West Ham’s desire to bounce straight back to the Premier League has seen them appoint Sam Allardyce as manager and bring in new players, including their latest recruit John Carew. The arrivals of both Allardyce and Carew tick many of the boxes for the Hammers and their push for instant promotion but one box both miss out on is the style of football still demanded by many around Upton Park.

The romantics amongst the Hammers fans may yearn for attractive passing football littered with flair and technique, but the capture of Carew emphasises the club’s imminent shift away from that style. The former Aston Villa and Stoke man is your typical big strong centre forward and would be best utilised by throwing the ball forward towards his head at any opportunity.

But the 6ft 5in striker had a decent goal record at Aston Villa, making 133 appearances and scoring 54 goals (also scoring twice during his loan spell at Stoke). By signing Carew Allardyce is not getting a prolific goalscorer or a player blessed with world-beating technique but he is the most direct option the new boss could have signed. In the combative and competitive Championship Carew should cause many defences problems. However Carew’s arrival could easily be met with the same concerns that his new boss received.

The appointment of Allardyce in June was greeted by a very mixed response. Despite the former Bolton, Newcastle and Blackburn manager’s years of experience, Premier League success and strong personality, it was his direct long-ball style of play that was sticking in the minds of many fans. But Allardyce utilised this style to great success at Bolton and Blackburn (enjoying a less successful spell at Newcastle) and in an effort to get the Hammers back to the top tier, success should always win out over style.

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Even if Allardyce had the desire and players to try the attractive style of football, I doubt whether it would bring him much success in the Championship this season. The league is littered with past greats and teams desperate to battle their way back to the top. On paper England’s second tier is going to be exciting but in reality I expect it to often be a real battle and slog for points. Having flair players able to take on and beat three defenders will always be a bonus (Adel Taarabt for QPR is the prime example) but the signing of players like Carew is a wise move by Allardyce. If the service to the big striker is correct then the Norwegian will always be a danger in Championship boxes.

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Few teams in world football have ever developed a successful style that they stick with throughout their history. West Ham is no doubt a club littered with tradition and the desire for attractive football is an accepted demand from fans across any leagues. But I expect Allardyce to lead West Ham into a new era. Whether this includes promotion or not is unclear but with the signings of players like Carew, Allardyce has the chance to really make his mark in London.

Would you prefer style or success at West Ham? If you want to read more of my bite size, 140 character views and thoughts follow me on Twitter @jennyk5

When Andre Villas-Boas took charge of Chelsea back in June, the former Porto boss remained somewhat adamant that the squad of players he had inherited at Stamford Bridge were more than capable of winning trophies this season. While interest in Luka Modric was reported to have been ever present, the Chelsea boss bided his time in entering the transfer market with any real ferocity. Last season Chelsea lacked a ‘playmaker’ in the centre of their midfield, and required somebody who could provide Fernando Torres with kind of service that he was used to at Liverpool. Questions started to be raised over the capabilities of an ‘ageing’ Frank Lampard, but in a season hampered by injury, the 32-year-old still managed to bag himself 10 league goals and sent out a reminder to everyone of just how important to Chelsea he can be.

With the closing of the transfer window looming, Andre Villas-Boas had turned his attention to bringing in fresh talent by the middle of August. With a deal for 19-year-old Oriol Romeu already complete, the Chelsea boss brought in the ‘new Drogba’ in Romelu Lukaku, and on the 24th of August Juan Mata signed a five-year deal with the West Londoners. A fee of around £23m was agreed between Valencia and Chelsea, but unlike Lukaku and Romeu, who are considered ‘players for the future’, Mata will be expecting regular first team action with Chelsea, meaning one of the current first eleven dropping to the bench.

Where Mata plays at Chelsea will heavily depend on the formation that Villas-Boas opts to go with this season. Chelsea have deployed a 4-3-3 formation in recent years, but the likes of Fernando Torres have struggled to adapt to such a set up and the Chelsea boss is believed to still be unsure with the ‘best’ formation for his side. At Valencia, Mata was deployed either on the left flank or as an attacking midfielder. While Frank Lampard is fully fit, he is unlikely to be dropped to the bench, while Ramires has only really started to show is ability over the last few months. Florent Malouda yesterday vowed to remain at Chelsea, and even hoped to extend his contract until 2012, which would suggest the Frenchman sees no reason as to why his position should be in jeopardy at Stamford Bridge.

