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Martin Jol set to become new Fulham manager

2010-07-19T02:10:00.001-07:00

Martin Jol was replaced Juande Ramos at Tottenham in 2007

Martin Jol is set to be named as Fulham's new manager later this week, BBC Sport understands.

The 54-year-old Ajax coach has had preliminary talks with the London club but will speak to Fulham officials later this week to negotiate a deal.
Jol managed Tottenham between 2004 and 2007 and will replace Roy Hodgson, who joined Liverpool on 1 July.
Ivory Coast coach Sven-Goran Eriksson had also been linked with the vacancy at Craven Cottage.
There will be no official appointment before the Fulham squad leave for their 10-day pre-season tour to Sweden on Monday but Jol is expected to fly out to join the party.
United States coach Bob Bradley and Switzerland's Ottmar Hitzfeld were other names in the running, but Hitzfeld ruled himself out of contention and a statement from the United States Soccer Federation outlined its intention to extend Bradley's current contract.

Jol, who was sacked by Spurs in October 2007, still owns a house in England and reports have suggested the Dutchman would be given rolling contract.
Although Fulham reached the Europa League final in May, Ajax will be playing Champions League football in September providing they come through qualifying.
They were pipped to the Dutch league title last season by FC Twente, who were managed by former England boss Steve McClaren.
Eriksson is thought to have held talks with Fulham but the Swede revealed last week that he was considering a lucrative offer to stay on as Ivory Coast head coach.

Cole offered bumper Reds deal - Report

2010-07-18T07:17:00.001-07:00

Roy Hodgson has reportedly offered Joe Cole a bumper £90,000 a week in a bid to make the midfielder his first signing as Liverpool boss.

Hodgson is working with under a strict budget at Anfield and most of the transfers his summer are likely to be outgoing ones, with Emiliano Insua the latest fringe player set to be moved on. Hodgson has vowed to fend off any interest for Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard, however, and although Javier Mascherano could move on, his aim is to strengthen his first XI. Cole has already attracted interest from Arsenal and Tottenham this summer and the Reds may face a battle to lure him north, but the News of the World claims his representatives have met with Liverpool officials. The Merseysides hope a significant signing on fee and the promise of guaranteed first-team football could persuade Cole to sign the three-year contract on the table. It is also claimed Hodgson could make a move for Fulham's Paul Konchesky to replace the outgoing Insua.

Barclays Premier League Top 4 Finish 2010/11 - Top 4 Finish: Liverpool 13/8

Puyol keen to see Cesc wish granted

2010-07-18T07:15:00.001-07:00

Barcelona captain Carles Puyol believes Arsenal would be wrong to deprive Cesc Fabregas of returning "home" to the Nou Camp this summer.

Fabregas has been linked with a move back to Barca for some time now and speculation has reached an all-time high this summer that he will soon return to Catalonia. A number of Barca players have spoken of their desire to team up with the midfielder but Arsene Wenger has called for an end to the talk after insisting Fabregas will stay put. Puyol does not expect his Spain team-mate to go public in his desire to make the move, but he does feel the Gunners should respect their captain's wishes. "Cesc is a really nice guy and desperate to become a Barcelona player," Puyol said in the Daily Star Sunday. "But he is not the sort of player to be ruthless and start using the media to get him the move that he wants. "There are many players who would try all sorts of tricks to make it impossible to ever play for Arsenal again but that is not his style. "I think Arsenal need to respect his class and show the same class by giving the guy who has given so much to them the move that he and his family want. "He isn't just being deprived of moving to the best club in the world. More importantly, he is being deprived of coming home. "He has tried everything to win trophies at Arsenal and when he sees the success so many of his Spanish team-mates are having at Barcelona, it's only natural that he should want to be a part of that." Puyol may have to wait to team up with Fabregas at club level, but he is confident of doing so at some point in the future. He added: "He is the future of Barcelona and Arsenal can't do anything to stop that. I have just spent six weeks with him and there is only one club he wants to be at. "The worst-case scenario is that we have to wait another 12 months for him to join us - but Arsenal, Barcelona and Cesc know that is the very worst-case scenario." Former Gunner Thierry Henry, meanwhile, has said he would understand if Fabregas wants to return to his homeland. "It is hard because the guy is from Barcelona. I wouldn't like to be in his shoes that's all I can say," Henry told Radio Five's Sportsweek programme. "I wouldn't like to be in his position because he is from there and he loves Arsenal. "I don't know what to say about this, because I don't want to talk for him. "But as an Arsenal fan, for me, I want him to stay at Arsenal, but I would also understand if he goes back home." Henry is preparing to begin a new chapter in his life after he signed for Major League Soccer side the New York Red Bulls this week. The 32-year-old is likely to finish his career in the United States after he signed a "multi-year deal", but revealed when his playing days are over he would like to return to the Emirates Stadium in some capacity. "What I want to do is when I retire, I don't know how, but I want to come back to Arsenal," he added. "I have just come here (New York) to play and to compete and win another title. After everything is done then I will think about it. "Whatever it is I want to come back (to Arsenal), maybe as a waterboy, I just love this club." Coincidentally, Henry's first game for New York could be against the Gunners' north-London rivals Tottenham, with the teams to meet in a pre-season friendly on Thursday. "I'm trying to get back in shape (for the match)," he added. "I've not done much since the World Cup. I don't think I will play long, but we will see."

Cesc victim to Barca pra

2010-07-18T07:12:00.001-07:00

: Cesc victim to Barca prank

Spain midfielder Cesc Fabregas has thanked Arsenal for helping make him into a World Cup winner, but his future at the Emirates Stadium continues to look uncertain.

Barcelona target Fabregas was forced to wear the shirt of the Spanish giants while in Madrid celebrating Sunday's World Cup final victory with his international team-mates.

Barca pair Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique ambushed the Arsenal skipper and pulled the shirt of his boyhood club over his head while he was on stage addressing Spanish fans.

Fabregas has already been the subject of one unsuccessful bid from the Catalan club this summer and is reported to have told manager Arsene Wenger of his desire to leave north London after seven seasons.

The 23-year-old looked embarrassed to be the victim of the prank, but his future in England continues to look uncertain despite admitting he owes a debt of gratitude to the Gunners and Wenger.

"This is for the Arsenal players, the Arsenal fans, for the manager and all his staff," said Fabregas.

"I have had lots of texts and Blackberry messages. My phone is full.

"I had a text message of congratulations from Arsene Wenger. He said I deserve it. I just think this is for everyone at Arsenal who helped me get to where I am now.

"I am really proud to be an Arsenal player."

Rio Ferdinand: 'I'm a free spirit

2010-07-18T07:10:00.000-07:00

Rio Ferdinand . . . 'I don't do the celebrity magazine stuff. It's not my game'. Photograph: Christopher Thomond

I've only just arrived in Alderley Edge, the village in Cheshire where Premier League footballers live in pavilioned splendour, when some bloke in an Audi sports car charging out of the car park at 70mph almost mows me down. Welcome to Wag Central, where the Range Rovers all have tinted windows and only the toughest and brashest survive.
The Wags are out in force in the Village Café (next to a boutique called POSH): improbably thin, with luxuriant hair, cradling coffees and small children. I'm here to meet Rio Ferdinand, but the injury-plagued England captain has gone to see his osteopath and put our meeting back two hours, so I wait, drinking sauvignon in the Bubble Room bistro.
It's a tense time to be doing this interview. The papers are full of worries that Ferdinand's chronic back injury will mean he has to restrict his appearances for both Manchester United and England, prompting concerns about his involvement in the World Cup in South Africa in the summer. Even more pressingly, the England left-back Wayne Bridge has announced this morning that he no longer wishes to play for his country, because it would mean playing alongside John Terry, his former friend and team-mate who broke football's code of honour by having an affair with Bridge's former partner, Vanessa Perroncel. I wonder whether Ferdinand will show up.
The meeting has been brokered by the designer Ian O'Connor, who is launching a range of footwear and bags called Five by Rio Ferdinand: "A fashion/lifestyle brand for people that aspire to be like Rio." As footballers go, Ferdinand is a Renaissance figure. He has his own digital magazine, also called Five (his shirt number at Manchester United); he owns a record company; last year he co-produced a film called Dead Man Running; and he will now have what O'Connor calls a "hands-on role" in developing the new brand. Move over David Beckham.
Ferdinand is a further hour or so late, but then there's a blur of activity as he pulls up outside in a sleek Audi – happily, not the one that almost hit me earlier. Ferdinand has presence – I am struck by his bulging biceps – but he doesn't swagger. He is wary, especially when he hears O'Connor has brought a camera crew along, but seems as grounded as those who know him claim. He plonks his orthopaedic cushion on the seat next to me and we can begin, the rules of the game dictating that I show a passionate interest in his new brand before raising thornier subjects.
I ask what it's like to become a brand. "I'll let you know in a couple of months when the sales come through," he says. "It's exciting to walk into a shop and see a shoe with your name and your stamp on it. My dad was a tailor; he used to have blazers that he'd made, and as a kid I'd be thinking to myself, 'If only he'd had his name initialled on the inside.'"

