Six On The Brain: England's Right-Back Options

For over ten years, Gary Neville indisputably owned the number 2 shirt for England. Nobody came near him in terms of ability for both club and country so, when he was injured, there was a great difficulty in replacing him. Whilst the substitutes were adequate enough, it was tough to describe them as quality players. Did anyone think England were going to win the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea with Danny Mills at right-back?

Often enough with the England side, there is always one position with which there is a struggle. Most famously, perhaps, is the search for a left winger; though with the likes of Ashley Young and Stewart Downing, amongst others, staking their claim to be first choice on the left side of midfield, those days could be numbered.

Nowadays, the main conundrum for Fabio Capello is who to have at right-back for the national side. This is not down to a lack of options. Rather, it is too many options which give the Italian such a headache. As opposed to having to decide between two or three players, it is not hyperbolic to suggest that Capello has no less than six players of genuine quality to choose from for the right back slot.

Based on form - the way in which Capello said he would pick his squads rather than choosing players because of their name and reputation - Manchester City’s Micah Richards has to be the stand-out candidate.

The improvement in the 23-year-old’s game has been immeasurable since the takeover at Eastlands. Perhaps it was the threat of losing his place in the team that has seen Richards thrive under Mark Hughes and now Roberto Mancini. Richards has had to improve himself to mirror the improvement that has been taking place around him at the club.

Crucially for England, Richards’ partner down the right-hand side is James Milner – a fellow international. Together, the pair have been in devastating form with the 6-1 derby thrashing of Manchester United at Old Trafford proving that the pair have the potential to work as a partnership for club as well as country.

Whilst being solid defensively, Richards is usually one of the first names on the City team-sheet despite not being one of the big-money signings made in the Sheikh Mansour era, the former England Under-21 international is just as good going forward. He has five assists to his name in the Premier League so far and he bagged his first goal of the season in City’s 3-1 win over Newcastle last weekend

Built like a tank with pace to boot, Richards’ exclusion from the recent England squads for the friendlies against Spain and Sweden were as baffling and inexplicable as any decision Capello has made during his tenure as England manager. Taking to Twitter to give his reaction, Richards said that to say he was “disappointed is an understatement” and stated that he needs to “roll the sleeves up and work harder”.

Perhaps it is the way in which he failed to deal with Franck Ribéry of Bayern Munich in the Champions League tie at the Allianz Arena that sealed his fate under Capello but he was given no support from the midfield on that night and it is arguably his only poor performance of the season to date. Even so, it does not explain his exclusion from the England squad and gives more fuel to the fire for the argument that Capello will never pick Richards for the England squad, regardless of what he does for his club.

One of Richards’ main competitors for the right-back slot is Glen Johnson of Liverpool, already capped 35 times by England.

In recent years, Johnson has established himself as England’s top right back though doubts remain about his ability as a defender; many think he is more adept at going forward than he is defensively. It is for this reason that he has occasionally been employed on the right of midfield for his club though it has not been as successful as Gareth Bale’s positional change on the opposite flank for Tottenham.

Johnson’s critics cite an eagerness to get forward as one of his shortcomings as he leaves a lot of space which is easily exploitable for the better international sides, particularly the likes of Spain, Holland, Brazil and Germany. It is a naivety that is to be expected of a rookie, not a player who has been on the international scene for eight years.

Evidence does not come in short supply. At the World Cup in South Africa, Johnson was found wanting at right-back and took a portion of blame for three of Germany's goals in the 4-1 defeat. First, he left Lukas Podolski in acres of space whilst occupying the position of a centre half; he was then too committed to England attacks in vain attempts to rescue the match and the space he left was used superbly by the Germans, who counter-attacked clinically and mercilessly.

In defence of Johnson, it was not just he who was poor that day. The whole defence was abysmal; though the shortcomings of Ashley Cole, John Terry and Matthew Upson were not as exposed to exploited as those of Johnson.

Whilst Johnson was out injured, Kelly took over as right-back at Liverpool and did not disappoint manager Kenny Dalglish. Indeed, when Johnson returned from injury he was forced to play at left back due to the superb form of Kelly. With the signing of the imperious José Enrique bolstering Liverpool’s options at left-back over the summer, Johnson has reverted to his familiar role of right-back, usurping Kelly in the process though the youngster says that he is lucky to have the 27 year-old as a mentor for both club and country.

The ex-Chelsea man not only faces a battle to be the number one right-back for his country, but his club too, thanks to the blossoming of Martin Kelly - another player who can harbour genuine hopes of being England right-back.

The 21 year-old has been in fine form for England’s under-21 side, with three goals in his five appearances to date. With Stuart Pearce playing such an important role within the full squad, one has to wonder how long it is before Psycho’s influence begins to rub off on Fabio Capello in favour of Kelly.

One thing that may count against Kelly, however, is the fact that he is not a natural right-back. Throughout his days in Liverpool’s academy, he was played at centre back and it is only since his breakthrough into the first team at Anfield that he has become regarded as a quality full-back.

Putting a seemingly square peg into a round hole has not stopped Fabio Capello from taking Manchester United’s Phil Jones and Chris Smalling into consideration for the right-back slot. Whilst Smalling, Jones and Kelly can be said to be versatile - not a bad quality to have when at a tournament - they are not natural full-backs.

Of the three, it is Kelly who is most likely to permanently become a right-back. Jones is primarily a centre half but has been deployed both at right back and in midfield by Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United whilst Smalling has appeared at centre half, his natural position, and right-back.

Although Jones is a promising talent, Capello has compared him to the legendary Franco Baresi; he is prone to untimely demonstrations of his naivety. By playing on instinct rather than with his brain, Jones often allows himself to be drawn into positions of great vulnerability. In Manchester United’s 3-3 draw with FC Basle in the Champions League, he was caught well out of position as he ventured forward and was unable to track back in time to stop the Basle counter-attack which led to their equaliser.

Smalling, on the other hand, has demonstrated a great maturity which saw Capello have enough faith in the former Fulham player to allow him to make his debut for England at right-back for the crucial Euro 2012 qualifier away in Bulgaria.

A change of club for Jones and Smalling has boosted the international credentials of both in the eyes of Capello, who has acknowledged their quick development by giving both players their international debuts since they moved to Old Trafford from Blackburn and Fulham respectively.

