Looking forward to next season’s title race, my Arsenal-fan cousin swears that his team are in with a shout. I take his claims like I do my chips, with a pinch of salt. “They need a big man in the middle. They mess about with it too much. Almunia’s hair is rubbish,” are my usual responses. He starts to explain his reasoning and although I’m not really listening, one name does break my glazed look. Andrei Arshavin.

Hearing his name brings back stark memories of that breathtaking 4-4 Premier League game in April when Arsenal turned up at Anfield with a one man band. The 27-year-old put on the finest solo performance I’ve witnessed since I saw some little Russian fella run the Dutch ragged at Euro 2008.

Liverpool’s 4-4 draw with Arshavin that night had everything a contest between two of the so-called-top-four should; quality, drama, excitement, late goals and world class players on show. What it didn’t have, was a single England international in either starting line-up.

That may not be, and probably isn’t, a big surprise. In the Premier League these days, foreign players outnumber English players quite significantly. But is this a big a deal?

Sepp Blatter, President of FIFA believes a change is crucial in order to restore national identities of football leagues, make European competition more competitive and also help national teams by promoting the playing chances of native youngsters. Sepp’s plan is to limit the amount of foreign players a team are allowed to field. Many people agree with his principal intentions. Many people don’t.

Blatter would like to implement ‘the 6+5 rule,’ meaning a team could only field five ‘foreigners’ in their starting line-up. UEFA currently impose a foreign-quota rule, whereby 8 players from a squad of 25 must be ‘home-grown.’

The terms ‘home-grown’ and ‘foreigner’ are grey areas. Throw in nationalised players, places of birth, passports, grand parents and fairy god-mothers and you have a whole new set of arguments. Interestingly, last season, Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Spain’s Cesc Fabregas were classed as home-grown players whilst playing for Manchester United and Arsenal, respectively. This is because they were trained at their English clubs for at least 3 years between the ages of 16 and 21. Home-grown they might be, but eligible to play for England they are not, unless they apply for nationalisation – another issue close to Sepp’s heart.

Blatter again stamped his feet, this time about the number of players taking on foreign citizenship and then appearing for their new countries in international games. He highlighted Brazil as chief culprits, even claiming that half the players at the 2014 World Cup could be Brazilian born. Therefore, another FIFA proposal aims to make nationalisation much more difficult.

The powers that be may have football’s interests at heart but their propositions are far from cut and dry. Stirringly, although unlikely, it is entirely feasible that a team like Arsenal, with their policy of buying young players from all around the world, could easily fulfil the home-grown rule without actually fielding a single Englishman. It is also possible that these players could ignore or be ignored by their motherlands, choose to become nationalised and represent the England team – next stop, square one.

For some football fans, biennial international tournaments might be their most realistic chance of supporting a team to honours and so any notion that may improve their national side’s chances would be welcomed.

Michel Platini, Johan Cruyff and England vice-captain, Steven Gerrard are all high profile advocates of introducing a cap on foreign players, believing that the England team will benefit the most.

Of all Europe’s top footballing nations it may be no coincidence that current World Cup holders, Italy, have the lowest percentage of foreigners playing in their top tier. (World Cup runners-up, France, are second, followed closely by European champions, Spain.) The Premier League has the highest.

So how did England fare internationally when there weren’t as many ‘foreigners’?

But regarding England’s ineptness at major tournaments, can we really lay blame at the feet of Vidic, Essien, Van Persie et al? For 53 years, England have been serial underachievers. Since 1966, there have been 10 European Championships and 10 World Cups. England failed to qualify for 6 of those tournaments, and of the rest, can only point to two semi-final appearances as highlights.

Interestingly, before 2008, the last time England failed to qualify for a major tournament was for the World Cup in USA in 1994. Qualifying for that tournament began in 1992, a year when just over 20% of Premier League players were non-English, compared to the 63% foreigners that appeared in the opening day line-ups for 2007/08.

The point is that we botched qualification to USA’94 when foreign players were a rarity rather than a majority.

Considering England’s current form (under a foreign manager, no less) can it not be argued that it may even be the continental skills and tactical nous of the foreign contingent that are having a positive effect on our National side? A 100% record in the qualifying campaign thus far and 7th in the FIFA world rankings, one place behind Argentina and 3 ahead of recent World and European Champions, France. At this moment in time, the current England side is strong and it is competing.

