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Lawro's Premier League guide

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  • Lawro's Premier League guide

    By Mark Lawrenson
    BBC Sport football expert



    ARSENAL
    Latest club news
    </B>


    Nickname: The Gunners
    Ground: Emirates Stadium
    Capacity: 60,000
    Position last season: Fourth
    Manager: Arsene Wenger (September 1996)
    In: Eduardo da Silva (Dinamo Zagreb, undisclosed), Lukasz Fabianski (Legia Warsaw, undisclosed), Bacary Sagna (Auxerre, undisclosed).
    Out: Thierry Henry (Barcelona, £16.1m), Jeremie Aliadiere (Middlesbrough, £2m), Fabrice Muamba (Birmingham, £2m), Arturo Lupoli (Fiorentina, undisclosed), Mart Poom (Watford, free), Freddie Ljungberg (West Ham, £3m), Jose Antonio Reyes (Atletico Madrid, undisclosed), Kerrea Gilbert (Southend, loan), Ryan Garry (Bournemouth, free).
    606: DEBATE
    Do you agree with Lawro?

    Lawro's verdict: Arsenal have obviously got to get over the loss of Thierry Henry.
    The likes of Emmanuel Adebayor, Robin van Persie and Eduardo da Silva will have to take up the mantle.
    I think they have a very decent team and will finish in the top four but I do not expect them to end the season as Premier League winners.
    KEY MAN: EDUARDO DA SILVA
    Could he be Arsenal's man to score tap-ins on a regular basis?

    ASTON VILLA
    Latest club news



    Nickname: The Villans
    Ground: Villa Park
    Capacity: 42,593
    Last season: 11th
    Manager: Martin O'Neill (August 2006)
    In: Nigel Reo-Coker (West Ham, £8.5m), Marlon Harewood (West Ham, undisclosed), Harry Forrester (Watford, undisclosed), Eric Lichaj (unattached, free)
    Out: Aaron Hughes (Fulham, £1m), Jlloyd Samuel (Bolton, free), Steven Davis (Fulham, undisclosed), Gavin McCann (Bolton, £1m), Juan Pablo Angel (New York Red Bulls, free), Stephen Henderson (Bristol City, free), Lee Hendrie (Sheffield United, free), Robert Olejnik (Falkirk, free), Chris Sutton (released).
    606: DEBATE
    Do you agree with Lawro?

    Lawro's verdict: Villa had a good start, an iffy middle and a decent finish to last season and boss Martin O'Neill will be looking for them to progress this year in his second term in charge.
    I would not be surprised to hear of O'Neill signing a couple more players before the transfer deadline at the end of August.
    I expect them to have a good season, top 10, possibly a Uefa Cup spot.
    KEY MAN: JOHN CAREW
    If he stays fit then the other strikers at the club can play off him.

    BIRMINGHAM
    Latest club news



    Nickname: Blues
    Ground: St Andrews
    Capacity: 30,009
    Last season: Promoted (second in Championship)
    Manager: Steve Bruce (December 2001)
    In: Olivier Kapo (Juventus, £3m), Garry O'Connor (Lokomotiv Moscow, £2.7m), Fabrice Muamba (Arsenal, £2m), Stuart Parnaby (Middlesbrough, free), Daniel de Ridder (Celta Vigo, free), Richard Kingston (Hammarby, free), Rafael Schmitz (Lille, season loan), Franck Queudrue (Fulham, £2.5m).
    Out: Bruno N'Gotty (Leicester, free), Julian Gray (Coventry, free), Stephen Clemence (Leicester, fee rising to £1m), DJ Campbell (Leicester, £2.1m).
    606: DEBATE
    Do you agree with Lawro?

    Lawro's verdict: A question to be asked of all the promoted sides is who will score the goals to ensure their survival?
    I think this could be a problem for Birmingham, although I expect the players in the squad will give absolutely everything for the cause.
    I think it could be a long, hard season for Blues and I think they will finish somewhere in the bottom six.
    KEY MAN: STEVE BRUCE
    He has been here before and might have to wheel and deal in January.

