In what surely must be the strongest, toughest competition since the induction of the ill-conceived group stage, the UEFA Cup – in its final year before it’s clunkily rebranded as the UEFA Europa League – actually threatens to reclaim the attention of Europe’s football fans. Supporters of the Premier League clubs involved will also be relishing a series of Thursday night treats, despite the almost inevitable consequences (absence of Saturday 3pm kick-offs, slipping league form, etc).

It is Aston Villa, who arrived at this stage via the midsummer slog of Intertoto qualification, that have possibly landed the toughest task of the four English sides.

Group F features three former European Cup winners, including Martin O’Neill’s club. The Irishman’s clash with Marco Van Basten’s Ajax – so far inconsistent in the Eredivisie – should prove a stern test of both coaches’ attacking principles. The Amsterdammers arrive in Birmingham on October 23. Subsequent trips to Martin Jol’s impressive Hamburg and then Prague to face Slavia will mean that progression to the knockout rounds will be far from straightforward for the Villans, who also play host to Slovak club MŠK Žilina.

Likewise for European new boys Portsmouth. Sure, they’re an ageing side on the wane and the UEFA Cup is hardly a priority while they continue to struggle domestically; yet Milan’s visit on November 27 is already being eagerly anticipated, and the Italian giants will be welcomed to the South Coast in typically raucous fashion.

Ex-Bayern boss Felix Magath’s Wolfsburg feature the expensively procured Italian defensive duo Andrea Barzagli and Cristian Zaccardo, and will prove obdurate opponents. Heerenveen – despite selling most of their promising talent each year – are also no pushovers.

Harry Redknapp already knows well of the perils of a trip to Portugal, but Sporting Braga are in poor form and certainly must be overturned if Pompey are to make the top three.

Floundering Tottenham probably need UEFA Cup participation like they need a kick in the Comollis, what with their current domestic travails, but still harbour the potential to make a mark on the competition. Their campaign kicks off in Udine, where they will find Pasquale Marino’s team in fine form and hardened by several recent European adventures. Udinese forwards Toto Di Natale and Fabio Quagliarella can run ragged the best of defences, while Gokhan Inler is a midfield general much-desired across the continent (and particularly by Arsene Wenger).

Fortunately, Spurs have drawn home ties against both Dinamo Zagreb, from whom they recently negotiated the purchase of Luka Modric, and Spartak Moscow; therein avoiding arduous trips to the formidable Maksimir and Luzhniki stadia. Spartak – former home of Spurs’ Roman Pavlyuchenko – have lately been left trailing in the wake of their numerous city rivals and, of course, the emergent Zenit St Petersburg. However, they’ll hope the appointment of ex-Getafe coach and Denmark legend Michael Laudrup will spur them onto greater things. NEC Nijmegen, of the Netherlands, have sold last season’s strike partnership and star defender Jonas Olsson to West Brom, so should be considered there for the taking.

It’s possible that the Abu Dhabi-based ownership of Manchester City may make the competition a priority this year – as a means of re-establishing their new club’s profile in Europe, with the Premier League title only a pipe dream until next season at least. First off, Steve McLaren will be bringing his FC Twente side (and his dodgy Dutch accent) to Eastlands on November 6. The Enschede club overcame Rennes in the first round proper, following their Champions League exit at the hands of Arsenal.

City must then visit Gelsenkirchen to take on Schalke – managed by ex-Twente boss Fred Rutten. The Ruhr team have plenty of recent European experience: departing only in the quarter-finals of the Champions League just last season. They also boast the likes of Kevin Kuranyi and Jefferson Farfan amongst their attacking options.

PSG are only now beginning to regain their footing following years in the doldrums – a humiliating relegation scrap in 07/08 was the nadir (they qualified for Europe via a League Cup win). Paul Le Guen has somehow managed to lure veterans Claude Makelele and Ludo Guily to aid the cause, but City should still be strong favourites for a win on home turf. Racing Santander – European debutants – shocked La Liga fans with last year’s 6th place finish and have endured a tough start to the domestic season.

Each club will surely be delighted to have swerved Group C – inevitably tagged the Group of Death. La Liga high-flyers Sevilla, 06/07 Bundesliga champions Stuttgart, Sampdoria (featuring the talents of Antonio Cassano), Everton’s skilful conquerors Standard Liège and Serbian champions Partizan Belgrade will battle it out for a place in the last 32.

