My Alternative Team Of The Year 2010-2011

Sir Alex Ferguson for Manager of the Year, Nemanja Vidic as player... it's all a bit boring. So to sweep away this dire dullness, here's my alternative best eleven. It's not made up necessarily of the best players, but ones who have stuck out this year and had good campaigns.

GOALKEEPER: Joe Hart

After this year it's easy to forget just how well Joe Hart has done, but for a pointer of his achievements you just have to look at the Manchester City bench. There sits Shay Given, one of the best goalkeepers to have played in the Premier League, and this young English star has well and truly ousted him. Roberto Mancini made the big decision to make Hart his number one this season and it has paid off; the club finished third in the league and won the F.A. Cup with the former Shrewsbury player between the sticks. England number one and it seems like it will be that way for a while yet.

RIGHT-BACK: Kyle Walker

A big year for the Tottenham lad. Has had two loan spells; first at eventual Championship winners QPR, where his performances earned him a loan spell at Aston Villa, finishing the year strongly as their first choice right-back. In his twelve appearances at Villa Park, he became known for his consistency, his overlapping and his pace, while also exhibiting an eye for goal with a fine strike against Fulham. This earned him a call-up to the England squad to face Wales, and although he didn't make his first appearance there, he will become part of the international fold soon enough.

CENTRE-BACKS: Chris Smalling + Chris Samba

Rio Ferdinand, love him or hate him, has been one of the most consistent defenders in Manchester United's history and has formed a formidable partnership with Nemanja Vidic at Old Trafford. So the biggest tribute I can give to Chris Smalling is that Rio wasn't missed when he came in. Showing considerable composure and talent, Smalling has slotted into the United defence with no trouble whatsoever, repaying the faith Sir Alex Ferguson showed when he made the questionnable £10million bid for the former Fulham man. As his partner, I've gone for Christopher Samba at Blackburn. In a difficult year for Rovers, which even saw Samba hand in a transfer request, he has stuck out as an exceptionally commited defender and a real force in their backline. His performances that eventually saw Rovers away from the relegation zone are a testament to the giant's battling qualities.

LEFT-BACK: Leighton Baines

The most consistent left-back of the Premier League this year. Tormented Chelsea earlier in the season and a thorn in any team's side with his lung-busting runs on the left-wing. His crossing ability has particularly caught the eye, as have his set-pieces, and he is a real outlet for Everton. Added on top, he's proved his defensive mettle time after time with his unflappable commitment and great engine, and rightfully takes his place in the England squad from now on.

RIGHT MIDFIELD: Marc Albrighton/Seamus Coleman

This one is hard to call, as there have been two fantastic youngsters this year on the right wing. Marc Albrighton has caught the eye for Aston Villa, especially earlier on in the campaign, with his youthful enthusiasm and clear ability; he puts in a real shift on the wing, has a fantastic cross, good pace and has grabbed a couple of goals aswell. Very similar is young Seamus Coleman at Everton, who's commitment and drive have seen him become a Toffees regular this season. Two good young players, at clubs who bring their youngsters through well and with big futures ahead of them.

CENTRE MIDFIELD: Charlie Adam + Scott Parker

Two central midfielders who were relegated but who made huge contributions to their sides. Charlie Adam led the year's great entertainers, Blackpool, with his mercurial left-foot. His set-pieces and passing quality were there for all to see this campaign and he led his side's valiant attempt to stay up that so desperately fell short. His twelve goals didn't hurt either. Whereas no-one stuck out as much as Scott Parker did for West Ham. He was the only member of a pitiful bunch of players who seemed to have the passion or quality to fight for the Hammers' survival, his five goals and general play picking him up numerous accolades. Both will play in the Premier League next season.

LEFT MIDFIELD: Stewart Downing

Downing became bit of a joke player; loved by Steve McLaren during his England reign and one of the scapegoats of his failure. There was no clamor for the left winger as his early Middlesbrough form probably deserved and he has taken time to shine for Aston Villa, but he has done that this season. More driven, more forward-thinking, and showing that quality that seemed to go missing from his play, he has grabbed seven goals and formed a fine forward threesome with Ashley Young and Darren Bent.

STRIKERS: Dimitar Berbatov + Peter Odemwingie

It has been tough for old Berbatov, who despite finishing as the joint top Premier Leagie goalscorer was relegated to the bench for the title run-in and didn't even make the Champions League final squad. It's easy to forget then that this was the year that Berba finally began to feel comfortable at Old Trafford, he lit up a dreary early season for United and his hat-trick against Liverpool will go down in their history. On the other hand, Peter Odemwingie needed no time to settle in at West Brom. The Nigerian international scored fifteen goals in his debut Premier League season, no mean feat, and has been the goalscorer that the Baggies have needed for a good few years now. He was vital in their successful season.

So there you have it. Two relegated players, three from Aston Villa, two from Everton, and two title-winning lads who barely made the team. That's what you call an alternative team of the year.

NWR

Eyes On The Beach Already...

Wow! That was a heavy few months, so heavy I couldn't even spare a few moments to write a couple of words on this here blog! Not really, I was being lazy and what I used to call my social life and past-times were obliterated by a mountain load of University work. But no worries, that tremendous weight has now been lifted and I'm now able to go back to my care-free existence. Unfortunately, that coincides with the end of the football season but that doesn't mean it's all over...

COMING SOON: My Alternative Awards; Season Summary 2010-2011; Pompey 2010-2011: Rollercoaster Don't Cover It; Tales of a Pompey Fan throughout June, July and August; Transfer Rumours and Updates.

How about that for starters? It's good to be back, Blogspot!

NWR

Tales From A Pompey Fan: The Big Rebuild, Take 2

So, without a spectacular run of results in equal proportion, it seems Pompey's season will end in a mid-table Championship position - a fantastic ending considering the turmoil that this club has been through in recent years. A recent run of six wins in a row meant that the Blues should now be safe from relegation, while earlier sequences of eleven winless games and seven winless matches mean that they equally face only an outside shot at a play-off place. But there is a lot to be hopeful for on the south coast.

Steve Cotterill has done a brilliant job, but he unfortunately needs to do it all over again this summer. When he first took the post last year, he faced a daunting and lengthy task of restructuring a collapsing club. Relegation from the Premier League, a mass exodus of players, deep in administration with a debt figure that seemed to increase week by week and no owners, he could hardly have been expected to do the job he has done. He has crafted a very good team, one of the best in the Championship thanks to the signings of Liam Lawrence and Dave Kitson, the raft of loan signings gelling instantly and the resurrections of David Nugent and Jamie Ashdown from the Pompey abyss.

All in all, he has managed to keep up a side with the smallest squad in English league football, coping with a poor financial situation to get a side playing well (at times) and grinding out results at this level. But he faces yet another daunting task this summer. At present, he will have only nine players on the books as pre-season training starts for next season. They are a decent backbone to a new side; goalkeeper Jamie Ashdown, defenders Aaron Mokoena and Ricardo Rocha, midfielders Joel Ward, Liam Lawrence and Hayden Mullins, and forwards Danny Webber, Nwankwo Kanu and Dave Kitson. Add to that list outcast defender Tal Ben-Haim, but he is unlikely to appear again due to his massive wages.

