Coventry  City v Chelsea

Chelsea travel to the Ricoh Arena this Saturday to take on the lively ‘Sky Blues’ who have defied all odds and booked themselves a high profile encounter with the Londoners. Coventry will have a lot of work laid out in front of them if they are to make a dent in Chelsea’s chances of silverware this season adding more woes to the list at Staford Bridge. The club’s own anthem claims that they will never lose to Chelsea so the players will have the club’s pride and glory rested firmly on their shoulders. I wonder will the anthem be echoing around the Ricoh Arena should Chelsea win.

Coventry lost a midweek encounter against Sheffield United at home which resulted in booing from the home fans. The players would have felt the heat from manager Chris Coleman after the whistle in a match which was seen as a warm up for this weeks high profile encounter. “We are better then what we showed of ourselves against Sheffield” said Coleman.

He then went on to hint that the Chelsea game isn’t as important to him as it is to the fans and that the league is their main priority.  The question has to be raised, has Coleman given up before the game has even started? Surely the players will have the want to put in a good performance against Chelsea after all how often do they get this kind of opportunity? Not very often is the answer to that question.

Striker Clinton Morrison will be eager to have his name pencilled in on the score sheet. The striker who missed a lot of last season through injury has proved to be one of Coventry’s most energetic players this year. Either setting up opportunities or scoring himself I’m positive the Irish man will cause a lot of headaches for the Chelsea defence. Morrisson has sent shivers down the spines of defenders since his youth days at Crystal Palace and has proven himself on the internation scene. He’s definitley the one to watch this week.

Didier Drogba will be eager to secure his place in the first team especially after his late winner at Portsmouth last week. The Ivory Coast man has been side lined for much of the season much to his own frustration and of course to the delight of Anelka who is one of the favorites at ’ The Bridge’. Perhaps the recognised target man will see Saturday’s trip to Coventry as a means of lacing up his shooting boots for next weeks match with Italian giants Juventus.

With such a important game coming up and with the title race all but over in the mind of temporary manager Guss Hiddink, perhaps he may decide to leave some of the big guns on the bench to avoid the ever present risk of injuries and fatigue. Although that is a recipie for disaster as Chelsea learned last year against Burnley.

Overall, I think Chelsea will just outclass the Coventry boys. Fitness will definitely have a huge part to play in this one, Coventry are of a much lower standered to Chelsea and could find them selves ‘huffing and puffing’ but not being able to knock the Chelsea defence down. I predict a narrow Chelsea win perhaps coming in the later stages of the game.

Fulham v Manchester United

Fulham play host to the Premier League leaders at Craven Cottage this Saturday. Fulham who are in a comfortable position in the league will surely feel confident that they will pull a little something out of the hat to shock Alex Ferguson’s men.

Late last month Fulham showed how they can compete with the big dogs when they played Arsenal out for 90 minutes managing to secure a much need point at the Emirates Stadium. In that match they showed how they can frustrate a team of quality and play the old fashioned way.

However, on Wednesday the London men had the wind beaten out of their sails when they where halted by defeat on their home patch against a vibrant Hull city. Although the Fulham attacking force did show signs of promise, Bobby Zamora found himself often isolated and with little options. Perhaps a change in tactics may be in the spotlight behind the scenes at Fulham. Although that would go against Fulham policies who like to keep things pretty conservative in all walks of life.

In the end Fulham’s complacency over powered their concentration in that game with the winning goal being conceded in injury time. The Craven Cottage faithful will have worries planted firmly in the backs of their minds following last weeks defeat. With no recent injuries to worry about the management team at Fulham will have a virtually unharmed side from the midweek clash with Hull to choose from. Although they have an important league fixture with Blackburn fast approaching Fulham will give 110% as always.

Manchester United will be on a high following their recent win over Newcastle where they came from behind to secure a 2-1 win and their recent investment with the Carling Cup title. However, there have been speculation circulating the tabloids concerning a bust up between world player of the year Ronaldo and team mate Taylor. Perhaps Taylor wore the same clothes as Ronaldo, we’ll never know. Ferguson was delighted with the performance his team put in at St. James Park and had this to say : “It’s down to trusting your players and having the ability to win matches and we had to do that against Newcastle. Being 1-0 down away from home isn’t easy, but we came back to win thanks to a very gritty performance.”

With such important fixtures in the coming week against Inter Milan and Liverpool, United will want no hope of a replay to add to that list and will want to write Fulham of as quickly as possible.

This match is bound to be a fast, free flowing game but in my opinion United will come out on top. Of course Fulham will put in a decent performance as they always do but I think the class and speed of United will prove too much for Fulham.

Arsenal v Burnley

Burnley travel to the Emirates Stadium for the first time to take on cup hopefuls Arsenal. Burnley who have come up trumps against Premier League clubs such as Chelsea and Liverpool in the cup over recent years have an a slice of confidence on their side with their track record in mind. Although they have added no silverware to their trophy cabinet in quite some time they always prove energetic to watch and are sure to put up a good fight against the Gunners on Sunday.

Most recently Burnley travelled to Blackpool where they put in a winning performance by securing a one nil victory over the men in orange. Burnley do have a few niggles going into Sundays game having picked up a few bruises in that sluggish match but nothing too serious. Striker Martin Patterson is all set up for Sundays clash. The energetic front man has proved time and time again just what he is capable of and is sure to cause a problem of two for the rigid Arsenal defence who can just as easily get caught flat footed as they can sleeping.

Sundays game is obviously their biggest game of the season and it is no doubt that all the players will be upbeat and ready for their task. I took the time to snoop around some of the Burnley FC forums and websites and their fans look all set to travel to the Emirates in full voice. Surely the players will be needing their ‘twelfth man’. The Burnley squad is liable to injuries with so few players in the squad, with one of their three strikes on loan, a single injury or red card could mean life or death in the F.A Cup.

Arsenal will be confident of victory as well, as there strike force seem to have their goal senses about them. Securing a 3-1 victory over West Bromwich Last Tuesday the Gunners will have a pep in their step as they cross the white line this Sunday. Arséne Wenger, like other managers involved in the cup this weekend, has some Champions League worries to cope with as they face Roma in mid-week. One thing Arsenal have been lacking this season is consistency and it is for that reason I think there could be a fly in the ointment at the Emirates Stadium.

With Burnley’s history in the cup in their favour and Arsenal’s unpredictability taken into account I think we could be in for a shock this weekend. I have to say, although the odds are stacked against them perhaps Burnley may take a draw from the Emirates and bring the tie back to their home patch where they have proven to be quite a force.

Everton v Middlesbrough

Everton are all set to entertain Middlesbrough at Goodison Park this Sunday in what is one of two all Premier League games in the F.A Cup this weekend. Having already beaten arch rivals Liverpool in the competition at a replay at Goodison, Everton will have their wits about them as they prepare for what is going to be one of their most important encounters of the season.

The first ten minutes of this game really will be a sink or swim situation. This game could so easily be decided upon an early goal. A goal which could go either way. It has to be said that this game really will be a close call. Will Joleon Lescott once again act as Everton’s arm bands?

With the announcement that key man Victor Anichibe will be out for the rest of the season, worries will be floating around Goodison park. However, they have proven that they are one of the few creative teams in premier league football today. That was amplified in the last round when they cruised to a 3-1 victory over Premier league force Aston Villa. Last week however they did not manage to get on the score board and played out a boring 0-0 draw with Blackburn Rovers. The last time these sides met was boxing day of last year when Everton escaped from the Riverside with a 1-0 victory.

Middlesbrough will be out for revenge and of course a place in the next round this Sunday. Having been crushed in their last encounter away too Spurs at White Heart Lane, Boro will be on uneven ground as they arrive at Goodison Park. Once again away from home, will we see a repeat of last weeks performance or more specifically defending? Only time will tell. After that embarrassing defeat Gareth Southgate actually had to apologise to the Boro fans who were clearly less that pleased at their teams dreadful performance.

With so much too prove I think Boro might lay it on a little to thick this weekend and perhaps get caught on the counter. Everton have proved time and time again to us what they can do, and that is score goals. With all this in mind I can only see Everton progressing through to the next round leaving a sorry Middlesbrough to pick up the pieces and wipe their tears away.

Sunderland v Tottenham

Tottenham will travel to the Stadium of Light this Saturday to take on a youthful Sunderland side in the only Premier League game of this weekend. This game will of course be a sell out as Sunderland fans are expected to come from far and wide to see the spectacle. This match is bound to unravel the mysteries behind this years relegation battle with both sides level on points and a mere four points above the drop zone.

