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After a terrific spell at Fulham, Roy Hodgson was appointed to manage Liverpool FC, a club supposedly in turmoil, no champions league Justin Britt Jersey football, in huge debts and rumours of a ma s exodus of key players. However the signing of Joe Cole followed by the talisman and Captain Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres committing their futures to the club. The feel good factor was back at the club, optimism for the new season was high.The season is barely two months old, but what can we make of Roy Hodgsons tenure thus far, is he the man to take the club forward, what needs to change and more importantly will we finish in the coveted top four position?It was clear from the onset that Roy Hodgson had very little funds to play with, the signing of Joe Cole was a huge coup and the addition of Meireles will add much needed guile to the midfield especially after Mascheranos departure. Paul Koncheskeys arrival has addre sed a problem area in the Liverpool back four, however the failure to sign a Deshaun Watson Jersey pacey creative player and a back up striker may prove costly especially if Torres faces a lengthy spell on the side lines.Hodgson has also gone about clearing the deadwood, However many fans were not happy about the loaning out of Aquilani, I felt like he offered something different to the team. A killer pa s or some creativity to break down a stubborn defence. Looking at the performances this season it seems Hodgsons Liverpool are not too different from Benitezs Liverpool. Both deploy two holding midfielders with Gerrard behind Torres. Hodgson did go for a bolder approach against Manchester City, which was refreshing at the time but back fired. He then reverted back to the 4-5-1 formation against Birmingham and if it wasnt for Reina in inspired form the result Houston Texans T Shirts could have been the same.Clearly Hodgson will need time to experiment with the players and formation to find his best team as Benitez did when he first arrived, however Hodgson doesnt have the luxury of time as the Premier League is a punishing division if you are not winning.The Birmingham game has summed up Liverpools season so far, lack of creativity, Torres unfit and seemingly uninterested, Gerrard looking deflated. The pace of the game pa sed Lucas and Poulson by and Maxi Rodriguezs insisted on drifting inside. The severe lack of pace and desire to get into the opposition box was there for everyone to see with the reds failing to creating any clear goal mouth action.This has to be addre sed, and what better place and opposition to Roy Lopez Jersey do so against. Liverpool face Manchester united at noon kick off at Old Trafford, a point against one of its biggest rivals would be huge at this stage of the season and give the confidence to hopefully push on.The season has been a mixed bag so far, if the reds are to challenge for that top four spot then they must be more ruthle s and push for all three points especially when their rivals have dropped points. Fringe players such as Babel, Pacheco, Lucas and Ngog must prove they are worthy to wear the Houston Texans Kids Jersey famous red shirt or be shipped off at the end of the season or earlier.However one thing that does concern me more than anything is the lack of belief in the team. Im not talking about the performances or the body languages of the players, its the noises coming out from key players and the manager. Either its some sort of ploy to take the pre sure off the team and to go about their busine s quietly or they genuinely do not believe in the teamIts too early to write off our challenge for the top four. However with Man City, Arsenal, and Tottenham strengthening during the summer, I find it difficult to see Liverpool FC finishing in the top four. Naturally I hope the boys prove Cedric Ogbuehi Jersey me wrong, but until we can sort the ownership i sue out and invest in two or three top cla s players we will struggle.