If either Smalling or Jones wish to become a permanent fixture on the right-hand side of the England defence, they have an obstacle in their way in the shape of Kyle Walker.

The Spurs right-back made his England debut in the recent friendlies with Spain and Sweden, winning the man of the match award in the latter, following excellent form for his club so far this season which included the winning goal in the North London derby back in October.

Walker, undoubtedly, has reaped the benefit of loan spells – particularly his time at Aston Villa for the second half of last season in which he gained invaluable experience of the Premier League. His return to Spurs has seen him become the first-choice right-back at White Hart Lane in his first full season of Premier League football and he looks set to become one of their key players for years to come.

His pace, which he has in excess, is arguably his main asset and offers him great strength going forward as shown in Tottenham’s recent victory at Fulham where Walker got to a ball he had no right to and put a cross in which Gareth Bale forced into the back of the net off of the unfortunate Chris Baird. However, like Johnson and Jones, Walker’s attacking instincts may leave him exposed and, therefore, not a ‘safe’ option at right-back for Capello.

There was a time when an injury to an England right-back would have meant crisis. Now, though, any injuries to any right-back would not significantly weaken the quality available. England have gone from having one automatic choice at right-back to six possibilities – an embarrassment of riches which must be deal with.

Fabio, it’s your choice.

Man City 1-1 Napoli

Aleksandar Kolarov’s free-kick cancelled out Edinson Cavani’s goal to rescue a point for Manchester City against their fellow Champions League debutants Napoli at the Eithad Stadium.

On a night which had been anticipated since the takeover of Sheikh Mansour, the occasion did not disappoint with both sides playing some good football and pressing for victory without going hell-for-leather in their search for a winning goal. On the balance of play, a draw was probably the fairest result.

Typically, Napoli defended well - as you would expect from an Italian team - with their 3-4-3 formation working well; one midfielder would often drop back in to make it a 4-3-3 formation when City came forward whilst they always looked a threat on the counter-attack.

The sumptuous David Silva was impressive for the home side, pulling the strings in midfield, as he so often does, with his dazzling footwork showing that he belongs on the grandest stage in club football.

Argentine forward Ezequiel Lavezzi fired an early warning with just over a quarter of an hour on the clock as his smart turn left Vincent Kompany bamboozled before his fine, curling effort came back off the crossbar with Joe Hart grasping at thin air.

The hosts then hit the bar themselves with Yaya Touré going close to providing the perfect finish to a flowing City move which he started. Samir Nasri and Edin Dzeko also went close for Roberto Mancini’s side with shots that whistled past the post of Morgan De Sanctis in the Napoli goal but, alas, for all of the opportunities that were created, the sides were inseparable at the interval.

Shortly after the break, the highly-rated Slovakian, Marek Hamsik, saw his effort cleared off the line by Kompany before he was again denied by a brilliant block by Pablo Zabaleta as the Azzurri looked to take control of proceedings and silence the home crowd.

Silenced, they were, in the 69^th minute as Gareth Barry’s sloppy back-heel in midfield allowed Christian Maggio to burst forward before slipping in Cavani to finish coolly between the legs of England goalkeeper Hart to the delight of the travelling Napoli fans.

Parity would be restored within five minutes as Kolarov’s free-kick flew past De Sanctis to haul City level.

It said a lot about the quality in depth that both sides possess with strikers Carlos Tevez and Goran Pandev coming off the bench for their respective sides as both bosses urged their sides forward for a winning goal.

It was the latter who came closest to securing three points for his side, capitalising on a shocking back-pass from the usually reliable Kompany. Thankfully for the home fans, Hart was off his line quickly to put the Macedonian striker off and City lived to fight another day.

The criminally under-rated visitors gave Manchester City a stern test and one which will have surprised many an ignorant fan. Whilst the result was not quite the reality check some were hoping for, it gives the Premier League pacesetters some food for thought ahead of a tricky trip to the Allianz Arena, the setting for this season’s grand finale, where they face Bayern Munich.

Mancini will not have let his players take Napoli lightly, nor could he have afforded to. This, after all, is no walk in the park like the majority of City's Premier League games have been. This is the biggest test in club football: a massive step-up and a challenge not to be shirked. Passengers get punished. Yes, Gareth Barry, I'm looking at YOU.

Whilst they may have the financial muscle to be able to make an impact upon the tournament, they also need to demonstrate the experience and application of talent if they are to progress from the 'group of death'.

Though their style of play may have changed to be more expansive City still need improvement.

A ruthlessness in front of goal is needed. Often enough, the likes of Nasri, Dzeko and Aguero would get into promising positions but, rather than shoot, they opted instead to pass the ball. These players should not be short on confidence having hit 15 goals in their opening 4 league games. Chances aren't as easy to come by against the likes of Napoli and Bayern as they would be against Wigan and Swansea.

Napoli have given the reality check, it's now up to City to act upon their findings and improve to ensure they have a chance of returning to the Allianz for a second time in May.

De Gea Gaffe Triggers Glove Affair With Lindegaard

David De Gea has a lot to learn. And fast.

The £18.3m signing from Atletico Madrid has done little to justify that price tag since his arrival with many questioning why Sir Alex Ferguson bothered to sign him in the first place.

In short, the answer is because De Gea will be a world class goalkeeper for a very long time. But first he must embark on a steep learning curve before reaching that level.

Like every goalkeeper, De Gea has made errors but two high-profile mistakes in as many weeks have given reason for fans to call for Anders Lindegaard to be the man between the sticks as they seek confidence heading into an eight game run in which Manchester United face Tottenham, Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool.

The good news for De Gea was that neither mistake has proved too costly.

His late effort to save Edin Dzeko's 30 yard drive at Wembley was forgiven as his team-mates turned the game around to win 3-2 and at the Hawthorns on Sunday afternoon the trick was repeated as United snatched a victory when a draw appeared to be the most likely outcome. All of this following on from De Gea allowing Shane Long's effort to go underneath his desperate dive when the save should have been routine for a goalkeeper of his quality.

The big question now is whether or not De Gea can be trusted for such big games against the sides tipped to be there or thereabouts come the end of the season in May.

Early signs of the Premier League season, despite there only being one round of matches, suggest that dropping points will be punished even with the campaign only being in its infancy.

If De Gea continues in this vein then it seems inevitable that Sir Alex Ferguson will opt for Lindegaard in goal as the risk of dropping points is too great if the young Spaniard starts such games.