    BLACKBURN ROVERS
    Latest club news



    Nickname: Rovers
    Ground: Ewood Park
    Capacity: 31,367
    Last season: 10th
    Manager: Mark Hughes (September 2004)
    In: Gunnar Nielsen (BK Frem Copenhagen, undisclosed), Maceo Rigters (NAC Breda, undisclosed), Roque Santa Cruz (Bayern Munich, undisclosed).
    Out: Andy Todd (Derby, undisclosed), Michael Gray (Wolves, released).
    606: DEBATE
    Do you agree with Lawro?

    Lawro's verdict: Blackburn have punched above their weight since Mark Hughes took over.
    They play good football, are strong defensively, scrap for everything and have plenty of decent players.
    Blackburn have been a real success story under Hughes and I think they could be pushing for a Uefa Cup place once again this season.
    KEY MAN: RYAN NELSEN
    A very under-rated player who holds Blackburn together at the back.

    BOLTON WANDERERS
    Latest club news



    Nickname: Trotters
    Ground: Reebok Stadium
    Capacity: 27,879
    Last season: Seventh
    Manager: Sammy Lee (April 2007)
    In: Gavin McCann (Aston Villa, £1m), Jlloyd Samuel (Aston Villa, free), Zoltan Harsanyi (FC Senec, undisclosed), Blerim Dzemaili (Zurich, undisclosed), Gerald Cid (Bordeaux, undisclosed), Danny Guthrie (Liverpool, season loan), Heidar Helguson (Fulham, undisclosed), Mikel Alonso (Real Sociedad, loan), Christian Wilhelmsson (Nantes, loan).
    Out: Tal Ben Haim (Chelsea, free), Idan Tal (Betar Jerusalem, undisclosed), Chris Howarth (Carlisle, free), Henrik Pedersen, Quinton Fortune, David Thompson, Cesar Martin (all released).
    606: DEBATE
    Do you agree with Lawro?

    Lawro's verdict: I think it is really important that they keep hold of Nicolas Anelka, who will score his share of goals.
    I had a concern that a change of manager would lead to certain players leaving but that has not happened.
    Bolton will be OK this season, perhaps pushing on from mid-table but falling short of a Uefa Cup place.
    KEY MAN: GARY SPEED
    As a player who is on the coaching staff, he will be an important link between the squad and management.

    CHELSEA
    Latest club news



    Nickname: Blues
    Ground: Stamford Bridge
    Capacity: 42,449
    Last season: 2nd
    Manager: Jose Mourinho (June 2004)
    In: Florent Malouda (Lyon, £13.5m), Tal Ben Haim (Bolton, free), Steve Sidwell (Reading, free), Claudio Pizarro (Bayern Munich, free), Jacob Mellis (Sheffield United, £1.3m), Danny Philliskirk (Oldham, undisclosed).
    Out: Geremi (Newcastle, free) Yves Ma-Kalambay (Hibernian, free), Nuno Morais (Apoel Nicosia, undisclosed), Khalid Boulahrouz (Sevilla, season loan), Jimmy Smith (Norwich, season loan).
    606: DEBATE
    Do you agree with Lawro?

    Lawro's verdict: I expect Chelsea to finish the season as Premier League champions.
    Very important for them is a full season with Petr Cech, John Terry, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba in the side.
    Chelsea are the most difficult team to beat but will always fashion chances at the other end with the calibre of forward players they have.
    KEY MAN: FRANK LAMPARD
    He scores a massively important number of goals from midfield. A huge asset.

    DERBY
    Latest club news



    Nickname: The Rams
    Ground: Pride Park
    Capacity: 33,597
    Last season: Promoted (Championship play-off winners)
    Manager: Billy Davies (June 2006)
    In: Robert Earnshaw (Norwich, £3.5m), Tyrone Mears (West Ham, £1m), Claude Davis (£3m), Andy Todd (Blackburn, free), Ben Hinchcliffe (free agent), Andy Griffin (Portsmouth, free), Lewis Price (Ipswich, undisclosed).
    Out: Seth Johnson, Morten Bisgaard, Lee Grant (all released), Ryan Smith (Millwall, £150,000), Paul Peschisolido (Luton, free), Paul Boertien (Walsall, free), Lee Camp (Derby, £300,000), Steve Cann (Rotherham, released).
    606: DEBATE
    Do you agree with Lawro?

