Looking through the transfer's window.

In many respects football is a world and a law unto itself. There is no better example of this than the corrupt and murky realm that is the transfer window. Football has become a circus of greedy, gluttonous money grabbing agents, players, owners and clubs...

The transfer market is a much scrutinised aspect of the modern game. Every rumoured is discussed ad nauseam by fans on social media, forums, blogs and every where else online.

Transfers of players usually involve complicated and intimate negotiations. More often than not these negotiations are between four parties. The selling club and the buying club as well as the player and usually, his agent.

The Club.

Clubs are often pressured into selling their top stars against their will for a valuation that they do not deem satisfactory. The clubs personal finances are probably the biggest factor in a players transfer. This is especially the case with smaller clubs.

A league 1 club for an example more often than not can not afford to hold out for £1million when an offer has been submitted for 25% less than that valuation. The day-to-day running of the club is more important than that extra £250,000 that may never come.

It is a different matter for those clubs who can afford to say no.

Take for example, Manchester City and Carlos Tevez. When the Argentine forward decided he'd had enough at Man City, he went on strike. Tevez was trying to engineer a move out of the club and refused to play, whilst still collecting his reported £250,000 a week wage. Manchester City opted to see out his contract, which would of left any other club hugely out of pocket. Tevez was recently sold to Italian giant Juventus, probably for a third of the price they asked for 18 months ago.

The Player.

The final decision of a players transfer destination should of course rest with the player himself. Sometimes a player will attempt to engeneer a transfer himself.

Take for example, the ever controversial Luis Suarez. A player who has always been supported by his club through thick and thin. Suarez is now demanding a move away from the club. The Uruguay forward has openly made it clear that he wants to leave, against the wishes of Liverpool FC.

As a fan I find it very hard to deal with when a player actively pushes their way out their employers door because very often, the reason for this is money. Although the player would tell you they 'need a new challenge' or it's for 'personal, family reasons', I find this very difficult to believe.

Sometimes players will have a clause in their contract that will allow them to leave should a Champions League team bid for them, or one that allows them to leave on a free should the team become relegated. This can be a deal breaker for the player.

However some players might not understand contract negotiations entirely, others might not be confident with numbers.

This is when, the agent comes in...

The Agent.

Is he top businessman, a friend and advisor or a greedy money grabber? The line between the three is often one which is very blurred.

The chief role of an agent is to negotiate playing contracts. Very often this will result in the agent generating thousands themselves maybe even millions just for concluding a single deal. It is no wonder then, that agents how no conscience of how damaging their behaviour and actions can be to the club.

There is clearly a role for the agent in modern-day football transfers, but again, it is the actions and the ethics of a select few which seem to cause the most strife. Rumours planted purposefully to generate interest or pressure a club into selling, or offering higher wages, are now commonplace.

There is no doubt football has become money driven. Nearly all controversial issues and conflicts during the transfer window and money orientated.

The next two months will provide many more indications of just how complex the nature of transfers are in world football, with deals dragging on for days or weeks before a successful conclusion.

Has player power gone too far? Who's dictating transfers in the modern game?

In many respects football is a world and a law unto itself. There is no better example of this than the corrupt and murky realm that is the transfer window. This is probably the only industry in the world where millions of pounds are gambled on a single individual. In what other job could you demand you want to leave, go on strike and still walk away with £250,000 a week? This is football, and it's becoming a circus of greedy, gluttonous money grabbing agents, players, owners and clubs...

The transfer market is a much scrutinised aspect of the modern game with deadline day becoming just as eagerly anticipated as some cup finals for many football fans. Every rumoured is thrown for the grapevine and discussed ad nauseam by fans on social media, forums, blogs and every where else online. There's a royal baby on the way, yet my Twitter trends still read, Rooney, Barcelona and Bernard (the Brazilian ace is subject of an anticipated move the Arsenal).

Transfers of players usually involve complicated and intimate negotiations. More often than not these negotiations are between four parties, all of which will be scrabbling for their cut of the deal. The selling club and the buying club as well as the player and usually, his agent. This is a dog eat dog business that would make Lord Alan Sugar wince.

So, who holds the cards in the concluding deal? 

The Club?

Now, you would think that ultimately all the power lies with the selling club wouldn't you? After all, if they don't want to sell, they simply just say no. You would think, that they can simply refuse to sell him if they are not in agreement with any offer made, wouldn't you?

While this is true to an extent, clubs are often pressured into selling their top stars against their will for a valuation that they do not deem satisfactory. The clubs personal finances is probably the biggest factor in a players transfer. This is especially the case with smaller clubs.

A league 1 club for an example more often than not can not afford to hold out for £1million when an offer has been submitted for 25% less than that valuation. The day-to-day running of the club is more important than that extra £250,000 that may never come. This is where selling clubs will attempt to negotiate clauses regarding sell-on fees and appearances for example. A sell-on fee will help the club to obtain a percentage windfall at an unspecified date, should said player move on again.

It is a different matter for those who can afford to say no.

Take for example, Manchester City and Carlos Tevez. When the Argentine forward decided he'd had enough at Man City one day, he refused to come on as a sub and eventually went on strike. Tevez was trying to engineer a move out of the club and refused to play, whilst still collecting his reported £250,000 a week wage. As no club would go near the volatile striker, Manchester City opted to see out his contract, which would of left any other club hugely out of pocket. Tevez had no other choice but to stay at the club and eventually went on to help them lift the 2011/12 title. Tevez was recently sold to Italian giant Juventus, probably for a third of the price they asked for 18 months ago. The appalling behaviour of Carlos Tevez towards his employer leads me to my next point...