'Hello! doesn't interest me'

Ferdinand is 31, an age when footballers start to have intimations of mortality, so getting involved in the fashion business may be a way of preparing for life after sport. "I'd love to be able to continue this if it goes well," he says, "but I don't sit there and think this is going to lead me into the next stage of my life. If it continues after my football, then great. If it doesn't, then it's an experience. But in terms of football, I'm not really thinking beyond the next two weeks." He will not say whether fashion is likely to be the core of his life beyond the game. "I don't know; I wouldn't want to pigeonhole myself into just one box. I'm a person that is a free spirit, and I don't like to be put into a box and kept to one thing."
Ferdinand speaks quickly and fluently, with a soft south London accent – he was born and raised on a tough estate in Peckham – and seems genuinely engaged. "I could have done fashion years ago," he says. "I've had lots of offers to do different things, but I never wanted to do it because I don't think I really knew what I liked. Now I've got a better idea of what I like personally." His deal with O'Connor gives him input into the design and an equity stake in the business; he isn't just a frontman.
"I get offered a lot of things, often a lot more financially rewarding than this, but I don't take up 90% of them. I only do things that interest me. Hello! and OK! magazine don't interest me." He made a point of not inviting either magazine to his glitzy, and hugely expensive, wedding in the British Virgin Islands last year, when he married the distinctly non-waggish Rebecca Ellison (she was an accountant when they met). "I don't do stuff like that," he says. "It's not my game."
Product placement negotiated, I ask about his bad back. "I've had a little setback this week, but it's not too serious and fingers crossed I should be OK." He insists the media obits of his career are premature, and that he'll be fit for the whole World Cup. "With injuries, one day it feels bad; the next day the football's great." England fans will hope he's right: the cultured centre-half is a key figure in manager Fabio Capello's plans and, as the new captain in place of the tabloid- tormented Terry, his authority will be crucial. (Ferdinand knows what it's like to be caught in a tabloid storm, after a missed drugs test in 2003 saw him banned from playing for club and country for eight months.)
He is curiously reluctant to talk about being England captain. "I haven't spoken to the manager yet," he says, matter-of-factly. "The team hasn't been briefed on anything. We haven't spoken to the manager; he hasn't spoken to the players; he does it a certain way." I express surprise: surely when Ferdinand was made captain in early February, Capello told him personally? "No, we have to wait until we go with the squad. I found out I was captain from the TV." He has since had it confirmed by the FA, but not by Capello himself. He seems to want to hear it from the boss before it has any reality, and the situation is complicated by the fact that his injury means he won't be playing in tonight's friendly against Egypt. Steven Gerrard will captain the team in his place.
What's the Italian like as a manager? "Brilliant," says Ferdinand. "He's similar to the gaffer we've got at United. The best thing about him is he's black and white. You know exactly what he wants from you before you go out on the pitch, and that's what we've lacked in the last few campaigns. He says, 'This is what I want, this is what I expect, this is what I demand' – and if you can't do it, regardless of who you are, you won't play."
You've lost one of your key defenders today, I say, alluding to Bridge. "Have we?" says Ferdinand. "Yes, Wayne Bridge," I say, "he's not going to play in the World Cup." "Why's that?" "Because of the situation," I say tactfully. The news broke six hours ago, and it seems scarcely credible that Ferdinand doesn't know, but his look of surprise and the way he is blowing out his cheeks suggests that is, indeed, the case. Perhaps Alderley Edge is cut off from the outside world. If he does know and is putting on an act, he should be appearing in movies, not producing them. "I don't want to comment on anything like that," he says, when he has recovered his balance. "I want to speak to him myself before I'll believe it. He hasn't said anything to me."
Ferdinand is no fan of the Wag scene – likened by Capello this week to a "virus" – and was critical of their omnipresence in Germany in 2006. "The whole circus that followed the England squad last time at the World Cup was a joke," he tells me, "and I wouldn't like to see that again. It's a distraction and is detrimental to our chances. I'd rather go to the World Cup, say to yourself 'Block off four weeks or whatever it is to win the World Cup', and not see your family. I love my kids [he has two young sons] and my missus as much as anybody else, but if it meant me winning the World Cup and not seeing them for four weeks, I'd take that." The Wags will be going to South Africa, but he reckons their profile will be lower – there will be less mass shopping, and Capello won't let them near the players as much as in Germany.

'Two different kinds of captain'

Can England win the World Cup, or will they buckle under the weight of expectation? "I don't really like to talk up our chances – we've done it so many times over the last few tournaments," says Ferdinand. "When Steve McClaren and Sven-Göran Eriksson came in, we said, 'This is a new era, we're going to do this, we're going to do that' – and it does nothing. We get caught up in the hype and euphoria of England, the country expects and whatnot. We're going [to South Africa] to perform, we did well in the qualifying campaign, and if we can take that form into the World Cup we've got a good chance. But to say that we're going to do this or that is, one, disrespectful to our opponents and, two, puts pressure on ourselves."
But how will the supposed "golden generation" – Beckham, Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Ferdinand himself, all now in the latter stages of their gilded careers – feel if they miss out again? "You don't play just to get a cap or to be there. You play to win and to achieve something, and if I was to finish my career with England and not even to have got to a final, I'd be very disappointed."
For Ferdinand there will be the added pressure of leading the team for the first time in a major championship. It seems that only British teams, with their innate faith in command figures, take the issue of captaincy so seriously. "There are different types of leaders," he says. "There's the guy that shouts and screams, and the guy that leads by example. Tony Adams was a shouter; Bobby Moore led by example. They were two different types of captain, but both were successful."
So which will Ferdinand be? "I do a bit of both. I lead by example, but when somebody needs to be told I never shirk that responsibility. I'm normally one of the loudest in the changing room – not only talking about football but in general terms, and I won't be changing. That's the way I am; I've been like that since I was a kid."
What about when Alex Ferguson is giving one of his famously direct team talks – does Ferdinand shut up then? "The manager's the manager and his word is gospel, but over the years he respects anybody who questions what he does to a certain extent. A manager who doesn't allow his players to have an opinion won't be successful – you need strong characters in the dressing room and United have had that over the years, from Roy Keane to Giggsy [Ryan Giggs] and myself. It's the quality of our manager that he allows you to have an opinion and a say in what happens – but he makes the final decision."
In South Africa much will hinge on the form of another strident United character, Wayne Rooney. "On current form he's the best player in the world; there's no one as good as him at scoring goals." Might he be crushed by the burden of being England's talisman? "Wayne plays with that for Man United week in, week out," says Ferdinand. "He's been accustomed to that since he was 16 years old, so the expectation is not a problem."
Ferdinand likes to stress how ordinary his life is – as ordinary, anyway, as it can be when you earn £125,000 a week and are feted wherever you go. "I think I've been on three red carpets in my whole life, contrary to what everybody believes." He rubs shoulders with Hollywood actor Mickey Rourke and rapper 50 Cent, who appeared in Dead Man Running, but says they are associates rather than close friends. "I only really meet people like that through business. James Corden [star of Gavin & Stacey] is probably the only one I'd really socialise with. All the other guys I've met through doing interviews with my magazine or other business ventures."
How do you stay grounded in this soap-opera world? "By staying close to your friends and having a good family around you," he says. "If you surrender those relationships you grew up with and become cocooned in a world where you just go to football, come home, go shopping, go to restaurants, go to clubs, you can easily fall into that trap. But if you get the right people around you, they can shield you from that." Anyway, he says, it's the lesser players who spend all their time in nightclubs – most of the top ones are too knackered.
Ferdinand says he enjoys the adulation of fans – "if someone's not asking me for an autograph then I've got to worry because I must be [playing] shit" – but recalls one unlikely-sounding holiday when it became too much. "We went to Prestatyn a little while ago [for a caravan holiday], but it wasn't a good experience because there were too many people there. I look forward to doing things like that when I've finished football and there's another centre-half playing for Man United, and he's the person in the spotlight."
Ferdinand attributes his level-headedness to his parents. His father, Julian, is from St Lucia; his mother, Janice, is Anglo-Irish. They separated when he was 14, but his father lived closed by and took him to football training. Ferdinand's younger brother, Anton, is also a Premier League player (for Sunderland) and played for the England under-21 team. The estate on which they grew up had a tough reputation, but Ferdinand enjoyed living there. "I wouldn't change it if I had to do it again; I wouldn't change it at all," he says, lamenting the fact that the old community spirit is dying. "The estates now are like ghost towns," he says.
He attended the same school as Stephen Lawrence, the Blackheath Bluecoat school in Greenwich. "I was about four years younger than him, but I used to mess around with him and his mates, and I knew who he was when it all happened. I remember that day vividly – the headteacher calling school off and saying why. The first reaction from everyone was what was [Stephen] doing there at that time of night? It was renowned as a racist area. I wouldn't have walked around there at that time."
Did Ferdinand experience racism? "Yeah, but that's part and parcel of growing up as a kid. Where we were it was a really mixed culture on the estate, but if you travelled to different areas of south London, there was racism. Certain areas of Bermondsey late at night you wouldn't go, but as a kid I didn't think anything of that. It just seemed normal."
If he hadn't been a footballer, Ferdinand thinks he would have been a youth worker, and he has channelled that interest into a foundation called Live the Dream, aimed at mentoring children in deprived areas. "That's definitely something I'll be involved in when I've finished playing football; I'm hoping to get Comic Relief and Sport Relief on board to help me run it and give it a more polished finish." But he only wants to help those who'll help themselves. "There are too many excuses nowadays. I know it's hard to get work in the climate of today, and people say 'It's easy for you to say that', but hard work is always the key to anything. No one gets anywhere without having to work hard and sacrifice something."
That's the lesson he draws from his own singlemindedness as an adolescent. "I always wanted to be a professional footballer, and there was nothing really going to get in my way. I used to leave my mates on the estate – they were messing around and stuff – and take trains and buses to get to West Ham [the club for which he signed at the age of 15]. That was my life when I was growing up."
He had a wild period in his late teens, when he admits he was overfond of fast cars and hot nightclubs, but his parents warned him he would end up squandering his talents. "That's why I left London to go to Leeds [in 2000]," he says. "That summer I didn't get in the England side at the European Championships, and that hit home. I could have stayed in London – Chelsea had matched the bid from Leeds – but I wanted to leave for the benefit of my career." Two years later he moved to Manchester United, the club with which he is indelibly associated and where, despite rumours linking him with Tottenham, he hopes to finish his career. "They'll have to kick me out for me to leave," he says.
And when his playing career finally does end, will he stay in football – or opt for film, fashion and the foundation? "I don't know. Some days I wake up and think I want to be a manager; other days I think, do I really still want to be involved in the intensity of the game and the spotlight?" I remind him that great players rarely make great managers. "That's been the case so far, but it's all for change isn't it?"
Ferdinand is getting restless, but is too polite to suggest we wind up, so the PR woman says it for him. He has been getting calls from his wife and doing some surreptitious texting, and I suggest that the three people he has to respond to are his missus, Sir Alex and Capello. "They ain't got my number, the other two," he says with his lop-sided grin.
• For the nearest stockist of Five by Rio Ferdinand call 0844 811 0535.

