Man City To Swoop Arsenal Duo.

Man City have been extremely quiet in this Summer's transfer window especially considering the spending power that they posses which has led them to be one of the most hated teams of recent years. But, that looks set to change today as Roberto Mancini is eyeing up not only one Arsenal player, but two. Both Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy are reported to be on their way to Manchester City.

Although Nasri is definitely on his way to Manchester should he leave the Emirates, it is possible that he could be playing in the "Theatre of Dreams" as Man United have expressed their desire to sign the Frenchman for a while now.

Gael Clichy is all but a done deal and could move for a fee of £7 million and for the owners of City, that is like the rusty change you find in your back pocket. The left-back position is somewhat of a concern for Roberto Mancini as Kolarov, despite being praised for his set piece prowess, has struggled defensively at Eastlands. Especially with a big season coming  up, perhaps the biggest in the club's history, I'm sure Mancini wants to get that fixed.

Samir Nasri could be following his fellow Frenchman to Eastlands as it is being reported that Man City have matched the £20 million pound price tag that Arsenal slapped on his head.

Although United are very much fans of the creative midfielder and would relish the chance to have him in their team, I don't think they will be able to outbid the Blue half of Manchester, though the Glaziers have proved they have a hefty amount of money left in their bank account with three big signings already this Summer.

If it seems that Nasri looks likely to join the Red Devils, Mancini is prepared to offer him a contract which would see him earning £180,000 each week. It would be interesting to see if this bid is due to the fact that Man City missed out on getting their hands on the much talked about Chilean, Alexis Sanchez.

I think both would be a success at the club and would make a huge contribution to the team which are preparing to face the likes of Barcelona and AC Milan.

What do you make of the possibility of these two going to Eastlands? Is this the last we have seen of City in this transfer window?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

What Next For Birmingham City?

Besides the likes of Man United, Birmingham City have been making the most headlines over the past couple of days and weeks. With the much focused managerial saga over and done with, we now turn our attention to the coming and goings of many players.

All Birmingham fans were surely shocked when they heard the news that Alex McLeish had decided to call it a day and leave St Andrews, especially less than a month since he had brought the club down to the Championship.

More horrifically for Birmingham and Villa fans alike, he decided to move to the club in which he wouldn't have to worry about being in a different house next season, none other than Birmingham's biggest rivals, Aston Villa. I'm not McLeish's estate agent but I'm sure that's the least of his worries at the moment.

It is fair to say that Birmingham did have a squad fit to play in the Premier League and I honestly don't know where it went wrong. Obviously the lack of victories in the latter stages of the campaign didn't help but what led this to happen? Birmingham's playmaker last season, Sebastian Larsson has departed and he is now making his way up north to play his football with Sunderland next season.

There have been many reports surrounding Scott Dann who is the subject of a bid from Stoke City and Cameron Jermome is also believed to be involved. Birmingham are having none of it for the moment and rejected both bids respectively. Birmingham have looked into bringing new players in and we are led to believe that Inverness striker Adam Rooney is a potential target.

The Birmingham board have since resolved the vacant managerial position at St Andrews by appointing Chris Hughton as their manager. Hughton has proved that he can get a team straight back into the top flight, as he did with Newcastle. After a shaky run of form, Hughton was very harshly removed as manager at St James' Park but has been given the opportunity to prove himself once more.

What do make of the recent developments surrounding Birmingham City? Will Hughton be a success?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

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United Refuse to Stop Splashing The Cash

With the signing of U21 Spain international, David de Gea, on the verge of being completed, this now puts Man United out of sight from other Premiership clubs as the biggest spenders this summer and we still have two months left of this Summer transfer window, which is sure to get quite hectic.

Man United had their sights set on Phil Jones from day one and with the U21 European Championships just around the corner, United did well to get the deal done just before the tournament kicked-off.

Much has been made of Phil Jones, as far as I can see from his performances lately, as a no-nonsense defender, something, which I feel is missing from the game. Maybe not quite the psycho that Stuart Pearce was, but he can still leave a forward dreading the prospect of coming into contact with him.

