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LONDON -- For English football, it has long seemed unthinkable: a league season starting without the finger-jabbing, combative colossus of management on the touchlines. Alex Ferguson will be a bystander for the first time since 1986, watching from afar as Manchester United starts its pursuit of a record-extending 21st English title. David Moyes now carries that responsibility. Widely admired during 11 years at Everton despite failing to collect a major honour, Moyes was hand-picked by Ferguson in the biggest decision -- gamble, perhaps -- taken by the owning Glazer family. "People are asking whether we can win the trophy again. Can we still be champions?" captain Nemanja Vidic acknowledged. Although he openly flirted with United in the months before Fergusons retirement was publicly disclosed, Jose Mourinho -- one of the most talented but temperamental managers of his generation -- wasnt approached for the job. The charismatic Portuguese is back in the Premier League, though, after six years collecting trophies with Inter Milan and Real Madrid. Claiming to have mellowed since leaving Chelsea after a fall-out, Mourinho is widely expected to return to his combustible self once the season begins and produce the touchline tantrums Ferguson can no longer provide. Just a week into the season, the 50-year-old managers will get a chance to size each other up in a match that could set the tone for the opening weeks, with United hosting Chelsea. "That game will not decide who is going to be champions," Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic said. "But it will decide a lot of things about the confidence." By then, the Blues may have gained an edge by having played an extra game. United will only have played once -- its title defence begins Saturday at Swansea, following last weekends 2-0 win over Wigan in the Community Shield. Ill-feeling between the sides has been inflamed by Chelseas hostile pursuit of United striker Wayne Rooney. Mourinho insists hes not engaging in "mind games" with Moyes, but has still offered a few pointed words of advice. "One of the most difficult things in the club is to create a victory culture, where you walk through the door and you smell the success, you smell confidence, you smell self-esteem," said Mourinho, who has won league titles in England, Spain, Italy and Portugal. "David is in a big club and that is a big help -- everybody knows how to win. Of course, it is up to him now." And he knows just how daunting the task is. "There has to be an element of fear that comes with managing a club like Manchester United," Moyes said. With the spotlight on Mourinho and Moyes, Manuel Pellegrini has been able to make a quiet start to his first job in English management. The 59-year-old Chilean left Malaga for Manchester City after Roberto Mancini was fired for failing to follow up the 2011-12 Premier League title with a single trophy last season, finishing 11 points behind United in second. Talk of dressing room disharmony has melted away as Pellegrini started to re-shape the squad, spending more than $130 million on strikers Stevan Jovetic and Alvaro Negredo, midfielder Fernandinho and winger Jesus Navas. Such a lavish outlay was easily affordable for the oil-rich Abu Dhabi ownership, but the spending could pose a challenge in complying with UEFA Financial Fair Play regulations, a requirement of playing in the Champions League. By contrast, United failed in its pursuit of Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas, and even more ambitious thoughts of bringing Cristiano Ronaldo back to Old Trafford from Madrid. Chelsea might have missed out on Rooney, but around $40 million has still been spent on signing striker Andre Schuerrle and midfielder Marco van Ginkel. As for Arsenal, which finished behind Chelsea in fourth, not a penny has been spent. Thats despite chief executive Ivan Gazidis raising the hopes of fans in June by pledging to "escalate" spending. Moves to entice Luis Suarez from Liverpool for more than $60 million have been rebuffed by Liverpool, which is insisting that the Uruguay striker honour his contract after the club backed him through racism and biting controversies. The Gunners have seen north London rival Tottenham invest $65 million in the squad, although manager Andre Villa-Boas could still be faced with losing arguably the leagues most potent player in Gareth Bale before the transfer window closes Sept. 2. Real Madrids pursuit of the Wales forward threatens to destabilize Tottenham in the opening weeks of the season unless quickly resolved. Bale would be leaving a Premier League that will feature two Welsh teams for the first time after Cardiff gained promotion to join Swansea, which will find it hard to repeat last seasons 11th-place finish and League Cup success. The Cardiff-Swansea derby is shaping up to be one of the fieriest fixtures of the season. The manager to watch out for, though, will be Paolo Di Canio, the confrontational and divisive Italian who succeeded in keeping Sunderland in the top flight after being hired in the closing stages of the season. Sunderland is one of the six Premier League clubs under American ownership. Alongside Man United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Aston Villa, Fulham is the latest, with Shad Khan buying out Mohamed Al Fayed last month. The attraction of teams to foreign