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Last week at home to Norwich, Villas-Boas opted for a 4-4-2 with a diamond midfield of Mikel, Ramires, Malouda, and Lampard. Mata replaced Malouda in the 67th minute and opened his scoring account in stoppage time to probably ensure a starting place next week. A Drogba-Torres partnership up front is still yet to flourish for Chelsea, though signs of improvement were certainly on show against Norwich. Whether this formation would suit Mata as well remains to be seen, but an impressive debut in this kind of set up may give the Chelsea boss reason to stick with it for the time being.

It has been suggested that in order for Fernando Torres to rediscover his best form, then a formation of 4-5-1, or 4-4-1-1 would need to be deployed by the Chelsea boss. This would also arguably suit Mata best, taking up a role just behind his Spanish compatriot and providing the kind of service that he needs in order to justify the £50m price-tag hanging over his head. This formation would perhaps see Mikel and Lampard taking up roles in the centre of midfield, with Malouda and Ramires on opposite flanks. Should Torres start, this would of course see the likes of Drogba, Anelka, Lukaku, and Sturridge all out of the side, and is therefore unlikely to be used by the Chelsea boss. However, in order for both Mata and Torres to perform at their best, I feel this formation would be required at Stamford Bridge.

An enviable dilemma for Villas-Boas then perhaps? The Chelsea boss is overloaded with attacking options that even he is struggling to fit in to his ‘best’ starting eleven. Rumours were circulating on deadline day regarding the possible departure of Florent Malouda, and at 31, the Frenchman does look likely to be the man to make room for Juan Mata. Of course much relies on the formation and style of play that Villas-Boas wishes to bring to Stamford Bridge, but the Spanish international will be desperate to play regularly at Chelsea, and such an assurance is likely to have been provided by the Chelsea boss before his move to London was finalised.

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After an impressive debut last weekend, Chelsea fans will be hoping that Mata can provide not only goals himself, but the service and assistance for Fernando Torres that has appeared to be lacking since his arrival in January. The new arrivals at Stamford Bridge will have brought down the average age at the club, and the ‘old boys’ at Chelsea look set to face stiff competition from the likes of Mata, Lukaku, and Romeu. While Villas-Boas tries to figure out a way to accommodate his best eleven players, Chelsea fans, and a certain Russian billionaire, will be desperate to see such heavy investment over the summer prove to be a success for the club. These are exciting times for Chelsea fans, and the addition of Juan Mata has only increased the optimism already surrounding Stamford Bridge – its just a question of where to play him that remains to be solved.

Agree or disagree? Where do you think Mata should play? Let me know either below or @sixthofficial on Twitter!

Every football club has ‘the one that got away.’ The one player whom we all believe held the key to our aspirations and dreams for our football club – if only he had signed on the dotted line.

Harry Redknapp admitted before this weekend’s game that he had decided against bringing Luis Suarez to White Hart Lane after mistakenly thinking he was too like what they already had. Although Suarez had a quiet game yesterday he will has still been a fantastic signing by Liverpool and he looks like being a world-class player in the future. Spurs could regret missing out on the Uruguayan forward for many years to come. This isn’t the first time a mistake has been made and throughout football history there have been players that got away.

These are the signings that could have changed the course of history for your club but instead never happened and if you’re a Sheffield United fan you’ll be forever ruing the day your club let one of the best players of all time slip through the net.

Here are the Top TEN ‘ones that got away’

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Scotland will not compete at Euro 2012 after they were beaten 3-1 by Spain on Tuesday night, and Czech Republic leapfrogged them into the playoff place with a 4-1 win over Lithuania.

Going into the round Craig Levein’s men held second place, ahead of the Czechs by one point.

However, the Tartan Army knew that their side would have to match Czech Republic’s result to ensure a playoff berth, but this was a bridge too far against an impressive Spain team.

Manchester City midfielder David Silva scored a brace in the first half to give the hosts a comfortable 2-0 half time lead, with Barcelona attacker David Silva piling on the misery with a third early in the second period.

David Goodwillie did manage to get a consolation goal for Scotland from the penalty spot, but in the end the celtic nation were outclassed by the world champions.

Despite the defeat, Levein praised his players in what was always going to be a difficult task for Scotland.

“The result is disappointing. We don’t like to lose but as I said to the players after the game, this is as hard as it gets,” he stated to BBC Sport.

“To come to the home of the European and world champions, play them in their own backyard, is an extremely difficult thing to do.

“We knew we had to be at the top of our game and they maybe would come down 10 or 15 per cent – well, unfortunately for us they played pretty close to maximum tonight. When they are like that they are very difficult to play against.