Those of you who follow football will know all about who is dominating recent football headlines. I'm talking of course about a bloke called Wayne Rooney and a little club named Manchester United. 

Manager David Moyes faces the biggest challenge of his Manchester United career and season hasn't even started yet. 'No individual player is bigger than Manchester United' the boss claims, well it appears Wayne Rooney is, Mr Moyes.  

This is where the player has the power...

Rooney, 27, is seemingly pulling the Premier League champions strings, they say 'he's not for sale', he says, 'I'm unhappy and angry, I want to leave', and thus, the speculation and bidding wars across the country commence. Now that's power.

This is where I am massively disappointed with football. Although I will defend the game to the bitter end, this is an issue I really struggle with. Players holding clubs to ransom I find enormously un-professional and saddening.

The final decision of a players transfer destination should of course rest with the player himself. However, a player should not dictate when a transfer happens. Attempting to force your way out of a club that has supported your livelihood, I find hugely disrespectful. Take for example, the ever controversial Luis Suarez.

What an appalling lack of respect shown by the Liverpool player. A player who has been supported, sometimes wrongly, by his club through thick and thin is now demanding a move away from the club he deems lower than himself. A shameful lack of respect. Luis Suarez is an exceptional talent, but I refuse to believe that Liverpool fans are ashamed of some of his actions. The Uruguay forward has repeatedly made it clear that he wants to leave - stating that he needs to escape the English press that are damaging his and his families life. My heart bleeds for you Luis. It would of course had it not been for his sudden charge of heart as he attempts to engineer a move to Arsenal. The countries capital; a press hot-spot to say the least.

Suarez and Rooney are both on astronomical wages and are both openly saying they want to leave. If this was any other job, they would have probably told where to go.

As a fan I find it very hard to deal with when a player actively pushes their way out their employers door. Very often, the reason for this is money. Although the player would have you believe they 'need a new challenge' or it's for 'personal, family reasons', I find this very difficult to believe.

Some players will have a clause in their contract that maybe allows them to leave should a Champions League team bid for them, or one that allows them to leave on a free should the team become relegated. This is sometime a deal breaker for the player. However it is not always the players themselves that put these demands directly on the club.

Some players might not understand contract negotiations entirely, other might not be confident with numbers.

This is when, the agent comes in...

The agent. A top businessman? A friend and advisor? A greedy money grabber? The line between the three is often one which is very blurred. Ask any top flight footballer and I'm sure he will agree.

The chief role of an agent is to negotiate playing contracts, some however go above and beyond, obtaining commercial sponsorships, buying property, and suggesting what a player should do next in his career. The power of an agent is one that can become very scary.

Some agents are better known than others, some a well known to be very shrewd in the financial market. Open a newspapers football gossip column and you will find the name Jorge Mendes at some point in the transfer window, whilst Israeli Pini Zahavi is probably a more recognisable name in the papers than half the Israel national playing squad. 

Players will often seek new agents, who will help to represent said player and ensure they conclude a deal to a new club. Very often this will result in the agent generating thousands themselves maybe even millions just for concluding a single deal. It is no wonder then, that agents how no conscience of how damaging his behaviour along with the actions of the player and the deal itself could be to the club.

A proposed idea has been that an agent should represent an entire clubs playing staff, thus resulting in equal treatment. This is an ide that would help to banish players holding their parent clubs to ransom, as the agent wants to represent the club in the most positive way. It is an idea, however, that is likely to be rejected by both agents and player. I would think the reasons for this would again be money driven.

A player, even if he likes a club, wants to feel that he is getting paid his true worth and trusts his agent to negotiate on his behalf. Having an employee of the club tell the player what he is worth is probably not going to appeal quite as much.

There is clearly a role for the agent in modern-day football transfers, but again, it is the actions and the ethics of a select few which seem to cause the most strife. Rumours planted purposefully to generate interest or pressure a club into selling, or offering higher wages, are now commonplace, though no more agreeable.

There is a firm grasp of control over player transfers. It is not the grasp of a player, and agent or a club however. It is the firm grasp of the modern world, money. Nearly all controversial issues and conflicts during the transfer window and money orientated.

The next two months will provide many more indications of just how complex the nature of transfers are in world football, with deals dragging on for days or weeks before a successful conclusion.

For supporters, the only thing that matters is the squad lists at the end of the window. For clubs, players and agents alike, an awful lot of telephone calls, meetings and skilled negotiations have to go into each deal just to make a move happen.

It's a balancing act, one which shifts on a window-to-window basis with each potential transfer, and one which isn't going away anytime soon.

Uncovering Fantasy Footballs new Michu! - All my tips for a great Fantasy season.

The new Premier League season is just around the corner and thus, the dawning on Fantasy Football is upon us once more. So, once again, the annual selection headache begins. With all those players to pick from, I feel like Vicente Del Bosque already...

Whats the secret ingredient in the formula that will make up the winning fantasy Football? Modibo Maiga. Okay, that's not true, in fact he epitomises everything that was wrong with my team last year.
Weeks of painstakingly tinkering with my team, proved to be a thankless exercise as I tried to uncover that unique player.

Every season without fail produces a surprise package, be that in the form of an individual or an entire team. It's merely a guessing game at this stage of the season. 

