The talented Manchester United midfielder Tom Cleverley who spent last season on loan at Championship side Watford has attracted the interest of a number of Premier League clubs this summer, including newly promoted Newcastle. The Magpies have expressed an interest in recruiting the youngster on a season long loan deal but with fierce interest in his availability would United be wise to cash in on his talent? His performances last season coupled with promising recent form in United’s pre-season tour of America suggests a loan to another top flight club this season would be beneficial for the player and the Red Devils.

The midfielder who has been at Manchester United since the age of 15 was sent out to Vicarage Road last season to gain experience and regular first team football. If that was his brief the player certainly delivered. Despite ending the season pre-maturely with what initially appeared to be a serious knee injury, Cleverley still finished the campaign as Watford’s top goal-scorer netting 11 times. He went on to win the club’s Player of the Season award as the overwhelmingly popular choice amongst fans and team-mates for this accolade. Watford would no doubt welcome him back with open arms but this capable midfielder will now be looking for a run in United’s first team or the chance to acquire experience with another club in the top flight.

Whilst United will always require a technically proficient, free-scoring midfielder his first-team chances are likely to be restricted by the ever-green Scholes and Giggs and the continued importance of Fletcher and Carrick to the midfield. His ambition to play Premier League football at the Theatre of Dreams may be circumscribed further by the club’s purchase of Javier Hernandez and midfielders such as Darron Gibson who are further ahead in their professional development. For a young player to break through with aplomb at United they have to be exceptional and impossible to ignore. This has been the case during the club’s pre-season tour of America where his appearances have caught the eye. The youngster was on the score-sheet in their 3-1 victory over Celtic as his long range effort caught a wicked deflection. His impressive cameo role in that game earned him a starting berth in the next friendly against Philadelphia Union where he played alongside Scholes and was able to spread incisive forward passes in the vein of his team-mate.

The ability and promise of this England Under-21 international is not in doubt. However he remains one of many United youngsters who will be competing for the attentions of Sir Alex Ferguson, including Obertan, Welbeck, Macheda and Smalling. Ferguson is acutely aware of the issues surrounding the introduction of raw youth into the first team squad. “We’ve a fine collection of young players who, if you don’t give them an opportunity are going to stagnate and move to other clubs who’ll get the benefit of the work we’ve done with them.”

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Whilst the belief of the manager in these players is there he is realistic about the problem of stunted growth if they do not get their chances in the league. Manchester United may be able to attract a decent price for Cleverley despite his lack of top flight experience. This, however, would be foolhardy after his recent loan spell and pre-season performances. The optimum move for Manchester United would arguably represent weighing up the loan offers that will inevitably come flooding in before assessing which club can best augment his footballing education. Then United can reap the rewards of the work another Premier League club has done with him.

Chelsea come into the season looking to continue their impressive form which saw them wrap up a domestic double for the first time in club history. This off-season has seen much change at Stamford Bridge with notable players such as Michael Ballack, Deco and Joe Cole leaving Chelsea and Ramires and Yossi Benayoun the only two players of note that Ancelotti has brought in.

With free-spending Manchester City assembling a star-studded squad along with usual suspects Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal sure to be in or around the top come May, this season is shaping up to be as exciting and as close as last season. Here are 5 things Ancelotti and Chelsea must do to ensure that success is maintained at the Bridge.

1. Stay injury-free

Injuries were the bane of Chelsea last season with several key players out for extended periods and this season the injury bug has struck again with Jose Bosingwa still absent following a long-term knee injury and Petr Cech and Alex rushing in a race against time to be fit for the season opener against West Brom. With all of the departures at Chelsea this season, it is essential that key players in the squad are kept injury free for Chelsea to be able to mount a successful defence of their Premier League title.

2. The supporters must get behind John Terry and Ashley Cole

I’m sure this won’t be a problem for Chelsea fans but we must get behind John Terry and Ashley Cole. Terry and Cole’s confidence must be at an all time low following England’s dismal performance in South Africa and the two have carried their World Cup hangover into Chelsea’s pre-season. The boo-boys have definitely been out in force for the duo and their performances against Manchester United will have given them much pleasure. We all know the quality that Cole and Terry possess and it is up to us fans to ensure that they have all of our support so that they can put in the quality performances that we know they can produce.

