Last Season - Finished 4th in the Premier League - 76pts
Manager - Rafael Benitez
Odds of Winning Title: 6-to-1

INS:
ST Robbie Keane - 40m US
ST David Ngog - 3m US
RB Emmanuel Mendy - FREE
GK Diego Cavalieri - 6m US
FW Vincent Lucas Weijl
LB Andrea Dossena - 14m US
RB Philip Degen - FREE

OUTS:
GK Scott Carson
MF Danny Guthrie
ST Peter Crouch
FW Anthony LaTellec
LB John Arne Riise
LW Harry Kewell

Possibles:
ST David Villa - Valencia
LMF Gareth Barry - Aston Villa
MF Joao Moutinho - Sporting Lisbon
GK Antti Niemi - Fulham
ST Mario Balotelli - Inter Milan
LW Stewart Downing - Middlesbrough
MF Michael Johnson - Manchester City
WG James Milner - Newcastle
LMF Albert Riera - Espanyol
MF David Silva - Valencia

What's Left in the Kitty - About 13.5m US

What Lies Ahead:
Aug 16 Sunderland (A)
Aug 23 Middlesbrough (H)
Aug 30 Aston Villa (A)
Sep 13 Manchester United (H)
Sep 20 Stoke City (H)
Sep 27 Everton (A)
Oct 4 Manchester City (A)

Possible Starting XI:
GK Jose Reina
RB Steve Finnan/Alvaro Arbeloa
CB Jamie Carragher
CB Daniel Agger/Martin Skrtel
LB Andrea Dossena/Fabio Aurelio
MF Javier Mascherano
MF Xabi Alonso
RMF Robbie Keane/Dirk Kuyt
AMF Steven Gerrard
LMF Ryan babel
FW Fernando Torres

How They'll Stack Up:
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has done a good job improving his squad from last season and certainly the prospects are very promising for this season.  No silverware last year but the young players showed signs of improvement and Fernando Torres emerged as one of Europe's finest frontmen.  Now they've added Robbie Keane to the mix and if they can find the cash - perhaps Gareth Barry.  I'm going to take an aside here on the Barry thing - Liverpool now look like complete idiots because they cannot finance a deal for him.  Benitez wants him but the American ownership won't pony up - and again their manager is left with egg on his face after saying he would sign Barry.  And the Liverpool farce continues....and if it carries over onto the park (which I hope it doesn't), it could be another trophy-less season at Anfield.  Reds need to start quickly - something they've struggled to do under Benitez - while coping with some absences.  They also need to secure their spot in the group stages of the Champions League - they need to be focused on the tasks at hand and not distracted by off-field matters.  In terms of the alignment Benitez will use - it looks like a 4-2-3-1 without Barry - and if he DOES arrive, it might go more like a 3-5-2.  As it stands - Keane will help provide width alongside Gerrard with Babel on the left and Torres alone up front.  It's a formidable attack that should score a ton of goals.  Liverpool's biggest problem over the past few seasons is they give points away versus lesser teams.  Turning some of those draws into wins is what's needed here if they are to challenge for the title.  And make no mistake - without a title challenge, this WILL be Benitez's last season in charge.  I don't see them breaking the top two but they could move up one spot - and a deep run into Europe could save Benitez.  But I don't think so - Liverpool stay 4th and Benitez is gone....Perhaps before the end of the season.

Coming up Wednesday - Arsenal

Last Season - Finished 5th in the Premier League - 65pts
Manager:  David Moyes
Odds of Winning Title - 150-to-1

INS:
None as of August 11th

OUTS:
ST Andrew Johnson - 21m US
DMF Lee Carsley
GK Stefan Wessels
DF Darren Dennehy
GK Jamie Jones

Possibles:
ST Vagner Love - CSKA Moscow
MF Joao Moutinho - Sporting Lisbon
RW Aaron Lennon - Tottenham
MF Dejan Stankovic - Inter Milan
FW Alan Smith - Newcastle
MF Michael Johnson - Manchester City
GK Guillermo Ochoa - Club America
MF Stephane M'bia - Rennes

What's Left in the Kitty - 61m US (incl. Money from Johnson sale)

What Lies Ahead:
Aug 16    Blackburn (H)
Aug 23    West Brom (A)
Aug 30    Portsmouth (H)
Sep 13    Stoke City (A)
Sep 20    Hull City (A)
Sep 27    Liverpool (H)
Oct 4        Newcastle (H)

Possible Starting XI:
GK Tim Howard
RB Phil Neville/Tony Hibbert
CB Joseph Yobo
CB Phil Jagielka
LB Joleon Lescott
RMF Mikel Arteta
CMF Phil Neville
CMF Leon Osman
LMF Steven Pienaar/Leon Osman
FW Aiyegbeni Yakubu/Victor Anichebe
FW Tim Cahill