    Lawro's verdict:I think boss Billy Davies knows this season will be a struggle.
    He has signed players he can rely on and who arguably have a point to prove and we know that Derby will be well supported with good crowds.
    Even so you have to be realistic. People say that you should never set a target of finishing fourth from bottom but I don't agree with that.
    KEY MAN: ROBERT EARNSHAW
    Has good movement in the box but if he does not fire it will be a real problem for Derby.

    EVERTON
    Latest club news



    Nickname: Toffees
    Ground: Goodison Park
    Capacity: 40,170
    Last season: Sixth
    Manager: David Moyes (March 2002)
    In: Leighton Baines (Everton, undisclosed), Lukas Jutkiewicz (Swindon, undisclosed), Phil Jagielka (Sheffield United, £4m), Steven Pienaar (Borussia Dortmund, loan)
    Out: Richard Wright (West Ham, free), Alessandro Pistone (released), Gary Naysmith (Sheffield United, £1m), James Beattie (Sheffield United, £4m).
    606: DEBATE
    Do you agree with Lawro?

    Lawro's verdict: If David Moyes can keep his important players fit then I don't think they will have a problem at all.
    Everton have a few adaptable players who can fill several positions but do not have a particularly big squad.
    Providing that Everton are not undermined by injury problems I think they'll be pushing for a Uefa Cup place.
    KEY MAN: MIKEL ARTETA
    A very good player who creates a lot of chances for the strikers.

    FULHAM
    Latest club news



    Nickname: Cottagers
    Ground: Craven Cottage
    Capacity: 22,000
    Last season: 16th
    Manager: Lawrie Sanchez (April 2007)
    In: Diomansy Kamara (West Brom, £6m), Aaron Hughes (Aston Villa, £1m), Steven Davis (Aston Villa, undisclosed), Chris Baird (Southampton, £3.025m), David Healy (£1.5m), Paul Konchesky (£2m), Lee Cook (QPR, undisclosed).
    Out: Claus Jensen (released), Mark Pembridge (released), Tomasz Radzinski (released), Mark Crossley (released, now at Oldham), Michael Brown (Wigan, undisclosed), Franck Queudrue (Birmingham, £2.5m).
    606: DEBATE
    Do you agree with Lawro?

    Lawro's verdict: Lawrie Sanchez has signed players he knows and will have worked hard to create a good dressing room spirit.
    Lots of decent players have arrived, all of whom will compete for places but I wonder whether there is a shortage of quality.
    As with a few other teams, I think they might struggle for goals and are in for a bottom-six finish.
    KEY MAN: LAWRIE SANCHEZ
    Sees this as his big chance at the top level and will be very motivated to succeed.

    LIVERPOOL
    Latest club news



    Nickname: Reds
    Ground: Anfield
    Capacity: 45,362
    Last season: Third
    Manager: Rafael Benitez (June 2004)
    In: Fernando Torres (Atletico Madrid, undisclosed), Lucas Leiva (Gremio, undisclosed), Mikel San Jose (Athletic Bilbao, £270,000), Nikolay Mihaylov (Levski Sofia, undisclosed), Krisztian Nemeth (MTK Budapest, undisclosed), Andras Simon (MTK Budapest, undisclosed), Andriy Voronin (Bayer Leverkusen, free), Dani Pacheco (Barcelona, £350,000), Alex Kacaniklic (Helsingborg, undisclosed), Marvin Purie (Borussia Dortmund, undisclosed), Gary Mackay Stevens (Ross County, undisclosed), Yossi Benayoun (West Ham, £5m), Ryan Babel (Ajax, £11.5m).
    Out: Djibril Cisse (Marseille, £6m), Craig Bellamy (West Ham, £7.5m), Luis Garcia (Atletico Madrid, undisclosed), Florent Sinama Pongolle (Recreativo Huelva, £2m), Danny Guthrie (Bolton, loan), Robbie Fowler, Jerzy Dudek (released), Boudewijn Zenden (Marseille, free), Mark Gonzalez (Real Betis, undisclosed).
    606: DEBATE
    Do you agree with Lawro?

    Lawro's verdict: Will get a lot closer to the top of the Premier League - they were 21 points behind the winners last season - but will not finish first.
    There is no doubt about the quality of the playing staff but they need to take more points off the other top teams.
    Another problem is that Chelsea and Manchester United are likely to start the season well, meaning Liverpool's new players must gel very quickly.
    KEY MAN: STEVEN GERRARD
    Blindingly obvious but they are a different team when he is in it.