3. Give youth a chance

Much has been made about Chelsea’s ageing squad but there are some quality youngsters coming through the ranks at Stamford Bridge and Ancelotti would be wise to use the club’s quest for trophies on all fronts as a means of blooding some of his young charges. Gael Kakuta has been drawing rave reviews as a result of his Golden Ball winning performance at this summer’s European U-19 Championship and has shown the potential to be a future star for Chelsea. Daniel Sturridge played excellently for Chelsea on Sunday after coming on in the second half and looks to be a livewire of a player. Other players such as Jeffrey Bruma, Fabio Borini, Patrick van Aanholt and Josh McEachran are highly-prized at Stamford Bridge and some first team action, maybe in the Carling Cup would prove hugely beneficial to the development of these young players.

4. More from some of the squad players

With a number of experienced players leaving Chelsea this season, it is more important than ever that some of the squad players at Stamford Bridge look to raise their game. Salomon Kalou has managed to frustrate and delight in equal measures in his time at Stamford Bridge and this season, Ancelotti must look to get more of the latter out of the enigmatic Ivorian. Kalou has shown flashes of brilliance during his four seasons in West London, most notably during the tail-end of last season where Kalou scored a hat-trick in Chelsea’s rout of Stoke City. Kalou has attempted to carry over this good form into this season and impressed during Chelsea’s disappointing 3-1 defeat to Manchester United on Sunday. Hopefully, he can maintain this form and be a weapon for Ancelotti in the upcoming season.

Ancelotti will also be looking at Yuri Zhirkov to show more for Chelsea after failing to impress in pre-season with the Russian culpable for a suicidal back pass which led to Chelsea’s eventual defeat to Hamburg.

5. Draw on the experience in the squad

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Chelsea’s core squad has remained together and they have experience of winning trophies that cannot be underestimated. Chelsea have bred a habit of winning and many of the players have won multiple honours while at the club. This has fostered a strong team unity that has shown through the team’s ability to bounce back after defeat to Inter last season threatened to derail our title push. Only Manchester United can draw on the experience of that kind of success that is present in the Chelsea squad.

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With the PL season nearly upon us, let’s see the WAGS that will be keeping the players on their toes. Click on image to VIEW gallery

Wednesday night will go down in Tottenham Hotspur’s history as the day when Spurs reached the Champions League proper. Harry Redknapp’s men put the first leg of qualifying behind them and romped to a 4-0 win at White Hart Lane against Young Boys. Now they get to face some of Europe’s big boys, including last year’s Champions League winners Inter Milan. Tottenham have Peter Crouch to thank for their victory, the tall striker helping himself to a hat-trick and showing just how prolific his little and large partnership with Jermain Defoe is. Crouchy hasn’t had a great time of it recently, having disappointed along with the rest of the England squad at the World Cup in South Africa, and his relationship with Abbey Clancy looks to be on the rocks if tabloid tales of Crouchy playing away from home are to be believed. He may have let one of the Premier League’s hottest WAGs slip through his fingers, but Crouch wasn’t about to let his match ball go the same way. What do you think Crouch is saying to Defoe here?

Leave your suggestions below…

This week you can win a copy of Death of Glory!

In this astonishing book Jon Spurling has travelled the world to scratch beneath the glossy, confetti-strewn surface of the world’s biggest sporting event to uncover its dark secrets.

Part travelogue, part history, Death or Glory is based on more than 100 exclusive interviews with players, supporters, writers and team officials.

Its 16 chapters take you on a fascinating journey through sport, politics, conflict and civil strife that ultimately reveals the astonishing power of the world’s greatest sporting event – a power that goes far beyond a few games of football every four years.

To see the FootballFanCast.com Caption Competition Terms and Conditions click here.

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Last week’s winner: Tilly – click here to see all entries

The signature of Sol Campbell by Newcastle manager Chris Hughton in the summer is generally thought to be a shrewd one by the Premier League club. The former England international defender brings a whole host of experience with him to St James’ Park and will help provide competition for places at the heart of the Newcastle backline. The question is, though, with Fabricio Coloccini and Mike Williamson forming a solid centre-back partnership, will Campbell be able to force himself into the first team picture?

Campbell arrived at Newcastle amidst claims he was ‘fat’ and some way from fitness following his wedding and hence lack of training in the summer. The defender is not exactly getting any younger as his 36th birthday approaches, but Campbell still has a role to play for the Toon. As a professional footballer it won’t take long to get himself back up to speed and following a couple of reserve team outings, he’s already well on the way to doing this. Campbell himself believes he’ll make his debut at home to Blackpool on Saturday, but surely he can’t expect more than a short run-out from the bench, can he?

