English Premier League Begins Saturday

BOLTON WANDERERS
Nickname: Trotters.
Stadium: Reebok Stadium (28,000).
Manager: Gary Megson (since October 2007).
Honors: FA Cup four times (last 1958), League (best third in 1921 and 1925)
Last season: 16th.
New players: Fabrice Muamba (Birmingham), Johan Elmander (Toulouse), Danny Shittu
(Watford), Mustapha Riga (Levante).
Departed: Andranik Teymourian (Fulham), Daniel Braaten (Toulouse), El-Hadji Diouf
(Sunderland), Ivan Campo (released), Stelios Giannakopoulos (released), Daniel Braaten
(Toulouse).
Prospects: Good moves in transfer market but another relegation battle may loom.

CHELSEA
Nickname: Blues.
Stadium: Stamford Bridge (41,000).
Manager: Luiz Felipe Scolari (since July 2008).
Honors: English champion (three times, last 2006), FA Cup four times, League Cup three times, Cup Winners Cup twice (last 1998), European Super Cup (1999).
Last season: runner-up.
New players: Jose Bosingwa (FC Porto), Deco (Barcelona).
Departed: Hernan Crespo (Inter Milan), Steve Sidwell (Aston Villa), Claude Makelele (Paris St-Germain), Tal Ben Haim (Manchester City), Khalid Boulahrouz (Stuttgart), Slobodan Rajkovic (FC Twente).
Prospects: Scolari has to work magic to catch Manchester United.

EVERTON
Nickname: Toffees.
Stadium: Goodison Park (40,000).
Manager: David Moyes (since March 2002).
Honors: English champion nine times (last 1987), FA Cup five times (last 1995), Cup
Winners Cup (1985).
Last season: fifth.
New players: none.
Departed: Lee Carsley (Birmingham), Andrew Johnson (Fulham), Stefan Wessels (released), Jamie Jones (Leyton Orient).
Prospects: Lack of new names could hurt Moyes, may slip to about eighth.

FULHAM
Nickname: Cottagers.
Stadium: Craven Cottage (19,250).
Manager: Roy Hodgson (since December 2007).
Honors: none (best league finish 10th in 1960), FA Cup runner-up 1975.
Last season: 17th.
New players: Mark Schwarzer (Middlesbrough), Zoltan Gera (West Bromwich Albion), Andranik Teymourian (Bolton), Tony Kallio (Young Boys), Bobby Zamora (West Ham), John Pantsil (West Ham), Fredrik Stoor (Rosenborg), Andrew Johnson (Everton), David
Stockdale (Darlington), Pascal Zuberbuhler.
Departed: Bjorn Runstrom (Odense), Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes), Tony Warner (Hull), Ricardo Batista (Sporting Lisbon), Dejan Stefanovic (Norwich), Brian McBride (released), Lee Cook (QPR), Ian Pearce (released), Simon Elliot (released), Philippe Christanval (released), Kasey Keller (released).
Prospects: Can't afford to rely upon a repeat of last season's amazing escape.

HULL CITY
Nickname: Tigers.
Stadium: KC Stadium (25,000).
Manager: Phil Brown (since January 2007).
Honors: first time in top flight, never won FA Cup, League Cup.
Last season: promoted through Championship playoffs.
New players: Craig Fagan (Derby), Geovanni (Manchester City), Bernard Mendy (Paris
St-Germain), George Boateng (Middlesbrough), Tony Warner (Fulham), Anthony Gardner (Tottenham, loan), Peter Halmosi (Plymouth).
Departed players: Henrik Pedersen (Silkeborg), David Livermore (Brighton), Frank Belt
(released), Brewster Frizzell (released).
Prospects: Tigers will enjoy Premier League experience and go straight back down.

