The Premiership: Football - CATCH US IF YOU CAN; Leeds the big threat

Ryan Giggs Interview: PAUL SMITH

SIR Alex Ferguson's last season brings its own pressure, not least on the players under him who want to ensure he has the best possible send-off.

While the search for his successor dominates the back pages of newspapers, there is still a feeling of disbelief among the United players that he will retire at the end of this campaign.

While our rivals accept that Alex's departure is imminent, it still hasn't sunk in among the players who expect him, at any moment, to announce it's all been a massive wind-up designed to lull our rivals into a false sense of future security.

As ever the activity in the transfer market over the summer has been frantic as clubs chase the Holy Grail of domestic football - the Premiership title.

Not least at Old Trafford, where we have spent almost pounds 50million recruiting two players we hope will strengthen our bid for widespread glory this season.

Ruud van Nistelrooy is going to score goals all day long, he is pretty much the complete striker who has so many attributes to his game.

When you consider we already had a pretty awesome front line, I can only assume his addition must have sent a worrying message to our rivals.

Then, at a time when it seemed we had exhausted attempts to recruit new players, the club paid a record fee to bring Juan Sebastian Veron to Old Trafford.

Believe me, the Argentine is a phenomenal player. There is an arrogance about Veron's play which reminds me a bit of David Beckham.

While they are both modest men and rarely like to talk up their own ability, Veron, like Beckham, knows he's a great player.

His confidence on the ball is frightening and I feel his addition to the squad, along with that of Van Nistelrooy, will make us even harder to beat this season.

Not surprisingly, two of the chasing pack have been on spending sprees they hope will strengthen their bid for honours this season. I remain of the opinion that only five sides can win the title.

Chelsea, among the five, appear to have spent well with the emphasis on strengthening the midfield with the arrival of Frank Lampard, Emmanuel Petit and Boudewijn Zenden.

Arsenal, too, have been busy in the transfer market securing key players like Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Sol Campbell and the promising Francis Jeffers.

While Liverpool and Leeds have been conspicuous by their absence in the transfer market, their attempts to mount a successful title bid will be nonetheless defiant.

Of the four teams attempting to close in on us, I believe Leeds are the main threat. There is no question their Champions League campaign hampered their progress in the league last season - this time they will be a different proposition.

David O'Leary's side have an abundance of talent and energy. The key to success could well be the return of Harry Kewell, who was sorely missed last season.

Like Manchester United they are a very attacking side. They don't take prisoners, they are patient and clinically pick off the opposition.

Last season they were very consistent away from home and, perhaps surprisingly, their form at Elland Road undermined their campaign.

Everyone expects Arsenal and Chelsea to be there or thereabouts but the one team who will be under immense pressure is Liverpool.

It's one thing to win three trophies in a season, another to live up to the expectations that success brings.

The supporters on Merseyside will not so much expect them to mount a successful campaign for the title, they will expect it.

There is no doubt that Gerard Houllier has a very capable squad, but only in the fullness of time will he discover if his side can live with the obvious pressure success brings.

It's no secret that Manchester United took time to find sustained success and, while there are similarities between Liverpool and Leeds in the respect that they haven't felt the need to buy into a title campaign, the pressure to succeed has never been greater in the modern game.

I find that the expectations levelled at our players have now reached the point where it goes over our heads.

Having lived with it for so long and having lived with a demanding public and high expectations of a manager who expects success, you learn to live with it.

Talking of success, it has not been lost on any of us that the last time we won the Charity Shield we lost the title.

That's not to say we're superstitious, but if Liverpool do beat us at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff today, don't read too much into it.

Of course, in recent weeks we at United have afforded ourselves the odd laugh or two. We're all wondering who will come up with the best excuse to explain their side's indifferent form in the title race - and needless to say Arsenal's Arsene Wenger has fared very well.

The irony of a Hampden Park Champions League Final has not been lost on the players either. Perhaps that's why I feel there is a growing emphasis on a successful European campaign.