Heading the list of possible departures are top scorer David Nugent and experienced left-back Hermann Hreidarsson, both out-of-contract at the end of the campaign. It's vital now that Nuge signs that contract, he still may be frustrating in front of goal but gets his share of strikes and his work-rate can never be questioned, while the 'Hermannator' would be a tremendous asset if he stays fit. Michael Brown and Richard Hughes are almost certain to leave as their contractual purgatory carries on, while promising youngster Nadir Cifti has said that he will not be signing a new contract. Young lads Marlon Pack and Tom Kilbey face uncertain futures, as do more recent academy prospects Billy Goddard, Ellis Martin, Peter Gregory and Perry Ryan. Then there is the loan brigade.

It is thanks to them in large parts that we are talking about the Championship next season and not League One. Ibrahima Sonko and Carl Dickinson have had their critics but they gave everything and came to the club at a time when it looked like we might not see out the campaign. But the influx around the Christmas period has really been a positive impact; Greg Halford, Ritchie De Laet, Jonathan Hogg and David Cotterill gave a tired squad a boost. And we may just have a chance to keep some of them on a permanent basis. The work ethic of Hogg should see Aston Villa keep hold of him, but with the others it is not so clear. Wolves may want to offload Halford if they are relegated and may not want to keep him if they stay up, Ritchie De Laet is far from first choice at Manchester United and David Cotterill may find first-team opportunities hard if Swansea are promoted. Deals are there to be done.

But we will need to acquire atleast twelve players over the summer period, which is a phenomenal amount for one transfer window. David Norris has been rumoured to be a target as will most of the out-of-contract talent available, while there is always a berth of quality players available from the outskirts of Premier League clubs ie Michael Johnson from Manchester City, Patrick Van Aanholt from Chelsea, Kyle Bartley from Arsenal, Kyle Naughton from Tottenham to name just a few. If the owners are prepared to go for it fully, the likes of Yakubu from Everton and Diomansy Kamara from Fulham? But that's what it comes down to.

Balraim Chainrai is going to have to support Steve Cotterill if Pompey are going to progress next season. We need to be able to attract the right calibre of player, and that means a transfer budget and wage budget bit enough to get them in. We realise that it is still pretty tight down at Fratton Park and we aren't expecting miracles, we just want to compete in the league. And with the team we've got, that is more than possible. We just need the squad to get us through a 46-game season.

And here, as a light comic relief at the end, is an EPIC miss. Enjoy.

NWR

Shooting For The Top: Title Glory For The Gunners?

It hasn't been a very good week for Arsene Wenger, and that will be mirrored in the hearts and minds of all Arsenal fans. Just a couple of weeks ago, the Gunners could very well be dreaming about a possible quadruple. That would of course start with an anticipated win over Birmingham City in the Carling Cup final, the day that Wenger's young guns would take their quality to the pitch and claim the first trophy of his new era at the Emirates Stadium. Then, would come the other - considerably harder - task of overcoming Barcelona, but they had the advantage of a brilliant two-one lead to take to the Nou Camp. Add in their continued progress in the FA Cup (albeit facing Leyton Orient in a fifth round replay) and their position as Manchester United's closest challengers in the Premier League, it was all looking rosy for the Gunners.

But it all went wrong. Wenger's major criticism is his lack of investment in the defense/goalkeeping areas of his young side, and those problems reared their ugly heads at Wembley. A fiesty Birmingham nullified the Arsenal threat for long periods of the game and, although they had chances to win it, the favourites threw it away when a mix-up between rookie goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny and young defender Laurent Koscielny allowed Obafemi Martins the easiest opportunity to win the Brum the Carling Cup. The easiest chance of the lot to get a trophy and Wenger's boys blew it, but it was still hopeful - three competitions still on the boil.

Last night however, it went down to two. Barcelona, with the help of some extremely questionable refereeing, triumphed over Arsenal yet again to progress in the Champions League. Trying to halt the Barca tide proved impossible for a second season in a row as Lionel Messi scored twice, either side of a fine Xavi goal; even after a Sergio Busquets own goal had given them hope. That hope had been ripped away as referee Massimo Busacca sent off Robin Van Persie for a second booking after the Dutchman booted the ball away after the whistle had been blown. He claimed he hadn't heard the whistle, Wenger and Samir Nasri complained furiously, the game was ruined etc. It doesn't change the fact, unfortunately, that Arsenal are out of the Champions League for this term.

Sandwiched in between this was a routine five-nil victory over Leyton Orient in the FA Cup to set up a tricky Sixth Round tie with Manchester United, and a poor nil-nil draw with Sunderland that saw them fall behind United in the Premier League title race. So a terrible week for the Gunners, yes? Disastrous, Arsene Wenger actually finding his job under pressure and Cesc Fabregas certain to leave after such a bad run ay? Not exactly.

Dirk Kuyt seems to have given Wenger a lifeline. In grabbing a hat-trick against United in an immensely entertaining win for Liverpool on Sunday, he has blown the title race wide open. Sir Alex Ferguson's side may have gone 27 matches unbeaten this term but they have lost three of the last five league games, and that has seen the gap between them and the Gunners reduced to three points - with Arsenal having a game in hand. Say it quietly and don't back on anything yet, but Arsenal have a fantastic chance of winning the Premier League this season.

Arsenal probably just have the trickier fixtures - they must play Liverpool and Tottenham, before what promises to be a monumental game at the Emirates, Arsenal versus Manchester United on the 1st May. Remember United still have aspirations of European progression, and face possibly playing semi-final ties around this game, meaning minds may be elsewhere and legs may be tiring. I stress that this is Manchester United - they have the experience of being in these positions, and I doubt Sir Alex will prioritize so blatantly. Remember, this would be the 19th league title that would see them overturn Liverpool's record.

If Arsene Wenger can now focus his troops, get Cesc Fabregas and Robin Van Persie fit for every game and pick up the results he would expect to get, he can push United all the way. Games against West Bromwich Albion, Blackburn, Blackpool, Stoke and Fulham need to be won and preferably convincingly - the goal difference is three goals in United's favour and the advantage would be a major one going into the latter stages of the season. But with the seemingly irrepressible Jack Wilshere and Samir Nasri in his side, they have the undoubted talent to win the Premier League this season, and end that long trophy drought in sensational fashion. Not bad for a side who lost it all to Birmingham two weeks ago ay?

NWR

Pompey 2 Scunthorpe 0: The Reaction

In my first venture to Fratton Park in almost half a season, I was eager to see what had changed since I was last treated to a Pompey home game. That time, I saw them overturn Bristol City three-one in an immensely entertaining game - John Utaka scored a fine individual effort, Aaron Mokoena restored the lead with a thumping header and Hayden Mullins sealed a good win in the dying moments. Great entertainment, and a good win for the Blues that finally lifted them out of the relegation zone after a disastrous early season run of form. So has much changed?

Well for a start, a few lads have come and gone. Goalscorer John Utaka has since been shipped back to France to earn a few pennies for us, the Nigerian was out of contract at the end of the season and an understandable sacrifice for the club to make. Also, youngster Matt Ritchie came on as a substitute that night and he has also been sacrificied; I won't be alone in being a bit disheartened by this, a promising young player being sold to Swindon Town, but it seems Cotterill didn't have his faith in the winger. Also, Michael Brown is tied by contract in football purgatory.

