The AFC Bournemouth story

There are a lot of things you won’t know about AFC Bournemouth. Some of you may not know that they once held the longest name in the Football League – Bournemouth and Boscombe Athletic Football Club Limited. Perhaps you don’t know that their red and black kit, introduced in 1971, was based on the old AC Milan strip. The 1970’s was also the era that Ted McDougall (I have a picture of him scoring a diving header against Aston Villa on my wall – that’s how good he was) scored 9 goals in an 11-0 victory against Margate. These are all things of the past, but it’s the present that the Cherries’ fans will be most happy about.

At the beginning of the last League 2 season Bournemouth were deducted 17 points for entering administration by the authorities. It was a bleak time for the club, who already had a very small squad, made up of seasoned veterans and raw schoolboys with not much inbetween, and it was clear that it’d be a big struggle for a club who have not lost their Football League status in 85 years.

Kevin Bond was the manager at the start of the 08/09 season, but was a man under pressure. Having been assistant to Harry Redknapp at Portsmouth, and then Martin Jol’s first-team coach at Spurs, Bond came with a big reputation, but failed to deliver the goods. On the 1st September 2008, Bond and his management were sacked. Jimmy Quinn, another big Footballing name, was named as his replacement but only lasted until early December. A 2-0 defeat at fellow strugglers Barnet confirmed his dismissal. It was after this latest event in an episode of awful affairs for the Southerners, that their blessing in disguise appeared.

The sacking of Quinn allowed Eddie Howe to be named as caretaker manager, and despite losing his first two games, Howe was pronounced Bournemouth’s permanent manager until the end of the season, with a view to extending his contract. This made Howe the youngest manager in the Football League, at just 31 years of age. It was the first good decision the Bournemouth board had made in a very long time.

From when Howe was given the permanent job at the Fitness First Stadium, Bournemouth won 8 of their 13 games that season. That record was enough to keep them in the division, a remarkable feit for a club who were very close to completely folding just 12 months earlier.

In the Summer of 2009 a consortium, including former vice-chairman Steve Sly, completed their takeover of AFC Bournemouth. This backing has given them great stability, perhaps not financially but at least as a Football League Club and now, as the new season is well under way, the memories of last year’s trials and tribulations seem very distant indeed.

However, any club who have been through what Bournemouth have been through recently would struggle to rebuild in any quick time, as Bournemouth have found out. Despite securing their status as a League Club, and entering the new campaign with no burden or penalty against their name, no money has been available to purchase players, not since January this year. The situation has got so bad recently, that in their last home League match, amongst the Bournemouth substitutes was assistant manager Jason Tindall, 15-year old Jayden Stockley, and only one other player – Alan Connell. Bournemouth still won the game 1-0, but one has to wonder whether they can keep up such performances with such lack of squad depth. It’s doubtful.

For the time being all people associated with the seaside club will be thrilled to see them top the League 2 table, and to have put all the problems behind them. None more so than my Father, who’s an avid Bournemouth fan, and even I, as a neutral, am delighted to see such a turn around in fortunes for a real community club.

A dozen or so years ago each of my family registered themselves to have a brick engraved, with a word/phrase of our choice. My choice was ‘calcio’ (Italian for ‘Football’), perhaps ironic in the face of such unfootballing matters. Unfortunately I’m yet to re-visit the stadium to see my brick in the flesh. I get the feeling it’d be a great day out, to visit a club so many people hold in high regard, and to see the improvements made in the past decade.

Things are at a high right now, and there’s even talk amongst fans and pundits that in the not-so-distant future Harry Redknapp will attempt a takeover of the club he once played for, and managed in his younger days. Harry still holds residence near Bournemouth, in the seaside town of Poole, and has never fallen out of love with the club he grew up supporting. Such a takeover would rival that of Sven-Goran Eriksson’s at Notts County, but for differing reasons. Pride and joy would be the motivation for Redknapp, whereas money has spurred Sven and the guys in Nottingham to press for Premier League status within 5 years. A shame really. There’s no romance in that.

It’s stories such as these that puts the growing wealth of Football into perspective. A club with no money has managed to survive and rise to the top of it’s division due to a tightly-knit community and bunch of players, passionate support and real drive for success. If only we had more AFC Bournemouth’s in this world.

If any of you get the chance to visit Bournemouth this season, I’d be very grateful if you could report back with your feelings, opinions, and views about the club.

The ones you knew nothing about: Champions League underdogs

This season's Champions League has thrown a few names at us that very few people from this side of the continent have heard of. With another night of great European action soon to commence, I've decided to give you a run-through of the teams that'll be looking to announce themselves on the European stage.

The badge you see above belongs to Russian champions FC Rubin Kazan, who have also held the names Iskra and Rubin-TAN throughout the late 20th century. In 2003, Rubin made the break into the Russian Premier League, finishing 3rd in their first season, and thereby qualifying for the UEFA Cup (now Europa League).

It took them just 5 years to reach the summit of the Russian top flight, and therefore qualifying for the Champions League for the first time ever. In their history, Rubin have boasted Sergiy Rebrov, and Savo Milosevic amongst their most famous players, and a certain Cedric Roussel whom Coventry City fans will remember.

In their first Champions League game of their first ever campaign, Rubin were soundly beaten 3-1 by Ukrainian champions Dynamo Kiev, but more than held their own in their second encounter, against much more illustrious opponents Inter Milan, led by Jose Mourinho of course. A 1-1 draw in Russia was less than expected and has certainly given Mourinho and his men a shock. Top scorer Alejandro Dominguez got the goal.

