Blackpool manager, Ian Holloway, has insisted that he is not worried by the prospect of his captain and best player, Charlie Adam, leaving Bloomfield Road this summer, because the situation is not in his control. The club, who find themselves languishing in the relegation zone with 5 League games remaining, turned down bids from Tottenham and Liverpool for the Scottish midfielder in January, and it is thought he will leave this summer no matter which division his current team will be playing in next season.

A growing number of observers believe that speculation linking Adam with a departure from Blackpool has unsettled the club, pointing to the team’s run of two wins in 16 games since the turn of the year to support this view. In my opinion, Blackpool were right to reject the bids offered to them in January, not just because they were rightly considered by Holloway as disrespecting the club and the player’s quality, but also because without him, the Tangerines may have been further adrift at the foot of the table by now.

If he had been sold, and Blackpool embarked on a similar or worse run than they have recently endured, then his sale would have been the principal factor in the club’s demise, something Holloway would have been unable to justifiably contest. The actual reason for the team’s slide down the table is that the squad isn’t good enough. Sure they have suffered a number of injuries in each position throughout the campaign, but not significantly enough to distinguish them from any other club.

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Blackpool are not the only team in recent history to achieve promotion to the Premier League for the first time, play above themselves in the opening stages when others are still finding their feet and then get found out after January when other teams work out how to beat them with ease. Hull won promotion to the top flight for the first time in 2008 and were beaten just once in their opening nine games, which included a 2-1 defeat of Arsenal at the Emirates and a 1-0 win against Spurs at White Hart Lane. Despite this feat, the Tigers won just twice in the League after their autumn honeymoon and entered the final game of the season one precarious position above the relegation zone and with more than one keen eye on other results. They were beaten 1-0 by Manchester United but survived after Middlesbrough and Newcastle were also defeated, by West Ham and Aston Villa respectively, ensuring a second season in the Premiership.

The squad’s true ability was discovered the following season as they were relegated with 30 points, and it would be difficult for Holloway to avoid acknowledging parallels with Hull, even though Blackpool have already attained 33 points from as many games.

Without a doubt, Blackpool have provided Premier League onlookers with immeasurable entertainment and colour this season, not least because of their bright kit, goal-laden games and eccentric manager, which far succeeds the dour and uninteresting insipidness offered by Hull and Phil Brown over two terms. Unfortunately, the Tangerines joined the Premier League at the start of what has become an unusual season, where as many as eleven clubs face the prospect of relegation with just a handful of games remaining. As much as I would personally like to see them survive, it seems likely that Holloway will be once again managing in the Championship come August, but at least he can recognise that maintaining Adam’s services is the reason they still have a shout at such a late stage.

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Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew has revealed a broken arm will keep defender Mike Williamson out for the rest of the season.Williamson, who has been a rock at the back for Newcastle this season, broke his arm in training on Thursday morning. He was set to have an operation later on in the day.

That will pile the pressure on a Newcastle defence that conceded three goals at Anfield last weekend ahead of Saturday’s clash with Birmingham City at St James’ Park.

Pardew said: “He was being supervised at the time it happened.”

“It was just a genuine injury and he had a slight weakness in that arm as he has hurt it before and unfortunately that has been the issue.”

“Obviously it is disappointing and he wanted to finish the season.”

“For us the focus is now on Steven Taylor who has been patient in the background but now has an opportunity.”

“That is how football works sometimes – it gives you a chance at a strange time.”

“It was a freak injury and really unfortunate for Mike who will miss the end of the season.”

Newcastle have won just two of their last 14 Premier League games and Pardew wants his players to answer their critics on Saturday.

They were easily beaten 3-0 at Liverpool last weekend without really troubling home goalkeeper Pepe Reina.

“We lost to Liverpool who are an up-and-coming team and one definitely in form,” Pardew said.

“The major criticism of us in the fall-out from that game was that we did not really look bothered.”

“I do not think that was the case but we certainly were not on the same level as we were against Manchester United.”

