Everton: How much money would it take for you to part with Lescott?

Having missed out on Chelsea’s John Terry, Manchester City boss Mark Hughes is desperate to improve his defensive options for the coming season and, following Kolo Toure’s arrival from Arsenal, Everton’s Joleon Lescott is top of his wish-list. City’s first bid of £15 million was rejected out of hand by the Everton board and their latest offer of £18 million has also been knocked back.

Toffees manager David Moyes has stated that no-one will leave Goodison Park without his approval, but there seems to be a widespread belief that it will only be a matter of time before Lescott heads down the M62 to join Tevez and co at Eastlands. However, Everton view Lescott as an integral part of their future and won’t let the former Wolves defender leave unless they receive an unbelievable offer for him, but if you were in David Moyes’s position, how much would City have to offer in order for you to let Lescott go?

There’s no denying that Lescott is a class act – he’s quick on the ground, strong in the air, has good positional sense and is a major threat at set pieces – and no Everton wants to see him leave, but £20 million or so could go an awful long way in helping to strengthen Everton Football Club.

David Moyes has brought just two new faces to Goodison Park so far this summer, 22-year-old American midfielder Anton Peterlin, who’s arrived from Ventura County Fusion, and Manchester City’s out-of-favour striker Jo on loan. The Toffees are, quite rightly, being talked about as a team that could break into the top four this season – their commitment to the cause is second to none, in Cahill and Arteta they have proven match-winners and David Moyes has created a wonderful team spirit at the club. However, are Peterlin and Jo the kind of signings that are likely to take Everton to that next level? You can bet your life that Lescott, in a crucial World Cup year, will be asking himself that question and wondering whether Everton can match his ambition.

Lescott always had potential as a youngster and has fulfilled that at Everton to become one of England’s top defenders. His impressive displays at Goodison Park have caught the eye of England boss Fabio Capello, so there’s no need for him to leave Everton in order to pursue his international career, but I’m sure he wants to start winning trophies and who has the better chance of success, Manchester City or Everton?

The 27-year-old is highly versatile, always gives 100 per cent on the pitch and deserves to be playing at the highest level. Everton signed Lescott for £5 million in 2006 so they would make a great return on him if he were to leave and that in turn would enable Moyes to attract three or four new players to the club. But how much would City have to offer before you’d let Lescott leave? Is he irreplaceable?

·         Calling all Everton fans. How highly do you rate Lescott? Do you think he is worth more than £18 million? Would you prefer to keep Lescott at Goodison Park or sell him and sign three or four more players to improve the strength in depth? How confident are you that he will still be an Everton player come the start of the season? I’d love to hear from you.

·         Calling all Manchester City fans. Do you think Lescott is worth more than £18 million? Are there any other defenders out there who you would prefer Hughes to target? Hughes has targeted a number of players with experience of the Premier League. Do you think this is a smart move by the former Blackburn Rovers boss? How confident will you be of breaking into the top four with Lescott and Toure in defence? I’d love to hear from you.

Summer Window Watch; Birmingham City - Week Four

It’s an incredibly quiet week for Birmingham City on the transfer front. Ridiculous rumours are in desperately short supply, while the team are in Austria limbering up for the new campaign. A 2-0 defeat to VFB Stuttgart marks the debut of last week’s big signing, Barry Ferguson from Rangers, but there is precious little else to report. The good news is that the former Scotland captain does not appear to be homesick for Glasgow just yet.

On Monday (July 20) 19-year-old defender Krystian Pearce is loaned out to Peterborough United. The newly promoted Championship club have the youngster on loan until the end of the forthcoming season, and it is hoped that he will gain some valuable experience at a good level.

What other news there is can be construed as potentially significant, if not Earth-shattering or revelatory. Stephen Hunt has been linked with a move away from Reading for what seems like years now, so it is no surprise to read of City’s interest. Tuesday’s Daily Star (July 21) reports that Alex McLeish’s side are set to make a £4million bid for the Republic of Ireland international. Now 27, Hunt seems unlikely to be relishing the prospect of another season outside the top flight with the Royals, and would no doubt welcome the opportunity to return to the big stage with Blues.

By Thursday (July 23) the Sun inform us of Portsmouth’s interest in the player, but don’t tell us how much Pompey are willing to pay for him. Despite a recent £60million takeover the Fratton Park club seem more intent on stripping their squad bare, which seems like good news for Blues in their pursuit of Hunt.

By Stephen Orford

July 29 2009

Summer Window Watch; Portsmouth - Week Four

Filling the void at right-back is on the agenda for Portsmouth this week. The Daily Mirror say on Tuesday (July 21) that Pompey have lined up former Liverpool man Steve Finnan for the job. Finnan left Anfield for Espanyol in La Liga, but could be set to return to England as a replacement for Glen Johnson, now at……………Liverpool.

The Mirror also add that the takeover of the Fratton Park club should be completed later that day, with Arab businessman Sulaiman Al Fahim likely to pay £60million for the privilege. So, an entire football club which is the heart of a community is worth £20million less than a gel-addicted arch-simulator. Now tell me football hasn’t gone mad.

Peter Crouch will probably still leave the south coast, but it won’t now be to Sunderland. That is if we believe what we read in Wednesday’s Daily Telegraph (July 22). It reports that the England striker has rejected the chance to move to the north east, favouring the opportunity to stay in the south via a move to either Fulham or Tottenham Hotspur.

A possible replacement for Crouch is on the way, however. So say Sky Sports News on Thursday (July 23) with the revelation that Hadjuk Split striker Nikola Kalinic is already in talks with Pompey about a move to the Premier League. No, we’ve never heard of him either but when the news is shouted at you by another husky-voiced Sky stunner you tend to take her word for it, at least for a while.

Yet the first real indication that the big boys have arrived to splash the cash and make Portsmouth look a serious player comes with suggestions in several news outlets that an email has been released suggesting that Mr Al Fahim is on the trail of none other than Diego Maradona. The new Pompey owner wants the Argentine legend to act as an ambassador for the club, but may find that riches or no riches he will have a tough time persuading the diminutive handler to give up the job he has just started in charge of his national team.

Besides, what does an ambassador do anyway? We’re assuming Joey Barton wouldn’t see a future in it.

Bringing in money through the sale of players is still on the agenda despite the takeover. The Daily Mirror believe that a bidding war will soon begin between Aston Villa and Liverpool for the services of Sylvain Distin. The former Manchester City defender is thought to be available for around £3-5million as Pompey look to pull apart their most successful defensive unit in years. I mean rebuild. They will start that rebuilding, according to the same paper, with the £2million purchase of Sam Ricketts from Hull City.

The Sun helpfully counter this by suggesting that Stephen Hunt of Reading is a target for manager Paul Hart, who we are told will remain in his job despite the new ownership.

The Crouch plot thickens on Friday (July 24) with the Daily Star trying to convince us that he may go back to Anfield. The club who let him go only a year ago are apparently planning to pay £12million to get him back. What is more, Crouch is prepared to return despite leaving due to the lack of opportunities behind Spanish superstar Fernando Torres. All of which sounds a bit too Tottenham Hotspur for my liking, and can’t possibly happen.

An altogether more serious suggestion in the Daily Mail is that Juventus’ Danish midfielder/defender Christian Poulson could arrive for around £4million. The catch being that Fulham, West Ham United and obviously Tottenham are all interested too.

More defensive woes for Pompey could be on the way, as Saturday’s Sun newspaper (July 25) has it that Hull City are keen to sign Sol Campbell. The former England defender is out of contract at Fratton Park, yet the article insists that the sticking point to the deal is that Mr Fahim wants £2million for his man. Another sticking point could be Campbell’s desire to turn out for Hull City, but maybe we should cross that bridge when we come to it.

On Sunday (July 26) a Spanish newspaper (Ole) quotes Maradona as saying that he will never ’abandon ship’ by joining Portsmouth from his post with the Argentine FA. Thought not.

Back to the British boys, and the Daily Mirror say that Crouch will now sign for Tottenham. They believe that he will join the White Hart Lane outfit for a second time, linking up with manager Harry Redknapp for a third time, for a fee of around £10million. It seems neither party has learned very much from the past. Either way, there will be some congestion in striking areas in the Spurs squad, with Crouch set to join Robbie Keane, Jermain Defoe and Darren Bent in north London, and talk still buzzing of a move for Klaus-Jan Huntelaar.

The News of the World concentrates on the defence, claiming Hart will return to his former club Nottingham Forest to sign defenders Wes Morgan and James Perch. Distin and Campbell they are not. Yet.

By Stephen Orford

28 July 2009

Tottenham Hotspur: Can Crouch deliver silverware to Spurs?

Peter Crouch’s return to White Hart Lane has hardly seen the Tottenham fans rushing out to get his name on the back of their shirts, but could the England international striker deliver silverware to the club?

In Defoe, Keane and Pavlyuchenko, Tottenham Hotspur have three of the best strikers outside of the top four. They’re quick, inventive and sharp in front of the sticks. However, the one thing that they ultimately lack is height. Up steps Crouch. At 6ft 7in, the former Liverpool and Portsmouth marksman will definitely give Redknapp an alternative attacking option and he’s a real favourite with the former West Ham United and Portsmouth boss.

This is the third time Harry has signed Crouch and he obviously values him as a player. He is fully aware of what Crouch can offer a team and Redknapp will know exactly what makes him tick so this could turn out to be a really smart bit of business by the former West Ham United and Portsmouth boss.  

Some Spurs fans fear that with Crouch leading the line that there will be the temptation by his teammates just to launch it forward and hope that he can get a flick on to it, but that isn’t Tottenham’s or Harry Redknapp’s style. Spurs like to play football on the deck and I can’t see that changing just because of Crouch’s arrival, especially as he is a technically gifted footballer who will thrive on the service provided by Lennon and Modric and revel in the partnership with Defoe or Keane.

Most fans would have preferred to have seen Redknapp splash the cash on somebody who would have guaranteed at least 15-20 goals a season, somebody like Ruud Van Nistlerooy or Huntelaar – which could still be an option – but while Crouch’s scoring record is hardly prolific his all-round game is highly impressive. He leads the line well, has a fantastic touch, can hold the ball up and bring teammates into the game. What he lacks in composure in front of goal he certainly makes up with in the number of chances he will create for his teammates.

I’m not saying Crouch is a world beater, he’s definitely not – but then he’d be the first to admit that himself – but he is a better option than Darren Bent. Crouch is a proven goalscorer at international level, he won’t need time to settle in at the Lane and his presence will allow Redknapp to try out a number of different options.

A number of Tottenham fans are baffled by Redknapp’s decision to bring Crouch to the Lane, especially when they are desperate for a left winger and a central defender, but Redknapp has been in this game long enough to know what works and what doesn’t. He had high hopes for the partnership of Defoe and Crouch as Portsmouth manager but injuries prevented them from forming the prolific partnership that most people expected. Now he has reunited them at Spurs I expect to see them rattle in the goals this season. Will those goals lead to success though? Well that depends largely on whether Redknapp can strengthen the defence or not. One thing’s for sure, Crouch will be a useful addition to Spurs and I’m sure it won’t be long before the Spurs fans are singing his praises.