Perhaps it’s not actually top-class players such as Essien and Van Persie that the typical England fan has a problem with; but rather the ‘average’ foreign player blocking the progressive path of our youngsters. But right now, a club manager could pay over the odds for a young Englishmen here or he can get a better or equal player overseas for less money. Transfer dealings are part and parcel of good management and any rule aiming to cap the amount of foreign players in a team will only serve to add to an English player’s already inflated value.

If foreign players are good enough to be bought, then they are good enough to play. If we were to argue that only the best foreigners should play and the rest should either step up or ship out, then surely it would be fair to aim that same argument at the young Englishmen failing to dislodge them from the team.

The reason the 2014 World Cup may display over 50% of Brazilians is because there are plenty of them good enough to play. For kids, growing up in the drug-run shanty towns of a country afflicted so heavily by poverty, football provides a passion in a life containing little else; a far cry from the majority of Britain’s youth, where many rotund teenage boys spend their weekends playing football on the Xbox instead of on the field.

To improve the level of domestic talent in England, the FA must continue to place emphasis on grassroots football. If applied successfully, being coached from a young age will prepare a player, both technically and mentally, for the competitive nature of a professional club. Indeed, if lucky enough to make the grade, these young Pro’s should be embracing the competition for places, be it from a foreign player, an established England international or one of their peers.

The path to the first team could be made a little easier by taking away some of the obstacles (in this case, foreign players) but will this really help the player in the long run? Would this not be akin to lowering grade requirements for wannabe students so that it’s easier to get into a university? It’s a false economy.

Reducing the number of foreigners in the Premier League will ultimately lower the standard of the football being played, so how can that possibly help the international players who play in it every week? Arsene Wenger, a critic of the foreign quota proposal, argues that, ‘If you put the level of the class down, it does not necessarily make the bad students better. It makes them worse.”

If the future of English youngsters becomes dependent on our club’s sacrifice of top players, and maybe risk the future success of our chosen colours, would the fans accept it? Should we dilute the weekly showpieces of high octane, top class football every week in order to see if our national team could surpass the efforts of the previous 53 years?

The pool of talent that Fabio Cappello has to choose from is not Olympic-sized, but it’s certainly no puddle. The players at his disposal are of proven quality because they’ve pushed their way through the system of their respective clubs and are competing amongst the rigour of the bustling, pacey, unforgiving, multicultural Premier League.

Competition drives the desire to improve and trying to succeed beyond what you’ve mastered is the key to development.

The ugliest problem of the modern game is that of money. For the time being this doesn’t look like changing, therefore big clubs will always have first pick of the best young footballers; either through their own elite academies or by throwing the highest amount of money into their pockets. Perhaps a cap on salary, prize funds and TV revenue would be a more effective solution to the problems outlined by Mr. Blatter.

Until the day a new system is put in place, small clubs will continue to rely on clever management, fine scouting, tactical nous, decision making, hard graft, extra training, quick thinking and individual brilliance in order to bridge the gap between themselves and bigger clubs. The game of football as it should be.

For the average English football fan, there’s really nothing much to complain about. England are playing well with high hopes for South Africa 2010 and the future certainly looks bright after the Under-21s showing in the European Championships this year. The Premier League and Champions League are as entertaining as they’ve ever been, providing moments of brilliance on a consistent basis.

If foreign quotas were imposed, then the big boys of English football might become less untouchable, adding a more competitive edge to the league. European competition might become more open and entertaining, displaying much stronger national identities. England might produce better players for the national team and they might eventually win something again. And everyone might live happily ever after.

There are simply no guarantees. So, if I was pushed to give my opinion, possibly stemmed from my fondness for familiarity or maybe just my indolence, I’d be happy to leave things as they are; because as the old adage almost goes, ‘If it’s working alright, don’t meddle’.

Chances are that if you’re in the pub with your friends and the inevitable topic of football is discussed, and perhaps less inevitably Spanish football is mentioned (unless it’s a dig at Real Madrid), then Athletic Club Bilbao will not be high on the list of subjects.

But perhaps it should be. Amongst the arguments of ‘who’s better Messi or Ronaldo’, ‘who will David Villa join’, and, ‘oh by the way who’s round is it’, Athletic Club barely get a look in. However in today’s ever declining lack of footballing morals, ethics and loyalty, Athletic Bilbao at least deserve a drunken supportive rant.