Having seen the 20 year-old in both the Community Shield against Manchester City and the opening game of the league season against West Brom, I am yet to be convinced by De Gea.

Although his distribution is excellent, De Gea is let down by his inability to command the area. This problem may come from the fact that his English is poor but the defence do not seem to have anywhere near as much confidence in him as they do in Lindegaard.

Whilst the Dane will feel sorry for his compatriot, the footballing world remains dog-eat-dog. As the Guardian's 'Secret Footballer' columnist said about being left on the bench on the opening day of the season in his piece last weekend, "I spent the entire game hoping that the player borrowing my shirt overhit every pass, lost every header and ballooned every shot. This is a basic, selfish, animal instinct." Lindegaard, you presume, will have felt the same way.

Lindegaard's career at United consists of two FA Cup appearances but after enjoying a positive pre-season in America, the 27 year-old seems determined to make the most of any opportunity that he may be presented with.

It may well be an opportunity that is provided by De Gea's inexperience and vulnerability.

It is now a well-known fact that he conceded the most goals from outside the box in La Liga last season and Dzeko's goal in the Community Shield did little to dispel the concerns over his capability in dealing with long-range efforts.

De Gea will, inevitably, be peppered with shots from distance by the opposition and, such is the unforgiving nature of the Premier League, if one of them does find a way past the Spaniard then question marks will again be raised over a so-called 'dodgy keeper'.

Sir Alex Ferguson is renowned for having faith in his young players but even he must be concerned by what he has seen of his most expensive Summer acquisition and he could be forgiven for dropping De Gea in a knee-jerk reaction.

Already low on confidence, being dropped would be a huge blow for the youngster but it is the way in which he reacts to such an occurrence upon which he would truly be judged; the truly great players bounce back stronger than ever whilst those who are not destined for greatness wilt away in the shadows.

De Gea's mental strength is being intensely tested early on in his Old Trafford career as well as his ability and we will find out sooner rather than later whether or not he is up to the challenge of filling the rather large gloves left by the retirement of Edwin Van Der Sar.

Bigmouth Strikes Again

Life is never dull for Joey Barton.

Made to train on his own and docked two weeks wages by Newcastle United, the saga surrounding the Scouser's situation has more chapters added to it by the day or, in this case, by the tweet.

Barton's Twitter account is at the root of the problems. Since he joined the social networking site earlier in the year, widespread attention has come from the media and fans alike; his follower count is well over 200,000.

The 28 year-old is well-known for tweeting inspirational quotations from the likes of George Orwell, as if to suggest that he is the man to deliver honesty and justice in the midst of Mike Ashley's deceitful reign as owner.

Lyrics from one of his favourite bands, The Smiths, often appear on Barton's timeline. Indeed, his 'About Me' section quotes the 1984 hit 'Still Ill': "I decree today that life is simply taking and not giving. England is mine and it owes me a living".

The quotations are something which have surprised many. Barton is still seen as a common thug despite claims that he has cleaned up his act, yet his ability to quote Orwell, Aristotle and Morrissey elevates him above the mindless neanderthals of the world and shows that, beneath the surface, a human being is lurking.

The use of Twitter has been good for Barton in some respects but misguided in others. The account has been used to clear up issues from the past that have blighted Barton's career and left many with a negative opinion of a quality footballer. He admits to being a "complete bellend" in years gone by but claims to have grown and changed considerably as a man since the occurrence of such incidents.

He has taken exception to "shoddy journalism" from certain tabloid newspapers who deem regurgitating Barton's tweets in the next day's newspaper to be an acceptable form of journalism. Said journalists have been unaffectionately labelled as "helmets".

More recently, Twitter has been used as a platform upon which Barton has suggested that there is widespread discontent within the dressing room with regards to the way the football club is being run and that a relegation battle is a realistic possibility.

He has also said that comments from full-back José Enrique about the club would merely be "the tip of the iceberg" if the players were allowed to speak their minds.

This claim has been rebuffed with accusations made against Barton, hinting that he is a disruptive dressing-room influence having ranted at the team and management following the 3-2 friendly defeat at Leeds last weekend, accusing manager Alan Pardew of being a puppet of the Ashley regime. He is, therefore, seen as a major part of the problem and not the solution.

However, Barton may have a point: Kevin Nolan, the top scorer from last season, has already left for a paltry fee of £3m and Barton is set to be the next one out of the door after being told he can leave on a free transfer. Enrique could also leave the Magpies with Liverpool a possible destination.

Only a small amount of the £35m received from the sale of Andy Carroll to Liverpool has been reinvested into the squad with Yohan Cabaye (£4.3m) the lone player to arrive for a fee since Carroll left. Demba Ba and Sylvain Marveaux (both free) are the only other additions during the current transfer window.

A large section of the Newcastle fans have sided with Barton, citing that a lack of ambition is painstakingly obvious for all to see and that the best thing for the club at the moment would be for the owner, Mike Ashley, to leave.

Following the latest public display of petulance from Barton, he has been fined two weeks wages by Ashley; a punishment he fully intends to appeal as revealed, you guessed it, on Twitter.

As refreshing as Barton's honesty is, his actions over the last few days are doing his chances of a move away from St James' Park more harm than good.

Whilst his quality on the field remains undeniable - he's been called every profanity under the sun during his career but never a bad footballer - his daily sermon of online revelations will give managers plenty of food for thought before deciding whether or not the risk of signing him is one worth taking.

Based on ability, at least half of the clubs in the Premier League should offer Barton a deal - there are reports that a top four club heads the list of those who have shown an interest since he was transfer listed - but his off-field actions will always be held against him.

Perhaps a sabbatical from Twitter would do Barton the world of good. It would provide a chance to stay out of the spotlight and focus upon his career but, then again, a man with an opinion will always have his voice heard one way or another.

Argentina 1-1 Uruguay (4-5 pens)

Argentine-born goalkeeper Fernando Muslera was the hero for Uruguay as they beat host nation Argentina 5-4 on penalties in an eventful match to progress to the semi-finals of the Copa América.

The World-Cup semi-finalists will now face Peru on Tuesday night in La Plata after la rojiblanca beat Colombia 2-0 after extra time in their Quarter Final earlier in the day.

