Sunderland: Can Bramble shine at the Stadium of Light?

The mere mention of the name Titus Bramble used to have Sunderland fans in stitches. The former Newcastle United man produced more comedy gold than Geordie funsters Ant and Dec could ever dream of. However, the Black Cats boss Steve Bruce has changed all that by bringing the former Ipswich Town defender back to the north east from Wigan Athletic for £1 million. Now the Sunderland fans literally don’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Titus Bramble has made more mistakes than Amy Winehouse, Britney Spears, Kerry Katona and Joey Barton combined but he has come a long way since his disastrous time at St James'. Unfortunately his reputation as being a bit of a liable still precedes him.

Like most Sunderland fans, season ticket holder Tony Ratton freely admits that he has struggled to come to terms with the arrival of Bramble but insists he is right behind the manager’s decision.

“It’s taken me a while to get my head around the Titus Bramble signing but the bottom line is the fans have got to support Brucie on this one and trust his judgement. As our manager says Titus Bramble has been player of the season on two occasions for Wigan in the Premiership, has 10 years of top flight experience and wanted to come to the SOL which involved taking a pay cut.
 
“The worst period of Bramble’s football career was at Newcastle but hopefully we will see a very different ‘mature' and developed footballer at the SOL this season. This signing may be a source of amusement to Newcastle fans at this point but it will be a sweet feeling for Sunderland fans if Bramble turns out to be an inspired signing.”

At St James’ Park, Bramble, alongside his partner in crime Boumsong, produced some of the worst defending ever witnessed on a football park. From spectacular own goals, suicidal lapses of concentration and hashed clearances, Bramble soon earned the monikers Titus Bungle and Titus Shambles from rival fans.

However, when he was placed under the wing of former defender Steve Bruce at Wigan Athletic we saw a much more composed Bramble. The former England Under-21 became braver, more assured in his own ability and thrived on the responsibility of being the main man in Wigan’s defence. Unfortunately he wasn’t able to cut out all of his stupid errors – his sensational slack backpass against Everton and his near post headed own goal against Sunderland instantly spring to mind – but fans were starting to praise the transformation in the 28-year-old.

Bruce was a formidable defender in his day. He may not have been the quickest on the deck but he knew how to make the most of his talents. The former Manchester United ace has already proved that he can get the best out of Bramble and, with the manager’s full support and understanding, he will be hoping to raise his game again when he pulls on the famous red and white shirt.

But the build up to the new campaign isn’t going quite to plan for the manager. Bruce has to plan for the new season without his number one goalkeeper Craig Gordon after the Scotland international broke an arm in training and has been ruled out for a number of weeks. Back up keeper Marton Fulop is a reported transfer target of former Sunderland boss Roy Keane at Ipswich while reports in the Press over the past few days claim England international David James could be joining Bramble at the Stadium of Light. Tony admits that he is a bit concerned about the goalkeeping situation at the club.

“The goalkeping issue is a complex one with arguably one of the Premier League's top goalkeepers Craig Gordon out injured and young keepers Trever Carson and Simon Mignolet not having played a Premier League game between them Sunderland are looking to bring an experienced keeper in. David James fits the bill perfectly, but what happens when Gordon returns to fitness? Would James be happy to be the number two keeper at this point in his career? It’s a very difficult call for the manager.”

Sunderland’s hopes of building on last season were dealt a hammer blow earlier this month following the departure of captain Lorik Cana. The Albanian international only arrived on Wearside 12 months earlier and with his no-nonsense displays in the heart of midfield he soon became a solid hit with the fans. Unfortunately Turkish giants Galatasary turned his head with the opportunity of playing Champions League football and Bruce couldn’t deny him the chance to fulfil his dream. And while all Sunderland fans were sad to see him go the majority of them agree with the gaffer. And Tony believes the impressive form shown by a few of the youngsters near the end of the campaign may have made Bruce’s decision easier to sanction.
 
“The departure of Lorik Cana was a disappointing one for SAFC fans to take but given it meant that he would be getting the opportunity to play Champions League football with Galatasary and would be closer to his family it was an understandable move. While Cana was a popular player with Sunderland fans towards the end of last season he was getting yellow carded early in games and was then walking a tightrope for the rest of matches.

“Indeed in the later games Cana was not starting matches as a result of top form being shown by youngsters David Meyler (now out with a long term injury) and Jordan Henderson. Talking of young players this season could be a big for the careers of young Black Cats Jack Colback, Michael Liddle and Martyn Waghorn who have all being getting valuable games in during pre-season friendlies.”
 
The transfer window remains open for a few more weeks yet and Tony says that he is confident of the season ahead provided Bruce can add “an experienced keeper, a left back and another forward to the squad”. The former Wigan boss has spent very wisely at the Stadium of Light and you can’t really argue with his signings so far. Titus Bramble will be desperate not to let him down.

· Calling all Sunderland fans. How do you feel about the arrival of Titus Bramble? What do you think he will bring the squad? How confident are you that Bruce will be able to get the best out of him again? What do you think the new season will bring for Sunderland? Who would you like to see Bruce bring to the club before the end of the transfer window? Whatever your view I’d love to hear from you.

 

Fantasy football: Do you think you could spend £100 million better than Roberto Mancini? Do you think you could do a better job than Steve Bruce? Well here’s your chance to prove it. We at squarefootball are inviting you to join our fantasy football league. Simply visit fantasy.premierleague.com, pick your team, choose your strip, and when asked if you want to join a league enter: 148305-43452. Let battle commence!

 

 

Whatever Happened to...Tomas Repka

Hard case defenders are a rare breed these days, with greater protection for ball players but West Ham United acquired an unreconstructed type when Tomas Repka arrived from Fiorentina in 2001.

The Czech international has now racked up seventeen red cards during his career and he got two of them very soon after arriving in the Premier League. After his frantic start he did calm down a little but always looked a player likely to pick up a yellow in every collision.

Repka stayed until 2006 and in periods he was a very good defender. Over time though, his concentration levels wavered and Alan Pardew took to using him as a right back rather than in the centre.

Despite the occasional wobbles West Ham fans gave him a warm send off when he left, possibly because he remained with the club after relegation and through their return to the top fight via the play offs.Always an out and out defender, Repka never netted in any of his 164 League games at Upton Park.

He always looked the part - shaved head and muscular chest to the fore- but anyone who played several seasons in Serie A can play a bit and he was no mug on the deck, though occasionally a bit one-paced.

The big man returned to Sparta Prague in 2006 and at 36 he is still a key man for them. He even won the award as the top personality in the league last season. Tomas Repka led his team to an unbeaten campaign in the Gambrinius Liga and they just pipped Jablonec to the title.

Sparta easily negotiated the second qualifying round of Champions League qualifying and now face Lech Poznan of Poland. The former Hammer still has a strong chance of being in the group stages this year.

Whatever Happened To....Lomana Tresor LuaLua

Remember the name? Cult chant, crazy goal celebrations but ultimately not enough goals to remain a force in the Premiership. Yet this week Lomana Lua Lua, ex Colchester, Newcastle and Portsmouth, was on the park in the Champions League.

The DR Congo international moved to Cyprus over the summer to join champions AC Omonia from Nicosia.The striker came on as a sub in the away leg of Omonia's aggregate 5-0 win over Renova of Macedonia. The match reports indicate the new man missed two late chances to open his account- sounds familiar.

Lua Lua was Sir Bobby Robson's signing from Colchester in 2000, who had acquired him from college football.He always had masses of enthusiasm, plus bags of pace and strength but fell down on his finishing. The man from Kinshasha always appeared likely to crash in the odd screamer but bread and butter chances came and went regularly.

Newcastle first tracked his progress under Ruud Gullit when Colchester were honing his raw talent- he tended to get noticed for a goal celebration routine that would have scored 5.9 from a Russian gymnastics judge.

To be fair, he often played out wide and his willingness to run at defences could open things up for other players. At Newcastle he made 45 League apperances from the bench and just 14 as a starter; just 5 Premier League goals was the result.

Portsmouth did use him as a starter when he moved there in 2004 for £1.7 million and 15 League strikes resulted- but this was from 72 appearances. In summer of 2007 he signed for the Greek giants Olympiakos for a fee well over £2 million.

Lualua's strike rate improved just marginally in Greece. During his first season he delivered 5 goals in 21 matches but he was hampered by some serious injuries- he did win a championship medal though. The Greek club released Lua Lua after one season and the player moved to Al- Arabi in Qatar where he helped his new side win a Cup.

Olympiakos took him back on for a six-month stint from December 2009 and this time he hit the net three times in seventeen games. At this point his former coach in Greece, Takis Lemonis, took him to Cyprus.

Lomana Lualua has 18 international goals and will be remembered for his decision play on for his national side at the 2006 African Nations Cup after his infant son died suddenly. His brother Kazenga maintains the family connection with Newcastle United and has progressed through the youth ranks at St James's Park.

Red Bull Salzburg are next in line for Omonia who will be hoping that their new acquisition can open his account against the Austrian champions.

Stoke City: Sorensen or Begovic – Who is your number one?

Most Premier League sides have only one recognised top class goalkeeper in their ranks. Manchester United have Edwin Van der Sar and . . . Tomas Kuszack, Chelsea have Petr Cech and . . . Henrique Hilario while some Arsenal fans wouldn’t even call Manuel Almunia a goalkeeper! Yet at the Britannia Tony Pulis has two international shot stoppers to call on in Thomas Sorensen and Asmir Begovic.

Both Sorensen and Begovic are model professionals who deserve to ply their trade in the top flight, but only one can start the season as Stoke’s number one. Sorensen has all the experience a keeper could wish for but Begovic is one of the most promising youngsters in the game. So who will Tony Pulis trust with the gloves this season?

Thomas Sorensen

The Danish international arrived in England in 1998 after catching the eye of then Sunderland boss Peter Reid. The 22-year-old cost the Black Cats just £510,000 and proved to be one of the best signings Reid ever made. Sorensen played a huge role in helping Sunderland to the Premier League by keeping a club record 29 clean sheets in his first season and gained legendary status by saving an Alan Shearer penalty in a Tyne-Wear derby.

He spent five years at the Stadium of Light before Aston Villa signed him in 2003 for £2 million. Sorensen spent the first three seasons as the Villains number one but he was soon to fall out of favour at the club and didn’t even kick a ball in his final season at Villa Park.

Sorensen arrived at the Britannia Stadium on a free transfer in 2008 and has been crucial in keeping the Potters in the top flight. Tall, strong and brave, Sorensen is a great communicator with sharp reactions. However, he was linked with a move to Arsenal during last season and some fans believe that has affected his mindset.

Asmir Begovic

The 23-year-old Bosnian international arrived at the Britannia Stadium six months ago after impressing at Portsmouth but has so far managed just four appearances for the first team. The £3.25 million signing choose the Potters ahead of Tottenham in January because he thought there would be more chances for first team action at Stoke so he must be desperate to become number one.

Begovic has been in England for the past seven years, going out on loan to teams like Macclesfield, Bournemouth, Yeovil and Ipswich, but probably came to most fans’ attention when he replaced the injured David James for 15 games last season. Young, agile and courageous, Begovic was earning glowing reviews and was being tipped to replace James at Fratton Park as their financial situation worsened by the day. However, instead of James leaving the south coast it was Begovic who decided to move on.

He came on for his Stoke debut in April against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge following an injury to Sorensen. The score was already 2-0 but, as we all know, the champions went on to rack up seven. It wasn’t the best of starts for the youngster who played in the under-20 World Cup for Canada but he showed his character by then keeping back-to-back clean sheets against Everton and Fulham.

Both Sorensen and Begovic could do a good job at most Premier League teams and Pulis is a firm believer in having three good goalkeepers in the squad. Following Steve Simonsen’s departure to Sheffield United the gaffer has been linked with bringing former Stoke and Preston keeper Carlo Nash back to the club. Unfortunately some of the sceptics out there believe this may be an insurance job in case Pulis gives Begovic the number one spot and Sorensen asks to leave.

I’m sure Stoke City will be in safe hands whoever Pulis gives the gloves to but if you were in his position who would get your support?

· Calling all Stoke City fans. Who would you give the number one shirt to and why? How confident are you for the season ahead? Whatever your view, I’d love to hear from you.

Do you fancy yourself as the perfect pundit? Do you think you could beat Paul the octopus in predicting the right scores? Then we want to hear from you too. We are expanding our Premier League Prediction Panel this season to include a representative of each Premier League side and we urgently need a Stoke City fan to take part. If you would like to be considered for this role then please get in touch.

 

Fantasy football: Do you think you could spend £100 million better than Roberto Mancini? Do you think you could do a better job than Tony Pulis? Well here’s your chance to prove it. We at squarefootball are inviting you to join our fantasy football league. Simply visit fantasy.premierleague.com, pick your team, choose your strip, and when asked if you want to join a league enter: 148305-43452. Let battle commence!