Formed by British migrant workers in 1898, Bilbao has become somewhat of a romanticised club. They are team whom are idealised in a modern world where cheap footballing imports and the EU have almost brought the great youth systems of Europe it their knees.

Gone are the days of the Lisbon Lions who won the 1967 European Cup with players who were all born within 30 miles of Glasgow. Look at every Premier League team in England, only an average of 3 English players per team start every weekend. And yet, in a small part of Northern Spain a team has consistently defied the globalization of football and strove to preserve its values and fundamental beliefs in an age where football is slowly falling into an abyss filled with greed, monetization and self-interest.

The sun quietly descends behind the Stadio San Mamés, or ‘The Cathedral’ if you’re a Los Leones, as it is still sometime before the hustle and bustle of the new La Liga season comes to these shores. When you think of all the great names that have graced this pitch: the prolific Telmo Zarra, José Ángel Iribar and Joseba Etxeberria to name just a few you begin to see the curiosity and interés that surrounds this club. They are all Basque. They all hail from the Basque region of Northern Spain. And what makes the club more intriguing is that since 1912, almost 100 years ago, the Athletic Bilbao team has only consisted on Basque players. Remarkable. Do you think you would ever see Arsene Wenger or Alex Ferguson only playing footballers born in London or Manchester?

This policy of Cantera (literally ‘quarry’)  is one that the club, the supporters and the Basque people are immensely proud of. By implementing this policy the club is ensuring the survival and promotion of the Basque game, they choose to nature their own talent rather than buy an import. It is also more than this. It is a stand against centralization. A voice that yells “we are Basque!”. During the 28 year reign of General Franco the Basque people suffered terrible oppression; their unique language, culture, customs, style were all banned, persecuted and oppressed because they didn’t fit in with the ideal of a one-nation Spain. It was conform or suffer the consequences. Support for Bilbao was a vote against Franco. Much in the same way that Barcelona is self-described as ‘more than a club’, Athletic Bilbao are similar, but they take it a step further.

And yet, not everyone looks upon Athletic Bilbao as the ideal football club.. Admittedly these critics mainly come from outside the region but perhaps they do have a point when they say that Cantera is restrictive to Bilbao’s progress. While it has cemented its position in footballing history as a club that is genuinely local (if you overlook the fact that it was created by foreigners), it has also been somewhat left behind when it comes to success.

They haven’t won a domestic trophy since 1984 and since we have entered the 21st century their highest finish has been 5th. Not bad you might say considering they are up against the likes of Real, Barcelona and Valencia who can open their cheque books and sign anyone from any part of the world, but when you consider their success historically in that they have won 8 La Liga titles and sit 3rd behind Real Madrid and Barcelona in terms of league titles won; the policy of Cantera looks outdated and obsolete. A throwback to a distant age when football was idyllic and naïve.

And yet this isn’t the view of the club nor the fans. Their president, Fernando Garcia Macua, announced that “we’d rather go down than change our habits, I know the supporters feel the same.” They have only a 3 million strong population in which to find their next Telmo Zarra.

If the Arsenal Board decided that the club could only buy players that are part of, or have descended from, the 7.5m people that live in London there would be a revolt. But yet we look upon Bilbao as well, somehow right and honorable. Of course clubs should have a ‘local’ presence, of course they should protect and nurture their own; it’s a sorry state of affairs that most clubs have neither the will nor the courage to do so.

So next time you’ve have one too many Carlsbergs in the local and have moved on to why Messi is a hundred times better than Ronaldo, spare a thought for Bilbao. Because unless the Basque country has a sudden baby boom of superstars, Cantera might not be around for another 100 years.

Just when Arsenal fans may have been getting excited about a potential big-money signing, it appears that a not-so-nice Old Lady has yanked the rug out from under them. However, some recent developments could yet see some light at the end of the tunnel, but that’s where cautious optimism comes in.

Today’s transfer news does include some equally disappointing news for some who’d been hoping to see their favorite club sign a certain player, but the news isn’t all bad all around, depending on where your allegiances lie.

Check out today’s tidbits below, and check out the latest confirmed signings in our summer transfer lists.

England

United Sign Obertan

Manchester United have completed a £3m deal for Bordeaux winger Gabriel Obertan. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: We won’t be able to see Obertan in a United shirt just yet, as he’s currently dealing with an injury, but many a United fan will be looking forward to seeing just what kind of talent Sir Alex Ferguson has gotten his hands on when he does take the pitch.