    MANCHESTER CITY
    Latest club news



    Nickname: Blues
    Ground: City of Manchester Stadium
    Capacity: 48,000
    Last season: 14th
    Manager: Sven-Goran Eriksson (July 2007)
    In: Geovanni (Cruzeiro, free), Rolando Bianchi (Reggina, £8.8m), Gelson Fernandes (FC Sion, undisclosed), Martin Petrov (Atletico Madrid, £4.7m), Javier Garrido (Real Sociedad, £1.5m), Vedran Corluka (Dinamo Zagreb, undisclosed), Elano (Shakhtar Donetsk, £8m), Valeri Bojinov (Fiorentina, undisclosed).
    Out: Sylvain Distin (Portsmouth, free), Trevor Sinclair (released), Stephen Jordan (Burnley, free), Hatem Trabelsi (released), Joey Barton (Newcastle, £5.8m), Nicky Weaver (Charlton, free).
    606: DEBATE
    Do you agree with Lawro?

    Lawro's verdict: A lot of the players Sven-Goran Eriksson has signed have come from Italy and I reckon his right-hand man Tord Grip will have been scouting them for months.
    If Sven signs six or seven new players and half of them come off it will still mean a real improvement at City.
    I predict a mid-table finish at least, possibly pushing for a Uefa Cup place.
    KEY MAN: THAKSIN SHINAWATRA
    Who knows what might happen to the club's new owner and the impact it will have on Man City.

    MANCHESTER UNITED
    Latest club news



    Nickname: Red Devils
    Ground: Old Trafford
    Capacity: 76,000
    Last season: Champions
    Manager: Sir Alex Ferguson (November 1986)
    In: Owen Hargreaves (Bayern Munich, £17m), Anderson (Porto, undisclosed), Nani (Sporting Lisbon, undisclosed), Tomasz Kuszczak (West Brom, undisclosed), Carlos Tevez.
    Out: Kieran Richardson (Sunderland, £5.5m, Giuseppe Rossi (Villarreal, undisclosed), Alan Smith (Newcastle, £6m).
    606: DEBATE
    Do you agree with Lawro?

    Lawro's verdict: United won the Premier League last season and manager Sir Alex Ferguson went straight out and improved his squad.
    They are a very strong, attack-minded team but will United pick up as many points when they are having a bad day as Chelsea will in the same situation?
    As champions everybody will want to beat United and I think they might occasionally be frustrated when playing away from home against teams lining up defensively.
    KEY MAN: PAUL SCHOLES
    He is everything that is good about United and very, very consistent.

    MIDDLESBROUGH
    Latest club news



    Nickname: Boro
    Ground: Riverside Stadium
    Capacity: 35,049
    Last season: 12th
    Manager: Gareth Southgate (June 2006)
    In: Tuncay Sanli (Fenerbahce, free), Jeremie Aliadiere (Arsenal, £2m), Jonathan Woodgate (Real Madrid, £7m), Luke Young (Charlton, £2.5m).
    Out: Mark Viduka (Newcastle, free), Stuart Parnaby (Birmingham, free), Abel Xavier (LA Galaxy, free), Malcolm Christie (released), Danny Graham (released), Jason Kennedy (Livingston, loan), James Morrison (West Brom, £1.5m).
    606: DEBATE
    Do you agree with Lawro?

    Lawro's verdict: Crucial to Middlesbrough is that they keep hold of Yakubu. If they do then they will be in the middle reaches but if not it could be down in the bottom six.
    Gareth Southgate has had to learn on his feet and has done OK but he has a lost a good player in Mark Viduka.
    Doubts remain over the future of Mark Schwarzer and I have yet to be convinced by Boro.
    KEY MAN: YAKUBU
    By far Middlesbrough's top goal threat.

