After acquiring Manchester City in September 2008, new owner Sheik Mansour outlined a vision of the club being at the very forefront of the world game in terms of building for the future and developing talented players from within by boldly proclaiming;

“We are building a structure for the future, not just a team of all-stars.”

This statement was widely derided by many at the time as a generic statement made by a man who was bound to treat City merely as a rich-man’s toy. The very same people may even have been vindicated in their belief as Mansour and his chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak set off on a spending spree over the next few years, bringing in ‘all-star’ names that started with the £32 million acquisition of Robinho and reaching an eye-watering peak in 2010 with buys such as Yaya Toure, Sergio Aguero and David Silva. Now, City still spend huge amounts of money — that point is undeniable when you see £49 million Raheem Sterling and £54 million Kevin De Bruyne added to the playing squad during the most recent transfer window — but something else is beginning to bear fruit in a corner of Greater Manchester. Indeed; it may, in the end, completely silence the doubters who so quickly leapt on Mansour’s vision of a more self-sufficient model being implemented.

SEE MORE: Watch Crystal Palace 0-1 Manchester City match highlights.

The City Football Academy is the name given to the stunning facility completed last year that now stands on a piece of formerly derelict land just a stone’s throw away from the City of Manchester Stadium (or Etihad Stadium). The development, together with the stadium is called the Etihad Campus; and is the driving force behind a blueprint of there never being a Citizens squad without a significant home-grown presence in it by 2027. The key facet to the facility that City will hope help realize this dream is that two-thirds of the site is dedicated solely to the development of potential future stars. When you consider they’ll have the lion’s share of 16 pitches and a whole host of added extras that any discerning starlet would be happy to get used to; such as their own 7000 seater academy stadium, gyms and a dedicated medical center, it would take a very brave person to bet against a conveyor belt of talent being the bedrock on which City base their future success. It would, in fact, be an especially foolish bet; as that belt has already begun to creak into life. First off the production line? Kelechi Promise Iheanacho.

Iheanacho has been making the right noises now for the best part of a year, and certainly since he grabbed a couple of goals in City’s 2014-15 pre-season tour of the US against Kansas City and AC Milan – no mean feat for a 17 year old striker that had only up until then signed a pre-contract deal after agreeing to a move from Taye Academy in Nigeria. This was hot on the heels of particularly eye-catching performances in the 2013 Under-17 World Cup in the UAE, where Iheanacho won the Best Player Award (incidentally, beating new Chelsea recruit Nathan into second place) and notched 6 goals himself. After signing officially on his 18th birthday, Iheanacho set about cementing his place in the youth set-up, and particularly City’s Elite Development Squad; resulting in goals in the FA Youth Cup Final against Chelsea and the final of the inaugural Premier League International Cup against FC Porto.

The promise the youngster, born in Imo State, Nigeria, showed meant manager Manuel Pellegrini publicly stated that he would consider him for selection in the first team squad should he give him reason to by challenging his established stable of forwards. The departure of Edin Dzeko on loan to Roma meant this opportunity presented itself earlier than perhaps anybody thought and reaped incredible dividends. Iheanacho’s instinctive finish from close range deep into the game to hand City a 1-0 win over Crystal Palace was a mark of what he is capable of. A predatory and hungry striker, Iheanacho is blessed with all of the necessary ingredients to make a huge impact in the Premier League and become a truly brilliant player. Pacy, and with a keen poacher’s eye for goal unusually honed for somebody so raw, there will be more goals to come this season alone; let alone during the rest of his career.

It is, however, worth returning to the original point being made. Iheanacho’s progress is being fast-tracked by the City hierarchy as they seek to recoup the enormous £200 million investment made on the Etihad Campus. This would not have been possible, and almost certainly not considered very early on into Sheik Mansour’s reign without the right structure put in place around players of his undoubted quality. Iheanacho had been blessed with the chance to cut his teeth immediately in a magnificent set-up, playing in a stadium purely for the use of youngsters that most League One clubs would dream of owning and managed by a legend of the game in Patrick Vieira within a system designed to specifically target the development of elite players. It is all designed for the very long-term, and to give them exposure to the right and realistic conditions as soon as possible. There are undoubtedly extremely exciting times ahead for the club, and even fans and the officials of other established top-order clubs must be casting envious glances, wondering how they’ll combat an already powerful outfit that looks set to get stronger in the future.

The weekend saw the emergence of Iheanacho interestingly dovetail with that of Manchester United’s record teenage signing Anthony Martial – who also scored and made an impact against Liverpool. Both are perhaps the future of the two great teams, though at what cost will it be to United if they don’t get their, it must be said, not-as-prolific-anymore youth set-up up to speed in the face of the juggernaut that City’s well resourced and focussed one is? They can’t outspend City, neither can they rely on their famed system anymore – they certainly can’t keep forking out millions for unproven players like Martial year after year. City have them snookered. It is just one example for now, but certainly food for thought. Manchester City will also look to bring through the likes of Brandon Barker, Angelino, Oliver Ntcham, Seko Fofana, Enes Unal and Sinan Bytyqi in the next few seasons. Whilst there will undoubtedly be marquee signings continuing to arrive at the club, it seems the policy has shifted forever and that the club will look to improve and be successful with a core group of young players drenched in a philosophy – lessening the need for gargantuan fees being paid out, which will still be crucial in an era of Financial Fair Play. Everybody else has to face up to the challenge, not just United of course – though they will feel it most keenly as the two sides do battle over local boys. Kelechi Iheanacho is proof that Manchester City are not afraid to play young talent, he’s the first to benefit from a new vision. He won’t be the last.