City Plot New Terry Bid, Rossi Bid Rejected

Manchester City are set to make a new bid for Chelsea defender John Terry. (The Mirror)

Analysis: Well, at least they’re persistent.

Villarreal have rejected Manchester City’s bid for forward Giuseppe Rossi, as it was well below his £35m release clause. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: If he does settle down in Manchester again anytime soon, it’d likely be by way of returning to Manchester United, who have first option on him.

Wolves And Burnley Battle For McCarthy

Wolves and Burnley are battling it out for Hamilton Academical starlet James McCarthy. Wolves are set to make a £2m bid (£1m guaranteed + £1m in bonuses) for the highly-rated midfielder, while Burnley are set to table an £800k bid. (The Mirror)

Analysis: Wolves’ offer might be the better one financially, but it’d be quite the feather in Owen Coyle’s cap to be able to nab multiple targets that have been heavily linked with Celtic, whose managerial vacancy he turned down.

QPR Land Faurlin

Queens Park Rangers have signed Argentine midfielder Alejandro Faurlin from Instituto for £3.5m. The 22-year-old has inked a three-year deal with QPR. (The Mirror)

Analysis: With the financial backing that QPR have, it’s not unreasonable to expect them to be in the Premier League in the next few years, and anything less than the playoffs this coming season could mean bad news for manager Jim Magilton.

Spain

Barca Open To Toure Sale

Barcelona are open to selling Yaya Toure to Manchester United for £20m, but they’ll only do so if they’re able to seal a deal for Liverpool’s Javier Mascherano. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: It’d be ideal for Liverpool to hold onto both Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano, but it might be a lot to expect both to be at Anfield next season if substantial offers come in for either or both. So whether or not Real continue to push for Alonso could affect whether Mascherano goes, and in turn, whether United are able to hammer out a deal for Toure.

Italy

Melo Off To Juve…Or Is He?

Arsenal target Felipe Melo appears to be on the verge of moving from Fiorentina to Juventus in a €20m + Marco Marchionni deal, but the deal is reportedly stalling due to complications with the completion of the Marchionni part of the deal. (Goal.com)

Analysis: Big blow for Arsenal if they do indeed lose him to Juve, considering that Fiorentina seemed all too willing to negotiate a deal with Arsenal, but this latest development may well give them time to make a late charge at him.

Jonas Set For Roma Move?

Newcastle winger Jonas Gutierrez could be set for a move to Roma, with Roma said to favor an initial loan deal for the Argentina international. (The Mirror)

Analysis: Wouldn’t be a surprise to see him go to Roma and do very well after not making an impact at Newcastle last season, which could serve as another kick in the teeth for Newcastle fans.

Germany

Berg Favors Hamburg Switch

Highly-rated FC Groningen striker Marcus Berg favors a switch to Hamburg SV, according to Groningen director Hans Nijland. Aston Villa, Everton, and Tottenham have all been linked with the Swede, but Groningen have held talks with Hamburg in Germany, with another meeting potentially set to come. (Sky Sports)

Analysis: HSV just recently one top young Eredivisie-based talent in FC Twente’s Eljero Elia, and if they can close a deal for another in Berg, that’ll put them in position to be a serious contender this season and beyond after being in the thick of the title race for much of last season.

Southampon FC has been sold to DMWSL613 Limited (owned by Swiss national Markus Liebherr) for an undisclosed sum (reportedly £12.5m). Markus Liebherr also owns and controls the Swiss-based Mali Group, which consists of five companies engaged in technologically advanced engineering.

Joint Administrator Mark Fry commented:

“The sale of the Saints to Markus Liebherr is a fantastic opportunity to rebuild the Club.

Markus Liebherr was attracted to Southampton by a number of qualities which include the Club’s rich sporting heritage, loyal fan base, first class stadium and training facilities and the potential for the Saints to regain their rightful place at the higher echelons of English football.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all Saints’ fans for their support and patience in what have been uncertain times for the Club. I would also like to wish both Markus and the Club well for future success.”

Things could have been so different for Southampton

Matt Le Tissier was supposed to come back and save Southampton from going out of existence. The former England player and Southampton legend played 540 games for the south coast side, scoring 209 goals over 14 years. But now, after a deal was agreed in principle, it seems like this role has been passed onto someone else.