·         Calling all Spurs fans. How do you feel about the arrival of Peter Crouch? What do you think he will provide your club? Are you disappointed by Harry’s decision to sign Crouch? Who would you have liked to have seen at the Lane instead of Crouch? Do you think Crouch can spearhead Tottenham’s quest for silverware this season? Is Crouch the man to help you break into the top four? I’d love to hear from you.

Summer Window Watch; Stoke City - Week Three

You have to get through a number of diversions and dodgy road-signs to find it, but there is a definite link between Stoke City and Cardiff City’s Joe Ledley on Monday (July 13).

The Daily Mirror’s story goes that Cardiff would like to sign Liverpool midfielder Damien Plessis on loan, but only if they accept that they will lose Ledley. The thing is that in loaning Plessis to the Welsh side Liverpool could be helping rivals Everton get their hands on Ledley. Still with me? Good, now for the pay-off. Stoke are also interested in signing Ledley. And so are Hull City.

It is not until Tuesday (July 14) that we get some idea of how much Ledley could set Stoke back. According to the Sun, Hull are prepared to offer £10million for Ledley and Bluebirds’ striker Ross McCormack. So, something in the region of £5-7million would probably be required to bring the Welsh international to the Britannia Stadium.

A somewhat cheaper acquisition could be Southampton midfielder Adam Lallana. The Daily Star report that Stoke could get their man for something in the region of £750,000. Southampton are not without their financial difficulties as we all know, but the nagging feeling remains that you get what you pay for in life, and that if it is Lallana rather than Ledley who arrives in the Potteries, the Stoke midfield would be considerably less enhanced.

Or alternatively there is Dean Whitehead. The Sunderland man seems certain to leave the Stadium of Light and could be the subject of a bid from Tony Pulis’ side. The Times (July 16) reports that the player is in talks with Stoke about a move, all of which makes this one a strong possibility. Maybe not say the Daily Record that same day. They have Pulis turning his attentions to Nancy midfielder Landry N’Guemo, but warn that he is also the subject of interest from West Ham United aswell as repeat offenders Hull City. Oh, and Celtic according to the Herald.

Celtic are also interested in signing Le Havre striker Amadou Alassane with Stoke also interested along with……..you’re ahead of me here………….Hull City. Whoever lands Alassane can expect to fork out around £1million.

So anyway with all these midfield targets Pulis needs to make some room. Ship out some dead wood. Salif Diao has a recently signed contract, so it will have to be Seyi Olofinjana that makes way for any new arrivals. The Staffordshire-based Sentinel claim on Friday (July 17) that Pulis is keen to offload Olofinjana (easy for him to do, bet he couldn’t say it after eight pints) to French principality show-offs Monaco.

The Daily Star add some meat to the bones of the Whitehead story, telling us that Stoke will pay Sunderland £5million for his services.

By Stephen Orford

26 July 2009

Pre-season progress report: Huddersfield Town v Coventry City

League One met the Championship in West Yorkshire on Saturday as Huddersfield Town entertained Coventry City in the latest pre-season fixture for both clubs.

Huddersfield appointed Lee Clark as manager last season and after a settling in period, the highly-rated former Newcastle coach and Norwich number two stepped up his plans for the club this summer.

Backed by new chairman Dean Hoyle, Clark completed half-a-dozen signings as soon as the transfer window opened and has spent the past few weeks bedding them into his squad.

Peter Clarke (Southend United) arrived at the back, the versatile Antony Kay and Lee Peltier joined from Tranmere and Yeovil respectively while Robbie Simpson (Coventry City) and Theo Robinson (Watford) have given Clark more options up front.

Young striker Lee Novak has also joined the Terriers from Gateshead after agreeing to a move in January while a number of other players were moved on to freshen up the squad.

Clark hailed the 'quality' of his new arrivals after the friendly win at Morecambe last weekend before a step up in pre-season preparations brought his former club Newcastle to the Galpharm on Tuesday night, in a fiery game edged by the visitors.

On Saturday, Simpson (a popular figure amongst Coventry fans but often played out of position while at the Ricoh Arena) ploughed a lone furrow up front in the first-half as Clark took the opportunity to try out some different tactics.

Simpson battled hard and missed a decent chance before the break but his midfielders couldn't quite make it forward enough to test the visiting defence.

Robinson's arrival as a strike partner at half-time injected some pace into the home attack and he and Simpson look to have the makings of a useful combination, although Huddersfield could still lack for the kind of striker capable of netting 30 goals this season as Matty Fryatt, Jermaine Beckford and others did in League One last year.

At the back they looked more than capable against attacking players nominally from a higher level.

Peter Clarke has an Everton pedigree and is an accomplished performer in League One. As part of a defence containing highly-rated goalkeeper Alex Smithies, new club captain Clarke and his colleagues could provide the springboard for a play-off challenge.

Huddersfield fine tune their preparations now with trips to Macclesfield and Wrexham before the big kick-off.

Coventry City on the other hand have been conspicuous by their absence from the transfer market this summer, despite a poor finish to last season and the £3.5m sale of captain Scott Dann to Birmingham City upon the opening of the transfer window.

Manager Chris Coleman has maintained a positive stance throughout pre-season but knows that new faces are needed for a squad that ended 2008/09 in 17th place in the Championship.

He took his squad north just hours after learning that a second star, left-back Daniel Fox, had been sold to Celtic although it also emerged on Friday evening that a deal had been struck to sign midfielder Sammy Clingan from Norwich City.

The onus has been on Coleman therefore to improve the players he already has at his disposal and to that end he ended his long association with assistant Steve Kean at the start of the summer, opting for the vastly experienced Steve Harrison to become his number two and bring a fresh approach to training and tactics.

The Sky Blues lined up in a 4-4-2 formation on Saturday (with Clingan not completing his move until next week) but with three central midfielders shoehorned in, it was left to right-back Stephen Wright and young left-winger Ashley Cain to try and provide some width.

The return of the Championship's top goalkeeper from last season, Kieren Westwood brought solidity to a defence that has lost two of its key men from last season.

Central defender James McPake, the epitome of a 'no-nonsense' Scottish defender looks set to take his chance in the absence of Dann after struggling with injury initially following his move from Livingston.

Aron Gunnarsson remains the team's talisman and the signing of Clingan should increase the threat from set-pieces. At this stage of pre-season however, although a fight against relegation should be avoided, it is hard to see where Coventry are going to get the goals needed to push into mid-table and beyond.

Transfer market developments are awaited prior to friendlies against Dunfermline and Everton before the visit of Ipswich Town on the opening weekend of the season.

Bet365 currently offer Huddersfield at 9/1 to win League One and 10/3 to be promoted. The Sky Blues meanwhile are 50/1 to top their table and only 4/1 to drop into League One for season 2010/11.

Arsenal: Will Patrick Vieira remain an Arsenal legend if he joins Spurs?

When Patrick Vieira joined Arsenal in 1996 the fans knew Arsene Wenger had just signed someone unique. Tall, physical and good on the ball, Vieira was like nothing the Premiership had ever seen before. During nine years at Highbury the French World Cup winner won three Premier League titles and four FA Cups and his impressive displays ensured his place in Arsenal folklore. He was even voted the fifth best player to have ever pulled on the famous red and white shirt in a poll by the fans. However, that legacy may be tarnished if the recent Press reports of him wanting to take a pay cut to join north London rivals Spurs are correct.

Harry Redknapp has stated that he would have no problem in signing the former Arsenal ace and placing him in the heart of Tottenham’s midfield and sources close to the Senegalese-born star claim that he is prepared to leave Inter Milan and return to the Premier League, but what would that do to his reputation with the Arsenal fans?

Vieira undoubtedly gave Arsenal the best years of his career and played a massive role in reshaping Arsenal Football Club. At 33, Vieira is not the same player that he once was. Arsenal witnessed that themselves in 2006 when they played Juventus in the Champions League. Robert Pires, who is hardly renowned for his upper body strength, outmuscled Vieira to play in Cesc Fabregas, who duly scored the opening goal in a 2-0 win. All Vieira wants to do is play football, would it be such a crime if he was to do that at White Hart Lane?

Ashley Cole and Emmanuel Adebayor have both left Arsenal due to their pursuit for more money and both are going to face the wrath of the Arsenal fans this season. Would Vieira face the same treatment as those two who have tried to drag Arsenal’s name in the mud at every opportunity just for playing for Spurs?

However, it’s not just Vieira’s reputation with the Arsenal fans that is at stake here, how would Spurs fans react to Redknapp signing a former Arsenal legend? Put another way, who would you prefer in midfield, Jenas or Vieira?

If reports from Italy are true then Vieira could well be a Spurs player by the end of the month and he could join Cashley Cole and Emmanuel Adebayor in receiving a hot welcome at the Emirates, but if he did would he retain his legendary status with the fans?

·         Calling all Arsenal fans. How would you feel if Vieira ended up at White Hart Lane? Would you lose all respect for him or would you remember him for what what he achieved at Arsenal? I’d love to hear from you.

 

·         Calling all Spurs fans. Would you welcome the arrival of Vieira at White Hart Lane? What do you think he would give the team? I’d love to hear from you.

Crouch: Fulham, Liverpool or Spurs – You decide!

Peter Crouch famously said that if he wasn’t a footballer he would probably still be a virgin. The lucky boy has been dating the lovely Abi Clancy for a few years now and with the new season just around the corner the big man has the opportunity to score a new contract with a Premier League club.

The 6ft 7in striker has been linked with more men this summer than Paris Hilton but where will the England international be plying his trade come August 15? Fulham, Liverpool, Sunderland and Tottenham Hotspur have all expressed an interest in signing the former Aston Villa forward, although Steve Bruce recently pulled the plug on any such deal. But which is the right club for Crouch?

Fulham

The Cottagers surprised everyone last season with their solid defensive displays and Roy Hodgson is looking at bolstering his squad ahead of their Europa League assault. Crouch, 28, would certainly provide Hodgson with an alternative attacking option and his height and sublime touch would make them even harder to play against. It’s claimed that Crouch doesn’t want to up sticks in the south so Fulham would be ideal for him. He would also be guaranteed games which, in a World Cup year, would be perfect for him.

Liverpool

It’s been reported that Rafa Benitez has been keeping tabs on Crouch’s form since selling him to Portsmouth last year for £11 million and with Andriy Voronin looking to be on his way out of Anfield, Crouch could seal a sensational return to Merseyside. He was a huge hit with the fans and scored 40 goals in all competitions for the Reds. If Liverpool had kept hold of Crouch last season they may well have ended their long wait for a league title. Crouch spent three years at the club and knows the majority of the players at Anfield so there would be no settling in period for him. Playing in the Champions League would also boost his World Cup hopes.