But it is a much stronger Pompey side that faced Scunthorpe last night. Add in the loan additions of Greg Halford, Ritchie De Laet, Jonathan Hogg and David Cotterill, plus the bonus of Hermann Hreidarsson's return from injury, and we are much more formidable prospect. David Nugent and Jamie Ashdown are easily in the best form of their Pompey careers, while Ricardo Rocha has staked his claim as our most consistent defender. Also, factor in a rollercoaster season of winning streaks and losing runs, and where does that get us?

We actually played a lot worse against Scunthorpe United than we did against Bristol City. In September, it was an open game with a lot of attacking play and a great watch. The first half against the Iron was poor - very poor from a home point of view when you consider the away side dominated and had a seemingly good goal chalked off for ... I don't know. Nwankwo Kanu was well off the pace and everyone was trying hard but nothing was coming off.

second half was much better - a pitch watering at half-time seemed to pep the field up a bit and we attacked with a bit more drive and determination. Jonathan Hogg, probably my man of the match, kept on going, while the right-sided 'dream team' of Ritchie De Laet and David Cotterill was always a dangerous outlet. It took a moment of inspiration from captain Dave Kitson to break open a stubborn Scunthorpe side; cutting in from the left wing and thundering a finish into the bottom corner. From then on, a new Pompey resolve meant they were always likely to see the game out - Aaron Mokoena's deflected drive making sure of that.

But I felt Steve Cotterill could have done things a bit differently to make the cold, cold night go a bit better, although he was missing some key men. Nwankwo Kanu is an impact sub for the Blues now - he cannot have the same domination on the pitch from the start and needs to be used sparingly to get the best out of him. Admittedly, the reason he was included was due to the absence of Liam Lawrence and player-of-the-season Joel Ward, while unsung hero Hayden Mullins only lasted twenty-two minutes as the threadbare squad is stretched to its limits. But there seems to be a new impetus in the side, and the luck has changed.

Promotion would be the most awkwardly brilliant outcome. From financial oblivion to promotion contenders is a massive leap, and one that is too much for this club this season. I would love to see the club in the play-offs - with something to play for right up until the end of the campaign would keep the lads focused and give us a key indication of what we can hope for in the future. If we can keep our good players (Nugent's contract situation hangs over this), get the services of some of our loanees on a permanent basis and factor in a few more additions, we can be optimistic when looking into the future. And it seems like a long time since that's been the case.

Play Up Pompey.

NWR

Weekend Word - 26th/27th February

It was a big weekend in the football calender, so without further ado here's the highlights:

Match of the Weekend : Arsenal 1 Birmingham 2

Well there was only one winner for this category, and that was the brilliant Carling Cup final at Wembley this weekend. Everyone loves an underdog to win and Birmingham were certainly that; but a performance of courage, determination and fight saw them come out victorious to win their first trophy since 1963. Nikola Zigic put the Blues ahead with a flicked close-range header and Robin Van Persie equalised with a fantastic volley, with both sides hitting the woodwork and plenty of meaty challenges being thrown into the mix. Of course, great games are often made by great skill or huge mistakes and it was the latter - Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny and defender Laurent Koscielny getting in a calamitous mix-up and allowing Obafemi Martins to tap home a priceless winner. So often the Wembley showpieces are duds but not this one - both teams went for it and it was a great game.

Hero of the Weekend : Jamie O'Hara

As each of these winners has to come from different games, the likes of Ben Foster, Stephen Carr, Roger Johnson and Obafemi Martins have to be overlooked, but Jamie O'Hara deserves to be the hero of the weekend. At the start of February, Wolves were adrift of safety by three points and devoid of fight after a debilitating one-nil last-gasp defeat at Bolton, but the influence of O'Hara has turned their season around. A win over Manchester United and a draw at West Bromwich Albion saw them get points on the table, before a fine performance saw them thump Blackpool four-nil and move out of the relegation zone, if even for 48 hours. O'Hara, just like he did at Portsmouth last season, has inspired the turn-around in form and has given them hope of avoiding the drop this year.

Villain of the Weekend : Wayne Rooney

Am I the only one who is tired of Rooney getting away with everything? He constantly moans on the football pitch and I mean constant - he is always jabbering away at the referee in a season where we were meant to see a clamp down on back chat from players. He is dirty in instances, and this weekend we saw it - an elbow round the head of James McCarthy as the Wigan midfielder tried to block him off. Any other player would have been shown a straight red card you fear, but Rooney just raises his hands in the old 'what, me?' style and is given a ticking off. Nowhere near the dangerous player he was last year but twice the moaner and still a dirty bugger. Annoying as hell. But of course, this weekend's real villains were the Szczesny/Koscielny duo that lost the Gunners the Carling Cup.

Pause for Thought : Was Wenger Wrong?

Well, you cannot really blame Arsene Wenger for his methods, in fact you should applaud them. He is trying to prove that you don't have to spend millions to guarantee success, you can grow a team from talented youth and he has done exceptionally well at Arsenal. But there are certain positions where you need experience and proven quality - namely the goalkeeper and the defence. And of course after the Carling Cup final, these flaws could not be more clear. But you know what was Wenger's biggest mistake of the Wembley showpiece - Thomas Rosicky. The Czech playmaker was given the Cesc Fabregas role and was appalling - wasteful in possession and gave no forward drive to the team. His side were desperately unlucky and have some top class players - but need those added bits of quality to become a trophy-winning team.

And down in Pompey corner...

Another fantastic win, this time 2-0 away to Ipswich Town, after being pummeled for most of the first half and the start of the second. Luck is beginning to fall our way again - four wins and four clean sheets on the spin - and we can know start to plan ahead for the future. And hopefully that future contains a few players who's career paths are unclear - loanees Ritchie De Laet and David Cotterill and of course, top scorer David Nugent. We need him to spearhead a new charge next year.

And here for your viewing pleasure, in case you missed it, are the Carling Cup final highlights. All you Gooners may want to look away now.

NWR

Tales From A Pompey Fan: Daylight At Last

It's a majorly over-used cliche of sorts, but a lot can change in just twelve days. Just under two weeks ago, Pompey were without a win in eleven games and staring nervously downwards. Particularly with disheartening defeats to Nottingham Forest, Hull and Watford, the Blues looked tired and completely devoid of luck. The lack of players seemed to be taking its toll, Steve Cotterill was running out of men and ideas and it was building up to be a tense, tight end to the season.

So what's changed? Well, everything and nothing at the same time. If you compare the table to what it was twelve days ago, there's not a massive difference. After their one-one draw with Derby County on February 5th, Pompey were dangerously perched in 20th position with a five point gap to the relegation zone. Just three games later, they are fifteenth with a ten point bridge between them and 22nd-placed Scunthorpe United. The goal difference is just five goals healthier. In real terms, Pompey still have reason to look over their shoulder, as much as they did earlier this month. But the mood around Fratton Park is so much different.