“I have to give credit to our guys though, they stuck at it in the second half and on another night could have had three or four goals,” he concluded.

Czech Republic will now wait to find out their playoff opponents in their continued attempt to make the finals in Poland and Ukraine, whilst Scotland will look to regroup before World Cup qualifying begins.

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Scottish fans will look back to the 2-2 draw with Czech Republic at Hampden, with a controversial late goal by the visitors ultimately costing Levein’s men a place in the playoffs.

By Gareth McKnight

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It has been reported by ITA Sport Press that Tottenham are looking to make a fresh bid for Palermo’s Uruguayan striker Abel Hernández . The 21-year-old is highly regarded by Tottenham and saw a bid of £8.9 million rejected in the summer. With Pavlyuchenko looking more likely that he will part ways with the club in January; it leaves Adebayor and Defoe as the only two recognisable strikers.

The likes of Real Madrid, Roma, Arsenal and Chelsea have all made past enquiries about the talented striker and it seems that an offer of around €20m would secure his services according to Hernández’s agent.

Hernández joined Palermo in the summer of 2009 from Peñarol and is under contract with the Serie A club until June 2013. The Uruguayan has scored 13 goals in 51 appearances since he joined the club and 3 goals in his first 7 starts for the club this season.

A bidding war between the three London clubs does seem inevitable once the transfer window re-opens in January.

Article courtesy of Shahrouz Salimian from the Transfer Tavern

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Wigan are the perennial overachievers of the Premier League. The plucky underdogs with a passing trade in upsets against top four opposition. Their stay in the top flight now stretches back seven seasons and it has been characterised by both a consistent inconsistency on the pitch and an almost continual battle against relegation. However, with Roberto Martinez’s side suffering such a dreadful start to the current campaign, is Wigan’s time as a top flight force coming to an abrupt end?

David Whelan’s club are currently rooted to the bottom of the league with just five points from their opening ten games. They are on a run of eight successive defeats, seven of which came in the league and have scored just seven goals all season – a pitiful return for a side with an apparent emphasis on attacking football.

The departure of Charles N’Zogbia to Aston Villa in the summer could turn out to be a pivotal juncture in the club’s recent history, with the Frenchman a talismanic figure last term, winning games single-handedly and forcing his way into the France squad in the process.

Wigan have a well-worn tradition of plucking players from obscurity and giving them the platform to display their talents in the best league in the world, before selling them on at a great profit. The production line has included Antonio Valencia, Wilson Palacios and Leighton Baines – all of whom have gone onto bigger and better things at their current clubs. The theory that because the club managed to survive those departures that they’ll inevitably be able to weather the storm of N’Zogbia’s departure has failed to carry any weight as yet.

Cast your eye around the Wigan squad and it is littered with a few decent players here and there, but there appears to be both a lack of quality, depth and crucially, experience. James McCarthy is without doubt one of the best young players currently operating in the Premier League. Ali AL-Habsi is a fine shot stopper and Hugo Rodallega has performed admirably in a tough lone striker role for most of his time at the club, but beyond that, it’s slim pickings.

It’s been well documented that Wigan’s main failings come at the back, though. The team has changed personnel, yet individual errors mare a team trying to play passing football. Far too often the likes of Antolin Alcaraz, Emmerson Boyce and Steve Gohouri are caught either out of position, in possession or for a rudimentary failure to communicate. The overall standard of their defending that past two seasons has bordered on the comical at times and there’s only so many times you can play the same record and expect to escape relatively unscathed.

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Roberto Martinez was correctly lauded for the job he did in keeping Wigan up last term under difficult circumstances, with a budget a fraction of even their relegation battling counterparts. However, while he is often praised for his unwavering belief in extolling the virtues of passing football, it is tantamount to suicide to practice such a style of play without the necessary players at your disposal to do it justice.

Wigan simply do not know how to win ugly and they are in possession of a soft underbelly. They haven’t had the toughest of starts so far this season yet find themselves rock bottom in the league.

The side’s first three games of the season were against each of the promoted teams, and they picked up a reasonable if unspectacular total of five points for their efforts. Last season’s effort to maintain their status was built upon a decent away record in a season that saw champions Man Utd win an unremarkable five of their alloted 18 away fixtures. So far, they’ve picked up just the one point on their travels.

But no result has summed up the disappointment of their season so far more so than the 3-1 defeat at home to an equally out of sorts Bolton side, who have to be considered one of their main rivals for the drop.