It looked like Uruguay would do well to make it to extra time with Diego Pérez going from hero to villain in the first half at Santa Fe.

He opened the scoring against the run of play in the 6^th minute, sliding home after Sergio Romero could only parry Martín Caceres’ header into his path to gift the 31 year old his first international goal on his 68^th appearance for his country.

There were doubts as to whether or not Pérez should have been on the pitch after he was booked in the 3rd minute for a horror challenge on Argentina’s captain, Javier Mascherano.

However, he would last only half an hour longer as he picked up a second yellow card shortly before half time for a bodycheck on Gonzalo Higuaín to leave his side with a mountain to climb.

Sergio Aguero, the tournament’s leading goalscorer, tried to find Higuaín as Argentina looked for an equaliser but his slaloming run was brought to an end by a crowd of bodies.

It would be Higuaín who levelled the match, ghosting between the centre backs to head home Lionel Messi’s delightful lob over the top of the Uruguay defence to grab his second goal of the tournament.

In a game littered with fouls, Argentina’s Pablo Zabaleta also found himself in the referee’s notebook along with Caceres and Alvaro Gonzalez.

The sides traded goals which were both cancelled out: Higuaín denied a second goal by the linesman’s flag after he headed home a Messi free-kick and Caceres’ effort was also ruled out by the referee’s assistant.

Uruguay remained a threat from set-pieces and Diego Lugano’s header from 16 yards out hit the crossbar with Romero grasping at thin air, giving Argentina a timely reminder that there was life yet in La Celeste, despite their handicap.

As expected, Argentina made most of the running in the second half with Angel Di Maria shooting over from distance early on but they never took full advantage.

Looking for penetration, Argentina’s manager Sergio Batista brought on Javier Pastore and Carlos Tevez for Di Maria and Aguero.

The desired impact never materialised and the Albiceleste were reduced to shots from range; Lionel Messi tried to grab the game by the scruff of the neck but his shot was comfortably saved by Muslera.

The Lazio goalkeeper was man of the match having made a string of great saves from Higuaín; one of the more impressive efforts coming after the Argentine had spun away from his marker.

In keeping out substitute Tevez’s deflected free-kick and the rebound from Higuaín, the goalkeeper was performing minor miracles as the game moved into injury time.

Mascherano received his marching orders for a needless foul on Luis Suarez by the halfway line to even up proceedings and Uruguay almost capitalised on the equal numbers with Romero saving well when Forlan was played in with seconds left on the clock.

Lugano went close to upsetting the host nation but his header went fractionally over and Forlan put another headed chance wide as the game moved into extra time with everything still to play for.

Fernando Gago picked up the first yellow card of extra time with a trip on Forlan before his participation in the game was ended as an injury saw him replaced by Lucas Biglia.

With even numbers, Uruguay started to commit more men forward and they were almost rewarded as Alvaro Pereira shot narrowly over before Tevez and Pastore repeated the not-so-honourable feat.

Higuaín, a constant thorn in Uruguay’s side, came closest to a goal in the first half of extra time with a quickly-taken effort that caught Muslera out but bounced back off the post.

Forlan put Uruguay’s best chance of extra time wide of Romero’s goal seconds into the second period with Muslera denying Messi minutes later.

A double substitution from Uruguay saw Alvaro Pereira and Egidio Arévalo Ríos hauled off with Walter Gargano and Sebastián Eguren their replacements as time ticked away for both sides.

The nemesis of Argentina and particularly Higuaín, Muslera, denied him again, this time saving from a tight angle. The highly-coveted Pastore stung his palms from the resulting corner as Argentina desperately searched for a winner.

It seemed that a winning goal was inevitable once Messi danced through the defence with a mere four minutes left but he shot straight at the goalkeeper.

The deadlock was not broken so a hard-fought tie and a fantastic football match was to be decided via the cruel lottery that is penalties.

It was Tevez, the player of the people, who would be the fall-guy in the shoot-out, missing Argentina’s third penalty which gave Uruguay an opportunity to progress to their fifth straight semi-final. It was an opportunity that was ruthlessly taken as all five penalty takers scored to set up the semi-final with Peru, leaving many a Uruguayan dreaming of making the final in a week’s time.

The Ascension Of The Albion

After a turbulent twenty years of yo-yoing between divisions, the future seems bright down on the South Coast for Brighton and Hove Albion who might just have found some stability - as well as a new permanent home.

The Seagulls flew the nest after inhabiting the infamous Withdean Stadium, an athletics ground that was supposed to be a short-term fix, for 12 years, leaving with the League One title.

They were top of the league from September and stayed there for the remainder of the season in Gus Poyet’s first full season in charge of the club.

This is Poyet’s first managerial post having been an assistant manager at Swindon and Leeds alongside Dennis Wise before being Juande Ramos’ right-hand man at his former club Tottenham.

The charismatic Uruguayan has overseen a remarkable turnaround at the Withdean having been given the job whilst the club was in the midst of a relegation scrap. Survival was the short-term target with promotion seen as a long term ambition.

However, Poyet’s transformation of Brighton into a side that is easy on the eye and play with flair, as you’d expect from someone who played the game in the way he did, has been done without spending millions.

Whilst purchases were made: club captain Gordon Greer arrived from Swindon for £250,000, chairman and boyhood Brighton fan Tony Bloom has kept spending to a minimum as he does not want the club to be spending money it simply does not have. A rarity in the modern-day game, some might say.

Inevitably, Poyet’s excellent work down on the South Coast has not gone unnoticed with reports linking him with other clubs cropping up in the press. A four-year contract signed only last summer means that Brighton would be owed a lot of money in compensation if Poyet were to leave but he has stated a desire to build a dynasty with the Seagulls.

Chairman Bloom, who has made his money through the business of property, succeeded Dick Knight in 2009, maintaining the Bloom family's association with the club - his grandfather, Harry, was vice-chairman during the 1970's; his uncle Ray is a director - and immediately set about taking the club to the top level.

Shortly after Bloom's takeover, planning permission was granted for a new stadium in Falmer.

The 41 year-old invested £93m into the development of the American Express Community Stadium (AMEX), which cost £105m, and has set aside a further £15m which will be spent on the building of a state of the art training ground and youth academy.

Promotion was achieved in time to arrive in Falmer as a Championship club, resulting in season ticket sales going through the roof.