Just last week, Ashley Young was confirmed as the newest member among the United ranks. Young, 25, had a bright future ahead of him when he shone in a Watford side that were struggling to stay in the Premier League. He has since fizzled out, I feel, with not much being said about him but he still can fix that if he impresses at Old Trafford.

I think most will be looking forward to the competition between the likes of Valencia, Nani and Ashley Young although it does feel that Young has not come in to cause tension but more to fill the shoes of Ryan Giggs which will be some challenge.

David de Gea had a medical last night in preparation for his move to Old Trafford and looks set to complete the deal sometime soon. De Gea, 20, really impressed at the U21 European Championships as he helped Spain to lift the trophy as they defeated Switzerland 2-0 in the final, capped off by a wonder goal by Thiago.

De Gea has certainly made himself a household name in European football after the tournament, if he wasn't one already. Similar to Ashely Young, De Gea has the prospect of filling the gloves of the goalkeeping maestro who goes by the name of Edwin van der Sar. No doubt there will be pressure on the young Spaniard as United had trouble finding a suitable replacement for Peter Schmeichel as countless keepers came and went without leaving a legacy at Old Trafford.

What do you make of Man United spending so much money? Was the embarrassing defeat to Barcelona a key factor to the sudden purchase of top class players?

I would live to hear any posts you may have.

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Chelsea Get Their Man

Chelsea have today confirmed the hiring of former Porto manager Andre Villas Boas. This news comes after much speculation regarding the vacant managerial position at Stamford Bridge. Villas Boas, although known by most, is a relatively surprising choice purely because of his lack of experience. After guiding Porto to the Europa League title which culminated in a very dull affair in the final, much has been made of the Portuguese man.

Many thought that Guus Hiddink would be the man to replace Carlo Ancelotti as Chelsea boss but after paying Porto £13.2 million in compensation they were allowed to hijack their man from the Portuguese champions. Many reports suggest that Villas Boas will be taking some of Porto's top players with him to London.

Villas Boas has a history at Stamford Bridge as he worked under Jose Mourinho during the "Special One's" rein at Chelsea. He is now the youngest manager working in the Premiership at this present time and has a lot to prove in the coming season. Talk of Champions League glory has already been mentioned by many.

With the disappointment of last season, many Chelsea fans are expecting big things next year and with such a big risk being taken with the hiring of Villas Boas, it will either go incredibly well or backfire dismally. Villas Boas, only 33, has been credited with having an attacking approach to the way he puts out his team. I'm sure this will please many especially the likes of Torres and Drogba who both struggled to get on target as we were nearing the end of the season.

I feel that everyone close to Chelsea should be reasonably happy with the appointment of Villas Boas. Although the inexperience is somewhat of a concern, there is no underestimating his knowledge and passion for the game. He has proven he can win trophies and that is exactly what Chelsea fans, but more importantly, the Chelsea Board want.

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

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Barcelona Looking To Improve Options

Despite the success of winning the La Liga title and comfortably beating Man United at Wembley to claim their third Champions League title, Pep Guardiola is still keen on increasing the size of his squad. Barca look interested in bringing in Alexis Sanchez and as we all know, I hope, the very talented Cesc Fabregas who has been tracked by Barca ever since his rise to fame in an Arsenal jersey, although he was on the Barca books at a very young age.

We all know that this Barcelona side is one of, if not the, best club side that we have ever seen but that won't stop Guardiola from reaching into the clubs bank account to take out a cheeky £50 million or so, although the club's board are insisting that all their funds will be generated from the transfers of players currently playing their trade at the Nou Camp. The likes of David Villa are being mentioned as the ones who could be offloaded.

Barcelona have insisted that they will go no higher than £35 million when it comes to the bidding for Cesc Fabregas. Arsenal have made clear time after time that Fabregas is not for sale but I don't think they can do much if the Arsenal captain really wants to move although he hasn't made any indications or expressed any desire to leave the Emirates.

