put pen to paper and remain at the club. He likely will, especially if David Dein squeaks back on the scene. Gilberto will need to step up, particularly since he was passed over for the captaincy in favor of William Gallas (forever linked to Italy). They lack some of the cohesion of the other squads in the top four due to the big names exiting every summer, but they are still a notch above the rest of the league.

3. Chelsea

I honestly wouldn't have them here, were it not for the fact that eight of their first 11 appear to be scratched from the opening day match. John Terry, Michael Ballack and Wayne Bridge for sure, with Drogba and Cole questionable. Others are not so at risk, but a slow start is the kiss of death in the race for the title. Mourinho is only a meltdown away from losing the squad and Roman's faith...they are WAY too good to finish below Arsenal, but circumstance will dictate much of the Blues' season.

2. Liverpool

The Reds have come a long way since Athens, but it's a lot further to Manchester. Liverpool may have the tightest defence in the league, but last season lacked the finishing touch of the champions or Chelsea. Enter Torres (26.5M!?!), Benayoun, Babel and Voronin. These players will make a huge difference, but it will be stalwarts Carragher and Gerrard upon whom their hopes will ride. Carragher's all-world performances need to continue and Gerrard will still be the man to pick the squad up by the scruff of the neck and drag them to glory. Both are more than capable, but capability and results are often two different things. Also, watch for Javier Mascherano. Ask Kaka what it's like to play against this guy. Joy for Milan might not have been guaranteed if he stayed on the pitch in Athens...

1. Manchester United

Simply the most complete squad in the league. Their back line isn't the best, but they do the job. Their midfield is fantastic, with Carrick, Ronaldo, Giggs and Scholes a well-oiled machine. Rooney will only benefit from the arrival of Carlos Tevez, and the goals will continue to roll in for the Red Devils. I feel Ferguson has overpaid for some of the talent he has brought in (Hargreaves for 17M?) but they are all class and the rewards will be reaped for years to come. The only way they lose the title is dropping 6 points to Liverpool.

There it is! Like it or leave it, I suppose.

As a postscript, Bernie Ecclestone, F1 supremo and generally eccentric weirdo, is going to make a bid for Arsenal. Oh, NOOOOOOO!!!!!!

Debunking The Rotation Curse

Paul Tomkins, a writer from the U.K. who writes a regular column for Liverpoolfc.tv, has written a fine article clearing the air about Rafa Benitez much-maligned squad rotation habits. Honestly, until reading some of the stats Tomkins compiled and analyzed, I was a firm believer that Rafa's tinkering was a impediment to Liverpool's league success.

Surprisingly, both Chelsea and Manchester United rotate their squads as frequently as the Reds. Their changes are of a different pattern than Liverpool, but not in a manner that makes it clear that one rotation policy is better than another.

Read on at http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/NG156624070808-1304.htm.

Barclay's Premier League Preview: Part 2

The rest of the bunch....

Manchester City
(Manchester City @ West Ham, Aug. 11)

06/07 Finish: W11 D9 L18 F29 A44 GD-15 P42, 14th

Summer Transfers (All Fees in G.B. Pounds)

In: Vedran Corluka, Dianamo Zagreb (4.0M); Javier Garrido, Real Sociedad (1.5M); Valeri Boijnov, Juventus (6.0M); Elano, Shakhtar Donetsk (8.0M); Deiberson Geovanni, Cruzeiro (Free); Gelson Fernandes, Sion (Undisclosed); Rolando Bianchi, Reggina (8.8M); Martin Petrov, Athletico Madrid (4.7M)

Out: Trevor Sinclair, Cardiff City (Free); Nicky Weaver, Charlton Athletic (Free); Joey Barton, Newcastle United (5.8M); Sylvain Distin, Portsmouth (Free); Stephen Jordan, Burnley (Free), Hatem Trabelsi (Released)

Leading Premier League Scorers 06/07

Joey Barton 6
Georgios Samaras 4
Darius Vassell 3
Da Marcus Beasley 3
Bernardo Corradi 3

Manchester United
(Manchester United v. Reading, Aug. 12)

06/07 Finish: W28 D5 L5 F83 A27 GD+56 P89, Champions

Summer Transfers (All Fees in G.B. Pounds)

In: Oliveira Anderson, FC Porto (17M); Owen Hargreaves, Bayern Munich (17M); Tomasz Kuszczak, West Bromwich Albion (3.0M); Luis Nani, Sporting Lisbon (14m); Carlos Tevez, West Ham United (Loan)