Hungary's reigning champions Debreceni VSC make up Liverpool's group, which also includes Fiorentina and Lyon. They will be proud to hold the record for being Hungary's most successful club since the year 2000. Or maybe they won't be.

Anyway, Debreceni are a club who were founded way back in 1902, and like Rubin Kazan underwent numerous name changes during the communist era of the mid to late 1900's. They play their football at Olah Gabor Utca in Debrecen, a stadium that holds over 9,000 people. However, as it does not meet the UEFA standards, Debreceni have to play their European home games down the road in Budapest, at the Puskas Ferenc stadium. That's a bit like Fulham being told they have to play at Stamford Bridge.

They more than held their own in the opening group match at Anfield, being defeated by just the one goal, scored by Dirk Kuyt. A second round match against Lyon will give them the opportunity to record their first point.

Perhaps the least well known of this year's participants is Romanian outfit Unirea (careful how you pronounce that) Urziceni. They're the Romanian champions, and according to their website are the most successful team from Lalomita county. Is that good?

Unirea have never taken part in Europe before 2008, a year that they made the break into the then UEFA Cup. However they only made it to the first round.

They play their home matches at the 7,000 seater Tineretului Stadium, but will be forced to play their European matches in Bucharest for the same reasons as Debreceni.

They make up a group with Rangers, Sevilla and Stuttgart, so perhaps potential for an upset or two this year. That's actually all there is on Urinea. If anyone could provide me with a few more facts, I'd be oh so grateful.

Cypriot champions Apoel Nicosia probably have the hardest task out of all the 'minnows'. They're placed in a group with Chelsea, Porto, and Atletico Madrid.

Apoel have had a fairly illustrious history, as far as Cyprus goes. In 1963/4, taking part in their first ever European competition, Apoel defeated Norweigan side SK Lyn in the UEFA Cup winner's cup, and triumphed 7-0 over the two legs, before being thrashed 16-1 on aggregate by Sporting Lisbon as they are today. In the 1995/6 campaign, Apoel won the league without losing a game, a feit that had never been achieved before by a cypriot club.

They more than held their own in the first round match of this season's Champions League too. A 0-0 draw with Atletico suggests they're not a team to be underestimated. Nuno Morais is a name to watch out for. The young Portuguese was on Chelsea's books last season.

So there's a little low-down on the clubs you probably knew nothing about. Now when one of these 4 sides creates a real upset, you can thank me for bringing them to your attention.

Hart and Brown favourite for the sack

It's approaching that stage of the season when the clubs down the bottom of the table start to think about change. The fans grow increasingly impatient and demanding, owners and directors are put under immense pressure, and players lose complete confidence in themselves, prompting a change of manager and a new boost for the club as a whole.

7 games in and Portsmouth remain pointless. They've shipped 13 goals in those 7 games, and only managed to hit the net on 3 occasions. It's this kind of form that may find manager Paul Hart forced out of the club in the very near future.

A number of things have contributed to the demise of a club who under Harry Redknapp just a few years ago had a solid squad of players, were playing well, and were contenders for Europe. In fact, they were participants in Europe last season, hosting clubs such as AC Milan no less. However, the change from a vastly experienced, hugely knowledeable manager, to a guy who has never managed in the Premier League before, has obviously proven too big a step for Pompey.

They're desperately short on confidence and enthusiasm. While every club in this situation would deny that and say there are always plenty of positives to take from it, there's no hiding from the fact they're in deep trouble, even at this very early stage in the season. The table doesn't lie, and nor do results. Hart's signings have been questionable too. Spending £5m on Watford's centre-half Michael Williamson seemed a bizarre choice. That sort of money could have bought 2 Niko Kranjcar's.

Goals are obviously prooving a massive stumbling block for Hart's men. Only 3 this season, excluding the 4-1 defeat of Hereford in the Carling Cup, suggests that they severly lack the firepower upfront. Kanu isn't a proven goalscorer, Danny Webber isn't a Premier League standard player, and Frederic Piquionne is still finding his feet in England. And now that Kranjcar has left, for a ridiculously low price, means that there's now a lack of goals from the midfield. In fact, Younes Kaboul is Pompey's highest scoring player this season, from centre-back. Disturbing.

Paul Hart is currently joint favourite to be sacked first this season.

Odds: 11/10 (SKYBET)

The man Hart is currently battling in the sacking race is Hull City's Phil Brown. His reign as manager at the KC has been much less straight forward than Hart's at Pompey.

Having taken over from Phil Parkinson in December 2006, Brown saved Hull from relegation before guiding them to the Premier League in the 2007/08 season. They made a fantastic start to their first ever PL campaign, breaking into the top 5 early on in the season. But a spectacular drop in form, and some woeful results meant that come the last day of the season Hull were favourites to go down. Despite losing on the last day to Manchester United, other results went their way, and they survived. By the skin of their teeth.

Many people believe, including me, that the demise started at half-time in the home game against Manchester City (pictured above), in which Hull trailed 4-0 at the break, and went on to lose 5-1. Instead of doing the normal, traditional thing of taking his players to the dressing room for a half-time team-talk, Brown kept his men out on the pitch and preceeded in humiliating them infront of the Hull supporters. From that match on, Hull went on to win only 4 of their remaining 25 games in all competitions. Make your own minds up.

So Brown seems to have lost the dressing room at Hull, and confidence is at an all time low. A 6-1 defeat at Anfield on Saturday further worsened Hull's position, as well as Brown's tenure at the club. Just one win in the opening 7 games of the season means that the Tigers are going to have to use every sinew of energy to fight against the drop this season. As for mr. Brown, his time at the KC seems very limited indeed.