An awful lot has been said about Alexis Sanchez and a lot of people I would presume think he is just "all talk". I'm going to be blatantly honest and admit that the most I've seen of him was a six minute clip on youtube but trust me, he can play. Barcelona are now favourites to land the Chilean playmaker after bids from both Manchester City and United have seemed to have fallen through.

Like I mentioned, if Barcelona want to purchase these players, some players must be sold to generate funds and that will leave the door open to a few of the top European clubs such as Chelsea, Man City, Inter Milan and maybe we could see a cheeky offer put in by Real Madrid for one of the Barca stars.

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

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Spurs Insist They Will Not Sell Modric At Any Cost

Despite much interest for Luka Modric, Harry  Redknapp and and all associated with Tottenham, are adamant that the little Croatian will not be sold for any price, to any club.

They even claim that they will not even be entering any negotiations.I understand why they would be hesitant to sell Luka, but when the likes of Chelsea are prepared to offer in and around £30 million for the playmaker, I think Totrtenham should take in to consideration who they could potentially buy with that money

Luka Modric, 25, has made it quite clear that he would like to leave White Hart Lane and that Chelsea would be his preferred destination.  Chelsea have all but given up on signing Santos and Brazil star, Neymar and it seems like this is more of a "plan B" choice.

For me, I think Modric should stay with Tottenham. Although the lure of winning titles and cup competitions might be enough to secure the deal for Chelsea, being the main man in a very formidable Spurs side should be enough to persuade Modric to stay. It wouldn't be the best for his reputation either and no doubt the White Hart Lane faithful would be booing him every time he got the ball should he be playing for Chelsea next season.

Spurs are looking into taking legal action as they feel Chelsea, like on many other occasions, have been tapping up a player, this time Modric is the target. Chelsea have got into trouble on many occasions regarding transfers. The transfers of the likes of Ashley Cole and Kakuta were very controversial at the time.

Although Harry Redknapp is so confident that Modric won't go that he probably hasn't looked at potential replacements but I think he should start. With the lack of Champions League football this season it will be hard to attract attention to themselves but at least with the success of last year, they are a known force and are to be reckoned with.

What do you think about this transfer saga? Should Spurs just take the money?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

West Ham And Newcastle Do Business

In the past two days now, both Newcastle United and West Ham have done business with each other as Kevin Nolan has decided to ditch the Premier League and join the Hammers while Demba Ba is making his way up north as the two clubs agreed a fee for the Senegalese international.

As you might have noticed as well, it's not only Ba and Nolan who are switching roles, both Alan Pardew and Sam Allardyce used to be in each others position. The only difference being, Pardew had a very successful time at Upton Park while "Big Sam" was literally abused by all Geordie's after a terrible start to his Newcastle career left the Newcastle board with no choice but to sack him.

I think there is no doubt that Demba Ba is the better off between the two as although their is no guarantee that he will be starting week in, week out, and although Nolan was confirmed the captain's armband for next season, the difference in caliber between the Premier League and the Championship, no disrespect to the Championship, is quite remarkable.

Newcastle are increasingly likely to lose further players as it has been announced that Barton, Jose Enrique and Gutierrez want out. It looks bleak for the Magpies, purely because of the task Pardew might have in finding replacements and valuable ones as well.

As for West Ham, Sam Allardyce has been given the task of getting the Hammers straight back into the Premiership. It does seem very much possible, especially if they keep hold of the likes of Scott Parker and besides the lack of transfer rumors associated with him, I do think he will be departing West Ham. My only fear though, is that they follow in the footsteps of Leeds and Charlton, where we don't see or even hear about them for the next five years or so. I'm sure it won't happen but who knows.

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

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Liverpool Look To Carry On With Their Summer Spending Spree

Here is a guest post by Football Team Talk's friend, Jake Rogers.


