Charlton and Fulham are London's fifth and sixth Premier League Clubs. Charlton have lost their long time manager, Alan Curbishley, and they will miss him. They have recruited Ian Dowie, and Dowie took Crystal Palace down. Addicks' fans will be hoping he does not repeat the performance, and they really should not be relegated. They have recruited Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink from Boro for his goals, and in Darren Bent, they have a centre forward eager and willing to show that his omission from the England World Cup squad was a catastrophic mistake, which it was. They should score goals, and that will be good enough to keep them safe.

I expect Fulham to be relegated every year, and every year they escape. That is a huge credit to their manager, the likeable Welshman, Chris Coleman. They have recruited Jimmy Bullard from Wigan, though there still seems some unrest in the camp with Malbranque and one or two others. Fulham will do well to stay up, but when it comes to it, they always seem to, and they probably will again.

Wigan Athletic confounded everyone with their performances last time. But as manager Paul Jewell has found before (at Bradford City), it is the second season where teams are often found out. But Wigan are no Bradford. They have a determined chairman who puts his money into the club, a former pro himself who broke his leg in the 1960 Cup Final, and they have acquired the former England centre forward in Emile Heskey, from relegated Birmingham City. But Emile has never been a prolific goal scorer. Wigan surely cannot match last year's achievements, and they could struggle, but I would be surprised if they were relegated.

Manchester City have made numerous personnel changes through the close season, though I am not convinced they are all for the better. The sale of their goalkeeper David James to Portsmouth is certainly a puzzling move. But their boisterous manager Stuart Pearce will keep everyone on their toes. I suspect this will be an important year for City, and for Pearce. A bad start could spiral out of control. A good start could see City pushing for a European place. If I had to choose, it would be the former.

Portsmouth survived by the skin of their teeth last year thanks solely to their returning talisman manager Harry Redknapp. Can they do it again? Yes, I think they can, urged on by their fanatical fans in their crumbling old stadium. Harry has had money to spend, and has spent it wisely. Portsmouth will be a handful at home, as they always are, and that should be good enough. I hope it isn't a hard year for Pompey, I don't think their nervous manager could stand it.