In those three games, the same set of players that looked jaded and out on their feet have burst back into life and, with an added bit of fortune, things have begun to fall their way. The two-nil victory at Doncaster saw Dave Kitson bravely end a goal drought and Joel Ward skillfully seal a fine win. Pompey battled out a dull one-nil victory against Barnsley, saved by the class of the ageless Nwankwo Kanu and his late header. Then, in the most recent step of our rejuvenation, we outplayed and outclassed Crystal Palace, grabbing a one-nil win when it could have been five.

You can put down the change to a number of things. The effort the lads have put in was never in question, Steve Cotterill has made sure of that. Players like Joel Ward, Liam Lawrence and David Nugent will run their hearts out for the team, but they need that little bit of luck to fall their way. In the bad run, that wasn't happening, but in the last few outings things have begun to swing back in our favour. You cannot underplay the impact of the loan signings either. For a squad as threadbare as ours, every new face is welcomed and the recent acquisitions of Greg Halford, Ritchie De Laet, Jonathan Hogg and David Cotterill have boosted morale, created a bit of competition for places and added their respective qualities to what is a talented bunch of players.

Steve Cotterill really has done exceptionally well with his limited resources. To be sat here in February with something resembling a settled side, considering where we were this summer, is miraculous and a real testament to his commitment to the cause. Greg Halford now seems to have formed something of an understanding at the centre of defence with Ricardo Rocha, Joel Ward and Jonathan Hogg can power our team with their relentless running, David Cotterill adds flair, pace, a decent cross and a direct style to our play that was previously missing and David Nugent is happier than ever in the new system. All smiles then.

But this season has been nothing if not ever-changing. After a disastrous pre-season, we took seven games to register a victory, then won six of the next seven. We then took two vital wins from the next five, before embarking on an eleven-match winless streak. Now here we are with a four match unbeaten run, three wins on the bounce and three clean sheets on the spin. But let's learn our lesson ay? There are already quiet murmurs of a late play-off charge, but let's keep our feet firmly on the ground.

This club has gone through extraordinary changes in the past few years, so a mid-table finish in the Championship has to be viewed as a successful season. Steve Cotterill has done a brilliant job, acquiring some fine players in Lawrence and Dave Kitson and adding quality in the right places with his limited loan spots. Settling in this league is of paramount importance this year. Give me thirteenth spot and I'll bite your hand off. We can then build; stay within our means and build a good team with a honest and hard-working core. Mount the promotion charge next season, for the moment enjoy the daylight between us and the relegation zone.

And here's a blast from the past - our top scorer David Nugent grabbing his only England goal on his only England performance, nicking it off of Jermain Defoe just for good measure.

NWR

One Last Hurrah: Chelsea's One Shot

Just when they seemed to have stumbled beyond disaster, just as it looks to all the world that this once great team have lost their way, Chelsea ignite for themselves a small beacon of light. It's only small, but it's there. Last night they beat FC Copenhagen two-nil in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie, easing some of the pressure on manager Carlo Ancelotti after a dismal run of domestic form. And Europe now remains as their last hope of salvaging anything from this season.

The Blues began the campaign as they ended last year; in amazing form. They capped a double-winning term in 2010 with an eight-nil final day victory over Wigan, and they began this season in the same vein. Twelve goals in the first two games and a run of eight wins out of nine put Ancelotti's side in pole position to retain their title, but a defeat at Liverpool changed it all. Almost instantly, the confidence and self-belief seemed to drain away from the aging squad and they are currently on a run of five wins in sixteen games, a run that has seem them slip out of reckoning in the title race. Even Champions League football next season is in doubt as they currently sit in fifth place, two points behind Tottenham in fourth.

To add to this, domestic trophies are now out of the question. They fell at the first hurdle in the Carling Cup; Newcastle came away from Stamford Bridge with an entertaining four-three win that left the Blues out of the competition that now sees Arsenal and Birmingham in its final. And their defence of the FA Cup has stumbled to a halt in the Fourth Round; Everton held them to two draws before dumping them out on penalties, ending the chance for Chelsea to win the Cup for third consecutive time. So close to being history makers, and now so close to seemingly dropping into the abyss, similarly to Liverpool.

The blame is hard to assign to someone. It seems to be a combination of unmotivated players and the failure of the Abramovich-Ancelotti team to refresh an aging squad. Chelsea's top players; the likes of Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka; are all gone thirty, which is old in footballing terms. It would be okay if they had a wide selection of youthful talent bursting through, but it's not the case. Daniel Sturridge and Gael Kakuta have been shipped out on loan to Bolton and Fulham respectively, while young England starlet Josh McEachran seems to be the lone beacon of the Blues' excessive investment in their youth set-up. And that brings us to Fernando Torres.

Too much expectation has been heaped on the poor Spaniard. He was meant to be the saving light for Chelsea, the one to drag them from their slump in a blaze of glory and bang in the goals to revitalise their dying season. But three games in, he has yet to hit the net, seemingly yet to pass to a team-mate and the underwhelment of his arrival is, er, overwhelming. David Luiz, who has done okay, was bought out of small change for a cool £25million, compared to the huge £50million paid to Liverpool for Torres. Seemingly a bad deal? Do me a favour. This is one of the best strikers ever to have graced the Premier League, in bad form but nevertheless immensely talented and a good buy for Chelsea, for a big reason.

Fernando Torres is available for European football for Chelsea, and that can be a massive advantage for the Blues. If the Spain international can hit a vein of form, reminiscent of his years at Anfield prior to Roy Hodgson, he can spearhead a charge for silverware on the continent. I think it's fairly certain now you can expect big changes at Stamford Bridge this summer. Didier Drogba may be the biggest name to suffer the cull as Abramovich may attempt to revitalise his club, while Carlo Ancelotti will be lucky to keep his job if they end the year trophy-less. And the Champions League remains that last chance; and a seemingly far chance when you consider the talents of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Inter Milan in opposition.

But what a massive incentive for the players to go out with a bang; a bang that will only be suitable if it happens on the 28th May at Wembley Stadium. Namely the Champions League final.

There's a real lack of footballing videos on YouTube, so here - in an unrelated move - is the highlights from West Ham versus Burnley, worth it just to see Thomas Hitzlsperger's debut strike.

NWR

Weekend Word - 19th/20th February

Here's the past two days in footballing highlights:

Match of the Weekend: Leeds United 2 Norwich City 2

With the FA Cup going pretty much according to plan, excuse Leyton Orient and Everton, the weekend's best match-up came in the Championship as two of the division's high-fliers fought out an entertaining draw. This was a League One fixture last year, but both teams have hit the ground running in the Championship and heading into the Spring fixtures, the pair find themselves very much in the promotion picture. Leeds had led through Lucciano Becchio, but a forward-thinking Canaries side then went ahead through strikes from loanee Henri Lansbury and Wes Hoolahan. Both sides hit the woodwork, but substitute Davide Somma hit a superb equaliser to share the spoils. Pacy, equally full of mistakes and class - all what is brilliant about football in the Championship, and played in front of no less than 31,000 at Elland Road.