2010-07-18T07:08:00.001-07:00

Aguero talks up Chelsea move

: Aguero talks up Chelsea move

Atletico Madrid striker Sergio Aguero believes a deal to join Chelsea could finally be agreed this summer.

The Argentina striker has been continually linked with a move to Stamford Bridge during recent transfer windows.

The 22-year-old has been one of the most prolific marksmen in Spanish football in recent seasons, but believes this summer could finally see him join the Blues.

Aguero, who was restricted to cameo appearances off the bench during Argentina's World Cup campaign, is valued around the £25million mark.

"If an offer comes in from the right club and Atletico feels it is the right price, then a deal can be done," Aguero told the Daily Star.

"Of course Chelsea is of interest to me as they are one of the most powerful teams in European football.

"They show their intent summer after summer in the transfer market and more often than not that intent will see them end the season with at least one trophy.

"What I need to consider is where I can win things and I know for sure I can win things at Chelsea.

"You look at their players and you are excited about any future you may have there.

"To be the strike partner of Didier Drogba is a thing many players would love to be.

"But it's not just Drogba - it's Lampard, Terry, Anelka, Essien, and maybe even Fernando Torres.

"They have quality players everywhere."

Henry's MLS move continues football's progress in USA

2010-07-18T03:14:00.000-07:00

Henry's transfer is a boost for football in the US, but questions remain about whether the sport can achieve a major breakthrough

By Tim Love

Monaco. Juventus. Arsenal. Barcelona. And now, New York Red Bulls.

The career path of France's top goal-scorer of all time, Thierry Henry, has taken him to some of the world's most illustrious and well-known clubs.

At the age of 32 and with plenty of top European clubs rumoured to be keen on his services, the Arsenal legend has chosen to finish his career playing in Major League Soccer in the United States.

Henry's decision has provided the league with a powerful brand name to add to that of David Beckham, who moved to the LA Galaxy in 2007.

US football is improving - Ferguson

While the former Barcelona striker's arrival was not met with the same fanfare as Beckham's grand entrance three years ago, there has been a very healthy amount of coverage in the saturated American sports media.

"It's highly unlikely that soccer will ever reach the heights of popularity in the US enjoyed by the three major sports; the NFL, MLB and NBA," Jen Chang, Soccer Editor at Sports Illustrated, told BBC Sport.

"However, becoming an established top five sport is certainly within reach, and ultimately I don't see why it can't become more popular than the NHL."

Sunil Gulati, US Soccer Federation President, has overseen a period of very steady growth for football and the MLS.

The league average attendance this season is roughly 16,000 people per game and ticket sales have grown by almost 10% compared to the 2009 figures. Given that the MLS was founded in 1993, the growth of the league is impressive.

"The MLS is not trying to be baseball. It's not trying to be the NFL. These are both sports with major history behind them," Gulati told BBC Sport.

"My favourite catchphrase when people ask me how long it will take for soccer and the MLS to prosper is simple: tradition takes time."

Football is fortunate to have excellent TV exposure in the US. Almost all MLS games are available to watch and the World Cup was a major success for broadcaster ESPN.

ESPN invested more financially in its coverage of the World Cup than any other event in its 30-year history and the viewing figures throughout the tournament were very impressive.

The World Cup gave football unprecedented TV exposure in the US

A total of 19.4m people watched the USA's loss to Ghana in the second round of the tournament and 24.3m people watched the final between Spain and the Netherlands.

This is compared to the 22.3m who watched the decisive games in last year's baseball World Series, while ice hockey's Stanley Cup this year pulled in just 8.3m.

"We don't expect a single event and the viewing figures to change the landscape of our game overnight," explains Gulati.

"But the sport has been on a pretty upward trend for a while now. The difference between 1994 (when the US hosted the World Cup) and now is that we have a 16 team league, 10 soccer specific stadiums, soccer on TV and players who the public know about."

Chuck Culpepper, author and a former sport correspondent for the Los Angeles Times, recounts a conversation he had on a flight recently in which the World Cup became a topic of conversation.

"I sat next to a man who said his 20-year-old son, a student at Auburn University in Alabama (a state synonymous with American Football), would wake early during the World Cup, paint his face and join a gaggle of friends at a bar to watch the matches during breakfast hours."

606: DEBATE

The MLS is certainly being run well. They're gathering these top players and garnering larger audiences.

TheDingle

"If you had told me in 2002, when the United States reached the quarter-finals, that even this nugget would happen in Alabama in 2010, when the United States did not quite reach the quarter-finals, I would not have believed you. The number one reason this happened in Alabama: TV coverage," Culpepper added.

The implication of this story is that there are many casual football fans who have an interest in the sport and who are potential MLS converts. By signing players such as Henry, US Soccer is intending to do just that in both the short term and the long term.

"The challenge is certainly to get people who watch the US national team to watch MLS," said Gulati, who has been in charge of US Soccer since 2006.

"In the short term, Henry is a player who chose MLS over the Premier League. He's a great figure to have on the field and he'll excite people.

"In the long-term, you hope that people might come out and choose to watch Henry for a first time, then a second time, a third time... Hopefully people will see the connection between the 'watercooler talk' and go and watch a game."

Football fever grips USA

It is a view Chang agrees with.

"I think as the years go by, the appetite for ageing foreign retreads will lessen unless those players are still top players, but ultimately Americans want to feel like they are watching the best product and for that, you'll always need to bring in the big names," according to Chang.

"The MLS needs to continue to bring over the big names even if they are at the tail-end of their careers. In Henry's case, he's lost a bit of pace, but I still expect him to dominate and probably be the best player in the league."

What can be said for certain is that the MLS will not collapse like football's first attempt to launch in the US - the North American Soccer League - did in the early 1980s.

But how long is Gulati prepared to wait for interest in soccer in the US to explode?

Angry Fabio Capello demands removal of Capello Index

2010-07-18T03:13:00.000-07:00

Forlan is top-ranked while Defoe is the highest scoring Englishman on the site

England boss Fabio Capello has demanded that player ratings website the Capello Index be removed from the internet.

The rankings, which score players on their performances in this summer's World Cup, appeared online on Saturday.

"I did not authorise this and am angry it was published," said Capello, while the Football Association claimed it was "satisfied" with the Italian's actions.

The project was set for launch before the World Cup but, following a media outcry, it was postponed.

"The index was published without Mr Capello's knowledge and his representatives have taken immediate steps to have the material taken down," read an FA statement.

The website uses a statistical system devised by former Roma, Juventus and Real Madrid coach Capello to award players a score out of 100.

Not a single England international appears in the top 45 players from the tournament, following the team's dismal showing in South Africa that ended with a 4-1 last-16 defeat to Germany.

606: DEBATE

Give your views on the Capello Index

Captain Steven Gerrard is the only member of the squad to be ranked in the top 100 performers of the group stages, coming in at a lowly 65.

Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe has the highest average score of Capello's squad with 62.47, while goalkeeper Robert Green, who was dropped by Capello following his glaring handling error that gifted the USA an equaliser in the England's opening 1-1 Group C draw, has the lowest score - 51.67.

Uruguay's Diego Forlan, the Golden Ball winner in South Africa, top the ratings. Germany's Miroslav Klose and Thomas Mueller are second and third respectively.

Tournament winners Spain occupy the next three spots with Andres Iniesta fourth, Xavi fifth and David Villa sixth.

Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez, Dutch winger Arjen Robben, Germans midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer complete the top 10.

News of the project first emerged in early May, when Capello announced himself as a co-founder of the Index, alongside Chicco Merighi, the founder of an online gambling company.

"It's not only about money, my interest is in football," Capello said at the time.

CAPELLO'S PLAYER RATINGS

Top player overall: Uruguay's Diego Forlan

England players in the top 100 up to the last 16: Steven Gerrard (71st), John Terry (87th), Matthew Upson (100)

Sole England player in the top 100 of the group stages: Steven Gerrard (65th)

Highest average score for an England player: Jermain Defoe (62.47)

Lowest average score for an England player: Robert Green (51.67)

Highest score in the World Cup final: Spain's Andres Iniesta (75.17)

A four-week trial of the index - limited to players from Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur - rated Ledley King, Michael Dawson and Sol Campbell as the best English central defenders ahead of John Terry and Rio Ferdinand.

However, following harsh media criticism of the idea as badly timed and potentially damaging to players' confidence, Capello was forced to put World Cup ratings on hold after holding emergency talks with the FA.

But a message on the front page of the site reads: "We are finally able to satisfy the numerous request we have had by publishing the results of the evaluation of the players' performance during the South African World Cup.

"Out of respect to the Football Association, who asked us to suspend the real-time publication, we decided to wait until the end of the tournament."

The site also claims the analysis will next season be applied to "all games of the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A and the Champions League", with all the data to be published "within two hours of the end of the matches".

Emile Heskey retires from international football

2010-07-15T22:39:00.002-07:00

Heskey misses good chance against USA

England striker Emile Heskey has announced his retirement from international football.

The 32-year-old was part of England manager Fabio Capello's much-criticised squad that exited the World Cup in South Africa in the second round.

Heskey made his England debut against Hungary on 28 April, 1999 and earned 62 caps, scoring seven goals.

"I have enjoyed every moment of my England career and worn the shirt with pride," the Aston Villa forward said.

