It only seems like yesterday that the final ball of last season had been kicked and already the new season is upon us.

Many Premier League clubs have been away embarking on pre-season tours, in the USA, China, Singapore and Europe, preparing for the start of the 2019/20 season.

Please see following my preview of the English Premier League 2019/2020

Laws of the game changes

Love it or hate it – kkVAR is now in use for every Premier League game.

There have been six new rule changes since last season:

Handball

If the ball hits an attacker’s arm during the build-up to a goal it will be disallowed regardless if it was accidental or otherwise.

Free kicks

An attacking player is no longer allowed near the wall at free kicks and must be at least one metre away, if not a free kick will be given to the defending team.

Penalty kicks

The goalkeepers must have one foot on the line while the penalty is being taken. And ‘keepers are also no longer allowed to touch the posts before the kick.

Coaches

Coaches will now be punished the same way as players with referees allowed to brandish yellow and red cards to off-field staff.

Drop balls

Old fashioned drop balls will NOT be used any more and now the giving the ball back to the last team in possession will be the formality.

Substitutions

Whenever a player is substituted, they must exit the field at the nearest point.

This has been introduced to stop players on the opposite side of the pitch walking to the far dugout late on in games.

MANAGERIAL CHANGES

There have been three managerial changes over the summer, Chris Hughton was sacked as Brighton manager and replaced by Graham Potter. Steve Bruce has taken over from Rafa Benitez at Newcastle and Frank Lampard is the new Chelsea manager.

The three teams promoted from the Championship to the Premier League are Aston Villa, Norwich City and Sheffield United.

PLAYERS COMING AND GOINGS THIS SUMMER

As I write this there are still more players moving around but so far this summer there have been 124 players leaving from Premier League Clubs and only 41 players joining