    NEWCASTLE
    Latest club news



    Nickname: Magpies
    Ground: St James' Park
    Capacity: 52,193
    Last season: 13th
    Manager: Sam Allardyce (May 2007)
    In: Mark Viduka (Middlesbrough, free), Joey Barton (Man City, £5.8m), David Rozehnal (Paris St Germain, £2.9m), Geremi (Chelsea, free), Alan Smith (Manchester United, £6m), Claudio Cacapa (Lyon, free), Jose Enrique (Villarreal, £6.3m).
    Out: Scott Parker (West Ham, £7m), Titus Bramble (Wigan, free), Antoine Sibierski (Wigan, free), Craig Moore (released), Olivier Bernard (released), Alan O'Brien (undisclosed).
    606: DEBATE
    Do you agree with Lawro?

    Lawro's verdict: Even with Sam Allardyce at the club there still seems to be a bit of the soap opera about Newcastle.
    But they have impressive attacking power and will score lots of goals.
    The key for me is whether Big Sam can get them sorted at the back. If he does they might finally be able to contain teams away from home and qualify for the Uefa Cup.
    KEY MAN: DAVID ROZEHNAL
    Could he finally be the right man to partner the capable Steven Taylor in the centre of defence?
    PORTSMOUTH
    Latest club news



    Nickname: Pompey
    Ground: Fratton Park
    Capacity: 20,200
    Last season: Ninth
    Manager: Harry Redknapp (December 2005)
    In: David Nugent (Preston, undisclosed), John Utaka (Rennes, undisclosed), Sylvain Distin (Manchester City, free), Hermann Hreidarsson (Charlton, free), Sulley Muntari (Udinese, undisclosed), Martin Cranie (Southampton, undisclosed), Arnold Mvuemba (Rennes, undisclosed), Callum Reynolds (Rushden & Diamonds, undisclosed).
    Out: Svetoslav Todorov (Charlton, free), Daryl Fordyce (released), Andy Griffin (Derby, free), Collins Mbesuma (Bursaspor, undisclosed).
    606: DEBATE
    Do you agree with Lawro?

    Lawro's verdict: Pompey finished last season in ninth place and it could be same again for Harry Redknapp and his team.
    He has different attacking options and I expect that he will select the players who are in form and scoring.
    Fratton Park remains a difficult venue for visiting teams and I don't see any major problems for Pompey.
    KEY MAN: SOL CAMPBELL
    I could see him drifting after leaving Arsenal but he has done very, very well at Fratton Park.

    READING
    Latest club news



    Nickname: Royals
    Ground: Madejski Stadium
    Capacity: 24,045
    Last season: Eighth
    Manager: Steve Coppell (October 2003)
    In: Khalifa Cisse (Boavista, £650,000), Emerse Fae (Nantes, £2.5m).
    Out: Steve Sidwell (Chelsea, free), Greg Halford (Sunderland, £2.5m), Curtis Ujah (Yeovil, free), Jonathan Hayes (MK Dons, loan).
    606: DEBATE
    Do you agree with Lawro?

    Lawro's verdict: I believe in the second-season syndrome and I think that Reading might just experience it this year.
    They have lost a quality player in Steve Sidwell, who I think will prove difficult to replace.
    They looked a bit ropey defensively towards the end of last season and everyone knows what they are about now.
    KEY MAN: STEVE COPPELL
    Might have to convince his chairman to spend more than he has budgeted.

    SUNDERLAND
    Latest club news



    Nickname: Black Cats
    Ground: Stadium of Light
    Capacity: 48,300
    Last season: Promoted (Championship champions)
    Manager: Roy Keane (August 2006)
    In: Dickson Etuhu (Norwich, £1.5m), Kieran Richardson (Manchester United, undisclosed), Greg Halford (Reading, £2.5m), Russell Anderson (Aberdeen, £1m), Michael Chopra (Cardiff City, £5m), Paul McShane (West Brom, £2.5m).
    Out: Kenny Cunningham (released), Tommy Miller (Ipswich, released), Stephen Elliott (Wolves, undisclosed).
    606: DEBATE
    Do you agree with Lawro?

    Lawro's verdict: They had a great season in 2006-2007 but I think they could be in for a bottom-six finish back in the Premier League.
    I am not convinced by Michael Chopra at the top level and although Sunderland have great support the fans cannot put the ball in the back of the net.
    Sunderland, like several others, have had to pay top prices for players.
    KEY MAN: MICHAEL CHOPRA
    Important that he gets off to a good start with some early goals.

    TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
    Latest club news



    Nickname: Spurs
    Ground: White Hart Lane
    Capacity: 36,236
    Last season: Fifth
    Manager: Martin Jol (November 2004)
    In: Gareth Bale (Southampton, £5m), Adel Taarabt (Lens, undisclosed), Yuri Berchiche (Athletic Bilbao, undisclosed), Darren Bent (Charlton £16.5m), Younes Kaboul (Auxerre, £8m), Danny Rose (Leeds, undisclosed), Kevin-Prince Boateng (Hertha Berlin, undisclosed).
    Out: Emil Hallfredsson (Lyn-Oslo, undisclosed), Reto Ziegler (Sampdoria, undisclosed), Mark Yeates (Colchester, undisclosed).
    606: DEBATE
    Do you agree with Lawro?

    Lawro's verdict: Spurs have some very good players but I think to break into the top four they need to improve on their left side.
    I think that teams will attack them in that area and I'm not convinced by them on the road.
    They will be pushing for a top-four finish but I'm not sure that Martin Jol will always know his best team.
    KEY MAN: LEDLEY KING
    King is a crucial player, especially when Spurs are playing away.

    WEST HAM UNITED
    Latest club news


    Nickname: Hammers
    Ground: Upton Park
    Capacity: 35,056
    Last season: 15th
    Manager: Alan Curbishley (December 2006)
    In: Scott Parker (Newcastle, £7m), Julien Faubert (Bordeaux, £6.1m), Richard Wright (Everton, free), Craig Bellamy (Liverpool, £7.5m), Freddie Ljungberg (West Ham, £3m).
    Out: Paul Konchesky (Fulham, £3.25m), Nigel Reo-Coker (Aston Villa, £8.5m), Tyrone Mears (Derby, £1m), Yossi Benayoun (Liverpool, undisclosed), Marlon Harewood (Aston Villa, undisclosed), Teddy Sheringham (Colchester, released), Shaun Newton (Leicester, released), Roy Carroll (Rangers, free).
    606: DEBATE
    Do you agree with Lawro?

    Lawro's verdict: Chairman Eggert Magnusson may be looking for West Ham to clinch a Uefa Cup spot and that is a possibility.
    The Hammers had a great end to last season after Alan Curbishley managed to sort out the dressing room.
    Dean Ashton is back and although Craig Bellamy is inconsistent, he will win matches.
    KEY MAN: DEAN ASHTON
    Ashton knits the team together. Natural replacement for Teddy Sheringham.

    WIGAN ATHLETIC
    Latest club news



    Nickname: Latics
    Ground: JJB Stadium
    Capacity: 25,000
    Last season: 17th
    Manager: Chris Hutchings (May 2007)
    In: Antoine Sibierski (Newcastle, free), Titus Bramble (Newcastle, free), Mario Melchiot (Rennes, free), Andreas Granqvist (Helsingborg, undisclosed), Carlo Nash (Preston, £300,000), Jason Koumas (West Brom, £5.3m), Michael Brown (Fulham, undisclosed).
    Out: Leighton Baines (Everton, undisclosed), Lee McCulloch (Rangers, £2.25m), Matt Jackson (Watford, free), Arjan de Zeeuw (released), David Unsworth (released), Andreas Johansson (AaB Aalborg, free).
    606: DEBATE
    Do you agree with Lawro?

    Lawro's verdict: The Latics survived a very tough examination last season and I think new boss Chris Hutchings has decided that he needs some fresh faces.
    I think, though, that they are lacking something without Paul Jewell.
    It will be difficult again for Wigan, who will struggle for goals and finish in the bottom six.
    KEY MAN: JASON KOUMAS
    May well end up top scorer with valuable goals from midfield.
    Mark Lawrenson was talking to Paul Fletcher.
    "Only when you drink from the river of silence shall you indeed sing. And when you have reached the mountain top, then you shall begin to climb. And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance." ~ Kahlil Gibran

  • #2
    Suh Chelsea gonna finish first? We shall see what we shall see .. just..

    "Build unuh coffin and prepare to die" (Capleton) was the footer of a letter sent to Steve Coppel by Fergie.
    "Jamaica's future reflects its past, having attained only one per cent annual growth over 30 years whilst neighbours have grown at five per cent." (Article)

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