Sunderland will have prepared vigorously for the visitors who showed their style last week in a 4-0 win over Middlesbrough. However, midfielder Teemu Tainio is set to miss the encounter as he is struggling with a slight knee injury. Manager Ricky Sbragia had this to say as regards the injury : “Teemu has a little problem with his knee but he seems happier with it and he’s done a bit of running”.

The injury kept Teemu out of last week’s loss to Liverpool but he is expected to be back in action soon. Last week’s loss will have left Sunderland asking serious questions ahead of their clash with Spurs. Personally, I think the only chance Sunderland will have of goals is to catch Tottenham on the break and test their keeper as best they can. However, Andy Reid is confident that Sunderland will come back fighting following their defeat to Liverpool last time out.

Tottenham on the other hand will be overjoyed and ready for more following their impressive win last week. With Robbie Keane back on form in his rightful home he is bound to have a run or two at the Sunderland defence. Having left Liverpool in January he seems happier and more confident about the ball and I’m sure he’ll have a taste for goals on Saturday. The bookies seem to favour Tottenham to send Sunderland packing this Saturday given their recent form, alhough they would like us to predict it wrong!

The only league game this weekend will definitely be of the highest level and I expect to see lots of goals from both sides, or at least I hope so. However, I think Tottenham have shown what they are capable of in the goals department last week. Confidence will be running high and I expect a win for the visitors.

Hopefully this weekend will be a memorable one in English football and prove to be enjoyable for all to watch as it is expected to be. With the season coming to a close and the race for the F.A Cup heating up I’m sure we won’t be disappointed and if we are we can always watch the bobsledding.

Match Preview

Tonight sees two teams who endured contrasting starts to the season, but are now separated by just four points and are almost as bad as eachother. Tonight’s hosts, Hull City, had a storming start to the season, while Tottenham were propping up the division under Juande Ramos. Now, the Tigers are in freefall, while some slight improvement has been made by Spurs under new manager Harry Redknapp.

Both sides are in poor form. Hull have the worst home record in the Premiership and are desperate for a first victory in 10 attempts. They may just get it against a Spurs side which has lost eight out of 12 against fellow clubs in the bottom half of the table. While we are discussing miserable statistics, Spurs have also lost eight out of 12 on the road and if they go behind they are almost guaranteed to lose – they have done on 12 out of 16 occasions this season.

Hull will definitely be without Craig Fagan, who has had knee surgery, but Ian Ashbee, Daniel Cousin, Caleb Folan and former Spur Anthony Gardner are all available. Harry Redknapp can call upon Robbie Keane, Roman Pavlyuchenko and Vedran Corluka, who were all cup-tied for last week’s UEFA Cup defeat by Shakhtar Donetsk and there may also be recalls for Carlo Cudicini, Jon Woodgate, Aaron Lennon, Wilson Palacios and Luka Modric.

Line Ups

Hull: Duke, Ricketts, Turner, Gardner, Dawson, Marney, Ashbee, Zayatte, Kilbane, Garcia, Cousin.
Subs: Myhill, Doyle, Barmby, Geovanni, Halmosi, Manucho, Mendy.

Tottenham: Cudicini, Corluka, Woodgate, King, Assou-Ekotto, Lennon, Jenas, Palacios, Modric, Keane, Bent.
Subs: Gomes, Zokora, Bentley, Huddlestone, Pavlyuchenko, Dawson, Chimbonda.

Goals

Hull: Turner (27′)

Tottenham: Lennon (17′), Woodgate (86′)

Live Blog

90′ Four minutes of added time as Hull search for an equaliser. They may just get one if Cudicini continues to play up in goal. Yet again he opts to beat away a corner when under no pressure, rather than taking the easy option of catching it.

88′ Two substitutions for Spurs sees Zokora replace Lennon and Dawson comes on in place of the the goal scorer Woodgate, who collided with Corluka and has blood streaming from above his left eye.

87′ Phil Brown shuts the stable door after the horse has bolted by bringing on the talismanic Geovanni in place of Zayatte.

86′ Goal! Hull 1 Spurs 2. A poor ball by Jenas sends Assou-Ekotto wide out left but the full back beats Gardner and clips a delightful cross into the six yard box. Centre back Jonathan Woodgate meets it with a towering header which gives Duke no chance.

85′ Spurs have a sniff at goal through Jenas, who cuts into the box and unleashes at goal. Gardner is there to block it behind for a corner.

82′ The Spurs defence seemed content to back off and back off some more of Marney as he advanced towards the edge of the box. How he would love to score against his former club but his effort is well blocked by King.

79′ The hard working Garcia is replaced by Manucho. The home supporters do not appear overly thrilled at the prospect.

76′ This is a better corner from Hull. Dawson crosses in to the near post and Turner busts a gut to reach it. Zayatte, however, gets there first and his glancing header beats the keeper but comes back off the far post.

74′ The game has become scrappy and the crowd subdued. Hull appear determined to get a corner at every opportunity – Cudicini’s inability to deal with them hasn’t gone unnoticed.

72′ The unproductive Bent is replaced by Pavlyuchenko as manager Redknapp searches for a winning goal.

69′ Zayatte gets away with a warning after deliberately barging Jenas to the ground.

67′ Bernard Mendy comes on for Daniel Cousin. Hull manager Phil Brown must be happy to settle for a point as Spurs have been a lot more purposeful this half.

66′ Modric drifts in a fantastic free kick from the right which Corluka heads towards the top corner but is unlucky to see it come back off the crossbar.

64′ Palacios wins the ball in midfield and plays it to Keane down the right. His cross is thumped clear by Hull who opt to defend in numbers. The Tigers break quickly and Marney whips in another trademark cross to the far post for Kilbane, who can only manage a feeble header which is scooped up easily by Cudicini. At least he caught it this time.

60′ Cudicini opts to slap away a corner, but at least gets some distance on it this time. The ball comes back towards him but he is fouled in the air by Gardner who also challenged for it.

58′ Spurs appear to be getting more of a foothold in this game. They should do too. On paper they are a class above this Hull side but do they have either the belief or desire to win this match?

54′ Keane appears to have woken up. A poor clearance from Duke lands right at his feet and he attempts a lob from 25 yards. He gets it all wrong and it goes harmlessly wide.

51′ Chances are coming thick and fast at both ends. This time it’s the visitors turn. Keane, with possibly his first contribution of the game, plays a great pass to Palacios on the edge of the box who thunders a volley straight into the ample frame of Gardner, who knew nothing about it. Goalkeeper Duke was well beaten there I think.

50′ Some more dire defending by Spurs at the other end. A corner is completely missed by everyone present in the six yard box and Cudicini, who obviously hadn’t learned from his mistake in the first half, again fists the ball aimlessly into the ground. Kilbane rattles in a shot which is desperatly blocked by Assou-Ekotto.

49′ Spurs play a patient, passing game around the Hull box, occasionally putting in a poor cross which is easily dealt with. The ball drops to Bent with his back to goal, he spins and fires in a volley which is well saved by Matt Duke.

46′ Spurs kick off and for their sakes, I hope they put in a better performance in this half than they did the first.

Half Time. Spurs have performed like a side struggling against the drop and Phil Brown will be the happier manager of the two going into the break. The Tigers have enjoyed the majority of the possession and have created more chances, but they simply haven’t been good enough to make them count. Their best chance of scoring seems to be from a set-piece, where they can bully a weak Spurs defence into submission. Harry Redknapp’s side, frankly, need to buck their ideas up.

45+1′ Some razor sharp wit from the Hull fans who direct chants of “What a waste of money” towards Robbie Keane, much to the amusement of the commentator. They instantly follow up with “There’s only one Jimmy Bullard”. The irony is undoubtedly lost on them.

45′ Modric goes into the book himself for clipping Kilbane just outside the D. It’s Dawson who takes the free kick from a run up but curls it high and wide at the near post.

42′ Ashbee gets a yellow card for tackling Modric so high he almost leaves a studmark on the Croatian’s forehead. It may be acceptable in League Two, but not in the Premiership, son.

40′ Another sweeping Hull move almost produces a goal, but they lack that final bit of quality. Ricketts touches the ball out to the right for Marney who curls in a superb cross towards the far post. Ricketts has a free header but it’s poor and trickles out for a goal kick.

37′ Spurs have been awful this half and I can count the number of times Robbie Keane has touched the ball on one hand. It’s dismal stuff from a team everyone still believes is “too good to go down”. Two words. Manchester. City.

34′ It’s all Hull at the moment. Marney curls a long ball towards the far post to Garcia who’s chasing, but the former West Ham midfielder can only half-heartedly volley it wide of the goal.