West Ham United: Hammers happy with Grant’s signings

Avram Grant’s arrival at the Boleyn Ground wasn’t exactly greeted with fanfare – after all he is a former Chelsea boy and just experienced relegation with Portsmouth – but his early dealings in the transfer window have certainly won the backing of the West Ham fans.

 

So far the Hammers have signed former Aston Villa midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger on a free, tied up a deal for the exciting Mexican winger Pablo Barrera and Grant has been reunited with former Portsmouth striker Frederic Piquionne. They are three quality players, all with age on their side, and with the ability to get the fans up off their feet. No wonder West Ham season ticket holder Matthew Beeby is looking forward to the dawn of a new era at Upton Park.

 

“So far the signs look promising – none of the supposed stars have left and we’ve definitely added to what we’ve got. Der Hammer could be a great bit of business – and already in pre-season he’s looked sharp. He could be the best free signing ever. A midfield with him and Scott Parker is a solid base to build from. Barrera will hopefully give us some much needed flair and width in the final third. Piquionne is ok as a backup for Cole, or to throw on alongside Cole if we’re chasing the game, but I don’t think he should be in the starting XI.”
 
Last season the Hammers struggled to retain their Premier League status as injuries, poor form and pressure from the two Davids weighed down Gianfranco Zola. Thanks to former West Ham old boy Iain Dowie taking over at Hull City though, and Scott Parker’s determination to drive the Hammers forward, the Irons did just enough to keep their place at the top table.

 

Following that debacle Zola was, as expected, shown the door by David Gold and David Sullivan, who then revealed that the only player they wouldn’t be selling in the summer was their midfield dynamo Scott Parker. England internationals Robert Green, Matthew Upson and Carlton Cole were all linked with pastures new in the close season but, as of yet, nobody has left the East End. However, the rumours regarding former Chelsea striker Cole and Stoke City refuse to go away. The Potters have reportedly bid a club record £8 million for the 26-year-old and Matthew Beeby isn’t sure what he would do if he were in Grant’s position.

 

“Would I let him leave for £8 million? That’s a tough question. On form and fit, Cole can be unplayable. But when he’s having an off day, or when he’s struggling with injury, he might as well not be on the pitch. The question really is how fit he is – last season we desperately needed him so he kept being rushed back after injury and was never 100 per cent (like Torres at Liverpool). If he’s fully recovered over the summer then £8 million is nowhere near enough.”

 

West Ham have promised there will be more new signings before the transfer window closes and have been linked with a £13 million move for Nice striker Loic Remy. However, Roy Hodgson and Liverpool are also keeping tabs on the 23-year-old former Lyon man and could have a huge say in West Ham’s business either way. If the Hammers persuade Remy to join Liverpool could well turn their attention to Carlton Cole, with a figure of £12 million already being talked about. So who would the Hammers rather have up front, the tried and tested Cole or the exciting striking options of Remy? Will Grant be able to sign Remy and keep hold of Cole?

 

One thing that is for sure is that West Ham still need more new blood in their ranks for the new season and Matthew Beeby knows exactly what sort of players he would like to see arrive at the club.

 

“I’d really like to see us bring in a striker in the Bellamy mould – someone who scares defences with their pace and who knows where the net is. Maybe Remy is that player, although I don’t think we’ll get him. If Grant wants to play 4-3-3 then we need someone on the left of Barrera and Cole – because Boa Morte is nothing more than a squad player to bring on to wind up Lampard! I’d also like to see someone come in to challenge Faubert at right back – we can’t have another season with Spector as our back up.”

Although Grant’s signings have lifted the gloom around the club the expectancy levels of the fans for the current season remain the same.  

 

“We’re still massively in a hole financially, so our first aim has to be to stay up,” said Matthew. “As with last season, anything after that is a bonus. We played some dreadful football last year – don’t believe the people who say Zola at least has us playing nice stuff, it’s not true – so it would be nice to actually enjoy watching us again. It would be nice if Grant could recreate last season’s cup run with us – it would be nice to be in the running for something other than relegation at the end of January.”

· Calling all West Ham fans. What do you think of West Ham’s transfer dealings so far? Would you sell Carlton Cole in order to bring Remy to the club? Who would you like to see leave the club? How confident are you for the season ahead? Whatever your view, I’d love to hear from you.

 

Fantasy football: Do you think you could spend £100 million better than Roberto Mancini? Do you think you could do a better job than Avram Grant? Well here’s your chance to prove it. We at squarefootball are inviting you to join our fantasy football league. Simply visit fantasy.premierleague.com, pick your team, choose your strip, and when asked if you want to join a league enter: 148305-43452. Let battle commence!

Aston Villa: How much would you let Milner join City for?

Aston Villa boss Martin O’Neill has reluctantly admitted that England international James Milner can join the billionaires of Manchester City, but only at the right price.

The former Celtic manager claims that Milner wants to leave Villa Park and join his former Villa team-mate Gareth Barry at Eastlands and O’Neill knows there is no mileage in keeping a player at a club when their heart isn’t in it.

The only question left to answer though is just how much will City have to shell out to secure the services of the former Newcastle United and Leeds man?

Roberto Mancini has already had a bid of £20 million turned down for the versatile star and he isn’t going to rest until he has his man. But what would be a reasonable price for a player that Villa paid £12 million for just two years ago?

There’s no doubt that Milner is a decent player and was easily the Villains’ best player last season, but there is no way that the 24-year-old is worth more than £20 million. Sure he is full of energy, can score goals, deliver live ammunition for the strikers and whip in a glorious ball from the flanks, but what has he really done in the game to warrant such a hefty transfer fee?

When you consider that Barcelona think they can persuade Arsenal to part with their captain Cesc Fabregas for £30 million you realise just how inflated our transfer market is. Fabregas has played in the Champions League, is the main driving force at Arsenal and has played a vital role in his country becoming European and World champions. Can Milner’s achievements come anywhere near that? Not a chance. But then you can’t blame Milner. You are only worth what somebody is willing to pay and Mancini is prepared to pay through the nose to add Milner to his bulging midfield options.

O’Neill’s admission that Milner can leave has split the football world. Some see it as a sign of Villa’s lack of ambition. Others view it as total business sense.

Since Milner arrived at Villa Park the Villains’ young squad have battled valiantly to get into the top four. Unfortunately they have come up short due to a lack of strength in depth. But how are they expected to continue that dream when they keep letting their best players leave like Barry and Milner? Surely you need to keep your best players if you want to achieve things in this game. Not only does it attract better players, it also breathes confidence throughout the club.

In an ideal world I’m sure O’Neill would love to keep Milner at Villa, but the youngster has made it quite clear that he sees his future elsewhere and in business terms this is just too good an offer to turn down. When Manchester City come calling you know you can add another couple of million on the asking price because they are so loaded and desperate for success.

Say if Villa accept an offer of £25 million, O’Neill could put that money to good use by reinvesting that money to buy at least two of three quality replacements – thus boosting the squad and improving their chances of success.

No player is bigger than the team. Look at Manchester United and Cristiano Ronaldo. Nobody expected the Red Devils to mount a serious title assault last season without the Portuguese winker but Wayne Rooney stepped up to the plate and they almost won the whole lot. It’s definitely a case of the king is dead, long live the king.

There are plenty of players capable of filling Milner’s boots and at £20 million plus, Villa should be in a much healthier position, on and off the pitch. But what is the right price for Milner?

· Calling all Villa fans. How much would it take for you to let Milner leave? How much would you like Milner to stay at the club? Do you think this revelation shows a lack of ambition by Villa or do you trust O’Neill to reinvest this money in improving the squad? Who would you like to see arrive at Villa Park in Milner’s place? Whatever your view I’d love to hear from you.

 

Do you fancy yourself as the perfect pundit? Do you think you could beat Paul the octopus in predicting the right scores? Then we want to hear from you too. We are expanding our Premier League Prediction Panel this season to include a representative of each Premier League side and we urgently need an Aston Villa fan to take part. If you would like to be considered for this role then please get in touch.

Whatever Happened To.....Manchester United Youth Cup Winners 1992

As the 2010/11 season is about to begin, this may be the last campaign for Old Trafford superstars, Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville . If so, their retirements would finally break the link to the famous FA Youth Cup winning side of 1992.

On average, barely half of FA Youth Cup winning sides have decent careers in professional football- even fewer stay in the top flight. Incredible then, that the United side that beat Crystal Palace contained no fewer than seven future internationals.

The seven were David Beckham, Nicky Butt, Neville and Giggs, plus Robbie Savage, Keith Gillespie and the less well-known Simon Davies, who made a single appearance for Wales. Giggs was a sub having already broken into the United first team, as was Gillespie who established himself in the Youth team in the next season.

Paul Scholes and Phil Neville are often cited as being part of this group but the up and coming talent from Salford and the younger Neville only made the team for the 1993 final, which United lost to Leeds. Phil Neville was young enough to captain the lesser-known 1995 side which also won the trophy.

The 1992 line-up was Kevin Pilkington; John O'kane, George Switzer, Chris Casper, Gary Neville (c); David Beckham, Nicky Butt, Simon Davies, Ben Thornley; Colin McKee, Robbie Savage.

Subs; Giggs, Gillespie, Joe Roberts and Leonard Taylor

Chris Casper was extemely well thought of and captained the England Youth side. He couldn't break into the United first team and moved to Reading where aged just 24, a double leg fracture ended his career in 1999. He moved into coaching and became the League's youngest manager with Bury.Since leaving Bury he returned to Old Trafford as a youth team coach.

Scottish forward Colin McKee also found it difficult to get a break at Old Trafford and made just one appearance- he joined Kilmarnock and played 78 times for Killie before playing for several lower division sides, though never for more than a handful of games. He quit the pro game in 2001.

Defender George Switzer never made a first team start and his pro career never took off. For many years he played for local non-league side Hyde United. O'Kane had stints with Everton, Bolton and Blackpool, plus loan spells at Burnley and Bradford City. By 2003 he had also moved into non-league with Hyde.

Ben Thornley was considered an excellent wide man but the competition from Giggs, Beckham, Andrei Kanchelskis and Lee Sharpe was intense. He was also very unlucky with fitness- one tackle in particular was the subject of legal action after the player suffered horrific injuries.

By 1998 he had just 9 starts to his name for the club and so moved on to Huddersfield Town. His stay was a mixed one and then he drifted down the divisions. By 2004 he too was in non-league.

Kevin Pilkington has had a solid career between the sticks, over 300 games, mainly at Mansfield Town and Notts County. Last season he turned out in eight league matches for Luton Town in the Blue Square Premier.

Will The Times experiment force more football journalism behind a paywall?

Reading Tom Dunmore's thoughtful piece on The Times paywall experiment does question where football articles will come from in the future. I don't mean the cut and paste transfer speculation and inane nonsense that pollutes NewsNow and the like - I mean the articles from established writers who provoke debate rather than regurgitate and re-re-re-report news.

I don't much care for paywalls or think that they will succeed unless there is a niche market to be exploited or there is a monopoly (or in this case an oligopoly) position. And even well written football articles and opinions do not seem to be very exploitable. Yet Dunmore reports that 27,500 people have subscribed to the low introductory prices that The Times hopes will hook its readers whether on iPad or online. But there are a couple of implications for the numbers that Dunmore quoted.

Firstly if there are 27,500 users who have demonstrated a willingness to consider paying something each month then I would guess that a proportion of those users will stick with it at after the introductory period. The real barrier to entry is always getting people to pay anything, once customers agree with the principle of paying then, like on the iPhone or Android phones, there is a market.

If only 10,000 people initially agree to pay £2 per week that will mean that The Times will generate £1m per year. £1m won't eliminate losses, but will make the owners of papers like The Telegraph and The Independent sit up and consider the situation, £1m of revenue and a captive audience is a very persuasive argument.

Secondly the media moguls are putting incredible pressure on the new government to hack away at the BBC. If they get their wish then the BBC will be stripped of the resources that mean it is the first port of call for most British people who want to check the news. In this scenario then newspaper website news will become the default news providers.

News International is gambling that the BBC can be curbed and its competitors can be tempted by paywall revenues. In 2010 it seems ludicrous that chunks of the commercial internet would suddenly cut themselves off from search engines and casual browsers and for many it will be a point of principle to avoid the paywalls.

But it is not out of the question that paywalls can pay for journalism in a way that internet advertising will not. And so even if the decision seems ludicrous for a generation that have grown up with the internet, in business terms it is a calculated risk that could succeed.

EDIT
According to an article in the Guardian today, The Times and Sunday Times combined lose £240,000 per day and the online revenue is currently estimated to be running at £4,000 per day. Online readership fell by the expected 90% after the introduction of the paywall.

Joe Cole Signing Boosts Morale At Anfield

Liverpool fans needed some good news for the summer and they received it with the news that Joe Cole has chosen to move to Merseyside, rather than many of the other clubs chasing him.