Odds: 11/10 (SKYBET)

Despite Bolton not having such a bad start to the new campaign, at least not as bad as Pompey and Hull, Gary Megson's position is constantly under threat. He was the fan's last choice to take over from Sammy Lee 2 years ago, and since then has failed to win them over. His style of play is very direct, and not in the least bit attractive, and his loud-mouthed, aggressive management style hasn't made him a Premier League favourite.

Bolton lie in 13th position after 6 games this season, with 2 wins. A game in hand could allow them to consolidate their mid-table position, so you may be wondering why he's among the favourites to be sacked first. While the results haven't been awful, the performances have been pretty bad. No one likes to see route 1, hoofing it up the field, type of football. Perhaps the Bolton fans would take that if they're winning, but I just don't see Megson lasting that much longer. The reason being, if Bolton start having a poor run, the fans are going to jump right on his back straight away, and pressure will mount rapidly.

Not a fan's favourite, but a favourite to get the boot.

Odds: 8/1 (SKYBET)

http://www.bet123.net/wp/premiership-betting/416/premiership-sack-race-200809-who-will-be-the-first-premier-league-manager-to-lose-their-job - The rest of the odds.

Can we really win the World Cup?

It’s been a difficult few days for English Football, with controversy surrounding the Manchester derby, the Robbie Keane ‘penalty’ debate, and Sol Campbell’s not-so-surprising departure from Notts County. But I’m here to put a smile back on your faces with a positive overview of England’s World Cup qualifying campaign and their chances of winning next year’s World Cup.

Every year the England team is branded as a team to watch out for, to not underestimate, and to possibly win the World Cup. And every year we are disappointed. When it’s not David Beckham kicking out at Diego Simeone, it’s David Batty missing a fatal spot-kick. When it’s not Wayne Rooney stamping on Ricardo Carvalho’s goolies, it’s Darius Vassell scuffing a pk straight into the hands of the Portuguese goalkeeper, Ricardo.

However, under the wily management of Fabio Capello, England have rapidly built a team that looks more capable than ever of winning Football’s biggest prize. The majority of you will have watched England’s qualifying campaign, and what a mightily impressive one it’s been too. 8 wins out of 8 and never have we looked like being beaten. A mesmeric 4-1 win in Croatia was backed up by a 5-1 demolition of Kazakhstan, before a potentially sticky encounter in Belarus was overcome with a 3-1 scoreline. The positive thing is, not only have England been slotting the goals home, but the scorelines don’t flatter them. Performances have been top class, and consistent, while attitude off the pitch seems to have improved greatly since the much disrespected Steve McClaren thankfully departed as England manager.

Fabio Capello has knitted a team who are united, and together in what they do. Team spirit seems sky high, confidence is growing with every match they play, and the work ethic is second to none. The Italian stallion certainly seems to have got the boys firing on all cylinders, and the pre-World Cup signs look very promising indeed.

The next question as far as the National Team is concerned is who will be going to South Africa? Now, every single England fan will have a different opinion on this topic, and I’m here to throw a few names out of the hat and stir things up a bit.

I’ll start with the backline.

Currently, England have many possible alternatives across the back. In goal, Ben Foster, Robert Green, David James, Chris Kirkland, Joe Hart and even Paul Robinson will be aiming to impress the gaffer in the coming months. Foster’s form of late has been dubious to say the least. A howler against Manchester City at the weekend allowed Gareth Barry to slot home, although luckily for Foster, United went on to steal the game. If he’s to be on the plane come next summer, errors like that have to be eradicated. Robert Green, David James, and Joe Hart all look pretty solid at the moment and aren’t doing a lot wrong. The key for them will be staying fit, and continuing to play well. Chris Kirkland and Paul Robinson are the outside bets. Robinson had an up and down England career before getting the boot in David James’ favour, while Chris Kirkland failed to cement a place in the Liverpool side, and has never really had a chance at International level. For Wigan he’s gone almost unknown. While not playing especially bad, he’s not exactly set the world on fire, and if he’s to push for a place in Capello’s 23-man squad, he’ll have to up the ante and really play well this season.

The defence looks very solid at this moment in time. Lead by whole-hearted skipper John Terry, who’s obviously a certainty for South Africa, England have looked hard to break down, and good going forward from the full-back positions. Glen Johnson and Ashley Cole are also stick-ons, while I’m sure Rio Ferdinand and Matthew Upson will be in the final squad. Joleon Lescott, all £24m of him, should be lurking around as well, although he’s not been at his best so far this season.

Depth in the full-back areas doesn’t seem too much of a problem, although Micah Richards, whom you’d expect to be Johnson’s back up, has looked rather vulnerable of late, and on the left side Leighton Baines is playing in an Everton side shipping goals. Stephen Warnock and Nicky Shorey will definitely be eager to stake their claim for Ashley Cole’s number 2 slot.

A few wildcards would be Stoke’s Ryan Shawcross, Curtis Davies of Aston Villa, and even Bolton’s Gary Cahill who seems to do little wrong at the Reebok. Jack Rodwell and Anton Ferdinand would be a couple of names people may not think of, but still have a decent shout at being involved in the squad. Rodwell in particular has been hailed as the next big thing, although he’s been playing in the holding role for Everton this season. One would say that if he’s to make the break through, centre-half would be his best option.