Arsenal

In

Gabriel Martinelli – Itano Futebol Clube, undisclosed

Nicholas Pepe – Lille £79 million

Dani Ceballos – Real Madrid loan

Out

Aaron Ramsey – Juventus, free

Petr Cech – retired

Danny Welbeck – released

Stephan Lichtsteiner – released

David Ospina – Napoli

Ben Sheaf – Doncaster, loan

Aston Villa

In

Matt Targett – Southampton, £11m

Jot – Birmingham City, undisclosed

Anwar El Ghazi – Lille, undisclosed

Wesley – Club Brugge, £22m

Ezri Konsa – Brentford, £12m

Kortney Hause – Wolves, undisclosed

Tyrone Mings – Bournemouth, £20m

Bjorn Engels – Stade Reims, undisclosed

Out

Mile Jedinak – released

Alan Hutton – released

Tommy Elphick – released

Albert Adomah – released

Glenn Whelan – released

Ritchie De Laet – released

Mark Bunn – released

Micah Richards – released

Harry Mckirdy – Carlisle, free

Corey Blackett-Taylor – Tranmere, free

Gary Gardner – Birmingham City, undisclosed

Bournemouth

In

Lloyd Kelly – Bristol City, £13m

Out

Emerson Hyndman – Atlanta United, loan

Brighton

In

Leandro Trossard – Genk, £15m

Matt Clarke – Portsmouth, undisclosed

Out

David Ajiboye – released

Jonah Ayunga – released

Tyler Forbes – released

Dessie Hutchinson – released

Reece Meekums – released

Rian O’Sullivan – released

Ben Barclay – Accrington, free

Burnley

In

Jay Rodriguez – West Brom, £10m

Joel Senior – Curzon Ashton, undisclosed

Out

Stephen Ward – released, signed for Stoke

Anders Lindegaard – released

Jon Walters – retired

Chelsea

In

Mateo Kovacic – Real Madrid, undisclosed

Out

Eden Hazard – Real Madrid, undisclosed

Richard Nartey – Burton, loan

Jay Dasilva – Bristol City, undisclosed

Fankaty Dabo – Coventry, free

Ola Aina – Torino, £8.9m

Tomas Kalas – Bristol City, £8m

Charly Musonda – Vitesse, loan

Crystal Palace

Out

Aaron Wan-Bissaka – Man Utd, £45m

Julian Speroni – released

Jason Puncheon – released

Bakary Sako – released

Everton

In

Andre Gomes – Barcelona, £22m

Jonas Lossl – Huddersfield, to join on July 1

Fabian Delph – Manchester City, undisclosed

Moise Kean – Juventus £28million

Out

Ashley Williams – released

Jonjoe Kenny – Schalke, loan

Kieran Dowell – Derby, loan

Joao Virginia – Reading, loan

Korede Adedoyin – Hamilton, loan

Luke Garbutt – Ipswich, loan

Antonee Robinson – Wigan, undisclosed

Leicester

In

Ayoze Perez – Newcastle, £30m

James Justin – Luton Town, undisclosed

Out

Danny Simpson – released

Shinji Okazaki – released

Liverpool

In

Sepp van den Berg – PEC Zwolle, £1.3m

Out

Rafael Camacho – Sporting Lisbon, £5m

Marko Grujic – Hertha Berlin, season-long loan

Alberto Moreno – released

Daniel Sturridge – released

Adam Bogdan – released

Connor Randall – released

Sheyi Ojo – Rangers, loan

Kamil Grabara – Huddersfield, loan

Manchester City

In

Rodri – Atletico Madrid, £62.5m

Angelino – PSV Eindhoven, £5.3m

Out

Vincent Kompany – Anderlecht, player-manager

Patrick Roberts – Norwich, season-long loan

Fabian Delph – Everton, undisclosed

Manchester United

In

Daniel James – Swansea, £15m

Aaron Wan-Bissaka – Crystal Palace, £45m

Out

Fander Herrera – PSG at end of the contract

Antonio Valencia – LDU Quito, free

Matty Willock – Gillingham, free

Regan Poole – MK Dons, free

Newcastle

Out

Ayoze Perez – Leicester, £30m

Joselu – Alaves, undisclosed

Norwich

In

Josip Drmic – Borussia Monchengladbach, free

Patrick Roberts – Manchester City, season-long loan

Sam Byram – West Ham, £750k

Out

Carlton Morris – Rotherham, loan

Ivo Pinto – Dinamo Zagreb, free

Mason Bloomfield – Crawley, loan

Marcel Franke – Hannover 96, undisclosed

Sean Raggett – Portsmouth, loan

Sheffield United

In

Luke Freeman – QPR, undisclosed

Phil Jagielka – free

Callum Robinson – Preston North End, undisclosed

Ravel Morrison – free

Out

FC Paul Coutts – Fleetwood, free

Martin Crainie – Luton Town, free

Conor Washington – Hearts, free

Daniel Lafferty – released

Caolan Lavery – released

Oliver Greaves – Barrow, loan

Nathan Thomas – Gillingham, loan

Rhys Norrington-Davies – Rochdale, loan

Jake Eastwood – Scunthorpe, loan

Tyler Smith – Bristol Rovers, loan

Southampton

In

Che Adams – Birmingham City, £15m

Moussa Djenepo – Standard Liege, £15m

Out

Matt Targett – Aston Villa, £11m

Steven Davis – Rangers, free

Sam Gallagher – Blackburn, undisclosed

Tottenham

In

Tanguy Ndombele – Lyon, £65m

Kion Etete – Notts County

Out

Kieran Trippier – Atletico Madrid, undisclosed

Luke Amos – QPR, season-long loan

Connor Ogilvie – Gillingham, undisclosed

Michel Vorm – released after the expiration of the contract

Dylan Duncan – released

Charlie Freeman – released

Tom Glover – released

Jamie Reynolds – released

Watford

Out

Tommie Hoban – released after the expiration of the contract

Miguel Britos – released after the expiration of the contract

Ashley Charles – released

Andrew Eleftheriou – released

Sam Howes – released

Tom Leighton – released

Joy Mukena – released

Michael Mullings – released

Kai Sanders – released

Sam Sesay – released

Ryan Suckling – released

Ben Tricker – released

West Ham United

In

Roberto – Espanyol, free

David Martin – Millwall, free

Pablo Fornals – Villarreal, £24m

Sebastian Haller – Eintract Frankfurt, £45m

Out

Samir Nasri – released

Andy Carroll – released

Adrian – released

Edimilson Fernandes – FSV Mainz, undisclosed

Lucas Perez – Alaves, undisclosed

Josh Pask – Coventry, free

Nathan Trott – Wimbledon, loan

Wolverhampton Wanderers

In

Raul Jimenez – Benfica, £30m

Out

Helder Costa – Leeds, loan with an obligation to buy

Kevin Berkoe – Oxford, free

Ethan Ebanks-Landell – Shrewsbury, undisclosed

The stars set to light up Premier League football in 2019-20

Fresh blood, younger bosses and a new breed of top talent are all set to light up the Premier League in the coming season.