Meanwhile, illustrious clubs such as Benfica, Valencia, Olympiakos, Galatasaray, Feyenoord and ’07 UEFA Cup winners CSKA Moskow will each expect to progress from the remaining groups to take a shot at the title post-Christmas.

It’s the final UEFA Cup as we know it. It may not be the most desired trophy in football, but it is important to recognise the competition’s distinguished history – and that the Champions League is not the only show in town.

The England fans were a bit nicer to the the England players in Barcelona this year. Even though the margin of victory over Andorra, one of Europe’s worst teams, was narrower than in 2007 under Steve McClaren’s tutelage, the performance was better and the crowd showed greater patience as England struggled to break down a team who, whatever it said in the Sunday papers, were playing with a 9-0-1 formation.

England’s fans travel in greater numbers than any other nation in Europe, especially to summer tournaments, but you do have to question the intelligence of those who boo their own team when it is widely accepted that the English side’s greatest problems are a lack of confidence and an inability to handle nerves.

Besides, most of the fans were too busy aiming their vitriol at the FA and Setanta Sports, the pay-TV network who have refused highlights rights to any terrestrial channel for the opening two away matches, claiming that they have not received a reasonable offer. ‘We hate Setanta’ and ‘BBC, BBC, BBC’ were the chants of the day. The real villains of the piece, though, are the Football Association and their chief executive (though, thankfully, not for much longer) Brian Barwick.

Setanta are not a charity and are not obliged to release a highlights package for free, though you have to question their logic in denying a large majority of British football fans the right to see highlights of their national sides. The inevitable result will be a decline in interest in the national teams; not something which Setanta, who make so much of their newly bloated international live rights portfolio, should be striving to create.

Why, though, was there any need for a change? The existing deal with the BBC and Sky, in which the Beeb showed all home matches and about half of the away friendlies live, with highlights packages for the other away matches, shown live by Sky. It is difficult to believe that the FA were being paid peanuts, but as usual they simply chased the biggest short-term financial feed while ignoring the long-term health of the game.

ITV are perfectly capable of broadcasting a football match and the switch of the home qualifiers is largely insignificant, but the total absence of home-nation highlights on terrestrial TV over the weekend cannot be good for the future of the game.

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Brazil are back, or so it seems, with their extraordinarily unpopular coach Dunga finally ditching his cautious approach after seeing it fail so spectacularly in the Olympics. Brazil beat Chile 3-0 in Santiago, with Luís Fabiano scoring twice either side of a superb strike from Manchester City’s Robinho (that still sounds odd). The match was seen as a crucial ‘watershed’ moment for the under-fire coach, who finally picked a team with attacking flair aplenty, although Ronaldinho again underwhelmed, missing a first-half penalty, while the real stars were the two goalscoring forwards and Diego, the outstanding Werder Bremen playmaker.

Brazil are now, amazingly, above Argentina in the table, who could only draw 1-1 with Paraguay in Buenos Aires, although the result was not the disaster it might appear. Paraguay are, currently, the most cohesive and complete international team in South America and now have a two-point lead over the two traditional giants of the continent. Carlos Tévez was sent off - not for the first time in the qualifying campaign - for a bad tackle and Paraguay’s goal was a calamitous own goal from Real Madrid defender Gabriel Heinze.

Argentina’s goal, meanwhile, was a touch of attacking genius - Riquelme feeding Messi, who ran the defence ragged before feeding Sergio Agüero, who produced a typical Argentine finish - a controlled, low shot placed past the goalkeeper. Agüero then missed a sitter, as did Fabrizio Coloccini, as Argentina’s second half performance, dominating the match despite being a man down, suggested that it is they who will end up finishing top of the South American table.

***

Ninny Of The Week - this was never intended to be a regular feature but there are simply too many incidents of idiocy in world football each week to ignore - goes to whoever the assistant referee was that failed to spot that Azerbaijan’s goalkeeper Kamran Arhayev was two yards off his line when Jason Koumas struck his penalty for Wales at a disappointingly less-than-quarter-full Millennium Stadium.

The ‘Respect’ campaign is doomed to failure as long as match officials continue to exasperate attacking players and supporters by simply ignoring so many rules of the game; goalkeepers intruding at penalties being just one of many. We still see far too much illegal defending of corners and attacking free-kicks go unpunished; credit due to Howard Webb for his decision to award Austria’s penalty in stoppage time of their match with Poland for obvious shirt-pulling but still decisions like those are too rare.