Hughton won’t want to change a line-up that demolished Aston Villa and more than held their own at Molineux against Wolves. Coloccini is showing what a class act he is and Williamson is proving that he was an absolute steal when Newcastle signed him from Portsmouth in January. With the form of these two, Campbell will have to settle for a place on the bench, but given the injury to Steven Taylor, he will certainly be next in line. Campbell may be getting on a bit, but he hasn’t lost any of his ambition that has made him a winner throughout his career and that can only be a good thing for Newcastle.

Manchester City are sitting on a valuable commodity in Shay Given. Arsenal are in desperate need of a quality goalkeeper. Manchester United have Edwin Van der Sar as first choice, but he is almost certainly in his last year as a player as he turned 40 yesterday. Both clubs can afford to pay for Given’s services, the only stumbling block is whether they can convince the Eastlands hierarchy to sell to their rivals.

Arsenal are one of the best run clubs in the league; this is partly down to their transfer policy in predominantly younger players, but it is a policy that should be ignored in their pursuit of a goalkeeper that could transform their team. Manchester United have debts as a result of the Glazers’ interests, but we should not be naïve in thinking that they cannot afford to make such a purchase.

In my opinion, Arsenal’s need for a new keeper is far greater than United’s. Van der Sar may be old, but he is still top draw, and is up to the challenge of the season ahead. As well as this, Tomasz Kuszczak is decent, not great, but a suitable back-up. He is a better goalkeeper than anything Arsenal can come up with at the moment, but he is not good enough to be Man Utd’s long-term successor to the Dutchman’s position.

For Arsenal, the situation is becoming more and more of a problem. The quality of the football being played at The Emirates becomes irrelevant if there is no confidence in the ability of their keeper. There are new defenders in their back four, and they need someone with experience, authority and exceptional communication to ease them into the Premier League.

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Given is 34, and so no blossoming talent, but would have at least three years at his peak, if not more. David James, Brad Friedel and Van der Sar himself are examples of how long goalkeepers can continue to play at the upper echelons, as long as they have the fitness and commitment; both qualities that Given possesses. The age he is would also mean that the transfer fee wouldn’t have to be exorbitant, if that was an issue in the first place.

This is all somewhat irrelevant however. Most know that the likes of Almunia, Fabianski and Kuszczak are not good enough to play for their respective clubs, that is not the issue. Somehow, the clubs in need will have to convince City to part with their reserve. They already have the best goalkeeping talent this country has produced in a very long time (a bit superlative I know, but he could genuinely be England’s goalkeeper for the next ten years), and so preventing Given from playing smacks a bit of unadulterated greed. What may change the situation is the man himself.

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Given has already claimed he is prepared to leave, and he is fully entitled to. At this stage in his career, he cannot afford to give away six months or a year to the substitutes bench. If he dug his heels in and reverted to (for want of a far better word/term) ‘player power’, telling his employers of his desire to leave, his wishes would probably be granted. Given is worth any amount of money Arsenal are willing to pay, and they should do all they possibly can to convince City to agree to do business. He has the potential to be integral to any team he plays for, Wenger should make Arsenal that team.

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Tottenham Hotspur have revealed they have reached a pre-contract agreement with SuperSport United for the transfer of Bongani Khumalo.

The South Africa international defender had a trial at the north London club in September and will join, subject to a work permit being granted, in January.

"We are delighted to announce that we have reached a pre-contract agreement with SuperSport United for the transfer of Bongani Khumalo to the Club in January 2011, subject to a work permit being granted," read a club statement.

SuperSport United are one of Tottenham's partner clubs and recently won a third straight South African Premier League title.

Khumalo was part of South Africa's World Cup squad and scored the winning goal in their group stage victory over France.

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Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has struggled to send out a settled defence this season with Jonathan Woodgate and Michael Dawson sidelined with long-term injuries and Ledley King plagued by a chronic knee problem.Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

Arsenal are another side that really need to prove their credentials as long-term challengers for the Premier League title. A home defeat to Newcastle last weekend was a major setback, and Wolves’ enterprising display on Wednesday did little to suggest that the Gunners old weakness of failing to get points against the smaller sides has left them.

Everton are ticking along unnoticed amongst the promoted clubs punching above their weight and the old hands struggling to come to terms with this season’s challenges. Toffees fans will have been delighted with Jermaine Beckford’s late goal to deny Bolton on Wednesday night, not least because it was the former Leeds man’s first Premier League goal since arriving at Goodison Park.