"I would like to thank every manager I have played under, everyone at the FA and the fans for all their support over the years.

606: DEBATE

He played better than Rooney at the world cup and he does have his strengths, such as bringing others into the game

TheGunnerTB

"I wish the management team and the playing squad all the best for the future."

Heskey was also part of the England squad at the 2002 World Cup as well as at the 2000 and 2004 European Championships.

He started every game at the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea and grabbed a goal in the second round against Denmark before England were eliminated at the quarter-final stage by Brazil.

Heskey made one substitute appearance during Euro 2004, at which England were beaten on penalties by Portugal in the last eight.

The former Leicester, Liverpool and Wigan forward then spent three years out of the international set-up before being recalled by Steve McClaren for the national side's unsuccessful Euro 2008 qualifying campaign.

In South Africa, Heskey failed to score after starting against the United States and Algeria before coming on as a substitute against Slovenia and Germany.

Heskey's England goals

June 2000 v. Malta

February 2001 v. Spain

September 2001 v. Germany

June 2002 v. Denmark

May 2003 v. South Africa

March 2009 v. Slovakia

June 2009 v. Kazakhstan

Heskey had gone into the 2010 World Cup on the back of a frustrating season for Villa as he struggled for first-team football.

However, he had been a regular starter during the qualifying campaign and Capello kept faith in him in South Africa as he paired Heskey with Wayne Rooney in attack.

Heskey divided opinion with his inclusion in Capello's first XI, with critics arguing his strengths as a target man were not matched by his finishing ability in front of goal.

And, despite teeing up Steven Gerrard for the opener in the 1-1 draw against the US, he failed to take a late chance to win the match.

His final appearance came in the 4-1 defeat by Germany, coming on 19 minutes from time with England already trailing by three goals.

Inter Milan keen to keep Balotelli and Maicon

2010-07-15T22:39:00.001-07:00

Inter Milan keen to keep Balotelli and Maicon

Balotelli (left) and Maicon are two key players at Inter

Champions League holders Inter Milan are not looking to sell Mario Balotelli and Maicon, the club's technical director Marco Branca has said.

Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United have been linked with bids for striker Balotelli, 19, with Real Madrid reportedly keen on right-back Maicon.

"We will consider offers, but they are not transfer listed," Branca told the club's website.

"How much is Balotelli worth? He doesn't have a price."

Inter won the Serie A title and Copa Italia last season to complete a treble under former manager Jose Mourinho, but while Maicon was a key player Balotelli fell out with the manager and was an unused substitute as the Italian side beat Bayern Munich in the Champions League final.

606: DEBATE

How good is Mario Balotelli?

But with former Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez now in charge at the San Siro, Branca insisted the club have no need to sell key players.

"We are in a privileged situation, having won so much," he said. "It's true that we receive calls each day because everyone wants at least six or seven of our champions."

Balotelli had a temperamental relationship with Mourinho, but is considered one of Italy's brightest prospects and is likely to get his chance in the national team after Italy crashed out of the World Cup in the group stages.

Maicon, 28, is an established member of the Brazilian national team and his form over the past season has seen him shortlisted for the 2010 Ballon d'Or - given to the player voted the best in Europe.

Maicon scores from impossible angle

Icelandic cloud over Motherwell

2010-07-15T22:35:00.000-07:00

Finnbogason has had a trial with Blackpool and hopes to impress at Fir Park

By Clive Lindsay

Breidablik are one of Iceland's lesser-known lights outside their own country but have arrived in Scotland this week on top of their own football world.

And former Aberdeen, Notts County, Raith Rovers and Dundee manager Jocky Scott has warned Motherwell that they will have to be on top of their game to avoid a similar fate to one of his other former clubs, Dunfermline Athletic.

Back in 2004, domestic table toppers and eventual champions of Iceland Hafnarfjordur knocked the Pars out of the early stages of the Uefa Cup, 4-3 on aggregate despite the Fife club having returned to Scotland with a 2-2 draw in the first leg.

And, on Thursday, Motherwell host another side who are flying high in Iceland's top division as they embark on their Europa League qualifying campaign at the second-round stage.

Indeed, despite having a reputation as a yo-yo club between Iceland's Premier League and second tier, Breidablik won their domestic cup last season and top the table for the first time in 25 years as they head for their European debut.

"They are a side who like to get the ball down and pass it - and they are very good at it," said Scott, who was sent to scout Thursday's visitors by Motherwell manager Craig Brown.

Brown feels Breidablik have advantage

"They work very hard for each other and they have one or two good individual players who work within the team unit."

Scott watched Breidablik win 3-1 away to Selfoss then beat Stjarnan 4-0 in their home town of Kopavogur on Thursday - their fourth straight win of the season - to lead on goal difference from Vestmannaeyjar after 11 games.

Right-back Arnor Sveinn Adalsteinsson, an Iceland international, left-back Kristinn Jonsson, midfielder Jokull Elisabetarson and Iceland Under-21s forward Alfred Finnbogason have been picked out by Scott as the main danger men.

"Their two full backs did very well," he said. "They are attacking full-backs who get forward as often as possible."

Scott described 26-year-old playmaker Elisabetarson, who had a spell in the United States with Carolina Dynamo, as a "very good player and very good user of the ball".

Finnbogason, who played with Hutchison Vale Boys Club while his father was at Edinburgh University, impressed previous scouts enough to win a trial with Blackpool in November.

"He plays just off the front and is excellent, with good ability," said Scott of the 21-year-old. "He likes to score goals but is capable of creating them too.

"They are a young side. I think their average age is about 24."

Striker Gudmundur Petursson has had a point to prove after being axed by Reykjavik clubs IR and KR.

The 23-year-old former Iceland Under-21 international scored in the quarter-finals, semi-finals and in the penalty shoot-out as Breidablik won their domestic cup final on penalties against Fram last season, winning a permanent deal after having been on loan from KR.

Meanwhile, 21-year-old midfielder Gudmundur Kristjansson also has full international experience and 20-year-old striker Kristinn Steindorsson has been capped at youth level.

Motherwell know only too well the dangers of going into Europe without a competitive game behind them.

Sutton targets European run

They slumped to a surprise 1-0 home defeat to Welsh side Llanelli in last season's qualifiers and then lost their away tie to Albanians Flamurtari Vlore by the same scoreline, although they recovered to win both ties.

"It's difficult to compare because the pace of the game is so different," said Scott when asked to rate Motherwell's chances this time round.

"The Premier League is 100 miles an hour, but their game is a lot slower than that.

"It will be interesting to see if Motherwell can play to their potential in terms of energy and how Breidablik handle that if they do.

"I would like to say that Motherwell would win comfortably, but I know it won't be easy.

"One thing they cannot afford to do, and I know Craig Brown and Archie Knox will not allow this, is to be complacent.

"If both teams play to their potential, it will be a very good game."

Breidablik's nickname, Blikar Blix, means twinkles (as in stars), while the singular form, Bliki, is also a name for male ducks.

Whether they shine in the Europa League or lamely bow out at the second qualifying stage will be decided over two legs against the Steelmen.

Transfer ins & outs

2010-07-15T22:34:00.001-07:00

Transfer ins & outs

Keep up to date with all the ins, outs and rumours via our indispensible transfer guide

Hernandez: On his way to Old Trafford

Sky Sports transfer coverage:
Transfer clockwatch
Latest transfer stories
Paper Talk
Sky Sports scout
Your rumours
Transfer betting

It's been a quiet summer so far in the transfer market but with things starting to get interesting in Premier League boardrooms, more deals are expected imminently. Throughout the transfer window skysports.com will keep you up to date with all the deals as and when they happen via our interactive transfer clockwatch, while Transfer ins & outs will provide an indispensible guide to the ins, outs and any rumours doing the rounds.

ARSENAL

Ins: Marouane Chamakh (free from Bordeaux), Laurent Koscielny (undisc from Lorient).

Outs: Fran Merida (undisc to Atletico Madrid), Philippe Senderos (free to Fulham), Luke Ayling (free to Yeovil).

Rumoured: Mikel Arteta (Everton), Stephane Mbia (Marseille), Guy Assulin (Barcelona), Brede Hangeland and Mark Schwarzer (Fulham), Gary Cahill (Bolton), Phil Jagielka, Jack Rodwell and Stephen Pienaar (Everton), Lassana Diarra (Real Madrid), Gigi Buffon (Juventus), Yoann Gourcuff (Bordeaux), Joe Cole (free agent), Hugo Rodallega (Wigan), Gregory Van der Wiel and Jan Vertonghen (Ajax), Hugo Lloris (Lyons), Mesut Ozil and Per Mertesacker (Werder Bremen), Federico Marchetti (Cagliari), Eduardo (Sporting Braga), Shaun Wright-Philips (Manchester City).

ASTON VILLA

Ins:

Outs: Wilfred Bouma, Andy Marshall and Marlon Harewood (released), Stephen O'Halloran (free to Coventry).

Rumoured: Eidur Gudjohnsen (Monaco), Carlton Cole and Scott Parker (West Ham), Kevin Doyle (Wolves), Robbie Keane, Jermaine Jenas (Spurs), Craig Bellamy, Stephen Ireland and Shaun Wright-Phillips (Manchester City), Michael Carrick (Manchester United), Adam Matthews (Cardiff), Bobby Zamora (Fulham), Hugo Rodallega (Wigan), Gregory van der Wiel (Ajax), Steven Pienaar (Everton), Nathaniel Clyne (Crystal Palace), Evaldo (Sporting Braga), Seb Frey (Fiorentina), Aiden McGeady (Celtic), Tranquillo Barnetta (Bayer Leverkusen).

BIRMINGHAM

Ins: Ben Foster (£6million from Manchester United), Enric Valles (free from NAC Breda), Nikola Zigic (£6million from Valencia).