Last year saw almost entirely every fantasy football manager scrabbling back to the drawing board in order to squeeze Swansea City's new and Spanish sensation Michu into their fantasy teams. After netting a neat brace on his debut in the opening game of the season, Michu quickly found himself as the most popular transferred in player after game week 1. This was much to the amusement of those of you who already had him from the offset. They were the lucky ones. Essentially that's what you need in this game...

Another one we all missed a trick on was Christian Benteke. Relatively unknown Belgium International Benteke was a summer steal form Genk and slipped under the radar of every Premier League and Fantasy League manager in the country, eventually grabbing a hugely impressive 19 goals in his debut season. A few weeks later and just about every fantasy team in the country featured Benteke or Michu along side Robin Van Persie or Liverpool's Luis Suarez. In some cases a combination of 3 out of the 4. Strikers will grab you a majority of your points so pick them wisely...

The question is, who do we take that early gamble on? How many of you took a backfiring gamble of Fulham's Mladen Petric after he, just like Michu grabbed an impressive double on his debut? Own up those of you that took a disappointing risk in Manchester City's Javi Garcia. Who could blame after the £16m summer signing was another who found the net on his debut.

Everyone on Fantasy Football knows that Robin Van Persie, Juan Mata and Gareth Bale are going to earn you top points. And that is exactly the trouble, every knows it. The best way to earn yourself those extra points that will take you to the top, is to find that something no one else has. Find a Michu, find a Benteke, take that gamble on the new Eden Hazard and Santi Cazorla. We all want to know who it is going to be this year? We're going to help you, with a guide to the new signings and a successful fantasy football season...

First of all, take a gamble. But an educated one. Every year I'll look at the player selection % and find that someone somewhere is that 0.01% of managers that have selected Manchester United's Federico Macheda or Chelsea's Lucas Piazon. This is not what I mean by take a gamble. Take an educated guess at who you think may have a good season that might be under the radar. Look at the likes of Norwich's Ricky Van Wolfswinkel, Aston Villa Jores Okore or a more expensive alternative in Man City's Fernandinho.

Secondly, you don't need to be afraid to look at players that have come into the Premier League via a promotion. Picking promoted players wisely can sometimes earn you double the points for half the price. But be warned, you don't want another Pavel Pogrebnyak on your hands.

Anyone who selected the likes of West Ham's Jussi Jaaskelainen in goal or Winston Reid as part of their defence will tell you what a valuable asset they were, for a bargain price. Similarly, anyone who opted for Southampton's Rickie Lambert can tell you about the impact he made on a budget price.

My selection tips from the promoted teams this year, would firstly be Hull's new loan signing Danny Graham, who enjoyed a successful debut campaign when playing for a newly promoted Swansea. The Sunderland striker failed to capture his previous form after his move from Swansea in January but I expect him to be leading the line for The Tigers this year. Another Hull City player to keep an eye on could be Robert Koren who finished as Hulls top scorer last term, with 9 goals from midfield and is also Hulls' designated penalty taker. 

From Welsh new boys Cradiff take a good look at another penalty taker Peter Whittingham along with defender Mark Hudson, striker Fraiser Campbell and summer signing Andreas Cornelius who are sure to be Cardiffs highest point scorers this season. 

Crystal Palace appear to be the weakest of teams arriving via the play-offs. The same could of been said of West Ham who achieved a very respectable 10th place finish. The Eagles have some good talent on offer, not least in Midfielder Yannick Bolasie who was often over shadowed by Wilifried Zaha. Bolasie has a good eye for goal and like Zaha possesses a great ability to run at defenders with a great array of skills. Glenn Murray might be an injury concern early on but will be sure to find the net for Palace as often as he can, Murray netted a really impressive 30 goals in the Championship last year as should continue to score this season. My last tip from Palace is goalkeeper Julian Speroni, Speroni has bags of experience and is a top goalkeeper, I expect him to have a similar season to West Ham's Jussi Jaaskelainen did last year grabbing some clean sheets and bonus points along the way.    

Defenders, I find, are the most difficult of the selection process to choose. Everybody wants to blow money on Robin Van Persie and Gareth Bale but nobody feels comfortable blowing all their money on the back 4. Defenders can be equally as important and a good selection will enable you to have a well balanced team that will score well every week. Jan Vertonghen came to the Premier League last year and was consistently a top performer who also chipped in with the occasional goals. New Defenders to watch this year are the likes of Aston Villa new boys Antonio Luna and Jores Okore, one is a former Seville full-back and the other, a man who turned down a January transfer to Chelsea respectively Experienced Romanian international Razvan Rat and Stoke City's Dutch international Erik Pierters are other to watch, both of which have lightning pace at full-back. Neither are likely to grab many goals but both will provide a lot of assists for teams that both kept a decent amount of cleans sheets last year.

Midfielders are where you can really earn your points. The right choice of midfielder will grab you goals, assists and clean sheets regularly. My bargain tips are Norwich City's Leroy Fer and Southampton's Victor Wanyama. Fer and Wanyama have previously been chased by top Premier League teams such as Everton and Manchester United respectively. Both have been important players for their previous clubs and also a good eye for goal as well as defensive duties. Norwich and Southampton have grabbed themselves a fantastic asset to the team in these two, will you do the same?