It's important not to go overboard on this one; Cole isn't in the same bracket as Fernando Torres but his acquisition does a lot to shore up the slide in Liverpool's standing. Big clubs have to make big signings and the England man is both a statement of intent and a means to retaining Steven Gerrard and Torres.

Cole's decision already shows the dividend in appointing a much-respected football man in Roy Hodgson. Certainly, money will have had an influence but reports seem to indicate that Champions League football could have been on the cards elsewhere. Hodgson has real weight in the game and a reputation as a good man to play under.

It's also inconceivable that Cole hasn't picked up a whisper about the intentions of Gerrard, if not Torres. If the ex-Chelsea man really thought Gerrard was on his way from Anfield, even the persuasive Hodgson surely couldn't have talked him round.

The case of Torres is different. The Spaniard clearly needs an indication that Liverpool can take him to honours soon- after all. the striker played for Atletico Madrid for many years with little to show for his loyalty and he won't want a similar fate at Anfield.

So is Cole a big enough name to give Torres confidence that Liverpool are capable of getting back to the top four immediately? The answer on that one is uncertain and El Nino may well wait to see who else comes along.

Joe Cole can act as catalyst to encourage more good players to listen to Hodgson's plans and if he sets a ball rolling, it will go a long way to keeping their star striker. While clubs like Manchester City and Chelsea are said to be ready to pile in , it's worth noting that Torres himself has not agitated to leave.

It may be an unpopular truth for some clubs to hear but the name Liverpool does carry huge weight across the whole of European football. It's why Roy Hodgson came on board despite the club's plunge to seventh in the table last season and why Steven Gerrard stayed back in 2004 and 2005 when Chelsea pursued him so avidly.

Joe Cole is just the latest player to choose the history and kudos of the red shirt and his choice has made another contribution to rebuilding the club's self-esteem after the battering of 2009/10. There is no certainty that Fernando Torres will stay but today's news made that outcome a lot likelier.

20 Handy Facts About Sporting Braga (Again)

The Portuguese side stand in the way of Celtic in the Third Qualifying Round of the Champions League. Square Football noted 20 handy facts about Braga back in March 2007 when they were drawn against Spurs in the Europa League.Some of these nuggets were there in 2007 but most are new.

1. One Braga player appeared in the Portugal squad in South Africa- keeper Eduardo who made a decent impression in a tournament where most goalies were average at best. However, he has now moved to Genoa in Serie A.

2 . Sporting play at an amazing stadium partly carved out of a hillside quarry. It was shown off to spectacular effect in Euro 2004.

3. Braga are actually known as ‘Minho’s Arsenal’ in Portugal. In 1930 their manager decided that they should play in Arsenal’s red and white rather than their previous green.

4. Last season's runners-up finish was Braga's highest ever placing in the Portuguese top flight.

5. The club have been European regulars in recent seasons winning the last Intertoto Cup in 2008 and advancing to the group stages in the UEFA Cup for three seasons in a row.

6 In 2008/09 they beat Portsmouth 3-0 in a group game that was Harry Redknapp's last in charge at Fratton Park.

7, In 2007 they gave Spurs a tough contest over two legs before going down 6-4 on aggregate.

8,   Brazilian players are always prominent in Portugal but Braga have no less than 14 from that country in their first team squad

9 Cameroon international Albert Meyong is a key forward, although he wasn't selected for the World Cup.

10 Meyong converted two penalties in last season's derby game with Vitoria Guimares, Braga's bitter rivals. Children under 13 are only allowed into the derby games if accompanied by an adult, such is the intensity.

11. Braga only lost 3 League games last season and based their success on a strong defensive effort. Only 20 goals were conceded in 24 matches.

12. Goals were harder to come by. Meyong top scored with just 11 League strikes.

13. Key man at the back in Peruvian international Alberto Rodriguez who joined the club back in 2006.

14 Braga's one major honour is the Portuguese Cup in 1966.

15. Their most common formation last season was 4-2-3-1, with occasional variations.

16 Over the summer they have signed Spanish forward Juan Collado from Villarreal.

17. Before switching to their Arsenal-style kit, Braga played in Celtic-like green and white hoops.

18, The Director of Football at Braga is former international Fernando Couto

19.Argentinian midfielder Andres Madrid may play a part against Celtic. Unusually, Braga loaned him to rivals Porto during the second half of last season

20. Portuguese under 21 cap Heldar Barbosa is another new recruit, The left-winger was released by Porto and along with Braga product Pizzi, he gives the side a youthful presence out wide.

Wigan Athletic- The Premiership's Loose Cannon

Blackpool boss Ian Holloway might have winced a little when the fixture list sent his team to begin thair first season in the top flight with a trip to the DW Stadium. At least a match with one of the higher-ranked teams would have made coming up with a game plan easier.

Predicting how Wigan Athletic will perform is a tall order. This is a squad that shipped nine goals and eight goals in matches last season , plus conceded five in both matches with Manchester United. On the other hand. this is the same squad that recorded wins over Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Aston Villa.

The Latics ended the 2009/10 campaign with the worst goal difference but finished six points clear of relegation. The club have now survived five seasons in the top flight while clubs like Hull City, Reading, Burnley and West Bromwich Albion have taken the drop.

Maintaining that record in their geographical position where support can be drawn off to Manchester or Merseyside and compettion with entrenched rugby league interestis intense , is no mean feat- and the Latics don't maintain their status in the conventional way.

There are teams that have found a way at this level by dogged competiveness and consistent performances but that isn't the current Wigan method. The club is stuffed with players who can reach the heights or turn in mediocre efforts; on occasion they deliver battling team displays to nick a point but on another day, goals are leaked like a sieve.

The crucial factor is that the Latics win games. They bagged nine victories last season but lost twenty- exactly the same number of defeats as Hull City. Yet Wigan were six points better off that the Tigers after the 38 game programme.

Wigan struggle to compete in the transfer market so they have evolved a strategy under Steve Bruce and now Roberto Martinez, of seeking players in unusual places. Signings from Honduras, Ecuador and Colombia have made significant contributions to the club and the DW has also become a home for players who hit troubles at other clubs.

Charles N'Zogbia, Titus Bramble and Jason Koumas were all players who should have made more of their talents at previous clubs.. Roberto Martinez also went back to Swansea City to bring in Jordi Gomez and Jason Scotland from the Championship.

The gambles don't always work- Olivier Kapo and Daniel De Ridder being cases in point- but enough have paid off to keep Wigan afloat.And players have been attracted by the club's willingness to allow them to move on to bigger things; Luis Valencia and Wilson Palacios will both start 2010/11 playing for Champions League sides.

Wigan have players who can produce the unexpected. Reliability may be at a premium but the Latics do set other teams problems going forward. Their approach is in sharp contrast to Lancastrian neighbours Blackburn Rovers who prosper by setting their stall out defensively. Wigan do defend excellently on occasion but on a bad day they are poor in the extreme.

2010/11 is shaping in the same vein- the new men on board so far are Paraguayan and Omani. The campaign is likely to be another bumpy one for Latics fans but there will be highs along the way. Boring it won't be.

Wigan opened 2009/10 with a stunning win at Villa Park and then promptly lost their next four matches. They will hope for more consistent opening his August but Latics fans wouldn't bet on it. A dabble on Wigan still being a Premiership team next May might be worth a punt though

Manchester City: Hart or Given – Who is your number one?

Most Premier League sides only have one recognised top class goalkeeper in their ranks. Manchester United have Edwin Van der Sar and Tomas Kuszack, Chelsea have Petr Cech and Henrique Hilario while some Arsenal fans wouldn’t even call Manuel Almunia a goalkeeper! Yet at Eastlands Roberto Mancini has two top rate shot stoppers to call on, Shay Given and Joe Hart.

Both Hart and Given are fantastic keepers who would walk into most teams in Europe, but the question I’m posing all you City fans today is; If you were Mancini who would be your number one and why?

Shay Given

The former Newcastle United goalie has been described by Mancini as “one of the best five goalkeepers in the world” and it’s hard not to agree. Given has fantastic reflexes and agility, is bright and alert for the entire game and hardly ever makes a mistake. You have to wonder what sort of state Newcastle United would have been in had Given not been between the sticks, especially when he had Bramble and Boumsong in front of him!

The Republic of Ireland international faces a race against time to prove his fitness before the new campaign gets under way after injuring his shoulder against Arsenal at the tail end of last season. However, the 34-year-old insists he will be ready for selection.

Given kept 12 clean sheets last season for City and was just as important to the club’s climb up the table as Carlos Tevez was at the other end.

Joe Hart

Waiting in the wings for his chance to prove he is the best keeper at Eastlands is future England number one Joe Hart. The Shrewsbury-born shot stopper’s hopes of replacing David James and Robert Green in the international set-up were boosted no end by England’s disastrous displays in South Africa. In fact it remains a mystery to me why Capello never gave Hart the number one jersey to start with.

Hart had an amazing campaign last season with Birmingham City and was one of the main reasons why the Blues finished so highly. Brave, confident and assured, Hart will go through his own team-mates in order to claim the ball. Like Given, Hart has amazing reactions and is prepared to use any part of his body to keep the ball out of the net.

The 23-year-old also kept 12 clean sheets last season for Birmingham City and proved to all the doubters that he can cope with life in the Premier League.

Roberto Mancini has one of the best selection nightmares a manager can wish for. Does he plump for the experienced international shot stopper, who has never let him down before, or does he side with youth and Hart’s lack of fear?

For me Given just edges it, purely because of his experience, but he’ll know that Hart will be waiting to pounce if there are any dips in form.

So Given just nicks it for me, but what about you? If you were Mancini who would you hand the number one shirt to? Whatever your view, I’d love to hear from you.

· Calling all Manchester City fans. Do you think you could do a better job than Mancini? Want to put your money where your mouth is? Why don’t you enter our fantasy football league? Register your details at fantasy.premierleague.com  pick your team and let battle commence. Best of all it’s absolutely free, so you can keep your money in your wallet.

Also do you fancy yourself as the perfect pundit? Do you think you could beat Paul the octopus in predicting the right results? Then we want to hear from you too. We are expanding our Premier League Prediction Panel this season to include a representative of each Premier League side and we urgently need a City fan to take part. If you would like to be considered for this role then please use the feedback form below.  

Glasgow Celtic: Lennon eyes success at Paradise

 

Neil Lennon didn’t win many friends in Scotland as a player. Not that the former Leicester City midfielder will care as he looks at his trophy cabinet gleaming with winner’s medals. Celtic fans will be hoping that he sticks to his winning formula as a manager in order to bring back the glory days to Celtic Park.

Rival fans will throw numerous accusations at the fiery 39-year-old – irritating, a bruiser, a bully – but there are two things that nobody can question and that’s his winning mentality and his love for Glasgow Celtic.

Last season’s dismal efforts by the Bhoys would have hurt Lennon to the core. Not only did Tony Mowbray’s men under perform they also let one of the worst Rangers sides in history walk away with the major prizes without a fight. Lennon’s only blot on his copy book when he replaced Mowbray on a temporary basis was that he lost to Ross County in the semi-final of the Scottish Cup. Apart from that, Lennon managed to get the best out of his star names. But now that Lennon has landed his dream job on a full-time basis he is under intense pressure to deliver the goods.

Having seen inside the dressing room at the end of last season Lennon would have been only too aware of what needed to change on the pitch and be keen to bring in some fresh faces.

Celtic have been linked with a number of comings and goings over the past few months but the two major pieces of business conducted by the club so far are the departure of the Holy Goalie Artur Boruc and the arrival of the talented Joel Ledley from Cardiff City. Moves that have the full support of Celtic fan Richard McCarron.

“Artur Boruc hasn’t been the same for a couple of years now, with his conduct on and off the park giving him a lot of unwanted and unnecessary Press,” said Richard. “His fitness level has been noted also to have deteriorated, most notably his weight.

“As for Joel Ledley, he is a cracking signing and will bring a bit of style to the SPL. He is a physical player which will be perfect for the game up here and he will now get a chance of Champions League football.”

Boruc spent five years at Celtic and saved their bacon on numerous occasions. Agile, brave and a great shot stopper, the Polish international proved to be a reliable pair of hands, although, like most goalkeepers, he was liable to the odd howler now and again.

Newcastle United’s Steve Harper has been linked with a move north to replace Boruc but Richard McCarron has an idea that would certainly put the cat amongst the pigeons in Scotland.

“I would actually quite fancy stealing Neil Alexander from Rangers for our number one. That would be a good bit of business and produce a good bit of banter for the first Old Firm game.”

Other players who have arrived at Paradise include boyhood Celtic fan Daryl Murphy from Sunderland and former Celtic and Aberdeen left-back Charlie Mulgrew. Lennon also claims that a deal for the Mexican international defender Efrain Juarez is imminent and the door still hasn’t closed on former Arsenal and England international Sol Campbell becoming a Bhoy. Richard admits that he doesn’t know much about Juarez but likes what he has heard so far.