It was during a gruelling 2014-15 season that very nearly saw Newcastle United fall ignominiously through the Premier League trapdoor when already wafer-thin expectations and patience amongst the long-suffering Toon Army at St James’ Park with the hierarchy finally snapped. The, frankly, dull and uninspiring fayre served up by what seemed to be an, at times, simply disinterested squad played out to a background of chronic underspending, fan protest and deafening silence from any of the boardroom bigwigs. That was until owner Mike Ashley made the surprising and uncharacteristic decision to finally face the media on the final day of the season and promise more investment in the playing squad and a renewed interest in bringing European soccer to Tyneside.

At a glance so far, one would struggle to see how things have massively improved and it’s fair to say, at best, 2015-16 has been a proverbial mixed bag for the Magpies. On one hand, the flair that many expected from a squad that includes new signings Gigi Wijnaldum, Florian Thauvin and Aleksandar Mitrovic added to a stable of Siem de Jong, Papiss Cisse and Moussa Sissoko simply hasn’t materialised. Newcastle are already seriously struggling to get on the scoresheet, as a record of precisely no goals since the opening day starkly shows. They lie in 19th position, and the season already potentially has the faint whiff of failure and underachievement about it, but there are a few encouraging signs.

Ashley has spent big this season, not many would argue that point, and the business has been impressive. To the aforementioned trio, United have also added a potentially excellent centre back in Chancel Mbemba, like Mitrovic, from Anderlecht – he has added much needed steel to a porous back-line – never was this more evident than in their 0-0 draw with Manchester United when the entire defence put in a Herculean effort to frustrate their opponents. The problems at the back from last season seem to have been remedied somewhat, which is frustrating considering their profligacy up-front. If Newcastle can marry up their new-found bite and backbone with a few goals, there’ll certainly be more to cheer in the Gallowgate End.

Wijnaldum, a signing from PSV, has impressed so far with his willingness to get forward, and a range of quick passing, control and pace means he will add his fair share of goals and assists to the cause. His goal against Southampton on the opening day in a 2-2 draw was clear evidence of what he’s capable of. The jury is still, however, very much out on Thauvin and Mitrovic. Mitrovic’s clumsy sending-off in the 1-0 defeat to Arsenal before the international break displayed a naivety and rashness that the, admittedly, talented 20-year-old striker possesses. Again, it’s hard to argue the point that Newcastle would have come away with something against the Gunners given another superb effort at the back. He will need to learn from it very quickly if he is to have any sort of impact. A bustling, line-leading display against Manchester United, where he saw a header cannon off the woodwork, is all the evidence one needs to see that he can make the right noises. Bought from Marseille in a deal that saw flop Remy Cabella move in the opposite direction, Florian Thauvin has a Pandora’s box full of tricks, pace and nous, and has the potential to wreak havoc on the league’s full-backs. This will be magnified even more if he finds himself in enough space as his opposite number forays forward. So far though, he’s looked decidedly average and struggled somewhat with the leap up from Ligue 1. Like Mitrovic, he will have to learn very quickly that the Premier League is an unforgiving arena.

The feeling amongst many fans is that new boss Steve McClaren is a welcome upgrade in the hot-seat and there seems to be a common consensus that the club is at least beginning to be steered in the right direction. The alarm bells have not begun to ring as of yet on the pitch, Newcastle have faced an unforgiving set of fixtures, added to the ties against United and Arsenal, they have also tackled an exciting and vibrant Swansea side that brushed them aside 2-0 in another game they were down to 10 men thanks to Daryl Janmaat’s sending off. Their two points probably don’t reflect fairly on them so far, however things have to markedly improve in a number of areas if they are to avoid a repeat of last season’s debacle.

Best Starting XI: Krul, Janmaat, Mbemba, Coloccini, Haidara, Colback, Tiote, Sissoko, Thauvin, Wijnaldum, Mitrovic.

Best Performer: Georginio Wijnaldum

Most Improved Player: Gabriel Obertan

Injury News: Emmanuel Riviere has a knee injury, whilst Paul Dummett is carrying a hamstring injury.

Best business completed in transfer window: Chancel Mbemba. £8 million from Anderlecht.

Rating the manager: C. It’s so far, so average for the former England manager at St James’ Park. McClaren is widely regarded as a superb training ground coach and, as a result, there seems to be a massive improvement in the morale of the squad generally. Newcastle United players care about the shirt again, which fans have been vocal about in recent seasons. He has also begun to implement a new philosophy on the pitch, which unfortunately hasn’t reaped the dividends he would have hoped. Sadly, McClaren’s infamous spell as national team manager means he is under a fierce media gaze, the knives will be out for him in a matter of weeks if fortunes don’t improve. When you add this to a feverish Geordie support, he is perhaps under the biggest spotlight in the country at the moment. It’s hard to sympathise with or defend him when Newcastle lie in 19th with a toothless attack. The next two games, against West Ham United and Watford need to return a minimum of four points. Should they get them, it will give him some breathing room.

Weaknesses: Goals, or lack of them! Newcastle are in desperate need of a few to inject some life into the next few weeks. Mitrovic being banned for three games won’t help matters.

Newcastle’s starting XI is competitive and is more than capable of matching anybody on their day, however they lack depth in some areas. There is still a lot of deadwood at the club and players such as Vurnon Anita, Mike Williamson, Paul Dummett, Gabriel Obertan (though he has looked much better at times so far) and Yoann Gouffran don’t really cut it at this level. If and when injuries take their toll, they could struggle badly.

Forecast for remainder of season: Anything will be an improvement on last season. If they stay injury free and find their shooting boots, Newcastle will be comfortably in around 12-13th by the end of the season. A couple of signings to augment what they have in January will be a welcome boost.

Overall rating: 2.5 out of 5.

The new season of Serie A soccer kicks off tomorrow with Verona against AC Milan as the first match.