England’s midfield also looks very strong, not only on the field, but in depth too. Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, and Gareth Barry make up the heart of the midfield and have performed superbly of late. Tom Huddlestone will be looking to break into the side, as will Owen Hargreaves when he returns from injury. A fixture in the England side 18 months ago, injury has curtailed his career once again, but should he make a strong return for United, you wouldn’t bet against him making the final squad. However, would Capello drop Barry for him?

Shaun Wright-Phillips, Aaron Lennon, and James Milner look the perfect candidates to play on the wings. Ashley Young would also be in the mix – his recent performances for Villa have been nothing short of outstanding. Question marks remain over Lennon’s ability to cross the ball, but that can be worked at. Theo Walcott, who is currently out injured, will undoubtedly feature in the friendly matches preceeding the finals, and should be a strong candidate also. His hatrick against Croatia dispelled any doubts about his ability at the highest level, although they were few and far between. Joe Cole is yet to make a first team return for Chelsea, but I’m sure he’ll be featuring at some stage. A world-class player, and one 99% of England fans would have in their starting XI. He also gives 110% every single game, and that’s the kind of personality England needs all over the park.

Perhaps the biggest talking point of the England midfield is David Beckham. No longer a regular starter, Beckham has cemented himself as a kind of super-sub. Able to change the game and offer England a new dimension, Becks would be a more than capable reserve and someone who sets a great example off the field for the youngsters of the side. The model pro, someone you’d definitely pick.

We’re not looking too shabby upfront either, with Wayne Rooney and Emile Heskey currently enjoying a decent partnership. However, Jermain Defoe would probably be most people’s choice to partner Rooney upfront, especially with his fantastic early season form for Spurs. Peter Crouch and Carlton Cole have also been involved with England lately, and if Michael Owen keeps up his decent form then he’ll no doubt be in with a shout. Gabriel Agbonlahor would be a very good option too. His pace causes havoc in the Premier League and he scores his fair share of goals as well. Should he go to SA, he’d be a great option in the last 15/20 minutes of a game, with a tired defence, to try and finish the game off.

So there’s plenty of options for Capello, and I’m sure plenty of names I haven’t mentioned here will have a shout. This is perhaps England’s best chance of winning the World Cup in a very long time, certainly since I’ve been around. Lets hope it’s not ‘one of those years’ again.

My 23-man squad for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa:
R Green
D James
J Hart

J Terry
R Ferdinand
M Upson
A Cole
G Johnson
J Lescott
M Richards

S Gerrard
F Lampard
G Barry
T Huddlestone
A Lennon
J Milner
S Wright-Phillips
D Beckham
J Cole

W Rooney
J Defoe
P Crouch
G Agbonlahor

Having looked at our team, it’s time to take a little look at some of the other candidates to win the World Cup, and what England will need to do to beat them.

Italy’s recent form has been dubious. They’ve not played well, and struggled in games they shouldn’t have struggled in. Should England come up against the Italians, you’d think Capello would have the know-how to overcome them. The midfield battle would be crucial, and on paper you’d say England have the wool over Italy. Up front, Luca Toni would be a problem for Terry and the likes to deal with, but all-in-all England look a stronger side. And they’re playing better.

Brazil are obviously going to be favourites. Kaka would need to be marked off the park for England to stand a chance. Gareth Barry would have his work cut out, as would the England defence. Luis Fabiano has been in great form recently for club and country, and would be a dangerous threat. From the full-back area, Dani Alves would cause a lot of problems down England’s left. His pace and trickery means Ashley Cole would be cautious about bombing forward and leaving that left-hand side exposed. Lets hope one of the other big guns do us a favour and knock them out. Would be a cracking contest mind.

Finally, the old enemy. Germany. We dislike them severly, and that would be a major motivation for our boys to take them to the cleaners. However, sometimes that can be a bad thing, especially for Wayne Rooney. When tempers reach boiling point, Rooney gets involved in little tussles that affect his game. He has matured a lot in the last few years, especially after the Carvalho incident, but a World Cup semi-final/final would be the ultimate test of his nerve. If England keep their cool in the heat of battle, they’ll be major contenders.

Where now for the forgotten ones?

The 'beautiful' game. One of excitement, passion, skill, determination, hard-graft, controversy, joy, and despair. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in the game we all love that we forget about the bad, the ugly, and the downright shocking side of the game that we perhaps can't see directly.

That's a side of the game that allows young kids, some my age, some younger, and some older, to be pointlessly kept at a Football club, before having the humilation and pain of being released into the open.

Football produces many many talents. Superstars, megastars, and in some cases even celebrities. However, it's only a select few that actually make it to this level. So what of the forgotten ones?

I'm a person speaking from experience. When I was 12/13 years of age, I was a part of an academy set up at my local Football League club, who currently play in League 2 along with the now extremely wealthy Notts County. Having played for the club for two seasons, scored the only goal of a national competition against West Brom, and done pretty much nothing wrong, I was sent away without so much as an explanation.

I remember that moment very clearly, and I'm sure I always will. There were about 15-20 of us sat in the changing room, not knowing what was happening, before the coach walked in and plonked himself on the bench inbetween a couple of lads. He then preceeded, in a very Sir Alan Sugar type way, to send us off one-by-one with the words "you can leave now". I had no idea what this meant. Do I go and come back tomorrow? Do I go and never come back? Surely this isn't the way a 13-year old Football-mad boy, who has dreams of playing for his local club and beyond should be treated.

I guess I was lucky being so young, as I still had my education ahead of me. Quite the contrast to a guy who's cousin I've played with for 5 years at my Sunday League club Ludlow Town. I won't name names, and I won't mention the club he was involved with, but lets just say they're a huge club, and you can find him on Football Manager 2009.