29′ Cousin goes agonisingly close to putting the Tigers into the lead when he pelts the ball first time towards goal following a poor knockdown by Ledley King on the edge of the box. At first it looks like it’s way off target but curls spectacularly towards the top corner and goes just wide.

27′ Goal! Hull 1 Spurs 1. The equalising goal comes from more dreadful defending, this time from Spurs. Cudicini flaps at a corner and smashes it straight into the ground. The ball riccochets off Palacios back towards an unguarded net and Michael Turner gleefully hammers it in from close range. Who needs channels like Dave when you have comedy gold like this to watch?

23′ Some atrocious refereeing by Lee Probert who signals for a throw in after Dawson clearly bundles the ball behind for a corner when tackling Darren Bent on the touchline.

18′ Hull have a great opportunity to equalise mere moments from the kick off. Zayatte races past Corluka and bears down on goal but goalkeeper Cudicini is on hand to slide-tackle him and put him off his stride.

17′ Goal! Hull 0 Spurs 1. A short corner is played to Modric, who passes to Aaron Lennon on the edge of the box. Nobody in a striped shirt bothers to close him down and he has all the time in the world to pick his spot – top corner, near post. A neat finish but shocking defending from Phil Brown’s side.

16′ Bent huffs and puffs for all he’s worth and gets in the box but is tackled superbly by Gardner who sticks out a long leg and pokes the ball behind for a corner.

14′ A moment of comic confusion between Woodgate and his keeper Cudicini with the defender doing his best to head a harmless ball into his own net. Cudicini, rushing out off his line like a madman, does his best to assist, but manages to get back in time and prevent the ball from crossing the line.

13′ Hull cause Spurs problems with long crosses to the far post. Ricketts manages to get one in twice in a matter of moments. His second effort is cleared behind by the stooping Corluka.

10′ Both Zayatte and Palacios are sprawled out on the floor after an ugly clash of heads. The Hull man is up first, proving the notion of “southern softies” a factual one under the circumstances.

7′ Dawson gets away with a ticking off after a two footer on Lennon. The older brother of Tottenham player Michael gets booked seconds later for wrestling Lennon to the ground. Can anyone say “out of his depth?” I think he’ll be off before the game is out if Lennon keeps running rings around him.

3′ Garcia gets the home supporters mildly interested for a moment with an effort from the edge of the box. It’s quickly charged down and goes out for a corner. Garcia wins it in the air and Gardner hooks back across the face of goal when it looked like it was going behind. The ball reaches Dawson, who draws upon all his years in the lower leagues and slices a cross with the outside of his boot for a throw in. Danger over.

1′ It’s Hull who get us started this evening. This is what Monday evenings are all about – hardcore mediocrity. I bet the schedulers were literally wetting themselves with underwhelment when this fixture was announced for broadcast. Ah well, suppose I’d better watch seeing as I am paying for it.

0′ We haven’t even mentioned Nick Barmby yet, probably because the veteran midfielder is hidden away on the Hull bench. For those of you old enough to remember, he made 108 appearances in all competitions for Spurs and scored 27 goals before he departed for Middlesbrough in 1995. Have I missed anyone out?

0′ That’s not all, former Spurs player Dean Marney makes his 100th appearance for Hull, as does Sam Ricketts, while Jon Woodgate makes his 50th appearance in a Spurs shirt. Anthony Gardner also faces his former club – he made 144 appearances for Spurs between January 2000 and last August’s £2.5 million move to the KC Stadium.

0′ Several players are hitting significant career milestones this evening. Robbie Keane makes the 400th English league start of his career, taking in Wolves, Coventry, Leeds, Tottenham and Liverpool. Hull’s Andy Dawson also makes his 400th career start, admittedly via a less glamorous route at Nottingham Forest, Scunthorpe and of course the Tigers.

Reaction

Harry Redknapp used his “Get of Jail Free” card at the KC Stadium with a later winner. Woodgate’s deciding header was his first away goal in the Premiership for 10 years and the result condemned Hull to their seventh defeat in their last nine games at the KC Stadium. Hull certainly had the better of the first half, but could not make their dominance count which allowed Spurs to creep back into the game. They were by far the better side after the break but they too did not look like they would force a winner until Woodgate showed real desire to head home the cross by Assou-Ekotto. It’s three precious points for Spurs, who clamber up to 14th in the table and five points clear of the drop zone.

Man of the Match

Not many players stood out tonight as the match was void of any real quality for long periods of the match. I will award this evening’s accolade to Aaron Lennon, who proved a constant threat in the first half. He ran Dawson ragged down the left and it looked as though his superior play would force the defender into clumsy challenges and ultimately an early bath. He was also the player who opened the scoring for Spurs, with a strike of real quality after 17 minutes. He may not have produced as much in the second half but he definitely helped to swing the balance in favour of Spurs before being substituted late on.

In the past players as important to the national side as Gary Lineker, Kevin Keegan, Paul Gascoigne, Chris Waddle, Glenn Hoddle and Paul Ince all left the comfort of England to seek challenges and experiences abroad. Were more of the current crop to up sticks and learn the ins and outs of different league then this could only benefit the national side in terms of a diversity of experience. Though this is no guarantee of success – Italy’s World Cup winning side of 2006 didn’t have a single player who played outside of Serie A after all – it certainly wouldn’t be detrimental. Here are 10 players who could benefit from a move abroad.

1. Jermaine Pennant

If reports are to be believed then the on loan Portsmouth winger turned down a move to Real Madrid as they offered him a mere £30,000 a week. After failed spells at Arsenal and Liverpool it seems unlikely that Pennant will ever again have a shot at making his mark at a top club in England so a move to one of the biggest clubs in the world should have been a no-brainer. Though he would have had to settle for being a bit part player at first a reluctance to try and establish himself suggests a lack of serious ambition and at 26 time is on his side for one last attempt to prove himself at the highest level.

2. Wayne Bridge

Dislodging Ashley Cole as England’s first choice left back may not be Bridge’s priority and having seemed happy to warm the bench for much of his Chelsea career he may well place comfort before ambition. However a move to Manchester City is unlikely to see him competing for silverware any time soon and a player of his quality may have been better off making a move to a club abroad where he could expand his game to catch the attention of Fabio Capello.

3. Frank Lampard

Linked with a move to Inter in the summer, Lampard could have had a big impact at the club as coach Jose Mourinho knows exactly how to play to his considerable strengths. Though many players may find the challenge of adapting to a new language and culture daunting this should be less of a problem for Lampard, a well educated and intelligent individual. As one of England’s more prominent players his gaining of experience of a different style of play could have proved highly advantageous to the England set up.

4. Darren Bent

Seemingly out in the cold at Tottenham once again since Harry Redknapp’s arrival Bent could find himself on the move in the summer. Sunderland and Newcastle have reportedly expressed interest but should he move to another club in England he’s unlikely to achieve much more than he has already. The unfairly maligned former Ipswich and Charlton man provides a decent strike return when given a fair run in a side and his predatory instincts could see him do well in Spain.

5. Joey Barton

Away from the controversy that surrounds Barton off the pitch he may get the chance to re-emerge as the tenacious midfielder he is on it. Though his temperament is obviously questionable a spell in a different environment may remove him from the kind of provocation that has led him to so much trouble in the past. His style of play may suit Serie A and should Newcastle decide to cut their losses on Barton any foreign side that picked him up would be likely to have a much better chance of bringing the best out of him than one at home.

6. Darius Vassell

Why not? His chances are limited at Man City, he’s unlikely to even be considered for the England squad unless that changes and at 29 a change of scenery may be the best way to reignite his career. Moving to another country is of course a huge lifestyle choice but two or three seasons in the sun isn’t that long and doesn’t mean you’re banished from the Premier League and the country, never to return.

7. Joe Cole

Consistently England’s best performer when fit and an attacking asset for Chelsea, Cole has the natural skill and ability to dazzle fans on any stage in the world. He’s been at Stamford Bridge since 2003 and if he were to fancy a change you’d expect it would have to be abroad as Chelsea are unlikely to sell him to a rival. Cole’s creative talents when he’s fit and on top of his game make him unlike any other current English player, so much so that Barcelona would be a suitable destination for the former West Ham man.

8. David Bentley

The Spurs winger is another who appears to be out of favour with Harry Redknapp at White Hart Lane. While at Blackburn such was his form that he was linked with moves to Liverpool and Manchester United and bored journalists linked him with both Real Madrid and Inter in January. Bentley is clearly a talented player and his excellent dead ball delivery would provide an asset to many a team, and in a new environment his development may pick up where it left off at Blackburn.