“We now have to answer the questions that have been put to us.”

“The aim is to put in a committed display for the fans and those fans who travelled in great numbers to Liverpool.”

Newcastle will be without defender Thomas Kadar (hamstring), midfielders Dan Gosling (knee), Hatem Ben Arfa (broken leg), Kazenga Lua Lua (broken leg). Forwards Alan Smith and Leon Best (both ankle) will also be unavailable.

Swindon Town boss Paolo Di Canio has described his new job as ‘destiny’ just days after taking over as manager of the League Two club.Di Canio, 42, accepted the job on Friday with the County Ground outfit who will play their football in the fourth tier of English football, after being relegated from League One this campaign.

It is a low-profile job for the Italian, who delighted fans with his career at the likes of Lazio, Juventus, AC Milan, Celtic and West Ham United, but his excitement was obvious when speaking to the press.

“This is my destiny,” Di Canio said.

“I feel like this is the most important thing for me. I was happy the last two years to work for a sports (TV) programme but a lion can’t stay in a cage, a lion has to stay on the pitch.”

“This is my job, this is my life. I think I am sure that I can help with my knowledge and experience every team to achieve their ambitions.”

“So, I am sure about my quality, of course (Harry) Redknapp maybe reckons that I was a little manager already when I used to play football.”

In the season of 2009/10 Wayne Rooney really was head and shoulders above every other United player in terms of performance levels and consistency.

For the duration of the domestic and European campaigns he lead the line and struck fear through defenders in the premiership week in week out; in fact it isn’t too far fetched to say he was ahead of every other player in Europe in terms of delivering impressive displays and to top it off he bagged himself a season record of 34 goals. He was much deserving of his Player of the Year accolade.

Despite Rooney being a shining light, United missed out on silverware and were criticised by fans and media alike for being heavily reliant on Wayne. In for criticism came the rest of the strike force and in particular, Dimitar Berbatov, who was failing to live him up to his £30m pricetag that had been splashed out on him a year previous.

Also on the naughty list fell Michael Owen – not many people expected him to play a massive role for United but after his last minute winner against Manchester City, he set himself up and we expected to see the Owen from World Cup 98 – it did not materialise. Nani and Valencia, although fans favourites and not out-an-out strikers, were also expected to weigh in with more goals than they delivered.

One year on and what a contrast – Wayne Rooney has 14 goals and although has not hit the goal scoring heights of 09/10, is still Sir Alex Ferguson’s main man and when he ticks, United tick.

Dimitar Berbatov has netted 21 goals season and is the premier leagues leading scorer; Young Mexican Javier Hernandez who was relatively unknown when Ferguson signed him before the World Cup, has been a huge success and having struck 20 goals so far in his debut season has without a doubt been a great asset to the side. Michael Owen, although struggled with injuries this season has still made an impact – not necessarily in the goals department but by offering alternative dimensions to Uniteds attacking play when available – sometimes the reputation of Owen is enough to scare a defender into a mistake.

Then there are the strikers on loan – Danny Welbeck has been inspirational at Steve Bruce’s Sunderland and earned himself an International call up (for England not Ghana). Kiko Macheda has been a regular in the Italian Serie A side Sampdoria and Mame Biram Diouf has regularly impressed at Blackburn.

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So the question that needs to be asked before we go into the 2011/12 campaign, possibly defending a premier league title and champions league triumph is, with four top strikers at the club, and three on loan who all have the capability to make a name for themselves on the biggest stage, who will be the odd man, or odd men out?

I think it is safe to assume that Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez will be at the club next season, not only because of their performance levels but also because of their age. However, as strange as it may seem with Berbatov being the leagues top scorer, at the age of 30 and seemingly no longer a definite in the starting 11, maybe Ferguson will cash in on the Bulgarian. Had it been Rooney who lost his first team place, being 25 there is a huge amount of time and a massive chance he will force his way back in – with Berbatov it just does not seem likely. Would he be happy to sit on the bench?