Over 18,000 have been sold already with a waiting list already produced in preparation of a potential expansion of the capacity from 22,000 to 35,000 – a far cry from the 8,850 capacity Withdean which isolated fans from the players and vice versa.

The catchment area for Brighton to tap into is huge with thousands of potential fans out there within the 20.7 miles that lie between Albion and the nearest Football League club to them geographically – Crawley Town.

With this club on the up, fans young and old should come streaming through the turnstiles into the AMEX to see Poyet’s side attempt to get the club back into the top flight for the first time since 1983.

Huge credit for the upturn in fortunes that makes Premier League football a conceivable possibility for the South coast club has to go to Bloom. He made Premier League football the target, making ambition the buzzword at the AMEX.

With a young manager and a young side who work so well together, it’s difficult to give any reasons why Brighton don’t have a chance of making it out of the Championship by the door marked ‘Promotion’.

A lot of people see Brighton as dark horses for next season in the Championship, arguably the toughest league to predict in English football, and rightfully so.

Having won League One at a canter last season, they will aim to make the same sort of seamless transition to the next level that Norwich, Leeds and Millwall did in the previous campaign.

Maintaining the momentum gained from promotion is seen to be the one of the key ingredients to success in the Championship; the gulf in class between the Championship and League One isn’t quite as large as it is made out to be.

Although it was the FA Cup, in which anything can happen, Brighton did beat both Watford and Portsmouth last season - 1-0 and 3-1 respectively with the former result being away from home – to prove that they have the ability to mix it with sides from the Championship.

Beating off competition from Leicester City, who have every right to feel confident that their campaign will be successful, to sign the double-barreled hitman Craig Mackail-Smith for a club-record fee, shows that the Seagulls are a force to be reckoned with off the pitch and will hopefully be the same on it.

Wills Buckley and Hoskins have both arrived alongside Mackail-Smith to bolster the attacking options available to Poyet.

Hoskins joins with a point to prove after not living up to expectations with Watford at this level but 20 goals for a relegated Bristol Rovers side last season suggest that he has the assets to succeed with a team who should, theoretically, provide him with better service.

Buckley, a club record signing from Watford at the time, is seen as the replacement for Elliott Bennett, who left for Premier League pastures at Norwich. He impressed at Watford last season and will look to repeat the form that saw him touted as one of the best young players in the Championship.

Kazenga LuaLua returned to the club for his third loan spell this morning and could make the deal permanent in January. The management acknowledged his contribution to the promotion from League One last season and are keen to tie him down on a long-term deal when the opportunity arises in January.

Romain Vincelot has also checked in at the AMEX from Dagenham and Redbridge after 18 months of being courted by the Seagulls. His twelve goals weren’t enough to keep the Daggers in League One but, along with his versatility, it was enough to convince Poyet that he could be a valuable asset to the team.

It is a team which will look to compete in the division rather than settling for safety. Of course, survival is the primary aim but Brighton is a club with bigger plans. Perhaps a top-half finish would be realistic target for the forthcoming season with a play-off push the campaign after.

However, with Poyet and Bloom at the heart of the club, a top six push this season is not entirely out of the question and I, for one, would not be surprised if it were to materialise.

Chester 1-0 Tranmere

Chester beat Tranmere Rovers for the second pre-season running at the Exacta Stadium as Wes Baynes' superb strike 10 minutes into the second half proved to be the winner in what was a drab affair.

Rovers fielded a different team in either half which a number of trialists and youth team players given a chance to impress the management.

Owain Fon Williams missed out with a slight niggle so Andy Coughlin played the duration of the game in goal whilst the re-signed Danny Holmes made his first appearance for the club since 2008 at right back in the first half.

First-team regulars Mark McChrystal, Zoumana Bakayogo, Joss Labadie and Lucas Akins added experience to an XI which included youngsters Max Power, Will Vaulks and Ellis Appleton as well as sibling trialists Mabunuizia and Avanser Ngadrira.

Bakayogo started brightly for Tranmere, appearing to relish being back in his natural position of left back, marauding down the left hand side to support Appleton and cause problems to the Chester back-line.

The game never really came to life in the first half with a lot of niggly fouls meaning there was no tempo or flow from either side.

Labadie was one of the main culprits and got involved in a heated bust-up with an opposition player; a situation which was quickly diffused by Bakayogo. It was Labadie who had the first meaningful opportunity of the game with his snapshot palmed behind by goalkeeper John Danby but the corner was cleared.

The two trialists were doing little to impress though Mabunuizia Ngadrira was often left isolated from the rest of the team whilst his brother Avanser seemed to be playing too deep to have any sort of impact on the game.

However, this gave Max Power the chance to get forward and that he did with regularity though his shots did little to trouble Danby.

Chester still posed a threat and almost took the lead when a Chester forward was played in following a lapse in concentration from Holmes but Coughlin saved well and the danger was averted.

Labadie tried his luck from distance again just before the end of the half but his effort was deflected behind and the subsequent corner came to nothing which meant that the teams went into the break goalless.

9 substitutions were made at half time with Ash Taylor, Michael Kay, Robbie Weir, John Welsh and Andy Robinson being the first team players to come on.

Max Power and Andy Coughlin retained their places whilst trialists David Brown, David Raven, Liam O'Mahoney and Vinicus Arnaldo given a chance to prove that they are worthy of a contract.

Brown did little to impress and was often caught napping by Chester's right winger who enjoyed a lot of success down the flanks but was never sufficiently supported in the middle to provide any real danger.

Andy Robinson went close to giving Tranmere the lead with a free-kick from 25 yards that went just wide but another strike from 25 yards soon afterwards broke the deadlock.

Wes Baynes picked the ball up and drove at the Tranmere defence, who backed off, allowing him to find the top corner in spectacular style to give the Evo Stik Premier side the lead.

Robinson again went close with a free-kick but this time it was tipped over the bar by the goalkeeper as the League One team pressed for an equalizer. Arnaldo looked lively and shot wide after some good solo work but Chester still threatened and Coughlin had to be alert to snuff out any danger.

Former Sunderland trainee O’Mahoney thought he was in over the top after a superb cross-field pass from Weir but the linesman’s flag denied the Irishman a chance to score on debut for the Whites.

Tranmere almost played themselves into trouble as a hospital pass along the back four was intercepted but, fortunately, blushes were spared and the ball hacked away.