The month of November could prove as crucial a month as any that the club have experienced in their stay in the top flight so far. With the league quickly approaching a third of the way through, they are still within two victories of West Brom in 13th place and all is not lost yet, even if a worrying gap is beginning to emerge between the bottom four and mid-table obscurity.

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They have three games – Wolves (A), Blackburn (H) and Sunderland (A) – to rescue their season. A bare minimum of seven points has to be set aside to give them a realistic chance of avoiding relegation, even at this early stage, because in December they host Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool while also facing Man Utd and Stoke away. It’s entirely reasonable, based on current form at least, to expect Wigan to lose each and every one of those fixtures around the festive period.

Wigan have often punched above their weight during their seven-year sojourn. They boast a vocal support and even more vocal Chairman. In Roberto Martinez they have an extremely affable young manager with lots of potential, but unless they start to arrest the slide which is in danger of characterising their season, then every match from hereon in is in danger of becoming a dreaded six-pointer – something which would place an insurmountable amount of pressure on the side for the rest of the campaign.

They’ve been written off time and time again and labelled as favourites for the drop more times than their supporters have had hot dinners, but this time, Wigan appear to be running out of answers. They look tired and beaten by the turmoil of a perpetual battle to prove themselves against their peers by avoiding the drop. November could decide the club’s fate this season, for without a healthy return, the club could disappear from the top flight without a trace.

You can follow me on Twitter @JamesMcManus1

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Fondly known as the King of White Hart Lane, Glenn Hoddle needs little excuse to talk about his former club and with the North Londoners currently riding high in the Premier League, the Tottenham Legend was full of praise for his former employers. Hoddle believes that Spurs can mount a challenge for a title in what promises to be the most exciting Premier League in years.

“I really think they can. I’ve been saying for the last two seasons that Spurs have as strong a squad as anyone except now Manchester City. They’ve got depth that matches Arsenal, Chelsea and maybe even Man United. The fact they kept Modric, built on the side they had, and now have the likes of Defoe who can come off the bench and make an impact, that’s a wonderful asset to have.

“I genuinely feel this year there are up to six teams that will be battling it out – this will be the most exciting Premier League for some time. It may well be that with six games to go there are three or four in contention, for the title and Spurs can be one of those.

“They have the ability to do that, and the key for me is in their central defensive partnership. If Ledley King can stay fit and Dawson can get back quickly from his injury, that would be a huge boost.

“They’ve also got some good youngsters including Kyle Walker, there’s Gareth Bale coming back into form and Adebayor putting the ball in the net. It’s a lovely balance. They’ll be in the mix.

“City haven’t done it before and will hit a wobble, and the others up there have not been as consistent as in previous years.”

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For more insight from Glenn Hoddle and other leading managers plus exclusive Premier League highlights go to www.yahoo.co.uk/sport

It is a well-known fact in the footballing world that fans know more about making their team successful than the man in the manager’s position. Every weekend millions gather around a pint or light up phone-ins and forums telling them how they should change their tactics, their formation and their line-up.

Thanks to the Football Manager video game series we have been able to put our dreams into practice, taking our team to world domination or guiding a club from non-league obscurity to greatness. The game is now incredibly realistic with so much to do and the triumphs that we have during our game time prove to us that we are capable of emulating Sir Alex Ferguson, Bill Shankly and Brian Clough and writing our name into football history.

We have all found a diamond player and produced match-winning performances through our immense knowledge. We are masters of the transfer market, able to spot a hot prospect. We know how to deal with the media and keep our players happy, something that others can only dream of and that’s why the power of the game should not be underestimated by chairmen.

When the unimpressive tenure of a manager comes to an end, rather than poaching somebody from another club or scouring the managerial merry-go-round, the game should be used to find the top candidate for the hotseat. There have been global competitions to find the next star player and offering them a contract so why not set up a worldwide competition to find the next ‘Special One’?

In 2006, 25-year-old Football Manager addict John Boileau tried to put this theory into practice when he applied to become the new manager of Middlesborough following the departure of Steve McClaren. In his CV he described his career on the game, showing his success with Nuneaton Borough and Rushden and Diamonds, who he had guided through all the divisions. He detailed his experience of managing in different countries, dealing with work permits and even offered to drive the team bus to away games, all of which would make him an outstanding candidate. His credentials were so impressive that he received an amazing reply from Steve Gibson. Although he wasn’t offered the job it should have been the start of something big and having seen the decline of ‘Boro since that time, Gibson has lived to regret not giving him the job.