The group Pinnacle, led by Le Tissier, entered a period of exclusivity on 29th May but saw that pass as they argued over the 10 point deduction put on place of Southampton next season for going into administration. This exclusivity passed on 19th June and the Pinnacle group withdrew its offer on 30th June, leaving Southampton in a state of panic and the new season approaching even closer.

Just over three months ago Southampton entered administration with debts amounting to £30 Million, and after Pinnacle pulled out there was worries that Southampton would not be able to continue as a football club. The club have already sold players in Andrew Surman for £1.2 Million, Nathan Dyer for £400,000 and David McGoldrick for £1 Million in order to ease the debts for a while and pay the wages of staff and players.

With the new owners coming in Wotte can expect to be given sufficient funds to bring in new players to mount a push for promotion back to the Championship next season.

One thing seem certain - Southampton’s troubles seem to be over and they can look forward to the new season with renewed hope and expectation as they see their troubles from the last couple of seasons lifted.

If you have a thing against strikers (whether you’re a former/current defender or you love 0-0 draws), then you may want to skip today’s roundup, since it’s an especially striker-centric one.

Manchester United have just signed one striker, but they may well not be done bringing new goal-getters to Old Trafford. Meanwhile, there’s no new news on strikers coming into Manchester City, but at least one is on his way out.

What else is going in the world of transfer news and rumors? Check out today’s tidbits here, and make sure you get caught up on all of the latest signings with our summer transfer lists.

England

Obertan Close To United Switch, Huntelaar Next?

Bordeaux winger Gabriel Obertan has undergone a medical at Manchester United ahead of his £3m switch to the club. (Sky Sports)

Analysis: It’ll be interesting to see what United decide to do with him once they sign him, whether they loan him out to Bordeaux or another Ligue 1 side, if they send him to a Premier League or Championship side to prepare him for English football, or if they let him hone his skills with the reserves and see if he’s worthy of a few opportunities come Carling Cup and FA Cup time.

United could also be set to make a €23m bid for Real Madrid striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar. (Goal.com)

Analysis: If United do land him, the person that might benefit the most is Dimitar Berbatov, because it could light a fire under him to have a great season with a couple of new strikers in the mix.

Everton Return For Jo

Manchester City striker Jo is set for another loan spell at Everton next season, after spending the second half of last season at Goodison Park. (Sky Sports)

Analysis: It was highly unlikely that he was going to be able to make any real impact at Manchester City next season, so it’s a good move for Jo to go back to Everton. He did well there in his loan spell last season, and with a year of Premier League football under his belt, the best could be yet to come from him.

Wigan Bid For Scotland

Wigan have tabled an offer for Swansea City striker Jason Scotland. (Sky Sports)

Analysis: A large part of Wigan’s struggles in the second half of the season can be attributed to the goals drying up, and if they’re to keep a reasonable distance between themselves and the bottom three, it’s imperative to add some firepower this summer.

Spain

Sevilla Close On Zokora, Target Liedson

Sevilla are closing in on a deal for Tottenham midfielder Didier Zokora. Zokora has reportedly agreed a four-year contract, and the two clubs are set to agree on a £7.75m fee. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: Looked for a bit like the move might not happen, but this is as great a move as it gets for Zokora. Besides being able to get regular football again, he gets to play in the Champions League.

Sevilla are interested in Sporting Lisbon striker Liedson. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: Liedson may be on the other side of 30, but he’s got the pedigree to be able to form the same prolific partnership with Fredi Kanoute that the likely departing Fabiano has. He’s scored at least 15 league goals in five of his six seasons at Sporting, and he’s also been a solid scorer in Europe, with 19 goals in 35 European matches.

Italy

AC Milan Sign Onyewu

AC Milan have signed American defender Oguchi Onyewu on a free transfer. (Sky Sports)

Analysis: I’d have to say that I’m a bit surprised by this one, but there is the opportunity for Onyewu to establish himself at the club and get regular first-team opportunities. If he can do that and acquit himself well in Serie A, that will provide him with invaluable experience ahead of the World Cup.

France

Lyon Agree Lopez Fee

FC Porto have accepted Lyon’s €24m bid for striker Lisandro Lopez. (Sky Sports)

Analysis: Usually Lyon are big sellers and not big spenders, but if Lopez’s track record is any indication, is going to prove himself well worth the investment.