Having been with the club for 3 years, player x (as I'll refer to him) was this year released from his contract and left to find his own way. He has no qualifications, no aspirations other than to play Football, and no guidance. He was a regular for the club's reserves, playing alonside players who have gone on to make their Premier League debuts, and successfully at that. At one stage, he asked to be loaned out due to his frustration at not progressing through to the first team, but the club refused, instead keeping him playing for the reserves, where he would gain no experience, and wouldn't improve his game at all.

He now plies his trade with a side playing in the Zamaretto Premier League. Yes, I know what you're thinking. He's received no backing, no help or support from his previous club, and due to that he has no qualifications to go out and find a job. He applied to Npower for work, but they rejected him, and now he's resorted to helping out a friend at the Shropshire council. If this is correct treatment of a budding young player, then Michael Jackson is not dead.

Another story I've been told about is that of a friend of my Father's, who used to play for the youth team of a now Championship club. One day, he walked into the changing room before a training session only to be greeted by the words "what the f*** are you doing here? You've been released. F*** off". Clearly distressed, the player found it hard to come to terms with such treatment and hasn't been involved in Football since.

These are just 3 cases out of thousands every year. Young player's dreams shattered by horrific treatment from clubs, and just left to do their own thing. Every single club should have a policy in place whereby they can help their young players with education, finding a job, and just getting to grips with everyday life after Football.

Unfortunately, this doesn't look like happening. Football clubs don't care about who they release, or how they do it. To them, it is no concern. All they are interested in is making sure the players that they do keep on become the best. It's sad, very sad, but this is the reality of Football nowadays. It has to stop.

Discuss.

All eyes on the Lane as Premier League resumes

Attention has turned back to the Premier League for this weekend following a 2 week break for the International schedule. A great week for England finishes with the news that centre-half Rio Ferdinand could be back to face Tottenham at White Hart Lane tomorrow. Ferdinand will no doubt be keen to stake his claim to be included back into Fab Cap’s team.
Spurs go into the match with the reigning champions with a 100% this season under Harry, and this is without question their biggest test yet. A backline that continues to be questioned faces up to a bang in-form Wayne Rooney, and a Dimitar Berbatov just starting to find his feet at Old Trafford. No doubt he’ll be receiving a mixed reception on his return to the club he was so prolific for.

Spurs, of course, have their own in-form striker in Jermain Defoe, who despite having little impact in midweek against Croatia, has netted 4 times in the opening 3 PL games, including a hatrick against Hull City at the KC Stadium. With United’s backline experiencing a few injury worries recently, Defoe will be hungry for more, but should Ferdinand make a return, even a striker of Defoe’s obvious ability will have a tough time. Rio may not be at his fittest however, which could allow Defoe to use his pace and exploit that slight weakness.

A pretty even contest looks on the cards then, with two sides renowned for scoring plenty of goals.

Prediction: 2-1

Struggling Portsmouth have a massive game at home to Bolton, a clear 6-pointer there. Should Pompey fail to bag their first 3 points of the season against their fellow-strugglers, big questions will be asked about Paul Hart’s position. Not given a huge budget, but at the same time not a poultry one, Hart has failed to get his boys firing so far, and after losing Glen Johnson, Jermain Pennant, and now Niko Krancjar in the transfer window, their squad lacks the depth to be able to break into the top half.

As for Bolton, their form in front of goal is leaving much to be desired. The much hyped, yet disappointing Johan Elmander is looking dreadfully short of confidence, and they’re struggling to provide many chances either, without the likes of Kevin Nolan in the side. A long hard season looks on the cards or both these sides.

Prediction: 0-0

Another 6-pointer at Ewood park sees Sam Allardyce’s Blackburn taking on resilient Wolves, who have made a decent, yet not spectacular start to their new PL campaign. Andy Keogh’s header at Wigan ensured their only win of the season so far, but a positive, confident display against Rovers this weekend may just see them secure a very handy win.

Prediction: 0-1

Wigan Athletic have had a mixed start to the new season, impressively defeating Aston Villa on the opening day before being beaten by Wolves and hammered by United at the newly named DW Stadium. Hugo Rodallega is the man to watch for the Latics, impressing most with his pace and agility as well as THAT strike at Villa Park.

They take on West Ham at the DW tomorrow who themselves have had an interesting start to the season, perhaps marred by the events of two weeks ago – violent crowd trouble in the League Cup against Millwall overshadowed a good cup win. 3 points here would be very welcome, although a point wouldn’t be a disaster.

Prediction: 1-1

Rafa Benitez’s Liverpool play host to Burnley who have shocked everyone with their enigmatic forward play and not least their brilliant defeat of United at Turf Moor. Another huge test for Owen Coyle’s men, against a Liverpool who will be looking to make up for a beleaguered start to the campaign.

Prediction: 3-0

Chelsea travel to the hostile Britannia stadium to take on a Stoke side exceeding expectations. Carrying on from a very good season last term, Pulis’s boys have looked equally solid, apart from the one setback at Anfield a few weeks ago. You wouldn’t bet against City claiming at least a point in this one.

Prediction: 0-1

Not one of the weekends immediate highlights, but Sunderland v Hull should still provide us with some entertainment. Since acquiring American teenager Jozy Altidore from Villarreal, Hull look rejuvenated, whereas Sunderland’s start to the season has been mightily impressive. Steve Bruce has built a decent unit at the Stadium of Light, and another 3 points here would consolidate their position well inside the top half of the table at this very early stage.