Out: Alan Smith, Newcastle United (6.0M); Giuseppe Rossi, Villarreal (Undisclosed); Kieran Richardson, Sunderland (5.5M)

Leading Premier League Scorers 06/07

Christiano Ronaldo 17
Wayne Rooney 14
Louis Saha 8
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 7
Paul Scholes 6


Middlesbrough
(Middlesbrough v. Blackburn, Aug. 11)

06/07 Finish: W12 D10 L16 F44 A49 GD-5 P46, 12th

Summer Transfers (All Fees in G.B. Pounds)

In: Tuncay Sanli, Fenerbahce (Free); Jeremie Aliadiere, Arsenal (2.0M); Luke Young, Charlton Athletic (2.5M)

Out: Mark Viduka, Newcastle United (Free); Danny Graham, Carlisle United (Free); Stuart Parnaby, Birmingham City (Free); Abel Xavier, L.A. Galaxy (Free); Malcolm Christie (Released)

Leading Premier League Scorers 06/07

Mark Viduka 14
Aiyegbeni Yakubu 12
5 players tied 2


Newcastle United
(Newcastle @ Bolton, Aug. 11)

06/07 Finish: W11 D10 L17 F38 A47 GD-9 P43, 13th

Summer Transfers (All Fees in G.B. Pounds)

In: Jose Enrique, Villarreal (6.5M), Claudio Cacapa, Olympique Lyonnais (Free), Alan Smith, Manchester United (6.0M); Mark Viduka, Middlesbrough (Free); Joey Barton, Manchester City (5.8M); Geremi, Chelsea (Free); David Rozehnal, Paris Saint-Germain (3.0M)

Out: Scott Parker, West Ham United (7.0M), Titus Bramble, Wigan Athletic (Free); Antoine Sibierski, Wigan Athletic (Free); Craig Moore (Released); Pavel Srnicek (Released); Olivier Bernard (Released); Alan O'Brien, Hibernian (Undisclosed)

Leading Premier League Scorers 06/07

Obafemi Martins 11
Kieron Dyer 5
4 players tied 3


Portsmouth
(Portsmouth @ Derby County, Aug. 11)

06/07 Finish: W14 D12 L12 F45 A42 GD+3 P54, 9th

Summer Transfers (All Fees in G.B. Pounds)

In: David Nugent, Preston North End (6.0M); John Utaka, Rennes (7.0M); Sulley Muntari, Udinese (7.0M); Sylvain Distin, Manchester City (Free); Hermann Hreidarsson, Charlton (Free); Martin Cranie, Southampton (150K); Arnold Mvuemba, Rennes (Undisclosed)

Out: Collins Mbesuma, Bursaspor (Free); Andy Griffin, Derby County (500K); Svetoslav Todorov, Charlton (Free)

Leading Premier League Scorers 06/07

Kanu 10
Matthew Taylor 8
Benjamin Mwaruwari 6
6 players tied 2


Reading
(Reading @ Manchester United, Aug. 12)

06/07 Finish: W16 D7 L15 F52 A47 GD+5 P55, 8th

Summer Transfers (All Fees in G.B. Pounds)

In: Emerse Fae, Nantes (2.5M); Kalita Cisse, Boavista (675K)

Out: Steve Sidwell, Chelsea (Free); Greg Halford, Sunderland (3.0M)

Leading Premier League Scorers 06/07

Kevin Doyle 13
Leroy Lita 7
Steve Sidwell 4
Seol Ki-Hyeon 4
Stephen Hunt 4


Sunderland
(Sunderland v. Tottenham, Aug. 11)

06/07 Finish: Championship Winners

Summer Transfers (All Fees in G.B. Pounds)

In: Paul McShane, West Bromwich Albion (1.5M); Craig Gordon, Heart of Midlothian (7.0M); Kieran Richardson, Manchester United (5.5M); Michael Chopra, Cardiff City (5.0M); Russell Anderson, Aberdeen (1.0M); Greg Halford, Reading (3.0M); Dickson Etuhu, Norwich City (1.5M); Roy O'Donovan, Cork City (Undisclosed)

Out: Stephen Elliott, Wolverhampton Wanderers (Undisclosed); Tommy Miller, Ipswich Town (Free); Arnau Riera, Falkirk (Loan); Kenny Cunningham (Released)

Leading Championship Scorers 06/07

David Campbell 13
Daryl Murphy 10
Grant Leadbitter 7
Ross Wallace 6
3 players tied 5