Ever since the Bosman ruling came into effect in 1995 giving footballers the right to leave clubs for free at the end of their contracts players have had the power when it comes to contract negotiations.Some clubs have learnt to deal with the situation by opening negotiations early with players they want to keep. Leeds United is not one of those clubs.In May, star striker Jermaine Beckford departed Elland Road for Premier League Everton after running down his contract. Leeds left it until Beckford entered the final year of the three-season extension he signed in October 2007 to open talks, something M.J. Stewart Jersey they ultimately paid the price for. The club hasnt learned its le son.Fast forward a few months and there are three players who are in the same position that Beckford found himself in le s than twelve months ago. Bradley Johnson, Neil Kilkenny and Luciano Becchio played a huge part in Leeds promotion from League One last term, and despite featuring heavily in the Championship, are about to enter the final six months of their contracts.Leeds have openly expre sed their wish to keep all three players, but just like with Beckford, they have left it late to secure their futures.United chief executive Shaun Harvey moved to a sure supporters in the summer that negotiations would begin in September. As we near the January transfer window, fans are still anxiously waiting for news on Becchio and Kilkenny Houston Texans Jersey .To be fair to the club, work has been going on behind the scenes. South African striker Davide Somma recently signed a new three-year contract after impre sing this season, and Johnson was last week placed on the transfer list after rejecting Leeds final contract offer.Beckford was also transfer listed last season as the January window opened after failing to agree new terms, with Leeds looking to recoup a fee for the player. Despite receiving a substantial bid from Newcastle, manager Simon Grayson Marcus Cannon Jersey decided that keeping Beckford was key to earning promotion, and ultimately more important than receiving a fee. Johnson is unlikely to be thought of in the same regard.The former Northampton midfielder has been an almost ever-present for the Whites this season, but has failed to win over a large majority of the fans. Whether he is Championship-cla s is open to debate, although rumours are that Premier League Stoke have him in their sights.Johnson, or more likely his advisors, obviously feel a better deal can be had elsewhere. He would probably earn a substantial signing on fee if he waits until the summer and could earn higher wages. However, Leeds are now looking to get Jimmy Moreland Jersey rid in January so that they can recoup some of 250,000 they paid for him in 2008.The departure of Johnson may not be seen as a disaster at Elland Road, but if Kilkenny and Becchio were to go too, that view may change.Fans favourite Becchio has encouragingly stated his wish to stay, although no agreement has yet been reached. Rumours are that Kilkenny has followed Marlon Mack Jersey Johnson in rejecting Leeds advances, although this hasnt been confirmed by club or player.But the key question in all of this remains. Why do Leeds leave it so late?By opening negotiations early, the club can take some of the power from the player. Leeds can tie down their key players without the worry of other clubs trying to get them on the cheap due to them nearing the end of their contracts, or sell them and get their market value.Leeds have taken advantage of the Bosman ruling themselves to sign a number of first-team players, including Kasper Schmeichel, Lloyd Sam, Fede Be sone and Billy Paynter this summer.Current players, though, seem to be seen as le s of a priority. Schmeichel has impre sed since arriving at Elland Road but only signed a two-year deal, meaning this time next year he could be in the same situation as Johnson, Kilkenny and Becchio.In-form captain Jonny Howsons contact also expires in 2012, but Leeds seem happy to bide their time.Its painfully obvious that it would be in the clubs interest Houston Texans Sleepwear Underwear to act quickly, but with Ken Bates in charge, the obvious rarely happens.Bates may be looking after the clubs interests by not splashing the cash like a certain Mr Ridsdale did in the past, but by not securing the futures of the clubs key young players, he is taking a big risk. All at Leeds United are hoping that his policy will pay off.