Tottenham Hotspur

Harry Redknapp loves Peter Crouch. He signed him for Southampton and Portsmouth and now wants to be reunited with him again at White Hart Lane. Crouch started his career at Spurs but failed to make a first-team start. Could he be about to finish what he started a decade ago? Redknapp is obviously a huge fan of Crouch and knows exactly how to get the best out of him. Crouch also struck up an impressive partnership with Defoe at Fratton Park so the two of them would be looking at hitting the ground running.  Spurs have no European football to offer Crouch but they will be hoping to mount a serious assault on the top four.

Liverpool are a massive club and it would be hard for anyone to turn them down, but would Crouch be happy to play a supporting role to the Torres and co? Spurs are another huge club which he knows well and he has proved that he and Defoe are a lethal double act, but would he be happy not playing in Europe? And then there’s Fulham. Roy Hodgson’s men worked wonders last season, but with a small squad and European football to contend with can they produce the goods again in the Premier League?

Crouch has three top clubs to choose from, each offering a different challenge, but where do you think he will end up?

·         Would you like to see Crouch at your club? How highly do you rate him? What do you think he would offer your club? Do you think he is worth £12 million? I’d love to hear from you.

Transfer Round-up: Sickening Summer for Liverpool

It has been a sickening summer for Liverpool.  What with Javier Mascherano's apparent eagerness to move to Barcelona and Xabi Alonso's determination to move to Real Madrid, Rafael Benitez has found himself battling to hold his midfield together.

Perhaps just as worrying is the fact that so far nothing has been decided despite the fact that the start of the season is edging ever closer.

That would have been fine had the players settled down after an early flirt.  Yet just this week Mascherano's agent has once again said just how much the player hates living ing England - surely his repeated comments have Mascherano's blessing - whilst Alonso's body language is that of a player who wants to leave.

All of which could leave Liverpool facing the potential headache of having to replace either one or both.

It is a possibility for which Benitez is already seems to be planning.  The rumours of a move for Alberto Aquilani have been too persistent for them not to hold any truth.  The Italian playmaker is a class act, if slightly injury prone, and he could fill the void left by Alonso.  David Silva too is a long term target who would give Benitez the options that he's always looking for.

That no names have been mentioned as potential replacements for Mascherano hints that Benitez is less willing to let him go. The only name that has cropped up is Lyon's Moussa Sissoko, but even if there's any truth in that, he's unlikely to be a player to replace him.

Martin Skrtel's injury has opened up another area where Liverpool need to strengthen.  Sylvain Distin's name has been mentioned but with Aston Villa now interested as well his price could baloon.  Something that Benitez might do simply to spite Martin O'Neill.

If there is little sign that the two players that everyone wants to stay will do so, one player who could easily leave Anfield without anyone noticing is still there.  Andrea Dossena is surplus to requirements even with Fabio Aurelio injured but Liverpool have yet to find a buyer.  Juventus toyed with the idea earlier on but now Napoli are interested.  Contact has been made but it now is up to the to offer a decent price for the Italian international.

Sven's 20 Handy Facts To Get To Know Notts County

It's a fair bet that Notts County isn' t a club that's been high on Sven-Goran Eriksson's radar since he got involved with English football. Here's twenty handy facts to break the conversational ice if cornered by a skeptical fan

1. County were famously formed as early as 1862. The American Civil War was in full swing and Viscount Palmerston was sending gunboats round the globe to back British 'diplomacy'.

2. The team were founder members of the Football League in 1888.

3. If the new owners want to jazz up the black and white kit, the club experimented with blue and black halves and yellow and black hoops before settling on their iconic stripes.

4. Juventus FC's kit is based on County's stripes.

5. In 1894 Notts County won the FA Cup and became the first side from the Second Division to lift the trophy.

6. The club played in England's top flight as recently as 1991/92, just missing the first Premiership season.

7. Between 1893 and 1910 their home was the Trent Bridge cricket ground.

8. Meadow Lane and Nottingham Forest's City Ground are only 300 metres apart- but the River Trent lies between them

9. Notts County fans point out that Forest's ground is actually outside the city of Nottingham boundary.

10. The club's appearance record is held by Albert Iremonger- a goalkeeper who also played county cricket for Nottinghamshire.

11. In 1947 the club caused a sensation by signing England centre-forwatrd Tommy Lawton to play in what was then the Third Division.It put 10,000 on the gate immediately

12. Current manager Ian McParland netted 90 times for the club in the 1980s.

13. In 1995 the club won the Anglo-Italian Cup beating Ascoli at Wembley.

14. In 1998 Sam Allardyce led the club to promotion from Division Three (now League Two) and the title was clinched as early as mid-March.

15. County are the ultimate yo-yo club. There have been 12 promotions and 15 relegations in their history

16. Over 47,000 crammed into Meadow Lane in 1955 for an FA Cup quarter-final with York City. Current capacity is around 20,000.

17. Jimmy Logan scored a hat-trick in the 1894 FA Cup Final

18. Meadow Lane had to be closed during WW2 due to bomb damage.

19. One stand is named after Jimmy Sirrell, the Scottish manager who took County into the top flight during the 1980s.

20. The club's best-ever league finishing position is third in the top flight- a tough target for the new consortium to beat.

Summer Window Watch; Fulham - Week 3

Fulham enter the third week of July looking for a midfielder. Unable to find one, they turn their attentions to trying to sign Jonathan Greening from West Bromwich Albion. It is suggested by the Sun on Tuesday (July 14) that Fulham are ‘on the verge’ of signing the ex-Manchester United soap-dodger for a fee of around £2.5million. They’ll even throw in Hameur Bouazza, how’s that?

Much more exciting news of midfielders in the Daily Express on Wednesday (July 15). They say that Fulham are one of a whole host of clubs interested in bringing Patrick Vieira back to the Premier League. Tottenham, Sunderland, Lyon and Paris St.Germain are among the other names linked with the former Gunners captain by the article, which goes as far as to claim that Inter Milan are prepared to give Frenchman a £1million pay-off should he go.

Back to the Sun, who say that an £11million swoop for Peter Crouch (actually swooping probably would not be advised in his case). Yet that prospect depends on whether they can flog Bobby Zamora to Hull City. The Tigers are linked with a £5million bid for the former Spurs and West Ham United striker, who has the look of a man who could do with a ‘new challenge’ don’t you think?

Several papers add more to the Greening story, claiming that he has handed in a written transfer request after West Bromwich Albion failed to agree to let him move to Craven Cottage.

By Friday (July 17) the price for Crouch is up to £12million, that’s according to the Sun. The Daily Star offer the cheaper option of Seattle Sounders’ Colombian international striker Fredy Montero. Well, they say Hodgson is ‘considering’ a move, which could mean anything or nothing.

The Times switches attention back to midfielders, claming that Leeds United’s much sought after Fabien Delph is on Hodgson’s list of targets. He’ll have to beat off competition from Tottenham (again, exhaustively) and Everton if he is to prove successful.

Meanwhile the Daily Star isn’t afraid to mention the Elephant In The Room that is the future of defender Brede Hangeland. They say that Arsenal could be the Norwegian’s preferred destination, suggesting a £10million deal which could also see Philippe Senderos moving in the other direction across the capital. If that doesn’t scare Fulham fans, not much will.

Saturday’s Daily Star (July 18) come clean and admit that Crouch is a more favourable target than Montero, and believe that the England striker will use the weekend to make a decision between Fulham and Sunderland, after both had £12million bids accepted.

As have Tottenham, bellows Sunday’s News of The World (July 19). Crouch is an ex-Spurs player, and has former Portsmouth team-mates and an ex-Pompey manager already in situ at White Hart Lane. All of which could be very persuasive, and lead to much disappointment in west London. Or a lucky escape, depending on which way you look at it.

By Stephen Orford

July 22 2009

Summer Window Watch; Birmingham City - Week 3

It takes until Wednesday (July 15) for the first murmurings of gossip relating to Birmingham City to be heard. Even then it is only the Daily Express re-iterating that Blues might still be interested in bringing Patrick Vieira back to the Premier League. They do so in passing as what they are really trying to tell us is that the former Arsenal man may be about to commit the ultimate footballing sin and join the Gunners’ local rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

Aswell as Birmingham and Spurs, Vieira is apparently also wanted by Fulham, Sunderland, Lyon and Paris St.Germain.

The Daily Mirror see Barry Ferguson as a much more realistic transfer target. The Scot has played for Blues boss Alex McLeish before when the pair were successful at Rangers, and the paper suggests that a £1.3million fee has been agreed between the two clubs.

On Friday (July 17) the Daily Record proudly announce that Ferguson has gone past the signpost marked ‘Fee Agreed’ and entered the sleepy village of Donedeal. The former Scotland captain signs for City for £1.2million on a three-year contract. Let’s hope he doesn’t suffer a recurrence of the homesickness that ruined his Blackburn Rovers career;

“Maybe he didn't stay long enough for people to make a full assessment of him. So I think in that respect Barry will want to come down with something to prove.” says McLeish of the 31-year-old’s short stay at Ewood Park.

“I have left Rangers with no hard feelings. It's the best thing for both the club and myself.” adds the recently troubled star, as if completing a long and painful divorce.

A move across the city of Birmingham is always controversial, so take a significant pinch of salt with the Daily Star’s claims that Aston Villa midfielder Craig Gardner could be on his way to St.Andrews. They say that Gardner will make the short trip for a fee of around £5million, yet it remains difficult to see how Martin O’Neill could justify selling to the local rivals.

All of which seamless linking takes us from the transfer policy of the former Celtic manager to the future plans of a former Celtic defender. Bobo Balde will apparently now not be joining Birmingham City. That’s because Saturday’s Daily Express believe (July 18) that he failed to impress while on trial, and has strutted off to Wolverhampton Wanderers to look for a job instead.

By Stephen Orford

20 July 2009

Summer Window Watch; Portsmouth - Week 3

Having allowed Glen Johnson to join Liverpool for £17million Portsmouth are in need of a right-back. On Monday (July 13) the Daily Mail suggest that Pascal Chimbonda could be that man. Chimbonda only returned to Spurs in January as part of Harry’s dastardly plan to bring back as many Tottenham old boys as possible as quickly as possible (think Robbie Keane, Jermain Defoe and er……..Danny Blanchflower). Yet the former Wigan Athletic is reportedly available for £2.5million. Good old Harry. Still doing Portsmouth favours less than a year after leaving them in the brown stuff.

At this point the Daily Mirror poke their noses into Pompey affairs, claiming that Paul Hart has received an offer to become manager on a permanent basis. Takeovers notwithstanding, apparently.