9. Micah Richards

Though woefully out of form at present Richards is undoubtedly a tough and versatile defender who is likely to overcome his current slump and continue to develop into a solid player. Though mooted moves to Arsenal and Aston Villa would be mutually beneficial for Richards and either of those clubs, were he to go abroad he has the ability and physique to make himself indispensible in the heart of many a defence and has plenty of time to win over Fabio Capello should he shine once again.

10. Michael Owen

Michael Owen may seem a strange inclusion in this list considering his unhappy spell at Real Madrid but he must currently feel like he’s having a bizarre nightmare where he’s for some reason signed for Newcastle, gets injured every time he tries to run away and can’t wake up. The Magpies are a constantly sinking ship and Owen simply has to leave if he’s to resurrect his career. His injuries make a move to a top Premier League side unlikely so another spell in Spain or a move to Italy could give Owen the opportunity to turn his career back in the right direction without the constant negativity surrounding him at the Toon. He’d probably have to accept a pay cut but if he’s to win back his place in England’s front line then it may be an option Owen should seriously consider.

Should They Move On?

This list is of course hypothetical but players’ agents are fully capable of engineering such moves should they indicate a willingness to embark on them. Players from all over the world regularly move to other leagues and it’s endemic of our players’ mentalities that it doesn’t even seem to be an option. Be it a fear of a new language and culture, of failure or dropping off the radar of the national team this generation is staying put like none before it.

The Premier League is a big league to leave but as Englishmen our players will always have a route back and some of them could do worse than look at the cases of Fredi Kanoute, Diego Forlan and Florent Sinama-Pongolle as examples of players who’ve gone on to make the move from England to Spain a successful one. We’re always hearing that nothing is certain in football – who’d have thought Emile Heskey would re-establish himself in the England squad? – and it’s time some of our home grown talent took a chance and realised that there are great achievements to be had in countries other than our own.

James Campbell is a contributor to the podcast The Football Ramble.

10. No Kop Soundtrack

When you start playing for Liverpool, you may be forgiven for thinking the mob that sit in the Kop are not actually civilised human beings but rather a product of some government funded genetic breeding program that went horribly wrong. What you do know is that when they start singing your name, you’ve officially arrived as a player at Anfield. Even something like “Keane cost us a whole lot of loot, and after 6 months we’re giving him the boot” would have been poetic from people that share the same postcode as the Beatles.

9. No Stan Collymore 4-3 Moment

Collymore is remebered in football circles as a wasted talent who couldn’t get over his personal gremlins and depression. At Anfield he is revered for his winning strike in the classic 4-3 win over Newcastle in 1996. Stan himself says the only thing anyone does when they see him on the street or in rehab is congratulate him on that legendary stoppage time strike. You’d wonder how someone could be depressed after that really. Keane does not even have an 80th minute Carling Cup winner against the Burnleys and Blackpools of this world to cling to. The man that stops Keane on the street is more likely to ask for his wallet than refflect on an unforgettable instance of him in a red shirt.

8. Tottenham WILL be Relegated

Perhaps more tragic than the regular pre-season labelling of Liverpool as title contenders is the sense of optimism that accompanies the start of every season at White Hart Lane. And with all the consistency of an over-hyped Ben Affleck film, Spurs always fail to live up to their lofty billing. Atrocious signings, poor managers and incomprehensible football structures (why is there a football department division in a football club?!) are all to blame along with a dodgy pre-match feed at Arsenal a couple of seasons ago. The “too good to go down” mantra has been pulled out to justify them getting over the line this season although that ethos is likely to have more success with a guy trying to get out of spending a night with Aretha Franklin. Maybe they need to tweak it to say “stay up at all costs”; Spurs that is, not Aretha Franklin’s date.

7. Harry Redknapp WILL Move On

Redknapp is the Premier League’s Mr.Fix It, the man with the golden touch, the magician that makes Harry Potter look like a mere mortal with blurred vision. The only reason Redknapp’s carved out this reputation is that he’s never stayed at the same club long enough to earn a more long-lasting legacy. The one thing constant with Harry is change and you can be sure he’s always on the lookout for new challenges; the football manager’s version of the promiscuous man. A new target is bound to tickle his fancy in the imminent future and once that happens, Tottenham will become the Portsmouth of 2008/09.

6. Being Captain is Overrated

It seems as if one of the incentives offered to Keane to return to Tottenham was that he’d be instantly presented with the captain’s armband. In my opinion, the role of a captain on a football pitch is about as irrelevant as an autobiography on Paris Hilton. Players like Gerrard and Terry inspire and lead by example and will do so regardless of whether they strap an armband on their forearm. Tottehnham could just as well have given the armband to Ledley King to strap around those wobbly knees as in the heat of battle, players look to people, not armbands, for inspiration.

5. Rick Parry is a Logical Man

If Benitez is to be believed, then Rick Parry is the main man when it comes to pulling off transfers for Liverpool football club. The logical conclusion therefore is that he decided that the missing link in Liverpool title’s challenge was Gareth Barry at £18m and, once failed, was fortunate to see a bargain in the extremely undervalued Keane at £20m. This is about as logical as the political views put forward by Sarah Palin. Judging by Parry’s train of thought, if Gerrard and Torres did single/double handedly win Liverpool the league title, Keane would be showered with praise for his immense contribution that belied his cut price acquisition thanks to Parry’s peerless negotiation skills. He would then be offered a contract for life. Unfortunately now, the Irishman will never be a £20m again because no club in their right mind could justify spending that much on him. Which leaves Man City as his only option.

4. Torres vs Pavlyuchenko

At Liverpool Keane could have forged a career as an understudy to one of the best strikers in the world. He could have been what Heskey was to Owen, Riedle was to Fowler or what Crouch was to Big Foot. At Tottenham, the hardest thing opposing defenders find with Pavlyuchenko is how to pronounce his name. Keane has a better first touch than Pav but then so to does a block of lead. Robbie will never get any real credit for his performances because his new benchmark offers as stiff a competition as John Mccain would to Usain Bolt.

3. Missed Opportunity to be Anfield’s Winston Bogarde

Winston Bogarde sat on the sidelines for Chelsea from 2000 to 2004 training with the youth team and pocketing £40,000 a week. How good is that?! Never mind that he was ridiculed by the press and spent his off time oredering DVD’s from Holland. With a little more application Keane could have descended into such mediocrity as well. If he hadn’t had the temerity to score a cracking goal against Arsenal in a rare start, he may have already got there, basking in man’s ultimate utopia of being paid to do nothing. As with Bogards, he could have acquired fame to go with his fortune and become the only Irish striker anyone cares to read about 10 years after he retires.

2. Outlasted by Traore, Biscan and Crouch

Djimi Traore would struggle to hold down a left back position in the French under-12 paralympic side. Igor Biscan had the name and face to be Frankenstein’s cousin and played like it as well. Peter Crouch looked like a beached octopus on the pitch. The ignominy of having a Liverpool career shorter than this motley crew is something Keane will have to front up to for the rest of his life. The sad thing is the resumes of motley crew consist of two champions league winners medals and several England international caps. Now I know what recruiters on Wall Street must go through.

1. League Title Number 19?

When Liverpool won the cup treble, a fan reliably informed me that he hadn’t seen a better team since the era of Paisely and Shankly. He then fell off his bar stool. The point is that the set of players that break this title drought are destined to be immortalised by the Kop. This would have represented Keane’s best chance to have statues erected in his honour, roads named after him and crimes committed in his name. And surely immortalisation is a good enough reason for Scousers not to steal his car when he pops in to buy a loaf of bread.

Here, Daily Soccer Blog looks at 50 of those transfers – the bizarre, the boring and the breathtaking and looks at how their arrivals will affect the clubs who bought them.

Counting down…

50. Julian Gray

Teams Involved – Coventry City to Fulham
Fee – Undisclosed

Former Arsenal trainee Gray can operate as a left winger or as a makeshift left back, but has not seen any first team action this season while on loan at Fulham. Gray was instrumental during Crystal Palace’s promotion during the 2003/04 season and even found time to have a loan spell at Cardiff City that season. After making 125 appearances for the Eagles, he joined Birmingham City on a free transfer in June 2004, making 60 appearances, before moving to Coventry City in July 2007.

Transfer Rating – 4/10. Despite not playing a single game for Fulham while on loan, Roy Hodgson saw fit to sign Gray on a permanent deal. Perhaps he was desperate for some deadline-day buzz, or perhaps he feels Gray can add something to the squad. Either way, it’s hardly an exciting move amid a frenzied day of transfer action.