Hero of the Weekend: Jonathan Tehoue

Kept the romance of the FA Cup going, as Crawley Town, Sheffield Wednesday and Brighton all fall at the fifth round hurdle. Leyton Orient were trailing one-nil to a Tomas Rosicky header and the O's substitute collected the ball just in front of the Gunners' defence on eighty-nine minutes. With equal amounts of skill, drive and luck, Tehoue powered through Kieran Gibbs and Ignasi Miquel before firing a neat finish past Manuel Almunia. Que euphoric celebrations at Brisbane Road, and Orient now have a lucrative replay at the Emirates to look forward to, which will help with their Olympic Stadium bid. To add to the glory even more, Orient chairman Barry Hearn has rewarded his hard-working troops with a trip to Las Vegas. I think I speak for his team-mates when I say he is the hero of the weekend.

Villain of the Weekend: Ashley Cole/Nicolas Anelka

Both massive sulks and massively out-of-form, but I could have chosen any of the woefully out-of-form Chelsea team. Their double defence is now all but over as they surrendered the FA Cup in dreary fashion, slugging out a second level 90 minutes with Everton, then letting a lead slip in injury time. Many would have thought Frank Lampard would have spared their immensely disappointing season descending into disaster, but the plucky Toffees hit back in the last minute with a Leighton Baines free-kick. Enter penalties, and a lazy spotkick from Anelka and a down-right ridiculous one from Cole left Phil Neville free to win the match for Everton and seal their passage to the fifth-round. But Chelsea are left to muse on a poor season, only savable by an unlikely Champions League victory.

Pause for Thought - The Championship Promotion Race

It seems now there is a six team race for the one remaining promotion spot (assuming QPR keep their impressive lead) and the rest must fight it out for the play-offs, with one missing out. Leeds and Norwich shared a point this weekend, while Nottingham Forest jumped into second spot with a big victory over Cardiff City. There were also wins for Swansea City and outside bet Leicester City, meaning there are six in-form sides in the mix - discounting extraordinary runs from Burnley, Millwall or Hull. All that guaranteed is it will change almost every week and it will be entertaining, but at this present moment; with one defeat in nineteen games; Leeds have the form to carry them back to the Premier League. But any of them would bring something to the top division, so let's enjoy the best fought title race in years.

And here's the Hero of the Weekend in action, Tehoue's equaliser and the match highlights of Leyton Orient 1 Arsenal 1.

NWR

Rule Britainnia: English Do Us Proud

Well, we have definitely done well this week. Two of England's finest went up against Europe's elite; Tottenham Hotspur travelled to the San Siro to face AC Milan, while Arsenal welcomed the best team in the world, Barcelona, to the Emirates Stadium. And they both claimed brilliant victories. In differing circumstances, yes. The Gunners were pushed back by the Barca superstars for the first half and for a large portion of the second, but through two fine goals claimed an unlikely but magnificent victory. Spurs meanwhile survived the hostile treatment of the Milan bullies to snatch a late winner and steal the advantage in their tie. But it comes as no real surprise to me.

Arsenal especially did well. There is little doubt that Barcelona are the best team in the world; and for around seventy minutes they looked every bit as good as their reputation tells. Lionel Messi had a quiet night by his standards, but still had a glorious chance and assisted David Villa with a superb through-ball. Xavi and Andres Iniesta controlled the game from midfield, Arsenal gave them too much space to start off with and it looked like it was Barca's game all over. They could even snatch a couple more goals in this.

Their mistake came in settling for the one. The game descended into a lull, the Spanish side lost that crucial bit of concentration and Arsenal could sense their chance. Robin Van Persie, who had given his all but struggled infront of goal until now, got into a decent position and fired a bullet that Victor Valdes should have stopped. The Gunners had the momentum now, and Andrey Arshavin's winner was as good a counter-attacking goal as you will see; Barcelona would have been proud. It was a great win for the English side and it had an English feel about it - they fought for everything until the end and the jubilation in the fans at the end was a great sight.

But the biggest plus for Arsenal - and for England - was the performance of Jack Wilshere. England manager Fabio Capello laid down a challenge for the country's newest prodigy last week; to carry on his recent star performances against the best club side around and boy, did he. He was composed, calm and cool, had an eye for a key pass and always looking to go forward in a performance that looked years past his age. Fabio needs to take note; Jack is more than ready for international football in my opinion but he needs to be used to his full potential. He's not a Claude Makelele player, he needs to be further and there he can star for England - much like he did last night in a terrific Arsenal victory.

There was also joy for England in Italy. Tottenham have been somewhat of a surprise package in the Champions League this year, but a welcome revelation to the normally tightly-contested group stages. The games against Inter Milan, ruled by Gareth Bale, showed how an attacking philosophy can bring you goals, and when Harry Redknapp vowed to keep that approach for the knockout stages, everyone breathed a sigh of relief - although many didn't expect them to do so well in the San Siro.

But it shouldn't come as a surprise, as AC Milan typify Italian football at the moment - aging. The likes of Nesta, Gattuso and Seedorf are getting much older now, so the likes of Aaron Lennon, Palacios and Van der Vaart have the pace and skill to get in and around them. Add in Gareth Bale and a return to fitness of Luka Modric for White Hart Lane, and I can see Spurs progressing further. And now they have the first leg lead, Milan will need to change their approach - Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Robinho need to make a bigger impact if their side is going to have any chance of getting through.

Well done to Spurs to get this far though; like I said their attacking play has been a joy to watch at times this season. And they showed they can rough it with a resilient performance in Italy up against a tough-tackling Milan side. Gattuso is a nasty piece of work and rightly faces a ban for his actions towards Spurs coach Joe Jordan, but how Mathieu Flamini wasn't shown a straight red card for his horror challenge on Vedran Corluka I'll never know. Corluka is lucky to only have ligament damage as opposed to a broken leg, must be a French thing. But again it was great to see Lennon break free and supply Peter Crouch for that priceless away winner - and to see two English players key in a Champions League match.

To add to this even further, both English sides and Scotland's representative still in the Europa League are in with a fantastic chance of progressing. Liverpool may have played out a dull nil-nil draw with Sparta Prague in their first last-32 tie, but this could have been a potential banana skin for the Reds so I'm sure Kenny Daglish will be pleased he is taking a clean slate back to Anfield. The same with Roberto Mancini, just edit in Manchester City, Aris Salonika and the City of Manchester Stadium. Rangers have the harder task thanks to a late Matiaz Fernandes goal at Ibrox that sees Sporting Lisbon take the slight advantage for the return leg in Portugal, but it's not mission impossible. Rangers will take a lot of character to Estadio Jose Alvalade and I can see them nicking that away goal that will bring this tie even again. Both in with a shout.

So yes, it has been a very good week for England, and Britain. It has seen two sides take steps to progressing in the Champions League; Spurs will now be confident but Arsenal are experienced enough to know that the Barcelona job is nowhere near done yet. But to see Jack Wilshere grow at an extraordinary rate to become an international star is brilliant for all England fans, and topped off with winning contributions from Lennon and Crouch in Milan and the realistic progressions of Rangers, Manchester City and Liverpool, it hasn't been a bad one at all. Come on United and Chelsea, let's make it an English quadruple into the quarters of the Champions League, and how much do you reckon I would win if I put a fiver on a combination of Rangers-Liverpool-Manchester City Europa League final?