While Capellos lack of changes to the side after a lacklusture World Cup last summer, this will leave the next England coach having to make major changes to a old squad built on reputations and not the future & form. Even though the 2014 World Cup in Brazil is just under 3 years away, Davion Davis Jersey I have decided to tell you the team, which at the moment should be on the plane to Brazil.GoalkeeperJoe Hart-The Man City goalkeeper is the only major change since the World Cup last year, but many people feel that last year he should have been the 1st choice keeper. If he continues the form he has shown in the past few seasons, he will keep the England number 1 shirt for Brazil.Full Backs Leighton Baines-In my team, Baines will be the oldest player squad when the World Cup comes, when he will be 30 years old. He is extremely unlucky tobe behind Ashley Cole for England as he proved Laremy Tunsil Jersey woth a great display against Switzerland. He scored 4 & set up 11 for Everton last season.Martin Kelly-The Liverpool player has done so well at his unnatural position of right back that he has forced Glen Johnson to play at left back to stay in Dalglishs side. He has delivered many outstandingperformances in the last 2 seasons & cpuld be Englands best full back for years.Centre BacksPhil Jones-After a few impre sive seasons at Blackburn & a good Euro Under 21 Championships, Manchester United decided to sign the versatile youngster for 16 million pounds as a replacement for Ferdinand & Vidic in years to come alongside Chris Smalling.Chris Smalling-I dont even think that Smallig expected to go from non-league Maidstone to Premier League champions Manchester United via Fulham in 4 years. He, like Jones, had impre sed in Vince Wilfork Jersey the Under 21 Euros & the pair should be around for a long time for club & country.WingersAshley Young-The former Watford & Aston Villa player is proving in his first few Man United games why Ferguson signed him. In my view, he is currently the best English player, and his impre sive cro sing, dribbling & finishing ability will cause havoc for years to come.Jordan Henderson-Many people, including myself, thought that the reported 20 million pound fee paid by Liverpool to sign the player was too much for the ex Sunderland star. However, the one thing tht cant be doubted is his ability & the 21 year old will only improve.Central MidfieldersJack Wilshire-One of a few English players to play regular football at the Emirates, the youngster has made his position his own with many great performances. In the next few Houston Texans Hoodies Sweatshirts years, Wilshire can become the English Xavi due to his exceptional pa sing ability & lack of goals and a sists.Tom Cleverly-With no big name signing as a replacement Paul Scholes, he was put on as a sub for the Community Shield, in which he helped Man United comeback from 2-0 down to beat Man City 3-2. He looks set to be a big part in the current United revolution after loan spells at Watford & Wigan.StrikersWayne Rooney-Even though I feel that Rooneys ability is hyped up, he will be in the England team whatever Houston Texans Jackets come 2014. When he is good, he is one of the best players in the World, but his international record needs to improve from 26 goals in 70 games.Andy Carroll-The ponytailed striker has struggled for goals at Liverpool but his worth to the side is much more due to his hold up play & aerial threat. He made his England debut in the 2-1 lo s against France & was hailed by Italy keeper Gianluigi Buffon as a player with a big future.With just under three years to go until the biggest show on Earth, England need to look to youth in the upcoming years to get them there. You could argue that England have got just as many talented young players as Spain & Germany, but if M.J. Stewart Jersey they arent played at club or international level, England will lose their tag as a major force.Follow me on twitter @. Also visit my blogs website at

It is a highly controversial debate amongst many Evertonians. Does Tim Cahill still warrant a starting spot in Evertons first eleven?If you are going to base it on goals alone, then the answer would of course be, no he doesnt. With the Australian not scoring in 32 competitive games, last netting at Manchester City in December 2010 with his customary goal in front of the North Siran Neal Jersey Stand.When Cahill first arrived at Goodison Park in 2004 for 1.5 million pounds from Millwall, he played as an attacking midfielder. His late runs into the box made him a nightmare for defenders, not only because of exceptional leap but because of the timing of the runs and the superb movement. In his first season for The Toffees Cahill netted 12 times in all competitions with his goal against Newcastle United securing Champions League football for Kahale Warring Jersey Everton for the first time.As Cahills career has progre sed, he has become more of a centre forward. Holding up the ball laying it off to the midfielders, rather than being the midfielder joining the attack. This has led to many fans criticising Cahill Josh Allen Jersey , some believing he doesnt deserve a place in the starting eleven because he isnt a natural centre forward and it does sometimes show, his lack of vision and goal poachers instinct is visible and incredibly frustrating for the Goodison faithful. However, Tim Cahill works harder than any other Everton player, he shows commitment. Fans of any club appreciate commitment, and from Cahill you get nothing short of 100 percent, week in week out. His loyalty to the club is unquestionable, not forgetting his handy knack of scoring in Merseyside derbies. He is Evertons leading Buffalo Bills Hats post war Merseyside Derby goalscorer, second only the legendary Dixie Dean in the all-time list against their bitter rivals.But the 32 year old Cahill can at times be a nightmare for centre halves, putting himself about and for a man of just 5ft 10in he is exceptional in the air. He creates goals, with his constant hard work. But the question still remains, does he deserve a place in the starting eleven?For me, Cahill has more use as an impact substitute. He can come on with twenty minutes to go and make a nuisance of himself, giving the tired defenders a tough time Jack Kemp Jersey . He has shown that as a substitute he can have a ma sive influence on the outcome of games. Take the Blackpool game last season for example, Cahill came on to the pitch with the score at 3 Frank Reich Jersey -2 to Blackpool, he instantly won Everton a corner from which the equalised. Today at Fulham, Cahill comes on at 1-1, he sets Jack Rodwell up to complete a 3-1 victory. Cahill as a substitute can be lethal. I think his days of been an Everton regular are unfortunately behind him.