New names will be ­entrusted to light up the Premiership, particularly after the promise they’ve shown in pre-season or, in the case of Arsenal’s Dani Ceballos, in Spain’s victorious Under-21 European Championship campaign.

And a clutch of stars will be tasked with proving the difference in terms of ­improving some clubs and taking others to the next level.

Also among them, ­Manchester United’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who has had the club’s fans drooling ­during pre-season with his speed and defensive awareness. It suggests the shirt will not weigh heavy on his back after his move from Crystal Palace.

But it is Tottenham’s ­Tanguy Ndombele who ­appears to have made the biggest statement both in terms of what his signing represents to the club and first impressions. Spurs chairman Daniel Levy shattered the club’s transfer record for the 22-year-old’s £65million ­signature.

Regular Champions League football and ­Tottenham’s success at reaching last-year’s final means the club are no longer fishing in the bargain bucket. Ndombele’s capture is proof Spurs are moving to the next level. That an approach for a top player can no longer be met with the snorts of ­derision and Twitter comedy of the past.

On the pitch, the signs are good too. His first three touches, after coming on to the pitch as a pre-season substitute against Juventus, were to intercept the ball and play Lucas Moura in for a goal

The footage from the game against United, in which Ndombele sat Paul Pogba down on his backside, has had nearly a quarter of a million views. The former Lyon man is set to form a formidable alliance ­alongside Moussa Sissoko, who has already taken him under his wing.

In terms of value for money, Ndombele’s ­pre-season should mean he is able to hit the ground ­running. He could prove the best of the summer’s ­high-profile new boys.

The ­competition, though, is strong. Such is the quality at Real ­Madrid, ­Ceballos askilful, attacking midfielder  has had to go to Arsenal for first-team football. Spurs bowed out after being told they would not have an ­option to buy the 22-year-old next summer. Arsenal were willing to take the hit.

Manchester City ­midfielder Rodri, 23, has been signed as a long-term successor to 34-year-old ­Fernandinho. The younger man, formerly of Atletico Madrid, will be entrusted with providing the platform for City’s flair players to ­express themselves.

The ­initial signs are also positive. Chelsea’s Christian Pulisic dazzled in the club’s win over Barcelona to such an extent the Spanish media were gushing in their praise of him.

The USA star, 20, has been at pains to make clear he does not want to be seen as a replacement for Eden Hazard. Pulisic did, however, provide a threat from the left against Barcelona to bode well for the coming season.

On the face of it, the £40million paid by ­Newcastle to ­Hoffenheim for striker Joelinton looks expensive but Joelinton remains highly rated.

The 22-year-old can operate as a penalty box target man, but also has the vision and ­mobility to drop deeper and link play. The next 10 months will decide which of the latest ­Premier League intake ­provides value for money. All of them have fans eager for the games to begin.K

MY CHOICE OF FIVE YOUNG PLAYERS WHO CAN MAKE THEIR MARK THIS SEASON

For academy prospects and aspiring stars, pre-season football is often the perfect opportunity to catch a manager’s eye.

With limited opportunities provided to top-flight youngsters these days, some of the game’s most promising starlets often go under the radar, festering away in the reserves or struggling for consistency across multiple loan spells.

But, every so often a budding talent seemingly emerges from out of nowhere and explodes onto the scene, immediately earning the moniker ‘the next Messi’ or the ‘Stockport Iniesta’.

And, that latter nickname has been earned by Phil Foden, a beneficiary of pre-season football, after the fledging midfielder flourished in the International Champions Cup last summer, notably producing a stellar performance during Manchester City’s 3-2 win over Bayern Munich.

Such was the lasting impression Foden left on Pep Guardiola during the club’s Stateside sojourn last year, that the Catalonian even referenced his impressive summertime displays as a key reason for his ascent to the first-team fold.

“I had the feeling in pre-season – I was incredibly impressed.”

So, which youngsters have impressed for their respective clubs this time around, and who could be knocking on the first-team door for 2019/20 based on their pre-season performances?

Mason Greenwood (Manchester United

Position: Centre-forward

Age  17

Mason is still only 17 but had quite the introduction to senior football when he came on as a substitute during Manchester United’s memorable win over Paris Saint-Germain in the spring, but this could be the season for him to shine at Old Trafford.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer appears keen to promote young talent and Greenwood is the pick of the bunch. The winner of the Jimmy Murphy young player of the year award at Old Trafford last season, the forward can beat a man and shoot powerfully with both feet.

