"The big kick-off begins on Saturday morning when the Premiership gets underway with a week packed with matches. While many people are talking about who will win this season's title, my main concern is with my old team West Ham. I do not want it to become like last season when it went down to the final game when we beat champions Manchester United with a goal from Carlos Tevez. The Argentine has now moved to United after a lot of confusion and although West Ham have signed some players I was disappointed when the deal for Dyer fell through at the last minute ¿ we could have used someone of his skill and experience.

West Ham play City at home on Saturday morning and I believe it is the first game on TV at 11 a.m. It may take a while for City's new signings to jell and I hope we can take advantage and win all three points ¿ that is what I expect anyhow.The opening game to the season, last Sunday's Community Shield at Wembley, between Premiership champs Manchester United and FA Cup winners Chelsea was quite entertaining.

I thought both goals were good but I must admit Chelsea certainly didn't take their penalties well at all. They put them where United's keeper could easily save them if he guessed the right way ¿ and he did! Chelsea certainly were missing some of their big guns through like captain John Terry, striker Didier Drogba, winger Arjen Robben as well as Andriy Shevchenko and Germany's Michael Ballack. And it looks like they will take on promoted side Birmingham without a number of those players.

United missed Paul Scholes and although he was expected to be out for a month with an injury it seems that he is back early and will be in the team when they host Reading on Sunday.

United have new additions Nani from Portugal, Anderson from Brazil and Hargreaves who came more than from Bayern Munich. It will be interesting to see if any of them start on Sunday.

Reading had a fantastic season last year as a promoted team and it will be interesting to see how they do this season. You remember Wigan's first season in the Premiership two years ago . . . they did so well but really struggled last season and just avoided the drop in the last game of the year.

You have to wonder whether something like that will happen with Reading.

Sunderland, another promoted team, host Spurs and Roy Keane, Sunderland's manager, has spent a fair bit this summer strengthening the squad.

The match where Bolton host Newcastle should be interesting since Sam Allardyce will make a return to the club where he managed . . . and played for so long. Allardyce did a lot for Bolton while as a player and manager and I think they fans will give him a good reception.

The pressure on new Manchester City manager Sven-Goran Eriksson will be on but then again he knows the pressure of football in England when he was the national manager.

Eriksson has probably signed more players for his new club than any other Premiership manager. He is bringing eight new players from six countries to the club.

Liverpool's Rafa Benitez has bought virtually an entire new lineup as well with his main buys being striker Fernando Torres from Atletico Madrid, Andriy Voronin from Bayer Leverkusen, Ryan Babel from Ajax as well as Yossi Benayoun from my old side West Ham.

Last season Liverpool reached the Champions League final for the second time in three years. But they haven't won the domestic league title since 1990 and will no doubt be eager to do that. They go to Aston Villa on Saturday.

Arsenal have a young team and are without Henry who signed for Barcelona this summer. But they signed Brazilian-born striker Eduardo da Silva to boost their attack.

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ROBBEN

It was reported yesterday that Dutch and Chelsea winger Arjen Robben was sold to Real Madrid. It certainly was no secret that Robben wanted to go to Real and I can't say I blame him. I do not think he was used enough by Chelsea last season. I know that for myself he would have been starting all the time. He is a dynamic player who can cause so much damage with his speed and dribbling.

He will be an excellent signing for Real as he is also quite young. I would have him in my team any time.

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WARNER

Well we are back to the suits in the game talking a load of nonsense yet again. This time is was FIFA vice president Jack Warner who yesterday said he would campaign for England not to get the 2018 World Cup. I find that shocking.

As far as I am concerned Warner is talking through his hat . . . something he does a lot of. I can't for the life of me understand why people like him are in such positions of authority in FIFA. Actually I can. He gets voted in by a lot of people around him and I include our guys in Bermuda in that lot.

Warner said he would 'fight to the very end' to stop England getting the World CUP and said that nobody likes England and that the country had never had any impact on world football.

This man does not have a clue what he is talking about.

First off the Premiership is the best league in the world . . . more people follow it than any other league and it has some of the best stars of world football playing for Premiership clubs.

Then there is the fact that England have not hosted the World Cup since 1966 when they won it. Warner said he would prefer the 2018 World Cup to go to France or Italy of Spain. Well France had it in 1998, Italy had it in 1990 and Spain host the tournament in 1982. England have not hosted the World Cup in more than 40 years!

And England have some of the best stadiums in the world right now. Just look at the new Wembley and places like Old Trafford and the new Arsenal stadium. And Liverpool will be building a new one soon as well. The problem with football is idiots like Warner who have power.

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LEEDS

I recently cerceived a lot of stick from a fellow I know ¿ a Mr. Fubler ¿ who gave me grief for not talking about Leeds. Well when Leeds get back into the top flight maybe I will but right now they are sinking . . . and have been sinking for a while now. We only want to talk about the top football being played. That is why the column is called The Big Leagues!