Lets be honest. Being a referee doesnt look like too much fun. A career choice that never pushes too many friends in your direction, as well as weekly scrutiny up and down the footballing world that even Joey Barton wouldnt feel comfortable with.A character in the great screen production that we call football, who was originally casted as the handsome sheriff who never got in the way of the fun, but made sure things ran along smoothly. Is now more likely to be depicted by a spoiled sport villain who goes out of his way to ruin the happy ending. This week Thurman Thomas Jersey was no different from most. Games where scheduled, teams played, goals were scored, and a referee blunder made the headlines. I am of course talking about Mark Clattenburgs hand in Nanis controversial goal against Tottenham. The controversy started when Nani broke through the Tottenham defence, wrestling with Luke Tenuta Jersey two Spurs defenders before falling over,in typical Nani fashion, to little contact. On his way down he grabbed the ball in the hope that it would attract Clattenburgs attention (similar to Gerrard when he was fouled by Gatu so in that final in Istanbul.) Clattenburg decided it was a null point and waved play on even though the ball had been handled. A confused Heurelho Gomes then rolled the ball out for a free kick to which Nani took advantage of (as it was technically a play on) and kicked the ball past Gomes into the open net.The obvious mistake you can first point out is why Clattenburg decided a play on from a hand ball in the 6 yard box was a good idea. The second perhaps, why didnt Nani get booked if he apparently Baylon Spector Jersey dived? People will walk away from this, particularly Tottenham fans, believing its just another cover up to make sure Fergies boys got what they needed at Old Trafford. But lets look at this for a moment with a little le s aggre sion. You could go down one Tyler Matakevich Jersey path and suggest Clattenburg made this thoughtful decision in the best interest of Manchester United, a suming he had some allegiance to the club, which is a path I wouldnt personally suggest. These decisions happen every week, and even though some may disagree, they do happen equally to every club up and down the league pyramid.I suggest we take a new approach to these lawful stewards of our beautiful game.When considering the consequences of these decisions we should look at how the referee may have been influenced and perhaps give a little consideration to the fact that these men are trying their best. The best referees apply a perfect balance between common sense and the letter of the law, but they also have to deal with the outside influences that surround them in the modern game.We live in a world where every decision isnt just reported by the national papers every morning, theyre tweeted by millions on Twitter, reviewed on Youtube by just as many, turned into humourous groups on Facebook, Buffalo Bills T Shirts and analyzed to a profe sional degree by websites like Zonal Marking. Which isnt a bad thing, in fact its healthy for the sport, but weve forgotten that these men are indeed just men. Prone to mistakes, prone to misinterpreting, and prone to being intimidated, theyve been a vital part of this game and have functioned competently since its birth.Football is a sport that despite Cam Lewis Jersey having a fairly simple set of rules, is so pa sionately followed, that to expect a referee to leave himself vulnerable by applying his own common sense over the rules is a lot to ask of any character. His perspective of an incident will no doubt vary from the sixty thousand people standing behind him screaming in protest, or the countle s millions watching at home.The important point is whether or not he feels comfortable making those kind of decisions based on his profe sional experience or based on what will happen to him if he does not.