This season promises to be one of the most interesting yet, certainly for a long time, as sides bolstered with intriguing signings go head-to-head for the Scudetto. Italian football has had its fair share of problems in bygone years. However it’s time for the once great league to show the world it’s back. That Calcio is back.

Below is a club by club guide to the 2013-2014 Campeonato.

ATALANTA
Last Season 15th

The Bergamo based club rarely, if ever, trouble the true heavyweights of Serie A; nonetheless they’re a club with a proud tradition in the league and their ability to produce their own players often sees them through campaigns. It is often seen as a feeder club and players such as Alessio Tacchinardi and current captain and long-serving defender Gianpaolo Bellini have either served the club with honour or moved on for a hefty price and bigger things. Manager Stefano Colantuono will most probably look to another season of consolidating their position in the top tier, though a fairly impressive orobici squad including Andrea Consigli and Marko Livaja may look to improve on last year’s 15th placed finish. Striker German Denis will be expected to grab the goals at Stadio Atleti with the likes of Luca Cigarini and Giacomo Bonaventura also expected to play their part. Veteran defender Mario Yepes is also a welcome addition to the squad.

One to watch: Giacomo Bonaventura. The midfielder has recently been capped by Italy.

BOLOGNA
Last Season 13th

Again, Bologna are a side not accustomed to mixing it at the top end of the table toward the business end of the season. A powerhouse in the 20s and 30s it’s been a long time since they’ve won anything of note. That won’t change this season either. A position of last year’s 13th position may be deemed a success again this time around by boss Stefano Pioli. The rossoblu boast new signing, ex Man City striker Rolando Bianchi, who replaces the exciting Manolo Gabbiadini and veteran Alberto Gilardino up front. He joins a squad with the likes of Robert Acquafresca and Rene Krhin at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara. The departure of Saphir Tadir to Inter is a blow, his energetic style of play would have been a great boon to the side.

One to watch: Rolando Bianchi. The experienced striker will be the focal point.

CAGLIARI
Last Season 11th

Continuing in the same vein, Sardinian club Cagliari also can’t be accused of getting amongst the big boys on any consistent level. Indeed, a solitary title in 1970, inspired by the legendary Gigi Riva is their only success to date. Last season saw a fairly strong mid-table finish and it would be some achievement if they could replicate that this time around. However there are well-documented problems with their stadium, Stadio Is Arenas has been shut down and the club will play in Trieste. Gaffer Ivo Pulga keeps the chassis of his squad together, with striker Thiago Ribeiro the only real loss. Players like Radja Nainggolan and Davide Astori have been linked to moves to bigger clubs but remain. A boost for the rossoblu if they are to maintain their progress.

One to watch: Davide Astori. A solid centre-half, he’ll be crucial

CATANIA
Last Season 8th

An excellent season for the rossazzurri last season saw the club miss out on European football only because of a poor run-in. Nonetheless the Sicilian club were mightily impressive and it would be a fantastic year for them if Rolando Maran can repeat the same result. Again, Catania have never really won anything of note, but there’s no reason the good work cannot continue and the elefanti start building for European qualification. An incredibly Argentine player heavy roster at the Stadio Angelo Massimino has been augmented by the arrivals of the returning Maxi Lopez and Sunderland target Gino Peruzzi.

One to watch: Sebastian Leto. The new striker must bag some goals if Catania are to succeed.

CHIEVO
Last Season 12th

One of those clubs that seem to be perpetually in Serie A without doing anything of any mention. It seems the target at the start of every season is merely to remain in it. The mussi volanti will be under no illusions that this will be the case again, and they’ll do it too. They’re known for their, ahem, dull style of football and under new coach Giuseppe Sannino, Chievo fans could be forgiven for hoping for better fare; but 12th again will do nicely. No matter how it’s done. Signings at the Stadio Bentegodi include the loan deal of winger Boadu Acosty from Fiorentina and full back Manuel Pamic.

One to watch: Boadu Acosty. It may be that the loanee puts some spark into the Verona based club.

FIORENTINA
Last Season 4th

We come on to one of the more vaunted clubs in the league now with Fiorentina. Expectations are high at Stadio Artemio Franchi and the viola will be hoping another 4th place is achievable, though this may be unlikely with the strengthening done by other clubs. The departure of Stevan Jovetic to Manchester City is a blow but his fee will let the Florence based club strengthen. In his place comes hugely experienced Mario Gomez from Bayern Munich. He’ll be relied upon to fire them to success, he has to frankly. Though they are studded with some big names alongside him, namely Giuseppe Rossi, Adem Ljajic and fellow new signing Joaquin. Striker Rossi desperately needs a good season after a terrible injury ruled him out last season. By and large, coach Vincenzo Montella has a very good squad to call upon and they’ll do well but not as well as 2012/2013.

One to watch: Giuseppe Rossi. A feared marksman, this year is so important

GENOA
Last Season 17th

Last season was one to forget for Genoa fans; a last day, seat of the pants dice with relegation was avoided and they live to fight another season. That will be very much in effect this season too, because fight they will have to. The grifone have appointed a new, untested coach in former Parma and Lazio midfielder Fabio Liverani and their squad hasn’t been especially strengthened over the summer. This, added to the departures of seasoned keeper Sebastian Frey and Italian u21 international Ciro Immobile namely mean the odds could be stacked against them as they bid to survive again. However there is the return of Alberto Gilardino which may mean a goal threat at Ennio Tardini. He will have to call upon his experience if they are to have a sniff at more than a great escape. The rossoblu though may be staring down the trapdoor to Serie B, which will be sad predicament for the 9 time champions.

One to watch: Mattia Perrin. The 20 year old goalkeeper is highly rated and will get his chance.

