Some Americans have gone, some have arrived and some are just trying to get back on the field as England's top three divisions kick off a new season.

We have a lot to cover, so let's not stand on ceremony...

Aston Villa (11th in the Premiership in 2006/07) hit the ground running in Coach Martin O'Neill's return to soccer last season but his team then ran out of steam in the middle of the season before finishing just outside the top half.

The former Celtic coach was not long ago being touted as the No.1 choice to replace Sir Alex Ferguson and coach England, so a repeat of 11th place is not on his agenda. But O'Neill's talent must be subsidized and while Villa's American owner is still new to this soccer game, Randy Lerner surely must spend more to compete with the bigger boys than he has splashed out this summer.

A $17 million raid for the temperamental Nigel Reo-Coker seems a bit of a gamble, but the escape from Upton Park could be just the ticket for the mercurial 23-year old.

A summer clear-out of the old guard at Villa Park should give youngsters like Ashley Young and Gabriel Agbonlahor more chances to shine, and if he stays fit, target man John Carew could be a crucial lynchpin. Marlon Harewood will add brawn to the forward line, which needs to score more than last season if the team is serious about Europe.

SOC's verdict: While it may be too soon to hope recent signing Eric Lichaj will join the club of American Premier League starters, the Illinois native has landed at a team with potential. Yet Villa are still a work in progress, and despite their obvious attacking abilities, could yet miss out on the UEFA Cup qualification they are aiming for.

After weathering through a storm of lengthy injury-spells for key players last season, Brad Friedel and Blackburn Rovers (10th in the EPL in 2006/07) are geared for a much improved effort from one that saw them squeak into the top half, despite promising more.

Manager Mark Hughes' insistence to navigate the Intertoto route to UEFA Cup play has paid off, with Rovers now firmly planted in the competition - but how will the fatigue of a summer tournament wear on tired legs as the season progresses?

Few players departed from Ewood Park, the club doing it's utmost to bind together a squad two years in the making, despite heavy interest in its stars, like last season's club top-scorer Benni McCarty. Bit-part players Francis Jeffers and Andy Todd slid off the roster to Sheffield Wednesday and Premiership new-boys Derby County, respectively.

On the other side of things, Hughes was consumed with a lust for attackers this summer, signing previously loaned Roma hulk Shabani Nonda and adding oft-neglected Bayern striker Roque Santa Cruz, alongside to Dutch Under-21 forward Maceo Rigters from NAC Breda for next to nothing.

For Blackburn, the goal will undoubtedly be automatic qualification to the UEFA Cup and runs of any length possible in all major cup competitions.

JDJ's verdict: The return of Irish midfielder Steven Reid, who cruelly missed all of last season through consecutive injuries, is as good as a new signing.Together with the crunch and tenacity of a fit-again Robbie Savage, and the emergence of English duo David Bentley and Matt Derbyshire, Rovers have a good balance of age and experience. If Hughes can avoid major injuries, this is a team that could easily place sixth in the league, and give some cup favorites a reality check.

With the departure of long time manager Sam Allardyce to Newcastle, there are big question marks as to whether new Bolton Wanderers (seventh in the EPL in 2006/07) boss Sammy Lee has the same magic touch to take a blend of decrepit aged greats and vibrant young talents to the lofty heights of seasons past.

For American striker Johann Smith, the biggest question mark is playing time. The US Under-20 lightning bolt spent half of last season on loan at League Two side Carlisle United, after starting to break into a strong Bolton side. He has the backing of the club, and with pace to burn seems to be squarely in club plans, perhaps as a foil to some aging legs.

"I don't know if there are any other loan plans for me this season," Smith told American Soccer Daily. "The gaffer has just told me he wants me back fit, but not to rush and come back too early. I'm ready to make an impact and do well in the upcoming season and that's all I'm concentrating on."

New Boss Lee has been hard at work to bring in some new faces, adding Nantes winger Christian Wilhelmsson and Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso's brother Mikel on loan, along with Heidar Helguson from Fulham and Jlloyd Samuel from Aston Villa. Few names have left the Reebok, although the departure of defender Tal Ben Haim to Chelsea is a huge blow.