The defence refused to push out and kept backing off from Chester players which allowed them to come forward and shoot at will; something for them to work on in training for the rest of the week.

Robinson had another great chance for Tranmere but his first time effort was sliced following a bad clearance from the Chester goalkeeper.

Although Tranmere were providing plenty of pressure for the Chester defence to deal with, there was nobody gambling on the number of crosses coming into the box, leaving the Chester centre halves to clear with relative ease.

Despite incessant pressure from the visitors, Chester held out for a 1-0 win which will have delighted the majority of the 1,806 fans in attendance and given their squad a huge confidence boost heading into their next friendly which is against FC United of Manchester.

Tranmere will head to Colwyn Bay and Prestatyn over the course of the weekend looking for improvement on the performance at the Exacta.

Tranmere Squad Taking Shape

Tranmere have been handed an early pre-season boost with the news that some familiar faces will be at Prenton Park next season.

Midfielder Andy Robinson has delighted fans by signing a new one-year deal with the club after returning from his holiday whilst full-back Michael Kay and midfielder Robbie Weir, who both spent the second half of last season on loan from Sunderland, have each put pen to paper on a one year contract.

An option has been taken up by Tranmere to extend the contract of the Irish centre back Mark McChrystal, who arrived on the Wirral in January from Derry City, for another two years hoping that he can put in a string of confident and composed performances as he did last season.

Danny Holmes is the first player to sign for the Whites this Summer but, having been released back in 2009, it seems like more of a homecoming for the Rovers fan. He arrives from Welsh Premier League side TNS with rave reviews after being named in the team of the year by eight of the twelve managers in the league.

Most fans will not be surprised at the news of the contract renewals though it is pleasing to see that we remain a somewhat attractive proposition to players though better offers from elsewhere would, no doubt, not require a second thought.

For youngsters like Kay, Weir and Holmes, playing for us provides them with a chance to gain experience in a good standard of first team football that acts as a platform upon which they can build themselves the foundations for a successful career at a higher level having earned us a handsome sum in the process.

Robinson, by all accounts, could be seen as a luxury signing as it is common knowledge between Rovers fans that his salary is fairly larger than that of the majority of the first team squad. Fitness is key for the former Swansea talisman; I firmly believe that he still has the ability be one of the best players in the league on his day. If we can get him fit and keep him fit then we have a quality player on our hands.

McChrystal is being given a second crack at the English game after being released by Wolves without making an appearance. At the age of 26, it would not be too far-fetched to suggest that his best years are yet to come and hopefully we can be the beneficiaries of this. He is a calming influence at the back and, to me, seems like a natural replacement for the evergreen Ian Goodison.

The rebuilding process now begins in earnest for Les Parry, who will be bringing in a number of trialists in the coming weeks in order to boost numbers in one of the smaller squads in League One. A 46 game season is tough enough with a large squad but for clubs with small budgets it can be taxing and this is reflected through achievement on the field.

It is no secret that money is tight at Tranmere and now, more than ever, value for money is needed. Quite simply, we cannot afford to have passengers within the squad. Some fans are yet to be convinced by Parry whilst others simply back him because they have no other choice.

Personally, I think Parry should have left after keeping us up at Stockport in May 2010 but bringing in some quality players would go a long way to gaining more supporters of his regime.

From Birkenhead to Bayern Munich

Life probably seems quite surreal to Dale Jennings right now. Merely ten months after making his first-team debut at the tender age of 17 at home to Charlton, Jennings is on the verge of a move to European giants Bayern Munich.

His cameo against Charlton began a rocket-like ascent to stardom that led to widespread interest in his services after just four months of first-team football. Tranmere, however, rejected the advances of numerous Premier League and Championship clubs as we were eager to keep hold of their talisman in the midst of a relegation dogfight.

Having survived and guaranteed ourselves another season of League One football, it now seems inevitable that we will have to part with our prize possession.

Bayern Munich are in pole position to snap up Jennings, who is supposedly having a medical and discussing personal terms as I write this, having inquired about his availability shortly after the end of the season. A trial was offered and a formal bid has been made for the former Liverpool trainee that has been accepted after discussion in the Tranmere boardroom.

Rumours were circulating in the national press suggest that West Ham were also interested after seeing a £600,000 bid rejected in January. A change of manager hadn't put the Hammers off and they apparently offered a deal that could have risen to £1.7m though more than half of that would have been clause based.

Anyone who is in their right mind knows and appreciates that the decision for Dale should be an easy one: Bayern Munich, the European powerhouse, or West Ham United, the club whose owners have more bollocks between them than brain cells.

Although the transfer is all but complete, I do have my reservations about the move.

At Bayern Munich it is unlikely that Jennings will get a look-in with their first team for a good few years at the very least. As good as he is, he still has a lot of work to do before he is anywhere near the standards of players like Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery; though training with players of such quality would only be beneficial for his development.

Or perhaps they could learn something from him? His wonder-goal against Plymouth was one of the strikes of the season and rave reviews soon followed with scouts flocking from across the country and, seemingly, Europe to watch one of the Football League's hottest talents.

Dale's achievements from September onward were encapsulated when he beat Southampton's £10m rated Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to the League One Apprentice of the Year award at the Football League awards ceremony in March.

Obviously, I wish Dale all the best wherever he ends up but my primary concern is for Tranmere Rovers Football Club and I'd prefer it if we got as much money for him as we can. Judging by the fees being reported, this deal will be the most lucrative for us since Ryan Taylor left for Wigan back in 2005.

Plying his trade with the Bayern second team would also mean that we miss out on more money in the transfer as the clauses would presumably be based upon first team appearances; the chances of him getting enough to trigger the clause, in my opinion, are small.

Whereas, at West Ham, the chances of him playing in their first team are a lot higher and would therefore be of more benefit for the player and for us as a club due to the appearance-based clauses in any potential deal.

Jennings moving to Bayern Munich would do wonders for the reputation of our club, which has waned in recent years with players not coming off the production line as frequently as we would have liked. The days of us producing Premier League standard players like Ryan Taylor, Jason Koumas and Steve Simonsen seem distant but there is still a pool of talent out there waiting for an opportunity to shine.

After being released by Liverpool, Dale came to us on trial and managed to earn a scholarship which has led to one of the biggest clubs in Europe vying for his signature. Had he given up and become disillusioned with the game after his release this situation would never have happened.

