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.