Why, furthermore, do referees continue not to book players who wave invisible yellow cards at them after some perceived misadventure of an opponent? This is clear dissent and unsportsmanlike conduct yet players continue to do it regularly simply because they know they get away with it.

***

I am delighted for Manchester City’s supporters, who have endured years (decades?) of misery and disappointment before finally acquiring some hope as their club gain some ridiculously rich and ambitious backers from Abu Dhabi. If supporters of Manchester Utd, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea accuse them of trying to buy success it is only because they are worried that City will manage to break into the elite quadropoly at the top of the Premier League and one of the ‘Big Four’ will not be able to take Champions League qualification for granted. The Premier League’s biggest weakness is that it’s number of powerful clubs has for years been equal to its number of Champions League berths, which has simply perpetuated the imbalance. That, hopefully, is no longer the case.

***

The Republic of Ireland had a stroke of luck in having their ‘away’ game against Georgia moved from the bear-pit of Tbilisi’s Boris Paichadze Stadium to a neutral venue in the German city of Mainz. Instead of 50,000 baying home fans Giovanni Tapattoni’s side were met with a largely benevolent band of travelling Irish with only a smattering of support for the Georgians, much of which came from ex-pats living in Germany. Their main rivals for second place in Group 8, Bulgaria, do not have to go to Georgia until next month, by which time Tbilisi might not be off-limits any more, and Italy do not go there until next season.

***

If you think England are mediocre, simply take a look at the other results across Europe on Saturday and you’ll quickly discover that the supposed ‘big’ teams are not fairing much better. Italy needed a last minute winner from Antonio di Natale to win 2-1 in Cyprus while France capitulated 3-1 in Vienna to an Austrian side for whom Czech coach Karel Brückner has worked miracles in such a short space of time. The FFF, meanwhile, are probably already ruing their absurd decision to keep Raymond Domenech as national team coach despite France being Euro 2008’s second worst team. Lilian Thuram, Claude Makélélé, David Trezeguet and Patrick Vieira have all been replaced by the ‘next generation’ of French players who, despite their doubtless talent, continue to look every bit as impotent and befuddled as England. Plus ça change.

***

England’s Spanish hosts over the weekend would not necessarily have been disappointed by Andy Murray’s US Open semi-final win over Rafael Nadal last night; in Catalunya, Murray is one of their own and is often seen in a Barcelona replica shirt, while Nadal supports Real Madrid. And, across Spain, that is what really matters.

Joey Barton was handed just a six-match suspension after seriously injuring a team-mate while at Man City

Comment

A six-game ban for seriously injuring a team-mate in a seemingly random act of violence is not only severely lenient from the FA but potentially negligent bearing in mind Joey Barton’s continual failure to better himself despite crisis after crisis.

The tale of Barton’s desperate life has new, negative chapters written at regular intervals - and this novel can surely only be described as a horror with a cataclysmic climax.

While such an extended ban is rare in England, Europe will be looking, through troubled and wondrous eyes, at the lax suspension handed to one of the Premier League’s worst trouble-makers and least amicable persons. For observations that the league has a thug element and holds little technical skill, read Barton and waist-high challenges that go unpunished.

The FA’s disciplinary system could easily find a place amongst the tools of the Ancien Régime. So backward that only once last season was a punishment for dismissal altered (which, by the way, was to bizarrely reduce Alan Smith’s suspension from three games to two despite being sent off for abusive language towards a referee’s assistant) and so pompous and underworked that they regularly add one match to a suspension for a ‘frivolous’ appeal rather than dealing with the real culprits.

In Spain or Italy, bans for diving are handed out retrospectively and extended suspensions are regularly proffered for abuse of referees and poor tackles. The FA system is so blundering that they couldn’t even meet a stern Fifa request to extend Martin Taylor’s three-game suspension for his leg-breaking challenge on Arsenal’s Eduardo. As Sepp Blatter and the world raged at the tackle, the FA’s response was typical of their desire to stand away from any possible conflict or controversy.

Rather than reviewing the Taylor case, they instead gave Jeremie Aliadiere a four-game suspension that same weekend, for touching the face of an opponent, with one extra game for the frivolity of appeal.

An FA promise to review their disciplinary measures at the end of the season was made, but little seems to have changed.