INTER MILAN
Last Season 9th

It hasn’t been a good time for the blue half of Milan in recent seasons, none more so than last campaign. Their 9th place finish was the worst in nearly 20 years and the club has been in rapid decline since the seemingly other lifetime tenure of Jose Mourinho. Andrea Stramaccioni has been replaced by Walter Mazzarri and with his arrival comes a number of very shrewd signings. Out go long serving Dejan Stankovic and mercurial Antonio Cassano and in their place come the exciting Mauro Icardi from Sampdoria and Saphir Tadir from Bologna. A newer, younger and more vibrant team seems to be the remit of the regime at the San Siro and it would take a brave man not to at least back Inter to improve massively on 9th. However a European finish should be the least expected of the nerazzurri. Though those halcyon days of 2009 are a long way past now, Inter still retain the likes of Esteban Cambiasso, Diego Milito and Javier Zanetti. Their vast experience will be crucial alongside other arrivals, powerful striker Ishak Belfodil and the solid centre back Hugo Campagnaro.

One to watch: Mauro Icardi. A big season awaits the undoubtedly talented attacker.

JUVENTUS
Last Season 1st

The Old Lady of Turin have set the standard in recent years, having done nothing but strengthen since their return to Serie A in 2007; there is a galaxy of talent at the disposal of manager Antonio Conte. Simply put, they’re the best Italy has to offer and are getting better; a title win last season will surely be repeated and with their new Juventus stadium, the Turin based club is more than likely gearing up for an assault on the Champions League now. The bianceroni are well stocked in every department, legendary keeper Gianluigi Buffon is protected by a wealth of top defenders, the likes of Giorgio Chiellini, Leo Bonucci and new arrival Angelo Ogbonna. ‘MVP’ ( Marchisio, Vidal and Pirlo) is still one of the most effective midfield trios in the world, backed up by Paul Pogba. An attack that was already full with Sebastian Giovinco, Alessandro Matri, Mirko Vucinic and Simone Pepe is joined by Fernando Llorente and Carlos Tevez. It truly is a frightening prospect. The team that finishes above Juve will win the title, it’s that simple.

One to watch: Carlos Tevez. After a controversial but prolific number of years in England, Tevez should fill his boots in Italy.

LAZIO
Last Season 7th

It could very well be that one day Rome is finally ready to explode onto the footballing map again after so long without any major success; not this season though. Lazio had a good, solid term last year alongside a European campaign and 7th place was impressive but looking at their squad, it seems another showing of that standard could be hard to repeat. There are some very good players at Stadio Olimpico, the ilk of Miroslav Klose, Hernanes and Antonio Candreva form the base of a solid side; but is it enough? The arrivals of midfielders Lucas Biglia and Felipe Anderson bolster the squad no end however and manager Vladimir Petkovic needs them to settle quickly if the biancocelesti are to enjoy another fruitful year. A 4-0 Super Cup thumping at the hands of Juventus doesn’t bode well though.

One to watch: Antonio Rozzi. The 19 year old striker is being tipped for big things.

LIVORNO
Last Season Promoted from Serie B

It could be argued that Livorno may be a bit of an unknown quantity, that they’ll be able to surprise a lot of teams or they came up with a swashbuckling team. This isn’t the case though; Livorno scraped into Serie A through the play-offs last season and ultimately their squad doesn’t seem to cut muster at this level. What’s noticeable straight away is the dearth of top flight experience at the Armando Picchi, it’s hard to pinpoint who Livorno can hang their hat on to help dig them out of the probable struggle they’ll face against much classier opposition. Manager Davide Nicola does have a willing squad but they’ll have to play out of their skins to avoid a quick return to Serie B. Signings seem to have been conducted through the loan market, these include Francesco Bardi and Marco Benassi from Inter and Cristiano Picchi from Fiorentina. Their development will be key to the amaranto, alongside any goals from last season’s top scorer Paulinho Betanin, though it’s going to be a season of hurt.

One to watch: Francesco Bardi. The keeper had a fantastic U21 European Championships in the summer. A real talent. He’ll flourish, he has to!

MILAN
Last Season 3rd

Should the unlikely happen and Juventus not retain their title, it’s a good bet that A.C. Milan will have been one of two to wrestle it off of them. Let’s start off by waxing lyrical about their forward line. It’s hugely impressive. The brilliant but infuriating Mario Balotelli is joined by quickly emerging Stephan El-Shaarawy, exciting M’Baye Niang and of course, Robinho. Yes, Robinho is still at the San Siro. If they click, Milan can be a force to be reckoned with. If they don’t, Milan will be fighting for dear life for a Champions League berth. It really is that plain. A shocking start to last season had boss Max Allegri clinging on to his job; Balotelli’s arrival though galvanised the side just in time for a tilt. His influence and talent cannot be underestimated, he is the key to this rossoneri outfit. There is a noticeably fresher look to proceedings nowadays, Mattia De Sciglio is a promising defender and they’ve added to the young Italian theme with the capture of Andrea Poli from Sampdoria. It is a setup that could reap rewards as the team gels together in time. Starting with this season.

One to watch: Mattia De Sciglio. Heir apparent to the great Paolo Maldini? Perhaps. This is a massive year for him.

NAPOLI
Last Season 2nd

There will never be a better chance for Napoli to stamp their mark on the league. The Naples side have for a number of seasons now boasted a strong team and real progress year on year. The multi-million departures of Edinson Cavani and Ezequiel Lavezzi to PSG in recent years are a big loss, but in their place has arrived a stable of players that would have most managers salivating and hopeful ahead of their forthcoming battles. The signings of Pepe Reina, Raul Albiol, Dries Mertens and Jose Callejon would have been enough to mount a serious challenge on Juventus. It would have been enough to make azzurri fans get over the loss of the aforementioned pair of forwards. Then you remember they also signed Gonzalo Higuain. The Argentine international is an incredible coup and propels Napoli into real contention for their first title since 1990. New manager Rafa Benitez has a history of getting sides to mix it with anybody at the business end of the season. This will most likely be the case at Stadio San Paolo as well, as his signings gel with an already vibrant set of players such as Marek Hamsik, Gokhan Inler and returning starlet Lorenzo Insigne. Like Milan, they could capitalise on any Juve slip-up.