Tottenham Hotspur
(Tottenham @ Sunderland, Aug. 11)

06/07 Finish: W17 D9 L12 F57 A54 GD+3 P60, 5th

Summer Transfers (All Fees in G.B. Pounds)

In: Kevin Prince-Boateng, Hertha Berlin (6.0M); Younes Kaboul, Auxerre (8.0M); Darren Bent, Charlton Athletic (16.5M); Gareth Bale, Southampton (5.0M); Adel Taarabt, Lens (Undisclosed)

Out: Reto Ziegler, Sampdoria (1.4M); Mark Yeates, Colchester (Undisclosed), Emil Hallfredsson, Lyn-Oslo (Undisclosed)

Leading Premier League Scorers 06/07

Dimitar Berbatov 12
Robbie Keane 11
Jermaine Defoe 10
Jermaine Jenas 6
Aaron Lennon 3


West Ham United
(West Ham v. Manchester City, Aug. 11)

06/07 Finish: W12 D5 L21 F35 A59 GD-24 P41, 15th

Summer Transfers (All Fees in G.B. Pounds)

In: Freddie Ljungberg, Arsenal (3.5M); Craig Bellamy, Liverpool (7.5M); Julien Faubert, Bordeaux (6.0M); Scott Parker, Newcastle United (7.0M); Richard Wright, Everton (Free)

Out: Marlon Harewood, Aston Villa (4.0M); Paul Konchesky, Fulham (2.0M); Yossi Benayoun, Liverpool (5.0M); Nigel Reo-Coker, Aston Villa (8.5M); Tyrone Mears, Derby County (1.0M); Roy Carroll, Rangers (Free); Teddy Sheringham, Colchester United (Free); Shaun Newton, Leicester City (Free)

Leading Premier League Scorers 06/07

Bobby Zamora 11
Carlos Tevez 7
Yossi Benayoun 3
Marlon Harewood 3
4 players tied 2


Wigan Athletic
(Wigan @ Everton, Aug. 11)

06/07 Finish: W10 D8 L20 F37 A59 GD-22 P38, 17th

Summer Transfers (All Fees in G.B. Pounds)

In: Michael Brown, Fulham (Undisclosed); Jason Koumas, West Bromwich Albion (5.3M); Carlo Nash, Preston North End (300K); Andreas Granqvist, Helsingborg (750K); Mario Melchiot, Rennes (Free); Titus Bramble, Newcastle United (Free); Antoine Sibierski, Newcastle United (Free); Antonio Valencia, Villarreal (Loan)

Out: Matt Jackson, Watford (Free); Arjan de Zeeuw, Coventry City (Free); David Unsworth (Released); Andy Webster, Rangers (Loan); Lee McCulloch, Rangers (2.25M)

Leading Premier League Scorers 06/07

Emile Heskey 9
Henri Camara 6
Lee McCulloch 4
Paul Scharner 3
2 players tied 2

Barclay's Premier League Preview: Part 1

Here's a quick summary of the fixtures, 2006/2007 records and top scorers as well as summer signings for the first half of the Premier League table. My thoughts on how each team will fare will be added as the week goes on, culminating in my complete table prediction on Friday.


Arsenal
(Arsenal v. Fulham, Aug. 12)

06/07 Finish: W19 D11 L8 F63 A35 GD+28 P68, 4th

Summer Transfers (All Fees in G.B. Pounds)

In: Bacary Sagna, Auxerre (6.0M); Eduardo Da Silva, Dianamo Zagreb (10M); Lukasz Fabianski, Legia Warsaw (2.0M); Havard Nordveit, Haugesund (2.0M)

Out: Fredrik Ljungberg, West Ham United (3.5M); Matthew Connolly, Colchester United (Loan); Arturo Lupoli, Fiorentina (Free); Thierry Henry, Barcelona (16.1 M); Jeremie Aliadiere, Middlesbrough (2.0M); Mart Poom, Watford (Undisclosed); Jose Antonio Reyes, Athletico Madrid (8.0M); Fabrice Muamba, Birmingham City (2.0M)

Leading Premier League Scorers 06/07

Robin Van Persie 11
Thierry Henry 10
Gilberto Silva 10
Emmanuel Adebayor 8
5 players tied 3


Aston Villa
(Aston Villa v. Liverpool, Aug. 11)