However, they have lost the experienced defender Stephen McManus to Middlesbrough and Richard admits to having mixed feelings about that.

“I am happy and a bit sad at losing Stephen McManus,” he said. “The big guy had a good spell with us but between him and Mr high forehead Caldwell, I’ve lost count of the amount of stupid tackles, free-kicks and penalties we’ve conceded due to them. It’s a shame to see him go but that’s football.”

Some of Europe’s biggest names were said to be interested in filling Tony Mowbray’s boots at Celtic Park in the summer. Names like Ronald Koeman, Mark Hughes and David Moyes were all linked with the vacant job and Neil Lennon wasn’t the universal choice amongst the Celtic fans but for Richard there was only ever one man for the job.

“Neil Lennon was and is the only choice that keeps all of us moany-faced Hoops fans happy. He is Celtic to the bone and it’s good to see him celebrate when we score against Rangers. And to be honest, Celtic couldn’t afford any other high profile manager so I’m hopeful the big man will come good.”

Neil Lennon is far from finished in the transfer market and Richard has some targets for the manager.

“Please sign some experienced defenders. We desperately need a centre back, left back and right back. Centre back for me would either be Gary Kenneth from Dundee United or ideally with extra cash big Sol Campbell. Left back and right back would ideally be someone with plenty of pace for Europe and the strength and maturity to deal with the heavy hitting side of the SPL. Oh and a big shout to bring back Paul Hartley to bolster up the centre of midfield and play that pivotal role big Lennon played for us and to make him captain.”

Representing Celtic comes with huge responsibility. You are either a winner or nothing. Lennon has dealt with the pressure as a player superbly and the fans know that he will not let people get away with putting in half-hearted performances from now on. Can Lennon bring the glory days back to Celtic Park? You’d be a mug to go against him.

· Calling all Celtic fans. What do you think about the decision to let Boruc leave? How do you feel about the capture of Joel Ledley? Do you believe Lennon can be as successful as a manager as he was a manager? Who else would you like to see Lennon bring to Celtic? Whatever your view, I’d love to hear from you.

Squarefootball fantasy football invitation 2010/11

I saw more action and excitement this summer down at the mortuary than I did at the World Cup in South Africa. There was also a better atmosphere between me and my ex-girlfriend than there was inside the grounds, thanks to the constant drone of those awful vuvuzelas. And as for entertainment, I think Channel 4’s Come Dine With Me won by a country mile.

Yes the 2010 World Cup was a bit of a letdown. England, Italy and France were all major disappointments, the big names like Rooney, Messi and Drogba all failed to deliver the goods and the final between Spain and Holland did nothing for the sport to warrant the nickname the beautiful game.

But let’s look on the bright side. In less than a month’s time the most exciting and action-packed league in the world kicks off, the English Premier League. The hard-working fans will be in good voice to give England’s fallen heroes a hot reception, there promises to be goals galore and more talking points than ever. We will also see the likes of Rooney, Lampard and Lennon doing for their clubs what they couldn’t do for their country, scoring, winning and getting us off of our feet.

And to make the Premier League even more exciting for you hardy souls, we at squarefootball.net are inviting each and every one of you to join us in the battle to be crowned squarefootball’s fantasy football champion.

Last season more than 300 people competed for the title but this year we want even more. So if you believe you are a Carlo Ancelotti in the making or you think you can do better than Sir Alex Ferguson then we want you to prove it.

The game is totally free to enter and easy to use. Just register your details at fantasy.premierleague.com pick your team and when prompted to join a league please enter this unique code: 148305-43452

You can choose your team now and make numerous changes up until August 14 when the game’s transfer system kicks in. Please make sure you read all the terms and conditions and take the time to understand the rules of the game.

It doesn’t matter where you’re from or who you support, we want you in the league. So, as Norwich City’s most famous fan Delia Smith once said: “Where are you? Let’s be ‘avin’ you. Come on!”

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23:53 Squarefootball Diary: Squarefootball diary brought via the medium of football tweets on Twitter. 23:30 Squaref... bit.ly/9ktVII #sqf #

13:23 Spin Doctor? Emile Heskey retires from international football just as news of John Daly's trousers breaks to overshadow it #

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Squarefootball Diary

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01:15 Squarefootball Diary: Squarefootball diary brought via the medium of football tweets on Twitter. 23:51 Squaref... bit.ly/dwFXaf #sqf #

12:36 World Cup Shock: England Climb The World Rankings: So it wasn't a disaster after all. All those dreary weeks s... bit.ly/duc1Yz #sqf #

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World Cup Shock: England Climb The World Rankings

So it wasn't a disaster after all. All those dreary weeks spent getting bored in Rustenberg weren't wasted because England went up a place in the FIFA world rankings to seventh.

To paraphrase the old adage- there are 'lies, damned lies and FIFA coefficients'. How one win over Slovenia and a pair of arid draws with USA and Algeria are worthy of advancement is beyond the ken of the average fan.

Yes, the team had a strong qualifying campaign which deserved some recognition but to go up after such a mediocre four game journey is just ridiculous. It won't exactly be much consolation to Fabio Capello.

To be fair, all rankings have anomalies from time to time. For years the golf equivalent has reflected Tiger Woods' dominance in that sport; but at the moment, Woods would hardly bother the top twenty. The American is cushioned by a system designed to reward results over a long period rather than short-term blips in form.

England's seventh position is a curious thing though, as the squad didn't even qualify for Euro 2008. You would be hard pressed to convince anyone that they are seventh best in Europe, let alone the world.

While England gained a spot, Italy went down five berths for their poor efforts and France took a massive slide from 12th to 21st. In this case the rankings are probably too lenient- 51st might have been more fitting given their shocking campaign.

Scotland at least will be gratified- they managed to go up two spots while they were sunning themselves on the beach. A few England players might have had more impact if they had followed that lead.

Squarefootball Diary

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23:51 Squarefootball Diary: Squarefootball diary brought via the medium of football tweets on Twitter. 23:30 S... tinyurl.com/39rkcah #sqf #

13:16 Wow, Fifa ranks the #WC2010 teams - Spain top followed by Holland, Germany and Uruguay. Looks like a very complex formula! #

13:20 Impressed by long-distance medical diagnoses in the press; Torres is out for 3 wks/2mths with his groin/hernia/abductor prob #

13:26 If Craig Bellamy signs for #Spurs is that the biggest Premier League transfer story of July or is it Benayoun to #Chelsea ? #

13:31 @whatilistenedto Given that 'arry has bought serial multi-£m transfer players like Keane, Defoe and Crouch - he has form #

13:33 RT @MUFC_updates: Ferguson unsure if WC stars will be ready for kick-off <-- Woah, Carrick counts as a World Cup Star? #

13:36 RT @MCFC_headlines: Wolfsburg tell #Man City only cash offer will do for Dzeko <-- have City been hoarding Green Shield Stamps? #

13:38 Ibrahimovic agent jetting to England for talks with #ManUtd, #ManCity <-- Coz City need a 12th forward and Utd are flush? #

13:53 @sreenivasviimc Torres or Drogba would be bigger stories - if they happened! #

14:00 @sreenivasviimc I agree #ManCity are the only big players, in transfer terms, in the Premier League this summer #

20:47 sqF Mailbag: Hmmm. Have to admire his work ethic. Do not appreciate his attitude problems when they arise. Woul... bit.ly/bwbi7R #

21:22 Manchester United Old Boys Enjoy Their World Cup: Sir Alex Ferguson must have had some mixed feelings watching... bit.ly/bWexAj #sqf #

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Manchester United Old Boys Enjoy Their World Cup

Sir Alex Ferguson must have had some mixed feelings watching the action in South Africa, Many of his current players didn't have the World Cup they hoped for while several ex- Old Trafford stars had a ball at the tournament.

Wayne Rooney and Patrice Evra endured a horrific time, while Rio Ferdinand and Nani didn't even make it on to the park. Nemanja Vidic found himself part of a lack lustre Serbian side for the second World Cup in a row and Michael Carrick was a peripheral presence in England's campaign. Only Park Ji-Sung could take real satisfaction from his stay in Africa, as South Korea made the last sixteen.

By contrast Gerard Pique finished the competition as a World Cup winner and Diego Forlan took home the Golden Ball as the best player in the event. Hard to believe that Forlan was deemed a misfit at Old Trafford and Pique never looked like establishing a regular berth at centre back.

The Spaniard and the Uruguayan were the standouts but Juan Sebastian Veron had his moments in an Argentina shirt, recalled to the colours by Diego Maradona for his third World Cup. Argentina fell short in end but the midfielder was a solid influence in the group stages.

Gabriel Heinze took part in all of Argentina's games at left back and reminded the world why Ferguson took him to Manchester in the first place. Not the fastest around but still a pretty uncompromising defender. Carlos Tevez carried on the electric form that he showed at Manchester City. Maradona's squad fell short but all three enjoyed a happer time than the forlorn Rooney and Evra.

The USA went as far as England with Tim Howard in goal and came within extra time of making the last eight. Only Christiano Ronaldo, as is his wont, went against the trend. His World Cup was adequate in that Portugal reached the last sixteen but personally the Real Madrid man looked distracted and isolated up front.

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23:30 Squarefootball Diary bit.ly/cxpJxU #

00:46 sqF Mailbag: I would welcome him with open arms. The guy is fierce and gives his all in every appearance regardles... bit.ly/ayUYP0 #

00:46 sqF Mailbag: Might me a good player but def dont want him and 6 mill thats way over the top for a 30 year old tro... bit.ly/ccUCHk #

00:46 sqF Mailbag: Yes. Most definitely. A bit of backbone for our forward line. bit.ly/aNuX6h #

00:46 sqF Mailbag: A good player when fit or not fighting his team mates.

Dont like him, but would instil a bit of much... bit.ly/cG2meJ #

00:46 sqF Mailbag: Wouldnt touch him with a bargepole! Hes arrogant and will definitely upset the harmony. He is a pain ... bit.ly/cz2K0T #

01:03 Squarefootball Diary: Squarefootball diary brought via the medium of football tweets on Twitter. 23:30 Squaref... bit.ly/9BsOsZ #sqf #

17:24 sqF Mailbag: I am A Celtic fan and think Campbell would be a great signing for us still fit and knows his way arou... bit.ly/9VuLJo #

17:24 sqF Mailbag: Id love to have him. Hes a great player and a great bloke. Just keep the golf clubs out of reach hahaha. bit.ly/aogJvp #

17:24 sqF Mailbag: We dont want Bellamy at Tottenham because hes a whinging, whining and moaning welsh person. The only ... bit.ly/9IEJLW #

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Ten Handy Facts About The 2010 World Cup

It's all over for four more years and Spain have won the trophy for the first time. Listed here are some of the major happenings and the less well known after five weeks in South Africa,

1. Spain became the first team to lift the World Cup after losing their opening game. West Germany were also beaten in 1974 but not in the opener.

2, New Zealand ended the tournament as the only undefeated side, emulating Scotland in 1974 who also failed to get out of  group despite not losing a game

3.Miroslav Klose now has 14 goals at the finals- five in 2002, five in 2006 and another four in South Africa

4.Gonzalo Higuain of Argentina scored the only hat-trick of the finals, notching three against South Korea

5. Only two of the sixteen knockout matches went to penalties. That compares to four in 2006, two in 2002 and three in 1998.

6. This was the first final without any of the 'Big 4'-Brazil, Argentina , Italy and Germany

7. Holland are now the only nation to lose three finals without winning the competition

8. Yet again Germany went further in the competition than England. That has happened 11 times since 1966

9. Iker Casillas is the third goalkeeper to captain the winning country

10.Spain became the first European team to win outside Europe

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10:22 Sol Campbell: Arsenal, Celtic, Sunderland or West Ham United – Where does his future lie?: Twelve months ago S... bit.ly/ao1wiN #sqf #

11:23 Tottenham Hotspur: Would you welcome Bellamy to the Lane?: Manchester City’s Craig Bellamy has had more clubs ... bit.ly/9gbFhk #sqf #

12:05 sqF Mailbag: Im a Celtic fan but i think west ham will sign him.. he can stay in London and i take it he knows Avr... bit.ly/cWoLfU #

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Tottenham Hotspur: Would you welcome Bellamy to the Lane?

Manchester City’s Craig Bellamy has had more clubs than Tiger Woods but if the rumours in the Press are to be believed then the fiery Welshman could be on the verge of joining another top flight club, Tottenham Hotspur.

There’s no denying that Bellamy is a class performer. He pace to burn, the skill to beat defenders and can find the back of the net. However, his demands for perfection from his team-mates could ruffle a few feathers at White Hart Lane and ruin the harmony currently at the club.