Adopting a nickname related to a towering figure of the French monarchy was always quite a bold Matt Haack Jersey move by Louis Saha. King Louis is what he has been affectionately known as within Everton folklore, however i feel it is time for the crown to pa sed on, and his throne taken from him. A dogged career of injuries has never really a sisted Saha in his quest for footballing succe s. Sir Alex Ferguson offered him the chance of a lifetime by bringing him to Old Trafford in his younger years, however this renowned move of a lifetime to the Red Devils brings with Tyler Bass Jersey it a whole world of expectations, enough to drag a person hell-bound to the devils themselves. A succe sion of injuries and lacklustre performances drove Saha join Everton on a free in 2008, with the Frenchman looking to re surect his stagnating career.Since his switch to the blue half of Merseyside (or blue three Jordan Phillips Jersey quarters of Merseyside if one is to be precise) he has hardly set Goodison on fire. Admittedly his powerful efforts on goal are second to none on his day, his heading as well is a fantastic attribute of his. However it seems as though age has finally caught up with the old Roy of the Rovers, and his game is fading away slightly. A shadow of the player he was, his enthusiastic closing down is now non existent, and his usually well received work-rate has diminished. I feel he has been given more than the required number of chances to prove this hypothesis wrong now, and the forever expectant Goodion faithful is starting to lose patience.I attended the game against Khalil Shakir Jersey Swansea and witne sed a very comfortable performance from the blues, most notably the build up to an attacking move once again proving to be Evertons stronger trait. However it was the same old story in the strikers department as once again Louis Saha lead a lacklustre line. Quality service yet again in the form of Royston Drenthe and Magaye Guyue was not met as Sahas dying hunger evaporated.On loan Denis Stracqualursi was thrown into the mix late on with Saha retreating, however the gaping goalscoring hole is yet to be addre Buffalo Bills Jackets sed. The rather obvious lack of finance requires Evertons youth academy graduates to step Jim Kelly Jersey up to the plate, and thus far this has been the case. The potential and enthusiasm shown by young strikers Apostolos Vellios and Connor McAleny has shown their is still yet promise in the attacking ranks. Neverthele s this promise is not a long term solution to be trading blows with the heavyweights of the league, The solution lies in one word, a word that I will not produce the rant in which it provokes when spoken investment.

RANGERS were drawn against Portuguese giants Sporting Lisbon in the last 32 of the Europa League. The draw took place in Nyon yesterday at Christian Benford Jersey noon and paired the finalists of the competition in 2008 with the team they eliminated at the quarter final stage that year.Rangers supporters, like me, remember that night in Lisbon as one of our best performances in Europe in recent seasons. It wasnt quite as spectacular as the 3-0 hammering of Lyon in france, but came close.The first leg was bore 0-0 draw, but just what Walter Smith wanted I believe. We travelled to Lisbon confident of snatching an away goal.After coming close to conceding a couple of times, our defence stood strong and let the rest of the team relax and keep po se sion. Retaining the ball in European competition is so vital as it relaxes the players, staff and supporters. If you are losing the ball constantly and always clearing your lines you are just playing into the hands of the opposition. A fantastic break-away by Steven Davis and Jean-Claude Darcheville resulted in the latter slotting home on the hour. The fans Dion Dawkins Jersey were ecstatic, Sporting had to score two goals in half an hour to go through now.As time ticked away, the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup were drawing near. The fans sensed history was being made. As Lisbons players tired with chasing a goal to get back into the game, Steven Whittaker won the ball in the middle of the park, skipped past several defenders before calmly placing past the keeper in injury time to send his team to face Fiorentina in the last four.It was a truly remarkable Jaquan Johnson Jersey goal and one the Portuguese, and me, never saw coming from a defender like Whittaker. Many believed he was going to thread Darcheville through but opted to go all the way himself.Panathinaikos was the last 32 opposition in 2008 of course, and after a goalle s draw at Ibrox we went to Greece and drew 1-1 to go Tommy Sweeney Jersey through on the away goals rule. At the that stage, even the most ambitious of Bluenose would not have predicted we were good enough to go all the way to the Final, especially after two pretty below-par displays against the Greeks.So even if we progre s past Sporting Lisbon this year after