On which subject, Tuesday’s Daily Star (July 14) reports that such a takeover is imminent, with Sulaiman Al Fahim set to assume control after all of the ‘relevant checks’ were completed. What relevant checks would these be? You have to wonder whether any such checks exist. How else did Thaksin get hold of Manchester City a couple of years ago?

By Wednesday (July 15) it is back to worrying about Peter Crouch. The Sun say that Fulham are prepared to pay as much as £11million for the England striker, but only if they can offload Bobby Zamora to Hull City. The Tigers are thought to be lining up a £5million move for the former Spurs and West Ham United striker, which would be more than enough if I were Roy Hodgson. The good news for Pompey fans is that I’m not. So he may not. And therefore Crouch may not.

Three days late, perhaps, but on Thursday (July 16) the Sun catch up with their hated rivals from the Daily Mirror and announce that Hart will be kept on by the club’s prospective new owners.

Friday’s Sun (July 17) goes back to the Crouch story, upping the amount supposedly on offer from Fulham from £11million to £12million. Who knows? If Pompey can hold out for another week they might get £20million for the 50p-coin-headed lump. Now that really would be a transfer coup. Not that they will need any extra money if the billionaires take charge of affairs.

Staying with the Sun and their Pompey-related meanderings, they report that Sylvain Distin is so desperate to move to Aston Villa that he will accept a pay cut in order to do so. What is more, they say that Pompey will only receive £2million for the former Manchester City defender. Honestly, you get a bit of money behind you and suddenly everyone thinks you are a soft touch, there to be taken advantage of like some cheap lady of the night. Apparently.

The Daily Star suggests on Saturday (July 18) that Fulham might not have it all their own way in the pursuit of Crouch. They reckon that Sunderland have also matched the £12million valuation, leaving Crouch with a decision to make. Meanwhile the Independent has better but not great news about Distin, who they say will join Aston Villa for £3million rather than the £2million suggested by the Sun on Friday. Defensive help may or may not be on it’s way, with the Daily Star also reporting that Zimbabwean left-back Onismor Bhasera is on trial at Fratton Park.

You expect the sensational from the News Of The World, and you expect last-gasp wheeling and dealing from a desperate Harry Redknapp. Therefore it is no surprise to read in everyone’s least favourite Sunday (July 19) that Tottenham are set to gazump both Sunderland and Fulham and sign Crouch for £12million. Well actually that is not really a gazumping is it? Strictly speaking they are supposed to offer more, but either way it is very possible that Crouch might fancy following former strike partner Defoe to White Hart Lane. And he’s a former Spurs player anyway, which should please Harry.

The NOTW also tell us that Hull City full-back Sam Rickets is a target for Portsmouth, but that they may be beaten to his signature by Bolton Wanderers.

By Stephen Orford

19 July 2009

Hearts a solid bet to repeat third-place finish

A turbulent summer for the SPL as a league has had a knock-on effect for a number of clubs, however peace reigns at Tynecastle where boss Csaba Laszlo is preparing for his second season in charge.

So often a byword for instability in recent seasons, the Jambos can now boast a solid looking set-up in which Laszlo appears to be working well with controversial major shareholder Vladimir Romanov.

The Hungarian guided Hearts to what was a fairly comfortable 3rd place finish in the SPL last season, six points ahead of Aberdeen and Dundee United.

In an SPL stricken to a large extent by the credit crunch and subsequent collapse of Setanta, Hearts have been busy in the transfer market and not in the haphazard manner of summers past.

Defenders Dawid Kucharski and Ismael Bouzid, midfielder Ian Black from Inverness and Spanish winger Suso Santana were this week joined by Austrian striker David Witteveen.

With Witteveen described as having 'a bit to learn' by Laszlo, the final piece in the jigsaw is another striker, with Slovakian international Adam Nemec a target.

Just the briefest glance at last season's SPL table shows up what Hearts' strengths and weaknesses were, 38 SPL games generating just 40 goals for but only 37 against.

Equally important as the new signings, in a close season that has seen more departures for England from across Scotland's top-flight, Hearts have so far managed to keep hold of star man Andrew Driver.

With doubts surrounding almost all of their rivals for third place from last season, they rate a solid bet at 7/4 to top the 'without Rangers & Celtic' market.

Mark Hughes: Pressure Will Grow..

On the surface Mark Hughes seems to be revelling in the transfer market this summer. It must feel like monopoly money between his fingertips, a kid in a sweet shop.  

Under the surface though he must be quietly contemplating the pressure he will confront. Quite possibly this is the most important six months of his managerial career to date. 

The financial backing that Hughes is being given surpasses anything that has been witnessed in the Premier League. The scale of the re-structuring taking place at City make even the riches of Roman Abramovich seem diminutive.

City Chairman Khaldoon al-Mubarak will expect at the very least a top-six finish this season. There will be no hiding place for Hughes, no European obligations both cluttering up the fixture list and tiring his squad, their sole focus will be the Premier League, cups being a bonus. 

Hughes has already laid out a combined £29.5m for Gareth Barry and Roque Santa Cruz this summer and most are expecting further deals before the Premier League reconvenes on the 15th August. 

Murmurings in the press continue to link them to players all across Europe. Samuel Eto’o has appeared more than most and they have flirted with Bayern’s Franck Ribéry. 

John Terry’s loyalty to Chelsea is being put to the test by a dangling carrot worth a reported £250,000–a-week, this though would see him forsake Champions League football in World Cup year.     

These are top profile players. Their current job description is competing in the top echelons of European football. In persuading players to join the Sky-Blue’ revolution, Hughes must include details of the direction the club is travelling. He is almost certainly promising Champions League football a year from now, this may be a guarantee he cannot deliver.

Seemingly the Eto’o deal is dead in the water, but still, with Carlos Tevez having signed a five-year deal and Emmanuel Adebayor apparently on the cusp, there would be eight strikers in the first team squad. Although it does appear many of these strikers currently on the books, already are, or will soon be moving on. 

This points towards a complete overhaul in the final third. Players need time to forge relationships on the field and time may not be in great supply, they will have to gel quickly.

There is little time for sentiment in business, just ask Avram Grant - and football is big business. Khaldoon al-Mubarak will have a strict timeline set out for this business venture. 

With a slight sense of irony, with every new player signing a bumper contract at the City of Manchester, Hughes’ job becomes that much harder. Expectation generates from the terraces and more importantly from those who rule the roost.

Although comparisons between City and Real Madrid are rife this summer, Madrid’s new manager, Manuel Pellegrini, has a stronger foundation to achieve his goals. He is picking up the reigns at a club who finished runners-up in La Liga last term - they are established, consistent title challengers.  

Attracting big names is no challenge, with many European players allegedly holding a torch for Madrid. They also hold a bargaining chip that City so desire, assured Champions League football. 

Pellegrini’s objective is not to break up a seemimgly impenetrable top four from a mid-table platform, but to continue a tussle with Barcelona for the label of ‘top dog’ in Spain. Hughes has to make much bigger strides to satisfy owners who are pumping unfathomable amounts of riches, into Manchester City.

Success in the top third of the Premier League is hard graft, Everton and Aston Villa will support this notion. Teams at the pinnacle of English football have a strong core, developed over seasons. Hughes needs more consistency from his star pupils, Robinho delving into his bag of tricks two weeks out of every eight, won’t suffice.

Hughes has won 42% of his games in charge at City, he has lost as many games as he has won, that ratio has to change with immediate effect. Sven-Göran Eriksson got sacked for mirroring that % statistic. The Swede also achieved City’s joint highest points total prior to his exit, albeit under City’s preceding hierarchy.  

Playing with someone else’s money means you play by their rules. The first four months of this campaign are critical for Hughes, sloppy back-to-back defeats and the pressure intensifies ten fold. Football management is a cut throat environment, just ask Paul Ince and Tony Adams, they attempted it with mere bare essentials.

City must be looking down the table rather than up it. Al Mubarak has already proved he will endeavour to buy, quite literally, ‘any’ player. If City is failing to keep up with the big boys come the cold winter months, then the board might well be buying ‘any’ manager come Christmas.

Summer Window Watch; Fulham - Week 2

Beefing up the attack is still high on the list of Roy Hodgson’s priorities at Fulham. The much-travelled boss has, according to Monday’s Times (July 6) set his sights on signing Pawel Brozek from Polish outfit Wisla Krakow.

The 26-year-old has 14 caps for Poland, scoring twice, and could be available to the Craven Cottage club for around £3.5million. Joining him could be former Liverpool favourite Luis Garcia. The Times also has it that the thumb-sucking star could be headed for a move back to England after Atletico Madrid granted him permission to leave. Hodgson’s former club Blackburn Rovers are also sniffing around the Spaniard, as are the rather less likely candidates known as West Bromwich Albion.

All very encouraging news, so trust the Daily Mirror to barge in with the bad stuff. They claim that star defender Brede Hangeland has refused to sign a new deal which would have doubled his wages. Several top clubs have been expressing their admiration for the Norwegian in recent weeks, so the west Londoners face a battle to hold on to their man.

And so it comes as no surprise on Tuesday (July 7) when several tabloids report that Aston Villa could be preparing a bid. Martin O’Neill needs a reliable defender following the retirement of Martin Laursen just before the end of last season, and is thought to be willing to part with £9million of Randy Lerner’s money to get Hangeland to Villa Park.

The same day, the Daily Mirror reveal that Fulham are lining up MK Dons stopper Dean Lewington as a replacement for Hangeland, and that they will get him for as little as £500,000. Hodgson is clearly a shrewd coach with a knack for developing players, but there is a nagging feeling remaining about this prospect that you get what you pay for.

The Daily Telegraph report that Fulham have joined Portsmouth in the race to sign Golden Arrows striker Kagisho Dikgacoi. The 24-year-old South African has 20 caps and two goals for his country, and took part in the recent Confederations Cup campaign. Fulham’s pursuit of the player could become even more aggressive after reports in the Daily Record that Nancy striker Marc-Antoine Fortune is almost certain to join Celtic.

By Wednesday (July 8) that move is confirmed, leaving Fulham to look elsewhere along with Hull City and Portsmouth.

Hull’s response to this is to turn their attentions to Fulham striker Bobby Zamora. The former Tottenham man became more and more marginalised at Craven Cottage towards the end of last term, and is reported by the Yorkshire Post on Wednesday to be a target for the Tigers.

The Press Association announce on Thursday (July 9) that Hodgson has been back to Ewood Park in an attempt to sign Keith Andrews. The former MK Dons midfielder was apparently the subject of an approach from Hodgson, but the Fulham boss was told that Rovers did not want to sell. That doesn’t put Sky Sports News off the scent, who happily fill their preposterous air-time by revealing that Fulham have actually made a bid for Andrews. They don’t know how much. They are just calling it an ‘official bid’. They would.

The Sun link Fulham with a move for Marcus Berg. Berg is a Swedish striker currently playing his club football for FC Groningen in Holland, and was a star of the recent Under-21 European Championships in his home country. Also interested in Berg according to the article are Hamburg (well with a name like Berg they would have to be).