Michael Owen is at the end of his current deal at United and maybe after two years at the club and not making a first team place his own, he might look elsewhere to get regular first team football. I think his situation is dependent on which loan striker returns; If Danny Welbeck or Kiko Macheda return, I believe they will be further up the pecking order than the former Liverpool man, and any self respecting footballer would not be happy to be fifth or sixth choice, especially one who was once European Player of the Year.

Looking at it from another angle is asking the question, will Danny Welbeck, Kiko Macheda or Mame Diouf be happy to return to the club knowing a minimum of two strikers will be ahead of them in Fergusons preference? Do any of these young strikers have it in them to fight for a place? Further more, will Javier Hernandez keep up his fine form or will his game be found out by defenders, going into his second season?

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Ultimately the decision is down to Sir Alex Ferguson and he has never been a man to let sentiment get in the way of making bold decisions when it comes to showing world class strikers the door; Just ask Mark Hughes, Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Dwight Yorke, Andrew Cole, Louis Saha and Diego Forlan. All household names, all completely different scenarios, all adored by the United faithful, all departed from United when the manager felt it was the right time.

Having seven top class strikers is every managers dream, not knowing which ones to keep is our managers nightmare.

Article courtesy of Nathon at Red Flag Flying High

Aston Villa have clarified an approach to Alex McLeish, but Birmingham City still intend to prevent their ex-manager joining their rivals.New Championship club City have reiterated their right for compensation of up to 5.4 million pounds if Villa appoint McLeish to their vacant post.

Having led Birmingham to a League Cup triumph but also to relegation from the English Premier League, McLeish tendered his resignation on Sunday and has wore criticism from the club since.

City maintain McLeish is not a free agent, putting an approach from Aston Villa on Monday in dangerous territory. The English Premier League club has responded to Birmingham about the contact, claiming it was not an official approach.

Birmingham acting chairman Peter Pannu has hinted at legal action for McLeish, and is still likely to report the matter to the Premier League despite Villa’s reply to the allegations.

“I got an email from Aston Villa, finally replying to all of our queries. As expected, their legal department said, ‘Now Alex McLeish is a free agent having resigned, we’re free to speak to him’. This confirms all suspicions. This shows what has happened,” Pannu told Sky Sports.

“Within the first year he (McLeish), or the club who sign him, have to compensate us at 5.4 million pounds.”

“The first year expires on June 30. The second year starts July 1, when the compensation fee is three million pounds.”

“I’ll be seeking an injunction preventing Villa from hiring him.”

“I’ll be reporting what’s happened to the Premier League. This is like conspiracy to defraud.”

“It’s borderline criminal. That’s how strong I’ll put it.”

Corinthians and Flamengo both won 1-0 away from home on Sunday to hold first and second place respectively in Brazil’s Serie A.Corinthians had to wait until the 70th minute at Estadio Serra Dourada to break the deadlock against struggling Atletico Goianiense.

A goal from striker Willian with 20 minutes to go ensured the visitors came away with all three points and secured their fifth-consecutive victory.

They remain top of the table and remain three points clear of Flamengo, who returned to second place after beating last season’s champions Fluminense 1-0.

Visitors Flamengo needed a goal from midfielder Willians one minute into first-half injury time at Estadio Olimpico Joao Havelange to record a valuable win on the road.

Defeat leaves Fluminense ninth, already 10 points off the pace despite having played one more match than Corinthians.

Elsewhere on Sunday, Santos’ woes continued when they went down 3-0 away to Palmeiras.

First-half goals from Maikon Leite, Mauricio Ramos and Patrik wrapped up a comprehensive victory for the home side.

They are now who fourth in the table, four points behind the leaders.

Copa Libertadores winners Santos, with star men Neymar and Ganso absent as part of Brazil’s Copa America squad, have won just twice from seven matches played.

Jhonata Obina and Neto Berola were on target as Atletico Mineiro defeated America Mineiro 2-0 at home, while Gremio saw off visitors Coritiba by the same scoreline.