Outs: Artur Krysiak (free to Exeter), Cristian Benitez (loan return to Santos Laguna), Gary McSheffrey (free to Coventry), Lee Carsley, Franck Queudrue and Gregory Vignal (all released).

Rumoured: Paul Konchesky (Fulham), Charles N'Zogbia (Wigan), Bobby Zamora (Fulham), Kris Boyd (Rangers), Aidan McGeady (Celtic), Robert Pires (Villarreal), Robbie Keane (Tottenham), Nathaniel Clyne (Crystal Palace), Katlego Mphela (Mamelodi Sundowns).

BLACKBURN

Ins:

Outs: Steven Reid (free to WBA), Marcus Marshall (free to Rotherham), Andrew Haworth (free to Bury).

Rumoured: Frederic Piquionne (Lyon), Guti (Real Madrid), Tuncay (Stoke), Robert Lewandowski (Lech Poznan), Jong Tae-Se (Kawasaki Frontale), David Nugent (Portsmouth).

BLACKPOOL

Ins:

Outs: Al Bangura, Joe Martin, Danny Mitchley, Hameur Bouazza and Daniel Nardiello (all released), Stephen McPhee (retired).

Rumoured: Danny Welbeck (Manchester United), Sylvan Ebanks-Blake (Wolves), DJ Campbell (Leicester), Mark Reynolds (Motherwell), Brett Pitman (Bournemouth), Nicky Butt (Newcastle), DaMarcus Beasley (Rangers).

BOLTON

Ins: Martin Petrov (free from Manchester City), Robbie Blake (free from Burnley).

Outs: Ricardo Vaz Te Zoltan Harsanyi, Stuart McDonald and Chris Stokes (released).

Rumoured: Jack Wilshere (Arsenal), Guti, Rodrigo Moreno and Marcos Alonso (Real Madrid), David Nugent (Portsmouth), Chris Cohen (Nottingham Forest), Ilan (West Ham), James Vaughan (Everton), Katiego Mphela (Mamelodi Sundowns), Franco Di Santo (Chelsea), Juan Roman Riquelme (Boca Juniors).

CHELSEA

Ins: Yossi Benayoun (undisclosed from Liverpool), Tomas Kalas (£5million from Sigma Olomouc).

Outs: Michael Ballack (free to Bayer Leverkusen), Joe Cole and Juliano Belletti (released), Miroslav Stoch (undisc to Fenerbahce), Rhys Taylor (loan to Crewe), Tomas Kalas (loan to Sigma Olomouc)..

Rumoured: Javier Mascherano (Liverpool), Steven Pienaar (Everton), Sergio Aguero (Atletico Madrid), David Luiz (Benfica), Alexandre Pato (AC Milan), Luka Modric (Spurs), Kaka and Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Darijo Srna (Shaktar Donetsk), Bastian Schweinsteiger and Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich), Mesut Ozil (Werder Bremen), Fernando Torres (Liverpool), Raul Meireles (Porto), Fabio Coentrao (Benfica), Kaka (Real Madrid).

EVERTON

Ins: Jermaine Beckford (free from Leeds), Joao Silva (£500,000 from Desportivo Aves), Magaye Gueye (undisc. from Strasbourg).

Outs: John Ruddy (undiscl. to Norwich City).

Rumoured: Jan Vertonghen (Ajax), Oscar Cardozo (Benfica), Nathaniel Clyne (Crystal Palace), Stephane Sessegnon (Paris St Germain), Angelo Ogbonna (Torino), Arne Freidrich (Hertha Berlin).

FULHAM

Ins: Philippe Senderos (free from Arsenal), Jonathan Greening (loan made permanent from West Brom).

Outs: Chris Smalling (£10million to Manchester United), Wayne Brown (free to Bristol Rovers), Erik Nevland (free to Viking), Andranik, Wesley Foderingham, Toni Kallio, Luca Moscatiello, King Osei-Gyan, Dan Owusu, Michael Uwezu (all released), Chris Buchtmann (undiscl. to Cologne), Elliot Omozusi (free to Leyton Orient), Stefan Payne (free to Gillingham)

Rumoured: Frederic Piquionne (Portsmouth), Nicky Shorey (Aston Villa), Carlton Cole (West Ham), Daniel Tozser (Racing Genk), Fabio Aurelio (Liverpool), David James (Portsmouth), Andre Bikey (Burnley), Steve Sidwell.(Aston Villa), Cheik Tioti (FC Twente), Joe Hart (Manchester City).

LIVERPOOL

Ins: Jonjo Shelvey (£1.7million from Charlton), Milan Jovanovic (free from Standard Liege).

Outs: David Martin (free to MK Dons), Fabio Aurelio, Christopher Oldfield, Robbie Threlfall (released), Yossi Benayoun (undisclosed to Chelsea).

Rumoured: Giampaolo Pazzini (Sampdoria), Diego Tardelli (Belo Horizonte), Joe Cole (free agent), Carlton Cole (West Ham), Simao (Atletico Madrid), Danny Wilson (Rangers), Micah Richards, Nedum Onuoha and Michael Johnson (Manchester City), Brede Hangeland (Fulham), Steven Taylor (Newcastle), Bryan Ruiz (FC Twente), Maynor Figueroa (Wigan), Shaun Wright-Philips (Manchester City).

MANCHESTER CITY

Ins: Jerome Boateng (£10million from Hamburg), Yaya Toure (£25million from Barcelona), David Silva (£24m from Valencia).

Outs: Martin Petrov (free to Bolton), Sylvinho, Benjani (all released), Paul Marshall (free to Walsall), Valeri Bojinov (£4.25m to Parma), Robert Mak (undiscl. to Nurnberg), David Ball (loan to Swindon).

Rumoured: Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Dani Alves (Barcelona), Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), James Milner and Ashley Young (Aston Villa), Joe Cole (free agent), Yoann Gourcuff (Bordeaux), Marek Hamsik (Napoli) Mesut Ozil (Werder Bremen), David Luiz (Benfica), Fernando Gago (Real Madrid), Javi Martinez (Athletic Bilbao), Johnny Heitinga (Everton), Edin Dzeko (Wolfsburg), Maicon (Inter Milan), Phillipe Mexes (Roma), Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy), Fabio Coentrao (Benfica), Lukas Podoloski (Cologne).

MANCHESTER UNITED

Ins: Javier Hernandez (£7million from C.D. Guadalajara), Chris Smalling (£10million from Fulham).

Outs: Ben Foster (£6million to Birmingham), Tom Heaton (free to Cardiff), Zoran Tosic (£8m to CSKA Moscow), Matthew James (loan to Preston), Daniel Drinkwater (loan to Cardiff City).

Rumoured: Edin Dzeko (Wolfsburg), James Milner (Aston Villa), Jack Rodwell (Everton), Luka Modric (Spurs), Phil Jagielka and Mikel Arteta (Everton), Rafael van der Vaart and Raul (Real Madrid), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Pablo Barrera (Pumas), Sotiris Ninis (Panathinaikos). St�phane Sess�gnon (PSG), Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), Mesut Ozil (Werder Bremen), Wesley Sneijder (Inter Milan).

NEWCASTLE

Ins: James Perch (undiscl. from Nottingham Forest).

Outs: Fabrice Pancrate and Nicky Butt (released), Max Johnson (free to Inverness).

Rumoured: Jimmy Bullard (Hull), Youssouf Mulumbu (West Brom), Jermaine Jenas (Spurs), Rais M'Bolhi (Slavia Sofia), Jlloyd Samuel, Andy O'Brien and Danny Shittu (Bolton), Henri Lansbury (Arsenal), Mark Reynolds (Motherwell).

STOKE

Ins:

Outs: Amdy Faye (released), Nathaniel Wedderburn (free to Northampton), Andy Griffin (nominal fee to Reading), Steve Simonsen (free to Sheffield United), Diego Arismendi (loan to Barnsley).

Rumoured: Emile Heskey (Aston Villa), Mark Noble and Carlton Cole (West Ham), Robert Koren (unattached), Joe Ledley (Cardiff City), Roman Pavlyuchenko (Tottenham), Andy Carroll (Newcastle), Youssef El Akchaoul (NEC Nijmegen), Ilan (West Ham), Maynor Figueroa (Wigan).

SUNDERLAND

Ins: Cristian Riveros (undisc. from Cruz Azul), Ahmed Al-Muhammadi (loan from ENPPI), Simon Mignolet (undiscl from Sint-Truidense).

Outs: Jamie Chandler (free to Darlington), Roy O'Donovan (free to Coventry), Lorik Cana (£5m to Galatasaray).

Rumoured: Tuncay (Stoke), Mauro Boselli (Estudiantes), Bobby Zamora (Fulham), Taye Taiwo (Marseille), Matthew Upson (West Ham), Nedum Onouha (Manchester City), Nelson Haedo Valdez (Borussia Dortmund), Heiko Westermann (Schalke), Gervinho (Lille), John Utaka (Portsmouth), Charles N'Zogbia (Wigan).

TOTTENHAM

Ins: Sandro (£6m from Internacional).

Outs: Lee Butcher (free to Leyton Orient), Sam Cox (free to Barnet), Jimmy Walker (released).

Rumoured: Morgan Gould (Supersport United), Ashley Young and Gabriel Agbonlahor (Aston Villa), Stephen Pienaar (Everton), Dimitar Berbatov (Manchester United), Matthew Upson (West Ham), David James (Portsmouth), Carlton Cole (West Ham), Joe Cole (free agent), Vincenzo Iaquinta (Juventus), Neven Subotic (Borussia Dotrmund), Edinson Cavani and Simon Kjaer (Palermo), Pedro Leon (Getafe), Shaun Wright-Philips (Manchester City).

WEST BROM

Ins: Steven Reid (free from Blackburn), Pablo Ibanez (free from Atletico Madrid), Gabriel Tamas (undiscl. from Auxerre).