LIVERPOOL
Nickname: Reds.
Stadium: Anfield (45,500).
Manager: Rafa Benitez (since June 2004).
Honors: English champion record 18 times (last 1990), FA Cup six times (last 2001), League Cup seven times (last 2003), European champion five times, UEFA Cup three times (last 2001), European Super Cup (1977).
Last season: fourth.
New players: Phillip Degen (Borussia Dortmund), Andrea Dossena (Udinese), Robbie Keane (Tottenam), Diego Cavalieri (Palmeiras), Emmanuel Mendy (Murcia), David Ngog (Paris Saint-Germain).
Departed: John Arne Riise (AS Roma), Anthony Le Tallec (Le Mans), Harry Kewell (Galatasaray), Peter Crouch (Portsmouth), Danny Guthrie (Newcastle), Scott Carson (West Bromwich Albion), Besian Idrizaj (released), Charlie Barnett (Tranmere).
Prospects: Torres-Keane strike force looks interesting, but no nearer to title. Top four again.

MANCHESTER CITY
Nickname: Blues.
Stadium: City of Manchester (40,000).
Manager: Mark Hughes (since June 2008).
Honors: English champion twice (last 1968), FA Cup winner four times (last 1969), League Cup winner twice (last 1976), European Cup Winners Cup winner (1970).
Last season: ninth.
New players: Jo (CSKA Moscow), Tal Ben Haim (Chelsea).
Departed: Andreas Isaksson (PSV Eindhoven), Sun Jihai (Sheffield United), Geovanni (Hull), Georgios Samaras (Celtic), Bernardo Corradi (Reggina), Emile Mpenza (released), Garry Breen (released), Paul Dickov (released).
Prospects: Hughes arrival could be offset by uncertainty over club's future and finances.

MANCHESTER UNITED
Nickname: Red Devils.
Stadium: Old Trafford (76,000).
Manager: Alex Ferguson (since November 1986).
Honors: English champion 17 times (defending champion), FA Cup winner record 11 times (last 2004), League Cup twice (last 2006), defending European champion and three-time winner, Cup Winners Cup (1991), World Club Cup (1999), European Super Cup (1991).
Last season: champion.
New players: Davide Petrucci (AS Roma).
Departed: Gerard Pique (Barcelona), Chris Eagles (Burnley).
Prospects: Has quality and youth to win title for third year in a row, although may need
new striker.

MIDDLESBROUGH
Nickname: Boro.
Stadium: The Riverside (35,000).
Manager: Gareth Southgate (since June 2006).
Honors: best league position third in 1914, FA Cup runner-up (1997), League Cup winner (2004).
Last season: 13th.
New players: Marvin Emnes (Sparta Rotterdam), Didier Digard (Paris St-Germain).
Departed: Mark Schwarzer (Fulham), George Boateng (Hull), Lee Cattermole (Wigan), Luke Young (Aston Villa), Steve Thompson (Port Vale), Fabio Rochemback (Sporting Lisbon), Herold Goulon (released), Lee Dong-gook (released).
Prospects: Southgate unable to get any big names and Boro will finish no higher than last season.

NEWCASTLE UNITED
Nickname: Magpies.
Stadium: St. James Park (52,000).
Manager: Kevin Keegan (since January 2008).
Honors: English champion four times (last 1927), FA Cup six times (last 1955), European Fairs Cup (1969).
Last season: 12th.
New players: Jonas Gutierrez (Real Mallorca), Danny Guthrie (Liverpool).
Departures: Peter Ramage (Queens Park Rangers), David Rozehnal (Lazio), Emre Belozoglu (Fenerbahce), Stephen Carr (released), Mark Cook (Hartlepool).
Prospects: Keegan has to get good early results, otherwise more frustration. Ninth at best.

PORTSMOUTH
Nickname: Pompey.
Stadium: Fratton Park (20,000).
Manager: Harry Redknapp (since Dec. 2005).
Honors: English champion twice (1949, 50). FA Cup champion and twice winner (1939, 2008).
Last season: eighth.
New players: Peter Crouch (Liverpool), Ben Sahar (Chelsea, loan), Glen Little (Reading), Younes Kaboul (Tottenham).
Departures: Sulley Muntari (Inter Milan).
Prospects: Redknapp magic continues but still short of top six.

STOKE CITY
Nickname: The Potters.
Stadium: Britannia (28,000).
Manager: Tony Pulis (since June 2006).
Honors: Never won league or FA Cup, League Cup winner 1972.
Last season: promoted as Championship runner-up.
New players: Dave Kitson (Reading), Seyi Olofinjana (Wolves), Thomas Sorensen (Aston Villa).
Departed players: Marlon Broomes (released), Russell Hoult (Notts County), Matthew Hazley (Airdrie).
Prospects: Not enough quality to survive. Will be relegated.