Alex Ferguson has admitted his ultimate dream would be to bring down the curtain on his managerial season with victory in his homeland.

But of course talk of his successor continues to dominate the thoughts of others.

I would be a liar if I said we haven't talked about it. When names have been mentioned we have evaluated their credentials and of course pondered whether we would be part of their plans.

I have to say while many feel it's a thankless appointment after the unprecedented success Alex Ferguson has enjoyed, whoever is offered the job to succeed him will find it impossible to turn down.

It would be wrong of me to single out individuals, bearing in mind the list of suitable candidates grows by the day and will continue to do so until the appointment is made.

At the same time it doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out that only the best managers with a sustained level of consistent success will be considered. That does narrow the field down somewhat.

Signing off, I anticipate a long hard and hopefully successful campaign.

As the Premiership reaches new heights of excellence, fans up and down the country must be holding their breath in anticipation of excitement, glory and drama as the season unfolds.

YOU can watch Ryan Giggs in the UEFA Champions League with ITV Digital.

ARSENAL

IN: Francis Jeffers (Everton) pounds 8m, Giovanni van Bronckhorst (Rangers) pounds 8m, Richard Wright (Ipswich) pounds 6m, Junichi Inamoto (Gamba Osaka) pounds 4m, Sol Campbell (Tottenham) free.

OUT: Alex Manninger (Fiorentina) loan, Alberto Mendez (Racing Club Ferrol) loan, Stefan Malz (Kaiserslautern) pounds 500,000, Guy Demel (Borussia Dortmund) pounds 195,000, Nelson Vivas (Inter Milan) free, David Grondin (Beveren) loan, David Noble (Watford) loan, Tomas Danilevicius (Beveren) loan.

KEY PLAYER: Patrick Vieira

Title odds: 9-2 Relegation: 1,000-1

ASTON VILLA

IN: Olof Mellberg (Racing Santander) pounds 5m, Mustapha Hadji (Coventry) exchange, Hassan Kachloul (Southampton) free, Peter Schmeichel (Sporting Lisbon) free, Giovanni Sperenza (Eintracht Frankfurt) free.

OUT: Gareth Southgate (Middlesbrough) pounds 6.5m, David James (West Ham) pounds 3.5m, Julian Joachim (Coventry) exchange, Neil Cutler (Stoke) free, Neil Tarrant

(Motherwell) loan.

KEY PLAYER: Peter Schmeichel

Title odds:

80-1

Relegation:

9-1

BLACKBURN

IN: Corrado Grabbi (Ternana) pounds 6.75m, Alan Mahon (Sporting Lisbon) pounds 1.5m, Tugay Kerimoglu (Glasgow Rangers) pounds 1.3m, Gordon Greer (Clyde) pounds 200,000.

OUT: Michael Bingham (Mansfield) free, Lee Hardy (Oldham) free.

KEY PLAYER: Matt Jansen

Title odds: 125-1

Relegation: 5-1

BOLTON

IN: Henrik Pedersen (Silkeborg) pounds 650,000, Jeff Smith (Bishop Auckland) pounds 15,000, Nicky Southall (Gillingham) free, Djibril Diawara (Torino) loan, Akinori Nishizawa (Cerezo Osako) loan.

OUT: Matthew Glennon (Hull) pounds 50,000, John O'Kane (Blackpool) free, Robbie Elliott (Newcastle) free.

KEY PLAYER: Dean Holdsworth

Title odds: 1,500-1

Relegation: 8-15

CHARLTON

IN: Jason Euell (Wimbledon) pounds 4.75m, Luke Young (Tottenham) pounds 4m, Shaun Bartlett (FC Zurich) pounds 2m, Gavin Peacock (QPR) loan.

OUT: Anthony Allman (Colchester) free, Kemal Izzet (Colchester) free.

KEY PLAYER: Jonatan Johansson

Title odds: 300-1

Relegation: 3-1

CHELSEA

IN: Frank Lampard (West Ham) pounds 11m, Emmanuel Petit (Barcelona) pounds 7.5m, Boudewijn Zenden (Barcelona) pounds 7.5m, William Gallas (Marseille) pounds 6.2m.