A 78th-minute equaliser from Fahel helped Bahia draw 1-1 at home to Botafogo, who had led through Elkeson’s first-half goal.

And Figueirense also had to come from 1-0 down to draw 1-1 at home, with Maicon netting just past the hour mark to cancel out Washington’s third-minute opener.

Finally Barcelona have sealed one of their top summer transfer targets: Alexis Sanchez. The young Chilean signed for 23 million which could rise to 33 depending on clauses. He is a very versatile player, and can play in all three attacking positions. However, it will be a daunting task for him to break into one of the most deadly attacking units in the history of the game.

Sanchez is a big signing for Barcelona, but a huge risk. He did not come cheaply, and he doesn’t have years of experience in La Liga or another top European League. There is no guarantee that he will fit into their style or be a success, so it is a massive risk for them to take, and it isn’t the first time they have done that over the last few years, and it has not always come off in their favour.

Where exactly will Sanchez fit at Barca? Well, he is highly unlikely to displace Messi, however, should Messi suffer an injury, he could provide back-up, but will he be content to sit on the bench? Clearly he will have to adapt to Spanish football so won’t go straight into Barcelona’s starting line up, but could he eventually dislodge David Villa or Pedro? Again it would seen crazy to disrupt a winning formation; Pedro and Villa have 98 goals between them in 62 games in the last 10 months, and Pedro has been absolutely fundamental to Barcelona. The competition for places though may inspire the team to even greater heights.

Sanchez is very young and is likely to be a signing for the long term, in the short term it seems as if it is versatility that he has been signed for, he can provide an option or a plan B should Barcelona need one. What does the signing mean for some of their youngsters though? Bojan, never quite made the breakthrough, though he was hardly given a chance with the quality ahead of him. He has just moved on to Roma in a convoluted deal, which means Barca can buy him back for almost the same price in two years time. Ibrahim Afellay is another bright young player who could be forced out by Barcelona’s transfer policy, as he finds himself even further down the pecking order.

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Having acquired Sanchez, Barcelona are now likely to step up their pursuit of Fabregas, yet again a player with undoubted talent and style but for the amount of money they will need to pay, it is difficult to see where he fits in. He isn’t going to dislodge Iniesta or Xavi, so would he serve as another bench warmer? Again he would be excellent cover should one of the two get injured, but why would a player like Fabregas be content to sit on the bench? Is there a complete lack of ambition amongst modern players? I can see that they want to play for the best team in the world, and win trophies, but if you aren’t going to play, then is there any sense in you being there? Over the last few years we have seen the same with players like Hleb, Henry and Gudjohnsen. Barcelona continually seem to buy players that they simply don’t need.

This is not to say that all their signings are bad, look at the signing of Pique, that was a great signing, he wasn’t hugely expensive, and he has proved very successful. Dani Alves and Keita are another two good signings, but for every one of those there has been an Ibrahimovic, Hleb or Chygrynskiy: expensive flops who are no longer at the club, having been loaned out cheaply or sold on at a loss.

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It seems that in relation to the needs of the side the signings-should they get him-of Fabregas and indeed Sanchez are far too expensive, and wholly unnecessary. To spend the amount they are spending on players who may play little more than a bit-part role in the side seems ludicrous. Surely, they should be addressing the real positions in which they need new recruits. The ageing Puyol is likely to be restricted in the amount he can play as he continues to struggle with injuries, so some cover at the back is clearly required. Sense must prevail in their seemingly senseless transfer policy and rather than just signing players for the sake of it, they should begin to address the real needs of the team.

What do you make of Barca’s transfer policy? Comment below or follow me on Twitter @LaurenRutter and let me know your views.

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is set to move to West Brom, according to The Sun, in a record £7 million move.

Roy Hodgson has identified Reading striker Long as the man to fire them up the table this season and see’s him as the perfect partner for Peter Odemwingie.