When there are major question marks about the future of the club’s main striker, in this case, Romelu Lukaku  the best thing you can do as an understudy, is demonstrate to the manager that he can live without his chief threat, and that is exactly what Greenwood has been doing, with his dazzling performances yielding two goals, including a winner against Inter Milan last week.

The fleet-footed forward has excelled this summer, prompting comparisons with Ryan Gigg’s rise nearly three decades ago by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, while the Norwegian has also hinted that the youngster could start for the club’s opening Premier League match against Chelsea.

Rhian Brewster (Liverpool)

Age: 19

Position: Centre-forward

Earmarked as a future Liverpool star, the Merseyside wunderkind has left Kopites purring this summer with his destructive abilities inside the penalty area evoking fond memories of legendary Anfield strikers of old, including Ian Rush and Robbie Fowler.

Brewster famously drew acclaim after clinching the Golden Boot in England’s FIFA U-17 World Cup triumph in 2017, but a long-term injury lay-off plagued his progress last season. However, the scintillating Londoner is back, and he certainly means business, netting four goals in four games, including against Borussia Dortmund, as well as a clinical brace in the 6-0 mauling over Tranmere Rovers.

Jurgen Klopp has already lavished praise on the youngster, with the German even suggesting his elite-level prospect is now “ready” for Premier League football.

Eddie Nketiah (Arsenal)

Age 20

Position: Centre-forward

Long-tipped to break into the first-team reckoning in north London, Nketiah has perennially been on the cusp of fighting his way into Arsenal’s starting XI but is yet to truly hold down a prominent role in senior plans.

That said, the lethal Lewisham marksman has just turned 20 and has been making significant noise this summer, bagging three goals against high-quality opposition, including a double to sink Fiorentina and a winner during the Gunners’ 2-1 triumph over Bayern Munich.

There are substantial blockades preventing Nketiah from making the centre-forward role his own in Unai Emery’s first-team notably the world-class talent of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and the high-level performances of Alexandre Lacazette but the pre-season breakout star believes he is now ready to rival Arsenal’s current crop of insatiable strikers.

Billy Gilmour – Chelsea

Age: 18

Position: Central midfield

With Chelsea currently enduring a two-window transfer embargo, this could prove the perfect opportunity for Frank Lampard to nurture and blood in young talent, and that is exactly what he has been doing for his pre-season so far, with Billy Gilmour the pick of the teenage bunch.

A Glasgow-born midfielder, the 18-year-old could be mistaken for a La Masia alumnus such is his technical ability and dazzling imagination. He drew widespread adulation from Chelsea fans for his performances in Ireland and was even namechecked by Lampard for his mesmeric form against Bohemians and St Patrick’s Athletic.

Lampard told Chelsea TV: “Billy Gilmour has had a brilliant trip.

“As a young lad, the personality he has shown on this trip to play two games at the level has played them is great.

“I just hope Billy pushes on with that this season.”

Adrian Bernabe – Manchester City 

Age: 18

Position: Attacking midfield

Apart from the usual suspects, Bernabe was arguably the star of the show in the 4-1 mauling over West Ham, impressing on the right flank with his improvisation and twinkle-toed feet. Lining up in a very inexperienced City XI, Guardiola’s young guns strutted their stuff and swaggered to a half-time lead, before his top dogs emerged after the restart and wrapped up a comfortable win.

Such was his impact against the Hammers that he retained a starting berth ahead of David Silva for the Premier League Asia Trophy final against Wolves, and looked every bit a first-team player.

It’s clear Bernabe has been educated in Barcelona’s esteemed academy, such is his innate ball-playing ability and passing range.

Ben Johnson – West Ham United

Age: 19

Position: Full-back

Provided the first-team start against Man City by Manuel Pellegrini in the league last season, the Chilean followed up on Johnson’s debut appearance by handing him a second start against City in pre-season. It doesn’t get much tougher than that for an introduction to senior football, but the teenage defender handled himself expertly in both games and looks set for a season in-and-around Pellegrini’s first-team plans.

Nephew of former Man Utd full-back Paul Parker and cousin to ex-Spurs centre-back Ledley King, Johnson has defensive blood running through his veins and given his proficiency with either foot, his versatility could prove indispensable for the Hammers next term.