Bordeaux Move For Senderos

Bordeaux are ready to make a £5.2m move for Arsenal defender Philippe Senderos. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: This would be a good move for both sides. Bordeaux would get a defender who’s still young but has a wealth of experience at the highest levels, and Senderos would get Champions League football and a chance at regular football with World Cup qualifying and the World Cup in mind.

Turkey

Besiktas Go For Quaresma

Besiktas are set to table a £9m offer for Inter Milan winger Ricardo Quaresma. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: Besiktas would offer Champions League football and the chance to earn himself a move back to one of Europe’s elite leagues, but a return to Portugal could well be in the cards. He could certainly do a lot worse, like rotting on the bench at Inter.

Russia

Zenit Bid For Pandev

Zenit St. Petersburg have made a £12m bid for Lazio striker Goran Pandev. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: They’d certainly be able to give him a nice-sized deal, but it may be hard to lure him if he’s looking to play in the Premier League or for one of Serie A’s top sides and get Champions League football.

Daily Links

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Flashback to the summer of 2000 and in the wake of Florentino Perez’s first dramatic ascension to Real Madrid’s presidency, Barcelona was prized away from the heart and soul of their post-Cruyff side, Luis Figo. And while Figo’s transfer to los merengues was received like a dagger in the heart by Barça fans around the world, the club was left with a hefty sum of money from the transfer.

But what are riches when you are left with only your wounds to lick? That sentiment was shared amongst Barça fans yet compounding the agony for Barça would be the seismic gulf in leadership as Perez’s presidency coincided with a new president over in Catalunya, Joan Gaspart. That gulf in leadership capabilities was exposed as the two presidents presided over their respective clubs in the months that followed.

With newly found injection of cash into its coffers and still with a squad comprised of talented footballers, such as then world player of the year Rivaldo, Barcelona could have dictated its own future by wisely spending the money in buying players that would strengthen a squad that came short in both the domestic league and Champions’ League.

Instead, Gaspart reacted in a knee-jerk way by spending all the funds from a world record transfer on players who were living more on their reputations of seasons past than on what they could actually bring to the table. While Marc Overmars and Emmanuel Petit were certainly instrumental in Arsenal’s 1997-98 league-cup double season, their abilities had surely waned by the beginning of the 1999-2000 season. Yet along with Valencia’s Gerard Lopez, all the money obtained from the Figo transfer was used to acquire these three players.

Arguably it might have been impossible to find someone as talented as Luis Figo to fill the gap that was left, but Gaspart’s act of desperation could be equated to selling a BMW to purchase three used, albeit fully optioned, Fiats. In Gaspart’s mind he was not going to be outdone and every action by Real Madrid was to be met by an equal and opposite reaction. Yet there was nothing “equal” about these transfers and Barcelona embarked on three seasons of mediocrity capped off by nearly failing to qualify for Europe in Gaspart’s final season at the helm.

Now some nine years later Florentino Perez has returned and has made no hesitation to restore the “galacticos” era to a club that has looked like a stranger to success this past season. The sums of money being secured to bring Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema to the Stantiago Bernabéu are not merely astronomical but may indeed surpass the GDP of certain less fortunate sovereign states, let alone a football club. Yet the point of this article isn’t to discuss the morality of the sums of money being flouted by football clubs. Rather, in light of the spending and acquisition of quality world class footballers, what is the appropriate response by FC Barcelona?

Unlike the summer of 2000, where Barcelona had been touted to win the treble before it all came to a stuttering halt, the summer of 2009 is a time of reflection on the unprecedented success that was brought to Barcelona this past season. And during this period of reflection and contemplation, the presidency and management at the Camp Nou ought to carefully study how to avoid the failures that the Gaspart presidency navigated through in perhaps the darkest years of the club’s history (a period that helped catapult the current president, Joan Laporta, into power). The best way to study failure in hopes of preventing a repeat is to analyze how the failure began. All fingers point to that fateful summer in 2000 when Barça appeared to act in the transfer market more from its newly gained inferiority complex than from sound football based decisions.

Now the temptation over in Camp Nou is to match Real Madrid’s spending capability and bring in some heavyweights to appease anxious supporters and show the world that whatever Real Madrid can do, Barça can do it better. Some see the hunt for David Villa of Valencia to fall into this category. Yet this is the one route that Barcelona should avoid because titles and honors are never won in this fictitious football season we create for ourselves: the transfer season. Furthermore Barça’s successful football philosophy can potentially be hijacked to making a few headlines on the numerous dot com sites (this included) and news dailies around the world by following its rival’s lead.