49. Ariza Makukula

Teams Involved – Benfica to Bolton Wanderers
Fee – Loan

Ariza Makukula has certainly done the rounds and Bolton are the tenth club he has represented during his career which began at Portuguese outfit Vitoria Guimaraes a decade ago. The Congolese-born Portugal international enjoyed the most prolific spells of his career at UD Salamanca in 2001/02, where he scored 21 goals and on loan at Maritimo from Sevilla in 2007/08, netting 10 goals in just 13 appearances. Aside from that, goals have been hard to come by for a striker deemed good enough to represent Portugal and who scored on his debut in a 2-1 win against Kazakhstan on 17 October 2007.

Transfer Rating – 4/10. Makukula could provide a stop-gap for Bolton who are not known for their prolific scoring abilities but it’s unlikely he is going to set the Premiership goal scoring charts alight. He’s started three matches for the Trotters so far and has been substituted in each one of them, scoring no goals in the process. He’s on loan until the end of the season with a view to a permanent £4.5 million move – Bolton fans must be ecstatic at the prospect.

48. Peter Lovenkrands

Teams Involved – Schalke 04 to Newcastle United
Fee – Free

Out of the frying pan is a term which could describe Peter Lovenkrands’ transfer to Newcastle United. After playing just nine minutes of first team football this season for Schalke 04 in the Bundesliga and not starting a match for them since February 2008, he was released and joined the Magpies until the end of the season. Lovenkrands is best known for his six year spell at Rangers, where he scored 54 goals in 182 appearances and was instrumental in the Gers reaching the last 16 of the Champions League during the 2005-06 campaign.

Transfer Rating – 4/10. At 28-years-of-age, Lovenkrands should be at his peak, but after two years in Germany ravaged by injury and poor form, it looks as though his better days are behind him. Newcastle are a club in turmoil, with uncertainty and in-fighting the order of the day. Lovenkrands was probably seen as a cheap option to try and score some much-needed goals but the problem is, he hasn’t scored in two seasons.

47. Marlon King

Teams Involved – Wigan Athletic to Middlesbrough
Fee – Loan

Marlon King joined his second club on loan of the season when he cut short his spell at Hull City to join struggling Middlesbrough. King scored five goals in 20 Premiership appearances for the Tigers, with his last goal coming on 6 December in a 2-1 victory, ironically against Middlesbrough. King only joined Wigan Athletic a year ago for around £3 million from Watford, but it is unlikely he has a future at the JJB Stadium.

Transfer Rating – 4/10. Middlesbrough are in real danger of relegation this season and Gareth Southgate appears to be pinning their survival hopes on King, a nomadic striker who rarely scores goals – this season’s Marcus Bent, if you like. King is known for his recent problems, including a speeding ban and arrest for alleged assault, so perhaps a change of scenery will do him good. If not, Middlesbrough could be in a lot of trouble come the end of the season.

46. Youssouf Mulumbu

Teams Involved – Paris St. Germain to West Bromwich Albion
Fee – Loan

Youssouf Mulumbu is a Zaire-born Congo DR international who joined the Hawthorns outfit on loan for the rest of the season from Paris St Germain. The midfielder made 13 appearances for Paris St. Germain since making his debut in 2006 and also made 23 appearances, scoring one goal on loan at Amiens during the 2007/08 campaign. Baggies manager Tony Mowbray sees Mulumbu as one for the future and doesn’t expect the eight-times capped player to make an instant impact in the first team.

Transfer Rating – 5/10. Mulumbu’s arrival gives boss Mowbray further options in midfield he doesn’t see him as immediate first team material. He’s the sort of signing you get the feeling won’t really make a massive impact at a struggling club like the Baggies. If he’s up for the fight, he could prove vital during the latter stages of the season but if not, he’s just another player to send packing at the end of May.

45. Pele

Teams Involved – FC Porto to Portsmouth
Fee – Loan

No… not that one! Instead, “Pele” is a relative unknown who has played only a handful of games for three clubs during the past three years. After failing to make an impact at Vitoria Guimaraes, a modest club in Portugal’s top division, he signed for Serie A giants Inter Milan in the summer of 2007. He broke into the first team, mainly due to an horrific midfield injury crisis but was shipped out to Porto a year later as a makeweight in the deal which took Ricardo Quaresma to the San Siro. Pele has hardly had a sniff of first team football this season and joined Portsmouth on loan to try and resurrect his faltering career.

Transfer Rating – 5/10. You have to be either very good, or very confident in your own ability to get away with a moniker like “Pele”, but so far Vitor Hugo Gomes Passos hasn’t really done anything to prove he is worthy of the name. He is still young, at 21-years-old, so he deserves the benefit of the doubt and it will be interesting to see if makes any sort of impact in the Premiership after being largely frozen out at Porto.

44. Gael Givet

Teams Involved – Marseille to Blackburn Rovers
Fee – Loan

Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce may have pulled off a coup in clinching the signing of Marseille defender Gael Givet. During his time at Monaco, Givet played in the 2004 Champions League final for Monaco, a team he made 178 league appearances for in seven years. Givet joined Marseille ahead of the 2007/08 campaign and featured regularly but fell out with manager Erik Gerets before the start of this season and has not played at all. He has won 13 international caps for France and can play at left back or central defence.

Transfer Rating – 5/10. Givet is a vastly experienced defender who has played at the highest club level. However, there may be issues with his temperament, hence his loan move to Blackburn and since he has not played much football this season, it could take a while for him to regain full match fitness.

43. Manucho

Teams Involved – Manchester United to Hull City
Fee – Loan

Not much is known about Manucho, the Angolan striker who signed for Manchester United during last year’s transfer window. The 25-year-old was swiftly sent out on loan to Panathinaikos while awaiting a UK work permit and he scored four goals in seven appearances for the Greek club. After making just one first team appearance for United this season, as a substitute against Middlesbrough in the Carling Cup, he joined Hull on loan until the end of the 2008/09 campaign.

Transfer Rating – 5/10. Manucho’s transfer to Hull is difficult to assess because there’s not really much to go on. However, Phil Brown worked wonders with an on loan Manchester United striker last season, Frazier Campbell, who fired in 15 goals as the Tigers won promotion from the Championship. If Manucho can have the same sort of impact, there will be no danger of Hull being dragged into the relegation mire after making such a great start to the season.

42. Juan Carlos Menseguez

Teams Involved – San Lorenzo to West Bromwich Albion
Fee – Loan

Attacking midfielder was weaned on football from an early age and joined River Plate when he was just five years old. He never made a senior appearance for the Argentine giants because he was sold to Bundesliga outfit VfL Bochum in 2003. He made 110 appearances for Bochum, scoring five goals and then returned to his homeland in 2007 when he signed for 10-times league winners San Lorenzo. Menseguez made 34 appearances, scoring six goals for the club before joining the Baggies on loan with a view to a permanent move in January.

Transfer Rating – 5/10. Aside from one or two notable exceptions, such as Carlos Tevez and Julio Arca, Argentinian players are a bit hit-or-miss in the Premiership. Perhaps Mowbray thinks he may have unearthed another Mauro Zarate, who rose to prominence last season with Birmingham City, though he could just as easily be another Esteban Fuertes.

41. Marc-Antoine Fortune

Teams Involved – Nancy to West Bromwich Albion
Fee – Loan

With the Baggies propping up the rest of the league, Marc-Antoine Fortune arrived at the Hawthorns on loan until the end of the season, with manager Tony Mowbray also having the option to make his move permanent. Fortune made his debut during West Brom’s 3-0 victory against Middlesbrough, in which he received a standing ovation when finally replaced by Craig Beattie. He may have scored a debut goal, as he deflected in an effort from Robert Koren but thusfar the goal has been credited to the Slovenian international.

Transfer Rating – 5/10. Fortune has not exactly been prolific during his career and has mustered around one goal every four to five matches. This is not the sort of ratio a struggling team at the foot of the table can rely on to avoid relegation and while Fortune may be a decent enough player, he is unlikely to pull up any trees in the Premiership.

40. Savio Nsereko

Teams Involved – Brescia to West Ham United
Fee – Undisclosed (believed to be around £10 million)

Relative unknown Savio Nsereko is a Ugandan-born German Under-19 international who has spent the last three-and-a-half years plying his trade in Italy with Serie B club Brescia. He is a direct replacement for Craig Bellamy, who left for Manchester City, but his fee is believed to be higher than the club record £7.5 million paid to Liverpool for Bellamy in 2007. Nsereko, who came on as a substitute in West Ham’s 2-0 win over Hull, was also rumoured to be attracting interest from Juventus and Roma.

