The Premier League Returns!

After weeks of waiting, the Barclays Premier League is up and running again, the first weekend was slightly disappointing, but have we got an early insight as to how the big five are going to compete this season?

Finally, it’s back. After weeks upon weeks of sitting down on a Saturday just not knowing what to do with myself, the Barclays Premier League has returned to save myself from the boredom, and quite frankly unimaginable thought of weekends without football. This year felt worse than others, is it just me or has the transfer window been especially boring this year? Part of me wishes the transfer window was open for a day, or a week, it might not give the clubs much time to sort out transfers, but it would make absolutely fantastic viewing on Sky Sports News!

Credit: Barclays Premier League

Time for Barcelona to put their money where their mouth is

With less than 3 weeks until the start of the season, the transfer window is rife with speculation. Fabregas is at the centre of it all again, but will Barcelona make a serious move to bring him back to his hometown club?

Another summer, another Fabregas transfer saga, it just wouldn’t feel like a transfer window without it. For the past few years it’s been the story that runs from the start to the finish of the window, and it appears that this year is going to be no different. Last summer Barcelona made their first real move to take Fabregas back to his hometown club, a reported thirty-five million pound bid for the Arsenal captain was not enough for Arsenal to part ways with him last summer.

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Homesick Tevez on his way home?

Carlos Tevez appears to be on his way out of Eastlands, the big scramble for his services can now begin, with Corinthians, Juventus and Real Madrid all linked, how much of a say will City have in his final destination?

In the past few weeks Carlos Tevez has reiterated his desire to leave Manchester City, it appears that the sole reason he wants to leave is because he would like to be able to spend time with his family, more importantly, his two young daughters. This is fair enough; Tevez has been living in Manchester for four years now, the majority of which has been without his wife and children. It’s been said that they tried to settle, but a combination of the language, culture and the weather made it difficult for Tevez’s close family to adapt. As a result of this, Tevez has decided he needs to be playing football in a country where he can live with his family and be there whilst his two young daughters growing up.

Credit: The First Post

Bruce showing similarities with old pal Fergie

On the day the transfer window opens, it appears that Sunderland have most of their business done already, have Sunderland rushed into making their new signings? Or has it been an astute piece of business from Steve Bruce and Niall Quinn?

Steve Bruce and Niall Quinn have wasted no time in strengthening their squad for the upcoming Premier League season, signing Connor Wickham, Craig Gardner, Seb Larsson and Ji Dong-Won in the space of a few days. The signings of Craig Gardner and Connor Wickham in particular are amazingly good signings for the Black Cats, Gardner was Birmingham City’s outstanding player last season ending as their top goal scorer with 10 goals, and Wickham was allegedly being chased by a host of big name clubs including the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham, so it’s pretty impressive that Sunderland managed to tie up a deal for the promising youngster.

Credit: Shields Gazette

Ruthless Fergie showing his rivals how it's done... again

Sir Alex Ferguson made history last May by helping Manchester United win their 19th League crown, will his early rampage through the transfer market help United towards their 20th title next season?

Last season Manchester United won their 19^th League title to surpass bitter rivals Liverpool’s total of 18, giving the Manchester United fans the bragging rights over their arch-rivals, they could now claim that they are the best club in English history. When Sir Alex Ferguson took over at Manchester United twenty five years ago, not even the most die-hard fan could have hoped for Manchester United to achieve so much in such a short space of time, it’s hard to believe that the man who has brought all this success to the Manchester club was one game away from getting fired, his FA Cup win in 1990 is often touted as the game that saved his Manchester United career.

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Madrid announcement alerts English clubs

Diego Forlan appears to be coming back to England, with Tottenham leading the race for the Uruguayan striker. Is this the man to help Tottenham regain their place in the Champions League?

I was somewhat surprised this week when Atletico Madrid revealed that Diego Forlan would be allowed to leave the Spanish club this summer. My understanding was that he was a very good player, and while he is getting on a bit at the age of 32, I felt he was a key player in the setup at Atletico. It also seems strange considering that Sergio Aguero has come out publicly and said that he wants to leave the Spanish club this summer; this could potentially leave them without what have been their two main strikers at the start of next season, maybe a major reshuffle is on the cards at Atletico Madrid.