Allardyce set the bar very high at UEFA Cup placement, but with a sensible board and new man in charge, finishing top half of the table will satisfy the lions at the gate.

JDJ's verdict: Many teams vying for the top placement have added numbers, depth and sugar-daddy billionaire owners... and for Bolton, the task of keeping pace is going to be a challenge. Nevertheless, big names like Nicholas Anelka and Jussi Jaskelainen still headline the roster (for now, at least), and with a youngsters like Smith and Ricardo Vaz Te chomping at the bit to get into the fray, Bolton has more to offer than meets the eye. Ninth or 10th place could be a reasonable end point.

Derby County (third in The Championship, Play-Off Winners 2006/07) have quickly joined the family of English clubs sporting Americans after landing a work permit for Hamburg transplant Benny Feilhaber.

Given the obvious gap in wealth and quality between England's top two divisions, it is widely assumed the team which makes it to the Premier League via the playoffs is as good as down before the first ball has been kicked, but it is as well to remember Derby finished the Championship season only four points behind Roy Keane's victorious Sunderland.

In Billy Davies, Derby have one of the most honest and manifestly able coaches around, an outspoken Scot who seems to hail from the previous generation of British coaches.

The former Preston boss will be relishing his crack at the big time, but like Aidy Boothroyd discovered last season, before long the best laid plans of Premiership minnows will give way to extreme survival counter measures.

The Rams' roster looks too lightweight to survive in the Premier League, but Wigan proved two seasons ago that a polished style can be enough to paper over the cracks in personnel, finishing 10th in their inaugural season in the top division.

If there is hope, it comes from Davies' battling character, team spirit and new signings Robert Earnshaw, the livewire Welsh striker - and Jamaican center back Claude Davis - who is expected to anchor a defense expecting to meet some heavy seas.

SOC's verdict: Ouch! What a ton rests on Feilhaber's shoulders on this, his latest big foreign assignment. If the former Hamburg man ends up carrying the midfield, he will have matured beyond expectation. But instead he may be overwhelmed like his teammates by the flood around him.

We all want Benny to succeed, but it cannot be fun when fourth from bottom is the goal your team is aiming for from day one, and three days before the season begins your coach admits he has 'not anywhere near the squad' he wants. That two of the three promoted clubs last season came straight back down is not a good omen.

In his first year with the Everton (6th in the EPL in 2006/07), Tim Howard already boasted of nearly breaking Neville Southall's clean sheet record, while helping his new team to its best defensive record in roughly a decade.

In Howard and Joleon Lescott, manager David Moyes found defensive poise, while Andrew Johnson added some panache and pace to the attack. Sixth place was the least that the team the fourth best goals-allowed record deserved, and with no departures, the pallet is still painted with promise.

Over the summer, Phil Jagielka left Sheffield United to become a Toffee, and likewise Leighton Baines from Wigan. Moyes is still in the hunt for a few more signings, with Middlesbrough's Aiyegbeni Yakubu heavily linked to a move. Expectations will be set at automatic UEFA Cup qualification, with fans' hopes pinned even higher.

JDJ's verdict: Together with Portsmouth's David James, Howard was one of the best keepers in England last season. The squad has only grown stronger, and expect the solid defensive core to usher the Toffees back into contention against the biggest teams in the country. This is a team trying to inch ever closer to the top four, and while that's still a shot too far, fifth or sixth place has a placeholder already waiting.

Who knows what keeps ineffable owner Mohamed Al-Fayed at Craven Cottage, but if the Egyptian billionaire still dreams of making the Cottagers "the Manchester United of the South", he needs a Harrods alarm clock. Fulham (16th in the EPL in 2006-07) stumble on with a meager arena in the shadow of the imperialist ambition of Chelsea and last season escaped relegation by only a point thanks to a Clint Dempsey finish - "We survived the unthinkable," Deuce reminds Fulham fans on a promotional video.

New boss Lawrie Sanchez worked wonders on the international stage with a small nation but will do well to keep Fulham out of the bottom third of the domestic standings.

Last season's shaky back four will be relieved by the arrival of Chris Baird and Aaron Hughes, Steven Davis should be an adequate replacement for Michael Brown and the $7 million capture of Hameur Bouazza from Watford looks a good buy to bolster the attack. Up front, the $12 million Diomansy Kamara must form an understanding with Brian McBride, with $3 million David Healy resuming his super-sub cameos for Northern Ireland.

While Carlos Bocanegra will soldier manfully at the back again and Captain McBride will nobly prolong his Indian summer, Dempsey still has a battle to establish himself. The new coach has bought four of his former Northern Irish players this summer in an effort to recreate the glories of Windsor Park, but voices from the Cottage hint that Sanchez' favored long-ball tactics are yet to impress all his personnel and that terrestrial artists like Deuce are not relishing a season of chasing channels balls.

SOC's verdict: Fulham had a narrow, perhaps lucky escape last time and this season will be another struggle for mid-table security and flirtations with the drop. Sanchez' $22 million outlay on attackers must pay dividends or else the Ecuadorian-Irishman will go the same way as Chris Coleman last season. Whatever one thinks of Al-Fayed, the 78-year old knows he has no time to waste by the Thames.

Attention, Reading (8th in the EPL in 2006/07): the fairytale of last season is over, and it's back to reality at the Madejski Stadium for Steve Coppell and the boys. Last year, American keeper Marcus Hahnemann was among a handful of players to really raise their stock as what seemed like a good burst of form turned into a season of upsets and surprises.

Of that club, Steve Sidwell has since moved to Stamford Bride, while there is still much transfer buzz around the status of playmaker Seol Ki-Hyeon and recently capped English fullback Nicky Shorey. Coppell has struggled to find able replacements, waiting patiently to add highly-rated midfielder Emerson Faé from Nantes.

However, for another American, former DC United prodigy Bobby Convey, last season was hardly a fairytale, with the midfielder missing almost all last year thanks to a persistent knee injury. For Coppell, the return of the Convey will be some token of relief.

"I think every year is a different year and we need to prepare this year like last year never happened," Convey described to American Soccer Daily. "By overachieving last season, it is very difficult to have the new league factor and as a team we have to not take our foot of the gas pedal."

"Some of our players have left and others are keeping their options open to other offers, so all still having the same goal of winning games for the club and keeping a team atmosphere is probably going to be the hardest things to do this year. We have a young team that is still hungry to prove themselves that I think we should do very well."

JDJ's verdict: Reading dumbfounded many of the blind pundits of last season by not only avoiding the drop, but fighting for UEFA Cup placement instead. It's always hard to follow a good act, especially if that happens to be yourself... but with a calm and calculated Coppell in charge, Reading will sink back to a reasonable EPL reality.

Ahhhh West Ham United (15th in the EPL in 2006/07)... in a campaign filled with bizarre conundrums of alternately outrageous fortune and misfortune, the arrival of Argentine internationals Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano endangered the club's Premier League life, only for Tevez' late season wizardry to revive a corpse already six feet under before taking off for a bigger enterprise.

The Argentines' crazy stopovers will soon be forgotten, however, once the Hammers get pounding. Craig Bellamy and Freddie Ljungberg are ample additions to an already impressive attack, which is sure to conjure more goals now that Dean Ashton has returned to center forward after a season lost through injury.

Less money has been spent on the defense, but Matthew Upson is another player absent for most of last season who is fit again, while Lucas Neill's tenacity continues apace in an effort to prove he was right to prefer West Ham to Liverpool.

Jonathan Spector is still not a certain on the team sheet, but he did make a creditable 25 league appearances last season. Given his versatility, will feature often again. His experience at the Gold Cup this summer should help him as he slowly maneuvers into a regular place - it is hard to believe he is still only 21.