It is a testament to the attitude of Jennings and the effort of the Tranmere youth system that he was given an opportunity to bounce back in the manner he did to catapult himself firmly into the spotlight and into the top tier of a major European league.

Wenger Working On Borrowed Time

The time has come for one of the unthinkable things in football to happen. Arsene Wenger should leave his post as Arsenal manager after almost 15 years in charge.

An absurd claim it may be but it is not one without substance.

A barren run of six trophyless years has seen Wenger’s side diminish from one of the most feared in the nation to a laughing stock. Once at the top of the food chain, they are now easy prey for those who have taken their place.

Wenger is so often a victim of his own philosophy. Aesthetically pleasing their football may be; there is a huge element of frustration about the countless occasions that Arsenal have tried to walk the ball into the net and paid the price for not turning their pressure and possession into goals. No plan B is evident when things do not go their way and there is certainly nothing to suggest that winning ugly is even at the nadir of the Arsenal agenda.

It seems as though ugly wins are not accepted and this remains one of Wenger’s greatest drawbacks. Whilst the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea are content to grind out a scrappy 1-0 win, Arsenal are not as it betrays everything they stand for. However, in a results-driven business, sacrifices must be made in order to gain success.

Blind faith keeps Wenger in a job but for how much longer?

In true Wenger fashion, the man they call ‘The Professor’, has failed to address the glaring shortcomings within the squad despite the world being able to see them – much like a lot of refereeing decisions that go in Arsenal’s favour. Refusal to spend money on quality players has seen Arsenal suffer yet still Wenger will deny that the problems exist.

There is no obvious leader within the Arsenal side. As good a player as Cesc Fabregas is, I do not consider him to be captain material. Long gone are the days of Patrick Vieira and Tony Adams, men who would drive the team on and set an example that the rest of the squad would follow.

Perhaps Arsenal’s greatest weakness is the defence. The signings of centre-back pairing Laurent Koscielny and Sébastien Squillaci have proved to be nothing more than a horror show as the pair have put on episode after episode of nightmare performances alongside each other in the absence of the excellent Thomas Vermaelen.

Wenger’s abstention from consummating the defensive frailty of his side has resulted in fruitless pursuits of trophies.

A defensive catastrophe cost them a chance of winning the Carling Cup at Wembley back in February whilst a catalogue of goalkeeping errors have failed to spark a reaction from Wenger in the form of a new goalkeeper. Lukasz Fabianski, Manuel Almunia and Wojiech Szczesny have all had their moments.

A top class goalkeeper is needed to provide stability and confidence at the back. An assured centre-back wouldn’t go amiss either – Gary Cahill and Christopher Samba are reportedly at the top of the wish-list. The money has always been there for such additions but Wenger has simply refused to spend it out of ignorance.

The Emirates Stadium - A home for false dawns and delusion.

For years there has been an emphasis on youth at Arsenal which give Wenger excuses when questioned by the media. For six long years his players have been maturing and you could be forgiven for thinking that Arsene was a Liverpool fan with his ‘next year’ mentality.

The fact of the matter is that the squads he has had over the last six years haven’t been good enough yet Wenger still uses age as an excuse for failure. Half a dozen years is more than enough time, Arsene, and your mitigations are becoming more and more tedious every time you use them.

The supposed infallibility which Wenger has stems from past successes which have meant that fans have been reluctant to criticise him but over the last few seasons patience has worn thin and an increasing number have expressed their concern at what is going on at the Emirates and rightfully so.

Would such failure be tolerated at other clubs? A quick glance across London towards Stamford Bridge tells you the answer: a definitive no. Carlo Ancelotti was mercilessly sacked for one trophyless season at Chelsea yet Wenger has been allowed six. Blind faith, it appears, dictates the running of the Gunners.

In reality, Arsene Wenger is in the same boat as Sir Alex Ferguson whereby his health will dictate the length of his reign. He will not be sacked; he will leave of his own accord but if Arsenal have any ambition they should replace him with a man who has a winning mentality because it is obvious to me that Wenger has lost his.

Roman's Russian Roulette

When it happened, it seemed inevitable but yet there was still something that rankled about the sacking of Carlo Ancelotti from Chelsea. Even this, by the standards of the owner Roman Abramovich, was harsh.

Just under two hours after a 1-0 defeat to Everton, the antithesis to Chelsea as a model of stability, Ancelotti was informed that his services were no longer required. The 51 year-old finds himself out of a job merely a year after leading the Blues to their first ever domestic double of Premier League and FA Cup.

Why? One season without a trophy.

It all went up in smoke for Ancelotti at Stamford Bridge

In a move that will leave Arsene Wenger thanking his lucky stars on the other side of London that his chairman is not as demanding, Abramovich mercilessly destroyed any form of stability Chelsea had gained over his two years in charge at Stamford Bridge.

Since taking control of the club in 2003, the Russian owner has overseen the departure of six managers: Claudio Ranieri, José Mourinho, Avram Grant, Luiz Felipe Scolari, Guus Hiddink and now Ancelotti.

The Italian was brought in to guide Chelsea to the one trophy that eludes Abramovich, the one he so desperately craves - the Champions League. Having won the trophy twice with AC Milan, Ancelotti was seen as the man who could deliver the missing part of the jigsaw for the Abramovich reign.

However, old friend Mourinho put pay to that dream in the 2009/10 season as his Inter Milan side went on to lift the trophy. Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United can repeat that feat with victory against Barcelona at Wembley on Saturday evening.

Ferguson and Mourinho put pay to Ancelotti's Champions League dreams

Many thought that Ancelotti was resigned to the sack following the Champions League exit to the Premier League Champions regardless of whether or not he won a domestic honour; though they no longer seem to register on the Abramovich radar.

Failure to deliver the Champions League is enough to earn a one-way ticket out of Stamford Bridge. The pay-off ain't bad, mind you.

Fingers will inevitably point to the unexpected and inexplicable departure of the popular Ray Wilkins, the man seen as the go-between of Ancelotti and the squad. The downturn in form after the sacking of Wilkins was alarming and took longer than it should have to resolve.

A return of 10 points from 11 games was disastrous and ultimately left them too much work to do in the title race, gifting Manchester United their 19th crown.