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Big Sam brings hope back to the Hammers

Kevin Nolan's move from Newcastle to West Ham is a strange one, does he lack ambition? Or is he doing it to help out an old friend?

This week saw Kevin Nolan move from Newcastle United to West Ham United in a three million pound transfer, this is great business for West Ham, I’m sure many of their fans will be delighted, but I’m pretty sure they’ll be just as confused as every other football fan in the country is as to why Nolan wanted the transfer. Kevin Nolan had helped Newcastle through the toughest stage of their recent history, the club were relegated to the Championship, they were in financial turmoil, there was a real possibility that the club could go bust and they had a chairman that nobody liked. Yet Kevin Nolan stuck with Newcastle and managed to help them get promoted, and then comfortably help Newcastle stay in the Premier League the following season, finishing as their top goal scorer with 12 goals from midfield.

Credit: Guardian.co.uk

Wilshere and Carroll to miss U21 UEFA European Championship

After months of speculation, it appears common sense has prevailed as Jack Wilshere and Andy Carroll have been left out of the U21 England squad to compete in this summers UEFA U21 European Championship.

Over the past few months, debate over whether Jack Wilshere and Andy Carroll should be included in England’s Under 21 squad for the European Championship has been at fever pitch. Many people were on the side of Jack Wilshere, who said on numerous occasions that he would never say no to his country. There’s also the theory that the likes of Mesut Ozil played in the Under 21s for Germany, U21 FIFA World Cup in 2009, and then came on leaps and bounds in the 2010 Fifa World Cup, so surely we need to mimic this successful formula.

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Is Stan the Man?

Stan Kroenke is poised to take full ownership of Arsenal Football Club, will this disrupt Arsenal? Or will it help them push on to the next level?

This morning, long time share holder Stan Kroenke increased his overall share holding in Arsenal to just 62.89 percent, he appears to have won the backing of Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith and Danny Fiszman in what has been a highly anticipated takeover. For a long time now American Kroenke and Uzbek billionaire Alisher Usmanov have both been seen as the two men that would takeover Arsenal if such a thing were to happen, this morning much to the delight of many Arsenal fans, it was the American that has made the first move, seemingly beating Usmanov to become the sole owner of Arsenal Football Club.

Credit: Daily Mail

Real Madrid vs Tottenham- Champions League Quarter Final 1st Leg preview

This is undoubtedly one of the biggest nights in the history of Tottenham Hotspur football club. For the first time in their history Spurs have made it to the Quarter Final stage of the Champions League, and tonight they will be travelling to none other than the home of Real Madrid, the Santiago Bernabeau. Tottenham fans and players alike will be unbelievably proud that their team has managed to silence their critics and advance into the latter stages of the world’s most coveted competition in club football.

Time for Change

As Arsenal's trophy drought is looking likely to go on, does Wenger need to make big changes to bring success back to the North London club?

After this weekend’s set of results, it looks like Manchester United will indeed be adding to their 18 league titles making them, arguably, the best team in English footballing history. Whilst a certain Sir Alex Ferguson looks like he’ll be adding at least one more trophy to his astonishing collection this season, it appears Arsene Wenger may have to wait at least another year to add to his.

It’s Just a Case of Deja Vu

It’s that time of year again, we’re entering the final stages of the season and Sir Alex is in the thick of another title tussle.

Going into the final stages of the season, Sir Alex Ferguson is in a very familiar position; he’s fighting on three fronts in an attempt to add to his impressive collection of trophies. Manchester United are in pole position to win the Barclays Premier League, they’ve got a semi final tie in the FA Cup against arch-rivals Manchester City and they have a Champions League tie with reigning Premier League champions Chelsea. The most significant part of this potential trophy haul is that if Manchester United were to win the league, they’ll have been the champions of England more times than any other club, they’re currently level on 18 a piece with the old enemy Liverpool Football Club.