Outs: Robert Koren, Filipe Teixeira and Andwele Slory (released), Joss Labadie (free to Tranmere), Jonathan Greening (loan move made permanent to Fulham), Luke Daniels (loan to Bristol Rovers).

Rumoured: James Beattie (Stoke), Boaz Myhill (Hull), Marcus Pedersen (Stromsgodset), Pierre Webo (Real Mallorca), Frederic Piquionne (Lyon), David Ngog (Liverpool), Marcus Berg (Hamburg).

WEST HAM

Ins: Thomas Hitzlsperger (free from Lazio).

Outs: Guillermo Franco (released), Bondz N'Gala (free to Milwall).

Rumoured: Jamie O'Hara (Spurs), Graham Dorrans (West Brom), Thierry Henry (Barcelona), Steven Fletcher (Burnley), Frederic Piquionne, Tal Ben Haim, Kevin Prince Boateng and Nadir Belhadj (Portsmouth), Yakubu (Everton), Sidney Govou (Lyon), Ben Sahar (Espanyol), Richard Wright (Ipswich), Vincent Enyeama (Hapoel tel Aviv), Angelo Ogbonna (Torino), Steve Sidwell (Aston Villa), Miroslav Klose (Bayern Munich), Loic Remy (Nice).

WIGAN

Ins: Mauro Boselli (£6.5m from Estudiantes), Antolin Alcaraz (undiscl. from Club Brugge).

Outs: Tomasz Cywka (free to Derby), Mario Melchiot (free to Umm Salal).

Rumoured: Landry N'Guemo (Nancy), Jose Angel (Sporting Gijon), Javier Garrido (Manchester City).

WOLVES

Ins: Jelle Van Damme (£2.5m from Anderlecht), Steven Fletcher (£6.5million from Burnley), Steven Mouyokolo (£2.5m from Hull), Stephen Hunt (£3m from Hull), Adl�ne Guedioura (loan move made permanent from Charleroi).

Outs: Jason Shackell (undisc. to Barnsley), Chris Iwelumo (undisc. to Burnley), Mark Little (free to Peterborough), George Friend (free to Doncaster), Andrew Surman (£500,000 to Norwich), Nathaniel Mendez-Laing (loan to Peterborough), Daniel Jones (free to Sheffield Wednesday).

Rumoured: Guirane N'Daw (FC Nantes), Aruna Dindane (Lens), Kevin Constant (LB

Downing warning for Milner

2010-07-15T22:27:00.000-07:00

Milner: Warned over City move

They're all going to be fighting for places. It's going to be hard and it will be hard for James if he goes there.

Stewart Downing believes Aston Villa team-mate James Milner will have a fight on his hands to get into the Manchester City side if he moves to Eastlands.

Milner was the subject of a failed bid in May from City, who are expected to step up their pursuit of the England midfielder.

City boss Roberto Mancini has bolstered his options across the middle by buying David Silva and Yaya Toure, and Villa winger Downing suggests that if Milner joins them he may not be a regular in the first team.

"It will be interesting to see what XI (Mancini) starts with because he's got that much quality in that squad," Downing said, according to The Guardian.

"They're all going to be fighting for places. It's going to be hard and it will be hard for James if he goes there.

"Will he play? I can't think how many midfielders they've got. I think that will be one of the decisions (that he has to consider): 'Do I want to go there and be a bit-part or stay here and play?'

"That's totally up to him. I am sure he's probably already made his decision."

Meanwhile, Villa goalkeeper Brad Friedel has praised United States coach Bob Bradley and claims it would be a "great move" if he came to work in English football.

Bradley has been linked with the vacant manager's post at Fulham, and although his current employers are determined to keep him, American shot-stopper Friedel says the 52-year-old coach has demonstrated impressive credentials.

"It would be a great move for Bob to get over here," Friedel told Sky Sports News.

"I think he did a really good job during the World Cup and also in qualifying.

"We should have qualified - although some of the games can be a little bit tricky - but I think he has done a decent job of finding some younger players."

* Liverpool's Torres has ruptured thigh muscle

2010-07-15T22:26:00.000-07:00

Fernando Torres.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

MADRID, Spain -- Spain's Football Federation says Liverpool and World Cup-winning Spain striker Fernando Torres has ruptured a muscle in his left thigh.

In a statement on its website, the federation says Torres had a magnetic resonance scan on Tuesday at the Cemtro de Madrid Clinic and evidence was found of "a Grade 1 muscle fibre rupture in the left thigh."

Torres struggled to make the World Cup after missing the end of Liverpool's season with right knee injuries and looked sluggish in South Africa.

He pulled up shortly after coming on during extra time of Sunday's 1-0 win over the Netherlands in the final.

Cadena Ser news network said Wednesday the scan results would be sent to Liverpool and it was unlikely Torres would play before the new season starts next month.

The Premier League must:

2010-07-15T22:24:00.000-07:00

Roles and objectives

The Premier League must:

Manage, continually improve and be regarded as the world's best league football competition - on and off the field.

Increase interest in our competitions, promote accessibility to live games and ensure that media exposure is used to optimum effect.

Generate increased commercial value, using the resulting revenues to further enhance our competitions and strengthen the long-term future of the Premier League and its clubs.

Use our power and influence responsibly to improve the game in this country and abroad through partnership with the FA, UEFA and other bodies.

Create a quality of competition that provides a platform from which our member clubs can achieve unparalleled success in European or World competitions.

Use our resources to develop playing talent that will provide for international success with the England team at all levels - with the status of World Champions being the realistic goal.

Our relationship with the clubs

The Premier League is owned by 20 Shareholders - the member clubs, whose membership in the league is dependent on the performance of their football team in the Barclays Premier League.

The shareholders meet quarterly. Any shareholder can table a motion to be discussed at the meeting. Each shareholder is entitled to one vote and all rule changes and major commercial contracts require the support of two thirds of the clubs voting at a general meeting.

The Football Association is also a special shareholder. They have the right of veto in certain crucial areas, such as the appointment of Chairman and Chief Executive and promotion and relegation, but have no say on other areas of Premier League work.

The day-to-day business and statutory company responsibilities are handled by the Board of Directors, which comprises of Chairman and Chief Executive, and the full-time members of staff at the Premier League.

Shareholder meetings are held every other month during the season and the AGM is a two-day meeting held during the close season.

At the Summer AGM, relegated clubs will transfer their ordinary share to the promoted clubs.

The Premier League & other football bodies

The Barclays Premier League is widely regarded as the elite club competition in world football.

Like every other league in England, the Premier League comes under the jurisdiction of the Football Association (the FA) and must submit its rules each year for approval and sanction.

The FA's primary objective is to develop the game at all levels, from the England national team down to grass-roots football and youth academies. Along with its British partners in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, the FA comes under the control of the European governing body - the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA).

Formed in 1954 and based in Geneva, UEFA works and acts on behalf of the member associations to promote football and ensure its well-being on the continent. The organisation is responsible for many high-profile competitions, some involving national teams such as the prestigious European Championships. UEFA's premier club competitions are the European Champions League and the UEFA Cup, in which Premier League clubs aspire to compete and succeed on a yearly basis.

The FA and the 50 other associations of UEFA are all affiliated with the world's governing body - the Federation of International Football Associations, or FIFA.

The scope of FIFA's roles and duties has vastly expanded in recent years, and the body is supported in its task of organising, promoting and developing football by the six confederations across the globe. The AFC in Asia, CAF in Africa, CONCACAF in North and Central America and the Caribbean, CONMEBOL in South America, the OFC in Oceania and UEFA comprise 204 member associations in total.

FIFA, formed in 1904 and now one of the world's biggest sports organisations, strives to safeguard the game's good image and it is responsible for the Laws of the Game, which are based upon the rules that were first ratified in 1886.

The rules and regulations are discussed on a yearly basis by the International Football Association Board, which comprises four representatives of FIFA and one each from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, acknowledging the significance of the British associations in the history of the game.

FIFA can also boast the World Cup as its prized asset the ultimate stage on which a professional footballer can perform and a tournament which captures the imagination of the entire planet.

job opportunities

To view current vacancies at the Premier League, click here

Barclays Premier League

2010-07-15T22:23:00.000-07:00

Tottenham	V	Man City	14 Aug 12:45
Aston Villa	V	West Ham	14 Aug 15:00
Blackburn	V	Everton	14 Aug 15:00
Bolton	V	Fulham	14 Aug 15:00
Sunderland	V	Birmingham	14 Aug 15:00
Wigan	V	Blackpool	14 Aug 15:00
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Chelsea	V	West Brom	14 Aug 17:30
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The Italian's future hangs in the balance...

2010-07-15T22:22:00.000-07:00

The Italian's future hangs in the balance...

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provides the best breaking news online and our ootball fan community is unmatched worldwide. Never miss a thing again!Italian champions Inter and Manchester City have held discussions on a possible deal over striker Mario Balotelli, according to reports.

Sky Sport 24 claim that officials from both camps met on Thursday evening to discuss a possible deal. It's been reported that the Nerazzurri have informed City representatives that they will not sell the teenage striker on the cheap.

It's also been reported that Man City offered Inter €25 million for the highly rated striker during the meeting but the European champions have rejected that bid, dismissing it as being too low.

Balotelli has been linked with a move to the Premier League over the summer, with Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City all interested in his services. With Chelsea ready to submit a €30 million bid for the player, the Citizens are looking to ramp up their efforts to sign the 19-year-old.

Earlier on Thursday, Inter president Massimo Moratti admitted that the European champions could be persuaded to part company with the highly rated striker, but made it clear that a huge offer must be put on the table.

"Mario has started training again with professionalism," Moratti told Sky Italia. "He is a player of great talent. He has offers from other clubs and we are evaluating them.

"City and United are serious clubs who will be evaluating their transfer strategy.

"For the moment, we are far from this solution."