How They'll Stack Up:
Going into the summer, Everton fans had plenty of reason for optimism - they'd finished 5th, secured a UEFA Cup spot, had their first 20-goal scorer since 1992 and they looked set to make further gains in David Moyes' mission to bust-up the top four.  Fast-forward a couple months and now there is a sense of urgency around the team having made NO moves in the transfer market, it's being rumored Moyes could walk away and the new stadium project is in tatters.  Losing to the Chicago Fire on their US tour gave Everton fans a sense of how bad the situation is.  Moyes wants to bring in 5-6 new players but has so far been able to convince the men holding the money bags to let him use some of it - perhaps the fact he has yet to sign a new contract has something to do with that?  Whatever the case, time is running short and with one of the thinnest squads in the Premier League, they need to start adding some bodies fast - but decent bodies that can help keep this club on the upswing.  They have one of the best back-fours in the top-flight and if Yakubu and Cahill can stay healthy, the side will score goals.  Trouble is, they have a soft center of MF.  Check that - they have NO center of midfield.  This is where a player like Joao Moutinho would be perfect and they are in a fight with Aston Villa over Michael Johnson.  There is talk of a loan deal for Vagner Love and it is expected that Alan Smith and Stephane M'Bia will arrive before the window closes.  Moyes (and Toffee fans) better hope so - otherwise this side will be out of the top-5 come season's end and could even fall to midtable.

Coming Up Tuesday - Liverpool

Last Season - Finished 6th in the Premier League - 60pts
Manager:  Martin O'Neill

INS:
RB Luke Young - 12m US
LB Nicky Shorey - 7m US
GK Brad Guzan - 1.5m US
GK Brad Friedel - 5m US
CMF Steve Sidwell - 10m US
CB Curtis Davies - 16m US

OUTS:
GK Thomas Sorensen
CB Olof Mellberg
ST Luke Moore
LMF Patrik Berger
MF Damian Bellon
RB Erik Lund

Possibles:
RW Shaun Wright-Phillips - Chelsea
GK Carlos Kameni - Espanyol
MF Jimmy Bullard - Fulham
LW Stewart Downing - Middlesbrough
RB Paulo Ferreira - Chelsea
GK Robert Green - West Ham
MF Michael Johnson - Manchester City
CB Younes Kaboul - Tottenham

What's Left in the Kitty - 15m US (plus any G. Barry fees)

What Lies Ahead:
Aug 16 Manchester City (H)
Aug 23 Stoke City (A)
Aug 30 Liverpool (H)
Sep 13 Tottenham (A)
Sep 20 West Brom (A)
Sep 27 Sunderland (H)
Oct 4 Chelsea (A)

Possible Starting XI:
GK Brad Friedel
RB Luke Young
CB Martin Laursen/Curtis Davies
CB Zat Knight
LB Nicky Shorey
RMF Stilian Petrov/Craig Gardner
CMF Nigel Reo-Coker/Steve Sidwell
CMF Gareth Barry
LMF Ashley Young/Shaun Maloney
FW Gabriel Agbonlahor
FW John Carew/Marlon Harewood

How they'll Stack Up:
It's been a tough summer at Villa Park with the continued Gareth Barry saga really putting a cloud over the team.  O'Neill did the right thing a couple weeks back and called Liverpool out giving them ample time to come in and sign his star MF.  It's a shame for Villa that Reds have shown themselves to be all talk and no action because this side could use the money to bring in some more bodies.  To date, bringing in Brad Friedel is a decent stop-gap until Guzan gets acclimated.  Steve Sidwell could be a great buy if he recovers his Reading form - and Curtis Davies on a now permanent deal boosts the center of DF.  But the one thing that has held Villa back is their lack of depth.  They ran out of steam last term - three points behind Manchester United at the beginning of December became 27-points back at the close.  It didn't help that Gabby Agbonlahor went cold as ice.  The rumor mill has Villa in for a number of attacking players and they'd certainly add to their chances with a move for SWP, Downing, Bullard or Johnson.  At this point, Johnson is the most likely option.  It's interesting to note that Viila were the third highest scoring team last term - but they also gave up a ton.  That could be the case again if they can't find some outside backs to compliment a strong central defence.  At this point, I'd say Villa are right on track to stay right where they finished last season.  A move into the top-4 won't happen with this current squad and a drop beyond 6th spot would be a disappointment.