OUT:

Jon Harley (Fulham) pounds 3.5m, Dennis Wise (Leicester) pounds 1.6m, Gustavo Poyet (Tottenham) pounds 1.5m, Frank Leboeuf (Marseille) pounds 1.2m, Bernard Lambourde (Bastia) pounds 300,000, Stuart Reddington (Mansfield) pounds 20,000, Courtney Pitt (Portsmouth) free, Stephen Broad (Southend) free, Sam Parkin (Northampton) loan, Robert Wolleaston (Northampton) loan, Warren Cummings (West Brom) loan, Neil Barrett (Portsmouth) free.

KEY PLAYER:

Emmanuel Petit

Title odds: 10-1

Relegation: 66-1

DERBY

IN: Fabrizio Ravanelli (Lazio) free.

OUT:Rory Delap (Southampton) pounds 4m.

Key player: Fabrizio Ravanelli

Title odds: 1,000-1

Relegation: 6-5

EVERTON

IN: Tomasz Radzinski (Anderlecht) pounds 4.5m, Alan Stubbs (Celtic) free.

OUT: Francis Jeffers (Arsenal) pounds 8m, Phil Jevons (Grimsby) pounds 150,000, Stephen Hughes (Watford) free, Sean Doherty (Fulham) undisclosed, Peter Degn (Brondby) free, Richard Gough (released).

KEY PLAYER: Kevin Campbell

Title odds: 500-1

Relegation: 2-1

FULHAM

IN: Edwin van der Sar (Juventus) pounds 7m, Steed Malbranque (Lyon) pounds 4.5m, Jon Harley (Chelsea) pounds 3.5m, Abdeslam Ouaddou (Nancy) pounds 2m, Luis Boa Morte (Southampton) pounds 1.7m, Sean Doherty (Everton) undisclosed.

OUT: Paul Peschisolido (Sheffield United) pounds 150,000, Simon Morgan (Brighton) free, Wayne Collins (Crewe) free, Terry Phelan (Sheffield United) loan.

KEY PLAYER:

Edwin van der Sar

Title odds: 66-1

Relegation: 9-1

IPSWICH

IN: Tommy Miller (Hartlepool) pounds 800,000, Chris Hogg (York) pounds 150,000, Pablo Counago (Celta Vigo) free, Andy Marshall (Norwich) free.

OUT: Richard Wright (Arsenal) pounds 6m, Jamie Scowcroft (Leicester) pounds 3m.

KEY PLAYER: Marcus Stewart

Title odds: 125-1

Relegation: 5-1

LEEDS

IN: Robbie Keane (Inter Milan) pounds 12m.

OUT: Tony Hackworth (Notts County) pounds 120,000, Warren Feeney (Bournemouth) free, Kevin Dixon (Barnsley) free.

KEY PLAYER:

Harry Kewell

Title odds: 8-1

Relegation: 200-1

LEICESTER

IN: Jamie Scowcroft (Ipswich) pounds 3m, Ian Walker (Tottenham) pounds 2.5m, Dennis Wise (Chelsea) pounds 1.6m.

OUT: Steve Guppy (Celtic) pounds 700,000, Richard Cresswell (Preston) pounds 500,000, Lawrie Dudfield (Hull) pounds 250,000, Stuart Campbell (Grimsby) pounds 200,000.

KEY PLAYER: Dennis Wise

Title odds: 750-1 Relegation: 13-8

LIVERPOOL

IN: John Arne Riise (Monaco) pounds 4.6m.

OUT: Christian Ziege (Tottenham) pounds 4m, Ian Armstrong (Port Vale) free, Leyton Maxwell (Cardiff) free.

KEY PLAYER: Steven Gerrard

Title odds: 9-2 Relegation: 1,000-1

MAN UTD

IN: Juan Sebastian Veron (Lazio) pounds 28.1m, Ruud van Nistelrooy (PSV Eindhoven) pounds 19m, Roy Carroll (Wigan) pounds 2.5m.