Liverpool's Kenny Dalglish and Damien Comolli have shown great intent so far this transfer window and if this continues they could be the busiest of Premier League clubs this Summer. Already they have captured the highly rated Jordan Henderson from Sunderland for a fee in the region of 20 million with David N'gog possibly going to Sunderland as part of the deal. 


This could be a very good buy for Liverpool as Henderson is being talked about as a future England captain. N'gog leaving, as far as I'm concerned, is also a bonus. So far this is the only done deal for Liverpool although they have been linked with nearly every player who is looking to leave their clubs.  

In my opinion Liverpool need two decent wingers , a good centreback , another striker and a left back. Personally I think Stewart Downing and Juan Mata would be great additions although the signature of Mata is very much less than likely. They might not need to worry about a winger much longer as Rennes' Sylvain Marveaux is set to complete his move on a free transfer.  Marko Marin of Werder Bremen has also been linked with the Reds and his agent has said that a bid has been rejected for the 22 year old.  

As for a center half, Liverpool have been linked with a few. Scott Dann of Birmingham, Gary Cahill of Bolton and Cristian Zapata who plays in Italy for Udinese. I would like to see someone with Premier League experience but as you know that increases the price tag by up to £15 million as we have seen with the transfers of Jordan Henderson , Andy Carroll and Phil Jones.  

A few strikers have also been linked with a move to Anfield. Connor Wickham, the young Ipswich striker was the subject of a bid from Liverpool. They are also keeping tabs on Antonio Cassano and Gervinho .  Clichy is being linked with a remarkable switch from Arsenal but I would be very surprised if that transfer happened.  

Liverpool are being linked with two centre midfielders also. Charlie Adam and Fernando Gago are being highlighted as potential targets.  I don't think Liverpool need another central  midfielder, Steven Gerrard will be back from injury and new signing Jordan Henderson will be there. Lucas Leiva and Raul Meireles had very good seasons last year and Jay Spearing also came into the squad under Dalglish.

On the other side, a lot of players may be on their way out of Merseyside.  The duo of Joe Cole and Milan Jovanovic, who are both on £90 thousand a week are looking to leave. Paul Konchesky, Christian Poulsen and Jonjo Shelvey are searching for first team football.

Liverpool are looking to reclaim their spot in the top four and start winning trophies again. Liverpools owners are looking to make a franchise out of the club and they will do whatever it takes to make it happen. 

This is going to be a very busy transfer window for Kenny Dalglish , Damien Comolli and everyone involved with Liverpool football club!

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

Chelsea Keen On Two Players But Still In Need Of A Manager

Yesterday we learned that Chelsea's bid for Luka Modric of £22 million was rejected by London rivals, Spurs. Chelsea have claimed that they will improve their offer in their pursuit to land the Croatian. Another player on the Chelsea transfer list is Atletico Madrid forward, Sergio Ageuro. Despite rumors that a deal with Juventus, worth £40 million, was made, his agent has scrapped those rumors leaving Chelsea as well as Man City still in the hunt to sign the little Argentinian.

With all this transfer talk, it seems that many people, including myself for a short while, had forgetten that Chelsea are in fact still without a manager. Guus Hiddink is still the clear favourite but for some reason they just haven't been able to get his signature yet.

Harry Redknapp has slammed the thought that Tottenham will even consider selling the silky and creative Croatian. He has become like a broken record are we keep on hearing that no players are for sale but with an improved offer closer to the £30 million mark will really test the Spurs boss.

As for Aguero, he has been a wanted man for years now and a move this Summer is looking very likely. It is hard to see anyone out-offer Manchester City but I can't see Aguero being too fond of moving to the north of England especially when his Argentinian team-mate, Tevez, has been going on about how "boring" the city is or the weather conditions being horrible. Juventus look like being the favourites but it could be a while before Aguero's future is resolved.

I'm sure Roman Abramovich is in for a hectic few days as he tries to sort out new players coming in and most importantly, a new manager being put in place. He also is under the threat of losing a few key players as Jose Mourinho is reportedly interested in Ghanain, Essien.