It is to Barcelona’s good fortune that the men occupying positions of leadership are more level headed and less emotionally prone than Gaspart, who later admitted that his judgment was often overcome by his emotions as a fan of the club. He surely didn’t need to admit something that was so evident after Barça’s 1992 European Cup victory at Wembley when, acting more like a member of the ultra group Boixos Nois, Gaspart flung himself into the Thames River to celebrate.

Unlike Gaspart, Laporta has overseen the club not only secure three trophies this past season whilst showing the world the beauty of attacking, one-touch and flowing football, but did so after overseeing the club win the Champions’ League in 2006. Thus, Laporta is not one to rest on his laurels nor is he one to succumb to the toll that internal politics can inflict on its leaders. But more importantly, as an original member of the Elefant Blau group that attempted to wrest control of the presidency away from the more authoritarian Luis Nuñez in the late 1990s, Laporta has dedicated his presidency to balance the global recognition that Barcelona has gained over the years with preserving its unique identity as a symbol of Catalunya.

And when that ideal is translated into the realm of football, Laporta, football director Txiki Begiristain, manager Josep Guardiola and the fans will appreciate the fact that a little over a month ago seven homegrown players from Barcelona’s cantera (Gerard Pique, Carles Puyol, Xavi Hernandez, Sergi Busquets, Andres Iniesta, Lionel Messi, and Victor Valdes) placed their hands on the Champions’ League trophy in Rome. Success, when it has come to Barça, has always been a blend of homegrown and foreign talent. It is this principle that should guide Barcelona in this transfer market despite all the fireworks going off in Madrid.

No doubt that with each presentation of another record breaking transfer at the Bernabeu the feeling in the Camp Nou is one of awe and perhaps a little envy. And with speculation over Frank Ribéry’s transfer to Real Madrid, the summer may still have a ways to go. Yet Barça must plot within its own parameters on how to retain the success by carefully picking players it needs and not those that merely mirror the abilities of Kaka, Ronaldo and Benzema.

With Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez both marshalling the midfield, Barça might want to address their goalkeeping woes along with signing more adequate defenders should they find themselves in a situation similar to the days leading up to the final played in Rome. With talks of Samuel Eto’o leaving or staying, signing another world class striker such as David Villa is appropriate, not for name value but for ensuring depth in squad talent. There might be a collective consensus amongst Barcelona fans that repeating the treble is asking for too much. Yet the club ought to use that gold standard in guiding its policy in the transfer market and on the pitch in the upcoming season.

The needs of Barcelona should be foremost and unlike Gaspart’s fiasco, this Barcelona is capable of making sound football judgments.

What is it with teams from Leeds overstretching themselves in pursuit of glory? First there was Leeds United, the club that was one of the biggest teams in England in the 70s and Champions League semi-finalists as recently as 2001. Their fall was as swift as it was painful and the team narrowly avoided going completely out of business before getting stuck in League One. Now Farsley Celtic seem destined to mimic their larger neighbours and possibly go one step further with their very future hanging in the balance.

In Celtic’s case, there may not be goldfish in the boardroom or ill-advised wages and transfer fees for the likes of Seth Johnson, but there’s still a sizeable debt to pay off. Farsley, you see, have been slightly naughty when it comes to paying the taxman and owe Her Majesty’s Customs Revenue around £200,000.

But if the Villagers thought they’d survived a winding up order by going into administration then the Conference had other ideas. Non League’s top flight governing body has taken an increasingly dim view of clubs who overspend and have expelled Farsley from the Conference North. There’s just one problem - with the fixture lists already decided, there’s no space for the team further down the footballing pyramid.

Farsley Celtic… who are they?

Farsley Celtic probably isn’t an immediately recognisable name in the world of football. It’s not necessarily an immediately recognisable name closer to home and last year the club announced they were looking to change their name to either FC Leeds, Leeds Celtic or Farsley Celtic Leeds to boost their profile - the team currently reside six miles from Elland Road and four from Bradford’s Valley Parade.