NWR

Weekend Word - 12th/13th February

Here's the weekend in a neatly summarised format, and thanks to Blackpool, Aston Villa and Tottenham for ensuring I got a laughable two out of nine for my Premier League predictions:

Match of the Weekend: Manchester United

2 Manchester City 1

Entertaining and full of event, it saw both City proving themselves as more of a force within the Premier League, yet saw them almost definitely fall out of the running for the title this season. United didn't start particularly well, and if David Silva had stuck away a brilliant early chance it could have been a vastly different story. But the in-form Nani soon put United ahead, and even though Silva equalised with a fortuitous goal, United looked as though they could pull ahead and they did through Wayne Rooney's wonder goal. A vastly entertaining derby, and one with huge implications for the title run-in. Rooney may have just put the 'noisy' neighbours out of it with eight points now separating first placed United and third placed City, leaving Arsenal as the sole challengers to Sir Alex Ferguson's side.

Hero of the Weekend: Scott Parker

Parker's West Ham team-mates have been unapologetic in their appraisal of their captain's input to their fine comeback at West Brom this weekend. The Hammers were awful in the first half and were rightly three-nil down at the interval, but a pep talk from Parker inspired the side and they came to draw three-three, with a Demba Ba double and a Carlton Cole strike. Any football follower will know West Ham have been slated this season, but Parker is the only one to have escaped with no criticism and his influence at Upton Park was clear to see on Saturday. Keeping him during the January transfer window may just see West Ham stay in the Premier League this season.

Villain of the Weekend: Everton

I've decided to put them all in together after their performance at Bolton yesterday. The Toffees are inconsistent at the best of times but this season has seen them hit new highs and lows, with the two-nil defeat to the Trotters being one of the lows. They struggled to put their passes together with any fluidity and the creativity seen in the 5-3 defeat of Blackpool last week was non-existent. David Moyes has said he was 'despondent' at the final whistle and captain Phil Neville has said he believes the side are now in a 'dogfight'. Their quality should see them stay in the league, but this looks like it could be another year of what might have been as Everton's league rivals continue to improve around them.

Pause for Thought - Are City now out of the Title Reckoning?

Yes, to be putting it bluntly. To have had any real aspirations of claiming the Premier League title, they needed to send out a message at Old Trafford that told their rivals they wanted it. But despite putting in a good performance, they've come away with a defeat and are now eight points of the pace. But it doesn't seem like that's what Roberto Mancini was really aiming for anyway. There has been no real buzz around City challenging for top spot this season, they seem more content with claiming Champions League football after their Spurs disappointment last term. They should now get into Europe's top competition, which is a fine accomplishment, but they seemed to leave United, Arsenal and Chelsea to fight over the title. Now with Chelsea out of it and themselves joining the Londoners, it seems the Gunners are the only ones who can stop the Red Devils.

United are definitely on a charge at the moment, largely thanks to this moment of magic from Wayne Rooney. More of this for England please mate. A quick word for Pompey; brilliant result at Doncaster this weekend, Ricardo Rocha needs to be playing every week as our only defender with some nous. But for now, let's enjoy Rooney at his best (at about 1.38 in, ignoring Barton's analysis).

Play Up Pompey.

NWR

Predictions - 11.02.2011

It promises to be a big weekend in the Premier League, plus it's a big game for Pompey in the Championship, so here's how I think it's going to go:

Manchester United versus Manchester City : 0-0

The long unbeaten league run is over for United and now the real race for the title starts; they have to react well against their 'noisy' neighbours. Sir Alex will be eager to see his side get a massive victory at Old Trafford, but also a draw for his side wouldn't be the end of the world with the Reds five points clear of the Citizens with a game in hand. And that will play into the defensive hands of Roberto Mancini and his Italian-style side, with this bound to end up a goalless or low-scoring draw.

Arsenal versus Wolverhampton Wanderers : 3-0

Both sides are two-faced. Everytime the Gunners look like they are going to mount a title charge, they drop points in games they were looking to win. And four of Wolves' seven wins this season have come against sides in the top six, while Mick McCarthy's side are fresh from ending United's unbeaten run last week. But Arsenal are a formidable prospect at the Emirates and with Robin Van Persie in good form, I can only see one outcome.

Birmingham City versus Stoke City : 1-1

I'm slightly surprised Birmingham have struggled this year, they have a good squad with a decent team spirit and finished ninth last term. But second-season syndrome consistently rears its head (Reading, Ipswich, Hull to name a few) and survival will be Alex McLeish's main objective this campaign. Tony Pulis has brilliantly engineered a Stoke side that can now look for a top-ten finish, and a draw here will keep that target well in sight.

Blackburn Rovers versus Newcastle United : 2-1

Newcastle secured one of the best results in Premier League history last week, coming from 4-0 down at half-time to draw with Arsenal, and it was a truly terrific effort from the players. They should stay in the Premier League this season but I fear they will fall to a Blackburn side with bigger aspirations. New owners, new management and a new emphasis has Rovers looking upwards and three points here will keep them pushing the top ten and even an outside shot at the European places.

Blackpool versus Aston Villa : 1-1

Two sides in differing form and I can see an entertaining clash here. Blackpool are the league's entertainers; Charlie Adam orchestrates an attacking line-up and they cause any team problems despite the poor run they are currently on. On the other hand, Villa have regained their form after bad results towards the end of the last year, with the addition of Darren Bent complimenting a fine attacking force from the Villans. The Midlands side will be targeting a win but the Seasiders will fight and scrap for everything.

Liverpool versus Wigan Athletic : 2-0

The Reds now have four victories in four games; and that's without the real introductions of Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll to boost them yet. Kenny Dalglish has now proved his appointment was worth more than just sentiment, and his side are now almost unbelievably back in contention for a European or even Champions League place. That should continue here against a Wigan side who have flair on the front foot but not enough nous at the back to keep out a confident Liverpool attack. Expect Suarez to start making his mark.

West Bromwich Albion versus West Ham United : 1-0

A big game at the bottom of the table for both sides and the boost of a new manager might just tip the scales. Roy Hodgson is back in the game with the Baggies, a very good appointment from them, and hopefully he can inject some solidity into the side. The home team will score goals but they also concede them for fun, which will need to change. But a vastly disappointing West Ham team are the opposition; Avram Grant needs the team that has beaten Manchester United and Fulham to turn up at the Hawthorns. Time is running out to escape that vacuum near the bottom of the league, and every point is priceless.

Sunderland versus Tottenham Hotspur : 1-2

Both Sunderland and Tottenham have had good seasons and will be looking to push on from this point to solidify their targets. The Black Cats have done especially well; they sit in seventh spot with a four point gap to eighth - so will need to keep on winning to ensure their chances of a European spot. Spurs obviously got fourth place last season and only sit in fifth at the moment; but Manchester City have improved and they are currently level on points with out-of-form defending champions Chelsea. A win here would put them in real contention of Champions League football two years in a row, which would be almost as good an achievement as getting them there in the first place.

Bolton Wanderers versus Everton : 1-1

A strange one this. Bolton started the season in great form with Johan Elmander leading the way; but have now fallen three places to eighth and the Swedish hitman hasn't scored in seven league games. Daniel Sturridge has injected a bit of pace into the side, and that gives them a good chance at the Reebok. Everton are a strange side; they go from the highs of five goals against Blackpool and wins over Tottenham, Manchester City and Liverpool to defeats against West Brom and Stoke. David Moyes will be eager for his side to find consistency, starting with a solid result at Bolton.