Fifa spokesman Andreas Herren best summed up the situation, talking in March, “There will be a meeting next month with the FA, but it will be an exchange of views on disciplinary matters in general. It will not be related to the Taylor case per se because that has now been dealt with. The FA have pointed out to us the considerations they took in determining his sanction and the case is not going to be pursued by Fifa. Both sides felt, however, that a general discussion would be beneficial and we hope the meeting can help us get a broader picture of the issues involved.”

In France, any violent conduct is dealt with severely, regularly resulting in double-digit suspensions for the perpetrators. When I told a high level referee friend in France that this would only ever mean a three-game suspension in England, his reaction was one of complete shock.

Barton’s suspension will again promote ridicule. A court heard earlier this year that 25-year-old repeatedly punched Dabo as he lay dazed on the ground and at one stage the Frenchman lost consciousness. The only relevant contemporary case to that of Barton’s is when Ben Thatcher, then of Manchester City, horrifically and deliberately elbowed Portsmouth’s Pedro Mendes, who fell unconscious. Then, the FA decided to be proactive after referee Dermot Gallacher only showed a yellow card, and charged Thatcher with serious foul play.

He was handed a suspension of eight matches, with a further fifteen suspended for two years. The FA commented that they “contend that the challenge was sufficiently serious that had Thatcher been sent off, an additional sanction would have been merited,” technically meaning the eight-game ban would have totalled 11 had the Welshman been sent off at the time.

Barton’s actions seem at least as, if not more, brutal than Thatcher’s yet the suspension belies this feeling. Thatcher’s attack was momentary and one fleeting moment of madness, while Barton continuously attacked Dabo as he lay on the ground. It is the equivalent of Thatcher, having elbowed Mendes, getting up and punching the Portuguese repeatedly while on the floor unable to defend himself, and that action, of course, would have resulted in a far longer suspension.

Before Barton’s case was heard, his camp appealed for leniency in the view that he and Newcastle United have endeavoured to get the player back on the right track and that a lengthy ban would not support this bid. But how many let-offs and extra opportunities can a repeat offender like Barton receive? It is not his first discrepancy and surely won’t be his last. Will the FA live to regret this ill-advised show of goodwill?

The commission’s statement that they “took into consideration the sanctions imposed by the courts and the pro-active support Mr Barton has received from Newcastle United and other professional bodies” and “wanted to punish the offence appropriately but give Mr Barton an opportunity to ensure his professional conduct does not falter again” are excellent excuses but they have again been too soft on an extremely disturbing and serious issue.

Whatever the sentence was, however, always bore little relevance on the mental state and future of Barton. Whether it was a six- or 12-match suspension would not have changed the former Manchester City player’s troubled state and it is now up to his club, all the relevant specialists and Barton himself to attempt to fix what has become an exhausting, prolonged and dangerous problem.

On Sunday evening, the situation was poised towards Berbatov remaining at Spurs. Juande Ramos stated the striker would be part of his first-team plans if he stayed and the club, already angry at Manchester United’s behaviour over the summer, didn’t want to accept less than £30m. Yet the general consensus was that Berbatov would probably leave for around £24m, his obvious desire to leave meaning it was a buyer’s market.

But it became a seller’s market once again when Man City, now loaded with more cash than Chelsea (and seemingly more ambition and desire as well), entered the fray. They never stood much of a chance with their bid, which was hastily accepted by Spurs, because Berbatov wanted to play in the Champions League and indeed the 27-year-old never even met with Man City officials.

Tottenham now held all the aces, however, and Man Utd were forced to match their asking price. It was reminiscent of Wayne Rooney’s transfer out of Everton: Rooney’s departure was inevitable, but where exactly was only decided after a bidding war between a pretender and contender. Newcastle, somewhat dubiously, entered the bidding late on and Man Utd were forced to pay far more than they had originally hoped.

Yet there is a deeper meaning to yesterday’s shenanigans. Manchester City have now stepped into Tottenham’s boots, with owners who expect trophies spending money abundantly in a direct challenge to the top four. In accepting the bid for Berbatov, it was almost an admission from Tottenham that Man City will soon usurp them - and that there is little they can do about it.

Man City might have ensured Daniel Levy got the full asking price for Beratov, but this is a short-term gain in a much bigger picture. Long-term, City are best poised. In capturing Robinho, they did something Tottenham never managed: they beat a member of the top four to a player in a one-on-one shoot-out, and with that transfer, offered a clear statement of intent. Tottenham’s monopoly as the only side attempting to break into the top four is at a definite end, and they will now be forced to deal with a fifth party in the race for a lucrative slice of the Champions League money.

