Some Updates...

Since Jeremy and I seem to be reversing roles the last couple days, I suppose I'll follow up his excellent season preview series with some updates (and I'll have my usual column posted later today)...

1. I almost forgot about Ashley Young - I followed his stats all last season in the Championship (along with teammate and American Jay DeMerit who is a strong central defender who is likely to make an impression on the Premiership) and he will definitely score some points this season.

2. Apparently, Heinze is injured so ManYoo will be even more makeshift in defense for at least the opener. Time to consider the notion that Evra, Silvestra, and Brown might start (with Rio).

3. Matt Taylor-related - Apparently 'arry has decided not to sign the Peruvian left back who has been training with the team for most of the pre-season. Might mean that Taylor will be sent back into the defense.

4. Just plain fun! It says here (at the bottom) that Big Sam might actually do something we here at the blog approve of and bring the beautifully-named Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink to the Premiership. Now THAT would create a dilema - ignore the fact that I don't like Bolton and root for them with the arrival of JVoH or turn my back on one of the greatest names in Premiership history.

5. Relegation - I think Reading have a better chance than Watford of staying up - they were just THAT dominant in the Championship and they weren't made up of a ton of Premiership cast-offs (so they're more like last year's West Ham team than they are last year's West Brom team). That they have (fellow Philadelphia native) Bobby Convey is just a bonus.

6. It looks pretty certain that YP "Free" Lee will start on the right of the Spurs D...

7. As much as I am still a member of the Hammers bandwagon, I'd be cautious with them early in the season as they seem to have some injury difficulties between the Ashton ankle injury, Newton's suspension, and Etherington's injury.