Last season Michu and Benteke proved to be the steals of the season, both in Fantasy Football and in the Premier League. Both strikers were relatively unknown and had fantastic seasons. This year, we have a few new boy's leading the line. Those of you looking for a bargain need look no further than Norwich City's Ricky Van Wolfswinkel, Cardiff's Andreas Cornelius, Aston Villa's Nicklas Helenius and my personal tip in Swansea City's Wilfried Bony . All of which will almost certainly be leading the line for their clubs. All of which will be great additions to your fantasy team. The big name strikers that have came in this year are both playing their trade for the blue half of Manchester, Stevan Jovetic has come in from Fiorentina and boasts great aerial presence along with plenty of goals in his locker. The other new boy in blue in Alvaro Negredo, we'll get to him later...

We know Lambert can pluck a great striker from the depths, that much is obvious from last season. His ability to get the best out of a striker was something that shone in abundance when he got 15 Premier League goals out of Grant Holt during his time as Norwich manager. Those of you who have been following any pre season fixtures will know that Helenius has been in a good vain of goal scoring form, taking only 6 minutes to find the net in his first game, with a very clinical header. This was not the only contribution the Danish striker made. Helenius looked threatening and almost grabbed a second in his debut game. Helenius went on the score in Aston Villas next fixture also. Helenius had a impressive goals to games ratio for his previous club netting 40 goals in just over 100 games. At 6ft 5 the strikers main attribute in his brilliant aerial prowess. The big Dane is my tip to perform well and could be one to watch...

A quick warning though. Pre season is not always something to pin your hopes on, last year it made Mauro Boselli look like a world beater, needless to say, pre season form should be taken with a pinch of salt. Remember my trouble with Maiga. Sigh.

Both Van Wolfswinkel and Bony would also be options to consider. But again are risks. Van Wolfswinkel signed for Norwich way before the transfer window opened and you know what they say, the early bird catches the worm, or in this case, a prolific striker. One thing to be said about the Holland international is that he scores in bursts, maybe wait for him to break his duct before drafting him into your Fantasy team.

With Bony, all looks great on paper, this is a man that scored 37 times in 36 games last season with all the attributes of a top striker. Bony is strong and physical as well as quick, great in the air and a composed finisher, playing along side Michu will give Swansea another dimension which should to goal a plenty. What you do need to consider however, is that this is the same league that Afonso Alves scored 45 goals in 39 games. A few of you probably wont even remember him during his time at Middlesbrough. My point exactly. Bony will either be another Alves or he could be as successful as former Eredivisie players such as Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Luis Suarez. That's really something for you to sink your teeth into...

There will also be a familiar face to mull over this season. The much traveled journey man of football, Nicholas Anelka has signed for West Brom and the sulky Frenchman is sure to have some life left in him. At £5.5m he could prove to be a great investment, especially as the Baggies will be without Romalu Lakaku this year, who has returned to parent club Chelsea.

An influx of Spanish players into the Premier League has given us the likes of Juan Mata, David Silva and Santi Cazorla as well as Fernando Torres (I've still not given up on him), and this year we've been given a few more. Manchester City have added both Seville hotshots Jesus Navas and Alvaro Negredo and will be hoping that the two take to the English flight just as well as their compatriots. Not only have Navas and Negredo joined us but Liverpool have also added Iago Aspas and Luis Alberto to their squads. Whilst Alberto is only young is likely to be a bit part player, look out for Aspas in the opening weeks, the Spaniard could prove to be a wise investment during Luis Suarez's suspension. 

Pick your captains wisely. Choosing the right captain is as important as ever from the beginning. Those who handed their armband to Hazard in Gameweek 1 last season reaped in 42 points, which immediately catapulted them up the rankings. spend you budget correctly, take the occasional gamble and you're looking at a winning formula.


My final tip is to always make sure you check the upcoming fixtures. Robin Van Persie is more than likely going to score you less points if Man Utd are playing Chelsea, Manchester city and Arsenal on the trot, so plan around the fixture list. Tottenham and Chelsea players for the opening game should score you maximum points.

All that is left to do is manage your team for 90 minutes on 38 occasions. Keep on top of your team, stay focused and you could be a winner. Good luck...

United turn to former Arsenal Favourite.

Manchester United are believed to have tabled a £25million bid to bring Cesc Fabregas back to England.

It is understand however, that Arsenal have first refusal on the 26-year-old Barcelona midfielder.

The ex Gunner's captain has repeatedly said that he is happy to stay at his home-town club despite struggling to win over some of the Barca faithful and whilst Fabregas is not pushing for a move, it is believed he is open to a move back to England.

The bid is also believed to be below the clubs valuation of the Spanish international midfielder. Fabregas will be informer whether or not the La Liga champions are prepared to accept the offer tabled.

United are currently searching for a new creative midfielder following the retirement of club legend Paul Scholes and recently missing out on Fabregas' former team mate Thiago Alcantara, who joined Europeon and German champions Bayern Munich is a deal worth £21.6m.

It is somewhat of a myth that Fabregas is a bit part player at the Catalan club, playing 96 times in 2 seasons which has included 60 league games. Only goalkeeper Victor Valdes started more games than Fabregas last season, this is not a man who is deemed surplus to requirements.

What can be said about Fabregas' time at Barca is that he has rarely featured in his preferred midfield role, with Xavi, 33 and Iniesta, 29 both ahead of him in the pecking order, as well as both Busquets and Song occupying the defensive midfielder option.