I love to hear any comments you may have.

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Possible Deals For Manchester City This Summer

I know it is early on, but Man City have been very quiet in this transfer window thus far. It has been their rivals, Man United, who have been the more productive in the transfer window as they have added Phil Jones among the ranks and look likely to add the likes of Ashley Young and now even talk of Wesley Sneijder.

Man City, apparently, have their eye on ex-United favourite, Cristiano Ronaldo. There was talk that as long as he got the number 7 jersey, captain's armband and £400,000 a week that he would agree to join the Blue side of Manchester. Although Cristiano himself has played down these reports, I still have a feeling that the saga might carry on for a few more weeks.

There is no doubt that Ronaldo, 26, has claimed that he can't see himself leaving but if he joined for, what I believe is purely money, why can't he leave for money, it wouldn't surprise me by any means. I think he would be a great asset to a team which is already crammed with superb talent, but as a Man City fan, I would prefer if he didn't join.

Another player who is unheard of to some is Alexis Sanchez. Many clubs are interested in the Chilean and of course City are among them. Barcelona were believed to have been the main threat but reports suggest that Man United might spoil the party as the Glazer's seem to have found a few extra quid in their back pocket as their  Summer spending spree looks to carry on.

Alexis Sanchez is currently at Udinese as is bound to move to a big club, well Man City aren't quite yet at the big club status, even I'll admit that but either way a move to Manchester looks increasingly on the cards. Sanchez has been compared to Ronaldo, coincidentally can play both on the wing or in a more attacking position. Unlike Ronaldo, I would very much welcome the move of Sanchez, but, if he comes in, that means the likes of Adam Johnson will be pushed out.

With Boateng all but gone and talk of Tevez leaving always on-going, surely City will complete the signing of a player some time soon.

What do you think? Will City sign either Ronaldo or Sanchez?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

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Managerial Merry Go Round

The last two days have been less about the transfers of players and more about the movement of managers. We learned today that Steve McClaren will be taking over at Nottingham Forest after Billy Davies was sacked. Yesterday, we were all shocked to hear that Alex McLeish had decided to call it a day and resigned as Birmingham manager making him, more shockingly, bookies favourite to become the next Aston Villa boss.

The position as Aston Villa boss has been vacant now for a while after Houillier confirmed he would not be carrying on as Villa manager. Many men have been suggested as a possible replacement for the French man but we are yet to find out who will be deciding the tactics and formations at Villa Park next season.

Once Mark Hughes departed Fulham, many backed him but his cause to become the man to replace Houllier has been seemingly hampered with very little being spoken about the prospect of him joining the Villains.

Now with the resignation of McLeish from Birmingham (by e-mail), it is looking likely that he will be taking the reins at Villa Park especially with reports that he has been contacted by Aston Villa. Birmingham are looking into taking legal action though, which would prevent him joining another club any time soon.

Both sets of fans are dreading the prospect of McLeish joining Aston Villa and it would be hard to see him getting a warm reception should he join Aston Villa.

Earlier today, McClaren signed on the dotted lines and became the next Nottingham Forest manager. With the harsh sacking of Davies, it seems that qualifying for the Premiership next season is McClaren's only option. McClaren had to deal with the same financial resources at Middlesbrough  and he worked wonders at the Riverside claiming the sides first trophy in its history and getting them to the Uefa Cup final only to lose to Seville in the end.

What do you make of all of this? Will McLeish join Aston Villa?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

Sneijder Expresses Desire To Stay At San Siro

Dutch international, Wesley Sneijder has confirmed that he has no plans on leaving the Italian giants, Inter Milan. This comes after much talk regarding his future with many clubs believed to be interested. The playmaker seems to be on the top of many of the top European club's transfer list and would be a great asset in any team.

Chelsea, Man United and, as expected, Man City would all relish the chance of bringing Sneijder to their respective clubs but Sneijder has spoken out about the proposed move to England and has ruled it out after saying,


"Milan is marvellous, picturesque and full of elegance. I love it. At the moment I am very happy here and I don't see why I should leave."