While Tottenham have endured what can only be described as a frustrating summer, Man City are readying themselves for a period of boom, optimism rife at Eastlands that, at long last, a sustainable challenge to the elite will soon exist. The moves for Beratov and Robinho, one failed and the other a resounding success, ensure Man City will be a feared proposition, both pitch-side and in the transfer market.

And having already seen off one north London side, Arsenal are hot favourites to be replaced by City in the Champions League spots. If the Blue side of Manchester could pull that off, the everlasting dreams of rivalling the Red half would be a whole lot closer to reality.

Manchester City brought Robinho to Eastlands with twenty minutes left on the clock courtesy of their new owners the Abu Dhabi United Group, who are said to be worth ten times more than Roman Abramovich. Even so, the accepted price of £32.5m and a reported weekly wage of £92,000 put doubts into Man City supporter’s minds as to whether or not the diminutive Brazilian signed for footballing reasons or for the generous sum of money offered to him. The figures flying around, in this tropical financial climate in football, don’t sound like they would cause Chelsea any problems.

The west London side had the resources for the now departed Andriy Shevchenko a couple of years ago (a whopping £30m for an ageing striker) so you could be forgiven for wondering why they failed to get Robinho to sign on the dotted line. It originally  seemed that Chelsea, or any other club for that matter, wouldn’t be able to convince Real into selling the player after Madrid manager Bernd Schuster had reportedly threatened to walk out of the Bernabeu if Robinho was sold behind his back.

A change of heart it seems has allowed the deal to go through; Manchester City aren’t a threat to Real Madrid as they don’t compete in the Champions League, whereas Chelsea do. Peter Kenyon, it seemed, had the deal in the bag with constant sightings with Robinho’s representatives and the player himself declaring that he wanted to go to Chelsea a day before deadline day. To say Chelsea fans are discontented with both the loss of Robinho and Kenyon’s role in the saga would be to utter an understatement.

Madrid have tried to dig their heels in but could not risk keeping an unhappy player who was likely to under perform and who openly stated he would go to into hiding in Brazil if he wasn’t granted permission to leave. Ultimately, selling to Manchester City offered them a terrific financial reward while also irritating Chelsea, who they had accused of poor behaviour in attempting to sign Robinho.

One thing is for sure: Robinho is one of the most gifted footballers in the world. He is exciting, has quick feet, and pulls of the kind of skills that would amaze even Ronaldinho. If you were to Youtube him you would probably be glued to your PC for at least three videos (or hours)!

The Manchester City fans certainly should be excited. The Brazilian trio of Elano, Jo and Robinho brings a South American flavour to the side and along with the likes of Martin Petrov, Micah Richards, and Michael Johnson the blue half of Manchester have something to realistically look forward to…trophies.

In its almost incongruous nature, it immediately evokes West Ham’s twin signings of Javier Mascherano and Carlos Tevez two summers ago. The difference is there is much less ambiguity over the nature of the deal. Robinho is a Manchester City player, with no contractual ambiguities. City are in debt to no one, save their Arabic owners.

And it is astonishing.

Earlier in the summer, Man City were strongly linked with Ronaldinho. That, of course, would have been something extraordinary: the man who performed such astonishing deeds at Barcelona, and was World Footballer of the Year in 2004 and 2005.

But the signing of Robinho should excite Man City fans considerably more. Ronaldinho was the best player in the world. Yet, for two years, his output has palpably diminished. It has been a painful sight: a superstar suffering from problems of weight and seemingly motivation, reduced to an outcast at a club he took to such brilliant heights. Hence, there would have been serious worries had Ronaldinho joined Man City, a fear he was using the club as an extended retirement home.

Robinho is something else altogether. At 24, no one need worry that he is in terminal decline or merely money-grabbing. He was wanted at Real Madrid; but he has become unhappy – he was mooted as a makeweight in a deal for Cristiano Ronaldo, and was barred from playing in the Olymipics. Subsequently, he was desperate to leave – even to a club whose presence in the Uefa Cup first round owes to remarkable good fortune.

Simply put, he is a brilliant player. He possesses pace, finishing ability and audacious skill sufficient to become a regular in the Brazil side. A fee of £32.5million sounds extortionate and is certainly steep, but, in light of the fee for Dimitar Berbatov, seems almost reasonable.