Meanwhile the Daily Mirror suggest that Hodgson could spend £1million on Leeds United midfielder Neil Kilkenny, while the Daily Star claim that Fulham are in a battle with Hull City for the signature of West Bromwich Albion midfielder Jonathan Greening. The former Manchester United and Middlesbrough man looks set to leave the Baggies after their relegation from the top flight, offering Fulham another midfield option.

On Friday (July 10) the Press Association are taking us back to the Zamora to Hull story. They say that the KC Stadium outfit have made a ‘firm and substantial bid’ for the striker, and reveal their source to be non other than Hull boss Phil Brown. The details of the bid are as yet unknown. Well we are still in July. Best to be a little cagey, no?

The Daily Mirror put a price on the head of Andrews. They say that Blackburn are asking £3million for his services, and are quick to point out that this is more than double what they paid for the player when they bought him from MK Dons. Sounds like a deliberate ploy to put Fulham off, but then wouldn’t a player with a season’s Premier League experience now under his belt be worth a little extra anyway? We’ll let Hodgson decide.

On Saturday (July 11) there is some stirring news coming from the Daily Mail. They say that Peter Crouch will arrive at Fulham for around £11million after the Cottagers agree to sell Zamora to relentless pursuers Hull City. The Times temper the excitement by suggesting that Sunderland have already had an £11million bid turned down by Portsmouth. Yeah, but they didn’t have Bobby Zamora to dangle in front of those hungry Tigers.

How old is Bolo Zenden? And who is his publicist? The Daily Mirror don’t care enough to stop them printing the suggestion that Zenden will be arriving at Craven Cottage soon. They say that the Dutchman claims Fulham want him to add experience to their squad, especially given that they are about to embark on the first ever Europa League campaign. Right. Bolo Zenden is exactly what you need when you already have a midfield consisting of an injured Simon Davies and an ageing Danny Murphy.

By Stephen Orford

14 July 2009

Emmanuel Adebayor could be the catalyst to push Manchester City past Arsenal

The gap in financial spending power of Arsenal and Manchester City is one of the sub-plots of the summer, with City busily installing new pegs in the dressing room to make room for up to six more £10m+ players to go with the four signed in January. City will probably be fielding a team costing around £200m by the start of next season. Arsenal has few such luxuries and after spending £10m on Thomas Vermaelen, looks set to sell on Emmanuel Adebayor for around £25m to Manchester City. Ordinarily this would be good business, a big profit on a £7m buy and a sale to a team that won't threaten Arsenal's position in the world. But given the improvement in City's squad there is a strong possibility that Adebayor could tip the balance in the fortunes of the two teams.

You can quibble about money all day, but there is little doubt that the quality of the City squad is improving with every purchase. Carlos Tevez will join today but it is Emmanuel Adebayor that could flick the balance between the squad strengths of City and Arsenal. At the moment I reckon that the Arsenal defence is the only area of either team that is significantly stronger, with a strong case to suggest that the entire Arsenal back four is superior to the City equivalent; even if Shay Given remains better than Manuel Almunia. With Adebayor in it, the Arsenal attack also has the edge over City.

But the big question is now clear - will City's spending mean that it will go into next season with a stronger first team and squad than the most vulnerable of the 'big four'? If City bag Adebayor then I reckon that Arsenal's first team will remain marginally superior at this stage of the summer - largely down to a sound defensive base. But if City then turns its attention to the defence and recruit John Terry or Joleon Lescott or the like then Mark Hughes will have a first team to challenge Arsenal directly and a stronger and deeper squad to survive the season.

Hughes will have the funds to make one or two more defensive recruits and if Hughes can get his new recruits settled and playing like a team quickly then City now look likely to offer the strongest and most sustainable challenge to the 'big four' for a decade.

COMBINED ARSENAL/MAN CITY XI: (4-2-3-1)
Shay Given (City)
Bakari Sagna (Arsenal)
Gael Clichy (Arsenal)
Nedum Onuoha (City)
William Gallas (Arsenal)
Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal)
Gareth Barry (City)
Andrei Arshavin (Arsenal)
Robinho (City)
Theo Walcott (Arsenal)
Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal or City)

Possible Man City (2009/10): (4-2-3-1)
Shay Given
Micah Richards
Nedum Onuoha
Richard Dunne
Wayne Bridge
Nigel de Jong
Gareth Barry
Stephen Ireland
Robinho
Carlos Tevez
Emmanuel Adebayor

Senior Replacements:
Stuart Taylor, Kasper Schmeichel
Pablo Zabaleta, Vincent Kompany, Tal Ben-Haim
Elano, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Javier Garrido, Michael Johnson, Martin Petrov
Roque Santa Cruz, Craig Bellamy, Valeri Bojinov, Benjani, Felipe Caicedo, Ched Evans

Possible Arsenal 2009/10: (4-2-3-1)
Manuel Almunia
Gael Clichy
William Gallas
Thomas Vermaelen
Bakari Sagna
Cesc Fabregas
Samir Nasri
Tomas Rosicky
Theo Walcott
Andrei Arshavin
Robin van Persie

Senior Replacements:
Lukasz Fabianski
Kolo Toure, Kieran Gibbs, Johan Djourou, Emmanuel Eboue, Philippe Senderos, Mikael Silvestre
Denilson, Vassiriki Diaby, Aaron Ramsey, Alexandre Song Billong, Jack Wilshere
Nicklas Bendtner, Eduardo, Carlos Vela

Summer Window Watch; Stoke City - Week 2

On Tuesday (July 7) Stoke learn that they face competition for the signature of Benjani Mwaruwari. The Potters were linked with the Zimbabwean striker last week, but according to the Portsmouth News the former Pompey striker would welcome a return to Fratton Park, now that things are getting a little crowded for him in the striking department at Manchester City. There’s no suggestion that Stoke are completely out of the running for Benjani, but the waters are a little muddier now.

Meanwhile Tony Pulis’ side could be the latest to benefit from the seemingly endless production line of talent at Crewe Alexandra. Eighteen-year-old academy stars Matty Lund and Ben Marshall agree to join the Britannia Stadium outfit rather than remain at Crewe, where such luminaries as David Platt, Neil Lennon, Dean Ashton and Danny Murphy learned their trade.

On Wednesday (July 8) The Sun are spreading gossip about Stoke defender Ryan Shawcross. The 21-year-old defender is, they say, the subject of interest from Tottenham Hotspur, who are looking at sweetening the potential £2million deal with the inclusion of midfielder Didier Zokora. Yet by the end of the day Zokora is on his way to Sevilla in La Liga, and Harry Redknapp is left combing the Spurs dressing room for another makeweight.

Pulis turns his attentions to securing the players that he already has, with both Salif Diao and Andy Wilkinson penning new deals today. Diao will remain at the club for at least another year despite an injury-troubled season in 2008/09, while Wilkinson’s new agreement will keep him around until at least 2013. In theory, but these are footballers contracts we are talking about;

“It was a dream come true to play for the club I supported as a kid and now to sign a new deal for another season going into the Premier League is another dream.” says a dreamy Wilkinson, who is the club’s longest-serving player.

Another potential milestone-maker at the Britannia could be Stephen M’bia. If reports in Friday’s Sun (July 10) are to be believed the Rennes midfielder could be the subject of a £6million bid from Pulis. This would be a club record fee for Stoke, as they look to build on the squad which comfortably held on to it’s Premier League status last term. Yet the Daily Mirror report that Stoke will need to go as high as £10million if they are to beat off competition from Everton for the Cameroon international.

On Saturday (July 11) the Daily Express have Stoke ready to splash out another £4million, this time for the services of Richard Dunne. The Manchester City defender’s place looks almost certain to be swallowed up by the cash-crazy antics at Eastlands, and he could be forced to move on. Sunderland are also thought to be interested in the Republic of Ireland international and it is suggested that both they and the Potters have had their bids accepted.

Only a day after telling all and sundry that M’bia was seriously considering a move to the Potteries, the Daily Mirror now say that the midfield man has agreed a deal to join Marseille. No deal has yet been done, but Pulis could find it tricky to try to sell the lower reaches of the Premier League to a player with an apparent opportunity to challenge for the major honours in France, and of course play in the Champions League.

By Stephen Orford

13 July 2009

Villain's Role For Zenga

As press conferences go, Walter Zenga's first as Palermo manager was surely entertaining, in a 'ha-ha' funny sort of way: if his initial "I have a squad brimming with important players and I'm aiming for the league title" made you smile then his follow-up "I'm convinced that between myself and Maurizio Zamparini (Palermo's owner) there will never be any problems of any kind" will certainly have cracked you up.

As a manager, Zenga has always been refreshingly honest; a likeable man conscious of his limitations but at the same time eager to prove those who doubt and deride him (of which there are many) wrong.

Yet suddenly here he is coming out with these brash comments that are bound to do him no favours and, if anything, will simply pile up the pressure on himself and his players.  Could it be that he's auditioning for the Inter job that he so much desires by imitating that other well known stand-up comedian, Jose Mourinho?

He's certainly placing himself into a villain's role.  

Late last month, Zenga was surprisingly announced as Palermo's new boss.  That surprise wasn't exclusively down to the fact that his name hadn't featured among those rumoured to be in the running for the job but rather because of his previous employers: Palermo's Sicilian neighbours and bitter rivals Catania. Indeed the move fuelled more than a little bitterness at Catania who felt that the man whom they'd given the chance to kick-start his managerial career in Italy when everyone thought he was joke owed it to them not to move to their hated neighbours. 

Yet, from Zenga's point of view, the argument is a bit different. Whilst Catania did take a gamble on him, he repaid them by first leading the club to an improbable escape from relegation and then through a fairly comfortable season.  His dues had been paid.  More so when fans started to publicly criticise his teams towards the end of last season when results started to tail away.

It was a reaction that visibly stung Zenga who publicly voiced his frustration at such behaviour.  It was at that point that his relationship with the fans broke and his days at the club numbered.

Even so the move to Palermo was unexpected.  Yet, at the same time, it is quite a step up for Zenga who at Catania had taken the team as high up as possible and now gets an opportunity to work with a better squad of players.

Not that this justifies his 'scudetto' claims.  Palermo have a couple of very good players - Marco Amelia and Miccoli in particular - and a decent squad that should be good enough to aim for a European spot.  Anything above that, however, is daydreaming.  But, evidently, that's what Zenga is doing.  Especially if he believes that he won't have any problems with the notoriously brash Zamparini.

How to handle him will be Zenga's biggest challenge and motivation.  For Zamparini is a man easily annoyed and Zenga can expect very little sympathy from him if his teams either dont' deliver the level of football he expects or the manager says something that he doesn't agree to.  That other promising managers like Francesco Guidolin and Stefano Collantuono  saw their career prospets crumble after coming into touch with Zamparini should have served as a warning to Zenga no to move to Palermo.  