06/07 : W11 D17 L10 F43 A41 GD+2 P50, 11th

Summer Transfers (All Fees in G.B. Pounds)

In: Marlon Harewood, West Ham United (Undisclosed); Nigel Reo-Coker, West Ham United (8.5M)

Out: Liam Ridgewell, Birmingham City (2.0M); Lee Hendrie, Sheffield United (Free); Steven Davis, Fulham (4.0M); Aaron Hughes, Fulham (1.0M); Gavin McCann, Bolton (1.0M); Jlloyd Samuel, Bolton (Free); Robert Olejnik, Falkirk (Free); Eric Djemba-Djemba (Released); Chris Sutton (Retired)

Leading Premier League Scorers 06/07

Gabriel Agbonlahor 9
Gareth Barry 8
Luke Moore 4
John Carew 3
4 players tied 2


Birmingham City
(Birmingham @ Chelsea, Aug. 12)

06/07 : Championship Runner-Up

Summer Transfers (All Fees in G.B. Pounds)

In: Liam Ridgewell, Aston Villa (2.5M); Richard Kingson, Hammarby (Free); Rafael Schmitz, Lille (Loan); Olivier Kapo, Juventus (3.0M); Garry O'Connor, Lokomotiv Moscow (2.65M), Stuart Parnaby, Middlesbrough (Free); Franck Queudrue, Fulham (2.5M); Daniel De Ridder, Celta Vigo (Free)

Out: DJ Campbell, Leicester City (1.6M); Stephen Clemence, Leicester City (1.0M); Julian Gray, Coventry City (Free); Bruno N'Gotty, Leicester City (Free)

Leading Championship Scorers 06/07

Gary McSheffrey 14
Nicklas Bendtner 11
Dudley Campbell 9
Cameron Jerome 7
Radhi Jaidi 6


Blackburn Rovers
(Blackburn @ Middlesbrough, Aug. 11)

06/07 : W15 D7 L16 F52 A54 GD-2 P52, 10th

Summer Transfers (All Fees in G.B. Pounds)

In: Roque Santa Cruz, Bayern Munich (3.5M); Maceo Ritgers, NAC Breda (Undisclosed); Gunnar Nielsen, BK Frem Copenhagen (Free)

Out: Michael Gray, Wolverhampton Wanderers (Free); Andy Todd, Derby County (750K)

Leading Premier League Scorers 06/07

Benni McCarthy 17
Shabani Nonda 7
Morten Gamst Pedersen 6
Matt Derbyshire 5
2 players tied 4


Bolton Wanderers
(Bolton v. Newcastle, Aug. 11)

06/07 : W16 D8 L14 F47 A52 GD-5 P56, 7th

Summer Transfers (All Fees in G.B. Pounds)

In: Daniel Braaten, Rosenborg (Undisclosed); Danny Guthrie, Liverpool (Loan); Heidar Helguson, Fulham (1.0M); Blerim Dzemaili, FC Zurich (Free); Gavin McCann, Aston Villa (1.0M); Jlloyd Samuel, Aston Villa (Undisclosed); Zoltan Harsanyi, FC Senec (Free); Gerald Cid, Bordeaux (Free); Mikel Alonso, Real Sociedad (Loan); Christian Wilhelmsson, Nantes (Loan)

Out: Tal Ben Haim, Chelsea (Free); Chris Howarth, Carlisle United (Undisclosed); Henrik Pedersen (Released); Quinton Fortune (Released); David Thompson (Released); Cesar Martin (Released)

Leading Premier League Scorers 06/07

Nicholas Anelka 11
Kevin Davies 8
Gary Speed 8
El-Hadji Diouf 5
Ivan Campo 4


Chelsea
(Chelsea v. Birmingham, Aug. 12)

06/07 : W24 D11 L3 F64 A24 GD+40 P83, 2nd

Summer Transfers (All Fees in G.B. Pounds)

In: Florent Malouda, Olympique Lyonnais (13.5M); Steven Sidwell, Reading (Free); Tal Ben Haim, Bolton (Free); Claudio Pizarro, Bayern Munich (Free)

Out: Ben Sahar, Queen's Park Rangers (Loan); Michael Mancienne, Queen's Park Rangers (Loan); Jimmy Smith, Norwich City (Loan); Khalid Boulahrouz, Sevilla (Loan); Geremi, Newcastle United (Free); Yves Ma Kalambay, Hibernian (Free); Juan Sebastian Veron (Released); Nuno Morais, Apoel Nicosia (Free)