Fulham versus Chelsea : 1-0

I wrote not to long ago that Fulham would go down, but they have picked up in form; collecting fourteen points in eight games. Mark Hughes will get his side fighting for results, and that might spell even more trouble for Carlo Ancelotti and his out-of-form Chelsea side. The signing of Fernando Torres and the recent wins at Bolton and Sunderland were meant to signal a new dawn at Stamford Bridge, but the dire display against Liverpool put them back down in the doldrums. They have to be really careful now; many more poor results could see Tottenham or Liverpool take their place in the Champions League, which would be disastrous for Roman Abramovich's investments.

And down in Pompey Corner....

Doncaster Rovers versus Portsmouth : 1-1

I'm hoping for a solid display and a draw in a difficult away day. Doncaster may only be fifteenth but they showed with a victory at Fratton Park that they are a dangerous side with skillful players, and they have a decent record at the Keepmoat Stadium. The inclusion of Ricardo Rocha at the back will hopefully tighten things up, while Dave Kitson is due a goal. One is soarly needed for Pompey to have any chance of getting a positive result at Rovers.

Play Up Pompey.

And there you have it. Now it's up to the players to prove me right.

NWR

Denmark 1 England 2 AND Sort It Out Pompey

Denmark 1 England 2: Who Called That One?

Yes, if you look back at my pre-match build up to the friendly, I did say England would gain a narrow victory, and look what happened? I've got to say I thought we would play a bit worse than that; we looked a bit more driven than we had in recent games and that was pleasing to see. I moaned yesterday about the endless presence of meaningless friendlies, but atleast the players gave a toss and put a performance in. I was also pleased with the presence of some fringe players to inject a bit of freshness into the side; Jack Wilshere had a good game up until half-time, both Darren Bent and Ashley Young scored and Scott Parker did his international prospects no harm at all with a fine second-half performance. Good from England.

The formation was pleasing aswell; we looked to attack and that's something these players are good at; getting forward like the English crowd likes to see and we need to push on like that in the up and coming qualification games. We face the Welsh on March 26 and, with the inclusions of Steven Gerrard, Jermain Defoe, Rio Ferdinand and hopefully a return to form from Wayne Rooney, we should be okay for that game. But give the likes of Wilshere, Parker, Walcott, Young and Bent to continue to impress. I think Walcott is improving in his position on the right side of midfield; he is set to have his best goal return this year for Arsenal and is playing more often also; and James Milner will always put in a good shift on the left for you. A more dangerous option, Adam Johnson when he returns, but you can rely on Milner.

It's a good start to 2011, nothing more than that but nothing less. Let's push on in the Euro 2012 qualifiers, get into the tournament as quick as possible and start planning for a potent mixture of youth and experience that can hopefully see us go further than the quarter-finals in Poland and Ukraine.

Sort It Out Pompey: Give Us A Chance

I think all us Pompey fans were gutted at the end of the January transfer window, but none of us were really surprised. Lack of funds and our down-turn in form mean we aren't going to get loads of players wanting to come here, but nothing on deadline day? Ritchie De Laet and Jonathan Hogg are welcome additions and have slotted into the team well, but we are desperate for bodies in the side. Yet we've got two seasoned midfielders training with the club every day, collecting their wages from Mr Chainrai, but down to pure stupidity and extraordinarily shortsighted management neither can appear for the side.

I'm talking of course about Richard Hughes and Michael Brown. Both have made over 300 league appearances and have made more than decent contributions to the Blues in their time at Fratton Park, but due to contract clauses Steve Cotterill is unable to pick them. If either plays another game for Portsmouth Football Club, we will be obliged to offer them new contracts on Premier League wages we cannot afford. Fair enough we can't afford it, the previous owners didn't know how to run a football club so it's no surprise to the fans. But surely after the worryingly quiet January transfer window, someone at the club can sort the mess out?

Both players have indicated they are willing to negotiate with the club a new deal that levies that clause, and Chief Executive David Lampitt has said that talks have been held but weren't successful. But now with the transfer window shut, neither was moved on, so it boggles belief that the club can't just sort out a deal that can see both players play for us again. God knows we need players of their calibre in the side at the moment. So come on Pompey, sort it out, please. For the sake of our season, sort it out.

And here's highlights of England's victory in Copenhagen. Enjoy :)

NWR

Denmark Vs England: What the Point Should Be

There has been a lot of criticism of the international friendly in general ahead of the 'eagerly-anticipated' Denmark versus England game tonight. What's the point? Giving a bunch of experienced internationals another cap to add to the collection, collect a pretty much meaningless result and another stamp for the passport; but all this in a week bookended by domestic fixtures?

I quite agree with most of the criticism thrown at the friendly. How will Sir Alex Ferguson feel if Wayne Rooney is injured and misses a month? The same with Frank Lampard for Chelsea, James Milner for Manchester City, Glen Johnson for Liverpool? And it's not as if these players need the international friendlies to improve or get used to the international scene. Ashley Cole is set to play tonight; 85 caps he has to his name. Why does he need another?

And that's where I come to what should be the point of the international friendly. England have flattered to deceive for the best part of a decade now. The hope that surrounded the country circa 2006 and 2010 for the respective World Cups and in both cases they were dashed by an extremely underwhelming performance from a talented set of players. Players such as Cole, Lampard, Gareth Barry and John Terry played in those tournaments and were equally disappointing as their teammates. So why not try the new breed of English talent for these friendlies?

Jack Wilshere heads the list of maturing English talent, and he will get his start tonight. Good; he has deserved it after a fine season at Arsenal and is a very good prospect. But why not include the likes of Kieran Gibbs, Kyle Walker, Gary Cahill, Michael Dawson, Jordan Henderson, Jack Rodwell, Ashley Young and Gabriel Agbonlahor in the starting eleven? What harm does it do? They've got just as much chance as getting injured as anyone on a football pitch, it will give them international experience and a chance to prove their worth on the world stage. And when they're fit, what about the inclusions of Phil Jones, Micah Richards, Adam Johnson and Andy Carroll?

Looking even lower than this, you see the likes of Ryan Bertrand, John Bostock, Scott Sinclair, Dan Gosling, Fabian Delph and Danny Welbeck all doing well in their respective positions. They can be used in the England lower ranks (the Under-21's, the Under-18's, etc), and these meaningless international friendlies should be used for the younger stars to get experience at this level. Then, coming into the qualification games and European/World tournaments, we will have a much better idea of our players and a fresher outlook on our prospects. It's worked for the likes of Germany and Spain, so why not try it?

For tonight's game though, I expect a bore. I would love England to surprise me, but I can't see anything less than a half effort from some of the lads, and I cannot blame them. Why risk themselves for a meaningless friendly when there are vastly important club fixtures at the weekend and in the coming weeks? I'm going to go for a narrow England victory, 1-0 or 2-1, and hopefully a few appearances from our young guns. We need to start planning for the future now.

NWR

Real Madrid 4 Real Sociedad 1: View from the Other Side

This weekend I was lucky enough to go to the Bernabeu to see Real Madrid play, my first experience of a football match outside of England, and here's what I thought:

Real Madrid are a fine, fine team and an unbelievable club. Just walking around the outstanding Santiago Bernabeu stadium you see the amount of history and pride the city of Madrid takes in its most successful club. The sheer number of gleaming trophies sat on the route of the tour around the stadium shows how immensely successful Real Madrid have been over the years. Footage of legends such as Di Stefano, Puskas, Raul and Zinedine Zidane is on repeat around the stadium, with the shirts of even more legends hanging from the walls.

