UEFA Cup beckons

Two of Sir Alex Ferguson's students and an old adversary will battle for the two automatic Uefa Cup spots in the Premier League this season.

All three will be under pressure to deliver as new expectations and increased spending power reinforces their attempts to lay the foundations for an assault on the Big Four.

However, they will have to be content with battling it out for a top six spot.

Portsmouth – managed by the man who masterminded Fergie's title downfall in 1995 – compete in the Champions League's younger sibling for the first time this season following their FA Cup win against Cardiff in May.

Securing the illustrious domestic cup competition gave Harry Redknapp perhaps his proudest moment in management, but leading the club into Europe via the league would surely represent a greater achievement for a side who are more accustomed to battling relegation.

Alexandre Gayadamak, who controls the purse strings, has backed Redknapp to the hilt, a bold strategy portrayed by recent recruit Peter Crouch being paired with last January's signing Jermain Defoe. An outlay of £19 million (Dh139m) signals the Fratton Park club's intentions this season.

A new home awaits – a 36,000 seater on the harbour – and the French businessman will want Europe's finest players featuring regularly on the south-coast when it opens in 2011.

Thaksin Shinawatra, the Manchester City chairman, is another wealthy businessman with plans of European glory. The former Thai prime minister displayed his ruthlessness when he axed Sven Goran-Eriksson from the City hotseat, even though the Swede enjoyed a relatively successful first season.

The owner trusted Eriksson in the transfer market, but Shinawatra's actions towards the tail end of the season – the ex-England manager was touted for the sack long before being given his marching orders – must surely serve as a warning to new boss Mark Hughes.

Blackburn, Hughes' old club, have entrusted another of Ferguson's past players to lead them back into Europe as Paul Ince steps into his first managerial role in the Premier League.

Ince has an abundance of continental playing experience having plied his trade for Manchester United, Liverpool and Inter Milan, and will be charged with making up some lost ground on their direct competitors.

He looked nervous when unveiled at Ewood Park last month, but must adapt to the demands of the Premier League as quickly as he can. If not, the Uefa Cup spot his employers desire will be gone before the 'Guv'nor' has the chance to reign supreme.