I believe that Arsenal, who are suggesting that they are willing to spend big this season should seriously consider a bid for their former boy wonder turned captain. Reports suggest that Arsenal are looking at Everton's Fellaini as well as the ageing Gareth Barry. Although I do admire what Fellaini has to offer as a player I would have to question some the attributes his possess regarding his temperament. Some would say that the Belgian midfielder has all the assets of a perfect midfielder, a great array of technical abilities along with an exquisite touch, along with tireless energy to get from box-to-box, a fierce tackle and an eye for goal, I wouldn't argue with them. Unfortunately he does have an explosive temperament which can hamper or benefit his team on any day. Do well all remember his one man assault on Stoke City last season? With the Gunners all showing a keen interest in Luis Suarez, they could be fielding 9-men a few times next season.

If Arsenal do want to show they mean business next season, you can forget any one else in the market, snatching Fabregas from under the noses of one of their biggest rivals will be a major coup, one that shows serious intent. Manchester United are a team that last season took away a man that was Arsenal's captain, top goal scorer and best player, whilst they watched on helplessly. Unfortunately for the former Premier League Champions it showed just how far behind Arsenal has slipped from Man Utd. Could you ever imagine seeing Thierry Henry doing the same, back when he was an invincible? No, it was a sad day for everyone involved at Arsenal football club.

If Mr Wenger wants to show Arsenal are back and mean business, this is their man.   

If United we're to pull off a deal, Fabregas would become the second former Arsenal captain to move to Old Trafford following the arrival of Robin Van Persie last summer. Maybe we'll see Thierry Henry, Tony Adams and Patrick Vieira joining the coaching staff too...

Injury smokescreens for Rooney?

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has sustained a hamstring injury, forcing him to travel home from the Red Devils pre-season tour of Thailand.

Manager David Moyes has recently stated that the powerful England striker is not for sale despite mounting speculation of his future. Rooney, 27, is expected to out for a month.

Moyes has also stated, just prior to the injury that Rooney was is the best shape he has been for years. Saying that his team-mates had commented on Wayne being fitter than they had ever seen him, only to suffer an injury that would force him to travel all the way home a few hours later. Suspicious behaviour, or maybe it's just a very unfortunate coincidence...

The new Manchester United boss has said that the club "wont take any chances" saying that there is "no point in taking him any further around the world".

Rooney felt the hamstring tighten at the end of United first training session and was immediately flown home from Bangkok.

Today we are hearing today, that Rooney was already carrying a suspected injury before United left for Thailand. Moyes thought that the hamstring niggle would be okay. Now Rooney has suddenly been sent home to United Aon training complex. I smell a rat...

Now, the sceptical ones of us will believe that there is more than meets the eye here. I don't understand why Rooney could not have stayed with his team whilst they are competing in Asia. I think it would probably even benefit Wayne and the team having stay out there. This would allow any morale that may have been damaged by his transfer request to be rebuilt with his team mates if he is to stay, as we are led to believe. Maybe everything is fine, maybe everyone loves Wayne, perhaps they all think he deserves a rest. If we are to believe that the injury is only a "small grade one", I can not see why Wayne is unable to stay on tour. To be immediately sent home send alarms bells ringing. Here's my thoughts...

My personal opinion is that this could be a smokescreen story as Rooney flies home for talks regarding his next destination. Whether or not Man Utd have received a bid for Rooney is un clear, but it could well be the case. It could also be the case that they do not want Rooney to sustain further injury, which could damage any imminent move in the near future. Hey, maybe they just want one of their star players fully fit for their title defence at Swansea on August 17th. Who knows? 

I'll stick my neck out here and I'm going to say that Wayne Rooney will become a Chelsea player. We've all heard about interest from Arsenal, but I just can not see what they would have to offer for him. PSG are another team who are said to be monitoring the situation, but I just don't see Rooney taking to living in another country. Wayne Rooney is hardly the cultured David Beckham is he? Glamorous lifestyle choices are not what drive Rooney, I'm pretty sure he'd be just as happy in a Manchester council flat as he would be living in a penthouse in beautiful Monaco or Paris. Wayne's about football, and at United, he's not the main man. Sometimes all I have to do is look at Wayne's body language on the pitch and it is obvious he's not happy being Robin Van Persie's sidekick. Isn't Robin traditionally the sidekick? Never-mind.

Everyone knows of Mourinho's admiration of Wayne Rooney. Jose has admitted he is a huge fan of the potential transfer target. The Chelsea manager remained coy on the situation regarding Rooney saying "it's a tricky question because I can not speak about players from other teams... But you know me, I always say what I think." Mourinho went onto to speak of Rooneys talent saying "he is a player I like very much" but did continue to reiterate that Rooney was a Manchester United player. 

Chelsea look set to have missed out of Edison Cavani who is destined for French champions PSG, and with Demba Ba reportedly leaving Stamford Bridge either on loan or permanently, Chelsea are more than likely be in the market for a new striker.

Rooney is yet to state that he is happy to stay at Old Trafford. Is this a subtle tapping up of Rooney by Mourinho? Have the mind games already begun? Brace yourselves for this sage to take another twist, Rooney could well become a Chelsea FC player. Watch this space...

West Ham's next step.

After a season in the depths of the Championship, Big Sam guided the Hammers back to the big time at the first attempt, via the play-offs.

A Season later and a great season has established West Ham as a mid-table side in the top flight.

As a West Ham fan myself, I find myself asking; where do we go from here...

Although, it was a fantastic season for the hammers, which also saw the signings of some excellent new players, most notable Mohamed Diame and Andy Carroll (on loan), it was a season that predictably inconsistent.