Argentina to offer Diego Maradona new four-year deal

2010-07-15T22:07:00.000-07:00

Argentina to offer Diego Maradona new four-year deal

How Maradona inspired a nation

Diego Maradona will be offered a new deal that would keep him in charge of Argentina through to the summer of 2014 - when Brazil stages the World Cup.

He led Argentina to the 2010 World Cup quarter-finals in South Africa and the contract would mean he would be still be coach if they qualify next time.

The Argentine Football Association president Julio Grondona will meet the 49-year-old next week.

Maradona had hinted he would quit after the 4-0 last-eight defeat by Germany.

Grondona intends to have talks with Argentina's former World Cup-winning captain no later than Wednesday of next week to discuss extending his contract.

Despite leading Argentina to victory at the 1986 finals in Mexico as a player, Maradona was a controversial appointment as coach in 2008.

Maverick Maradona's sideline exploits

He had little coaching experience and had endured a host of personal problems following his retirement.

However, Maradona guided Argentina to the recent World Cup finals after a late winning goal in their final qualification match against Uruguay.

In South Africa, Argentina looked like convincing contenders for the trophy, comfortably winning their first three group matches and their last-16 clash with Mexico.

But the well-organised German outfit negated Argentina's array of attacking talent, including Barcelona star Lionel Messi, Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuain and Manchester City's Carlos Tevez, before ruthlessly highlighting the defensive frailties of Maradona's side.

"I may leave tomorrow," was Maradona's immediate response to the exit from the tournament.

But he added: "We will see what happens. I haven't thought about leaving. I have to check that with my family and the players and there are things I have to consider."

Sir Alex Ferguson backs Wayne Rooney to bounce back

2010-07-15T22:06:00.000-07:00

Sir Alex Ferguson backs Wayne Rooney to bounce back

Rooney did not score for England in four games at the World Cup

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has backed striker Wayne Rooney to bounce back from his poor showing for England at the World Cup.

After a stunning 34-goal season for United, Rooney failed to score in four matches in South Africa as England were knocked out by Germany in the last 16.

But Ferguson said: "I don't expect a hangover. But I think there'll still be disappointment in the lad."

Rooney, 24, has been left out of United's tour of North America to rest.

Ferguson has also left Patrice Evra, Michael Carrick, Nemanja Vidic and Park Ji-Sung in England to recover from their exertions in South Africa.

"I think all the players coming back from the World Cup who didn't do well, who didn't reach their expectations may I say, will feel that they've missed something," explained Ferguson, who was speaking at the official launch of United's new kit for the 2010-11 season.

"That's because the World Cup's only once every four years. That's the horrible part of that tournament.

606: DEBATE

Looks alright! Can't beat those Umbro 90s kits though. That 1996 kit with OT faded into the background and the big Cantona collar!

Chris

"We have several players who have come back very, very disappointed. We've Patrice Evra for instance, Wayne Rooney of course, and Nemanja Vidic."

Despite negative World Cup experiences for Rooney, Evra and Vidic, Ferguson has backed Mexico striker Javier Hernandez, a summer signing from Chivas de Guadalajara, to build on his impressive showing in South Africa.

"I think one player who will come back quite positive because he had a good World Cup was young Javier Hernandez. I think he did very well and he surprised a lot of people," said Ferguson.

"So whereas we've got some disappointments from players like Wayne, Nemanja and Patrice, I think we're going to have a positive effect from Javier."

United open their four-match North America tour in Toronto on Friday against Scottish Premier League side Celtic.

Ferguson's side begin their Premier League season on 16 August when newly-promoted Newcastle travel to Old Trafford.

Juliano Belletti to join Fluminense after Chelsea exit

2010-07-15T22:05:00.000-07:00

Juliano Belletti to join Fluminense after Chelsea exit

Belletti helped Chelsea to the Premier League and FA Cup double last season

Brazilian club Fluminense are set to confirm the signing of Juliano Belletti after agreeing terms with the former Barcelona and Chelsea defender.

Belletti, who was released by Chelsea in the summer, will pen a two-year deal subject to completing a medical.

The 34-year-old arrived at Stamford Bridge in 2007 and made almost 100 appearances over a three-year period.

Chelsea announced in June that they would not be renewing the contracts of Belletti, Joe Cole and Michael Ballack.

Belletti, capped 25 times by Brazil and a member of the 2002 World Cup winning squad, joined Chelsea from Barcelona a year after scoring the winning goal in the Catalan side's Champions League final victory over Arsenal.

His career began at Cruzeiro before moving on to Sao Paulo, Atletico Mineiro and Villarreal.

« Previous | Main Spain worthy winners on a tough night for Webb

2010-07-15T22:04:00.002-07:00

Tears poured from the face of Spain captain Iker Casillas at the sound of the final whistle - but there was no sadness from the goalkeeper, only joy. Andres Iniesta's goal four minutes before the end of extra-time had given the Spanish their first World Cup triumph - and there is no doubt that they deserved it.

They might have lost their opening game but they won the six that followed and conceded just twice in the entire tournament. They may have scored a mere eight goals - the lowest tally ever by a trophy-winning side - and won all their knock-out games 1-0 but this was no repeat of Greece in Euro 2004, no attempt by a limited team to pack their midfield, stifle their opponents and strike on the counter attack.

No, this Spain team moved the football and teased their opposition with intelligence, skill and technical brilliance. They did it until their opponents could no longer resist the passing and probing of a team that treated the ball as its friend, even the much-reviled Jabulani.

There was no finer example of that than Sunday's final encounter at Soccer City. The Netherlands left nothing on the field after a performance that saw them harass and harry their opponents but Spain enjoyed 60% of the possession and gradually ran their opponents into the ground.

It was not a major surprise that, apart from Sergio Ramos's early header, Vicente del Bosque's side created most of their openings in the latter stage of the contest.

The timing of Iniesta's winner was also consistent with Spain's manner of victory in the knock-out stages of this competition. They scored after 63 minutes against Portugal, 82 against Paraguay, 73 against Germany and 116 in the final. They passed their opponents into submission before delivering the decisive blow.

Just look at the statistics. Going into Sunday's match, Spain completed 3,387 passes, with Xavi alone executing 464 of them and Gerard Pique, a central defender, totalling 378. The Netherlands, in contrast, managed 2,434.

Spain deserved to win this World Cup, as Iniesta claimed after the game, but this was not a classic final, far from it. The first half was extremely disappointing.

There was a definite niggle between the two sets of players - and plenty of theatrics. Robben was particularly guilty, both in the way he protested against decisions and the manner in which he went to ground.

The Netherlands were obviously intent on stopping Spain, although Dutch coach Bert van Marwijk insisted his players stayed within the law. "It is not our style to commit horrible fouls, it is not our kind of football," he pleaded.

Nine bookings and a red card for defender John Heitinga tell a different story, although Marwijk laid some of the blame at the door of referee Howard Webb, the first Englishman to take charge of a World Cup final since Jack Taylor in 1974.

The 38-year-old Yorkshireman set a new record for a World Cup final by issuing a total of 14 yellow cards during the contest.

There is no doubt that he made a few mistakes. He should arguably have given Nigel de Jong a straight red in the opening half after the Manchester City midfielder floored Xabi Alonso with an absurdly high boot to his opponent's chest. Dutch enforcer Mark van Bommel could also have been sent from the field for repeated fouling, including a crude scythe on Iniesta that resulted in a booking.

But it was Webb's display in the final few minutes that really infuriated the Dutch, in particular his failure to award them a corner when a free-kick took a sizeable deflection off Fabregas. Webb gave a goal-kick instead - and within a minute, Spain scored.

At the final whistle, the official was surrounded by complaining Dutchmen, with Robben briefly suspending his crushing disappointment to run towards the official, thereby joining several team-mates in close proximity of the referee.

Yet Robben might be better served contemplating how he missed a gilt-edged chance to put his side in front in the second half. I thought he was his team's most threatening player but, after collecting a wonderful defence-splitting pass from Wesley Sneijder, he could find no way beyond the excellent Casillas.

It was a real head-in-hands moment for the ex-Chelsea player - and the camera cut back to him several times over the following minute, each time capturing an image of disbelief.

It came as no surprise when Webb was roundly booed by the Netherlands supporters as he collected his medal but the Dutch had a plan to stop a superior team - and that plan was always going to bring the referee into play.

But enough about Webb. Let's now focus on the match-winner: Iniesta.

I am a huge fan of the 26-year-old midfielder, who is not only a gifted footballer but also, it seems to me, a man of huge integrity.

After scoring the goal that gave Spain victory, he removed his top to reveal a T-shirt with a hand-written message on it. We have seen plenty of these down the years but this one struck me as being particularly memorable. It said: "Dani Jarque: siempre con nosotros". It means "Dani Jarque - always with us" and refers to the Espanyol player who died at the age of 26 on a pre-season tour last year.

Espanyol are city rivals of Barcelona but Iniesta was a team-mate of Jarque's with the Spanish Under-17, Under-19, Under-20 and Under-21 teams. The two men were great friends and Iniesta was greatly upset by Jarque's death.

Iniesta's gesture was without doubt my favourite moment of the final. It told me that Iniesta and his team have a style and class that transcends their footballing ability.

Without question, Spain are worthy champions.

South Africa have named Pitso Mosimane as the new head coach of the national side, Bafana Bafana.

2010-07-15T22:04:00.001-07:00

South Africa have named Pitso Mosimane as the new head coach of the national side, Bafana Bafana.

The former assistant to World Cup coach Carlos Alberto Parreira has been handed a four-year contract.

His first job is to qualify for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, then the same competition in Libya in 2013.

The term of the deal also spans the all-important qualifying campaign for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

"I feel extremely privileged to be promoted to head coach," the former SuperSport United boss said at a Johannesburg news conference confirming his appointment.

"It's my vision to take Bafana Bafana to a higher level at the 2014 World Cup.

"At some stage, I may make an error or two and if that's the case, I believe I'll have the grace to accept it, correct it and learn from it."