Transfer Rating – 5/10. One of the strangest transfers of the season until you discover who was involved in the deal. The Sporting Director of West Ham is Gianluca Nani, who just happens to be the son-in-law of Brescia club president Luigi Corioni. In the words of one tabloid journalist: “Savio Nsereko had better be good”.

39. Jo

Teams Involved – Manchester City to Everton
Fee – Loan

Manchester City’s club record transfer, at an eye-watering £19 million, Jo, has been farmed out on loan to Everton for the remainder of the season. One tabloid columnist described him as the only Brazilian unable to trap a bag of cement and he has made just 13 senior appearances for City since joining from CSKA Moscow last summer. In Russia, he was a revelation, scoring 44 goals in 77 appearances but has not found the net in England since scoring in City’s 6-0 drubbing of Portsmouth last September.

Transfer Rating – 5/10. Jo has been one of the most expensive flops in Premiership history and will attempt to resurrect his tattered career at Everton. With the likes of Louis Saha and James Vaughan injured, Toffees fans will be used to strikers who don’t score any goals. Only time will tell if he is the right man to fill the void left by the injured Yakubu, which has forced midfielder Tim Cahill to play up front in recent weeks.

38. Pascal Chimbonda

Teams Involved – Sunderland to Tottenham Hotspur
Fee – Undisclosed (believed to be around £3 million)

Defender Pascal Chimbonda was one of three former Tottenham Hotspur players, sold by manager Juande Ramos, who returned to the club during the January transfer window. He only joined Sunderland last summer but failed to settle in the North East and has a second chance at Spurs where he spent two seasons previously. Arguably, Chimbonda played his best Premiership football at Wigan Athletic during the 2005/06 season. He was named in the PFA Team of the Year, where he was voted best right back in the league ahead of Gary Neville, Paul Ferreira and Steve Finnan. He has one cap for France and also represented Guadeloupe in 2003.

Transfer Rating – 5/10. Chimbonda seems to have lost his way since he burst into the Premiership with Wigan three-and-a-half years ago. However, Harry Redknapp was keen to bring the player back to White Hart Lane and it is up to Chimbonda to repay the faith shown in him.

37. El-Hadji Diouf

Teams Involved – Sunderland to Blackburn Rovers
Fee – Undisclosed (believed to be around £2 million)

Blackburn Rovers manager Sam Allardyce linked up with striker Diouf for the second time when he brought him to Ewood Park from Sunderland. The pair worked together previously at Bolton Wanderers where Diouf spent three seasons, scoring 12 goals in 87 league appearances. He also spent a spell on loan at Bolton during the 2004/05 season, where he scored nine goals in 27 appearances. Diouf rose to prominence during the 2002 World Cup and scored the winning goal for Senegal against France. His performances persuaded Liverpool to part with £10 million to sign him from Lens but lthis season he failed to score in 14 appearances for Sunderland.

Transfer Rating – 5/10. Rovers find themselves in the relegation mire and all new arrivals at the club need to be positive. Allardyce knows exactly what he is getting with Diouf and if he can encourage the player to repeat the performances of his Bolton days then he will be an excellent addition to the Rovers quad.

36. Tal Ben Haim

Teams Involved – Manchester City to Sunderland
Fee – Loan

Tal Ben Haim’s career has stuttered over the past two seasons. He arrived in English football in 2004 with Bolton Wanderers and went on to make 88 Premiership appearances for the Trotters over three seasons. His impressive displays in defence did not go unnoticed and he joined Chelsea on a free transfer in the summer of 2007. However, he was largely frozen out under manager Avram Grant and was shipped out to Manchester City for around £5 million last summer. Despite making his debut against EB/Streymur in City’s UEFA Cup qualifying campaign at the end of July he made only nine Premiership appearances and his search for regular, first team football has now seen him move to Sunderland in January.

Transfer Rating – 6/10. The defender has not played much football in the last two seasons during unsuccessful spells at Chelsea and Manchester City. However, he has a lot of Premiership experience from his time at Bolton Wanderers and links up again with Ricky Sbragia, who was first-team coach during Ben Haim’s stint at the Reebok Stadium. He will know what is required of him playing in a team which is striving to avoid relegation and will add needed depth to the Black Cats’ squad.

35. Calum Davenport

Teams Involved – West Ham United to Sunderland
Fee – Loan

Since making 83 appearances for Coventry City and winning the Young Player of the Year accolade at the end of the 2002/03 season, Davenport has move from club to club in an attempt to prove he can cut it in the Premiership. He left the Sky Blues for Tottenham Hotspur in August 2004, but after two-and-a-half frustrating years at White Hart Lane, he joined West Ham United, where he previously spent time on loan. However, after making just 14 appearances in two years at Upton Park and also being farmed out to Watford during this time, he joined Sunderland on loan until the end of the season.

Transfer Rating – 6/10. Davenport is still hunting for a Premiership team where he can command a regular, first-team place and Sunderland will be his seventh English club. After failing to impress Gianfranco Zola this season, he will give Ricky Sbragia further defensive options as the Black Cats batten down the hatches between now and the end of the campaign.

34. Nadir Belhadj

Teams Involved – Lens to Portsmouth
Fee – £4.4 million

After playing at Fratton Park on loan since August, Algerian international Nadir Belhadj joined Portsmouth on a permanent deal from Lens.He sparkled during Pompey’s run in the UEFA Cup against Vitoria and more notably AC Milan, where he was awarded Man of the Match. His long range goal against Sunderland also gave new manager Tony Adams his first victory in charge of the club.

Transfer Rating – 6/10. Belhadj is a quality player who can operate at both left wing and left back, although there are question marks over his temperament. He was sent off after picking up two yellow cards in Pompey’s 1-0 defeat against Aston Villa, but was fortunate not to receive a straight red for a hacking Craig Gardner to the ground. During times of crisis, you need your best players to keep a cool head and Tony Adams will have to ensure there isn’t a repeat performance.

33. Matthew Etherington

Teams Involved – West Ham United to Stoke City
Fee – £2 million

Manager Tony Pulis has been active during the transfer window as he attempts to haul his side out of the relegation zone and the arrival of left winger Matthew Etherington from cash-strapped West Ham could prove to be a good piece of business. Etherington made almost 200 appearances for West Ham during a five-and-a-half year spell at Upton Park and won “Hammer of the Year” in his debut season at the club. It was his cross which lead to the winning goal in the 2004/05 Play Off final, in which the Hammers beat Preston North End to return to the Premiership.

Transfer Rating – 6/10. Etherington seems to fit the bill at the Britannia Stadium and is reknowned for his crossing ability. A team known for its physical play, Etherington will be expected to sling balls into the box at every opportunity as the Potters battle for their lives in the top flight for the remainder of the season.

32. Henri Camara

Teams Involved – Wigan Athletic to Stoke City
Fee – Loan

Journeyman striker Camara makes Stoke City his sixth British club after moving to the Britannia Stadium on loan until the end of the season. When given a chance, Camara usually performs well, as 20 goals in 69 appearances for Wigan testifies, but he has found himself largely out of favour at the JJB Stadium. He had a productive loan spell at Celtic during the 2004/05 season, where he scored eight goals in 18 appearances but was used sparingly when on loan at West Ham last season. He is out of contract at the end of this campaign and will look to earn a permanent move to the Potters.

Transfer Rating – 6/10. It was a little surprising to see Camara join struggling Stoke, having made a decent contribution to Wigan’s season with six goals, including the winner against Everton last November. He should fit in well to Stoke’s style of play and his pace and directness makes him an ideal replacement for the injured Ricardo Fuller.

31. Radoslav Kovac

Teams Involved – Spartak Moscow to West Ham United
Fee – Loan

Czech international midfielder has spent the last three-and-ahalf seasons at Spartak Moscow, making 80 league appearances for the Russian side which limped to an eighth placed finish this season. Having also spent time at Sparta Prague and Sigma Olomouc in his homeland,  the versatile Kovac is ready to take on the challenge of playing in England. The Hammers fended off interest from Celtic for the 29-year-old, who has won 25 caps for his country and who played in the 2006 World Cup and Euro 2008.

Transfer Rating – 6/10. Following the departures of Hayden Mullins and Julian Faubert, the Hammers needed some competition in midfield and Kovac brings a wealth of experience. A defensive-minded player, Kovac will help to solidify the Hammers midfield as they look to maintain their position in the top 10.

30. Kamil Zayatte

Teams Involved – Young Boys to Hull City
Fee – £2.5 million

Defender Zayatte has been on a season-long loan at Hull City since August 2008 after having trial spells with both Everton and Newcastle United last summer. The Guinea international has featured heavily this season and manager Phil Brown has opted to make his move to the KC Stadium permanent in a deal worth £2.5 million. He scored his first goal for the club during a 3-0 victory against West Bromwich Albion during Hull’s strong start to the Premiership campaign.