It would be hard to argue against him, after all he did have his most successful season while at Inter as he claimed the Champions League, playing a pivotal part in the Semi Final win over Barcelona. Later that summer he came within minutes of getting to a penalty shoot out in the World Cup final before Iniesta nicely tucked away the ball into the Netherlands net.

Although less effective this season, largely due to injuries, he is still one of the hottest properties going into this Summer's transfer window. For me, it is only a matter of time before he either moves to England or the likes of Barcelona in Spain. 

Man City have been, for reasons unknown, very quiet especially with the spending power that they possess. Although they aren't stuck for midfielders by any means, I wouldn't be surprised if Mancini tested the Italian giants with a cheeky offer. As for Chelsea, yet again I wouldn't be surprised but I would say they would be less fussed. Man United have done an awful lot of business already, so to see them try and buy Sneijder would be surprising.

What do you think? Is it time for him to express his desire to leave instead of stay?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

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Roberto Martinez Is Staying Put

Today, Roberto Martinez pledged his future, for the time being, to Wigan Athletic. The news comes after a frantic 24 hours regarding the Spaniards future as Aston Villa were believed to be very interested in him.

After a very tense season last year which saw the Latics come very close to getting relegated, it is somewhat of a surprise to see that Martinez has decided to stay at the DW Stadium. I would have thought that he would have  liked to enjoy his managerial career elsewhere, no disrespect to Wigan but I would have considered Aston Villa a "bigger" club.

It does show a massive amount of loyalty towards Wigan and in particular, the hard working, Dave Whelan. It shows that amongst all the money and big budget transfer kitties, that Martinez was not fussed by the lack of money he has to spend and that he is comfortable where he is.

I am sure, even though it was a hectic season last year, that the majority of Wigan fans are pleased to see Martinez stay on and are expecting an improvement from last years poor form. I think he will win a lot of fans over if hasn't already during his time at Wigan and will gain tremendous amount of respect now due to his decision to carry on.

Dave Whelan does admit that it is only a matter of time before a big European club come and try and snatch Martinez from Wigan's hands but until that day comes, I think all associated with Wigan should just enjoy the managerial skills of Martinez while they can.

What are your thoughts? Do you think he should have left?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

Liverpool Are First To Spend Big

Earlier today, Sunderland confirmed that Jordan Henderson is now a Liverpool player. All associated with Liverpool are desperate to get back into the top four and with more big name signings similar to Henderson, they might well achieve their goal. Liverpool are expected to be willing to pay just about 20 million in a deal which includes Ngog, so however highly you rate Ngog will give you the figure that Liverpool are actually paying.

Jordan Henderson, 20, has been rated very highly with a lot of clubs believed to have been interested in the Englishman at one stage. It was a season of many highlights for the man who is Sunderland born and bred as he became a crucial figure in Sunderland's starting line-up, made his international debut for England, and scored a fair few goals on top of that.

I can see him being the main man for England in years to come, especially when a generation that consists of Gerrard, Lampard, Terry etc. bound to fizzle out soon and eventually announce their retirements. He is set to depart England for the U21 European Championship which are held in Denmark this year. Him along side well established players such as Daniel Sturridge and Phil Jones hope to claim victory and bring back the trophy to England.

For me, this was a much needed move for Liverpool as I feel the midfield was quite poor, especially for a team who have aspirations of qualifying for the Champions League. Although 20 million does seem a bit pricey for a man who is young and inexperienced, I think it's a gamble Liverpool had to take and no doubt the Anfield faithful will be glad with the decision to get the ex-Sunderland man.

What do you think about the arrival of Henderson to Anfield? Will he be a success?

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

Fulham Get Their Hands On Martin Jol

With the departure of Mark Hughes almost immediately after the end of the season, Fulham were not forced to rush their decision of who should replace the Welshman as Fulham boss. Although this was the case, they wasted little time in capturing the experienced Dutchman, Martin Jol. I feel this is one of the best decisions that Fulham could have made and all Fulham fans really should be chuffed to pieces.