Prediction: 2-2

Last but my no means least is the biggy on the blue side of Manchester. Arsenal are the visitors to Eastlands, to take on a Manchester City side boasting Carlos Tevez and former Gunner Emmanuel Adebayor amongst their starting XI.

Arsenal’s lack of depth in the central of defence may prove a problem, although William Gallas and Thomas Vermaelen have looked more than solid so far. Goals won’t be a problem, that’s for sure, with Arsenal hitting six against Everton followed by four against Pompey the following week. Definitely one for the neutrals.

Prediction: 2-2

Kakuta saga stirs things up

I get the feeling this one's going to be around for a long time yet. Joleon Lescott and Manchester City eat your hearts out.

The controversy surrounding the Gael Kakuta affair has definitely had a massive affect on football. After Lens' complaint to FIFA about Chelsea's actions, it seems to have given the rest of Europe confidence and knowledge that should the same thing happen to them, i.e. a young talent pinched by a bigger club, they can receive protection from the governing bodies.

The most recent development in the 'baby farming' scandal has seen Italian giants Fiorentina launch a complaint to FIFA over Manchester United's signing of 16-year old central defender Michele Fornasier. The news comes just days after the Frenchmen at Le Havre launched a similar complaint over the signing of Paul Pogba.

United snapped up Fornasier after seeing him perform for Viola in Northern Ireland this summer, and as Italian teams are unable to sign players younger than 18-years old, they had to concede the youngster to the Red Devils. FIFA are currently awaiting documentation from Fiorentina to begin a formal complaint.

Lazio are also pretty miffed that United 'stole' Federico Macheda from their hands two years ago, but never conjured up an appeal. They just asked for a change in the regulations, which looks very probable following recent developments.

It would certainly make it a lot fairer for Italian clubs, and other European giants, as they have really no hope of keeping hold of their young stars. The sooner FIFA act, the better in my opinion.

Kenny banned for 9 months

Sheffield United's Irish 'keeper Paddy Kenny has been hit with a 9 month global ban for failing a drugs test. You'd have thought they'd have learned by now, wouldn't you?

Kenny tested positive for the banned substance Ephedrine following last season's play off semi-final against Preston. A statement from United said that the substance wasn't used to enhance performance, but despite this, he's been smacked (excuse the pun) with a ban lasting exactly the same time as Rio Ferdinand's back in 2003. However, Rio got that for missing his drugs test.

A blow for United and for Kenny. The Blades have lost a very good 'keeper, while Kenny has lost his reputation for being a decent lad, even if he does claim it wasn't for boosting his performance. Poor from you Pad.

Djourou sidelined for 6 months

Arsenal centre-half Johan Djourou has been ruled out of action for up to 6 months after undergoing knee surgery. The Swiss International sustained the injury last month prior to a friendly with Italy.

So where does this leave Arsenal?

Having sold Kolo Toure to Manchester City, Djourou would have been confident of staking a claim for a regular place in Arsene Wenger's side. The arrival of Thomas Vermaelen from Ajax probably dispelled those hopes slightly, but with Arsenal also looking to offload Philippe Senderos in the near future, Djourou would have been near the front of Wenger's plans.

With the transfer window now closed, and with only 3 fit central defenders, Arsenal may have a couple of problems, should William Gallas, Vermaelen, or Senderos pick up knocks. It may open the door for a couple of youngsters to make the break through to the first team, or perhaps Wenger may even draft in a replacement on loan, as there is no deadline for loan signings in England.

Whatever the reaction to Djourou's injury, a few questions will be raised of Arsenal's backline. Gallas and Vermaelen have made very impressive starts to the season, in particular the Belgian who has a £10m price tag to live up to. Other teams will be taking note of the Gunner's lack of depth in this department, so it'll be fundamental for them to try and keep Gallas and Vermaelen fit. Alexandre Song is a player who has filled in at centre-half in the past, but you certainly wouldn't rely on him to fill the vacancy on a permanent basis.

A few things to ponder then, for Mr. Wenger.

England: Too many superstars?

Having witnessed England scrape past a very mediocre Slovenia side on Saturday, I couldn't help but ponder England's trials and tribulations over the past few years. They're a team who continue to be surrounded by question marks, and I can't see that changing in the near future, no matter how hardCapello works.

Can Lampard and Gerrard play together? Which formation should we be playing? Why is Gerrard playing left wing? Why does Heskey constantly get a start? These are all questions that have been asked in the recent past, and as of today, are yet to be answered by anyone. Despite the Slovenia match being no more than 'preparation' for Wednesday's much more important clashwith Croatia, Capello still fielded a full-strength side, with the odd exception. Jermain Defoe probably should have started instead of Heskey. Nevertheless, on paper England should have hammered Slovenia, who only had 2 players British fans would have recognised. Bostjan Cesar and Robert Koren have both had spells with West Bromwich Albion. Instead, it was a flat, cautious performance from a side ranked 7th in the World. That's 47 places above Slovenia.

The visitors failed to show any kind of attacking intent or ability for the whole of the 90 minutes, yet somehow managed to score through substitute Ljubijankic. Although this was only a friendly, had England been as cautious in attack in a game that mattered, the final outcome may have been different.

The question I want to ask is do too many cooks spoil the broth? England's makeup is one of mainly 'superstars'. Ashley Cole, John Terry, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, Wayne Rooney, and David Beckham are all amongst the top earners in World Football, but when it comes down to it, they seldom click for England as a unit. To this day I'm yet to seeLampard play as well for his country as he does for Chelsea, with or without Gerrard playing alongside him. It also continues to stagger me how Ashley Cole gets into the side, let alone being the most expensive left-back in Football. The simple fact is, all these players are picked on reputation. Some of them can back that up, and I'm not denying that. Rooney is a World-class talent, and he often performs admirably for England. Gerrard also, generally plays very wellwith the three Lions on his shirt, and Terry is a genuine winner, but as a team, I'm yet to be convinced.