Talks between the Irish strikers representatives and Albion took place over the weekend and the Premier League club are now ready to agree a fee with the Royals.

Hodgson wants the deal done as quickly as possible so he can have Long in place to make his debut against Manchester United on Sunday.

Republic of Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni believes the move will improve him as a player with the 72-year old Italian giving it his seal of approval.

Trapattoni said: “He can learn off a new manager in a better league against stronger opponents.

“This is an important step in his evolution. Roy Hodson can help Shane with different playing styles.” 

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If the transfer does go through it would prove to be a major coup for Albion with the player being courted by a number of clubs this summer.

They will have to be wary of late bids from the likes of Newcastle and Everton who still have Long in their crosshairs.

Real Madrid captain Cristiano Ronaldo says his side are driven to break the dominance of arch-rivals Barcelona – both at home and abroad.El Clasico enemies Barca have cast a long shadow over their La Liga foes in recent years, complementing their three consecutive league titles with the 2009 and 2011 Champions League trophies.

Jose Mourinho’s Real last won La Liga in the 2007/08 campaign, and Portuguese attacker Ronaldo believes the Madrid club’s time to rise above Barca is now.

“We have had this ambition for a couple of years. We are on the way to winning something, but the moment has not come yet,” he said.

“But we are working hard to make this happen. We have to have hope. We have the players, we have a great coach and now we have to have the ambition to win the Champions League.”

The two clubs renew acquaintances in the first leg of the Supercopa de Espana on August 14, and Ronaldo said the two-legged meeting with Barcelona was already on his team-mates’ minds.

“We are just concentrated on the preparation factor and when the game against Barca comes up, we will surely be fully prepared,” he said.

“We have a lot to work on. We are just concentrating on the training. This is what we have to think about.”

Ronaldo was speaking in China, where Real are continuing their pre-season programme with games against Chinese Super League clubs Guangzhou on Wednesday and Tianjin Teda on Saturday.

With off-season signings such as Fabio Coentrao (Benfica) and Nuri Sahin (Borussia Dortmund) still getting to know their team-mates, Ronaldo stressed the importance of the matches.

“(Wednesday) it’s a preparation game that we need to try to win because it’s important, because the victory will help us increase our rhythm (match play) so we can start the season in a better way,” Ronaldo said.

“And this is what we are going to try to do: to play well, to win in a physical way, and start the season in a better way.”

Remember the internet joke doing the rounds in the summer about a certain Titus Bramble coming to the Arsenal? If you missed it some mischievous cove used Twitter to spread the rumour that the bungling Bramble was on his way to the Emirates and that Arsene Wenger was convinced it was he, not Per Mertersacker, Gary Cahill, Chris Samba or Phil Jagielka, who was the answer to our defensive woes.

My how we laughed.

Fast forward a few weeks and we’re not laughing anymore are we? Why? Because TV5 is bleedin’ crocked again and we are back to square one. Yes, the big German from Werder Bremen has provided rearguard reinforcements. But can you say, with hand on heart, that you are encouraged by the fact that we must rely on either Johan Djourou or Laurent Koscielny as his partner? To be fair, the latter is the better bet but has he fully recovered from his back injury in time for Saturday? What’s that? Seb Squillaci? Nurse, more pain-killers, please.

Which takes me back wild and inaccurate rumours (and Lord knows I know what I am talking about here) – and may I refer the honourable gentlemen to the answer I gave some moments ago (Bramble)…for we have a ready-made former international central defender in our midst. A stalwart stopper who is training with the Gunners, isn’t attached to a club and can be signed on a short-term deal until the entire medical team at the club are sectioned and TV5 is nurtured back to fitness.

Yes, step forward Sulzeer Jeremiah Campbell. Dare AW do it? Hire a player that was shown the door in the summer after a stuttering spell at Newcastle United? He knows the boss. He knows the players. He knows the set-up. Is he up to it?  Discuss…

Article courtesy of Carl Eldridge from the excellent Arsenal Insider

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