One to watch: Gonzalo Higuain. A fantastic record at Real Madrid seems to suggest he’ll plunder goals in Serie A.

PARMA
Last season 10th 

After a long spell out of the limelight, certainly since their glory days of the 90s; this could be the season where Parma attach the clichéd ‘dark-horse’ tag to themselves. Roberto Donadoni has overseen 2 season of sustained progess and a 10th place finish last time out seems to suggest they’re not far off a whiff of European football. Interestingly, it is also a centenary year for the club, expectations are running high at the Ennio Tardini. How then have the club addressed this? Antonio Cassano, that’s how. The arrival on loan of the fiery but uber-talented forward should mean celebrations go off with a bang in 2013/14. His arrival alongside Mattia Cassani enhances a squad that includes the likes of Daniele Galloppa, Amauri, Jonathan Biabiany and the impressive Nicola Sansone. The crociati are well stocked and vibrant. This may be a season too early for a top 5 assault, their fans will be happy for another year of progress though.

One to watch: Antonio Cassano. Always good value and a player who can turn a game, or a season, on its head.

ROMA
Last Season 6th

It’s Day One at Stadio Olimpico. Again. Finally though, will this era under new manager Rudi Garcia be the one to spark a period of success? Well, so far, so…ok. Their business in the transfer market has the smell of hit and miss about it, the arrival of Kevin Strootman from PSV promises much and plenty of steel granted. Joining the Dutch international at the giallorossi are Maicon, Medhi Benatia, Morgan de Sanctis and Gervinho. Maicon and Gervinho, simply put, flopped in England. They’ll need to markedly improve if they’re to have an impact and help Roma burst into the top 5. They replace players of the calibre of defender Marquinhos, a huge money sale to PSG and Pablo Osvaldo, the talented but spiky forward. What Garcia does have at his disposal is a wealth of talent. The evergreen Daniele de Rossi and legend Francesco Totti are still key figures, whilst Miralem Pjanic is a top player along with starlet Erik Lamela. There are also a raft of young players, notably Alessandro Florenzi and Mattia Destro. All in, Roma have the nucleus of a good team. They’ll beat plenty of sides, however the umpteenth new dawn may count against them as Garcia attempts to mesh it all together.

One to watch: Erik Lamela. It won’t be long before the dazzling young forward is snapped up.

SAMPDORIA
Last Season 14th

The Genoa based club are another case of a club who can look proudly back on their achievements of the 90s but ultimately haven’t done anything for a long time. Unfortunately, this may prove to be another season for the blucerchiati where that will continue. Sampdoria do have talent, just not enough of it and some of that has been stripped away this summer by the departures of Mauro Icardi and Andrea Poli to the Milan clubs. Manager Delio Rossi has managed to acquire the services of the fast-improving Manolo Gabbiadini to complement an attack that includes Eder up front. However the key to any success, which may be remaining in Serie A for this team, is in centre midfield where captain Angelo Palombo can dovetail with the young, powerful and impressive Pedro Obiang. Their partnership is crucial and they must help the Ennio Tardini based side get control of games. If they don’t, Sampdoria could be sucked into a relegation battle, though there will be many who believe they will finish mid-table if they do.

One to watch: Pedro Obiang. Again, like Lamela, another good season will ensure this excellent midfielder will be snapped up.

SASSUOLO
Last Season Promoted from Serie B

It’s Sassuolo’s inaugural season in Serie A. They can’t play in their own stadium as it’s too small for the top-flight and little is known about them. However they won Serie B and have certainly earned the right to compete against the big-boys of Italian football. One thing is for sure, manager Euesebio Di Francesco has managed to add top level experience to the squad, in marked contrast to Livorno. This could well be the difference to whether they survive or not. Arriving at I neroverdi are defenders Francesco Acerbi and Jonathan Rossini to bolster the backline and Simone Zaza, a most impressive signing who scored 18 Serie B goals last season. A loan deal for Reto Ziegler also adds nous. It’s going to be tough, Sassuolo will do well indeed to stay up, but they have a chance if they can get a bit of luck and give more established teams a bloody nose.

One to watch: Simone Zaza. It’ll be interesting to see how the young striker deals with expectation.

TORINO
Last Season 16th

It’s no secret that Torino live in the shadow of their more illustrious neighbours Juventus. Though an extremely proud club with 7 titles, their sole aim for a long time has been just to earn the right to compete in Serie A on an annual basis. Last season was successful purely for that, a 16th place finish enough to see another campaign at the top table. This one though may be one too many, Torino have lost international defender Angelo Ogbonna to Juve and Rolando Bianchi to Bologna, both could be classed as big losses, especially for a relegation battle. In their place come experienced defenders Emiliano Morretti and Cesare Bovo, two arrivals that will at least solidify the backline. An interesting addition is Ciro Immobile, the talented young striker needs a big season and indeed the weight of expectation on his shoulders may be the making of him. The jewel in the crown though for il toro though is undoubtedly Alessio Cerci. The international winger will be crucial to their chances of survival and will be hugely relied upon by boss Giampiero Ventura.

One to watch: Ciro Immobile. This is a huge season for the striker to unleash his potential.