businessmen is underscored by the new riches being injected into the Premier League, notably from the United States, where NBC has captured the TV rights and covered New York subway trains with its advertising. New rights TV deals will generate around $8.5 billion over the next three years, with a record share of $90 million per season guaranteed for even the bottom team -- and it is newcomers Crystal Palace, Cardiff and Hull who are tipped to go straight back down. Another landmark, highlighting the global allure, will be when Southamptons Victor Wanyama becomes the first player in the Premier League from Kenya, making the African nation the 100th country from outside Britain to be represented in a game. Yet for all the new arrivals and the dramas that unfold in the 20 grounds in the coming months, the absence of one man is still likely to be felt most. Moyes job is to ensure United fans dont hanker after the 71-year-old Ferguson and plead for his return. "It has to be a new era," Moyes said. "My job now is to make my history ... make sure now that my history and my time is something which the fans and people in the future talk about." Anders Lee Islanders Jersey . Peter Holland and Brad Staubitz were sent to Toronto on Saturday as the Maple Leafs traded defenceman Jesse Blacker and draft picks to the Anaheim Ducks. Cal Clutterbuck Islanders Jersey .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. http://www.islanderssale.com/authentic-matt-martin-islanders-jersey/ . MLS Commissioner Don Garber and Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez also will attend the session, which was announced Monday. The league has discussed placing its next two expansion teams in Miami and Atlanta. Tom Kuhnhackl Jersey . Once again, DeLaet finished tied for second at a PGA Tour stop on the weekend, this time at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. The pride of Weyburn, Sask. Johnny Boychuk Islanders Jersey . Scott won the Australian PGA last week in his first event in Australia since winning the U.S. Masters in April. American Matt Kuchar, ahead by two strokes with four to play and even with Scott with one to go, double-bogeyed the 18th after taking two shots to get out of a bunker. PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- Chris Ash is coming into his first season as Rutgers coach knowing that he sure isnt at Ohio State anymore.The Scarlet Knights depth chart isnt very deep and the talent level isnt anywhere close to what he had as the co-defensive coordinator with the Buckeyes.Coaching Rutgers is going to be a challenge. It is coming off a 4-8 record last season with one win in the Big Ten Conference in eight games.Rutgers recent success is a thing of the past. The Scarlet Knights are rebuilding.Got to get back in to football playing shape, Ash said after training camp opened. Were in great conditioning shape from summer work outs, but just like most teams at this time of year, were not in great football shape and we got to play ourselves back into that, but good start.Ash was not as happy after the first preseason practice, so there has been some improvement in recent months.As we continue to go through training camp well have a better feel of our team, our players and our picture will become clearer, Ash said. Its a lot clearer than when we first started, so making progress, but like I said when we first started, but like Ive been saying all along still a long way.Ash has changed almost everything since replacing Kyle Flood. The coaching staff is new, and so are the offense and defense.Weve made a lot of changes to their bodies, but it took seven months to make a lot of those changes, Ash said. We have to change the type of production we get on the field as football players. That doesnt happen on day one.While there are many on-field questions that need to be answered, Ash is pleased that there are no questions abouut his teams off-field behavior.dddddddddddd During last years training camp, Flood was engulfed in an academic scandal while his players were getting arrested.You look at the behavior and you tell me what you see. I see a bunch of guys that want to be coached, that want to excel, that want to do things right, and they want to be good teammates and they want to represent the athletic department, and this state the right way, Ash said. Now they have to continue that, but I like the trend that were on right now.QB QUESTIONOnce again, Rutgers has a quarterback battle between Chris Laviano and Hayden Rettig. Ash recently threw TCU transfer Zach Allen into the mix and the battle is expected to go throughout much of camp.D-LINE STRENGTHWhile they replace all three linebackers from last season, Rutgers will rely defensively of their defensive line. The deep unit returns All-Big Ten performer Darius Hamilton, Julian Pinnix-Odrick and Sebastian Joseph. Hamilton is coming off a lower body injury and needed a medical redshirt to return this year.KEY GAMESIf Rutgers wants the Penn State rivalry to become a thing, they have to win a game against the Nittany Lions. Rutgers hosts Penn State on Nov. 19.PREDICTIONIf Ash can somehow win six games and get to a bowl in the loaded Big Ten East, that would be chalked up as a very successful first season. The reality is there was very little in the cupboard and this could be a very long year, even longer than last years 4-8 finish.SEASON OPENERSept. 3 at Washington. ' ' '