Fulham had a very satisfying season last year and for their good behaviour on the pitch, were rewarded with a Europa League spot in next years campaign. All connected with Fulham will be hoping they can go one step further then what they did two seasons ago as they cam runners-up losing out marginally to a very skillful Atletico Madrid side.

Martin Jol has been a success in the Premiership as he almost became one of the first managers to break the "top four" and qualify for the Champions League. Due to alleged food poisoning reports, Tottenham were forced to field a weak team as they lost against West Ham on the final day. Jol has been linked with a move to Fulham before Lawrie Sanchez got the sack in the same season which saw Fulham a whisker away from going down to the Championship.

If I was a Fulham supporter, I would be delighted with the decision as he is proven to win matches and more importantly, the odd trophy. I think Martin Jol does  have the capability to do big things with the west London club and has a chance of reminding people that he was actually a decent manager and that he isn't an "idiot" as some people have claimed.

All though very few people actually know the reasoning behind Mark Hughes' departure, I'm sure very few Fulham fans really care now that the pursuit for a new manager is over and done with.

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

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Movement Of Neymar Still On Hold

Today, Neymar's chief representative has snubbed claims that a new offer has been put in for the brightest young talent at the moment. I think it is very clear that a move this summer would be in the best interest of Neymar and with the Copa America now less than a month away, I'm sure Neymar and his agent would love to get this transfer saga solved even if it means that he stays at Santos so that he can firmly set his sights on claiming the trophy for his home nation, Brazil.

Much has been said about the 19 year old and to be honest when I first heard his name I thought it was just another young, promising Brazilian who was soon to fizzle out like the likes of Robinho and Adriano. But it does seem that Neymar could become a household name in the years to come especially with a big move this Summer.

I think if Abramovich reached into his back pocket and produced the money that is needed, this could be the move of the Summer. Not only could he be a hit in the next two seasons or so, but with the likes of Drogba and Lampard ageing he would be able to fit right in and become a favourite amongst the Stamford Bridge faithful.

The player who is most noticeable for his mohican haircut, Neymar, played a massive part in securing a place in the Copa Libertadores final, after which he will link up with his Brazil team mates in Argentina. Chelsea, inevitably, are not the only team keeping their eyes on the Brazilian.

Real Madrid and Barcelona are also believed to be interested and one could only imagine the temptation to join the greatest team in club football, Barca. Apparently the price tag is 45 million euro but with the Catalonian giants more concerned about agreeing a deal with Arsenal for Fabregas, this would leave a great chance for either Chelsea or Real Madrid to pounce.

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

What Does Sepp Blatter Have In Store For Us

Today was a sad day for football in many ways. No I'm not talking about Gerard Houllier resigning or even the thought that era of Scholes, Beckham, Neville etc. is finally over. No, of course I am speaking about the re-election of Sepp Blatter as FIFA president.

Now I think it's fair to say that Blatter hasn't won a lot of fans, not only from the public but also people involved in the game. The refusal of goal-line technology and the controversy surrounding the decision of who to host both the 2018 World Cup and 2022 World Cup.

The FA wanted the election to be postponed amid the criticism that FIFA has been under which has left a dark cloud hanging over the its headquarters in Zurich. They also didn't want an election to go ahead because bizarrely, Blatter wasn't up against anyone. Now Blatter has come under a bit more scrutiny then he perhaps deserves but I think the election of anyone else involved in football would have been just fine with anyone associated with the beautiful game.

I think someone does need to give him assistance because obviously he can't make his own decisions. I can't see how it can be made more clearer that goal-line technology is needed. He made a fool of himself when Lampard's goal at the World Cup did not stand even though it was a solid yard over the line and week after week it is happeneing and the referee's are the one's who are getting slated in the press. As for the World Cup decision, I think I've said enough.

I would love to hear any comments you may have.

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