UDINESE
Last Season 5th

The zebrette continue to defy all the odds by qualifying for European football and generally being amongst teams much bigger than them at the end of the season time after time. One peek at the squad sees unheralded players with the obvious standout being goal machine Antonio Di Natale, last season’s 2nd top scorer. Of course, there is also the fact that Udinese now seem to send out large chunks of their squad to Granada and Watford; the three are owned by the same people. Players like Joel Ekstrand and Almen Abdi are now at Watford permanently. All in all, it should be another successful season under Francesco Guidolin, Di Natale will be expected to find the net with the same regularity as he’s accustomed to. If he doesn’t, Udinese won’t get a sniff of the top 6 however. The only possible downside may be that an exhausting European campaign running alongside their home ties could sap the energy quickly. Though they’ve done it before.

One to watch: Antonio Di Natale. It had to be, the striker is the main man at Stadio Friuli.

VERONA
Last Season Promoted from Serie B

It’s been a long time, but Verona are back. Hellas Verona. It’s an exciting time for the city with 2 top flight clubs and Hellas perhaps look the best placed of the 3 promoted clubs to stay up. Some extremely astute signings have fans of the gialloblu licking their lips in anticipation for the upcoming campaign. Coming into the squad under boss Andrea Mandorlini are veteran striker Luca Toni, a quality signing and one who will be expected to weigh in with goals; solid midfielder Massimo Donati and talented keeper Nikolay Mihaylov. The loan deals of Samuele Longo from Inter and Ezequiel Cirigliano also strengthen the squad as welcome additions. Like the other promoted sides, they  will struggle and it will be very tough, many wouldn’t be overly surprised if they returned to Serie B. However, don’t be surprised also to see a good strong campaign.

One to watch: Luca Toni. The big man will be the main outlet.

Editor’s note: For viewers in the United States, the coverage of the 2013/14 Serie A season is on beIN SPORT. Coverage of Verona-Milan begins at 11:30am ET Saturday on beIN SPORT.

It’s very likely that Southampton supporters are walking around this week with broad grins on their faces after an extremely promising weekend with the record signing of £15million striker Pablo Osvaldo following hot on the heels of an opening day away win over West Bromwich Albion. The Italian international was confirmed as having agreed a 4 year contract on Sunday evening and was introduced to the media on Monday afternoon. The talented ex-Roma forward is an extremely exciting acquisition and joins a rapidly improving and seriously impressive Saints squad. His arrival, alongside powerful midfielder Victor Wanyama and defender Dejan Lovren has tongues wagging and many may now ask the question of whether Southampton can really look to dine at the top table of English football in pushing bigger sides for a European spot.

It may be unlikely this season perhaps, but look closely and the club is ready for a tilt sooner rather than later and it could be argued that it would be richly deserved for Southampton fans after so long in the wilderness. It’s been a remarkable time for them and not always for good reasons. There haven’t been many situations or instances in English football that have been quite as up-and-down or well-documented as they have at the south coast club.

A mainstay in the top-flight during the 90s, though more often than not seemingly fighting relegation, they managed to cement a solid, if generally unspectacular, reputation as they typically gave much bigger sides a bloody nose at The Dell, their somewhat rustic home before they moved to shiny St Mary’s in 2001. Through the struggles though the mercurial likes of Egil Ostenstad, Marian Pahars, Eyal Berkovic and, of course, local legend Matt Le Tissier, time and again produced moments of magic that always did just about enough to fire Southampton away from danger and ensure another season in the top flight. Indeed, as the millennium dawned, Southampton even began to improve on this under then manager Gordon Strachan, an FA Cup final was studded amongst seasons of relative stability and mid-table finishes.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t to last and finally in 2005, under the short-lived and controversial tenure of Harry Redknapp, the club; an original founding member of the league back in 1992, was relegated for the first time in its era. What was to follow however was to essentially cripple the proud club, four seasons of Championship football were played out to a backdrop of boardroom struggles, constant managerial changes and mounting financial problems, which culminated in a further drop down to League One after the club were deducted ten points in 2009 for going into administration. These problems even went so far as the club having to be bailed out by a Le Tissier backed consortium in order for staff to be paid. It wasn’t until the club was bought by the late Markus Liebherr and run by Nicola Cortese did things get better with successive promotions under the guidance of then manager Nigel Adkins.

The situation the club finds themselves in now is a far cry from that turmoil, a genuinely talented squad with an intriguing blend of home-grown players such as captain Adam Lallana, loyal bedrocks like Morgan Schneiderlin and Rickie Lambert and exciting flair players the likes of Osvaldo and Gaston Ramirez is a mouth-watering prospect. When you weigh this up with the fact current manager Mauricio Pochettino has at his disposal arguably the best and most prolific academy in Britain that has produced a veritable who’s who of talent including Gareth Bale, Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Lallana; it certainly seems the situation is very rosy indeed. The emergence of James Ward-Prowse and the brilliant Luke Shaw merely strengthens this opinion.

Under the stewardship of Cortese, there have been controversies; namely the sacking of Adkins last season, but football fans looking on can only see a club led by him that is having real investment pumped into it both on and off the pitch. It is a club with a very clear vision and is developing an exciting brand of football that looks set to continue reaping rewards with its philosophy of mixing talented academy products and exciting established stars. Will that reward be mixing it with names on the continent one day soon? One thing is crystal clear, Southampton fans have never had it so good and the club has everything in place to emerge as a serious contender.

There can’t be many British die-hard fans who don’t fondly recall the halcyon days of 90’s Italian football. Gazzetta Football Italia, hosted by the always affable James Richardson and legendary Kenneth Wolstenholme, would dominate early Saturdays and drowsy Sundays as Serie A, with its brand of tactical superiority over the pre-money soaked Premiership and exotic names were piped into living-rooms across the country.