It was a season that saw us take all 3 points against Chelsea, and but for 2 horrendous offside decisions, would of seen us do the same against both Manchester clubs. But it was also a season that saw us lose 3-0 to both Swansea and Sunderland as well as lose to a very poor Reading. This up-and-down form continued. The Irons won convincingly at home to fellow new-boys Southampton 4-1, only to lose the following week to Wigan, who were again enduring another season fighting relegation. (Spolier alert: they went down this time)

Along with this West Ham found themselves on the losing side after taking the lead against teams such as Tottenham, Arsenal, Liverpool and Everton.

Despite all this, a strong, 10th place finished is what was achieved, crucially avoiding relegation...

It would be fair to suggest then then that what West Ham United need is some consistency and along with that a little bit of back-bone. Something we lacked last year was the ability to see games out. I would find myself resigned to the fact we were going to lose, despite the fact we were winning after 70 minutes. Predictably, we would go on to lose those games. 

Perhaps this comes down to building a squad with a little more strength in depth. Although the likes of Matty Taylor and Gary O'Neill's efforts haven't gone unnoticed as a fan, I also find myself wincing a little when they come on. Is this the kind of player that can replace the tireless efforts of Diame or Noble and hold onto a lead against a top 6 team. Unfortunately, I don't believe it is.

Squad depth, will come with time. This is just something we have to be patient with.

Not only where we aggravatingly inconsistent, but we also lacked any real goal threat. I don't remember the last time I looked at the starting XI and thought 'Yeah, he's going to score today, next week and the week after'. Andy Carroll has done a fantastic job for West Ham, and he has won all us West Ham fans over. He is always a handful for defenders, but is he going to get you 20-25 goals a season? I don't know. Another thing I can't remember us having, is someone that with so much flair that even a touch of the ball gets the crowd standing up in anticipation, maybe it was a young Joe Cole. This is not a typical trait of a big Sam player, but you never know, Jay-Jay Okocha anyone?

So what we need is a little bit of grit, determination and pride with a pinch of goal threat and a sprinkle of excitement. Where can we find all of that?  

I am by no means a huge fan of Darren Bent. But one thing you can not argue with, is that he scores goals. It is reported that Aston Villa re looking for a sum of £5m for Bent. This, in my opinion, would not be bad business. Darren is 29, and will get you 15 goals minimum if he plays regular football. One thing he doesn't do is run himself into the ground hustling defenders, winning aerial duels and tracking back. But hey, that's what big Andy is for.

Other than Darren Bent, I'd love nothing more than to see us take Romalu Lukaku on loan from London neighbours, Chelsea. The thought of Andy Carroll and Lukaku charging forward is enough give any defenders in the world nightmares. This is a frontline that is pure strength and pure power. Lukaku is a monster of a centre forward and although he is physically similar to Carroll, he is much more of poacher in front of goal. West Ham lacked a regular goal scorer last year, this is something we all saw Lukaku do week in, week out for West Brom last year. Another Chelsea striker attracting interest from West Ham, is former player, Demba Ba. With Lukaku deemed as one for the future by boss Mourinho, Ba is the striker at Stamford Bridge that will be deemed surpluss to requirements. Ba would be a great addition to the West Ham strike force and would play off Carroll superbly.

It has been reported recently that West Ham United have expressed an interest in Liverpool and England winger, Stewart Downing. Downing would not a bad signing for us, he has all the attributes of the type of player that would benefit us, with a great crossing ability in his locker. Personally I believe a better choice of player who would do a similar job for us would be James Milner. However I don't think I would be alone in thinking that I would much prefer us to chase a winger who has a better eye for goal, with more pace and a lot more flair. I would love to see us pursing either a loan or permanent move for either Manchester City outcast Scott Sinclair or Barcelona's Afellay instead.

Signing these kind of players who will provide a constant threat and will run at opposition full backs will allow us to keep the pressure on teams right until the 90th minutes, thus helping us to see out games we are winning.

I would expect big Sam to bring in a couple of loan signings and another on a free transfer at least before the season starts, with possibly another 1 or 2 here and there before the window shuts. Expect a golden oldie... 

Chelsea sign Mark Schwarzer - Why?

Veteran goal keeper, Mark Schwarzer, 40, has signed on a free transfer on a 1 year deal from London neighbours Fulham.

The 40-year-old Australian international, who was a free agent after rejecting a new deal at the Cottagers, will proved cover for Petr Cech.

From Schwarzer's point of view this is a terrific move. He will now finish his career at a top European club, who will compete for trophies both domestically and in Europe. If warming the bench is all that Mark wants to do in the twilight of his time in England there where better than Chelsea. The goal keeper wont even have to move house, perfect.

Mark Schwarzer was the first foreign player to reach 500 top flight appearances and I believe could still do a top job starting for a lesser Premier League team.

Mourinho is likely to go all out and pursue every trophy he can in his first season back at the Bridge, and signing an experienced keeper to cover Cech should he become injured on suspended was a good piece od business. Cech will more than likely play every game in the league, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Schwarzer turn out regularly in the Capital one cup.

Schwarzer will see out his final year at Chelsea whilst highly talented young, Belgian keeper Courtois is out on loan at Atletico Madrid for a third straight season. I expect it to be his final year out there before returning to Chelsea and attempting to establish himself as the number 1 for Chelsea, where Cech will be gradually eased out as the years go on.