Harry Redknapp is a huge admirer of the former Newcastle United, Liverpool and West Ham United striker and tried to sign him from the Hammers 18 months ago before Mark Hughes got his hands on him. He may give the missus a run for her money in terms of moaning but he hates to lose and worse than that he hates players who don’t give everything for the cause. Those latter traits are to be commended but the way in which he goes about it can cause friction in the camp.

However, Redknapp is one of the best man managers in the country and would surely find a way for Bellamy to channel his anger in the interests of the team. Plus, looking at the Spurs team there aren’t too many slackers kicking about in there. It’s not as if Robinho is about to turn up at the Lane. Bellamy really would have something to moan about then!

Tottenham are preparing for their first venture in the Champions League and Redknapp is keen to add new faces to the squad. Former Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole is one of the names being touted with a move across the capital and his experience in the Champions League could be crucial. However, Bellamy has also graced Europe’s elite competition and has a much better return rate than Cole. The former West Ham United youngster may be available on a free transfer but the Daily Mail believes City may let Bellamy go for £6 million, which is an absolute steal. Of course, in a dream world I’m sure Redknapp would love to have both of them, but reports out today suggest that Cole may now be looking for a move aboard.

Bellamy may have the face of a gargoyle but he is one of the most effective players in the Premier League. When he is on the top of his game he is unstoppable. He always gets in the right position, always has his head up looking for a pass, and more often than makes the right decision in front of goal. He also has bags of energy, never gives defenders a moment’s peace and does a job defensively for the team.

The Manchester City ace joined the Citizens in the hope of guiding them to the Champions League but Spurs and Peter Crouch put paid to that goal. However, could Redknapp give him another chance to play in the Champions League this season or will he stay loyal to City and Mancini?

Bellamy isn’t averse to moving around the country and at 30 he knows his career will soon be coming to an end. He wants to bring the curtain down on his career with some silverware in the trophy cabinet. Bellamy also knows that if he stays at City this season and they do manage to finish in the top four then he may be pushed out in favour of some money-grabbing mercenary.

Does he make a proactive decision and look after himself or stay loyal to City and do what he was signed to do? Having seen his mentor Mark Hughes callously shown the door at Eastlands and I think he may jump at the chance of playing for Spurs, but would the Spurs fans want to see one of the country’s most repelled players in their ranks?

· Calling all Spurs fans. Would you welcome Bellamy to White Hart Lane? What do you like/dislike about him? What sort of a job do you think he could do at Spurs? Do you think he would be a hit at the Lane? Whatever your view, I’d love to hear from you.

Sol Campbell: Arsenal, Celtic, Sunderland or West Ham United – Where does his future lie?

Twelve months ago Sol Campbell was preparing for life in League Two with Notts County. Today he has four top class clubs chasing his signature.

Campbell shocked the football world last summer by agreeing a five-year deal with Notts County but it only took one game for the former England international and FA Cup and Premier League winner to realise he had made a monumental mistake. That huge culture shock was probably just what Campbell needed though as it made him realise what he had to offer and more determine to make the most of his time as a professional.

The former Portsmouth and Spurs defender was given the chance to train with his former club Arsenal and get his career back on tracks. However, he impressed Arsene Wenger so much with his fitness and attitude that the Frenchman opted to give him a short-term contract. He stepped in to replace the injured Gallas in the back four and didn’t look out of place back in the Premier League or the Champions League. In fact some pundits were so impressed that they believed he could even work his way into Fabio Capello’s World Cup squad.

Campbell said at the end of last season that he was looking forward to representing Arsenal in the new season but the picture at the Emirates has changed quite considerably. Gallas, Senderos and Silvestre have all been released by the club and Wenger has already signed Laurent Koscielny and stated that he is still on the lookout for another defender. With that in mind, Campbell, who is a free agent, may end up facing long spells on the bench at the Emirates.

However there is no shortage of possible suitors willing to secure the powerful defender’s services.

Glasgow Celtic

New Celtic boss Neil Lennon is determined to bolster his squad ahead of the new SPL season and believes Campbell’s experience would be invaluable as they try to wrestle back the league title from their rivals Rangers. The Bhoys can offer him regular football and even a crack at the Champions League.

However, if Campbell didn’t like the standard of football in League Two he probably won’t be impressed by the offerings on a cold, wet night at Pittodrie either.

Sunderland

Steve Bruce has made great strides at the Stadium of Light and has a vision of where the club should be heading. A former defender himself, he will have huge respect for Campbell’s physical presence and positional sense. Campbell’s experience would be crucial in the development of Michael Turner and co and he would make the Black Cats a much tougher side to break down.

He has reportedly been offered a two-year deal at the Stadium of Light and at his stage of the career that security may prove decisive.

West Ham United

Then we have the Hammers, the team that almost destroyed his career in 2006. West Ham had taken an early two-goal lead at Highbury thanks to lapses in concentration by Campbell. At half-time he was substituted and walked out of the club, not to be heard from for days. The Upton Park fans still talk about that night fondly, not only because of Campbell’s walkout but that they won 3-2, but could Campbell do a job for Avram Grant’s new–look Hammers? Of course he could. When you compare him to Matthew Upson then there is only one winner, especially if you look at Upson’s form in the latter half of the season.

West Ham offer Campbell the chance to remain in London and work with one of the best man managers in the top flight. Like Sunderland, West Ham can’t offer him European football but they can give him regular game time and at his age that’s all you care about.

Arsenal

Then you have the Gunners. Campbell proved he can still cut it at the top but his chances at the Emirates may be limited when you consider Wenger’s transfer intentions. Would he be happy to be a bit-part player at a top four club or does he want to play football?

That will be the big decision running through his head right now, but where do you think Campbell will start the new season? I’d love to hear from you.

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The Boy's Had A Shocker- World Cup Flops

Not everyone shines on the big stage and below are an eleven who might have enjoyed a happier summer on a beach after their travails in South Africa.

Robert Green

Keepers had a poor time of it in 2010 and quite a few could have made this selection but no one made a more calamitous error than the England man who found Fabio Capello in an unforgiving mood.

Nicalas Otamendi

None of the Argentines enjoyed the quarter-final with Germany but the right back had a mare. His clumsy foul set up the first goal which he compounded by playing the opposition on side. His dive-in opened acres of space for the third strike and his positional sense and edginess undermined the whole defence.

Fabio Cannavaro

A hero in 2006 and a long-term stalwart of the Azzuri backline but this was a tournament too far for the Italian skipper. Horribly caught out for Slovakia's third goal but he looked out of sorts and off the pace oin all three games.

Martin Demichelis

Argentina were vulnerable the moment Walter Samuel succumbed to injury. Demichelis always looked likely to be the weak link at the back and his error against South Korea could have been more serious against a better side. Demichelis unwisely mocked John Terry's performance against Germany and then found himself chasing shadows against the same team.

Patrice Evra

Captains are supposed to go down with the ship but not to make holes in the vessel themselves. Evra began in mediocre form, was culpable against Mexico and then joined the mutiny sparked by Niclas Anelka's half-time rant at coach Domenech. The Manchester United man didn't even make it on to the park for the final group game

Franck Ribery

Was he even in South Africa? Totally anonymous throughout France's horror show , though to be fair, most of his team mates could have joined him in this side

Dejan Stankovic

Serbia's tournament went like 2006. Came in on a strong qualification but then played in a slow and predictable style that worried no one. Managed to beat ten-man Germany with some luck  but were poor against Ghana and Australia. Star man Stankovic was hardly a factor again.

Gareth Barry

Touted as England's holding player but at a World Cup his lack of expertise in the position was exposed.Ozul's dismissal of the Man City man for Germany's fourth goal was just plain embarrassing

Claudio Marchisio

The whole Azzuri midfield were grey and uninspiring, lacking the wit to pick open defences. All of them could have been here but the Juventus man did little of note in his 120 minutes on the park. Just one shot (blocked) and 64 passes- and many of those went astray. In his defence he only came in with 3 caps, so his time will come again.

Niclas Anelka

Ribery and Anelka didn't link up much in South Africa but they are together again in this team of failures. Anelka wasn't selected in 2002 or 2006, which seemed like an excellent decision as he failed to make an impact, looked isolated up front and then spontaneouly combusted in the dressing room to bring the whole French effort crashing down.

Wayne Rooney

Never expected to be in such a selection but his lacklustre efforts and shocking inability to control the dreaded  jabulani made him a shoe-in

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Leicester City: Sousa given a so-so welcome by Foxes

I thought Usain Bolt was the fastest man in the world but I think Leicester chairman Milan Mandaric could give him a run for his money. The former Portsmouth chief wasted no time in finding Nigel Pearson’s successor but the way Pearson left the club has left a shadow hanging over the club.

Normally a new manager is given a fanfare reception, unless it happens to be Gary Megson, but Sousa’s arrival from Swansea has been very so-so. But Lance Tomlyn, chairman of the Leicester City Independent Supporters Association, says the fans will back Sousa all the way but that they are still shocked at the departure of Pearson.

“I think the supporters are still in shock over the loss of Nigel Pearson and there are still a lot of question left unanswered so there’s still a lot of anger around the place. This has put a dampener on the arrival of the new manager and there isn’t the same excitement that there normally would. Given the circumstances there will inevitably be comparisons between what we had and what we are going to get. This was always going to be a problem for whoever came in as Nigel Pearson was a favourite with the supporters and so he’ll have some big shoes to fill.

“Not only was Pearson a fans’ favourite he also brought the club forward in so many ways over his two-year tenure and the supporters will be looking for that to continue so Sousa will need to hit the ground running. We do have a lot of good players but some of our best were loan players that have now returned to their home clubs so they will need replacing very quickly given that we’re already into pre-season.

“As far as Sousa, as a manager, goes we will all have to wait and see. He was a very good player in his day so I’m sure he will get the respect of the players. However I think most people will agree he is yet to prove himself as a manager. He wasn’t really given enough time at QPR before his untimely demise but a full season at Swansea saw them almost achieve a place in the play-offs. I think if I’d been a Swansea fan I would have been a bit alarmed at the way they slid out of the play-off places at the end of the season and Sousa couldn’t seem to do anything about it and they were piped at the post by Blackpool.

“I must admit it was a bit worrying that Sousa seemed to publically lose his cool at the end of the season. Blaming referees for their demise as opposed to getting his players winning again. Maybe they did have a lot of crucial decision go against them but I remember thinking it can’t be helping the mindset of the players. Maybe it was the Latin temperament coming out? In comparison Pearson was coolness personified. When our form dipped and I remember thinking of the two clubs we’re favourites to hold on to our spot. At the time that was comforting however now it’s slightly worrying!

“Anyway as always the Leicester supporters will give him a fair crack of the whip as they always do and provided Mandaric gives him the time and the funds to advance the team then there’s no reason why he can’t succeed. He’s obviously a talented manager or he wouldn’t have got Swansea to where they were last season and on the positive side Swansea did have the meanest defence in the division last season although their top goal scorer only got seven which is a bit worrying.

“If you read the Swansea message boards they weren’t impressed with Sousa’s brand of football which wasn’t very attractive and they aren’t unhappy to see him leave which is always a concern. One fan said they only had one exciting game last season and that was because it was the local derby against Cardiff!

“Obviously at Leicester he’ll be working with a whole new set of players and whole a new set up so hopefully the approach will be a little more positive. Let’s hope so!”

Milan Mandaric has a bit of a reputation of being difficult to work with – well five managers in his first year says it all really – but Lance is confident that Sousa and Milan will be able to get along.

“I will always question whether anyone can work with Mandaric especially with the debacle over Pearson and that might be a bigger problem than Sousa’s ability as a manager. Only time will tell as to whether he can build on what’s already been achieved but he’s definitely inherited a good group of player he will have a good fan base behind him and he will hopefully have a bit of money to spend. In this division you can’t ask for much more than that so let’s see. The jury is out. Ask me again at Christmas . . . if he’s still here!

“A lot might depend on the budget he’s given. Milan keeps saying he will back his manager but the rumours are that the whole club is going through a cost cutting exercise and the playing side isn’t exempt and this was one of the reasons Pearson left. There’s also rumours that new investors or possibly owners might be coming into the club so who knows what the future holds.”

Following last season’s penalty heartache against Cardiff City in the play-offs the majority of fans were optimistic of the season ahead. They had a great manager, the team were playing some fantastic stuff and everything looked rosy. Now that Pearson has headed for pastures new and concerns have been raised over the club’s finances the fans are feeling a bit deflated. But Lance believes the play-offs remain a minimum requirement for Sousa.

“We will certainly want to be up around the top of the table for most of the season as we were last season. We certainly have the players to do that so I believe most fans will think anything less than a place in the play offs will be deemed to be a failure and that probably goes for the chairman as well.

“I wish Sousa all the luck in the world in what will be a difficult task following Pearson. It’s not quite the poisoned chalice that it was taking over from Martin O’Neill but it won’t be easy as there is a lot of expectation from the supporters and the chairman after last season.”