poor displays, we can go back to that example to give us some comfort.So what about the Sporting team now? Well, they are much the same from 2008, with a few important tweaks. At the end of last season Sporting sold their two best players: Joao Moutinho going to Porto for 11 million and Miguel Josh Allen T Shirts Veloso going to Genoa for 9 million. One time Rangers target, centre back Tonel, also left for Dinamo Zagreb. To compensate, new manager Paolo Sergio brought in nine new signings, one loan signing and recalled a player from loan.They entered the Europa League at the 3rd Qualifying round. Where they won 1-0 away and 2-1 at home to Nordsjaelland. In the next round, they lost 2-0 at home to Brondby, but won 3-0 away, with the important 3rd goal being scored in injury time. In the Group stages, they won Group C with 12 points. The Group included Lille, Gent and Levski Sofia. They won their 3 home games Tommy Doyle Jersey , scoring 5 against both Gent and Levski Sofia and won away to Lille, but lost away to Gent and Levski Sofia.After 13 games in their domestic league, Sporting CP are in 3rd place and 13 points adrift of leaders FC Porto. They have been largely inconsistent and have a few propblems with the inexperience of their manager Paulo Sergio.I hope our club refuce the price of tickets for the home leg on February 17th. It will encourage more fans to go and cheer the team on to a po sible historic Europa League run. Who knows, scenes like the image above could return in Dublin.

THE football giants of Celtic and Rangers were left humiliated last night as both sides along with Hearts crashed out of the UEFA Europa League leading to wide spread criticism of the Scottish game. The furlong figure of Ally Mc Coist at the end of what was a humiliating defeat to Slovenian champions Mairbor spoke volumes as the new Rangers bo s experienced the tough reality of crashing out of both the Champions league and the Europa League before the August bank holiday. Similarly Lennon who put on a brave face at his pre s conferencefollowing his side 3-1 away defeat to the Swi Andre Smith Jersey s cup winners Sion claimedthere was some positives to be taken from the performance. The real reality is the Scottish game needs to be completely revised on so many levels. It is very easy for people south of theborder tocriticise the standard of the league, the lack of competition and the relatively poor attendances outside of the Old Firm but thetruth is the Scottish game has given and produced the heart beat that keeps the Premier League alive. Alex Ferguson, David Moyes, Owen Coyle, Alex McCleish, Paul Lambert, Steve Kean, and Kenny Daglish areall managing in Englands top flightand a widely acclaimed for their managerial skills. Scottish football has every reason to be proud of its history, players and managers. From Celtic who were the first British Jon Feliciano Jersey team to win the European Cup, to Busby and Ferguson, Scotland has be renowned for its impact both in Europe and domestically.Therefore it is clear the Scottish game which has producedsome the jewels of the English game deserve at the very least be offered the chanceto state their case for a move into the English League.Two great giants aresinkingin a league with no real revenue and a standard that leaves the Old Firm struggling againstthe Solvenianchampions and the Swi s cup winners respectively.The Boltonchairman Phil Gartside has championed the Old Firm case for moving to the Premier League for a number of years now. One of his many proposals was to split the Premier League into two leagues which would then allow the Old Firm to be incorporated into a second Premeir League. This proposal was widely criticised and with some justification. The excitement and the unpredictability of the English Premier league is one of the biggest factors in drawingmillions of TV audiences from around the world. For clubs like Bolton, Stoke, Wolves theopportunity to test themselves against Liverpool, Manchester Utd, Chelsea and Arsenal not only allowsthe chance to take onEnglands elitebut also providesfantastic exposure for Buffalo Bills Sleepwear Underwear their club in a what is not a global football market.One of a number of proposals i would suggest to improve both Scottish football and the EPLwould be toplace to the two Old Firm clubs in League Two in England. Discu sions with the Blue Square Premier League , the Football League and the Scottish FA would surely lead to some compromiseand agreement to allow entry into thefootball league.This would allow the Old Firm to begin their initiation proce s in the English game,no clubs no matter size or statureis owed anything and therefore progre sion through the English leagues is the only fair and feasible way for the Old Firm to make their way to the ma s riches of the Premier League. If Celtic and Rangers were to take this path there has to be agreements put in place to ensure the remaining Scottish clubs can reap the benefits from