OUT: Jonathan Greening (Middlesbrough) pounds 2m, Mark Wilson (Middlesbrough) pounds 1.5m, Teddy Sheringham (Tottenham) free, Marc Whiteman (Bury) free, Rhodri Jones (Rotherham) free, Ashley Dodd (Port Vale) free, Michael Rose (Chester) free, Stephen Cosgrove (Motherwell) free, Josh Walker (Shrewsbury) free.

KEY PLAYER: David Beckham

Title odds: 8-11

Relegation: 1,500-1

MIDDLESBRO

IN: Gareth Southgate (Aston Villa) pounds 6.5m, Jonathan Greening (Manchester United) pounds 2m, Mark Wilson (Manchester United) pounds 1.5m, Szilard Nemeth (Inter Bratislava) free, Chris Bennion (unattached) free.

OUT: Keith O'Neill (Coventry) pounds 1m, Christian Karembeu (Olympiakos) pounds 2m, Neil Maddison (Darlington) free.

KEY PLAYER: Gareth Southgate

Title odds: 300-1

Relegation: 3-1

NEWCASTLE

IN: Laurent Robert (Paris St Germain) pounds 9.5m, Craig Bellamy (Coventry) pounds 6.5m, Robbie Elliott (Bolton) free.

OUT: Stephen Glass (Watford) free, Des Hamilton (Cardiff) free, Garry Brady (Portsmouth) free, Kevin Gallacher (released).

KEY PLAYER: Alan Shearer

Title odds: 80-1

Relegation: 9-1

SOUTHAMPTON

IN: Rory Delap (Derby) pounds 4m, Anders Svensson (Elfsborg) pounds 500,000, Jacinto Ela Eyene (Espanol) free, Paul Murray (QPR) free.

OUT: Luis Boa Morte (Fulham) pounds 1.7m, Hassan Kachloul (Aston Villa) free, Phil Warner (Cambridge) free.

KEY PLAYER: James Beattie

Title odds: 500-1

Relegation: 2-1

SUNDERLAND

IN: Lilian Laslandes (Bordeaux) pounds 3.6m, Nicolas Medina (Argentinos Juniors) pounds 3.5m, Bernt Haas (Grasshoppers Zurich) pounds 750,000, Baki Mercimek (Haarlem) free, David Bellion (AS Cannes) free.

OUT: Carsten Fredgaard (FC Copenhagen) pounds 500,000, Milton Nunez (Nacional) free.

KEY PLAYER:

Kevin Phillips

Title odds: 80-1

Relegation: 9-1

TOTTENHAM

IN: Christian Ziege (Liverpool) pounds 4m, Gustavo Poyet (Chelsea) pounds 1.5m, Goran Bunjevcevic (Red Star Belgrade) pounds 1.4m, Teddy Sheringham (Manchester United) free, Shwan Jalal (Hastings) free.

OUT: Luke Young (Charlton) pounds 4m, Ian Walker (Leicester) pounds 2.5m, Sol Campbell (Arsenal) free, Dave McEwen (QPR) free, Neale Fenn (Peterborough) free, Clayton Fortune (Bristol City) free, Andrew Burke (Bristol City) free.

KEY PLAYER: Teddy Sheringham

Title odds: 50-1

Relegation: 16-1

WEST HAM

IN: Laurent Courtois (Toulouse) free, David James (Aston Villa) pounds 3.5m, Sebastien Schemmel (Metz) pounds 465,000.

OUT: Frank Lampard (Chelsea) pounds 11m, Stuart Pearce (Manchester City) free, Terrell Forbes (QPR) free, Stephen Bywater (Wolves) loan, Igor Stimac (Hajduk Split) free, Steve Angus (Cambridge) free, Marc Keller (Strasbourg) free, Jimmy Bullard (Peterborough) free.

KEY PLAYER: Paolo Di Canio

Title odds: 300-1

Relegation: 3-1

Odds supplied by Coral Eurobet

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