Coming Up Monday - Everton

Last Season - Finished 7th in the Premier League - 58pts
Manager:  Paul Ince

INS:
ST Julio Santa Cruz
ST Robbie Fowler
GK Paul Robinson - 7m US
RB Danny Simpson - Loan
FW Carlos Villanueva - Loan

OUTS:
RW David Bentley
GK Brad Friedel
LB Bruno Berner
GK Peter Enckelman
CB Stephane Henchoz
FW Osahon Eboigne - Loan
FW Maceo Rigters - Loan
ST Raffaele De Vita
GK Zac Jones

Possibles:
RW Joaquin Sanchez - Valencia
CMF Anatoly Tymoschuk - Zenit St. Petersburg
RW Jermaine Pennant - Liverpool
RW James McFadden - Birmingham
RB Juliano Belletti - Chelsea
MF Mark Bresciano - Palermo
CMF Hossam Ghaly - Tottenham
GK Robert Green - West Ham
RW Aaron Lennon - Tottenham

What's Left in the Kitty - 40m US

What Lies Ahead:
Aug 16 Everton (A)
Aug 23 Hull City (H)
Aug 30 West Ham (A)
Sep 13 Arsenal (H)
Sep 20 Fulham (H)
Sep 27 Newcastle (A)
Oct 4 Manchester United (H)

Possible Starting XI:
GK Paul Robinson
RB Danny Simpson
CB Andre Ooijer
CB Ryan Nelson/Christopher Samba
LB Stephen Warnock
RMF Brett Emerton
CMF David Dunn
CMF Steven Reid/Aaron Makoena/Johann Vogel
LMF Morten Gamst-Pedersen
FW Roque Santa Cruz
FW Benni McCarthy

How They'll Stack Up:
Over the summer, Rovers lost David Bentley and Brad Friedel - but perhaps the biggest loss was manager Mark Hughes.  The now-Manchester City boss provided Rovers fans with a consistent level of success - they knew they'd finish between 6th and 10th each season.  Now with Paul Ince, things are not as certain - far from it as a matter of fact.  Unless the club breaks open the wallets, I can't see Ince carrying on Hughes level of consistency.  There's already talk of disquiet in the locker-room which isn't surprising when you consider Ince's previous experience managing was in the 4th division.  The same man-management may not translate and it looks like there will be an adjustment period for both players and coach.   Having said that, Ince inherited a pretty decent side.  They have a good forward line with Matt Derbyshire and Jason Roberts playing in relief - though I'm not quite sure about the move for oft-injured Robbie Fowler.  The defence is solid and if Robinson can find his lost form in goal, bringing him in could be a good piece of business.  If not, it looks to be a disaster.  Looking at the 'possibles', there's a lot of MF (midfielders) in there and that is where the team are weakest.  They need to bring in a couple more MF to give the side some flare and to help account for the loss of Gamst-Pedersen's form.  I'll hand it to Rovers brass - they've taken a BIG risk by bringing in Ince.  They did the same thing with Hughes a few years back and it paid off.  Let's hope this move also does, otherwise a top-half finish will be a pipe dream.

Coming up Sunday - Aston Villa

Last Season - Finished 8th in the Premier League - 57pts
Manager: Harry Redknapp

INS:
ST Ben Sahar - Loan
ST Peter Crouch - 22m US
ST Omar Alieu Koroma - Loan

OUTS:
MF Sulley Muntari
DF Joel Ward
GK Asmir Begovic - Loan

Possibles:
DF Younes Kaboul - Tottenham
FW Jeremy Menez - Monaco
DMF Marcelo Mattos - Panathinainkos
ST Eidur Gudjohnsen - Barcelona
ST Steven Fletcher - Hibernian
LB Celestine Babayaro - FA
ST Djibril Cisse - Marseille
MF Nolberto Solano - FA
CB Steven Taylor - Newcastle
RW Shaun Wright-Phillips

What's Left in the Kitty - 10m US

What Lies Ahead:
Aug 16 Chelsea (A)
Aug 23 Manchester Unted (H)
Aug 30 Everton (A)
Sep 13 Middlesbrough (H)
Sep 20 Manchester City (A)
Sep 27 Tottenham (H)
Oct 4 Stoke City (H)

Possible Starting XI:
GK David James
RB Glen Johnson
CB Sylvain Distin
CB Sol Campbell
LB Hermann Hreidarsson
RMF John Utaka
CMF Papa Bouba Diop/Lassana Diarra
CMF Sean Davis
LMF Niko Kranjcar
FW Peter Crouch/David Nugent
FW Jermaine Defoe/Kanu

How They'll Stack Up:
After winning the FA Cup last term (for the first time in 69-years), Portsmouth now get to show what they can do on the European stage in the UEFA Cup. Since Harry Redknapp returned, the side have continued to build and the little/large strike partnership of Crouch and Defoe - while humorous to think of - will be potent if Redknapp works his usual magic. The former Southampton man has a habit of getting the best out of his players and this Pompey side will be no different. We'll see what type of pedigree they have right out of the gate with their first three games against last season's top two - Man United in the Comm Shield this weekend, then Chelsea to open and United again on the 23rd.....And then Everton. Redknapp still needs to add to his backline (like many teams) and he has his eye on Younes Kaboul - but being the bartering man he is, he won't over-pay for him. This Portsmouth team isn't flashy but they are better than the one that finished 8th last term - especially up front. If they can handle the extra fixtures from the UEFA Cup, I think they can better last year's finish - maybe even go top-5. Maybe that kind of finish will bring some more attractive fans to the games (see FSR this past Tuesday night).

Coming Up Saturday - Blackburn