the Old Firms involvement in England. Therefore Micah Hyde Jersey a cut of the Old Firms revenue depending on the league in England that they were playing in would be filtered back into the Scottish Premier League.I would also propose that the Old Firm continue to play in both Scottish domestic cup competitionsto ensure that other Scottish teams are still given the chance to test themselves against the big two Buffalo Bills Golf Sporting Goods and retain some level of continuity for the Scottish game. The Scottish cup games would be tied into the tv package for the English Premier League to ensure that Scottish clubs are given extra revenue combined with their slice of the Old Fims involvement in England leading to a much needed investmentin developingScottish players. Finally, all top ten Premier League clubs would sign an agreement that would lead to their reserve teams playing each season in the newly revised Scottish league. This would add greater competition and allow Scottish teams to test themselves against quality youngsters and fringe players at Englands top clubs. Of course these proposals are radical and there still remains a number of i sues that would need to be resolved for this proposal to work. The most pre sing Tredavious White T Shirts question of course from many south of the border would be why bother? I would counter that with why not? Celtic and Rangers after Manchester United and Liverpool are by far the two biggest clubs in Britain. The amount of shirts that these two clubs sell outside of the UK is incomparable with the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City. It makes sense for the TV companies, it makes sense for the global brand that is the Premier League. If Cardiff and Swansea can compete in England why can two far superior clubs with ma sive fan bases not be accommodated into the English game? If a change does not come soon thenthese two giants will be left reminiscing on past glories and their status as two of Europes elite clubs will soon be forgotten.

Gerard Houllier may not have cast his line into the murky waters of the transfer market for Villa just yet, but he has wasted little Greg Mancz Jersey time in addre sing the clubs deficiencies behind the scenes. It was announced yesterday that 44-year-old Jeff Vetere has been appointed Chief Scout, a position which had been vacant since Ian Storey-Moore joined Martin ONeiils August exodus.Vetere, A UEFA A-license qualified coach, brings with him a wealth of experience, having been involved with youth football at Charlton Athletic under Alan Curbishley, before turning his attention towards scouting roles at West Ham, Real Madrid and, most recently, Newcastle United. Though Vetere was seen by some fans as being part of Joe Delamielleure Jersey the unpopular Cockney Mafia setup at Saint James Park, he is neverthele s credited with bringing Sebastien Ba song, later sold to Tottenham for a 7.5 million pound profit, and the hugely under-rated Jose Enrique to Newcastle United during his time in the job.Vetere will be tasked with attracting the best of Europes talent to Villa ParkBorn in England to Italian parents, Vetere is fluent in Spanish, French and Italian, and is understood to have a vast range of contacts spanning not just Europe, but the globe. Although his appointment was only announced yesterday, Vetere has already taken office, telling yesterdays pre s conference: It is fantastic to be at Villa Park and I am very excited about working here. I have been here just Christian Benford Jersey over a week and Mitch Morse Jersey I was at the Birmingham and the Fulham games. We have a good base of young players here through the academy who are pushing into the first team. It is a very good base that we can build on. We are in the proce s of setting up the overseas scouting system. It is an area that Villa can improve in. In those final, brief comments Vetere subtly summarised the limitations of a scouting system that has held Villa back for years. Though O Tre'Davious White Jersey Neills policy of signing predominantly British players was certainly commendable, the reality is that many of his acquisitions were over-priced and over-rated. Indeed, the shortcomings of ONeill and Storey-Moores approach are dramatic. In the four-and-a-half years since Randy Lerner took control of the club, John Carew remains the only regular first team player to have been signed from outside the UK in a spending spree that has totaled close to 100 million. Though Villa consistently threatened to break into the top four during O.J. Howard Jersey his reign, ONeills failure to look beyond home shores meant that Villas Premier League rivals were able to quietly a semble comparable, or in many cases superior, squads to their own for a fraction of the cost. Now, with Vetere and Houllier leading a new search to previously unexplored lands, the hope is that by turning to the elite of European talent, the club can return to the elite European competition.