Can Theo Van Nasregas save Arsenal's Season?

It’s crunch time for Arsene’s key players, will they end the season as Champs or Chumps?

Is it just me or are you glad that the international week is over and we can get back to the business of domestic football? The international break did nothing more than interrupt one of the most promising climaxes to the end of a season in the Barclay’s Premier League in recent years. Think about it, there are still three teams in Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea who can still win the league. Three teams tussling for that final Champions League qualifying place, Manchester City, Tottenham and after resurgence under one ‘King Kenny’, Liverpool too. And when you look at it, pretty much everyone else could get relegated, the likes of Bolton and Everton who are 7^th and 8^th respectively are 8 points off the drop zone, if they were to hit a bad run of form, they could be dragged right into a relegation dogfight like the Premier League has never seen.

Fabio's Captain Dilemma

Fabio Capello has left himself with a tricky decision for the upcoming friendly against Ghana, who will he pick to be England's seventh captain in four games?

After England’s successful performance against Wales, Fabio Capello has announced that a few players are due to return home and will not be needed for the friendly against Ghana. Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole, Wayne Rooney, Michael Dawson and more importantly, England captain John Terry, have all been sent home so they have time to recover for their upcoming League and Champions League games. This leaves Capello with a squad of players that now have the opportunity to show him and the country, what they can do.

Bent and Lampard celebrate England goal

When Will The Special One Return?

Jose says he's England bound, but when? Only he knows.

Judging from recent reports, Jose Mourinho has signalled to the world of football that his next job will be in England. He wants to return to the country that he feels is special, the country that he says feels like home. It’s a great thing to hear, he was an absolutely fantastic character to have in the English game, and he’ll be welcomed back by fans and the media with open arms. But the way the media have been going on about it, they make it seem as though his return is imminent, something I don’t agree with.

It's the Week that Club Teams Dread

International Friendlies, the Bane of Every Football Managers Life

It’s that time of year again, the Premier League season is closing in with what looks to be not only one of the closest title races in recent years, but almost certainly the closest relegation dog fight that the Premier League has ever witnessed. One from Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea still have a realistic chance of winning the league, whilst only three points separate the bottom eight teams in the league.

John Terry reinstated as captain of England

Will Fabio Capello's decision to reinstate John Terry as the permanent England captain have a negative affect on the rest of the squad?

I’m sure a lot of you will have woken up this morning to the expected news that John Terry has been reinstated as the captain of England. This decision by Fabio Capello has been met with a wide range of criticism, not only from the media, but football fans across the country. John Terry undoubtedly has great leadership skills and is a very good choice for England captain, this obviously isn’t the issue, the problem is the way in which Fabio Capello has handled the situation.

UEFA Champions League

Will Tottenham's dream continue? Will it finally be Chelsea's year? Who's turn is it to become the European Champions? 

So, now we know, the real talk can begin, the Quarter and Semi Final draws for the 2011 UEFA Champions League have taken place. We now have a better idea of who will have the tougher challenge if they wish to write themselves into the history books, and lift the most coveted trophy in World Club Football.

The ties are as follows, Tottenham will have to beat Real Madrid if they wish to continue their unbelievable Champions League adventure, Barcelona have the tricky task of having to go to Ukraine to face Shakhtar Donetsk, Inter Milan will face off against German side Schalke 04 and last but not least, Manchester United will have to battle past Chelsea in an all English tie if they want to match last season’s performance of reaching the Semi Final stages.

Chelsea vs FC Copenhagen (2-0 Agg)

Champions League 2^nd Round 2^nd Leg Preview (16-03-2011)

After a shaky mid season for Chelsea, they seem to be getting back to their best. Although their charge for the Premier League trophy may have been affected by their dip in form, they’ve still got a great chance to advance into the quarter finals of the Champions League at Stamford Bridge later tonight. Since their FA Cup exit to Everton just under a month ago, Chelsea have had three good results, they managed to roll over Copenhagen in Denmark winning by two goals to nil. They’ve also beaten Manchester United and Blackpool in the league, 2-1 and 3-1 respectively.