Schwarzer is Jose Mourinho's third signing following the arrivals of Marco van Ginkel and forward Andre Schurrle.

Good luck to Mark, who will be keeping that Chelsea bench warm on a cold Tuesday night away at Stoke.

Predicting the unpredictable.

Who will win what, who will be leaving and joining the Premier League and who will conquer Europe?

The new Premier League season is drawing ever closer. The fixture list is out, Wimbledon has finished and this years Summer blockbusters have smashed the box office. Yes, it's early July, and although many, many millions are yet to be spent, Half Time Orange! is taking the bold decision to predict how the 2013/14 season might pan out.

The following are my predictions of what to expect;

Top 4: 1st - Manchester United, 2nd - Chelsea, 3rd - Manchester City, 4th Arsenal

Bottom 3: 18th - Stoke, 19th - Crystal Palace 20th - Hull

FA Cup: Manchester City

Capital One Cup: Liverpool

Championship: 1st - QPR, 2nd - Bolton, Play-Offs - Wigan

League 1: Peterborough

League 2: Northampton

Champions League: Barcelona

          

I could improve LCFC, I could get LCFC promoted.

Twenty seconds after fan favourite, Anthony Knockaert had his debateable penalty saved at one end, Troy Deeney thumped in a goal that took Watford to the play-off final at the expensive of Leicester City.  

It was a cruel end to the season where Leicester City unfortunately missed out on the play-off final, in almost unbelievable scenes. Leicester suffered a remarkable decline in form which saw them win only three times in their last 18 games. This was after they found themselves in an automatic promotion position back in February. With a strong squad LCFC will be eager to build on where they left off last season and will almost certainly be one of the favourites to earn promotion.

Manager, Nigel Pearson will be keen to add a few additions to his squad ready for the up coming season. However, the foxes are still yet to move in the transfer market. Pearson's side are yet to make a single transaction, in or out of the club.

Only the imminent transfer of striker Jermaine Beckford to Bolton looks likely to happen any time soon. The former Leeds and Everton striker , 29 is set to complete his move to the Trotters for a reported £1m fee.

I believe that Leicester need to perform a dramatic shake up at the club, shifting on several fringe players using up the wage bill as well as adding some new talent and experience. The right choices in the transfer market could see LCFC playing in England's top flight once again.

With the departure of big earner, Beckford looming, I would suggest that also moving on Zak Whitbread, Wellens and Gallagher would be positive steps. Whitbread often looked off the pace and did not always appear match fit, this was shown in abundance when Man Utd loanee, Michael Keane arrived, who for was a fantastic acquisition, a defender that looked to be of the same ball playing mould as United team mate, Rio Ferdinand. Wellens' work rate is certainly something that can not be knocked, but his passing distribution and goal return is often poor and I do not believe he is the type of player that a team challenging for the Championship title require. I have always though of Gallagher as a very poor mans David Beckham. Gallagher is often far too lightweight and weak on the ball and although he does display some great technical abilities he is not nearly consistent enough and often goes missing, especially in bigger and more physical games. Another player I'm sure LCFC fans won't mind seeing the back of is Jamie Vardy who after signing for £1m from non-league side Fleetwood Town. Along with Vardy, forgotten striker Marko Futacs should be shown the exit door, which would free up the wage bill somewhat.

I would be looking at further departures such Waghorn, Danns and St Ledger if required. Although the three would bring the wage bill down somewhat,  I do believe that they could become useful squad rotation players in the gruelling slog of the Championship schedule.

As far as recruitments coming into the squad are concerned, I would waste no time in bringing in a couple of new strikers. The first of which would be Southampton's Billy Sharp. Sharp is a proven goal scorer in the Championship who would require only a small fee or wages if a loan deal could be struck up. The Southampton striker appears to be surplus to requirements at St Mary's. In my opinion Sharp has a similar playing style to Nugent, and rotation of the two could prove to be effective if both can find the net constantly. As well as Sharp, I would be targeting Burnley's Charlie Austin, who had a very impressive season last year. Austin, who found the net 28 times for his club last season is being monitored by Premier League new boys Hull, would require a fee of around £4m, and his goal return would make this more than worth the investment. A cheaper alternative up front would be Wolverhampton' Sylvan Ebank-Blake who still found the net 14 times in the League despite being relegated with his club.

If Pearson would prefer to look at a bigger, target man type striker, I would look no further than free agent Kevin Davies, who I believe would provide good cover for Chris Wood as well as vast experience. The former Bolton captain would also be a good head in the dressing room.

LCFC also found themselves a real steal in Anthony Knockaert. The midfielder has fast become one of the hottest prospects in the division. I think a good addition to the foxes midfield would be Millwall's Liam Trotter. Who is a fresher alternative to Danny Drinkwater and to Richie Wellens. Along side Matty James, I think the two could form a formidable midfielder partnership. I see Matty James and a bit of an unsung hero and Leicester and think his performances go unnoticed. It is no coincidence that his absence due to injury and LCFC's dip in form went hand in hand.

Failing bringing back Keane on loan in central defence, I would be looking at another free agent, in former England International Matt Upson. Upson has been hotly tipped to return to Brighton where he spent the end of the season on loan from Stoke. Upson was mature and confident in Brighton's heart of defence and was a very solid signing for them. Upson is the type of player that can still compete at the high end of the Championship and even the lower end of the Premier League. I believe he would be very good partner alongside club captain Wes Morgan.