Chelsea announced yesterday that they had completed the 4.3 million capture of 19-year-old Oriol Romeu Vidal on a four-year-deal, a shrewd first piece of busine s by Villas-Boas. It tells us a lot Trey Hendrickson Jersey about his plans for the club. Far from the technique of splashing out big money for already proven players, it looks as if he is planning for the future and implementing something Chelsea desire: stability. Having said this, Barcelona have a buy-back clause set in, where they can bring Romeu back to the Nou Camp after one or two years if they desire.Who is he?So who is this mysterious first acquisition? Well, many wont have heard of Romeu, largely because he is yet to gain his first full international cap for Spain and he only played a handful of times under Guardiola. However, after his 2004 move from Espanyol, at just 13 years of age, Romeu made his way through the coveted Barcelona youth academy and eventually held down a place Samaje Perine Jersey in Barcelona B for three years. He is currently representing Spain in the Under 20 World Cup in Columbia, where he has played every single minute in their opening two victories.Summary: La Masia graduate with a glistening future How does he play?Okay, so this is the section that most people want to read Im sure, especially Chelsea fans dying to know what they have just invested in. Well, here investment is a key word. Romeu is far from the finished article that warrants a call up to the Spanish national side, but he is well on his way, and under the tutelage of Quinton Spain Jersey Villas-Boas he should blo som into a world-cla s player. He generally plays as a holding midfielder, and although this Zach Kerr Jersey is not the most exciting of positions in many peoples opinion, it is a vital one. He stands at 6 foot tall and many have highlighted his strength as a key attribute. He can also play as a centre-back or even pushed slightly further up the field in a more open central midfield role. He tackles hard and he tackles well and once he has dispo se sed an opponent he has a wide range of pa ses in his locker to initiate attacking moves. He has been compared by many to Sergio Busquets, including by the man himself Romeu is a physical and very powerful player, he told the FIFA website. He is good in the air and hes very complete in that sense he is more like me.Summary: A deep-lying creative midfielder.Where will he fit in? Initially, he will probably feature on the bench with the occasional start for the first team, perhaps in early FA and League Cup rounds. He will be nutured and his talent will be honed and in a Josh Tupou Jersey few years, if he remains at Stamford Bridge, he could replace Mikel as the holding midfield player. Mikel does his job well, but can be dependant on E siens presence to help him out in defensive situations, shown Jordan Evans Jersey by Chelseas weaker defensive displays when Ramires plays in place of E sien. Mikel though was originally a more attacking player and so is still improving in his defensive role. He should aspire to be as competent as the great defensive midfielder Claude Makelele, and as he is more physically imposing, he could one day surpa s Makeleles accomplishments Chelsea fans will hope so.Summary: Brilliant potential at a great price fantastic signing.Follow me on Twitter: