All posts by h79snht.top

After watching his side in the 8-2 thrashing by Manchester United, Arsene Wenger cut a despondent figure at Old Trafford. It was after this display that Wenger and the board realised that they desperately needed to strengthen the depleted squad. After collecting nearly £80 million of transfer fees over the summer, it wasn’t like they didn’t have the money to spend in the window.

Wenger reacted to the horrific result with three days of hectic activity, spending an estimated £30 million, before the transfer deadline came to pass. Arsenal’s team of worldwide scouts went through their intensive scouting notes and turned to a supply of options that the club have been tracking for years. By the time the transfer window closed Arsenal had a new look defence with Brazilian left-back, André Santos, and German centre-back, Per Mertesacker joining the club. In attack, Spanish midfielder, Everton’s Mikel Arteta, had joined South Korean striker, Park Chu-young, on the late arrival list, along with Israeli international Yossi Benayoun, who joined on loan from Chelsea.

Looking over the signings I think that Mertesacker is just the sort of defender Arsenal needed to sign with a no-nonsense commanding style that will provide much-needed strength to their defence. Benayoun and Arteta may be proven Premier League players but they are not in the same league as the recently departed duo of Fabregas and Nasri. Benayoun has left Stamford Bridge after being deemed surplus to requirements while Arteta has only made an average of 26 appearances during the last three seasons, a worrying statistic. The other two arrivals are both unproven players who may have featured for their respective international sides but it is difficult to tell whether or not they will make a huge impact at the Emirates this season. This is the risk Wenger is taking, by rushing through the late transfers he has gone against his usual transfer prudence and as a result they have ended up with older players on extended lucrative contracts.

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The team will certainly have a fresh look in their next Premier League game against Swansea and Wenger has instantly appeased the loyal fans by signing experienced players without really bothering about the fees and wages paid. Not only did he manage to refresh an inexperienced squad but he also shifted out some deadwood who were taking up vital wages.

While I can understand why Wenger has felt the need to sign so many players in such a short space of time I fail to see why it could not have been completed earlier in order to get better value for money. Nasri and Fabrgeas departed a full week before the transfer window closed and if Wenger would have just matched Chelsea’s offer for Juan Mata it is much than likely the former Valencia player would have ended up there instead.

Wenger was left in a difficult position after the Manchester United defeat and I that is probably why they made a late bid for Arteta and even offered him a four-year contract, despite the fact he will be 34 when it finishes. It appears quite a desperate move but I think it could out to be quite a coup as Arteta has always been regarded as a top-class performer and if he can stay fit he could be an excellent purchase by Wenger, although there is an element of risk involved.

While Ferguson and Mancini were able to sit back with a relaxing day last Tuesday, Wenger was desperately trying to secure some new recruits for his team. By deciding to strengthen so late I think he has taken a gamble by bringing in quantity over real quality. New faces were certainly required at the Emirates but by going against his own transfer policy he showed his desperation. The only way we will find out if it was the right thing to do to from their results at the end of the season.

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Let me know your thoughts and follow me on twitter @aidanmccartney for even more football debate.

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It would take a bold man to bet against Lewis Dunk leaving Brighton in the January transfer window if the reported interest of Chelsea, Arsenal and Fulham results in a firm offer being made to the Seagulls. Gus Poyet will face an uphill battle trying to convince his young star that staying at the Amex Stadium is in his best interests – even though, of course, it most probably is in Dunk’s best  interests to ignore the bright lights and big cheques, at least for now.

Assuming an offer is made, Brighton will be obliged to accept it. The average Championship club is run on rather tighter budgets than those in the bright lights of the Premier League, and even if they do feel they can afford to turn down the bid, Brighton will acknowledge that they cannot stand between Dunk and the opportunity of a lifetime.

The problem is that a move to a Premier League club might not be the dream that Dunk, or most Championship youngsters, probably imagine it to be. Yes, they are exposed to a whole new celebrity life, have the opportunity to train with some of football’s biggest names, and take a much-improved salary. But these perks can often come at a pretty high cost – namely the loss of playing time in competitive football.

In fairness, this is a decreasing problem in the English football system as Premier League clubs become ever-more accustomed to loaning out their emerging young players to gain more experience at another club, be that at the Premier League, Championship or lower-league level. A quick glance over the Manchester United or Arsenal websites will show how many teenage prodigies they have sent out to ply their trade at another club, either for the year, or just a couple of months.

Dunk may want to consider some players who haven’t received that chance, though, and lose the momentum of their development by stagnating on the bench or on the fringe of the first team. John Bostock is probably regretting jumping from Crystal Palace, where he was emerging as one of the Championship’s brightest young stars, to Tottenham, where he is struggling to break into the youth and reserve teams ahead of the likes of Jake Livermore and Ryan Fredericks.

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Then there’s England u-19 star Connor Wickham, who couldn’t resist an £8 million move to Sunderland this summer, forsaking regular football at Ipswich Town in the process. David Wheater and Adam Johnson have both left Middlesbrough since they lost Premier League status, although playing in a first-team might be a better option in the long-term than warming the benches for Bolton or Manchester City. Danny Wilson, having been seduced into a £5 million move to Liverpool, is buried behind a bunch of other youngsters in the pecking order. The list could be a lot longer, but that might get rather tedious.

If there is one thing we can take solace in, however, it’s that this mistake isn’t limited to British youngsters. Teenagers from across the globe are coming to the Premier League only to not make the grade and end up slinking off to Europe without a trace. Diego Arismendi was one of South America’s hottest prospects three years ago, but since his 2009 move to Stoke the Uruguayan is still yet to play in the Premier League. Federico Macheda appears doomed to never fulfil his potential in the red of Manchester United, although his two fine goals in the tail end of the 2008/09 season, which earned the Old Trafford side vital points on their way to the title, are a substantial legacy for such a brief time in the spotlight.

A word of optimism for Dunk, though – it can be done. It’s just down to which club you choose. Michael Kightly and George Elokobi just two of several lower-league players to transformed into Premier League players by Mick McCarthy; Bostock’s former Palace teammate Victor Moses continues his emergence under Roberto Martinez at Wigan. So perhaps it’s all about which club and manager the teenager ends up which will decide his fate. In that case, Lewis: choose Arsenal. Mr Wenger has an eye for talented teens – and they could use a centre-back…

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There’s nothing football fans love more than talking about counterfactuals, or in other words: ‘what ifs’; and, on the whole, it’s a waste of time. What if Redknapp was manager of England? What if the national squad wasn’t made up of egotistical cretins with as much patriotism as a Cold War double agent? But, just occasionally, there are points worth considering. For example: if the variable in question was avoidable, rather than just a whimpering lament for different circumstances, then there is genuine cause for debate.

Take for example Arsenal’s much deliberated trophy-less period. A time when for Gunners fans there seemed to be more chance of eunuchs impregnating women than there did of Arsenal bagging some silverware. But then again, have they really been so far away? Indeed I can think of a number of times when Arsenal were right on the verge of success and just lacked some small catalyst to spur them on. The obvious thing to suggest therefore was that perhaps that catalyst could have been the injury prone talisman Robin Van Persie.

The in form striker has now scored twenty-four goals in twenty-six games in 2011 to go with a host of assists. And that doesn’t include his goals for Holland. But over the course of his last contract he has endured numerous lengthy spells on the sidelines. So If we look back at the times when Arsenal have come close to success in the last six years what can we conclude?

2007 League Cup Final

Arsenal’s inexperienced side were edged out 2-1 in a close encounter with Mourinho’s Chelsea. Van Persie had broken his fifth metatarsal whilst celebrating a late equaliser against Man Utd earlier in the season and subsequently missed most of the 2006/07 season including the League Cup final, although he still finished the season as Arsenal’s top scorer. The season hampered by the loss of their then top scorer and many were left wondering about what could have been.

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2007/08

I haven’t seen a better chance for Arsenal to win the title since 2004. They lead the league for various periods of the year were it not for a catastrophic end to the season in which they drew numerous games in succession after the horror of Eduardo’s broken leg incident they surely would have taken the title. But despite their fatal collapse Arsenal only finished four points off the top. And if you consider that Van Persie was fit for perhaps only a third of the season, maybe less, then you wonder whether he would not have won them the league had he been fit. Before his knee injury whilst on international duty Van Persie had scored seven goals in his first ten games. You would hope that a world-class striker would win you at least two games per season on his own. Those points would have been more than enough to take first place.

2010/11

Arsenal seemed to have finally turned a corner last year. Until the League Cup final fiasco they were going strong in every available competition. Obviously Van Persie was actually available for some of the second half of the season but again he was absent for much of it. He spent the first half of the season out after again sustaining an injury on international duty and injured himself in the League cup final. The result was that after getting Arsenal’s equaliser in the final he then had to be subbed on and replaced by the impotent Chamakh. This caused him to miss a further three weeks at a crucial stage of the season. Moreover, arguably Arsenal would have won the League Cup last year had he not been forced off and considering Arsenal’s temperamental mental strength who knows what could have happened had they won that day against Birmingham? Many believe, myself included, that it would have given the Arsenal players a new lease of life and given them the confidence to chase down the League title too. However, Van Persie was taken off, Arsenal lost the final and went on to only win three of their remaining games in all competitions. One of those was against Leyton Orient.

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So…

I wouldn’t be as presumptuous to say that had Van Persie been fit over the last few years Arsenal would definitely have won a haul of trophies. To say that would be to deny the other obvious flaws within the team: the leaky defence, goalkeeper problems, poor mentality etc. However it’s pretty clear that Van Persie is good enough to carry a team with those problems, he’s doing it pretty well this year and this is arguably Wenger’s weakest Arsenal squad.

Ultimately it’s not much consolation for Arsenal fans to know that he could have made the difference over the past six years but where this is important is for the critics out there saying that Wenger has lost it or that Arsenal have been rubbish since Vieira left. The fact is that they have had an appalling injury record over the last few years and always to their best players: Vermaelen repeatedly, Van Persie repeatedly, Fabregas repeatedly, Eduardo, Ramsey, Walcott, Rosicky, Diaby, Clichy and now Wilshere. They have all spent a ridiculous amount of time nursing injuries and many of the players never came back the same (for example: Rosicky, Eduardo). Van Persie’s record year in year out speaks for itself there is definitely grounds for the argument that had he not spent the best part of two years out over the last five then things could have been different.

For more news and views on English football follow me on Twitter @H_Mackay

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Under pressure Blackburn boss Steve Kean has stated that he is not worried about his future ahead of meeting the club owners in India, and feels some of the positive work he has done at Ewood Park has been overlooked.

The Lancashire team have only won one of their first seven games this term, and the Scottish coach has been the brunt of angry Rovers’ fans frustrations.

Despite flying to Pune to meet with the Venky Group, who own the Premier League side, Kean is remaining upbeat.

“We always have a sit down and a talk,” he told Sky Sports.

“I think people will say I have been summoned. I have heard that on my last six or seven trips. I come here once a month to sit down with the family and talk about all aspects of the club, the development of the youngsters, and what we want to do in the next transfer window.”

With constant dismissal rumours in the press, Kean has admitted that it can be difficult to stay positive, but is buoyed on by his players’ effort.

“It can get to you but not for one minute (do I doubt myself).”

“When I go on the training ground and see the lads responding, and get the backing of the family and the majority of the fans, then I am happy in my work and as long as I feel that we will turn things around. I have no doubt about that.”

The manager has also spoken of the young players that he has brought through during his time at the club, and feels that the side has a youthful exuberance that will stand them in good stead.

“I know people will throw stats and if it is only about stats and winning games then it is going to be hard for young players to develop.”

“I don’t know then if Phil Jones, Junior Hoilett, Jason Lowe, Grant Hanley and young Robbie Cotton, who is only 17 and I’ve brought on this trip, these guys will come through.

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“We just need to get the balance right,” he concluded.

By Gareth McKnight

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Aston Villa welcome in-form Norwich to Villa Park on Saturday hoping to end a run of three Premier League games without defeat after losing the lead twice in last week’s 2-2 draw with Sunderland.

Alex McLeish’s side have failed to pick up three points since the beginning of October and have been on a downward spiral ever since the 4-1 thrashing the suffered at Manchester City. Their performance at the Stadium of Light last week was encouraging, with Stiliyan Petrov starting to deliver goals from midfield and Gabriel Agbonlahor looking sharp. It’s their failure to maintain an advantage that came back to bite them once again at the Stadium of Light. They’ve given up nine points from winning positions already this season which is statistically the worst in the league this season.  Former Mackem Darren Bent should have sealed the points with a late chance but his tame side foot effort from close range was saved by Kieron Westwood. The England striker has found the net only three times this season and needs to rediscover his shooting boots if Villa are to start winning games and make a push for Europe. That hasn’t been so easy for the club with their seven match unbeaten run at the start of the season papering over the cracks with only two wins included in that sequence. In fact they’ve won only seven of the last 24 games and with this fixture notorious for draws, four of the last five have ended that way, they could go into the international break without tasting defeat in four games with an away trip to Tottenham awaiting them.

Norwich on the other hand have been one of this seasons surprise packages and have soared up to eight with a run of three wins, two draws and a defeat in their last six games. That loss came at Manchester United at the start of October with Paul Lamberts men pushing the champions close only to concede two late goals and go home empty handed. Midfielder Anthony Pilkington was the villain that day missing two gilt-edge chances to score but his performances this season have been nothing short of remarkable considering he was playing League One football with Huddersfield 12 months ago. Lambert, who will oversee his 100th game as manager, has constructed a team made out of lower league players but they certainly haven’t looked out of place playing some tremendous football much to the amazement of those who tipped them for a season of struggle. The wheels did almost come off at Carrow Road last week after finding themselves 3-1 behind to rock bottom Blackburn. A battling display saw them recover the two goal deficit with captain Grant Holt coming off the bench for a second consecutive week to earn a point for the Canaries. It says a lot about the performances of summer signing Steve Morison, who scored a superb volley against Rovers last week, with the Welshman keeping out Carrow Road hero Holt for most of the season. Lambert is expected to start with the same lineup he has used for the past six games but will have to sort out a defence which has failed to keep a clean sheet in 11 league games.

Key Players

Stiliyan Petrov – The Villa skipper has been much improved in front of goal this season and he’ll need his shooting boot’s on this weekend if they are to beat Norwich. His inspiration and passing ability will be key to unlocking the Canaries leaky defence and ending a run of three games without a win.

Steve Morison – After making step up from the Championship Morison has performed so well that he is keeping Canaries hero and captain Grant Holt out of the side. His hold up play and intelligent use of the ball will come in handy against Villa with his tussle with Richard Dunne one to keep a close eye on.

Prediction: 2-2

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Stiliyan Petrov is ranked 35th and is Aston Villa’s next ranked player in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index Petrov has scored twice from ten efforts at goal (50% on target) and has won 85% of the 34 tackles he has gone in for. Petrov has also broken up play with 18 interceptions and completed 164 passes in his opponents’ half Anthony Pilkington is Norwich’s top ranked player in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index in 78th place. Pilkington has racked up three goals and an assist so far this season. Pilkington has been an attacking threat all season, with 17 shots on goal, 24 crosses and 15 dribbles to his name

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With the many football academies in the Premier League producing more talent than even before or just by clubs just snapping up the next foreign star at a very young age, it is not every time that these players make a Jack Wilshere style progression into the first team and instead they have to survive with a lack of football. They are usually sent out on-loan to get some valuable experience, something they are not always able to get at their parent club.

At the end of this season with first team chances limited to a few rare Carling Cup appearances, they know that either another loan spell in on the cards or they can secure a move away where they can start their fledgling career.

An example is England U21 international, Jack Cork, who was at Chelsea for the whole of his youth development. He has finally left Chelsea to join Championship new boys Southampton but not before he had spent his young career on loan at six different league clubs in order to aid his development as he tried to become a member of the first-team at Chelsea. However he realised it was eventually time to leave and these selections are players in a similar position to Cork and should look at moving on to help continue their progression.

There are players who have very little chance of breaking into the first team but will still be sent out on loan so that the club can secure the best price for them at the end of the season. Once a youngster reaches the age of 20/21 and they still have not made it into the senior team, it may be time for them to test themselves at a new club.

So here is a list of top ten players who should look at flying the nest in the near future so they can continue their career development…

Click on John Bostock to see the 10 youngsters that need to fly the nest

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The convincing win over Wolverhampton will help alleviate the fans’ concerns over the depth and quality of Manchester United’s squad, but that shouldn’t stop Sir Alex Ferguson bringing in a couple of players.

A lot of people are harping on the manager to bring in a centre-back or a forward, but those positions shouldn’t take priority over the major concerns in the squad.

The two areas that should be concerning Ferguson the most are the two full-back positions, because United are very light in terms of adequate coverage there.

Right now the club has four natural full-backs on their books – Patrice Evra, young Ezekial Fryers and the da Silva twins – but that’s cly not sufficient enough.

Injuries are always going to happen, which is why you build a squad of players rather than a team, but the current severity of the situation at United are exposing some weaknesses in theirs. Rafael and Fabio are hurt more often than they aren’t – which is causing problems with the Boss being forced to play other defenders out of position to provide temporary cover.

Yes, Phil Jones and Chris Smalling have been showing their natural football ability and athleticism by providing relief at right-back, but they are natural centre-backs and that’s where they will eventually need to play. A lot of fans – right or wrong – complain that Jonny Evans is playing, but the bottom line is that he has to.

Left-back has also been a concern for some of the supporters for a long time, because of Evra’s defensive lapses and more of his focus on attacking. Also, not having any alternatives to challenge him for his place is a real worry, as well. A couple of years ago he was touted as the best left-sided full-back in the world, but since then his defensive weaknesses have been greatly exposed. Going forward is a different story, because he offers tremendous value to the Reds’ attack, but that’s not what he’s paid to do – is it?

There’s no question that Ferguson knows this, because, when fit, Fabio has stepped in and defended much better than Evra has. And yes, Ezekiel Fryers is just being introduced into the first team and he could be a long-term fixture there, but for the club to pin their hopes on a 19-year old kid is unfair to him and the fans, which could happen if Evra goes down with an injury (knock on wood).

Most of the goals that have been scored against United this season, have come from either a cross in from the flanks or an opposing player running at the full-backs. Against Wolves, Smalling was struggling to cope with a very underrated Matt Jarvis and that allowed the them to have confidence to get something from the game – but that was happening more than just for the goal. Thankfully, Wolverhampton didn’t have their shooting boots on, because it could’ve been a much different outcome – as ridiculous as that sounds.

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Injuries, especially the one to Nemanja Vidic cannot be planned for, but when the ones that happen to the da Silva twins are expect – and that’s a problem for Sir Alex Ferguson and why he should spend to get a full-back – or two – for Manchester United.

Article courtesy of David from The United Religion

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Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas said yesterday that he believes the structural set up of the English academy system is fundamentally flawed. The Portuguese former Porto man took over from Carlo Ancelotti in the summer and has had a tempestuous first six months in the English game. The thirty-four year old said:

“The youth development system in England is not right, in my belief. There is plenty of effort and talks to get it right but in my opinion it is not. The reserve team league is not competitive. The youth levels are not competitive enough. The FA Youth Cup: does it favour talent or competition? In my opinion there is a missing link between age groups in all competitions. There should be national championships played between teams from around the country. The older ones should play nationally. The younger ones should play regionally. You promote more talent and competitiveness and it is that which generates talent and willingness to drive.”

This is the latest in a string of attacks on the way young talent is developed in this country. The new Elite Player Performance Plan, or EPPP, was approved before Christmas and will replace the system of tribunal-set transfer fees with a compensations scheme, which essentially makes it easier and cheaper for the big clubs to poach young players from teams in lower leagues. The EPPP has come under intense scrutiny from the Football League teams who, although voting to accept the new system, felt they were pressured financially into allowing it to go ahead.

Villas-Boas lamented the English system claiming that without the competitive side to the youth and reserve leagues the younger players are not ready to make the step up to the first team without first going out on loan, which would mean putting those players at the mercy of an inferior coaching team. Instead the Chelsea manager would rather adopt a system similar to that in Spain where the top clubs have ‘B’ teams, which compete in the tier below their parent club. Essentially all top clubs would have their own feeder club in the Championship. The benefits of this for top clubs are clear for all to see: they would be able to not only give their youth and reserve players competitive matches to play in but they would also gain that experience as a team and benefit from the high level coaching of their parent club at the same time. This model has worked exceptionally well for teams such as Barcelona and Real Madrid, many of whose players have been playing together competitively since they were very young.

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However Villas-Boas’ suggestion merely adds another dark cloud to the possible future of Football League sides, many of who are already struggling on and off the field.

The goal of every non Premier League team is to make it to the top tier and establish themselves there in order to secure the future of the club. However that task would be infinitely harder if they had to compete against the feeder cubs for the best teams. Moreover, how Villas-Boas suggests these ‘B’ teams should be integrated in to the Football League would be a proposal worth hearing. It would be unacceptable at any level to oust teams from a league to make space for the ‘B’ teams of top clubs. The only other alternative is to persuade teams in the lower leagues to become the feeder teams of Premier League clubs, but if that is the Chelsea manager’s proposal then he should be aware that this is already a possibility. Top English clubs already have feeder clubs in England and abroad. At a time when the worldwide economic downturn has lead to a continuous stream of clubs facing existential crises Villas-Boas suggestions, whilst undeniably beneficial for clubs such as Chelsea, could be the final nail in the coffin for many English clubs. Not only would tier mobility be more difficult than it already is but it would present clubs with the option of either losing their identity as a football team or face their ambitions being severely hampered.

At the risk of sounding overly sentimental, whilst under extreme pressure in his own job, perhaps Andre Villas-Boas should recognise that he is not the only manager in the Football Leagues struggling to get the best out of his team at the moment and his proposals could greatly damage effectiveness of many managers who are in similar situations at smaller clubs. The other important factor is that as much as football is concerned with competing globally and being the ‘best’ it is also a sport that provides entertainment and a sense of community for millions around the country, it is a sport that has its roots not in the glitz of the international stage in front of hundreds of cameras but in the small smallest stadiums in some of the poorest sections of the country. To abandon our roots would be to abandon the very aspect of football that has made it such a national institution in the first place. Progress for the elite is important, but not at the cost of an array of historic clubs.

Follow me on Twitter @H_Mackay

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Given the current state of the global economic scenery and the impending Eurozone crisis it would be foolish to consider football, almost the archetypal boom and bust business, to be immune to such exterior influences.

You only need witness Sky Sports News’ desperation for something, anything, to happen in this January’s transfer window, if only to validate Bryan Swanson’s existence, to realise that football club expenditure has been capped across the board. Sir Alex Ferguson is continuing his frantic quest for value in the transfer market, Arsene Wenger’s fretting over which 16-year old Frenchman he can afford and even Roberto Mancini has been forced to admit he has to sell before he can buy.

On a much smaller scale Crawley Town, the so-called Manchester City of League Two, is seemingly scaling down its extravagant spending following the admittance that the club’s paltry attendances are causing budgetary constraints. Steve Evans, be it through either misguided jealousy or promotion-chasing pressures, deemed it necessary to cast his own aspersions as to Southend United’s spending claiming that Paul Sturrock was throwing money as if it were confetti.

The only problem being that it simply isn’t true. The club’s financial plight is hardly a secret and no matter what Evans may think, confetti stocks are comparatively low. The club continues to lose money on a monthly basis and the development of Fossetts Farm could not come soon enough.

This factor, even if it does seem to elude Steve Evans, only contributes towards Paul Sturrock’s activity in the transfer market. The squad has been strengthened significantly this month without spending exorbitantly, perhaps best demonstrated by the most recent acquisition of Pat Baldwin. An experienced centre-half with great lower-league pedigree has arrived on a free transfer to shore up a defence that has looked unusually fragile as of late.

Sturrock’s ability in the transfer market is almost fabled. Noted as a manager that consistently overachieves what his budget might dictate in the book ‘Why England Lose’, Sturrock was also hailed in a recent article in the Financial Times that considered managerial success in correlation to expenditure. Former manager Steve Tilson also featured, highlighting the successful string of managers the club has had of late.

Given Southend’s parlous financial state and the current economic climate, Sturrock has proven himself to be a highly adept manager of clubs in particular predicaments. Promotion this year would surely be the jewel in his crown.

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By Liam Stoker

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It never ceases to amaze me in this day and age that football managers fail to put contingencies in place in order to ensure that the nightmare of losing of key players doesn’t have an adverse affect on performances on the pitch. It happens all the time and supporters have to listen to the overused statements claiming how Player X has been missed this season, or had Player Y been playing it would have been different. The fact of the matter is that for the large part most clubs know a good 12 months in advance whether a player is on the move, set to retire, unhappy, and yet nothing is in place once the inevitable happens.

Arsene Wenger may bemoan the loss of Fabregas this summer (the most predictable transfer of the year) and yet waits until the last hour of the transfer window to bring in Mikel Arteta. It beggars belief at the lack of planning from the football club. Rafa Benitez upset Xabi Alonso to the extent that every man and his dog knew that he will look to leave Anfield, but rather than broker a deal with Real Madrid to ensure there is enough time to buy a replacement, he settles until the last knockings of the summer and inexplicably signs a player, in Aquilani, who wasn’t even fit to play for months after his move – a crazy situation and one to bemuse supporters. It has even happened to Sir Alex Ferguson, who was delighted to welcome back Paul Scholes from retirement, largely down to the fact he hadn’t bought a replacement in the summer.

I have compiled a top 10 list on players whose departure from the club caused a notable problem and in some cases are yet to be resolved at their respective clubs.

Click on Darren Bent to unveil the top 10

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