Recent form might suggest Arsenal could struggle here but Arsene Wenger will know that a win here is crucial to dispel doubters about the strength, both mental and physical, of his Arsenal squad.

Prediction: 0-2

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Article courtesy of Twisted Blood at ‘The Busby Way’

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There has been much talk about United’s unbeaten run. Since the 1-2 defeat by Chelsea last April (and he was miles offside), United have gone 25 games unbeaten across the end of last season and the beginning of this. In his piece yesterday, Yashi made the point that an unbeaten record may affect a team’s willingness to go for the win, as well as that a loss and a win is better that two draws (since three-for-a win came in in 1981/82).  Here’s a little further expansion on that point, looking at the last five years of the Premier League.

Recent history tells us that draws can seriously damage your health. In each of United’s last three title-winning seasons, the team finishing second actually lost two fewer games than United, but let too many points dribble away in stalemates. In 2008/09, Liverpool only lost twice all season, but drew 11; that’s 22 points dropped in games they didn’t lose. United lost 4, but only drew 6, and took the league by 4 points. Similarly, Chelsea amassed 10 draws in 2007/08 and 11 in 2006/07, despite losing only 3 games each season.

(In fact, in 2007/08, United lost the most games of any of the teams in the top four, with 5 defeats. Chelsea and Arsenal only lost 3, while Liverpool lost four. Yet United only drew 6 – compared to 10, 11 and 13 respectively — and that’s what made the difference.)

Obviously, in any individual game, a draw is better than a loss. But a lack of draws across a spread of games is a sign of a side trying to win, taking chances, going for the throat. At the top of the table that means win most, lose a few. That’s the United way. It goes without saying that most teams in the Premier League (including, hilariously, City) are happy with a draw against United, and when the opposition is happy, you shouldn’t be.

It needs to be remembered, of course, that this is a side awaiting the return of its most potent attacker, who’s been off in America doing star jumps: United will be hoping that Wayne Rooney‘s return can turn those draws into wins. And our title rivals have been obligingly dropping points in his absence. But one final statistical point: over the last five seasons, since Mourinho’s second title, no team has won the league having drawn more than 6 games. So far this season, it’s Manchester United: W 6, D 7.

Read more excellent Man United blogs at ‘The Busby Way’ website

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Gerard Houllier refused to be too downhearted even after his Aston Villa team's Carling Cup hopes for another season had been ended by Birmingham City at the quarter-final stage.

Last year's beaten finalists lost 2-1 at St Andrew's but Houllier is convinced his team's fortunes are just about to change.

He said:"We are going through a rough period at the moment. When that happens you need to stick together, stay strong mentally and not have a 'blame others' culture.

"We now need to focus on the next game which is Liverpool and prepare for it. We need points and we need to keep playing well and hope at some stage there will be a click and we'll get the momentum of two or three wins because we deserve that.

"I won't hide it – it hurts after the Carling Cup defeat because I thought we were the better side. We played good football. I don't want to take anything away from Alex (McLeish) and his side. They won but I thought we deserved to win as much as they did.

"I was extremely disappointed both for the fans and for the players. I think we are improving, we are playing better, it's just at the moment the goals are not going into the back of the net. Also, we made a couple of mistakes which cost us.

"The content of the game was good. The quality of the performance was good. That's why the players are a bit stunned. We were on top of them at some stages but it was just a shame we couldn't score the second goal because I thought that would be the end of it.

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"I was expecting extra-time and I thought physically we would find the opening. In football you need to score goals – we are improving and playing better football but we also need to get results.

"To get results we need at some stages in the game not to give the ball away cheaply and not make mistakes – which we will eradicate. But we also need more of a cutting edge and to be more clinical at times."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

Tottenham move into the top four with an excellent 2-0 victory at White Hart Lane.

It was a pulsating affair although Tottenham always seemed the team most likely to take the points throughout. Harry’s men didn’t make life easy for themselves after Younes Kaboul got himself sent off with an act of petulance, although it is fair to say that perpetrator can consider himself fortunate that he was even on the pitch at that stage after the referee continually gave him the benefit of the doubt after some late tackles went unpunished. Tottenham were able to hold on with 10 men for the second time in so many days and a wonderful solo strike by Gareth Bale sealed the points for the home side, much to the delight of the White Hart Lane faithful.

So how do Tottenham fans feel about today, and what are the five things we learnt from Harry’s men this afternoon?

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