Leading Premier League Scorers 06/07

Didier Drogba 20
Frank Lampard 11
Salomon Kalou 7
Michael Ballack 4
Andriy Shevchenko 4


Derby County
(Derby County v. Portsmouth, Aug. 11)

06/07 : Championship Playoff Winner

Summer Transfers (All Fees in G.B. Pounds)

In: Lewis Price, Ipswich Town (200K); Claude Davis, Sheffield United (3.0M); Andy Todd, Blackburn Rovers (750K); Tyrone Mears, West Ham United (1.0M); Robert Earnshaw, Norwich City (3.5M), Andy Griffin, Portsmouth (500K)

Out: Lee Camp, Queen's Park Rangers, (300K), Paul Peschisolido, Luton (Free); Lee Grant, Sheffield Wednesday (Free); Seth Johnson (Released); Morten Bisgaard (Released); Paul Boertien (Released)

Leading Championship Scorers 06/07

Steve Howard 16
Giles Barnes 8
Arturo Lupoli 7
David Jones 6
Matt Oakley 6


Everton
(Everton v. Wigan, Aug. 11)

06/07 : W15 D13 L10 F52 A36 GD+16 P58, 6th

Summer Transfers (All Fees in G.B. Pounds)

In: Phil Jagielka, Sheffield United (4.0M); Steve Pienaar, Borussia Dortmund (Loan); Leighton Baines, Wigan Athletic (5.0M)

Out: Richard Wright, West Ham United (Free); Gary Naysmith, Sheffield United (1.0M); Alessandro Pistone (Released)

Leading Premier League Scorers 06/07

Andy Johnson 11
Mikel Arteta 9
Tim Cahill 5
James Vaughn 4
2 players tied 3


Fulham
(Fulham @ Arsenal, Aug. 12)

06/07 : W8 D15 L15 F38 A60 GD-22 P39, 16th

Summer Transfers (All Fees in G.B. Pounds)

In: Lee Cook, Queen's Park Rangers (2.5M), Paul Konchesky, West Ham United (2.0M); David Healy, Leeds United (1.5M); Chris Baird, Southampton (3.0M); Diomansy Kamara, West Bromwich Albion (6.0M); Steven Davis, Aston Villa (4.0M); Aaron Hughes, Aston Villa (1.0M)

Out: Michael Brown, Wigan Athletic (Undisclosed); Heidar Helguson, Bolton (1.0M); Mark Crossley, Oldham Athletic (Free); Franck Queudrue, Birmingham City (2.5M); Claus Jensen (Released); Tomasz Radzinski (Released); Mark Pembridge (Released); Matty Collins, Swansea City (Free)

Leading Premier League Scorers 06/07

Brian McBride 9
Carlos Bocanegra 5
Heidar Helguson 3
7 players tied 2


Liverpool
(Liverpool @ Aston Villa, Aug. 11)

06/07 : W20 D8 L10 F57 A27 GD+30 P68, 3rd

Summer Transfers (All Fees in G.B. Pounds)

In: Nikolay Mihaylov, Levski Sofia (Undisclosed); Ryan Babel, Ajax (11.5M); Yossi Benayoun, West Ham United (5.0M); Ryan Crowther, Stockport County (Undisclosed); Andrej Voronin, Bayer Leverkusen (Free); Fernando Torres, Athletico Madrid (26.5M); Sebastian Leto, Lanus (1.8M); Lucas Leiva, Gremio (8.0M); Mikel San Jose, Athletico Bilbao (270K); Krisztian Nemeth, MTK Hungaria (Free); Andras Simon, MTK Hungaria (Free)

Out: Danny Guthrie, Bolton Wanderers (Loan); Robbie Fowler, Cardiff City (Free); Mark Gonzalez, Real Betis (4.2M), Jerzy Dudek, Real Madrid (Free); Craig Bellamy, West Ham United (7.5M); Boudewijn Zenden, Olympique Marseille (Free); Luis Garcia, Athletico Madrid (3.5M); Godwin Antwi; Hartlepool United (Loan); Djibril Cisse, Olympique Marseille (6.0M); Florent Sinima-Pongolle, Recreativo Huelva (2.7M); Adam Hammill, Southampton (Loan); Paul Anderson, Swansea City (Loan)

Leading Premier League Scorers 06/07

Dirk Kuyt 12

Peter Crouch 9

Steven Gerrard 7

Craig Bellamy 7

Xabi Alonso 4