Mandaric may be one of the quickest chairmen when it comes to replacing managers but being fast is not always the best option. Let’s just hope that he has made the right decision this Sousa and has not made a knee-jerk appointment.

· Calling all Leicester City fans. What do you think of Sousa’s arrival? How confident are you that he can build on the platform left by Pearson? What do you think this season will bring? Whatever your view, I’d love to hear from you.

Middlesbrough: Boyd backed to bang ‘em in at the Riverside

You don’t win games unless you score goals. Middlesbrough boss Gordon Strachan is only too aware of that fact, hence the reason why he has done everything possible to bring the SPL’s all-time record goalscorer Kris Boyd to the Riverside.

The former Rangers striker broke all kinds of records in Scotland and his reputation as a fox in the box was gaining interest from clubs in the Premier League, Russia and Turkey. However, Strachan, who knows all about Boyd from his time as Celtic manager, managed to persuade the former Kilmarnock man to join his Scottish revolution at the Riverside and the clinical finisher is being backed to be a big hit at Boro.

“I think it’s a great coup for us and I hope he can be our top goalscorer this season,” said Sue Gardener, chairman of the Official Middlesbrough Supporters Club. “A bit of rivalry with former Celtic marksman Scott McDonald and Chris Killen could be good as well.

“Can Boyd replicate his scoring feats with Glasgow Rangers at the Riverside? You never know until players find their feet, so to speak, so only time will tell.”

Boyd’s record at Rangers certainly speaks for itself. He scored 101 goals in 118 starts, finished the league’s top scorer in four out of the past five seasons and scored eight hat-tricks for the Gers. No wonder Strachan hails him as one of the best finishers in Europe. However, he was often left on the bench in Europe by manager Walter Smith – a fact that bemused most Rangers fans.

The 26-year-old turned down the chance of linking up with former Rangers boss Alex McLeish at Birmingham in the Premier League and the lucrative opportunity of playing for former Rangers ace Shota Arveladze at Keyserispor in Turkey to join Middlesbrough, but many commentators feel Boyd has taken the easy option. Not Sue though.

“Boyd has taken the best option open to him,” she said. “As he said he wants to play football and may not get selected regularly at other clubs as he will with the Boro.”

At the recent Press conference Boyd confirmed that he had indeed joined Boro because he was guaranteed game time and it was the right move for his family.

“There were other options for me to play aboard and in England, but for me the most important thing was to come and play football,” he said. “There was no point in going anywhere that I may not be a first choice. I’ve got a great chance to play here and a big challenge. I felt the challenge here was better than one at the bottom of the Premier League and struggling every week, probably playing one up front.”

Boyd’s arrival takes the number of players at the club with Scottish links to eight and continues Middlesbrough’s proud history as a homebase to many Scots. Graeme Souness, Bobby Murdoch and Bernie Slaven are just a few stars from north of the border who have shined at Boro and Sue admits that we might be seeing The Saltire adorning the Riverside stadium more prevalently if Strachan’s Scots can climb the table.

“There are quite a few jokes flying around at the moment about McBoro but if these players do well then the fans will take to them no matter where they come from,” she said.

Strachan has also splashed the cash to secure the services of former Charlton Athletic captain Nicky Bailey. The 26-year-old midfielder has won rave reviews for his displays at the Addicks and at just £1.4 million Boro may have just made one of the buys of the season. But there shows no sign of Strachan putting away the chequebook just yet as he has also been linked with Rangers midfielder Kevin Thomson and Scunthorpe striker Gary Hooper.

Confidence is high among the Boro fans and Sue insists that the fans expect nothing less than a top three finish. That kind of pressure is water off a duck’s back for the likes of Boyd, McDonald and Strachan, but can they inspire the rest of the team to raise their game and get back into the Premier League? Well you tell me!

· Calling all Middlesbrough fans. How do you feel about the signings of Boyd and Bailey? How confident are you of regaining your Premier League status this season? What other areas of the team would you like to see Strachan strengthen? Whatever your view, I’d love to hear from you.

Bolton Wanderers: New signings bring new hope for new season

The new Premier League season may be more than a month away but for many Bolton fans the big kick-off can’t come soon enough. Not only are they excited about witnessing the real dawn of the Owen Coyle era, they have been handed a kind opening fixture list and are making some bold statements of intent in the transfer market.

Coyle, who was famously known as God by the Burnley fans before returning to his former stomping ground, steered the Trotters to safety last season after taking over from the much maligned Gary Megson in January and everyone associated with the club is expecting Bolton to become the entertainers this season. Coyle has a proud tradition of playing swift, attacking football and his first two signings of the summer have definitely whetted the fans’ appetite for the season ahead.

Former Manchester City midfielder Martin Petrov has arrived on a free transfer and ex-Burnley striker Robbie Blake has joined his former boss at the Reebok and Dave Blackburn, from the Bolton Wanderers Supporters Association, says he has been impressed with the gaffer’s forays in the transfer window so far and believes they have the experience and guile to aid Bolton.

“I think they are good signings,” said David. “As long as Petrov can stay injury free he may turn in to the best free transfer of the season. As for Blake, I have heard some very mixed reviews but he has been there, done and bought the T-shirt and if he is good enough for Coyle then he is good enough for me. If he scores the winner for us like he did for Burnley against Manchester United last season he will gain hero status.

“Petrov is a very good winger with plenty of experience and scores the odd goal. He will add experience to the squad and you only need to look at his past clubs to see what a good player he is.

“As for Blake, although he had a lean spell last year (I believe he played out left most of last season) I think he may score a few for us. I hope he does what Kevin Phillips did for Birmingham last year and chip in with a few from the bench. He won’t start most games but will be good to bring on in the last 20 minutes of games. He will definitely challenge the strikers.”

Petrov was released by the billionaires of Manchester City this summer and Premier League rivals including West Ham United and Aston Villa were reportedly all keeping close tabs on the Bulgarian. However, Coyle’s football ethos has obviously struck a chord with the former Atletico Madrid man and he turned down the bright lights of London and Birmingham for the Trotters. He has an eye for goal, is exciting on the ball but above all he is a team player. Petrov is a class act.

As for Blake, he may in the twilight of his career but he is a talented footballer. The former Burnley and Forest striker can make things happen in the box and for a free transfer you can't really argue with Coyle's thinking.

A vocal section of supporters felt that they were being served up dire football under the previous manager, Gary Megson, so the signings of Petrov and Blake will certainly give them hope that they will be seeing a lot more attacking endeavour and goalmouth action this season.

Under Sam Allardyce Bolton Wanderers became a staple fixture in the top half. That relationship ended though when Big Sam left to join Newcastle. Since then they have firmly struggled to hit the top 10. But Dave is confident that Coyle can steer the club back in the right direction.

“Three of four more signings will do the trick. We have to buy more than these two. I didn’t think we had enough strength in depth last season, but these two will certainly help. A good cup run and a top 10 finish next season are definitely in the offing.”

So what areas of the team would Dave like to see Coyle strengthen before the season kicks off?

“We need another decent centre half to challenge Cahill and Knight. No disrespect to Shittu and A O’Brien but I don’t think they were the answer. Muamba had a much better season last year but we need a creative midfielder who can put his foot on the ball and pick out a pass (similar to Campo) and someone else who can get stuck in.

“Although that said, Sean Davis will be like a new signing and I’m really looking forward to seeing him as well as young Stuart Holden. From the few games I saw of him last season I thought he was excellent so it may not be too bad.

“And we need another striker who can find the net regularly. With Ward, Davies, Elmander and now Blake we are still lacking in that department (unfortunately it looks like Klasnic’s wages will be his stumbling block.”

Johan Elmander has failed to live up to his price tag so far but what does Coyle do with him? Does he preserve in the hope that he can get the best out of him or does he cut his losses and move him on?

“I think it may be the latter if there is interest in him,” said Dave. But to Coyle’s credit he has stuck with him and given him a chance. Unfortunately although his work rate is very high with Davies and Elmander up front we are not scoring enough goals and it might do him as well as us a world of good to give him a fresh start somewhere else.”

And talking of fresh starts Dave also believes we may see a new face in between the sticks at the Reebok.

“This might come as a surprise to you, but as regards the keeper situation, I think Al-Habsi may take over soon as in my opinion Jussi did have a few shaky games last season and I still can’t believe we have managed to keep hold of Al-Habsi. He deserves a chance, I rate him very highly.”

Bolton kick-off the new season with a home fixture against Fulham before travelling to West Ham and then hosting Birmingham City. Coyle couldn’t have asked for a better start and there’s a real belief that the Trotters could well be sitting pretty at the top of the table come the start of September. A few more quality additions to the squad will certainly enhance that belief.

· Calling all Bolton fans. What are your views of Petrov and Blake arriving at the Reebok? How confident are you of the season ahead? Do you think Coyle can drive you up the table? How would you solve a problem like Elmander? Whatever your view, I’d love to hear from you.

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Holland v Spain- A Meeting Of Football Cousins

Holland v Germany would have been a World Cup Final between nations with a bundle of negative history but Carles Puyol has engineered an encounter between sides with a shared footballing culture.

Ever since Johann Cruyff moved to Barcelona in 1973, Dutch and Spanish soccer have been interwoven. Cruyff went on to manage Barca and influence a new generation of Dutch players to try their luck in La Liga.

Dutch coaches became the rage in Spain, especially in Catalonia. As well as Cruyff the likes of Louis Van Gaal, Leo Beenhakker and later Frank Rijkaard, were major figures in the Spanish game, And of the current Dutch squad many have played in the country- not so long ago, Barcelona had more Dutchmen than native Spaniards on the books.

The Cruyff influence is found in both current squads. The Ajax youth programme- playing to a pattern and style begun in the 1970s- provides many of the current Dutch internationals. And in Barcelona, providing over half the Spanish first eleven, the players grew up with Dutch stars and coaches as their guiding light.

Its not difficult to see how it happened. Top Dutch footballers need a bigger stage than the Eredivisie to play in and while Serie A used to be the place to go, La liga offered another competition that emphasised technical quality but with less defensive emphasis than Italy.

In the 1980s Serie A still had the edge but increasingly Dutch stars look to Spain and England as the first port of call. Real Madrid soon followed Barca's lead and have also imported a raft of Holland caps. From the Ajax team that won the 1995 European Cup, nine of the starting eleven went on to play and/or coach In Spain.

Many of the participants in Sunday;s final are team mates, former team mates or regular opponents in La Liga. Rafeal Van Der Vaart is currently at Real Madrid but Wesley Schniejder, Gianni Van Bronckhost,Arjen Robben, Mark Van Bommel, Johnny Heitinga, Khalid Boulahrouz and Klas-Jan Huntelaaar have all had stints on the Iberian Peninsula.

The Dutch effect on Spanish soccer added pace and verve to their traditional virtues of technical excellence, patience and looking after the ball. Barca stars like Xavi and Andres Iniesta embody the best of both countries.

So Sunday's game will be a meeting between cousins with a shared background. Each has taken something from the other and added it to their game. Holland play with more discipline than their great sides of the past, while Spain operate with more freedom and pace. Both maintain the shared technical excellence.

Its a fair bet that this Final will smash all records for the number of passes completed. It could be a classic but when teams that are so alike come into opposition, they can cancel each other out. This could be a technically brilliant football match but by the end the audience across the world might just feel they have been passed to death.

Swansea City: Who will replace Sousa at the Liberty Stadium?

The bookies hardly ever get it wrong so the writing was on the wall last week when they closed the book on Paulo Sousa becoming the new Leicester boss. Despite both parties denying any initial contact, the bookmakers weren’t fooled and now Swansea are in the hunt for their second manager inside 12 months.

Sousa, the former Benfica, Juventus and Borrusia Dortmund midfielder, had the impossible task of replacing Roberto Martinez at the Liberty Stadium but he almost led them to the play-offs, just missing out in the final stretch of the season. Sousa continued Martinez’s mantra of playing football on the ground but their lack of goals ultimately cost them their play-off place.

Now the search is on for the next Swansea City manager and there is no shortage of quality candidates being linked with the post. But who would be the best man for the job? Here is a rundown of the main runners and rider and my opinion on whether they would be a hit or not at the Liberty.

Graeme Jones

The former Wigan Athletic striker spent two years at Swansea as assistant to Roberto Martinez and is one of the bookies’ favourites to replace Sousa. He knows the club like the back of his hand, has a great rapport with the players and wouldn’t cost the chairman, Huw Jenkins, the earth to sign. However, there are a number of Swansea fans who can’t forgive him for walking out on the club with Martinez last summer. And is he ready to be his own man or does he want to stay as Roberto’s right hand man in the Premier League?

Paul Tisdale

The Exeter City boss has gained rave reviews for his heroics with the Grecians and it’s surely only a matter of time before the 37-year-old lands a plum job. He’s taken Exeter from the conference to League One inside four seasons and believes football should entertain the fans. Tisdale was reportedly on Swansea’s list to replace Martinez last season and Exeter’s vice-chairman Julian Tagg has said he will not stand in his way if he wants to leave this time. Could this be the right time for Tisdale to make the step up?

