In the mag: Season Preview! Your ultimate guide to the new campaign

...but that's not all of course – pah, it's merely the supplement! As well as your 114-page guide to the new campaign, we've got the usual batch of exclusive interviews and features in your favourite magazine, available in print and in a specially-designed-for-iPad version.

If you're asking FFT, this season is the Year of the Boss: part II. Last year was obvious; Sir Alex Ferguson had just retired to be replaced by David Moyes, Jose Mourinho was back at Chelsea and Manuel Pellegrini had taken the reins at Manchester City. This time there's a new character in the picture – and he certainly won't stand for seventh place.

Moyes' dismal showing has paved the way for Louis van Gaal to grab the Manchester United controls. The job is huge, but so is the 62-year-old's character, as we expand upon in our in-depth feature charting the former Barcelona boss's transformation of Bayern Munich in 2009. Think you know Van Gaal? Think again. 

Then there's last season's title winners, City, and the team who look most likely to challenge them in Chelsea. Is the former's path to silverware blocked this time by Financial Fair Play? And does Jose have the genius to usurp his Chilean counterpart this time around? We get the lowdown on Mourinho's workings from one of the men who know him best. 

At Liverpool, meanwhile, Brendan Rodgers has some thinking to do. Not only will his Reds side be fighting on more than one major front this season, but they'll also be doing it without their star man after Luis Suarez hopped ship to Barcelona after the World Cup. FFT explains how the Anfield side can be even better without the Uruguayan.

If that's not enough, we've got Arsene Wenger's 2014/15 to-do list plus features on the two managers looking to smash the top-four barrier once and for all. First up it's the making of new Tottenham chief Mauricio Pochettino, and why the Argentine has been a manager-in-waiting for 22 years. Anyone who teaches Pep Guardiola a thing or two must have done something right. 

Then there's our exclusive with Roberto Martinez, the man who made Everton cool last season. Naturally it's not enough for the Spaniard, who tells us of his plans to smash the status quo in the Premier League and Europe. You ain't seen nothing from him yet. 

Ever wondered about the ins and outs of parachute payments? Getting relegated is more lucrative than ever, with doomed sides now collecting a cool £59 million for dropping down to the Championship. But are they a necessary evil, or killing the Football League? You decide...

What you have seen a lot of, though, are celebrations. From the wild to witty, FFT lauds the great goal reactions and speaks to the stars who made them famous. We even got former Team GB gymnast Beth Tweddle to rate and slate the acrobats.

As far as 90s Premier League heroes go, they don't get much more 90s Premier League hero-y than Julian Dicks. The ex-West Ham and Liverpool hardman built his reputation as a no-nonsense ankle biter, but behind the tough exterior was a top-flight player with international ambitions. He never made it that far, but was it because of his reputation? Who was the hardest player he ever faced? And did kids at school dare take the mickey of his surname?  

That's not all. Also feast your eyes on: Stats Zone's take on the Premier League new boys, how to face an 'unplayable' star, the real Escape To Victory and Planet Football's triumphant return. Plus all of your pre-season needs catered for in our regular Performance section, including a six-week guide to the summer and how to build team spirit.

Available from Wednesday August 6 in print and in a specially-designed-for-iPad version.

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Joe Brewin

Joe was the Deputy Editor at FourFourTwo until 2022, having risen through the FFT academy and been on the brand since 2013 in various capacities. 


By weekend and frustrating midweek night he is a Leicester City fan, and in 2020 co-wrote the autobiography of former Foxes winger Matt Piper – subsequently listed for both the Telegraph and William Hill Sports Book of the Year awards.