Transfer Rating – 6/10. Zayatte has proven to be a solid performer for Hull during their first season in the Premiership and formed a good partnership with fellow centre back Michael Turner. His permanent arrival equals the amount paid for Anthony Gardner, ironically the player Zayatte is keeping out of the team.

29. Charles N’Zogbia

Teams Involved – Newcastle United to Wigan Athletic
Fee – Undisclosed (believed to be around £6.5 million)

French midfielder Charles N’Zogbia is probably the most relieved player of the transfer window, after engineering a move away from Newcastle, a club he couldn’t wait to see the back of. Fed up with the club’s ambitions and angered by manager Joe Kinnear’s mispronounciation of his name as insomnia, N’Zogbia stated he would never play for the Magpies again under the current management. After making 118 appearances for the Newcastle since 2004, in which he scored nine goals, N’Zogbia joined improving Wigan Athletic on deadline day.

Transfer Rating – 6/10. N’Zogbia finally managed to get the move away from Newcastle United he wanted but whether he will be satisfied at a club like Wigan, after he was previously linked with Arsenal, Aston Villa and Lyon, remains to be seen. N’Zogbia needs to get his dead down and stop complaining and if he does, then Wigan manager Steve Bruce will have a decent player to call upon.

28. Olivier Dacourt

Teams Involved – Inter Milan to Fulham
Fee – Loan

Roy Hodgson moved quickly to replace Jimmy Bullard by signing veteran defensive midfielder Oliver Dacourt on loan until the end of the season. Dacourt was an important player during Leeds United’s time as genuine Premiership challengers and then spent three years at Roma. He then signed a two-year deal at Inter Milan, where he was originally going to be used as a backup player. However, a severe injury to Patrick Vieria saw Dacourt become a key player in Inter’s winning of Serie A in the 2006/07 season but missed half of the following season with a torn cruciate ligament. Jose Mourinho didn’t see Dacourt as part of his plans this season so he returned to the Premiership, where he also spent time at Everton 10 years ago.

Transfer Rating – 6/10. Dacourt is coming to the end of his career but has the opportunity of one last crack at the Premiership wioth Fulham. He is vastly experienced and played some of the best football of his career during the successful Leeds United years before moving to Italy. With the influnential Bullard gone to pastures new, “The General” could prove an important player during the remainder of Fulham’s season.

27. Kevin Nolan

Teams Involved – Bolton Wanderers to Newcastle United
Fee – £4 million

Kevin Nolan brought a 12-year stay at Bolton to an end in January, where he scored 50 goals in 345 first team appearances, to join Newcastle United on a four-and-a-half year contract. The midfielder had featured in each of Bolton’s 23 league matches this season, scoring one goal. Alongside Nicky Butt, he will add some authority to the Magpies midfield, which has lost Joey Barton to a long-term injury. He made an instant impact at his new club, clearing a goalbound effort off the line during Newcastle’s 1-1 draw with rivals Sunderland on 1 February.

Transfer Rating – 6/10. A few seasons ago, Nolan was one of the most promising midfielders in the country. His tenacity and goal scoring ability alerted the attention of Liverpool, but a big-money move never transpired. He now joins a troubled club in Newcastle and will have to perform to the best of his abilities to avoid playing in the Championship with his new club next season.

26. Ben Watson

Teams Involved – Crystal Palace to Wigan Athletic
Fee – Undisclosed (believed to be around £2 million)

Former England Under-21 internation Ben Watson has been linked with several clubs over the past few months and looked set to join Middlesbrough in January. However, Wigan matched Boro’s offer and secured the midfielder’s services for the next three-and-a-half years. Watson totted up almost 200 appearances for Crystal Palace, including 21 in the Premiership in the 2004/05 season when the Eagles were relegated on the last day of the season.

Transfer Rating – 7/10. Full credit must be given to Wigan manager Steve Bruce who has moved quickly in the transfer market to replace his departed stars with quality players on a budget. Watson was named Crystal Palace’s Young Player of the Year in 2007 and he is bound to prove a worthy addition to the Latics squad.

WANT TO FIND OUT WHO IS THE TOP JANUARY TRANSFER? CLICK HERE TO COUNTDOWN TRANSFERS 25 TO 1!

Match Preview

Of the Saturday fixtures in this FA Cup round, you’d have to say this one is probably the most tantalizing, even if both managers won’t admit it. And to be honest, both have bigger fish to fry. For Sir Alex Ferguson, he must worry about trying to get his squad healthy in order to make a run in the Premiership and Champions League. United lost the likes of Rafael, Anderson, Nani, Gary Neville and Johnny Evans pick up injuries in their Carling Cup semifinal win over Derby this week, and already will be without Rio Ferdinand, Wayne Rooney and Patrice Evra. It’ll be interesting to see who Sir Alex tips to fill a depleted back four, with Darren Fletcher a likely candidate on the right side. Needless to say, United’s lineup will be a bit patchwork today.

For the Spurs and Harry Redknapp, they’ll be more concerned about preparing for the Carling Cup final – also against United – and what could be a relegation battle in the coming months. Redknapp himself has said the FA Cup won’t be too high on Spurs’ priority list this year. Expect several of Redknapp’s regulars to sit on the heels of a dramatic Carling Cup semifinal second leg against Burnley, in which Spurs blew a 4-1 aggregate lead only to be rescued in extra time by goals from Roman Pavlyuchenko and Jermain Defoe. But you would guess, or at least hope, that a fixture like this would inspire Tottenham to perform. The last thing Spurs need is to get trounced by United before having to face them in the Carling Cup final.

Line Ups

Manchester United: Foster, O’Shea, Neville (c), Vidic, Fabio, Welbeck, Carrick, Scholes, Ronaldo, Berbatov, Tevez.
Subs: Kuszczak, Giggs, Tosic, Fletcher, Possebon, Chester, Eckersley.

Tottenham Hotspur: Alnwick, Gunter, Assou-Ekotto, Corluka, Dawson (c), Bentley, Huddlestone, Zokora, Bale, Modric, Pavlyuchenko.
Subs: Gomes, Gilberto, Giovani, Taarabt, Defoe, Rocha, Dervite.

Goals

Manchester United: Scholes (35′), Berbatov (37′)

Tottenham: Pavlyuchenko (5′)

Live Blog

90 + 4 Full Time. United win 2-1! But not before they get a scare. A long throw bounces around before Taarabat hammers a shot that appears to be blocked by Vidic. The Spurs players raise their hands and appeal for a handball, but no whistle is forthcoming. No replay of the block so I can’t say for sure, but my instincts say it was clean. Anyway, United hold on here in what was certainly an entertaining one!

90 + 3′ The ball is headed down and find its way to Gunter, but his shot is blocked by a wall of converging red jerseys.

90 + 2′ Tevez commits a foul here, free kick near mid-field for Spurs. He gets a yellow. Everybody going up now.

90 + 1′ Tottenham still looking for the final ball but nothing doing. Goal kick United.

88′ A giveaway by United in the midfield leads to some Spurs possession, but Taarabat can’t find the final ball, and his pass goes awry and rolls right into Foster’s hands. Time running out for Tottenham.

86′ Walbeck collides here with Chris Gunter, and it looks like he’ll have to come off now. Another injury for United! It’s a shame too, he’s impressed me on the right side today. Fast and dangerous with decent control. Certainly still raw but he looks like a player. Darren Fletcher will come on for him.

84′ Oh, a great chance wasted for Spurs. Assou-Ekotto makes a brilliant run in from the left side, undressing Scholes and cutting in before squaring it for Dos Santos. The former Barcelona prodigy can’t finish in traffic, though, and his attempt goes wide.

82′ No, it appears they can’t. A poor cross is cleared easily by United, and they resume their game of keep away.

82′ Defoe hounds Vidic and earns a corner kick here for Spurs. They need a breaktough, could this be it?

80′ Tottenham need a spark but they look tired right now. United whips the ball around for a solid minute without any trouble before Tevez tries to cut in and has it intercepted.

77′ Eckersley is at right fullback for United, and wins a free kick on the right side. The ball is whipped and falls to ground in the center of the box. First Scholes and then Carrick have whacks at it, but Scholes is blocked and Carrick’s shot sails well high and wide.

74′ Even if they win, you can’t help but feel United are snakebit right now. Already mired with injuries, and now they suffer potentially two more – Ronaldo and Fabio – in this game. I doubt Sir Alex will get much sympathy from the likes of Rafa or Arsene Wenger, though.