6 or 7 'superstars' out of a team of 11 aren't necessarily going to win you silverware. The best International sides in the World are made up of one or two, three at the most, players who cangenuinly be called superstars. Brazil have Kaka, Robinho, and Ronaldinho. Spain have Torres, Fabregas, and Villa. The rest of their sides are made up of proven performers who don't always steel the limelight. They work well as a unit, and there's never just one person who stands out. England, however, seem to be the opposite.

All the aforementioned players are classed as World stars. They're players you'd put in your World XI, or Fantasy sides. You forget about the players who have proved to everyone that they are very very good players in the Premier League, the best League in the World. If you take Gerrard,Lampard, Terry, and Rooney out of the side you can easily replace them with Carrick, Huddlestone, Baines, and Defoe. These are not World class glamour-boys but they're players whom you know will do the business. So why aren't they in the regular starting XI at Wembley? If the so-called stars can't work together as a team, why not give the players that you can rely on to do just that a chance?

England has a massive pool of players. Definitely one of the biggest in the World, possibly the biggest. The problem with the English way is that we're afraid to change. We have the attitude that the same players will put it right in the end, but that's not the case. If you look at the England team of 4 years ago, it's very similar to that of today and we've still won nothing. But if you take the Italian team of 4 years ago, a lot of players have gone, whether dropped, retired or what have you. The point is, change isn't necessarily a bad thing. Yes reputations are built and they're built for a reason, but having a reputation for being one of the most expensive players in the World isn't the done deal. In International Football it's the team that counts.

You may think that my argument is unjustified considering that England have won 100% of their World Cup qualifiers under Capello, but it's all very well beating teams like Belarus and Andorra at a capacity Wembley, but when it comes down to the World Cup quarter-final next year against Brazil, Argentina, Italy, I very much doubt we'll come out on top, especially based on performances like the Slovenia game and certainly based on previous performaces in major competitions. Capello will obviously be very reluctant to make any wholesale changes in the build up to South Africa 2010, but after that I'd like to see some change. If I was England manager, I'd get rid of Lampard, in my opinion the most over-rated player on the planet, I'd get rid of Ashley Cole, and David Beckham, and I'd draft in young, homegrown talent who have proved in the Premier League for their clubs, that part of a well-functioning, performing team unit, that they can cut it.

I'll give you a little flavour of what I think the England team should be, right now.

GK - Robert Green
RB - Glen Johnson
LB - Leighton Baines
CB - John Terry (c)
CB - Matthew Upson
RM - James Milner
LM - Ashley Young
CM - Steven Gerrard
CM - Tom Huddlestone
CF - Wayne Rooney
CF - Jermain Defoe

Sub - Ben Foster
Sub - Ryan Shawcross
Sub - Joleon Lescott
Sub - Michael Carrick
Sub - Shaun Wright-Phillips
Sub - Joe Cole
Sub - Carlton Cole

There we have pure talent, and players who have consistently performed well for their clubs over the last few seasons. I may have missed a couple of players off their whom should perhaps be there, but I think you get the idea.

Kaladze apologises for costly OG's

"Everybody touch my arse, it'll make me feel better!"

Georgia captain Kakha Kaladze has apologised to teammates and supporters following a brace of own goals in his country's World Cup qualify at home to Italy.

Kaladze, who plies his trade in Italy with AC Milan, stuck the ball past his own 'keeper twice in the second half to gift an unimpressive Italian team a 2-0 victory. The centre-half was clearly very upset after the match, apologising profusely and accepting all blame for the defeat. "My team did well and we showed our heart. I'm so sorry, it's my fault. It hurts me. I don't know what to say."

You have to feel for Kakha after this Frank Sinclair-like effort. Not only did he score two own goals, but he achieved it in his first game for seven months following knee surgery. Way to re-introduce yourself K!

However, Kaladze can take heart from the fact that he won't receive the same treatment at Milan as South Korea's Ahn Jung Hwan did upon returning to former club Perugia after the 2002 World Cup. Having scored the penalty that knocked Italy out of the competition at the second round stage, the Italian club terminated his contract leaving him clubless. Having actually helped Italy on their way to qualifying, perhaps a statue of him will be built outside the San Siro, such is importance to the Italian people that their nation does well.

Liverpool name Champions League squad

Liverpool have announced their 28-man squad for the first group stage of this season’s Champions League. A couple of players will be unknown to the majority of people, but Liverpool’s lack of squad depth gives the chance for some youngsters to hopefully make an impression.

The squad is as follows:

Goalkeepers
Diego Cavalieri
Pepe Reina
David Martin

Defenders
Glen Johnson
Daniel Agger
Fabio Aurelio
Sotirios Kyrgiakos
Emiliano Insua
Jamie Carragher
Stephen Darby
Martin Kelly
Martin Skrtel
Andrea Dossena

Midfielders
Alberto Aquilani
Steven Gerrard
Yossi Benayoun
Javier Mascherano
Lucas Leiva
Jay Spearing
Damien Plessis
Albert Riera

Forwards
Fernando Torres
Andriy Voronin
Dirk Kuyt
Ryan Babel
David N’Gog
David Amoo
Nathan Eccleston

No surprises then as Liverpool go in search of a 3rd Champions League Final appearance in 5 years. There’s a chance of a competition debut for a number of youngsters, although the probability is that they’ll only be called upon if completely necessary. C’mon the Reds!