Another experienced free agent worth looking at is Aston Villas, Richard Dunne. A central defender who always leaves everything on the pitch would bring immense experience to LCFC's defence. However something they may be cause for concern is Dunne's fitness, having been out with injury for a long time. Should he stay fit however he could become a useful squad addition.

A few loan signings are always vital for any Championship club and can prove to very successful. I would be looking at the potential loan signings of Ricardo Vaz Te from West Ham United, who enjoyed a great campaign on his last outing in the Championship as well as looking at Southampton's Guly Do Prado who also enjoyed a similar season when in the Championship. Both would bring in pace and flair along with goals and would work really well either side of Chris Wood and provide cover for fellow forwards Knockaert and Lloyd Dyer

My potential line up would see Leicester City kicking off against Middlesbrough looking like this:
                     
                Schemical
De Leat Morgan Upson Konchesky
           Trotter James
    Vaz Te Knockaert Do Prado
                   Austin

Leicester have all the foundations ready to challenge for promotion once again. And a few more investments could see them playing top flight football in 2014/15. Whether or not Nigel Pearson will bring in any signings is yet to be confirmed. The foxes are not far away from being a top, top Championship side for can really challenge.

46 games await...It's going to be another long season...

Why Aston Villa will have a much better season 2013/14

It was a difficult first season under Paul Lambert, in which Aston Villa fought bravely with relegation throughout. The 1982 Europeon Cup champions eventually held on to their Premier League status with some good displays towards the end of the season. It is easy to see then, why Aston Villa were eager to turn the page to a new season.


Almost every new season provides a surprise or two whether it be a team emerging from the depths or an unsung hero making a name for himself. Even in some cases, a big name or a big club failing to live up to expectations.
Last season saw Villas local rivals West Brom finish an impressive eighth along with an impressive season for first time Manager Steve Clarke and for star striker Romelu Lukaku, loaned from Chelsea.

So, why can't Aston Villa also emulate such success in the 2013/14 season?
One of the biggest positives for Villa was the hugely successful arrival of Lukakus' Belgian striker partner, Christian Benteke. A transfer from Genk on deadline seemed to evade everyone, and proved to be one of the steals of the window.

The powerhouse striker finished the season with 19 Premier League goals and a further 4 in the League Cup. This prompted attention from top Europeon clubs such as Tottenham, Atletico Madrid and Champions League finalists Dortmund.

Should Benteke stay at Villa Park, his presence along with a few new additions could see Aston Villa become this seasons surprise package.
Lambert had already added a few names to his young squad, most notably with defender Jores Okore of Nordsjælland and striker Nicklas Helenius of Aalborg both joining, as well as Sevilla left-back Antonio Luna, who all boast Champions League experience along with several Internation caps between them.

This along with forward Andreas Weimann signing a new contract at the club are all positive steps for Villa.

Okare will provide much needed assistance in central defense to captain Ron Vlaar. And at only 20 years old, is a welcome addition to Villas growing and ambitious young squad. Helenius will allow some of the pressure on Benteke's shoulders to be reduced, the 22 year old had returned an impressive 29 goals in 65 games in Denmark and will be looking to re-capture to same form in England. Aldo joining Villa is Aleksander Tonev, signing from Polish giants Lech Poznan. The Bulgarian will be hoping to have the same impact on the Premier League as international team mates Dimitar Berbatov and Villa legend Stiliyan Petrov.

All are exciting, young and solid signings for Villa. Ones that will not only break into the first team in the up-coming season, but ones that will look to hold down spots in the starting line-up in the long term. Signing young talent is a huge positive for Aston Villa and for Manager Paul Lambert. This will allow the squad to gel early on, ready for the new season.

Aston Villa will be looking to re-create their blistering form at the end of last season which saw them win five wins in their last nines and a good start will prove key to their season.

As Villa ward off interest in star player Benteke as well as keeping other key components of their squad, things are looking up for the midlands team. With a couple more strong additions to help the tough slog of the English schedule. The thought of avoiding another grueling relegation battle should also help the squad to achieve new goals. 

The pieces are in place for Aston Villa to achieve a good season, all that is left to do now is to fight for 90 minutes on 38 occasions.  

Nicolas Anelka has West Brom medical

Former Chelsea and Arsenal striker, Nicolas Anelka is having a medical at West Brom. 

Anelka, now 34 is undergoing a medical at The Hawthorns.

Anelka who has already had several stints in the top flight in England, winning titles with Chelsea and Arsenal as well as a Champion League with Real Madrid, spent six months on loan at Italian giants Juventus after leaving Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua in 2013.

Anelka has racked up over 100 Premier League goals and won the golden boot in the 2008-09 season with Chelsea.

The French striker started his well traveled carer with Arsenal before leaving for Real Madrid in 1999 for a reported £23.5m. Despite a successful season with Madrid he did not settle in Spain and moved back home to French side PSG in 2000, eventually being loaned to Liverpool for the 2001-02 season. A year later, a £13m transfer to Manchester City followed in 2002 and three years later another move for Anelka took him to Turkish side Fenerbahce. In August 2006 there was a return to England with Bolton paying a club-record fee of £8m for the striker before Chelsea took him to the Bridge for a reported £15m in January 2008, where he moved a effective partnership with powerful Ivory Coast international Didier Drogba.

Anelka, who has won 69 caps for France left Chelsea to join Shanghai Shenhua in January 2012 and finally returning to Europe on a short deal with Juventus.

Should Anelka pass the medical, he would become West Brom's first signing of the summer.