WITH ALL due respect to the 72 Coca-Cola League teams who have already played two games each and the Community Shield combatants, the real action starts this weekend.

Our 20 Premiership clubs get to play their first games today and my theory for the last few years has been that the league can be divided into a formation of 6-8-6.

Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Newcastle will count it as abject failure if any were not to finish in the top six.

Middlesbrough could join them from the middle eight simply because of the additions made to their squad, thanks to the generosity and forward-thinking of chairman Steve Gibson, a man who doesn't seek the headlines.

Born and bred locally, with a thriving business in the area, he has put a lot of his own money into the club to move them on from the awful Ayresome Park to the fine Riverside where players of the quality of Viduka, Parlour, Hasselbaink, Zenden and Reiziger have been happy to sign.

The bottom six will always have to include the three promoted teams, with possibly West Brom coming out ahead of Norwich and Crystal Palace, having had a taste of the top flight only a couple of years ago. Fourth bottom for any of these would be a huge success in their first season.

Our friends at Portsmouth, I fear, will not be able to carry on where they left off, but will surely be happy just to stay up again, while bottom six for my other two choices Blackburn and Everton will be counted as failure and will no doubt finish in tears and with possible changes at the top.

This leaves Saints tucked in the middle along with Birmingham and Charlton, who have both added wisely to squads which could help reinforce their solid performances last season.

Villa are also trying to regain the stature they once had while Bolton have been busy. Sam Allardyce, however, seems to be signing a lot of players like Les Ferdinand and Gary Speed who are at the end of good careers, hoping they can do enough to continue their progress.

Fulham have taken chances with a few free transfers like Andy Cole and probably will maintain their good start under Chris Coleman.

Spurs and Man City, though, have got to do better than last season. The supporters of these great clubs are shouting 'enough is enough' and are wanting to see progress.

I'm sure City will do better if the players are half as determined as Kevin Keegan, and it will be interesting to see how the latest Frenchman, monsieur Santini, handles the Premiership.

His appointment at Spurs doesn't appear quite right to me from a distance - and it has never seemed right for me to see a foreign coach in charge at Liverpool. I'm not sure what Bill Shankly would say about it all, but I've got a good idea. There again, half the team are foreigners.

The most interesting import of all is surely Jose Mourinho. He has left us in no doubt about the value of his appointment because, at his first press conference, he told one and all he IS the best.

Chelsea are lucky to have him. Even Brian Clough, who WAS the best for a while, wasn't inclined to tell us so. He just assumed we all knew anyway.

It will be difficult for Arsenal to maintain last year's supremacy.

Manchester United will be better, providing their forwards keep clear of injury, but Liverpool do not look stable enough, with so many changes.

Newcastle have already got off to a bad start with their public announcement that Sir Bobby won't be there after this season.

This will go against them.

Middlesbrough will be delighted to be pecking away at the top six so that only leaves Chelsea, who will probably win the league - because Jose's told me so!