SUNDERLAND

Probably the strongest team of the 3 promoted sides this season, long-suffering Sunderland fans may just hold the bragging rights over their arch-rivals Newcastle this season, thanks in part to the fiery Roy Keane.

The fashion in which the ex-Manchester United captain led the Black Cats from championship cellar dwellers to champions was nothing short of spectacular, with the Irishman instilling grit and a never-say-die attitude to his team.

Keane has strengthened his side with 2 main categories of players—fellow Irishmen and Manchester United discards. No less than 8 Irish players will be plying their trade at the Stadium of Light this season; one of them being Anthony Stokes. The 19-year-old striker, plucked from Arsenal’s reserves after a glittering loan spell at Scottish side Falkirk, has been given the task of leading the Black Cats’ frontline this season while still barely out of his teens. His confidence will no doubt be boosted by Keane assigning him the No. 9 shirt, a visible sign of the trust placed in him.

Keane has also acquired Manchester United utility player Kieran Richardson for a £5.5 million ($16.5 million) fee and is audaciously seeking to reunite the striking partnership that fired Man United to the treble in 1999. One half of the Deadly Duo has already been brought to the Northeast in 35-year-old Dwight Yorke, and rumours have it that Keane is looking to sign the other half whom he played with to such success 8 years ago, Andy Cole. But then again, the reunited duo didn’t exactly replicate their form at Blackburn a few seasons ago.

Barring an injury crisis, Sunderland have enough quality and desire for a place in the top half.

Player to watch: Keane. Oh ok, he’s not playing, so I guess Stokes. The youngster will be eager to show Arsene Wenger what he’s missing by selling him to Sunderland.

BLACKBURN

Currently contesting for a place in the Uefa Cup proper, Blackburn Rovers may find that this season shapes up rather similarly to the last. And that will be no mean feat, as is retaining big-name stars Benni McCarthy and Morten Gamst Pedersen at Ewood Park from the luring eyes of the Big Four.

Besides top scorer McCarthy staying for yet another season, the brilliant Norwegian Pedersen, despite reportedly being made an offer by Arsenal, also remains a Blackburn player for now, and that must add to the feel good factor around the club right now. With the prospect of another season of Pedersen causing havoc on the left with his wicked left foot crosses and spectacular volleys and England hopeful David Bentley’s bombing runs down on the right flank, Blackburn look good to balance successfully both their domestic league and European ambitions.

Add to that the transfer coup of signings strikers Roque Santa Cruz from Bayern Munich and Dutch Golden Boot winner at the European Under-21 Championships Maceo Rigters and the season ahead looks to be immensely promising for the 1995 Premier League champions.

The only sore point for Rovers fans might be seeing their team relinquish their league position at the expense of chasing European glory. Expect to see them finish there or thereabouts come May, but not quite.

Player to watch: McCarthy. The pacy hitman will be 30 come Nov and is probably at his peak right now.

NEWCASTLE UNITED

There is a revolution of sorts at St James’ Park right now. Long-time Bolton boss Sam Allardyce has finally decided to take his talents elsewhere and take the short trip across North England to one of the biggest sleeping giants in English football, Newcastle United.

Newcastle fans are hoping for a renaissance of sorts this season. And they may not have to wait long, as Allardyce’s moves in the transfer market have been ruthless, but shrewd so far. The former Bolton manager showed no mercy in removing the club’s underachievers immediately after he arrived, dumping twin burdens Titus Bramble and Antoine Sibierski on poor Wigan, chucking the injury-prone Scott Parker and more recently, Kieron Dyer, to West Ham for a very respectable £14 million ($42 million) and relieving Olivier Bernard and Craig Moore of their benchwarming misery.

Allardyce then proceeded to create his own team in a busy summer, signing Czech fullback David Rozehnal and Villarreal left-back Jose Enrique Sanchez Diaz for a combined total of £9.2 million ($27.6 million), rescuing troublemaker Joey Barton from Manchester City for £5.8million ($17.4 million) and Alan Smith from Man United for £6 million ($18 million), and showing his marvellous business skills in landing northeastern rivals Middlesbrough’s Mark Viduka, Chelsea utility player Geremi and ex-Lyon captain Claudio Cacapa on free transfers.

The long-suffering black-and-white half of Northeastern England already has had just cause to celebrate Allardyce’s appointment at St James’ Park, as they found themselves top of the league after the opening day courtesy of a 3-1 whipping of Allardyce’s ex-club Bolton.

With the forgotten man of English football, Michael Owen, looking fit for selection, and the in-form Obafemi Martins and giant Viduka waiting impatiently to be unleashed on unsuspecting defences, Newcastle fans could be within touching distance of a European place and success in the cups again.

Player to watch:Martins, if he stays. The pint-sized hitman with the pace and power will be crucial in Allardyce’s blueprint for success.

MANCHESTER CITY

Should Newcastle fans be delighted at the way their team has so suddenly taken a turn for the better, then Manchester City fans will be downright bewildered at how their side has changed in the months between the end of last season and now.

Not only have the club had a new owner and chairman, beleaguered former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, in has come new manager, former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson.

The Swede obviously felt that the squad he had inherited from former manager Stuart Pearce was inferior in every respect, and has gone on to revolutionise it. To date, the number of signings he has made is 8…and counting. It would be all too easy to cast his summer spending as another quirk of his, especially considering the convenience of having a new owner’s loose purse-strings, but the team has gotten off to a great start with Brazilian Elano Blumer, earning rave reviews so far.

Besides Elano’s impressive debut, in the 2-0 win against West Ham United, Italian striker Rolando Bianchi and Brazilian Geovanni, once of Barcelona fame, got the goals, but more amazingly, the entire team played like they had been doing so with each other for ages. Bulgarian winger Martin Petrov also sparkled, offering direct running in the reconstructed City midfield.

The new chairman has already stated he expects European football in 2 seasons’ time. Should City maintain their explosive start through the freezing winter months, yours truly reckons it might just come a season sooner.

Player to watch: Bianchi. The 4th- highest scorer in Serie A last season has already shown the potential to be the goal poacher that Man City needed so badly last season.

PORTSMOUTH

Pompey (the affectionate fans’ name for their club) may quite possibly be THE team to surprise everyone this season. After Harry Redknapp’s relegation Houdini act in 05/06, and barely missing out on Europe last season, Portsmouth will be pushing for Europe again this season.

Pompey have really invested heavily over the summer with fleet-footed David Nugent, joining from Championship side Preston North End for £6 million ($18 million), as well as Nigerian forward John Utaka, for a club record £8.1 million ($24.3 million). Redknapp has clearly so much confidence in the duo that he has allowed long-time fans’ favourite Lomano Tresor LuaLua to leave for Greek champions Olympiakos. Attacking midfielder/winger Sulley Ali Muntari, one of the stars of the Ghanaian team at last year’s World Cup, is the third big-money capture at £7 million ($21 million).

With the unpredictable but superb Nwankwo Kanu persuaded to stay at the club by Redknapp and the consolidation of what is possibly the Premiership’s most underrated midfield in Pedro Mendes, Matthew Taylor, Niko Kranjcar and Muntari himself, Redknapp has also shored up the defence to great effect, with Sylvain Distin and Hermann Hreidarsson arriving from Manchester City and relegated Charlton respectively. With the core of the defence in Sol Campbell, Lauren, Linvoy Primus and Dejan Stefanovic going nowhere, Portsmouth sure look like a much better unit this season.

Player to watch: Muntari. Once described as the next Edgar Davids and Kaka rolled into one, the 23-year-old can dribble, pass, shoot and tackle.