Instead, as with other warning signs, he's chosen to disregard it.  Now he has to show whether he can really deliver somthing close to what he is promising.  If not, then he can rest assured that he won't come out of this laughing.

Summer Window Watch; Birmingham City - Week 2

You would think that any club willing to take on Joey Barton would be wise to cut his pay, given the risky nature of putting their faith in the man. So seen in that light Birmingham’s approach for the former Manchester City midfield man appears to make some sort of sense. But then you consider that even with his wages sliced he still stands to make £25,000 a week from the St.Andrews club, a thought which immediately places doubts over the sanity of manager Alex McLeish.

The Daily Mirror tell us on Monday (July 6) that this figure is less than HALF of what Barton currently earns from his contract at Newcastle United. This despite being told by an incandescent Alan Shearer that he would never play for the Toon again. He may not, but it seems that either way he will continue to be a burden at St.James’ Park.

But wait, the Daily Record has a much better idea. It suggests on Tuesday (July 7) that McLeish could either pursue his interest in Bonkers Barton, or turn instead to his former Rangers charge Barry Ferguson. The former Scotland captain moved back to Rangers after a homesick spell at Blackburn Rovers, so would seem a pretty ideal candidate for a spectacularly disastrous move to Birmingham City. Blackburn? Birmingham? Thrown out of the national side for childishness? This is beginning to sound just a little bit too Robbie Savage for anyone’s liking.

Adding to the feeling that it might just be Ferguson rather than Barton, the Press Association announce on Thursday (July 9) that McLeish no longer wants to talk about any possible move for Barton. Well, would you want to talk about it? Me neither. It’s nothing to be proud of. Attempting to sign Joey Barton is not big and not clever. Don’t do it, kids.

Still some light years ahead of both Barton and Ferguson in the central midfield position is Patrick Vieira. You may recall that last week in this column we discussed the possibility of a move to St.Andrews for the 34-year-old former Arsenal captain. Well if we had doubts about it then, Friday’s Sun newspaper (July 10) dismissed the idea out of hand, claiming that Vieira has ‘no intention’ of joining Birmingham. This is cutting edge journalism indeed. We thought he was a shoo-in.

The Sunday People (July 12) say Birmingham are one of three Premier League clubs interested in signing Jerome Rothen from Paris St.Germain. The other two are Blackburn Rovers, and of course Portsmouth, who are linked with pretty much anyone while at the same time continuing to be the subject of rumours that all of their current crop of players will be shown the door. Rothen is a midfield player, and without knowing too much about him we feel he is an altogether more acceptable addition to the squad than either Barton or Ferguson, or indeed Lee Bowyer who joined the club on Wednesday (July 8) on a free transfer after his contract at West Ham United expired.

By Stephen Orford

12 July 2009

Summer Window Watch; Portsmouth - Week 2

Into the second week of July and the pesky attentions of Sunderland still surround Peter Crouch. The England striker is thought by the Guardian (July 6) to be main target for Steve Bruce, who is also interested in Tottenham’s Darren Bent. The thought of a Bent-Crouch headline should be enough to make your average hack drool, but the moment seems to have passed me by.

Tuesday (July 7) brings thoughts of a reunion. The Portsmouth News says that former Pompey goal-getter Benjani Mwaruwari could be on his way back to Fratton Park;

“I left on a good note and I have nothing but good feelings about them, that's for sure.” claims the 30-year-old, shrewdly spotting a queue for his Manchester City place forming behind the likes of Carlos Tevez, Roque Santa Cruz and company.

The Sun amongst others has Crouch on his way to Aston Villa rather than Sunderland. They admit the continued interest of Bruce’s men, suggesting a £10million deal is still possible, but make Villa favourites on the grounds that John Carew faces an ‘uncertain’ future. Don’t we all?

This writer has no idea how to pronounce the name of South African midfielder Kagisho Dicgakoi, but what he does know is that the Daily Telegraph claim that Portsmouth are interested. So too, according to the report, are Fulham, who seem to crop up a lot in connection with any player attracting the interest of Portsmouth. Is that a coincidence, or are all of the clubs outside the top four fighting for the same unknown scraps, hoping to find that diamond in the rough? Cynic.

Whatever the truth of the matter Portsmouth are still an unattractive enough proposition to be insulted by donkey journeymen like Marc Antoine Fortune. The former West Brom loanee, who couldn’t pull up a weed in our back yard let alone any trees in last season’s Premier League, has decided to snub both Pompey and Hull City in favour of joining Celtic. Not only that, but he stands to lose £1million in doing so. It’s like being knocked back by the fat bird in the bar at two in the morning, only to see her walk out with Iain Dowie ten minutes later.

All of this is according to rumours in the Daily Record. A Scottish newspaper.

By Thursday (July 9) The Times are suggesting that Sunderland’s bid for Crouch is up to £11million. That’s just £1million short of the £12million that Portsmouth paid Liverpool for the striker, and therefore just £1million short of the most brilliant piece of salesmanship since Freddie Shepherd sold Newcastle United to Mike Ashley.

But never mind the players for the moment, the Daily Star has sensational news regarding the manager’s position. Now we think that Paul Hart is still the boss, but that doesn’t stop the paper suggesting that the club have held talks with former Inter Milan boss Roberto Mancini. Apparently, the Italian’s decision depends heavily on whether or not a £60million take-over of the club can be completed by a ’Middle Eastern’ consortium. Word is that talks have stalled.

You always worry when agents get involved in the publicity surrounding transfers. That’s why Pompey fans should hide behind the sofa now as we bring news that Crouch’s Mr 10% Jonathan Barnett has revealed that the England man is ‘available’. That’s according to the Portsmouth News once more, who are either intensely paranoid that their team is going to lose Crouch, or merely facing up to facts.;

“I think Portsmouth have financial problems. I think every player is available.” is the quote attributed to Barnett, who may have forgotten that somebody has to stick around to enable Pompey to put a team out on to the field on the first day of the season. Any volunteers? Thought not.

Back to Mancini, who according to the Daily Mirror will only join Portsmouth if he has a ‘guaranteed’ and ‘substantial’ transfer budget. So, since nobody knows who will own, manage or be playing for the club by the time the season kicks off, it is likely that this story and others like it will run and run. Unlike Peter Crouch, who ambles and ambles.

Saturday’s Daily Mail (July 11) has Fulham heading the race to sign Crouch. Apparently their £11million bid will be enough to see off the challenge of Sunderland. This is because the Cottagers have agreed a deal to sell Bobby Zamora to Hull City, while Sunderland have spent some of their transfer budget on bringing Frazier Campbell in for around £5million. On the other hand, the Times say that the Black Cats are ready to splash as much as £15million on Crouch, regardless of having forked out for Campbell. Now that really would be bad luck for the Black Cats.

By Stephen Orford

12 July 2009

Manchester City: Terry's All Gold?

Manchester City was quickly out of the metaphorical spending blocks this summer and set up purchases of Gareth Barry for £12m (2 June 2009) and Roque Santa Cruz for £17.5m (22 June 2009) before the notional opening of the window on the traditional contract renewal date of 1 July. Also with Joe Hart loaned out to Birmingham for the season a couple of reserve 'keepers in Stuart Taylor and Gunnar Nielsen have been brought in as cover for Shay Given. These signings, like the ones in January of Shay Given (£8m), Nigel de Jong (£16m), Wayne Bridge (£12m) and Craig Bellamy (£14m) look like sound investments for a club intent on breaking into the top six - but are not the marquee signings that would suggest that a top four finish was more than reasonably possible.

City still has an eye on four £20m+ signings which could see Arsenal, especially, anxiously glancing over its shoulder. The most likely of these signings is the hyper-active Carlos Tevez, who looks a bit expensive at £25m, but has three seasons of Premier League experience and works harder than most imported forwards. But his league goal return in the last three seasons of 7, 13 and 6 after 68 starts and 21 substitute appearances needs some improvement.

Secondly Samuel Eto'o from Barcelona could offer goals but there is a reason that such a prolific and quality forward is available for £25m and that is a temperament that makes Didier Drogba appear to be as positive as the unlikely lovechild of Davina McColl and Graham Norton. Not sure that Mark Hughes will want another delicate forward in the squad.

Inter Milan's right-back Maicon is reckoned to be the best attacking full-back in the world by some pundits, unsurprisingly Inter have quoted a figure of £30m to Real Madrid as a result - a figure that Madrid have baulked at, but he could be a sound investment for City adding a fantastic attacking threat to a defence that is otherwise, somewhat predictably, defensive.

Finally there will be the All Gold option of John Terry. Terry could conceivably be the catalyst that will convince Robinho to stay for a long time and other world superstars to join this summer. If the speculation in January seemed a little half-hearted (at least until the Kaka bid, which I think convinced a lot of people that City could seriously bid for anyone) this summer the lack of comment from the England captain is instructive. Chelsea don't have to sell, so the very fact that the speculation has been allowed to run on for weeks with no comment from Terry means that the transfer is a possibility as it is naive to believe that the Chelsea hierarchy won't have put enormous pressure on Terry to make an announcement to commit his future to Chelsea. Buying Terry is not without some difficulties, at 28 his type of defender may only have four or five years left at the top - you don't take so many hits for the team without cost- and his back does keep him out of a number of games each season. But his presence would be such a lift to the entire club that it would be worth an extra ten points a season. The speculation is that City would like to negotiate from a base of £30m, but would be prepared to break the incoming British transfer record and spend something like £40m to land Terry - as well as pay the man over £10m a season in wages.

With the Terry transfer still far from certain other centre-halves have entered the frame, Joleon Lescott (Daily Star, 2 July) has been linked for £15m although a couple more million may be needed to extract him from Everton; Lucio (Daily Mail, 6 July), the Bayern Munich defender has also been linked.

With so many first team players arriving there is likely to be plenty of outbound activity, with strikers a prime area for thinning. Vassell, Ball, Hamann and Mills have been released, with Jo likely to return to Everton on loan (Sun, 1 July), Benjani openly talking about a cut-price return to Portsmouth (Portsmouth News, 3 July) or Stoke (Sun, 6 July), Caicedo is being linked with Sporting Lisbon (Telegraph, 4 July), Richard Dunne with Sunderland (Daily Mail, 4 July) or Tottenham (Sun, 7 July), Gelson Fernandes (News of the World, 5 July) to Bolton or St Etienne (Daily Mail, 10 July), Craig Bellamy (Times, 8 July) to Tottenham ... pauses for breath ... Ched Evans to Sheffield United (Daily Mail, 7 July).

It would be unsurprising if City raised £20m from the sale or release of 10 or more players this summer and created a big gap in the wage bill as a result.