"We're playing 4-4-f*****g-2"

Spot the odd one out? Capello.

He's not a knob.

'Mike Bassett, England Manager' is the most legendary Football film ever made. Forget 'Damned United', 'Football Factory', 'Mean Machine'. They've got nothing on Bassy. He danced half-naked on a bar infront of Pele, opened his curtains to the media completely starkers, and he liked the Christmas Pudding formation. Yes, I know it's all fiction, but sshh. His hilarious antics but awful tactics and managerial ability make him the best and worst manager England never had. He'll always be remembered as the guy who loved Kipling (not the cake maker), and the infamous speech that led to him announcing England would be playing "four-four-f*****g-two". Brilliant.

Steve McClaren is just an idiot. He stood on the Wembley touchline with an FA sponsored umbrella, and a Wembley cup of Coffee (Probably decaf), and attempted to interact with a Dutch journalist (in English) by inheriting a Dutch accent. One of the most hilariously cringeworthy Youtube videos I've ever seen, and one that summed up his time as England manager. England failed to qualify for Euro 2008 with McClaren in charge, something that the majority of England fans have chosen to forget. Unfortunately for McClaren he'll always be remembered for exactly that, along with the umbrella incident. Everyone is glad he's buggered off to Holland. They can have him.

Then there's Fab Cap. I don't care that he wears speedos and poses like a page 3 girl. He's a pure legend, and I respect him no matter what he does. He can wear pink bunny ears, and jump up and down on the touchline shouting "I love cake!" for all I care. I love the guy. England are unbeaten in all competitive fixtures under the Italian, and haven't even dropped a point. Now just 3 points away from qualifying for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Capello is right up there with the very best of England gaffers. What a hero.

Can't wait to see who England's next manager will be. Christopher Biggins? Barbara Windsor? The Hulk?

England see off Slovenia test

A penalty from Frank Lampard and a Jermain Defoe strike has helped England overcome a sticky test at Wembley against Slovenia.

With an important World Cup qualifier coming up on Wednesday against Croatia, Fabio Capello would use this game as preparation for his players ahead of the match that could see England qualify for next year's World Cup in South Africa. England dominated the first half with John Terry and Wayne Rooney both hitting the woodwork from set pieces. Indeed it was Rooney who made the biggest contribution to England's first goal, albeit with a little help from the referee. Rooney was 'bundled' over by Slovenia's ex-West Brom centre-half Bostjan Cesar, although replays showed Rooney went down far too easily. In fact it was Cesar who came out worse from the challenge, having to be dragged off the field and replaced by a substitute. Frank Lampard tucked away the spot kick with ease and confidence on the half-hour mark.

Slovenia had limited chances in the first half, although Milivoje Novakovic should have done better from 6 yards after 20 minutes.

Capello made 4 changes at half time, with James Milner, Aaron Lennon, Jermain Defoe, and Michael Carrick all coming on at the expense of Gerrard, Wright-Phillips, Heskey, and Lampard respectively. Defoe, who's been in fantastic scoring form for club and country recently, doubled the home side's lead just after the hour mark with an expertly placed drive from the edge of the box. Despite England continuing to be the better side, substitute Zlatan Ljubijankic pulled a goal back for the visitors after 85 minutes, but it proved to be no more than a consolation for the side that travel to Poland in the week.

A decent workout for Capello's men, who face a much sterner test on Wednesday. Croatia will be without playmaker Luka Modric for the trip to Wembley, surely a disadvantage for them.

Pogba signing now under question

Following Chelsea's illegal approach for Lens starlet Gael Kakuta, an approach that has recently been severely punished, Lens' French counterparts Le Havre have decided to launch a complaint to FIFA about Manchester United's approach for midfielder Paul Pogba.

You may remember my article on Pogba some weeks ago now. If you don't, look at it. Thanks.

The French side, notorious for producing exciting talent and then having them pinched by Premier League clubs - note Anthony Le Tallec and Florent Sinama-Pongolle - were upset with United's inquest into signing Pogba, deeming their act as 'foolish'. Now, with the knowledge and confidence that FIFA are willing to act on such misdemeanous, Le Havre will be taking action.

United have denied they are in the wrong, claiming everything they have done has been within the UEFA guidelines. However, Le Havre managing director Alain Belsoeur is determined for the English champions to be treated in the same way as Chelsea.

"We are still pursuing our case. It's a very serious case. We are confident that we'll win because it is in the best interests not just of our club but of sport." Belsoeur went on to say, "We spend €5m (about £4.3m) on our academy every year out of a turnover of €12m. It is a huge investment. We do that to give a chance to our players to develop for our first team, not to be an academy for others."

From a neutral perspective it would seem strange should FIFA find United guilty and not put the same ban on them as they have done with Chelsea. Punishments are punishments and at the end of the day, and whether it's Manchester United or Mansfield Town, everyone has to be treated the same. English clubs have a history with snapping up young Frenchmen. I've already mentioned Le Tallec and Sinama-Pongolle who both made the move to Anfield, and Charles N'Zogbia was the subject of some controversy as well, when he made the switch from Le Havre to Newcastle in 2004. The signs from FIFA and the governing bodies are positive however. Punishments and bans such as the Chelsea ban will show clubs that they have some sort of protection when it comes to bigger clubs poaching their young talent. However, in this day and age, the likes of United, Real Madrid, Manchester City are going to come looking for young, fresh talent, and whether they like it or not, the Le Havre's of this world are going to have to deal with it.