Ray Wilkins' departure was seen as a turning point in Ancelotti's reign

Poor form aside, the performances of £50m January signing Fernando Torres did little to aid the cause of Ancelotti. With numerous failed integrations into the side and one goal since his arrival from Liverpool, Torres had looked a shadow of his former self and there are no signs of that changing - one lucky goal against a despondent West Ham aside.

Rifts within the camp are rife if rumours are to be believed. Talismanic frontman Didier Drogba no longer feels wanted at the Bridge as a result of the Torres transfer and wants out. A public argument at Old Trafford with David Luiz failed to quash rumours of internal problems. Morale, it seems, is at an all-time low.

As harsh as the sacking is, perhaps it is time for Ancelotti to move on. The squad he inherited is aged and does not appear to be improving with John Terry, Frank Lampard and Drogba are all into their thirties and the remainder of the first-team looking more and more laboured as the weeks went by.

Clearly, a motivator is needed.

The one prize that Abramovich's millions haven't been able to buy

FC Porto's Andre Villas-Boas has been linked with the vacant post but he has recently stated a desire to "build a dynasty" at the Estádio do Dragao; Guus Hiddink has insisted that his loyalties lie with the Turkish national side and José Mourinho has no desire to return to Stamford Bridge as he wishes to remain at Real Madrid.

This leaves just two men left from the front-runners with the bookmakers.

Dutch footballing icon Marco Van Basten is favourite for the job but his lack of and disappointing managerial experiences may prove to be a decisive factor. Rumours suggest that he will be appointed as head coach whilst Hiddink takes up his preferred role as Director of Football.

Harry Redknapp's position at Spurs is comfortable but, having tasted Champions League football last season, he may want more and it is something that Chelsea can provide. He is no stranger to crossing rivalries having moved to-and-fro between Southampton and Portsmouth. This move, however, may be a bridge too far.

Whoever takes the manager's job at Chelsea will be sipping from a poisoned chalice and under immediate pressure to deliver Abramovich's personal Holy Grail. It is obvious that he will stop at nothing to see that Chelsea are European Champions and there will be few who envy the next man given the task of making it happen.

New Lambert Deal Proves That Norwich's Yellow Submarine Is No Sinking Ship

Paul Lambert’s new contract at Norwich City, the length of which is unknown, is the least he deserves after the rollercoaster ride of the last 21 months for both himself and the club.

It is a ride which has culminated in the Canaries winning promotion to re-join the elite of English football for the first time since 2005.

Following relegation to League One for the 2009/10 season, Norwich’s start under Bryan Gunn was nothing short of humiliating. A 7-1 home defeat to local rivals Colchester United who, at the time, were managed by Lambert. Already 4-0 down inside 22 minutes, two fans decided they had seen enough and ripped up their season tickets on the pitch. It would come back to bite them firmly on the backside.

Lambert's arrival sparked a transformation at Carrow Road

A mere six days later and Gunn had been sacked with Lambert sounded out as the top target. 39 at the time, his best achievement was leading a fourth tier Wycombe Wanderers to the semi-finals of the League Cup where they lost to Chelsea.

Despite this, Norwich were adamant that Lambert was their man and eventually got him after he walked out on Colchester to join the Canaries – a move that later cost them £400,000 at a tribunal but money well spent considering what Lambert has achieved whilst at Carrow Road.

Lambert’s influence on the side was immediate with the team winning League One from Leeds

United with an attractive, passing game. The season that has just passed, however, has been the one that has placed Lambert, 41, into the spotlight as one of the best young managers in the country.

Lambert celebrates promotion at Portsmouth

Seemingly not content with establishing themselves as a Championship side, Norwich finished 2nd to Queens Park Rangers to earn back-to-back promotions: an achievement spearheaded and encapsulated by one of the key performers of the Lambert era.

After proving himself as a success lower down the leagues earlier in his career, Grant Holt was plucked from Shrewsbury Town for £400,000 having scored 28 goals in the 2008/09 season. He was to be an even bigger success at Norwich with 30 goals for the season in which they won League One and followed that up with another 23 in the last campaign.

His performances have seen him included in the Team of the Year for League Two, League One and the Championship in the last three years – a testament to the hard work he has put in to prove himself as a consistent goalscorer.

Grant Holt's goals have been vital to Norwich's progress

Arguably the biggest contributing factor to Norwich’s promotion was the amount of late goals that they scored. They won 22 points with goals scored after 80 minutes and although title winners QPR had the highest percentage of goals scored after 80 minutes, they were nowhere near as important as those that Norwich scored.

Over the course of the season, there was no doubt that Norwich deserved to go up. They showed three sides to their game towards the end of the season with a comprehensive 6-0 win against Scunthorpe United, a great comeback against an impressive Nottingham Forest and a gritty 1-0 win at Portsmouth which guaranteed promotion.

Norwich like to play good football and have gained a reputation for doing so but you feel that they will need to produce more of the ugly wins next season if they are to stay up. Following Blackpool’s example of all out attack could result in disaster though the general consensus appears to be that Norwich’s defence is a lot better than that of the Seasiders.

One of Norwich’s strengths has been the ability to get goals from all sources. The likes of Russell Martin, Wes Hoolahan, Andrew Crofts and, of course, Holt all made their contributions to the final tally of 83 league goals – the highest in the division.

Simeon Jackson celebrates scoring the goal that clinched promotion

Simeon Jackson also made a telling contribution towards the end of the season with 9 goals in the last 8 games of the season including the goal that sent Norwich up. It was Lambert’s faith in the Canadian frontman, who had been disappointing throughout the season, which saw the ex-Gillingham man come good at just the right time.

Other signings from the lower leagues proved themselves to be more than capable of mixing it with the best the Championship had to offer and now get to have a crack at the Premier League. Players like Marc Tierney, Andrew Crofts, and David Fox all came from League One sides and made the transition to Championship life seamlessly as the Canaries now aim to consolidate amongst the big boys.

Question marks will remain about whether such players have the quality to keep Norwich in the Premier League, many feel that there is a need for the defence to be strengthened as well as the purchase of a Premier League quality striker but Lambert will be given money to spend despite Norwich’s debts.

Lambert will have to spend that money wisely to make Norwich an attractive and competitive outfit in the Premier League. They will be one of the favourites for relegation but, having warded off interest from other clubs with the signing of this new contract, Norwich will have every confidence in Lambert that he can keep them up.