Game time and the Bernabeu is slowly filling up. Out on the pitch, there's Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Mesut Ozil, Xabi Alonso, Ricardo Carvalho and Iker Casillas idly warming up in their usual routines. Lassana Diarra and Maxwell have a kick-about in a break between drills. Jose Mourinho watches calmly from the sidelines. This stellar line up is only bettered in the world by the arch rivals and the 'Unmentionables' in this area; Barcelona.

An initially tepid reception soon warms up as Madrid begin well; chances had already come and gone by the time Kaka coolly slotted Los Blanco's ahead on eight minutes and they carried on coming forward. Iker Casillas made a very useful save from Tamudo but Madrid were in control and Cristiano Ronaldo was in his usual form; going from extraordinarily skillful to boyishly petulant in a matter of seconds, but his good side was summed up with an audacious back-header that left Estrada for dead; only to see the offside flag. No to worry, he made amends with a low strike soon after and an easy header from Ozil's corner made it three-nil and virtually game over at half-time.

The second half began in a strange mood; Real's superstars had clearly taken their foot off the gas and Sociedad managed to put some passes together. Casillas was again called into action to make a couple of decent saves; while Kaka hit the pass and Emmanuel Adebayor was guilty of glaring mis-kick in front of goal. There was the hint of an unlikely comeback when Tamudo's shot was saved by Casillas but the ball cannoned off of Alvaro Arbeleo and in to the annoyance of the 74,000-odd in the Bernabeu. Again, not to worry, a stylish move from Madrid ended in a good finish from Adebayor to make the final score a convincing four-one to Los Merengues.

The verdict? When they're in the mood, Real Madrid are a fine attacking force. Xabi Alonso and Lassana Diarra (who was man-of-the-match against Sociedad) form a solid base for Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and Mesut Ozil to wreak havoc on the opposition, and the return of Gonzalo Higuain will mean they have a proven goalscorer up top. Defence is still slightly suspect, although they have the world's best goalkeeper in Iker Casillas to back them up, but the big question is can they catch the Barca? They are now seven points behind their big rivals, but the bridge is a big one to gap.

Barcelona have proved now that they are the best team in the world. Their 3-0 win over Athletico Madrid is proof of that, if not the thumping 5-0 victory over Madrid earlier this season. But in my opinion, Real Madrid are the second best team in the world. The prestige surrounding the club secures that. And this opens the big question, which is better: Spanish football or English football?

Well this weekend was a fine example of why England is the answer to that question. Barcelona and Real Madrid both gained three goal victories; both over top-ten sides in Spain with not too much trouble and their star players getting easy goals for their teams. And what about England? The bottom team, Wolves, beats the top team, Manchester United. Arsenal surrender a four-nil lead to draw four-four with Newcastle. There were 41 goals just on Saturday; an average of over five goals a game. This compared to 21 in Spain. Espana has the two best clubs in the world (Barcelona and Real Madrid) ahead of England, but the Premier League is a better league than La Liga. And that's why English football beats Spanish football; just.

But the experience of the Bernabeu is something that has to be taken in by any keen football fans. Next stop - The Nou Camp.

And here for your viewing pleasure is Cristiano Ronaldo's skill against Real Sociedad. I saw this live, me.

NWR

Transfer Madness: January's Big Winners?

And yet another January transfer window is over. Admittedly, this year's was a bit more mental than ever. Over £215million was spent this year, a record for a January transfer window, and there were some massive deals done in terms of the fate of some clubs. So who were the big winners and losers of the January transfer window?

Well, the big deals all kind of merged and saw Chelsea emerge as the winners of a tussle that included Liverpool and Newcastle. Chelsea are the big winners for a simple reason; they bought one of the world's best strikers in Fernando Torres: ruthless on his day, consistent goalscorer at the highest level and almost with a point to prove at Stamford Bridge. In one foul swoop, Roman Abramovich has both allayed fears he was going to leave the club and put them back in the title race. Torres is the player to revive Chelsea, making the British transfer record £50 million fee worth it for the London club.

But it's Liverpool who have missed out. Losing your best player is a brutal blow, especially so late in the window and suddenly considering the quick turn of events, and I'm not sure they replaced him wisely. Out of Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll, who would you spend more on? An established international who featured at the last World Cup and attracted top interest in a stellar spell at Ajax, or a young English hopeful who has had a good six-months of Premier League football and one international cap. Well, the big cats at Anfield put out £22.5million for the international, and a whopping £35million for Carroll, which boggles the mind. Fair enough that they have got a 22-year-old striker with many good attributes, but a record for an English player is hardly justified after such a short time in the spotlight. It's a ridiculous sum, but I know one person who doesn't think so; Mike Ashley. The Newcastle chairman must be rubbing his hands, although I doubt the disillusioned Magpies fans will be as pleased.

Elsewhere, other clubs got decent deals out of the window. Moneybags Manchester City saw their strikeforce strengthened with the capture of Edin Dzeko, a proven goalscorer who will boost their chances of silverware this year. Aston Villa have rid themselves of any small relegation fears by signing Sunderland's Darren Bent in a controversial move and midfielder Jean Makoun, and they can have a relatively good season now. Blackburn have done okay; a couple of decent acquisitions and getting rid of bad boy El-Hadji Diouf is always a bonus. Fulham, Bolton Wanderers, Birmingham City and Stoke City are also stronger teams after January, while Sunderland have done okay since seeing Bent leave; Sulley Muntari and Stephane Sessegnon have softened the blow. But now onto the losers.

West Ham haven't strengthened enough for me. Robbie Keane has the potential to be one of the signings of the season, but the hard-working but lacking Gary O'Neil and the laughable Wayne Bridge are poor signings and will not save the Hammers. They are seriously lacking in midfield and defence; someone like Jamie O'Hara would have boosted them greatly. In the end, O'Hara has gone to Wolves, but their lack of transfer activity on other fronts means they are still facing a major battle to stay in the league. Newcastle will greatly miss Carroll, but the serious lack of investment seen at Arsenal, Manchester United, West Brom and Wigan Athletic could come back and haunt them before the end of the season. So that leaves just one team, who I consider to be the major winners of the January transfer window.

Blackpool have set the Premier League alight this year. Their attacking football has been brilliant to watch and they have got their rewards for that; five away wins for a newly-promoted club is a fine return. And beyond manager Ian Holloway, captain Charlie Adam is the reason they are doing so well. His passing has been extraordinary, his influence is irreplacable and he rightly attracted the interest of Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham this month. But the move never materialised; and that makes the Tangerines the real winners of this manic transfer window. They could have got up to £6million for Adam if they wanted to cash in, but compared to the £40million they would bank if they stay in the Premier League? It's a no-brainer. And fair play to Holloway and Karl Oyston for sticking to their guns, in a move that should see Blackpool stay up. And my, they deserve it.

And here's why he's so sought after, great dead-ball skills as he shows against Cardiff in last season's play-off final.

NWR