Nigel Adkins

The Scunthorpe manager has been heavily linked with the Swansea job but he recently told the BBC that he is very much in the dark over the speculation. Another boss who has worked miracles on a tight budget, Adkins has guided the Iron to the Championship twice inside four years and managed to avoid the drop last season. The former Wigan goalkeeper is 45, intelligent and focused, but would he be prepared to turn his back on his efforts at Glanford Park for a new challenge at Swansea?

Sean O’Driscoll

The Doncaster Rovers boss is another one who has a great belief in playing football on the deck and was almost rewarded for his footballing ethos with a move to the then Premier League outfit Burnley last season. However, the two sides couldn’t agree on a compensation package and the 53-year-old Wolverhampton-born former Fulham midfielder stayed put. Like Tisdale it’s only a matter of time before one of the so-called bigger clubs come calling, but can Swansea afford him?

Gary Speed

The Welsh national manager and former Swansea striker John Toshack believes Gary Speed would be an excellent appointment for the Jacks and it’s hard to disagree. As a player Speed was a model pro, playing in the top flight until the age of 38, and has a wealth of domestic, European and international experience to call on. He is currently a coach at Sheffield United but he obviously has designs on being his own man. Hiring the boyhood Everton fan would be a risk as he has no managerial experience but chairmen take risks with every appointment. Speed is highly respected and has learned from some of the best coaches in the UK. Swansea could do worse than take a chance on Speed.

Tony Mowbray

If you want your team to play attractive football then there’s not many better advocate’s than former West Brom and Celtic boss Tony Mowbray. While his time at Parkhead may have been a disaster, Mowbray is still in high demand because of the attacking football he delivers. At the Hawthorns he had the Baggies scoring goals for fun – something the Swansea fans would love to see again at the Liberty. Unfortunately, defensively, his teams were always softer than Kleenex. He knows what it takes to get a team promoted to the Premier League and has a knack of finding talented players. Mowbray could do a great job at Swansea.

Other names in the frame for the vacant position include former Hull City chief Phil Brown, ex-Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate, old Wimbledon striker Dean Holdsworth, Swansea-born Chris Coleman, former Peterborough and Stockport boss Jim Gannon, John Hartson and Iain Dowie amongst many others. But who would you love to see in the dugout at the Liberty Stadium?

Whatever your view, I’d love to hear from you.

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Germany v Spain: World Cup History

Wednesday's semi-final meeting is only the third time that Germany (or West Germany) and Spain have faced each other at the World Cup Finals. Spain were beaten in both the previous encounters.

The rarity of these matches is caused by Spain's poor performance in the tournaments. Despite the strength of Spanish football this is their first semi-final appearance- aside from making what was the final pool in the 1950 competition.

While Germany invariably go deep into the competition, Spain often leave early. That was the case in 1966 when the two sides met at the group stage.The Spanish lost to Argentina but beat the hapless Swiss squad to set up a final game with West Germany at Villa Park. Despite taking the lead, Spain were pegged by goals from Emmerich and the legendary Uwe Seeler and finished with just two points for their efforts.

THe next time the teams met it was on home soil for Spain. Both squads negotiated the first group stage in 1982 but not without problems. Spain lost at home to Northern Ireland but scraped through and West Germany earned opprobrium for their shameless non-aggression pact with Austria that sent out Algeria.

The format in 1982 involved a second stage of four three-team groups and West Germany and Spain were placed in a section with England. The Germans took the edge in the section by beating the host nation 2-1 again. Second half goals from Littbarski and Fischer put Spain on the back foot.

Matches have been more frequent in European competition. The most famous is the 2008 European Championship final when Spain took the trophy thanks to Fernando Torres. Seven of Germany's team from that game will seek revenge in South Africa ,while as many as ten Spaniards who took part will be available for selection.

Holland v Uruguay- A Tough Choice For Football Romantics

If there were two teams (apart from England) I didn't want to come up against each other in a World Cup semi-final it would be the Dutch and the Uruguayans- the two smallest nations to contest a World Cup Final going head-to -head.

The first time I ever even heard of a country called Uruguay it was because of football- in fact, aside from the Battle of the River Plate, Uruguay has rarely made headlines for anything else. But consider that only 3.5 million people carry the passport and you get some idea of what a footballing pocket battleship Uruguay is.

As well as two World Cup wins in 1930 and 1950, the Sky Blues also won the Olympics in 1924 and 1928- and as that was the main tournament in those pre-World Cup years, not unreasonably, Uruguayans claim four world titles instead of two.

It couldn't last of course and 1970 was the last time they were at the business end of a Mundial; yet the country still produced an astonishing line of star players for the size of the population. Much of their quality was lost though as the 1970s and 1980s Uruguayan sides often slipped into brutal cynicm under the pressure to emulate the past.

Scotland saw both sides in 1986 when Batista scythed Gordon Strachan after 56 seconds earning a red card. The Uruguayans then combined all manner of gamesmanship with some breathtaking possession football to force a 0-0 result that eliminated the Scots.

Its a great story to see the sixth smallest country even to qualify for World Cups back in the semi-finals. The pity is they play Holland- Holland, whose cavalier sides of 1974 and 1978 lost both finals to host nations. For impressionable youngsters they became everyone's second favourite country (apart from in Germany).

While Total Football has been off the agenda since the 1970s, Dutch sides have still shown a fluidity and passion to attack that few nations have matched. In 1994 and 1998 they were only downed by Brazil sides at their best- on other occasiosn- much like Uruguay- temperament has taken over and the camp hasn't been a happy one.

Either one against Germany or Spain and there would be no problem who to cheer for. When the two teams come out on Tuesday night it will be a toss-up which one to urge on. Perhaps the best course is to leave it to fate because history suggests one of these teams will implode catastrophically- it just means too much for both these nations.

Holland- Uruguay is one of those contests that World Cups are all about, The clash of European and South American style is always epic but these two teams have more in common than most; world football's two most dangerous underdogs should make it a wild night.

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Thierry Henry for Liverpool?

It’s been a while since I last posted and got crucified for saying Roberto Mancini won’t get Man City to fourth spot, but I don’t like to gloat.

So Barcelona have reached an agreement with Thierry Henry allowing the striker to leave the Catalunian club.

I like Barcelona a lot, but I love Liverpool more. As an avid Liverpool fan, currently going through the kind of emotions never felt before, this piece of news is hopeful music to my ears. Not that there has ever been much talk of it, but Thierry Henry could end up at Anfield!

Just a thought.

I don't think Henry is quite ready to end his career at the 'Emirates'. Not the Emirates at Arsenal and certainly not the Emirates in the Middle East where the love of the beautiful game continues to grow. Despite numerous trophy-less years, Arsenal still have a strong, ruthless 'youth' policy. They gambled with an old Gunner like Sol Campbell returning and that didn't quite work, so I don't think the eminent departure of Cesc Fabregas to Barcelona will quite work out as a swap deal of any sort with Henry. Besides, like most Liverpool fans with Kenny Dalglish, I would think most Arsenal fans and Henry himself would much prefer to maintain 'Thierry' as the superstar that he grew into at Highbury and the legendary legacy that he left behind at the Emirates. Going back to Arsenal would be foolish and not as romantic as it sounds.

Henry's affection for the Liverpool fans and atmosphere at Anfield has been no secret. The Anfield crowd, who know their Football well and appreciate talent when they see it, have always had the utmost respect for Henry. So for the majority of fans this wouldn't be a bad, 'cost-effective' signing at all, especially with the state of the clubs finances and transfer kitty this Summer.

Thierry Henry loves the Premier League and the Premier League loves him, bar a few Republic of Ireland fans who rightly feel bitter after the World Cup qualifier against France in which Henry's illegal close control wasn't spotted by the Referee or his Assistant.

I'm well aware that Liverpool have a massive Irish following and I'd like to appeal to them to forget, if not forgive that handball by Henry. Dare I say it, but I'm no way comparing Henry with the great Diego Maradona, but it's about time the handball by Maradona was forgotten, otherwise it could well consume a nation like it has England and we all know how England have done since Mexico '86 in comparison to Argentina.

Fernando Torres is one of many that I feel would relish the chance to spend even half a season on the training ground with Henry. Henry's education, guile, cunning and general clever play would teach Torres volumes. For as good as Torres is, we know he's still not the complete player, and that can only be encouraging at this stage of his career.

As a Liverpool fan, I really don't know what to expect this season. If Henry signed for Liverpool, I certainly know what not to expect. The impact Henry and Torres can have at Liverpool could potentially be compared to Dalglish and Rush, Barnes and Beardsley, Rush and Fowler, Fowler and Owen. Gary McAllister worked wonders when he arrived, so why Henry? You get my drift.

So maybe during their time in London, Mr Hodgson and Mr Henry could have rubbed shoulders in a swanky bar in town on a midsummers night and shared opinions. Maybe they rubbed shoulders last week in South Africa?

Just a thought.

Hull City: Pearson’s arrival gets the seal of approval

After two years dining at the top table the Tigers are back in the Championship, but Adam Pearson doesn’t intend to hang around here for long. The Hull City chairman is hungry for more big games against the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal and has made a bold statement of intent by hiring one of the country’s hottest managers.

Nigel Pearson is held in great esteem by those in the game and his reputation has flourished at Leicester City. He took over a dispirited squad of players following their relegation to League One in 2008, instilled them with confidence and belief and watched on as they broke numerous club records to win promotion as league champions.

Then last season he almost achieved the unthinkable of winning back-to-back promotions and securing their place in their Premier League. While most fans expected a top half finish for Leicester, Pearson guided his men into the play-off position and only just missed out on a final spot on penalties.

The future looked rosy for the Foxes and they were amongst the favourites to win promotion to the Premier League this season, but then came the hammer blow that Leicester City chairman Milan Mandaric was to let Pearson speak to Hull City. The former Portsmouth chief said it was the least he could do considering everything that Pearson had done for the club. Leicester fans couldn’t believe what they were hearing. Adam Pearson wasted no time in selling the Tigers to the former Middlesbrough captain and it didn’t take long for Pearson to accept the new challenge.

Leicester City’s pain is obviously Hull City’s gain. Tigers fan Rob Kaye is thrilled by the appointment and can’t wait for the new season to get under way.

“Given all the doom and gloom in the Press about our financial situation I had very low expectations of who we would get as a new manager.  The ability to attract a manager who I regard as one of the brightest prospects outside the Premiership and take him from a club that – on the surface – was on the up, whilst we were on the way down, speaks volumes to me.  It tells me that the finances at the club are not as bad as generally feared and that we are still ambitious.  I regard it as a positive statement of intent that we will be competitive and aren’t going to retreat into a period of consolidation.” 

Rob freely admits that Pearson wasn’t on his wish list to replace Phil Brown but that was because he, like the majority of people, thought he was settled at the Walkers Stadium. However he is very excited about what Pearson can achieve at the KC Stadium.

“Pearson did good things at Leicester. They looked to be very well organised defensively and very solid. I think that organisation will be critical at first until we find our feet. Assuming no more players leave from the defence we have a better than average setup for the Championship which will allow the younger, inexperienced players that were introduced in midfield and attack towards the end of last year (Cairney, Cullen, Atkinson) to flourish.

“He will also need to sort out the players that don’t seem committed to the club and either get them sorted or get them off the books (i.e., Bullard, Cousin, Ghilas and a few others).  I would love to see Mr Bullard stay and help repay the faith we showed in him (and the money we paid him) through his injuries and recovery but he doesn’t strike me as that kind of person. I hope I am wrong.

“Although I rate Pearson I thought he was too settled at Leicester. I am happy with the appointment. Tony Mowbray and Dave Jones were two names that were tossed around – either of them would have been OK with me. Mr Dowie would not, nor would Paul Ince.”

Most teams who drop through the Premier League trap door fancy their chances of bouncing straight back. Newcastle United and West Bromwich Albion managed automatic promotion last season after going down but there were question marks over Hull’s chances of doing the same. Not any more though. If Pearson can take Leicester City into the play-offs then Rob firmly believes he can do the same with a better crop of players at the KC Stadium.

“I think we have a good chance of going back up. I do not think we will get an automatic promotion but play-offs should be achievable and I would regard it as a failure if weren’t in the mix. We will have one of the best defences in the division (assuming it looks something like Myhill/Duke, McShane, Gardner, Zayatte, Dawson) and a good mix of experience and promising youth in the middle. We need some people who can score though. Maybe Cullen can deliver there but he is young and unproved.”

And Pearson heads to the KC Stadium with a glowing review from Leicester City fan and chairman of the Independent Supporters Association Lance Tomlyn.

“What sort of manager are Hull getting? Quite simply the best! And not only a manager but a backroom staff including Steve Walsh whose record at acquiring good young players is excellent. He has an excellent record and finding gems through his network of scouts and Pearson has the record of bringing them on that seals the deal.”