From Batistuta, Ravanelli and Baggio to Thuram, Zidane and Bokšić, there is no doubt that it was the league to watch. If an English side drew Juventus or A.C. Milan in the Champions League knock-out stage? Forget it. The English clubs had little to no chance of progressing. The behemoths seemed to have a monopoly on, at least, the final stages of the tournament. In fact, Manchester United’s heroic 1999 victory over Bayern Munich was the first final for seven years that an Italian side didn’t compete in (including its previous iteration as the European Cup), with Milan and Juventus each enjoying an astonishing three consecutive appearances in the final in the 90s – albeit with only one win apiece. This, coupled with a determination by the likes of Inter Milan and a very powerful Parma side amongst others to also keep the then UEFA Cup on Italian soil. Amazingly only one final in the entire decade was not contested by an Italian club, which proves the point that it really was the elite league in European football.

There seemed to be no suggestion however that this stranglehold was about to end. The new millennium ushered in a national team appearance in the final at Euro 2000, and clubs were strengthening their squads even further with expensive signings. The likes of Hernán Crespo and Christian Vieri seemed to hop across clubs in world record transfers almost at whim; Gianluigi Buffon set the record for most expensive keeper by some distance when he joined Juventus for £32million; Lazio signed players in pricey deals and loaned them back out immediately whilst Roma would try to cement their emergence as a genuine title contender by signing the likes of a young Antonio Cassano from Bari for £25 million. In all, Serie A had maneuvered itself into a position where not only were many of the world’s top players plying their trade on the peninsula, but they were making up the roster of six or seven clubs all with aspirations to challenge for the Scudetto. Everything seemed so rosy.

However, in true Nero fashion, the clubs played whilst Rome burned.

The first warning sign that all wasn’t well was in 2002 when the situation at Sergio Cragnotti-owned Lazio began to worsen. Years of huge spending on the likes of Juan Sebastián Verón, Marcelo Salas and Vieri in the hunt for a title tilt had crippled the club to the point where Cragnotti had to relinquish control and the proud capital club had to sell off its star players, most notably crown jewel Alessandro Nesta. However this was merely the prelude to what was about to come. In 2006, the Calciopoli scandal sent shockwaves through world soccer. Match-rigging through the selection of favorable referees was found to be rife and ultimately conducted by Italian football’s biggest names. Juventus were stripped of their 2005/6 title and relegated to Serie B. The once mighty Old Lady of Turin were joined in their punishment by A.C. Milan who were also deducted points. Italian football reeled as a mass exodus of stars left, leaving an undoubtedly weaker league.

A lean spell was to follow, though there were a couple of Champions League final appearances for the Milan clubs – notably the brilliant treble-winning José Mourinho led Inter side of 2009. But Italian outfits had nowhere near the impact in Europe they once did; a fact starkly backed up by not one Italian side in a Europa League final in the 2000s. A stagnating Serie A played out to dwindling crowds in decaying stadiums; dominated by Inter Milan for the most part, and was left in the shadow by the might of the English Premier League and the emergence of a Barcelona led La Liga. Of course, this also led to a drain of talent, the most coveted players on the planet didn’t go to Italy; they didn’t want to and neither could anybody afford them. The cash rich Premier League, the purist’s choice La Liga and even the Russian Premier League seemed more able to cream off the best talent on offer and as such, Serie A trailed behind.

However, it seems this trend is changing. Players are coming back to Italy. Carlos Tévez, Fernando Llorente and Mario Balotelli, to name but three, are the calibre and reputation of players that Serie A seems to have lacked in recent years and, crucially, have been lured from England and Spain to Juve and Milan respectively. Interestingly though, the most telling business seems to have been done by Napoli. Now, nobody would argue that Napoli aren’t a very good side; players like Ezequiel Lavezzi, Marek Hamšík and Edinson Cavani in recent seasons have catapulted them back into the elite in Italy, but they’re not a Milan club. They’re not a Juventus. A solitary Coppa Italia in 2011/12 is the only silverware recently won by the Naples based club and certainly since a Maradona inspired era in the 80s. Indeed they themselves had their own disaster to deal with in 2004 when they were declared bankrupt, re-founded and placed in Serie C1. However, due to the funds raised by the sale of Cavani and the arrival of Rafa Benitez; they too have made serious moves. A loan deal for Pepe Reina and the signing of Raúl Albiol are mightily impressive and serve to show just how deeper the strength in depth of Serie A is now.

The same hallmarks of the 90s are being repeated. Excellent, international players at the height of their careers joining not just one or two different teams, but five or six. For Napoli now, read Parma in 98/99. If any more proof of this was needed, one only needs to look at their signing of Gonzalo Higuaín. The lethal Argentine international striker is a brilliant player, 107 goals in 190 league games for Real Madrid is a tremendous return, and he would grace any side on the planet; indeed the likes of Arsenal and Juventus were credited with strong interest. It is hard not to believe however that every top club at least considered him and for Napoli to finalize a deal is a superb coup, regardless of Arsenal’s seemingly reluctant stance. This, in time though, may prove to be more of a coup for Italian football. Napoli have set the bar, they will challenge for the title, they will get better, and so must everybody else in Italy. Serie A is back.

The 2013-14 Serie A season kicks off on August 24. For viewers in the United States, many of the matches will be shown live on beIN SPORT.

There is little doubt that since Paolo Di Canio took over the helm at Sunderland in March, an optimistic wind has blown in over the Wearside club; and not the usual cautious optimism so often used to describe most managerial changes either. The fiery and charismatic Italian seems to have affected a shift in the attitude and outlook of everybody associated with the club, not least with the fans and certainly with the media – who have fervently pursued any anecdote, controversy or scrap of news about The Black Cats and their boss with the same zeal usually reserved for their neighbors down the road, fierce rivals Newcastle United.