City should get Tevez, I'm unconvinced that Eto'o will enjoy the physicality of the Premier League so whether he is bought or not may not be crucial, Maicon would add an extra dimension to the team but John Terry would be the man that would turn a team likely to finish fifth or sixth into one that is likely to finish third or fourth next season. The City rebuilding is continuing apace and the momentum that is gathering is very impressive indeed. In my opinion, top six is now the lowest likely achievement for the club in 2009/10 and if Terry can be tempted from Chelsea then the expectation of a top four finish will be huge.

Manchester City, Summer Transfer Window 2009 (to 10 July 2009)

IN:
Gareth Barry (Aston Villa) £12m
Roque Santa Cruz (Blackburn) £17.5m
Gunnar Nielsen (Blackburn) Free
Stuart Taylor (Aston Villa) Free

OUT:
Daniel Sturridge (Chelsea) Tribunal
Joe Hart (Birmingham) Loan
Darius Vassell (Ankaragücü) Free
Michael Ball (Free agent) Released
Dietmar Hamann (Free agent) Released
Danny Mills (Free agent) Released

Summer Window Watch- Wigan Athletic (1)

Wigan are really suffering for their successful 2008/09 campaign. The guts of the side that performed so well up to March has been ripped out, plus the manager who blended the team so successfully.

Emile Heskey, Wilson Palacios and Ryan Taylor went in January and now Luis Valencia has moved on too. Bids are expcted for Lee Cattermole and possibly Titus Bramble, plus Amir Zaki' s loan spell at the club is over.New boss Roberto Martinez has his hands full to make the team competitive again.

Steve Bruce did bring in Ben Watson and Charles N'Zogbia back in January but since then only Jordi Gomez has been added. The Spaniard played for Martinez at Swansea City and had experience with Espanyol in La Liga.

Gomez was a big hit in South Wales and offers some craft in midfield that Wigan were lacking last year. It just remains to be seen if he can handle the step up to the Premier League.

It promises to be an anxious few weeks for Latics fans facing the prospect of more players leaving the JJB Stadium and not much time to get replacements on board.

Martinez is in a similar position to Tony Adams at Portsmouth, taking over a successful club but with key players leaving. His advantage is that Wigan are a more stable club than Pompey and the departures aren't unexpected. Dave Whelan can be expected to provide a reasonable war chest and a few raids on the Spanish market are likely.

Summer Window Watch- Blackburn Rovers (1)

Blackburn have been off the mark quickly in the summer transfer market but the signings so far won't overcome the anxiety of the fans about the loss of Roque Santa Cruz.

Gael Givet's signing confirms the decent impression the Frenchman made in his loan spell from Marseille last season. His signature might become even more important with some speculation in the air about Chris Samba joining Santa Cruz in the Manchester City casino.

Elrio Van Heerden is a South African midfielder coming in from FC Bruges. Rovers have benefitted from the combative presence of his international colleagues Aaron Mokoena and striker Benni McCarthy- the Bafana Bafana made a good impression in the recent Confederations Cup and the midfielder looks a decent punt by Sam Allardyce.

Van Heerden began his European career at FC Copenhagen and Lars Jacobsen is a former team mate from the Danish club. The defender only played six times in his year at Everton but his last appearance was in the FA Cup Final as a second half sub.

Before Goodison Park Jacobsen was at FC Nuremburg in the Bundesliga but that season was also ravaged by injury. The question is whether the Dane can regain the form that made a strong impression when he played for Copenhagnen in Europe and for the Danish national side.

The fourth new signing is one for the future; Nikos Giannakopulous is a teenage Greek goalkeeper picked up for £52,000.

Summer Window Watch; Stoke City - Week 1

Does anyone remember Benjani Mwaruwari? Go on, you do. Played for Portsmouth for a season or two under Shonky Harry, bagged a load of goals before moving on to Manchester City. Several injuries and great sacks full of Middle Eastern cash later, Benjani as he prefers to be known is surplus to requirements at Eastlands. Well you can’t keep him AND Craig Bellamy if you are serious about becoming a top four club.

So anyway, the upshot of all this is that Friday’s Daily Star (July 3) claim that Stoke City are interested in signing the Zimbabwean international. Manager Tony Pulis apparently wants to pair him up with the equally inconsistent James Beattie, in a fool-proof plan aimed at confusing all opponents who visit the Britannia Stadium next term. Surely if they don’t know whether they are going to turn up or not, the opposition won’t have a Scooby. Anyway he is Stoke’s for £5million if the story has any basis in truth.

The Potters’ biggest signing of the week (frankly their activity in the transfer market has been lazy at best) is former World Heavyweight boxing champion and all around sporting icon Muhammad Ali. The legendary pugilist will arrive at the Britannia Stadium on August 27 for an event aimed at raising awareness and funds for his Muhammad Ali Center (their spelling).

“The UK is very close to my heart.” says the lifelong Stoke fanatic, possibly adding;

“Salif Diao has always been one of my sporting heroes.”

By Stephen Orford

9 July 2009

Manchester United: Fergie gambles and rages against the dying of the light

Manchester United usually approach the summer transfer window in a very sensible manner. With a couple of key targets (one of which is usually a Tottenham player) to buy, whilst a bunch of academy players are sold off for a few million and a couple of senior players are moved on. United like to do business before pre-season training starts - even if it means paying a couple of million extra - but usually whichever Spurs player is being targeted tends not to arrive before August is nearly, if not actually over.

This is a sensible approach to maintain high standards, but in summer 2009 Sir Alex Ferguson has gambled heavily and dismantled an attack that has won the last three Premier League titles and has fired the team to consecutive Champions' league finals. Anyone who thinks that Ferguson has been sated by eleven Premier League and two European Cup titles can think again, this is Ferguson gambling as though his reputation depended on it.

This summer has had three main strands.

Firstly the sale of Cristiano Ronaldo for £80m and the non-purchase of Carlos Tevez (for £25.5m) suggests that United has around £100m to spend and given the new-found appetite, in Madrid, for over-paying for every good player there is almost no-one left who will cut deeply into that budget. Only Franck Ribery remains who United may conceivably break the British transfer record to buy; Samuel Eto'o (who seems a bit delicate for the Premier League, if you ask me) is another possibility for around £25m; Klaas-Jan Huntelaar would be similarly priced.

Secondly, harking back to 2007, United has done the bulk of its business quickly and with little fuss. Two summers ago, United signed Nani, Anderson, Owen Hargreaves and Carlos Tevez for around £50m at the start of the transfer window. United then made space for these players and recouped over £30m from the leisurely sale of a bunch of fringe players and academy graduates, like Gerard Pique (£6m), Giuseppe Rossi (£7m), Kieran Richardson (£5m), Gabriel Heinze (£8m), Phil Bardsley (£2m) and Alan Smith (£6m).

The coverage of United's transfers usually stops with the big money targets, but the less well reported aspect of United's activity in transfer windows is the big money gained from the superb academy. Going back six seasons to David Beckham's sale to Real Madrid, United has picked up over £60m from sales of former academy players. This £10m per season helps balance the books and means that United's spending is less than Chelsea's (and latterly Manchester City) and on a par with the likes of Liverpool and Tottenham - to somewhat better effect.

The third major strand is the acquisition of wingers. Gabriel Obertan (£3m) and Antonio Valencia (£16m) can be added to the January signings of Serbians, Zoran Tosic (£11m) and Adem Ljajic (£5m). These four will compete to replace Ronaldo and quite possibly Wayne Rooney who seems likely to be switched inside; added to these four is Ji-Sung Park who is usually stationed out wide and the disappointing Nani. With so many wide men, it is unsurpising that the promising Lee Martin (£1.5m) was allowed to move to Ipswich and there would be few surprised if Nani is sold on later this summer. There remains the possibility that a £40m+ bid could be made for Franck Ribery, but that seems unlikely with so many wide men at the club.

The remaining business at Old Trafford has concerned strikers, Carlos Tevez looks likely to move down the road and is replaced by the delighted (and possibly astonished) ex-Liverpool man, Michael Owen. Owen seemed to be holding out for move to Everton or Aston Villa - probable top six sides, but the more concrete offers were coming in from the likes of Hull and Stoke. For the champions to make a move, unspurprisingly, astonished much of football. Fraizer Campbell also looks likely to move on to Hull for around £6m although no deal has been completed yet.

United may now look to bolster the defensive side of the team. Owen Hargreaves's career is on hold, Rio Ferdinand is increasingly picking up niggling injuries, Gary Neville looks close to finished, as does Edwin van Der Sar. A move for an experienced, aggressive holding midfielder would not be a surprise and even with Ben Foster extending his contract another goalkeeper cannot be ruled out.

The decisions regarding Ronaldo, Tevez and Owen are three of the biggest gambles that will be seen this summer - Ferguson has no intention of going quietly into the night.

SUMMER 2009 TO DATE

In:
Michael Owen (Newcastle) Free
Antonio Valencia (Wigan) £16m
Gabriel Obertan (Bordeaux) £3m

Out:
Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) £80m
Carlos Tevez (Free agent) End of loan
Lee Martin (Ipswich) £1.5m

Nett: -£62.5m

Championship: Is QPR's loss going to be Swansea's gain?

The managerial merry-go-round in the Championship this summer has seen two interesting appointments made, one at Queens Park Rangers and one at Swansea City.

Just weeks after being relieved from his duties at Ipswich Town, Jim Magilton became the latest man to take on the challenge of making QPR a Premier League club and satisfying the division's most demanding owners.

A hugely popular player at Portman Road, Magilton's relationship with Ipswich fans soured last season amid criticism of his tactics, and the way he spent what had been a hefty transfer budgety provided by the club's owner Marcus Evans.

Looking at the appointment of Magilton it's hard not to make comparisons with that of Iain Dowie last summer and fear that the same fate will befall the Ulsterman as did his former Northern Ireland international colleague.

Magilton will be lumbered, as Dowie and others have been, with an erratic transfer policy capable of unearthing gems such as Jordi Lopez but also of paying Coventry City a reported £500,000 for their third-choice left-back after he had not played a game for the R's while on loan.

This summer has seen solid Championship performers Lee Camp and Damien Delaney move elsewhere in the division while on Tuesday, QPR confirmed the £3.5m signing of 22-year-old Argentine midfielder Alejandro Faurlin.

Between Dowie and Magilton of course was former European Cup winning player Sousa and although the bare facts of the Portuguese's record during his brief spell at Loftus Road do not hint straight away at his qualities, comments from those he worked with at the club make interesting reading.

"He's a fantastic man, well-respected, honest and an intelligent guy that comes across super-intelligent tactically," said Loftus Road player/coach Gareth Ainsworth after Sousa was named as the successor to Roberto Martinez at the Liberty Stadium.

"In training he changed players, changed some players' positions and he brought some things out of players that I didn't see and I've been at QPR for seven years!"

Chairman Huw Jenkins looks to have made the sensible decision of finding a manager capable of working well with the squad of players already at the Liberty Stadium, containing as it does a mixture of domestic and overseas talents, rather than bring in a boss who wants to make big changes straight away.