Pearson obviously loves a challenge. He took over Leicester City when they were at their lowest ebb but leaves them in a much healthier position. He now finds himself in a similar position at Hull. The Tigers will still be smarting about relegation and he has to lift the players, the fans and the club as a whole.

The new boss also has the task of succeeding arguably the club’s greatest manager in Phil Brown. The perma-tanned one’s relationship with the fans may have soured over the past few months of his tenure but he will always be a Hull legend for what he achieved at the KC. But if Pearson can translate his success with Leicester to the Tigers he may well take that crown away from Brown.

· Calling all Hull City fans. How do you feel about Pearson’s arrival? What do you think he will bring to the KC Stadium? How confident are you of making a swift return to the top flight? Whatever your views, I’d love to hear from you.

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09:34 Fulham: Who will replace Hodgson at the Cottage?: Fulham were always going to struggle to keep their hands on ... bit.ly/bVfnNE #sqf #

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Leicester City: Why was Pearson allowed to leave the Foxes?

When I heard Nigel Pearson had left Leicester City to join Hull City I was stunned. After all, this was the man who had not only galvanised a club but an entire city.

When he took over at the Walkers Stadium, Leicester City had just dropped into the third tier of English football for the first time in their history and the fans didn’t know what the future held for them. However, Pearson, who effectively sent the Foxes down as Southampton manager, knew what was needed to make Leicester a force to be reckoned with again. He got them back to basics, filled them with confidence and let them play attacking football. That season the Foxes won League One at a canter, breaking a number of long-standing records in the process, and found themselves back in the Championship.

Smiles and hope had returned to the Leicester fans who were full of beans following their return to the Championship, but nobody gave them a chance of completing back-to-back promotions and sealing a return to the Premier League. However, the unthinkable almost became a reality as the Foxes booked a fifth place finish and entered the lottery of the play-offs. And who knows what would have happened if they had beaten Cardiff in the semi-final penalty shoot-out.

However, the future looked bright for the Foxes. In Pearson they had a manager who could work on limited resources and get results, they had players who respected their gaffer, wanted to play for the shirt and had the full backing of the fans. They were already one of the bookies favourites to win promotion this time round.

So why has Pearson been allowed to leave the Walkers Stadium? And why join a club that is reportedly millions of pounds in debt and deflated following their relegation from the top flight? It’s as big a mystery to me as why Ashley Cole would want to cheat on the lovely Cheryl Cole. One man who thinks he knows the answer to why Pearson left the Foxes is Leicester City fan and chairman of the Independent Supporters Association Lance Tomlyn.

“I believe he’s been forced out by the Chairman and his cronies,” he said. “They haven’t even tried in the slightest to stop him from leaving. There’s obviously something going on that the fans are not privy to and I guess we’ll never know what the truth is, but Pearson seems like a very trustworthy and honourable man and not the kind of guy to walk away from a job before it was completed or his contract is up unless he’s provoked. He’s taken a massive sideways step moving to Hull. It seems like a desperate move to get away and the fans want to know why.

“We are now in for another period of instability and with Milan Mandaric’s record at finding a good manager – or one that he can work with (usually about one in six) – we’re looking at another period of turmoil at the club unless we get lucky first time round. Let’s hope so.”

Leicester City are now in the search for a new manager, but, as Lance said, Milan Mandaric’s record at appointing managers is about as good as Wayne Rooney’s shooting in the World Cup. Names in the frame so far include Paulo Sousa, Brendan Rodgers, Tony Mowbray, Paul Ince and Gareth Southgate amongst others, but Lance believes that whoever comes in will have to work on a limited budget.

“A young and up and coming manager is what has worked for us in the past but we need to find someone who can work within a strict financial budget as Mandaric is cutting back everything at the club and that includes the playing side so there will be no money available.

“Tony Mowbray might be a good bet or Nigel Atkins from Scunthorpe is an up and coming manager but mainly we have to find someone who Milan Mandaric doesn’t get frustrated with and who can live with his interfering.

“On past record it will take him at least half a dozen before he gets one that he can work with. We just have to hope he gets lucky!”

Most Leicester City fans were looking forward to an exciting season in the Championship this season, now they are left in limbo until Mandaric makes a decision. Lance believes the best Leicester may achieve this campaign is a season of consolidation.

“Most fans are very worried at where we are headed. We couldn’t hold onto one of the best young managers in the industry. We’ve let him slip through our fingers and the future looks bleak at this moment in time. I think most of the supporters would hope for promotion but in reality they would probably have to settle for a season of mid table consolidation as the new man won’t have any time to sort out the squad before the season starts.”

Leicester City are a big club with a fantastic stadium and a proud and passionate fan base. They deserve to be in the Premier League but Milan Mandaric has made that goal ten times harder by letting Pearson leave. Whether he can unearth another gem to build on the platform laid down by Nigel Pearson remains to be seen.

*Calling all Leicester City fans. How did you feel about Pearson leaving the Walkers Stadium? Why do you think he was allowed to speak to Hull City? Who would you like to see as your new manager and how confident are you of Mandaric hiring the right man? What are your hopes for the season ahead? Whatever your views, I’d love to hear from you.

Leicester City: Who will replace Pearson at the Walkers Stadium?

I thought Brazil would win the World Cup this year. I also thought Andy Murray may have won Wimbledon. But I never for one second thought that Nigel Pearson would leave Leicester City.

The former Middlesbrough captain revived the Foxes following Ian Holloway’s awful spell at the club and almost led the Foxes back into the Premier League with back-to-back promotions. The future was looking good for the boys in blue but after everything that he achieved at the club, Leicester chairman Milan Mandaric believed Pearson deserved the right to speak to Hull City. The Tigers chief Adam Pearson obviously sold the vision of Hull City to his namesake Nigel and now Leicester City are in the market for a new manager.

Mr Mandaric has a potted history when it comes to appointing managers – Holloway’s time was an unmitigated disaster, Martin Allen only lasted three months and Gary Megson jumped ship after just six weeks – but the former Portsmouth chief has to make the right call this time round to ensure that all of Pearson’s hard work doesn’t go to waste.

Unsurprisingly, there are a number of big names being linked with the vacant post. Here I will look at the main runners and riders and analyse their chances of success at the Walkers Stadium.

Paulo Sousa

The Swansea City boss has emerged as the clear favourite for the vacant post but Milan Mandaric and Swansea City have both denied any contact. But that hasn’t stopped some bookies closing the book. The former Portuguese international replaced Roberto Martinez as Swans’ boss last summer and narrowly missed out on a play-off place. He likes to play attractive football and as a player won silverware in his homeland with Benfica, in Italy with Juventus and in Germany with Borrusia Dortmund. He has a decent relationship with his chairman Huw Jenkins and I’d be surprised if he threw that away to work with Mandaric, who can rub up certain people the wrong way.

Micky Adams

Could the former Leicester City boss make a sensational return to the Walkers Stadium? Adams led the Foxes back to the Premier League in 2003 despite the club having been placed into administration. However, he was unable to keep them in the top flight and in October 2004 he quit. Adams was believed to have become frustrated with the lack of investment at the club and the length of the contracts dished out by former regimes. Now at Port Vale in League Two, he just missed out on a play-off place last season but is busy preparing for new campaign. They say you should never go back but Adams may not be able to resist another crack at Leicester City.

Paul Ince

The former Manchester United, Liverpool and England midfielder is a free agent following his dismissal by Milton Keynes Dons and Mandaric could well decide to plump for Ince’s no-nonsense approach. At Macclesfield he was dubbed as a future England manager. After a brief spell at Blackburn Rovers though no-one wanted to touch him. Ince is an uncompromising figure but he knows what he’s talking about. He’s captained his country, played aboard and won silverware as a player and as a manger. His management style may not please everyone but he is a born-winner. My only concerns would be his relationship with Mandaric and whether the fans would give him time to put his stamp on the team.

Iain Dowie

The former Coventry City boss has failed to save two Premier League sides – Newcastle United and Hull City – from the drop but he remains confident in his abilities to manage. Unfortunately I don’t think too many Leicester fans would be happy to see him in their dugout. He did well at Oldham and won a number of plaudits for guiding Crystal Palace from the drop zone to the Premier League within five months. However, since those heady days he has failed to spend any longer than a year at any club. He has been linked with Leicester City twice before. Could it be third time lucky for him? I’m sure the Leicester fans hope not!

Tony Mowbray

The former West Brom boss failed to bring the glory days back to Glasgow Giants and was axed after just nine months in the job. However, Mowbray is a manager who can work on a limited budget and entertain the fans with some of the best attacking football around. He achieved this both at Hibernian and West Brom but ultimately failed at Celtic due to the pressure for instant success. Mowbray may not be the best defensively but he is a keen believer on scoring more than the opposition so the fans would have plenty to get excited about. He also has a knack of signing class players for notable fees.

Other names in the frame include promising Barnsley boss Mark Robins, former Coventry and Fulham manager Chris Coleman, ex-Middlesbrough chief Gareth Southgate and the recently axed Hull City gaffer Phil Brown.

*Calling all Leicester City fans. Who would you like to see in charge of your team come the start of August? Would Sousa have your support? Would Adams leave you purring or would Mowbray have you hopping around with excitement? Whatever your views, I’d love to hear from you.

Fulham: Who will replace Hodgson at the Cottage?

Fulham were always going to struggle to keep their hands on Roy Hodgson following last season’s amazing campaign. The 62-year-old worked wonders at the Cottage as they reached the Europa League Final against all the odds. The former Inter Milan and Switzerland boss felt that he had one big challenge left in him and he couldn’t resist the lure of Anfield when Liverpool came calling.

Fulham fans will obviously be disappointed at Hodgson’s decision to leave but nobody connected with the club will begrudge him for moving on after what he achieved at the club. He miraculously saved them from the drop in his first season, qualified for Europe in the following campaign and then defied all the critics last year by going all the way to their first European final. That was one hell of a journey Roy!

But now the search is on for somebody who can build on that platform and there a number of high-profile names being linked with the vacant position. Here I will go through the main runners and riders and give my analysis on their chances of succeeding Roy in the Fulham hot seat.

Sven Goran-Eriksson

The former England and Manchester City boss is one of the front runners for the vacant post at Craven Cottage and he has an eye for talent on and off the pitch. The Swede has a superb record at club level and has won trophies in every country that he has managed, bar England. He would love to put that blot on his copy book right. Eriksson’s style of football entertained the Manchester City fans during his brief spell at Eastlands and Fulham would surely appeal to former Ivory Coast coach. He also has the managerial clout to attract top players.

Alan Curbishley

The former Charlton Athletic and West Ham United boss has been patiently waiting for a plum Premier League position to come up and this one would suit him down to the ground. It’s in the capital, the expectations from the fans will not weigh him down and he will be given time to do things his way. He established Charlton as a Premier League club but the fans then wanted someone who could push them on further. He left, they went down to League One! He didn’t win too many friends at West Ham though with his style of play, but would he be a success at the Cottage?

Mark Hughes

Like Curbishley, the former Manchester City and Blackburn manager is looking for another crack as manager in the Premier League. Unfairly axed by City in December, Hughes knows how to build a successful team. He builds from the back making his team hard to break down before implementing his attacking options. He has a wealth of domestic and European experience to call on and has a knack of signing gems from across the globe. Unfortunately, it looks as though Hughes’s insistence on bringing in his own backroom team may go against him with Al Fayed looking to make the change as seamless as possible.

Glenn Hoddle

The former Chelsea and Wolves boss has been out of management for four years now but has emerged as a shock contender for the job. As a player Hoddle oozed class and he won a number of admirers from his time as manager at Chelsea. So much so that he was handed the England job. Unfortunately, ill-advised comments resulted in his contract with the national side being terminated. In the past 10 years he has had spells at Southampton, Spurs and Wolves but has failed to recapture the spark he achieved at Swindon and Chelsea. He has also been busy with his coaching school in Spain but could Fulham and Hoddle be a perfect match?

Tony Mowbray

If Fulham fans want to see their team play attractive attacking football then I have just the man for them . . . Tony Mowbray. The former Hibs, West Brom and Celtic boss is a keen advocate of playing football on the deck. He keeps the fans entertained but that doesn’t always equate into results. Unfortunately, despite being a solid defender in his day, Mowbray can never get his back four to play as a unit. His dour demeanour on the touchline failed to win over the Celtic fans and he was axed by the Glasgow giants after nine months following a 4-0 defeat at St Mirren. Mowbray knows Zoltan Gera and Jonathan Greening well from his days at the Albion, but would Al Fayed offer him the job?

*Calling all Fulham fans. Who would you like to see in charge of your team come the start of August? Would Sven have your support? Would Curbishley leave you cursing or would Hoddle have you hopping round with excitement? Whatever your views, I’d love to hear from you.

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