The already well-documented unpredictability of his playing career seems to have transferred into his relatively short managerial life already and could be just what Sunderland require to continue a kick-start away from a long period of stagnation. A hugely impressive tenure at Swindon Town in League 2, where he cut his teeth, led them to promotion in his first season, followed by a competitive first half of the campaign in League 1. However, this success was not without its clashes and quarrels; high-profile spats with striker Leon Clarke and keeper Wes Foderingham were the first warnings that Di Canio was not a man to be crossed, even in the infancy of his time as a boss. This culminated in a run-in with his board at the County Ground though when he took exception to them making no transfer funds available (despite an offer by him to personally pay for loan signings) and selling winger Matt Ritchie to Bournemouth. Di Canio ultimately resigned shortly after in January, cementing his reputation as a firebrand, not willing to accept anything less than absolute support from everybody associated with him.

This was not to go unnoticed. When owner and chairman Ellis Short brokered a deal to bring Di Canio to the Stadium of Light, Sunderland were perilously close to the drop and firmly entrenched in a relegation dog-fight. He had inherited an unfit and demoralized squad that looked to be heading to the Championship under previous incumbent Martin O’Neill. Immediately, reports surfaced of double training sessions and a more hard-line approach; whilst stricter disciplinary procedures toward members of the squad, notably Phil Bardsley, caught in a casino late at night and public criticism of the likes of Connor Wickham became early trademarks as Di Canio attempted to arrest the slide through the trapdoor. It worked. Sunderland preserved their Premier League status, via an historic 3-0 Tyne Wear away derby win over Newcastle at St James’ Park and set about an overhaul of their playing staff.

The close season transfer dealings began in earnest with Rome-born Di Canio releasing a number of players, not least Titus Bramble and Matt Kilgallon, in an attempt to clear the decks; this was followed by the sale of the outstanding Simon Mignolet to Liverpool and Egyptian international Ahmed Elmohamady to Hull City. In their place, a veritable who’s who of largely unknown players have arrived alongside one or two more familiar faces. Joining former Hull City and current USA international striker Jozy Altidore from AZ Alkmaar and ex-Arsenal keeper Vito Mannone include midfielder Cabral from Basel and French defenders Modibo Diakité from Lazio and Valentin Roberge from Maritimo; whilst youngsters David Moberg Karlsson and El-Hadji Ba bring a fresher approach to what many would agree was an under-achieving squad. This is only going to be further enhanced by the imminent arrival of Italian international Emanuele Giaccherini from Juventus, an excellent signing that will bolster the squad significantly.

All of this would seem to point to a brighter future and a good 2013/14 season, a new dawn under a vibrant, passionate manager overseeing a younger, hungrier and more streamlined squad that is going to have an element of surprise is in stark contrast to what has often looked like a tired, stale and ill-disciplined outfit that looked goal-shy and out of ideas. Players like Adam Johnson and Steven Fletcher have the opportunity of a new lease of life playing under Di Canio and with players like Altidore and Giaccherini, surely things are looking very promising indeed?

However, former chairman and Sunderland legend Niall Quinn recently was quoted as saying,

“It’s going to be tough. He’s got a lot of players with very little experience in the Premier League and I think it might be tough for him.”

There is of course a chance Sunderland could struggle again, players need to gel and other clubs will also have strengthened by the time the season kicks off. With the man in charge however, nobody is in any doubt of what is required, it certainly won’t be dull and there is every chance of Sunderland being dark horses for a shock UEFA Europa League qualification. The jury is out.

With Aston Villa potentially possessing an array of solid options up-front for the forthcoming season in the shape of a possible big money replacement for last season’s top-scorer Christian Benteke (if and when he leaves the club) and the emerging Andi Weimann, not to mention local lad Gabby Agbonlahor and recent arrival of giant Dane Nicklas Helenius from AaB, it goes without saying that Darren Bent’s mixed time at Villa Park will soon be coming to an end.

But should it?

It’s clear that Bent’s stay has certainly had its ups and downs. After arriving from Sunderland in January 2011 with a huge transfer fee of an initial £18 million, he set about the task at hand of boosting an exciting Villa side, but one reeling from the departure of Martin O’Neill before the season even started and the health problems of Gerard Houllier, up the table and into Europe. A return of 9 goals that season (on top of another 8 for Sunderland) was ultimately not enough as Villa finished 9th. However his ability to crop up with important goals that season and again in the miserable Alex McLeish year where Villa sank to a miserable 16th; when he scored a further 9 in 22 games showed that he was a vital component of an ultimately poor squad.

Alas for Bent, Paul Lambert arrived at Aston Villa with a new mandate from owner Randy Lerner to both curb spending and to slash the average age of the squad. That meant Bent simply didn’t fit; at least not long after he was made club-captain by Lambert initially. This, coupled with the scintillating form of the powerful and mobile Belgian international Benteke in his debut year, left him kicking his heels for large portions of the campaign.

Fast-forward recently and it seems the former Ipswich, Charlton and Spurs striker is now the subject of very strong interest from Newcastle United who desperately need to find a partner up front for Papiss Cisse. A fee of between £5-8 million has been mooted, and the news that he has been effectively cut from pre-season training is a clear sign that pastures new seems the most logical and probably best course of action for the 29-year old marksman.

With the perhaps-not-so crashing revelation that Benteke wants out of Villa Park to secure a place in Belgium’s inevitable World Cup campaign now common knowledge, is there not still a place for Bent?

Bent seems to polarize opinion, but the facts are stark. He scores goals and always has. Something Villa are desperately going to need with a very young squad and as it looks, post-Benteke. Agbonlahor, as experienced as he is has never been a “goal-getter,” cannot be relied upon solely to shoulder the burden whilst Weimann and Helenius are still raw and relatively untested. As admirable and good a job as he is doing by blending together an extremely talented and hungry group of players, including the brilliant and improving Matthew Lowton and Ashley Westwood,  Paul Lambert could do with holding fire and evaluating whether an undoubtedly prolific English goalscorer on the books is going to be an asset to a side who are likely to struggle again at times at the back and ultimately, still finding their feet