Mosimane has been set various targets by Safa, according to its chief executive, Leslie Sedibe.

"It's critical to qualify for the Nations Cup and Brazil 2014, and the coach understands the mandate and expectation from the people of South Africa," Sedibe said.

Mosimane has asked that Jairo Leal, another Parreira assistant, and fitness trainer Francisco Gonzalez be retained.

"I'd like to thank Parreira for all the mentoring and confidence he's shown in me," said Mosimane.

Mosimane rose to prominence when leading local side SuperSport United to two cup trophies and to two league runner-up places between 2001 and 2006.

He has been caretaker coach of South Africa once before, leading the side to three victories and three draws from seven games in 2006.

From 2007, he worked under Parreira who strongly advocated his nomination for the post once Bafana Bafana's World Cup dream had ended.

Bafana Bafana's next competitive match is in September when they host Niger for their inaugural 2012 Nations Cup qualifier.

Sierra Leone and the reigning African champions Egypt are the other teams in their group.

World Cup 2010: Where do England go from here?

2010-07-15T22:02:00.000-07:00

World Cup 2010: Where do England go from here?

After such a disappointing showing at the 2010 World Cup, England coach Fabio Capello has to decide which direction his side take next as they get ready to start their qualifying campaign for the 2012 European Championship.

Some coaches move on if they have had a poor time at a major tournament, but Capello probably does not want to be remembered for England's dismal showing in South Africa.

Instead, he will want to turn things around and ensure England reach Euro 2012, which is being co-hosted by Poland and Ukraine.

Qualifying from a group that includes Switzerland, Bulgaria, Wales and Montenegro should be a straightforward task for England, although they face some tricky ties along the way.

We saw in South Africa that the Swiss are hard to beat - they even defeated eventual winners Spain - while Wales will be very motivated when they play England.

I would never have called for Capello's sacking after what happened in South Africa.

England underperformed but he is clearly a top-class manager.

What he has got to do is restore confidence in both the team and in himself - and do it quickly.

He must assess everything, especially preparations for the World Cup because his players did not look sharp.

Capello also has to reassess his tactics because the 4-4-2 formation he employed looked antiquated compared to other teams.

Like Alan Shearer, Lee Dixon and every other member of the BBC's World Cup panel, I thought England should be lining up differently.

That's not just speaking with hindsight either, because we all said it before the tournament began, not just after the disappointing draws against the United States and Algeria.

Even after improving and beating Slovenia 1-0 to reach the last 16, we all felt we might have big problems as soon as we faced a decent side. It proved the case when England were crushed 4-1 by Germany.

The Germans used Mesut Ozil in a free role between midfield and attack, which is exactly where I would have played Steven Gerrard.

They also played with two holding midfielders, just like most of the top sides in this World Cup, including Spain and the Netherlands.

England will probably cotton on to it in time for the next tournament, by which time their rivals will have moved on to something else.

I think tactics are the main issue for Capello. He has already spoken about rebuilding England and using younger players in the future but I am not sure we have enough coming through.

I am sure Theo Walcott will get another chance after being left out of the World Cup squad, while Jack Wilshire and Adam Johnson will probably get their opportunities at some stage.

But there is no point just axing everyone who performed badly in South Africa and bringing in youth.

If he does that, the likelihood is that some of them will either not be good enough or not ready yet. As a result, they will struggle, end up losing confidence and never appear for the national team again.

Capello will understand the pitfalls that face him. The key is picking the best players available and finding a system that works for them. I am sure he can get it right.

It was interesting hearing Jurgen Klinsmann's explanation of how he and Joachim Loew improved the fortunes of German football when they took charge of the national team in 2004.

I would hope that Premier League clubs would try to help the national team in the way that the Bundesliga backed Klinsmann's ideas.

But I think it is difficult to look long-term like the Germans did when England have got a foreign manager in charge.

For Capello, it is all about the next game, the next result and doing the best that he can while he is in charge because he knows he is not going to spend a lifetime in the job.

But there is something to be learned from Germany's approach.

At the moment, there are three bodies running English football - the Football Association, the Premier League and the Football League.

What we really need is everyone working together for the benefit of the game in this country and the development of young players.

Getting that right is all down to proper coaching from an early age. The fact that academies are now controlling the footballing education of our most promising youngsters is a good thing, too.

Some of the clubs - not all of them - are teaching kids the right way to play in terms of technique, possession and positioning. They are giving them a greater understanding of the game, too.

We might have to wait before the work benefits the senior set-up but starting with the very young is the way England must do it.

Hopefully - in eight years rather than four - we can be realistic contenders at a World Cup. Hopefully one being held in England, too!

Gary Lineker was talking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan

Ramires talks up interest

2010-07-15T22:01:00.000-07:00

: Ramires talks up interest

Brazil international midfielder Ramires has welcomed reported interest in him from the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Chelsea.

The 23-year-old currently plays his football in Portugal with Benfica, but is happy to be attracting interest from a number of Europe's biggest clubs.

He told Record: "My agent has told me that a number of clubs are interested in signing me, but this didn't surprise me.

"We all know that the World Cup is the perfect stage to prove your worth. One good game could be enough to attract the interest of a big club.

"I don't know the names of the clubs that are after me, but it would be a dream for me to play for a big club such as Barcelona, Real Madrid or Chelsea."

The Antagonist - World Cup 2010 has been anything but predictableThe Antagonist - World Cup 2010 has been anything but predictable

2010-07-15T22:00:00.000-07:00

: The Antagonist - World Cup 2010 has been anything but predictable

As the Monty Python crew once commented, "Nobody expects the Spanish capitulation" (or was it "inquisition"?)

If there has been one constant in this World Cup, it has been the general belief that the Spanish would play through their turgid form at the start of the competition and show us their true colours when it really mattered.

They have stuttered and spluttered at times but maintained the belief in their passing and possession game, eventually breaking down a gutsy performance by Germany, ironically from a set piece, to reach their first ever World Cup Final and ensure a new name on the trophy.

In most of our minds, Brazil and Spain were stand out favourites with England a good outside bet. Indeed, the Guardian's experts' pre-tournament predictions on the 10th June strongly favoured the Spanish to reach the final, with seven of the 12 consulted ticking their box, whilst only one had the temerity to go for the Dutch as their opponents.

- Webb to referee final / Blatter rules out penalty goals

Only the spookily clairvoyant Sports Editor, Sean Ingle, was spot on with Spain and Holland as his chosen teams. Interestingly he followed this up by predicting that England would get knocked out in the second round, David Villa would get the golden boot and that the biggest controversy would be the lack of video replays. 100% success rate is now a likely outcome.

Go to the top of the class Sean! My point is that Sean Ingle is very much an enigma in the prediction stakes and, apart from the general consensus of opinion about Spain, the rest of us really hadn't got a clue about the patterns that this World Cup would weave.

As a rather cruel example, for which I am sure he won't thank me, the Guardian's chief football correspondent, Kevin McCarra, forecasted a Brazil/Argentina final, England to reach the semis, Denmark to be the dark horses, Wayne Rooney to win the Golden Boot and the game to most look forward to would be Brazil v Ivory Coast. Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong!

In defence of our Kev, no one could have anticipated the uninspiring performances of Torres, Messi, Ronaldo, Rooney and Kaka whilst Miroslav Klose, who had barely managed three goals all season for his club, ended up competing for the Golden Boot award with David Villa.

Who would have picked out Ghana to be the most successful of the African nations or earmarked both of the last World Cup finalists, France and Italy, to be two of the teams returning home after the group stage?

Who would have expected to see Uruguay, a country with a total population of less than half the size of London and with only two players approaching world class in their ranks, reach the semi-finals? And who would have believed that a team of spotty Teutonic adolescents, barely out of short trousers, could have been within touching distance of a World Cup Final?

At least Alan Hansen's prophetic statement, "you don't win anything with kids", just about holds water on this occasion.

Even when the tournament passed through the initial group stage, and the experts were waxing lyrical about the strength of the South American countries compared to the waning power of the European contingent, they were made to eat their words when, one by one, the Latinos were blasted out of sight by the Germans, the Dutch and the Spanish leaving only Uruguay left to vainly contest the semis.

Somehow other sports are less unpredictable. I mean, no one seriously expected Andy Murray to beat Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon did they? Did the Welsh rugby union XV really have a prayer against the All Blacks on their recent tour? Can England possibly retain the Ashes in Australia? I don't think so (fair point on the tennis and rugger Antagonist, but England can definitely do the Australians down under this time - ED)

It is the uncertainty and unpredictability of tournament football that makes it so engrossing, if, at times, for an England supporter, so frustrating.

So, I am leaving all predictions about Sunday's match to the renowned expert Paul the octopus who, once again, was correct in his prediction of a Spanish victory on Wednesday.

Let's hope it keeps him out of the pot for a few more days because I have the feeling that once it's all over he won't have a leg to stand on.

PS - What a relief to be spared the pedantic comments of Jim Beglin during the first semi-final when, fortunately for us, due to an ear infection, he failed to make it to the ground. It was a real pleasure to go back to the old days when you had one commentator and were trusted to make up your own mind about the action in front of you. If the BBC is trying to save money it should take note and follow suit!

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The Italian's future hangs in the balance...

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Argentina to offer Diego Maradona new four-year deal

Argentina to offer Diego Maradona new four-year deal

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Juliano Belletti to join Fluminense after Chelsea exit

Juliano Belletti to join Fluminense after Chelsea exit

« Previous | Main Spain worthy winners on a tough night for Webb

South Africa have named Pitso Mosimane as the new head coach of the national side, Bafana Bafana.

World Cup 2010: Where do England go from here?

World Cup 2010: Where do England go from here?

Ramires talks up interest

The Antagonist - World Cup 2010 has been anything but predictableThe Antagonist - World Cup 2010 has been anything but predictable