For starters, employing a Football Manager legend would be a much cheaper option. The brilliant Boileau asked for a “reasonable” £80,000 starting rate to take over at the Riverside, by far the smallest wage in either of the top two divisions. It would free up huge sums of money that could be used in the transfer market or help balance the books while still being a great pay packet for somebody who was in a run-of-the-mill job just days before.

Picking a new boss from a group of people who had dedicated hours at a time to playing the game, beating people worldwide to show their skills and desire so that they can create a managerial legacy would guarantee that the incoming chief is be more passionate than an established manager that has had more clubs than Jack Nicklaus. If somebody has been offered the opportunity of living the dream then they will give everything to prove themself whereas many managers are just looking for their next job and don’t care who it is or how important the team is to their fans. They will wear their heart on their sleeve and be able to turn around a failing squad with their motivation and it is more likely to last long-term rather than be a quick fix.

Those who would get involved in a Football Manager selection process are also more likely to be fans of that club so they will bring the enthusiasm of their fellow supporters to the hotseat and will echo this in the dressing room. They will have put the footballing world to right over a pint in the pub with their friends and will have spent hours on the game going over their club with a fine-tooth comb to turn them from average to awesome. Unlike other contenders, a man on Football Manager can pick any club to manage so if they have experience of coaching your team to glory they can replicate that in real life and it shouldn’t be ignored.

They will bring fresh views to the role too, choosing different places to scout for players, who to bring in, how to play. Their ideas may never be considered by somebody who has never visited the virtual world of management but this outside view may pay dividends. Midfielder Sherman Cardenes is a god of the game, bagging goals and playing brilliantly. He holds a starring role in most success stories along with Febian Brandy, but no manager outside of South America has ever taken a chance with him. It is these ‘out-of-the-box’ moments that would see a new approach to the game and could make the difference.

Chairmen will say that they cannot take a risk by employing somebody that has developed ‘managerial skills’ by playing a computer game but the millions of us who have spent hours battling in front of the computer screen know that we have what it is to succeed. Offering wannabe managers the chance to put their hat in the ring by demonstrating their ability on Football Manager would be a brilliant idea. With the game now hugely developed we know how to negotiate contracts, hold team talks, deal with problem players and alter our tactics in the style. Given the chance, gamers could create the next fairytale rise through the league for their club. Don’t rule it out.

Fellow gamers, could we manage a side to greatness. Let me know your thoughts by commenting below or following me on Twitter @jrobbins1991.

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Swansea manager Brendan Rodgers has revealed that he is set to put pen-to-paper on a new three-year deal with the club.

The Northern Irish coach has led The Swans from The Championship to the Premier League, and his side have been much applauded for their enterprising brand of football this season.

Rodgers has a long-term goal of stabilising the team in the top flight, and is ready to commit his future to the Welsh outfit.

“I spoke with the chairman today and we have agreed everything in principle, we just need to draft up the paperwork and be presented with it over the weekend, then it will be signed and done and that will be fantastic,” he told Sky Sports.

“It was clear to me I wanted to be here. There was very little to discuss and I will be proud to move forward with the project.

“Ultimately my job is to make Swansea a sustainable Premier League club, that’s the challenge.

“It looked a massive challenge to get promoted, but since then we have shown we can compete at this level. Although we are riding high and playing well, the objective is to stay in the league, that would be monumental and give the club more money to invest in the team.

“But the goal is firstly to make Swansea sustainable and you can obviously build from that,” he admitted.

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By Gareth McKnight

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Arsenal forward Robin van Persie has picked up a small groin injury whilst training with Netherlands ahead of their international friendly with England on Wednesday.

The Gunners’ marksman sat out his nation’s final training session before the game at Wembley as a precaution, after feeling pain in his groin.

Van Persie scored the second goal in Arsenal’s 5-2 win over Tottenham in the north London derby on Sunday, but also felt a slight twinge in his groin after the game; he went on international duty with the understanding that if there were any further repercussions he would be rested.

Van Persie’s involvement against The Three Lions now looks unlikely, but his national boss Bert van Marwijk’s is more hopeful that his star attacker will feature against Stuart Pearce’s side.

“I am optimistic that he will play. We will have to wait and see but I don’t think it’s too serious,” the coach told The Guardian.

With Van Persie in rich goalscoring form and a catalyst for Arsenal’s revival this season, Arsene Wenger will be eager for the player to sit out the friendly if he is not 100% fit.

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By Gareth McKnight

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