72′ A sub now for both teams. Jermain Defoe on for Tottenham and Ronaldo off for United. Ronaldo looks to be walking a little gingerly, perhaps. I’ll assume that’s the reason for his substitution. Zoran Toric on for United, while Bentley comes off for Spurs. That seems surprising to me. Bentley had looked pretty dangerous at times, and you would think Tottenham would want all the firepower they could find.

71′ Ronaldo nearly breaks free but Alnwick comes out to collect.

70′ Twenty minutes left now. Can Tottenham find an equalizer? They’ve been better this half, but still lack that final flash of skill. It eludes them here as Dos Santos breaks free down the left side – once again – but his lofted cross is far too long and rolls out of bounds.

68′ Substitution for Spurs, as Adel Taarabat comes on for Gareth Bale.

67′ Alnwick goes to ground to make a good save on Ronaldo, who cuts in from the right a fires a quick shot low. Ronaldo’s been dormant for stretches of this contest, but almost makes a big difference there.

65′ Some more solid play from Spurs sees the ball cut back to Bentley at the edge of the box, but his shot takes a deflection and drifts right into the hands of Foster.

64′ Ronaldo drifts toward the middle from the right side and looks like he’s about to hammer a shot, but instead opts to play it back. United promptly lose it from there.

62′ Tottenham fans are screaming for a foul after Walbeck takes down Corluka near the left touch line. None forthcoming, however it does appear Spurs are having some success playing the ball down the left side.

59′ And we get our first booking of the match, as Vidic sends Giovanni Dos Santos flying. It was a necessary foul after Vidic lost possession in midfield – had he not taken Dos Santos out, he might have had a break on goal.

57′ Nice bit of play from Spurs here sees the ball swung into the center. It finds its way to Bentley, who rips into it with his right foot and sends the ball just high and wide. A bit of a scare though for United.

54′ For anyone unfamiliar with Richard Eckersley, a quick browse of the Manchester United Web site reveals he is a 19-year-old defender who plays predominantly on the right side. He’ll have to play the left side for Fabio here.

53′ Fabio goes down with a knock here, and it looks like he’ll have to come off. Richard Eckersley to come on. Who? Anyway, another injury for United, who can’t seem to snag a break in that department.

52′ The Red Devils settle back into possession here, passing it around calmly. Eventually it finds Tevez on the edge of the 18, who plays it out right to a wide open Walbeck. His cross goes horribly wrong, though, and it’s a goalkick for Spurs.

49′ United counter and Ronaldo squares the ball into the middle before it deflects out for a corner. United tries to play it short but Tevez has it intercepted.

47′ Oh, that was close for Spurs. A long ball swung in from the right side finds Gareth Bale, who slips in free by the back post. Bale’s volley fails him, though, and it goes just wide for a goal kick. Some careless defending there by the red jerseys.

46′ And we’re off here in the second half, Tottenham in possession. One note, Giovanni Dos Santos has come on for Modric. Seems a bit of an odd sub unless Modric is hurt.

Haltime The stats tell a grim tale for Spurs. United with a nearly 60-40 advantage in possession and a 9-2 shot advantage. Tottenham’s only other shot on goal is a long range effort from Bentley that misses the target. On the other hand, the break couldn’t come at a better time for Spurs. They have a chance to regroup and refocus after a dizzying turn at the end of the half.

One thing’s for sure, though, Tottenham’s defense is in shambles right now. Between the three goals at Burnley and now two this half to United, it’s been a rough two games. Then again, that sort of defending is more the standard than the exception these days at the Lane. The traveling contingent will be even more disturbed by Berbatov’s tally, after having booed their former striker roundly throughout the half.

Haltime And there’s the whistle. What started so brightly for Tottenham has quickly faded, and they look tired and dejected going into the halftime break.

45′ United passing it around easily right now. They’re not even threatening so much with their possession, as much as keeping Spurs pinned back deep. When Tottenham does intercept and tries to move forward, it can’t seem to get any bodies forward.

43′ Modric cuts in the box for Tottenham, but there’s nobody in the middle to receive his pass and United easily clear.

39′ My, how quickly this game has turned. Two goals in the blink of an eye. And United keeping possession here as Spurs appear to be staggering a bit.

37′ That goal was all Carrick. An inch-perfect ball over the top and Berbatov makes no mistake. Give Berbatov credit too for a well-timed run.

36′ Another Goal for United! 2-1! Berbatov this time! I can’t type fast enough to keep up with the action. Michael Carrick plays a lovely floated ball over the top to Berbatov, who beats the offside trap and slots home past Alnwick. That goal will infuriate Spurs fans, as Berbatov comes back to haunt his old side.

34′ Goal Manchester United! 1-1! They convert on the corner. The ball is played low along the ground to Scholes, who thumps one from straightaway about 18 yards out. The ball takes a deflection off a Spurs defender, and travels through the legs of Tevez before it rockets into the back of the net. It looks to be Scholes’ goal, though.

33′ A typical bit of hustle play from Tevez earns United a corner.

32′ Again it’s Walbeck, this time scissoring into the Spurs box after a bad Tottenham giveaway in midfield. He can only slalom through so many defenders though before it’s shepherded out of touch for a goalkick.

30′ Welbeck is really looking dangerous out on that right side. Here he makes a nifty flick around a Spurs defender. The attack doesn’t go for much, but it’s neat to watch.

28′ Bentley earns a free kick from about 25 yards out, but his effort is blocked.

24′ United earn a corner but waste it here.

22′ United comes close again, This time it’s Ronaldo blazing one over the cross bar from a ways out. Tottenham on their heels here.

19′ Oh, Tevez nearly leveled it. His original shot is blocked, but he gathers it back and has another go from just outside the box. His ball thumps off the crossbar.

16′ Tottenham earn a free kick in a bit of a dangerous spot when Bentley is fouled. Huddlestone swings it in but United is there to clean it up.

13′ This is better for United. Tevez has a wild swing and a miss in the box off a nice head down from Ronaldo before Spurs clear it.

10′ A bit slow going for United here. They’ve managed a few long range shots but for most part Tottenham’s come out with a bit more energy.

7′ I sure hope Pavlyuchenko doesn’t go for a hat trick – I don’t know how many times I can go trying to spell that name out. It’ll be interesting to see now United respond now. Fabio makes a nice little move in but his efforts are wasted and the ball rolls out. Goalkick for Spurs.

5′ Goal Tottenham! It’s Pavlyuchenko! A brilliant header from the center of the box off a brilliant cross. I believe it was from Huddlestone. What a dream start for Tottenham.

4′ Ronaldo barrels in towards the box but has it poked away. You can’t help but think his class will have to shine through at some point given the lineups both teams are throwing out there.

1′ Neville looks to be playing in the middle for United. It’ll be a different role for him from his usual spot on the right side. Interesting lineup really for both teams. An especially intriguing change to see some of United’s young talent.

0′ And we’re off. United begin the game in possession.

0′ Some interesting results from the day’s earlier fixtures. Upset of the day goes to Swansea City, who beat current cup holders Portsmouth, 2-0. Other interesting results, Chelsea and Fulham both needed two late goals to beat Ipswich Town and Kettering Town, respectively.

Reaction

Well, if there were any fears that second-choice lineups for both teams would produce a dull match, that certainly wasn’t the case. Tottenham pulled ahead five minutes in on a lovely diving header from Pavlyuchenko, only to see United strike back twice in two minutes via goals from Scholes (35′) and Berbatov (37′). Spurs can hold their heads high. They fought back well after those two goals and played better in the second half. But they just lacked a bit of quality near the goal, and that cost them in the end. Give credit to United as well, who defended well despite finishing the game with a back four of Eckersley, Neville, Vidic and O’Shea. Spurs could hardly find a shooting lane in the final 10 minutes.

But once again, the victory comes at a price for United. Fabio, Christiano Ronaldo and Danny Walbeck all came off with knocks, though it’s impossible to tell right now if any of them are serious. But for a team already beset by injuries, United can’t help but feel like they can’t catch a break right now.

Man of the Match

Tough to say on this one. I thought Carlos Tevez was very good, and sort of marshalled things in the middle for United. But I’ll go with Michael Carrick, who assisted both United goals. He cut a low ball across the field off a corner to Scholes, who ball deflected in for United’s first goal, and played a beautiful ball over the top that put Berbatov clean through for the second. Props also to Gary Neville as well for captaining the side and playing central defence, instead of his usual right, for United.

All in all an entertaining match, but what do you think? Feel free to share any thoughts or reactions in the comments section. And be sure to check back for plenty more live blogging from the FA Cup, Premiership, Champions League and more.