"I can't imagine it being anything like it was last season," Spector told American Soccer Daily. "I think we have made some really good acquisitions, some really talented players who will add to the squad."

"There's no reason why we can't have a much more successful season than last. A lot of our fans are expecting us to finish in the top half and I think that is a pretty fair assessment of where we will finish."

SOC's verdict: By the law of averages, this season cannot be as turbulent on and off the field as last season's nightmare, when seven wins in the last nine, including the scalps of Arsenal and Manchester United, saved the Hammers from the furnace. Coach Alan Curbishley should feel under less pressure than before and obviously trusts himself enough to invite the untamed Bellamy to East London and make up with Scott Parker, who at Charlton left him with 'a nasty taste in the mouth'.

With Ashton and Upson fit and ready, Bellamy, Ljungberg and Parker on board and Kia Joorabchian and his shady promises far away now, West Ham have few excuses for not finishing in the top half of the table.

Such is their arsenal of riches in fact, that a UEFA Cup spot is not impossible. If they shudder to a bottom-half finish again, it will be from neglecting the defense in the transfer market in favor of a showy attack.

The tears have just about dried up from last season's Valley of sorrows for Charlton (19th in 2006/07, relegated from Premiership). Three coaches in one season could not prevent the Addicks from falling pitifully out of the Premier League with 34 points from 38 games.

Like the return of Scott Carson to Liverpool, the loss of star striker Darren Bent to Tottenham was inevitable, and it is now up to lower league recruits Chris Iwelumo (Colchester) and Luke Varney (Crewe) to fill his prolific shoes. In midfield, former Leicester captain Paddy McCarthy needs to step up to the plate.

Cory Gibbs' long-awaited return will help shore up the defense, but the midfield still looks a little short on passion and creativity while the new forward line remains unproven. That said, Alan Pardew seems the right man for the job, a Londoner who has taken two clubs into the Premier League already. Charlton are the bookies' unanimous favorites to win the Championship, using their eight years in the Premiership to leap back up at the first attempt.

"Everyone's moving forward now," Gibbs told American Soccer Daily, "I think we have a strong enough squad to get back into the Premiership. The group is strong. There is competition in every position this year which is good. We are about two or three deep in every position."

"We have looked good in the preseason and we will take that feeling up to the Championship opener this Saturday. Then, it is one game at a time."

SOC's verdict: The Addicks are pinning their hopes of a return to the top flight mostly on players with experience, men who now find themselves in a league more suited to fighters than thinkers. While the division does look a little less competitive than usual, my growing suspicion is that Charlton will not steamroll the Championship and may well miss out on promotion. The decline set in during Alan Curbishley's final season, and I do not think the club has yet extricated itself mentally from his shadow.

Frank Simek ended last season as a fans choice for Sheffield Wednesday (ninth in The Championship in 2006/07) Player of the Year, and even garnered some tabloid rumors of interest from EPL clubs. For the club, however, the end of the season was a bit of a letdown, after having fought so intensely to warrant a promotion playoff place, that feat was just out of reach.

In the summer market, the club has found a mixed bag, with captain Chris Brunt refusing to commit his future and instead attracting offers from West Brom, among other clubs. Francis Jeffers joins from Blackburn, and the former Arsenal striker will be hoping to be a "fox-in-the-box" at this club, once and for all.

It was a decent preseason, and with the squad now a year older and wiser, all focus this season will be on climbing the ladder up to the highest league in England. "Obliviously, we did really well and just missed out on the playoffs," Simek told American Soccer Daily.

"People are going to expect us to do just as well if not better this year, which is well within our reach, but there's no point in getting ahead of ourselves. We're just trying to get off to the best possible start."

JDJ's verdict: After getting his first caps for the USMNT, Simek has the makings to become a force of experience and presence at the back for Wednesday. The club has its work cut out for it, with WBA, Charlton, Watford, and Southampton boasting promotion-capable lineups, and only a limited number of tickets up to be handed out. A fight for those last two playoff positions is on the cards.