As ever with such a high-profile transfer, questions remain. Will Robinho improve on his disappointing Real Madrid strike-rate, which amounted to only a goal every four games? Where, exactly, will he play? Will he be happy at a club for whom fourth would represent nirvana? And will he feel motivated when Chelsea was the club in his sights?

Reality has a habit of biting hard. It is a sobering thought that, when there was last a similarly extraordinary, bolt-from-the-blue transfer involving an exotic South American, Tevez took until February to score his first goal for his new club. Robinho is not the best player in the world; he will not win games off his own boot from the start. But he is nonetheless a superb player and, perhaps most importantly, emphatically has his best years ahead.

In Mark Hughes, he has a strong-willed manager who should refrain from over-indulging him, and will not accept anything less than complete respect for his methods. Providing he can coax something close to Robinho’s best then, with a host of proven high-quality Premier League performers alongside him, then Man City, in stark contrast to their doom-leaden pre-season, really could have a chance of a Champions League spot.

Whatever happens, Robinho’s acquisition is stunning testament to the aspirations of Man City’s new owners. His signing complete let City’s Championship Manager evoking shortlist for the next transfer window commence.

Yin and Yang, Karma, Third Law, or just a crude way of packaging the piece. Whatever you want to call it, there is a certain poetic justice about Real Madrid’s current plight.

Action – Real Madrid try every trick in the book to unsettle Cristiano Ronaldo throughout the summer, using partisan national media to turn the Manchester United player’s head. Although United insist from the outset that they will not sell their best player at any price, Real argue that if Ronaldo wants to leave, he should be allowed to do so. Several months, a flakey bid and a few million articles about slavery later, Ronaldo commits his immediate future to the team in red.

Equal and Opposite Reaction – Madrid playmaker Robinho asks for a transfer after speculation that he would be swapped as part of the deal for Ronaldo. After initially stating that they won’t keep any player against his will, Real later declare that they ‘profoundly regretted the behaviour of Chelsea’s directors who, despite knowing perfectly well the decision not to sell the player, have continued to make statements and gestures.’  Of course, even the meeker minded amongst us can see the hypocrisy of Real Madrid in this matter. They break all the rules and then hide behind them in a moment of weakness. Yet another illustration that football has become the most unsporting of sports.

Over a decade, it’s grown accustomed to the money of big business, but now it’s lending from their book of morals too. And much as we love to point the finger at Real, they are patently not the only offenders (if perhaps the most outrageous). The biggest clubs in the world increasingly resort to money and Machiavellian tactics in order to augment the success of their club and consequently, their brand. For Manchester United read Berbatov, for Liverpool Barry, for Chelsea, Robinho himself. Any essence of traditional respect amongst football clubs has been superceded by big business strategy, where the richest few simply move in and forcibly asset-strip their smaller rivals. ‘Keep us big, keep them small’.

Some would argue America has been doing it with actual countries for decades. But it’s not what the beautiful game should be about. Maybe Platini doesn’t actually hate the English so much after all, when he speaks of limiting debt and the numbers of expensive foreign imports into The Premiership. Maybe he’s genuinely trying to engender a less commercially driven sport in a era when McDonald’s are sponsoring the Olympics Games and global business tycoons are flooding football.

The Robinho dream
On the seemingly incidental point of Robinho the footballer, is he really worth the fuss anyway? I think not. He was never particularly good at Real. In his head he’s a great footballer but he seldom seems to put those thoughts into practice. I fear that Robinho could become the sort of one-trick pony that critics feared Cristiano Ronaldo to be when he first came to England.

And the Brazilian has done himself no favours by stating that it’s his ‘dream’ to play for Chelsea. Are you trying to take the mickey mate? For me, the most unsightly phrase of the summer has involved mercenary players talking about it being their ‘dream’ to play for a club that they probably hadn’t heard of until three years ago. I can just picture Robinho dreaming of Chelsea from his home in Brazil at the age of eight, although it is doubtful whether Manchester City ever came up in one of his dreams.

Indeed, we can only imagine the pain he must have felt on the day he signed for Real Madrid, what with the dream and all. Of course, the dream that Robinho et al are actually referring to is that of them being able to lie on a bed of their own cash with a couple of absolute stunners, while dwarves serve you Martinis, just how you like them. Which is probably what will happen if you sign the multi-million pound contract with Chelsea, or even more with Man City as Robinho appears to be receiving now. “We have sold Robinho for reasons of a human nature and for sporting reasons,” Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon told Spanish television. “The fact that he has accepted an offer from Manchester City says that he is not going for sporting reasons.”