The Swans were widely praised for the quality of their football last season and although Sousa has had to face some big decisions early on in his reign, with the likes of Ferrie Bodde and Jason Scotland eyeing up moves to the Premier League, a fine tuning rather than a complete overhaul looks to be the order of the day.

Summer Window Watch; Fulham - Week 1

Fulham have to wait until the weekend to have their summer shopping list plastered all over the newspapers. Saturday’s Daily Mail (July 4) says they will splash £10million on Peter Crouch from Portsmouth. The England man has been making noises about a departure from Fratton Park ever since Jermain Defoe moved back to Tottenham Hotspur. The debate about whether Fulham fit the bill in terms of a forward step is there to be had, but any club willing to spend that amount of money on an England international cannot be accused of lacking ambition.

Yet if the Daily Star on Sunday are to be believed (July 5) then Roy Hodgson faces a little competition. Sunderland and…….wait for it and don’t spill your drink………….AC Milan are thought to be in the race to sign the former Liverpool, Southampton, Tottenham, Aston Villa and Queens Park Rangers (have I missed anyone out?) man. The prospect of Crouch turning out for another multiple European Cup winner must be galling for the myriad of skilful rejects thrown out of football in their teens for being ’too small’. And quite frightening for Milan fans too.

Crouch’s altogether more realistic and sensible arrival at Craven Cottage could be hastened by the departure of Bobby Zamora. The striker is the subject of interest from Hull City who, the News of the World say, are keeping ’tabs’ on him. What this means exactly is unclear, but clearly nobody really wants Phil Brown following them around for too long.

By Stephen Orford

6 July 2009

Summer Transfer Window Watch; Birmingham City - Week 1

Ex-Gunners are on the agenda for Birmingham City manager Alex McLeish at the start of July.

Blues are linked with a sensational and no doubt ‘audacious’ bid to land Arsenal’s former midfield enforcer Patrick Vieira from Inter Milan. The carrot being dangled in front of the French international is £100,000 per week. The Sun (July 2)describe Vieira as ‘reluctant’ to join the St.Andrews outfit, but then they have never been offered £100,000 a week to play out the last two years of their career in between trips back and forth to their middle England mansion. Stranger things and all that………..

Less excitingly The Sun also link City with Armand Traore, who has been on-loan at Portsmouth. Another loan deal is proposed, and if it comes to fruition the left-back will stay with McLeish’s side until the end of the upcoming campaign.

All is quiet until Saturday (July 4) when the Times perhaps mischievously breaks the terrifying news that Blues could be set to offer Joey Barton yet another chance. It would be too polite to call the Newcastle midfielder’s career ‘chequered’ so let’s get straight to the point and call it a car crash. Out of favour even at the struggling Magpies, Barton has been swigging at the Last Chance Saloon for several years now.

Any deal would be a loan move, and would also be as crazy as several boxes of frogs, a whole host of snakes and a bicycle. Expect it anyway.

Back to Arsenal rejects for the Daily Record, who link Birmingham with the recently released Gunners midfielder Amaury Bischoff. The Portuguese made only four substitute appearances during his one-year stay at the Emirates Stadium, but is thought to have attracted interest not only from Birmingham but from Celtic also.

Yet another former Arsenal man is linked by the Daily Mail, and by now we are starting to think that maybe McLeish had a memorable season as Arsenal manager on Championship Manager. How else can one explain the kind of Gunner-phile devotion that leads a man to want to pay £3.5million for Jeremie Alliadiere? This after all is a man who spent many years trying and failing to make a serious impression under Arsene Wenger, before flattering to deceive in last year’s disastrous season for Middlesbrough. Alliadiere is a proven Premier League also-ran, so what gives?

The Daily Star on Sunday switches attention to the other side of north London for its baseless Birmingham tale. A baseless Birmingham tale involving a useless Tottenham Bale, in fact, with Spurs Gareth linked with a loan move to St.Andrews for the forthcoming season. That oft-trotted out statistic about Spurs never winning a game in which Bale starts may be set for a refreshing re-vamp should he join Blues. It needs it too.

By Stephen Orford

6 July 2009

Summer Transfer Window Watch; Portsmouth - Week 1

On a day when Portsmouth chop six players from their wage bill (and having already lost Glenn Johnson to Liverpool for an almighty wedge), there is worrying gossip surrounding the future of defender Sylvain Distin. 

The former Manchester City defender could follow all of Noe Pamarot, Jerome Thomas, Djimi Traore, Lauren and Glen Little and Sean Davis out of Fratton Park, so say the Daily Mail on Wednesday (July 1).  They have Aston Villa boss Martin O’Neill sniffing around Distin in his search for a replacement for the unfortunate Martin Laursen, who had to retire recently.

Meanwhile Davis is out of contract and joins Bolton Wanderers on a free transfer.  Pompey could have raked in £3.5million for the former Fulham and Spurs man in January, perhaps leaving manager Paul Hart to look less than financially shrewd.  The good news is that ex-Arsenal giants Kanu and Sol Campbell are mulling over new deals.  Mull away.

Yet by Friday (July 3) Campbell is linked with a move to Newcastle United.  The former Tottenham, Arsenal and England star is, according to the Daily Star, the man that the crisis-torn Magpies want to plug the gaping holes in their defence.  The chance to work under former international team-mate Alan Shearer looks to tempting for Campbell.  Or could it be the huge amount of cash that he will make from yet another cunningly engineered free transfer?  Jean-Marc Bosman must be pretty high up on Sol’s list of sporting heroes.

Yet a note of caution for Newcastle fans comes when Campbell points out that he will only join the North East club if they achieve stability in the boardroom.  And we were all starting to believe the move really could happen.

Now if the prospect of losing three key defenders isn’t enough to worry about, Pompey fans can start to shiver at the thought of losing their main striker also.  Worrying, until one remembers that said main striker is one Peter Crouch.  Incredibly, and with the kind of deception of a prospective employer which would make Campbell weep, Crouch has managed to convince none other than AC Milan that he is the man to lead their attack for 2009/10.  That is if you believe what you read in the Sun.  The ‘but’ here is that Milan are only interested should they fail in their bid to land Emmanuel Adebayor from Arsenal. 

Crouch’s haste to get out of Fratton Park only becomes absolutely clear when the Daily Mail link him with a £10million move to Fulham. 

So Pompey look set to lose players in every position, but according to Saturday’s Daily Mirror (July 4) they may move to bolster their midfield with the £7million capture of Fernando Belluschi.  Who?  A midfield player from Argentina currently plying his trade with Olympiakos in Athens, that’s who.  Argentines don’t have the best record in Premier League football, so it’s a case of cross your fingers if and when he arrives. 

Want a replacement for Crouch?  How about Nancy striker Marc-Antoine Fortune?  The Frenchman scored 5 goals in 17 appearances in a loan spell at West Bromwich Albion last season, and is also thought to be a target for Celtic, so say the Daily Mail. 

By Sunday (July 5) the Crouch to Fulham link has spread to the pages of the Daily Star, who also believe that Sunderland may be interested in the England man.  While the possibility of seeing Kenwyne Jones and Peter Crouch up front together for the Black Cats might not thrill the purist, it is more than likely giving Niall Quinn palpitations.  The Sunday People back Sunderland’s bid also, suggesting that Steve Bruce will fork out £14million to get his man.

By Stephen Orford

6 July 2009

Summer Transfer Watch- Wolves (1)

Last time Wolves made it to the Premiership the club were probably guilty of not doing enough to strenghthen the squad. This time though, they have four new signings on board before July has hardly started.

Mick McCarthy has always been realistic about the resources at his disposal and he can't compete for superstars. So far he's combining solid professionals with a new overseas signing and a punt on lower division talent.

Kevin Doyle is the marque signing so far. The Reading striker made a big impression when his team first joined the Premiership but like the rest of Steve Coppell's squad, the Irish international found it tougher after the first campaign. Doyle could be the right partner to complement Sylvan Ebanks-Blake and represents a worthwhile gamble.

Mick McCarthy has had tremendous results with his recruitment from lower divisions- Michael Kightly being the stand out acquisition.Wolves fans will reserve judgement on the arrival of Andrew Surman from Southampton but the expectation is that he'll be a squad man to start with.

Full back Greg Halford impressed many good judges during his time with Colchester but then his career took some strange turns. Reading signed him in the January 2007 window but Roy Keane took him to Sunderland in the summer befotre he hardly played for the Royals.

He then failed to win a regular place at the Stadium of Light and has been on loan at Charlton and Sheffield United, where he reminded people of why he was highly rated. At £2 million he may be a gamble but the manager is backing on the original potential being fulfilled.

Nenad Milijas is a Serbian international midfielder who was voted the Most Valuable Player in the Serbian Superliga last season. He's twice done the 'Double' with Red Star Belgrade and while the domestic league isn't the strongest, Serbia are a good side at international level.

If Milijas settles he could be a top quality signing. This is the sort of transfer clubs like Wolves have to make, as the best and most establshed overseas stars are out of the Molineux price range.As Steve Bruce proved at Wigan, there are quality bargains out there who can make clubs a lot of money after they perform in the Premiership.

Summer Transfer Watch- Burnley (1)

Burnley may have been the last side into the Premier League but Owen Coyle has wasted no time in beginning to beef up his squad for the challenge ahead. Three new names are on board and clearly they are just the start.

Burnley's task is to perform like Hull City rather than Derby County. The Clarets need quality in all departments to supplement players who gave a good account against Premier League opponents last season.

The manager has a big reputation in Scotland, as Celtic's pursuit of him indicated. Burnley benefitted when Coyle was able to hold on to Steven Thompson and Kevin McDonald and now he's raided the Scottish market for Stephen Fletcher from Hibernian.

Like Thompson, Fletcher has been capped for Scotland and scores at a goal every four games. He's one of the players who has progressed under Tony Mowbray and John Collins at Easter Road, both coaches who believe in an attractive passing game. At £3 million he's worth a punt to see if he can crack it in the Premiership.

The other arrivals bring some youthful energy to a defence that is experienced and steady but needs a bit of vigour injected. David Edgar is probably glad to escape the Newcastle madhouse. The young Canadian has around 20 appearances at top level and will benefit from being part of a stable club- and he arrives on a free so that could be very good business.

Tyrone Mears has already been around at Premiership level. Clarets fans will forgive him for being an ex-Preston player if he produces the goods. He initially played for West Ham but Derby signed him after a loan spell.

Like many Rams players he had problems during their disastrous Premiership season and he spent part of last year on loan at Marseille. Probably represents a bit of a gamble but there's no doubt he has talent that could make him a Premiershipo candidate again.

Clarets fans are realistic about the spending power at the club's disposal but the level of faith in Owen Coyle is massive and these three signings are proof that his reputation in the game can make Burnley competitive in the market.