Of all the relegated teams, Watford (20th in 2006/07, relegated from Premiership) took the blow the best, well aware of the fact that they had excelled themselves in winning the play-offs only a season before. A squad united behind maverick manager Aidy Boothroyd will enjoy the cut and thrust of the Championship once again, and their "up and at 'em" style of siege soccer feels more at home there than in the refined finishing school of the Premier League.

The squad has changed little and will be hoping the experienced legs of Lloyd Doyley, Darius Henderson, Gavin Mahon and Tommy Smith are up for another season of charging around. Watford have lost attacking ace Hameur Bouazza to Fulham, but will be boosted by the return to full fitness of top scorer Marlon King in return.

Having turned down Premiership overtures, Jay DeMerit will remain a mainstay of the team and a fan favorite as the Hornets fight their way back to the top division. The Hornets' goalkeeper was their other outstanding player of 2006/07, but the arrival of experienced Estonian Mart Poom should lessen the loss of Ben Foster's return to parent club Manchester United.

Midfielder Lee Williamson is one to look out for. The 25 year-old showed glimpses of future promise in his five outings last season and is now expected to step up and cement his place in the heart of the team.

"Our goal is top two," DeMerit told American Soccer Daily. "To get there via the playoffs obviously wouldn't be the worst way to get promoted, but we would prefer to do it the easy way. We kept the core of the squad and kept our main players. As a whole have a better squad than we did when we first got promoted, so I think we have a realistic chance of going straight back up."

"The advantage for us is that we have never really changed the way we play. Even last year, we played like a Championship team in a direct and physical style. Aidy got us promoted from the Championship once, so if anyone knows what it takes to get us back it is him. Most of us were there in that year, so we expect that to be an asset to us, too. To be relegated last year was a bit of a disappointment, but the prospects for promotion look good."

SOC's verdict: The Hornets have more or less the same roster they had last season, so continuity and their year at the high table will give them a mental edge over their challengers for promotion. Whilst the gleaming wealth of the Premier League remains within touching distance, however, the Championship is still the hardest division to escape from.

With a pack of hungry wolves jostling for the automatic promotion places at the top, and given the ever-ambitious Boothroyd had told his team to aim for Europe at the start of their relegation season, the best Watford can realistically expect is a place in the playoffs.

For Wolverhampton (fifth in The Championship in 2006/07), the future conquests and promotion jousts are being planned without American Jemal Johnson, who remains transfer listed, and at the tail end of interest from League One sides Crewe Alexandra and Swansea. The club finished well while Johnson was on loan at struggling Leeds, but on the transfer list, he's going to have to put promotion dreams aside and buckle down for League One ball.

Leeds United (24th in 2006/07, relegated from Championship) is a mess at the moment: relegated, docked 15 points from the coming campaign and seemingly unable to offer even basic salaries to most of its players.

For loyal servant Eddie Lewis, the current state has got to be tough to stomach; having gone from World Cup play to a League One standard in only a year. Longstanding ownership issues, piling dept, and the rigors of downgrading leagues has turned emphasis from play to stability.

JDJ's verdict: Only years ago fighting against England's biggest, the club has submerged to Titanic depths. Drastic changes are requisite to finding a road to recovery anytime soon, and this season is ill equipped for that.

The Lions' roar has become so quiet as to be almost inaudible recently, but a new season brings renewed hope of Millwall (10th in League One in 2006/07) ascension back to the Championship. After another disastrous flirtation with demotion early last season, Zak Whitbread's team changed coaches and finished a healthier tenth position.

The former Liverpool and US U-20 defender missed the lion's share of the lions' year through a nagging groin complaint, so is chomping at the bit to get playing time again.

SOC's verdict: Having culled nine players over the summer, coach Willie Donachie is putting great store on his new signings, but will also ensure there is no early season panic like last year. Top gunner Darren Byfield remains and could form a useful partnership with new arrival Gary Alexander. If they can improve on their away record, Millwall should comfortably reach the playoffs this season.