So Robinho can enjoy the ‘dream’ but possibly without the Martinis, while the dwarves will just serve nibbles.

The adopted son of Ian Wright is going to earn a staggering £80,000 per week at Eastlands. Twice what would have been offered at Everton due to their strict wage budgeting, which sees Arteta and Yakubu; top earners, on roughly £40,000 per week. This greed could be a part as to why Shaun chose City. Portsmouth would probably have been able to finance a wage of around £50,000 per week (his wages at Chelsea) with all their new signings this season, but even that would dent their wage structure quite considerably.

Again, why City? With the teams future resting on the finances of a potential crook in the form of Thaskin Shinawatra, it’s not as if it is the most stable of clubs to join at present. Their form in both league and cup competitions has been distinctly average. A quarter final appearance in the League Cup last year being their best cup run since a semi-final appearance in 1981. On the league front, finishing ninth after having spent nearly £30 million on fresh blood, it must have been seen as a real disappointment, and shows how the club aren’t even the best outside of the top four. Based on last season, it seems both Everton and Portsmouth are stronger and better than Manchester City.

Based on the fact that he has already had a spell at City, could the 26-year-old just simply be rekindling previous loyalty and love for the area? £80,000 per week would have persuaded him to do so! But, to be fair, he did have a nine-year stint at Eastlands (including his time with the youth side).

For whatever reason Wright-Phillips chose City. A few years ago, he looked like he could have emulated Beckham, and it is now apparent that his move to Chelsea has been detrimental on his career. Perhaps a return to Manchester will assist a rebirth in his career, while I don’t think City fans will mind his brief absence for the sake of £12 million, a deal which now seems an extraordinary bit of business.

Avram Grant was a puppet out-of-his-depth; tactically naïve; and unable to control his side. Whatever the media made of him, he came extraordinarily close to a league and Champions League double. With a ‘proper manager’ in Luis Scolari at the helm, surely Chelsea can prevent Man Utd securing a hat-trick of titles?

As ever, it is not as simple as that. Man Utd may not have strengthened but they retained Cristiano Ronaldo – so phenomenal in the last two seasons – and, even if he does not quite match that form, quality seeps through their side. Age is also on their side: the likes of Carrick, Hargreaves, Tevez, Rooney and Ronaldo should only be improving, while Vidic and Ferdinand are imperious in central defence. If Ferguson can succeed in adding Dimitar Berbatov then there is little to suggest he won’t be celebrating yet again.

Chelsea have been unusually frugal in the transfer market this summer – but should not suffer injury problems to rival last season’s. John Terry’s desire to make amends for the Champions League final should not be discounted, but a combination of Scolari’s Premier League inexperience and a lack of forward potency – compared to Man Utd at least – could mean they are just edged put once more.

Liverpool have arguably the world’s best striker in the clinical and dynamic Fernando Torres. If Robbie Keane is able to combine with him as he did Berbatov defences should beware. Yet Chelsea and Man Utd possess more formidable squads – only in central midfield and up front can Liverpool rival them – and second would constitute a major achievement.

Arsenal were only four points off top spot last campaign – something easily forgotten – but they will have problems replacing Hleb and especially Flamini, who formed a superb partnership with Cesc Fabregas last season. If Robin van Persie, who possesses a lethal shot and intricate ball-control, and Emmanuel Adebayor rely gel, fans could be salivating, But a chronic lack of depth – above all in defence – will preclude a major title challenge, though there is a chance of silverware elsewhere.

Tottenham could yet lose both parts of their formidable strike-force before August is out. Yet they have recruited sagaciously, especially in the exciting trio of David Bentley, Luka Modic and Giovanni dos Santos. With Juande Ramos having had the benefit of ten months to shape the squad he wants then he will feel he has the resources to challenge the top four, especially if Ledley King and Jonathan Woodgate do not miss too many games.

It has been a somewhat tumultuous summer at Man City. However, they have an excellent new manager in Mark Hughes, so impressive at Blackburn. Add in the signing of Jo, who should add some of the penetration that prevented a top-six finish last time around and, with Dunne, Richards and Hart keeping the goals down, prospects are rather better than many have made out.