Dixon Sanderson – Wolves

Age: 19

Position: Centre-back/full-back

With Wolves set for a European travail next season, squad depth will be crucial for Nuno Espirito Santo, but he may not have to scour the market quite so vigorously as he has a number of talented youngsters on the books ready to step into his religious 3-4-3 formation, particularly Sanderson.

Of course, Morgan Gibbs-White is the star teenager in the Molineux ranks, but he has already developed into a senior professional of genuine Premier League quality, and so Sanderson comes in as the unheralded teenager to have impressed most for Wolves this summer.

His second-half cameo caught attention during the 4-0 drubbing over Newcastle last week, but his stock skyrocketed as he excelled at right-wing-back during the pre-season Asia Cup final victory against Man City, drawing rave reviews from Wolves fans.

Troy Parrott -Tottenham Hotspur FC

Age: 17

Position: Centre-forward

Starting against Juventus on your senior debut is no mean feat, especially for a teenager who is filling in for Harry Kane. But, Dublin-born Parrott showcased his worth and vindicated Mauricio Pochettino’s selection choice.

The Argentine has perpetually struggled to find a competent backup option for Kane, but Parrott looks like he could be the man to step up and provide Pochettino with the requisite depth to remedy any void the England international may leave should he suffer another injury setback.

Against Juve, Parrott, not only kept pace with some of world football’s finest athletes, but he often outshone the globally recognised superstars, putting on a masterclass of performance as well as having a key hand in Spurs’ opening goal.

MY OPINION ON THE SEASON AHEAD

After the summer break and the all the club’s activities, with managerial changes and in the transfer market, the new season is upon us, so who do I think will be challenging for the title and who will be fighting from the start to avoid relegation.

I do not see anything that clearly changes my thoughts that the top three vying for the title, will be Manchester City, Liverpool and Spurs, all three clubs seem to have gone through the pre-season with settled teams and some additional qualities added.

The rest of the expected top six, Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea still seem to be in transitional periods, new managers at United and Chelsea will see pressures and expectations at a new level, both managers Solksjar and Lampard are genuine chaps, who you want to see do well, knowing both of them well, means that I really hope that they can get on top of things early on and keep the doubters and the boards at bay. Arsenal under Emery has not seemed to have progressed at the level that the fans will demand and a poor start to the season will see him under pressure.

Chelsea will have to try and fill the massive void left by the departure of Eden Hazard to Real Madrid,  Frank Lampard has landed his dream role at the helm, but it may have just been a season or two too early, he was learning the game at managerial level, with his role at Derby County last season and one more year’s experience gained there may have been better for him, but time will tell.

I think that Everton can be the team best equipped to break into the top six, the signing of striker Moise Kean from Juventus could be one of the signings of the season.

At the other end of the table, there are a number of teams who are going to be fighting for their survival from day one, Brighton and Burnley just survived last season and will again be happy for every point gained, newcomers Aston Villa who have spent around £130 million in the transfer market will be the favourites to survive, whilst Sheffield United and Norwich will also be under pressure from the first game.

Another exciting season ahead and you can be sure that the team that you support will bring you excitement, frustration, joy, despair, success, failure, highs and lows, but no matter what, they are your team and you will be supporting them come what may.

I had an okay season last time around with my predictions if you feel that you can beat me, then please feel free to email your predictions through!

Please see following my week 1 predictions:

Liverpool 3 v 1 Norwich,

West Ham 1 v 3 Manchester City,

Bournemouth 2 v 1 Sheffield United

Burnley 1 v 2 Southampton

Crystal Palace 1 v 2 Everton

Watford 2 v 1 Brighton

Spurs 3 v 1 Aston Villa

Leicester 1 v 2 Wolves

Newcastle 1 v 2 Arsenal

Manchester United 2 v 1 Chelsea

 

Personally, I have had a lovely close-season break, I spent three weeks in the Kruger Park, with some amazing sightings, a Lion pride with Cubs took down a Buffalo in front of us, we saw Leopards, Elephants, Kudu, Hyena, Black Mamba’s, Dung Beetles, and many more beautiful animals.

One evening my eldest daughter Stephanie and I were out at a sleeping platform, deep in the wilds of Africa, we had had our dinner and my daughter had gone up on to the platform to go to bed, I stayed down reading a book, by the fire, then I heard something and put my torch on and there was a large male Leopard standing about five metres away , we looked at each other, then the Leopard walked on past, my daughter filmed the Leopard as it was walking past me.

 

Take care,

Gary