SUNDERLAND
Nickname: Black Cats.
Stadium: Stadium of Light (48,300).
Manager: Roy Keane (since Aug. 2006).
Honors: English champion six times (last 1936), FA Cup twice (last 1973).
Last season: 15th.
New players: Teemu Tainio (Tottenham), Pascal Chimbonda (Tottenham), El-Hadji Diouf
(Bolton), Steed Malbranque (Tottenham), David Meyler (Cork City), Nick Colgan (Ipswich).
Departed: Andy Cole (Nottingham Forest), Ian Harte (released), Stephen Wright (released).
Prospects: Busy Keane is still rebuilding and could finish around halfway.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
Nickname: Spurs.
Stadium: White Hart Lane (36,000).
Manager: Juande Ramos (since Oct. 2007).
Honors: English champion twice (last 1961), FA Cup winner eight times (last in 1991),
League Cup champion and four times (last in 2008), Cup Winners Cup (1963), UEFA Cup twice (last in 1984).
Last season: 11th.
New players: John Bostock (Crystal Palace), Giovani Dos Santos (Barcelona), Paul-Jose Mpoku (Standard Liege), Heurelho Gomes (PSV Eindhoven), Luka Modric
(Dynamo Zagreb), David Bentley (Blackburn), Cesar Sanchez (Real Zaragoza).
Departed: Radek Cerny (Queens Park Rangers), Teemu Tainio (Sunderland), Pascal Chimbonda (Sunderland), Robbie Keane (Liverpool), Paul Robinson (Blackburn), Steed Malbranque (Sunderland), Joe Martin (Blackpool), Younes Kaboul (Tottenham).
Prospects: Ramos has built exciting lineup and Spurs should be back up to fifth.

WEST BROMWICH ALBION
Nickname: Baggies.
Stadium: The Hawthorns (28,000).
Manager: Tony Mowbray (since October 2006).
Honors: League title 1920, FA Cup five times (last 1968), League Cup 1966.
Last season: Promoted as Championship winner.
New players: Roman Bednar (Hearts), Luke Moore (Aston Villa), Kim Do-heon (Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma), Gianni Zuiverloon (Heerenveen), Graham Dorrans (Livingston), Marek Cech (FC Porto), Scott Carson (Liverpool).
Departed players: Curtis Davies (Aston Villa) Zoltan Gera (Fulham), Martin Albrechtsen
(Derby), Luke Steele (Barnsley), Kevin Phillips (Birmingham), Ronnie Wallwork (released).
Prospects: Lots of goals at either end but Baggies will be among relegation strugglers.

WEST HAM UNITED
Nickname: Hammers.
Stadium: Upton Park (26,000).
Manager: Alan Curbishley (since Dec. 2006).
Honors: FA Cup winner three times (last in 1980), best league finish third 1986, Cup
Winners Cup winner (1965).
Last season: 10th.
New players: Valon Behrami (Lazio), Jan Lastuvka (Shakhtar Donetsk, loan), Balint Bajner (Liberty Salonta), Holmar Eyjolfsson (HK).
Departures: Bobby Zamora (Fulham), John Pantsil (Fulham), Richard Wright (Ipswich),
Nolberto Solano (released), Fredrik Ljungberg (released).
Prospects: Still not good enough to win anything but should avoid relegation trouble.
14th.

WIGAN ATHLETIC
Nickname: Latics.
Stadium: JJB Stadium (25,000).
Manager: Steve Bruce (since November 2007).
Honors: none. FA Cup (best quarterfinal 1987). League Cup (best quarterfinal 2003).
Last season: 14th.
New players: Olivier Kapo (Birmingham), Lee Cattermole (Middlesbrough), Amr Zaki (Zamalek, loan), Daniel De Ridder (Birmingham).
Departures: David Cotterill (Sheff United), Andreas Granqvist (Groningen), Julius Aghahow (Kayserispor), Salomon Olembe (Kayserispor), Peter Moore (released), Josip Skoko (released).
Prospects: Bruce should help Wigan hover above relegation zone.