Manchester United vs Marseille (0-0 Agg)

Champions League 2^nd Round 2^nd Leg Preview (15-03-2011)

Manchester United will be going into this game brimming with confidence after a good win over Arsenal in the quarter finals of the FA Cup, with what was a relatively weakened side. Sir Alex Ferguson will be looking to bring Nani and Michael Carrick back into first team action and possibly hand Antonio Valencia his first start since he broke his leg towards the beginning of the season. This will be a welcome boost for a Manchester United side that ‘hasn’t been at their best’ for the majority of the season, and now with just 2 months of it left, it would appear they are now at full strength in attack.

Scottish Plight Looms

Could the SPL’s new proposal kill Scottish Football for good?

I’m 21 years old, I’ve been heavily interested in football from the age of about 7, so I’ve been following the game a good 14 years and have experienced a massive variety of debates. One of which that I remember, and always stood out to me was the Old Firm/English Premier League debate. It may be hard to believe now but there was a day when Rangers and Celtic were constantly linked to a permanent move to the English Premier League.

FA Cup 6th Round preview (13-3-2011)

Manchester City vs Reading

Manchester City are going into this game after a disappointing result in Kyiv and will be determined to put things right and advance to the Semi-Finals of the FA Cup. After the result in Kyiv, if City are going to win a trophy this year it’s most likely it’ll be the FA Cup.

FA Cup 6th Round preview (12-3-2011)

Manchester United vs Arsenal

Both sides will be going into this game hurting. Manchester United coming off the back of a 3-1 loss to Liverpool, in which Liverpool made Manchester United look average at best, and an Arsenal side who were the victims of one of the most one sided games in recent memory, losing 3-1 to Barcelona at the Nou Camp.

Manchester United have had a mixed bag in terms of who they’ve drawn in the FA Cup this year, first of all they faced Roy Hodgson’s Liverpool in the third round, they managed to scrape through one nil. In the fourth round they had a tricky trip to St. Marys where they won 2-1 in a tough encounter, and in the last round high flying Crawley Town came to Old Trafford in what nearly ended embarrassingly for the team that are top of the Premier League, United coming out one nil victors in the end, Wes Brown the unlikely hero.

Win or Bust

Just something I typed up in about an hour, hope you enjoy it! Before I start I just want to say well done to Tottenham, honestly thought they didn't have a chance against Milan, now hopefully you draw Barcelona in the next round!

I've been an Arsenal fan for as long as I can remember. I’m almost certain my dad sat me down before I could walk or talk and just drummed into me that I would be an Arsenal fan. I have memories of being a small child and having Arsenal wallpaper, Arsenal posters, Arsenal Shirts, Arsenal Shorts and Arsenal Socks. If Arsenal had made an everyday product into some sort of merchandise with their name or badge stamped on it, the chances are, I had it. Arsenal is all I know, I live and breathe Arsenal Football Club and I have done for my whole life. I've experienced the highs of our double winning team in 1998 and ‘The Invincibles’ of 2004, to the lows of losing out in a Champions League final  and experiencing five seasons without a trophy.

Same Old Arsenal?

Coming up this Sunday is the biggest game for Arsenal Football Club in nearly six years. Since Patrick Vieira, with his last kick of a football in an Arsenal shirt, fired in that deciding penalty against Manchester United in May 2005, forget the Barcelona game from last week, forget the Champions League final in 2006, that’s all in the past, it doesn’t matter, what does matter is that Arsenal go out and win the so called ‘Mickey Mouse Cup’ this Sunday.

It’s a trophy that will mean so much to every Arsenal player in that team who have been criticised over the past five years for lacking the drive to win, so much to Arsene Wenger who has been criticised, even by Arsenal fans, for his transfer policy, the belief that you don’t have to spend big to win trophies, it will be a success for the way the game should be played and the way a club should be managed.