Fifth and sixth places guarantee entry into the Uefa Cup and Intertoto Cup respectively, though in the likely event of one of the top four winning one of the domestic cups, seventh position might be enough for entry into European competition. Aston Villa made it to the Intertoto last season and look well-poised for another stab despite the turmoil over Gareth Barry. Sidwell, Friedel, Young, Cuellar and Shorey have all entered and another challenge for the top positions is anticipated. Portsmouth’s spending has been limited but Crouch and Sahar have come in, adding much-needed strength to the forward line, while Everton have spent nothing and will struggle to imitate last season’s exceptional form resultantly. Outside bets come in the form of Tyne pair Newcastle and Middlesbrough, though neither club’s spending has suggests they can challenge the existing favourites.

The perennial battle for the newly promoted sides against the drop begins in earnest and once again, it seems all three will be in the vicinity of the relegation zone this season. West Brom are best equipped to survive - not least because of their recent experiences - and should manage it, but the futures of Stoke and Hull look far gloomier. Both surprise promotions, the pair have not spent diligently enough in the summer to justify survival although, hopefully, they should avoid the embarrassments suffered by the likes of Watford and Derby in previous years. Bolton are also sitting precariously. Questions linger over Gary Megson’s ability and Johann Elmander’s contribution will be key - the Swede is a direct replacement for Nicolas Anelka.

Fulham have spent even more money than last season but far more wisely this time around and the attacking duo of Zamora and Johnson should be enough to keep them above the drop zone while Blackburn’s whirlwind summer has left the club destabilised - and potentially at risk from relegation. Mark Hughes’s exit has caused mass confusion and Paul Ince is facing a player revolt from those who remain after Brad Friedel and David Bentley’s significant departures. Much depends on Roque Santa Cruz staying the entire season - and recreating the form of last season - along with Benni McCarthy up front. Blackburn could be a decent outside bet for relegation. Wigan have done some good summer business and should have enough quality to steer clear of the bottom three.

Summer Activity The most important activity concerned the managerial change. Eriksson’s sacking was fundamentally unjust, for he did as well as could have been reasonably expected. Many would have feared a puppet in his place; instead City fans could celebrate the appointment of Mark Hughes, who did a terrific job at Blackburn and is not the kind of man who would let the owner do his job for him. The signing of Jo had Thaksin’s hallmarks, admittedly - but the forward is a high-class player who most managers would relish signing. He is joined by Tal Ben Haim, so impressive for Bolton if not Chelsea, whilst a series of high wage-earners and low-quality performers, including Georgios Samaras, departed.

Key Men City’s strength lies in their defence; in inspirational club skipper Richard Dunne, the commanding Micah Richards and highly promising goalkeeper Joe Hart, they have the best back three outside the big four. However, the real problems lie further up the pitch: relegated Birmingham City mustered more goals last season. Hence much will rely upon Jo, who arrives for £18million. Can he live up to the price-tag and hype? His excellence for CSKA Moscow, including two Champions League goals against Inter Milan, suggests yes. Realistically, however, at 21 he will surely take a while to show his best form, especially as he will miss the start of the season due to Olympics commitments.

Rising Star Joe Hart began last season out of the side, but made such an impression that he ended it making his England debut. A superb shot-stopper and supremely athletic, Hart has all the attributes to be England’s number one for a decade. Then again, he will have to cope with increased expectations this campaign, something which recent English goalkeeping prodigies - Paul Robinson, Scott Carson and Chris Kirkland amongst them - have struggled with. Do not be surprised to find Man City’s fantastic youth structure unearth another gem too.

Coach Mark Hughes has proved he has the attributes to succeed with four years of sterling Premier League work with Blackburn. Unobtrusively, he is a man who commands instant respect. His Blackburn side was tenacious, certainly, but also surprisingly attractive, helped by Hughes’ dab hand in the transfer market. In short, Manchester City could not have hoped to recruit a man more suitable to the job. The only real doubts concern his ability to handle big-name players and a weight of expectations greater than that encountered at Ewood Park, regardless of what recent performances might suggest.

Prospects For 2008/9 The club have retained the key players from last campaign. Aided by the two new signings - effectively three, if 22-year-old poacher Valeri Bojinov is free of the injuries which decimated his ‘07/08 - and with several young players gaining in experience and confidence, all signs point to an improvement on last season. City’s depth of squad should be adequate to survive a Uefa Cup campaign, too; and, injuries permitting, they have the calibre of players to go far in the competition. Fundamentally City fans have much to be hopeful of, even though concerns over Thaksin ‘doing a Romanov’ will serve to check their optimism.

Footballing World Prediction 6th