Nonetheless, even if the village of Farsley (now swallowed up into Leeds) isn’t on too many footballing hotspot maps the club has a long and distinguished history, and Celtic recently celebrated their 101st birthday. For most of that centenary, Farsley played in the Yorkshire League and the North East Counties League until non-league went through one of its periodical reorganisations and the club found themselves in the Northern League first division in 1987.

What happened next is a classic case of a small team overreaching itself too soon. The team were stalwarts of their division until their promotion to the Unibond Premier in 2004. Two years later they were in the Conference North and the season after that the Villagers found themselves in the Conference after beating Hinkley in the playoff finals.

For a small team with a small budget, compared to many of their rivals, Celtic made a decent fist of their only season in non-league’s top flight, battling against relegation to the bitter end, but it wasn’t to be and they were relegated after one season. And that’s when matters started to unravel.

The Villagers get isolated

Like any ambitious team, Farsley had gambled and spent heavily for a team of their size as they looked to compete at the top of the non-league pyramid. And, as is often the case with smaller teams who have a meteoric rise upwards, at some point the payments or, in Farsley’s case, non-payments catch up with reality.

As Celtic struggled to readjust to the Conference North, finishing 19th last season, the club’s debts started to pile up, specifically the £200,000 owed to the taxman. This isn’t a sum that would have been accrued in one season and suggests Farsley gambled their success on the field would bring them enough cash to pay off HMRC. It didn’t, and the taxman applied for a winding up order.

At the last minute, another creditor, the brewer Coors, put in for the club to go into administration and it appeared that Farsley has been saved for the time being. That was until the Conference dropped their bombshell that Celtic were to be kicked out of the Conference North.

Here’s where it gets a bit complicated. The Conference has decided to enforce one part of their rulebook that says they won’t allow insolvent clubs to compete in the league, although this contradicts another part of the rulebook that says any insolvency in the close season means the club starts on a ten-point penalty.

Perennial crisis club Northwich Victoria fell foul of this a few weeks ago when they collapsed into administration. The Conference announced their intention to demote the club from the Conference North but the Vics appealed and the FA overruled the Conference, meaning Northwich now start the season on minus ten.

Farsley had every reason to expect they would get the same treatment following Northwich’s case but the Conference kept to their hard line and ruled the Farsley would be booted out of the Blue Square North, so the ruling was somewhat of a shock.

Anybody want a Farsley?

What makes this even more complicated is the state of the leagues and the fixture list. Had Celtic gone into administration at the same time as Northwich, and been thrown out of the Conference North, they would have found a home. However, now the respective league AGMs have passed and the fixture lists have been released, Farsley don’t have a league to go into.

Common sense would say drop Celtic a division to the Unibond Premier, which is a club light after Newcastle Blue Star folded a few weeks ago, even if it would mean the fixtures would need to be hurriedly rewritten. But the rules say any club demoted to due insolvency has to drop two divisions, in this case into the Northern League First Division, which is already full and can’t accept the Villagers at this stage.

The ruling also hurts other Conference North clubs, especially Harrogate Town who play Farsley on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day - that’s two big gates gone, which will cause a squeeze for the club.

What we have, then, is somewhat of an impasse and a club in limbo. Celtic are likely to appeal to the FA, arguing that Northwich has set a precedent and they should start the season on minus ten. The Conference are sticking to their guns but if Farsley’s appeal fails then the club will have nowhere to play and the ruling is likely to drive them out of business. While the rules have to be followed, destroying a club seems counter productive to this.

At least Farsley’s fans haven’t been quiet during this crisis. The club launched a ‘101: Still Going Strong’ appeal to raise much needed cash for the club and within 48 hours £2,500 has been raised. The club had hoped to raise £3,000 over the course of a few weeks, and it’s actions like this that remind you that, at the bottom of this, there’s a group of fans who want to keep their club alive. Regardless of the rights and wrongs of how the club reached the precipice it’s still rather heart-warming.

Another fine mess

The worrying thing is Farsley’s current problems may not be a one-off in football. Another Conference club, rumoured to be Salisbury, are close to administration and, following the letter of the law, should be moved to the already full Southern League if this happens, while Northwich, Stafford and Hyde (all Conference North teams) are still struggling. Just keeping your head above water could be enough to do well in this league.

And then there’s Southampton. There’s still no guarantee the Saints will be able to start the season, which would mean football would have it’s highest profile collapse close to the start of the new season, leaving League One with 23 teams.

The states of these three teams are all different - as are they ways they’ve got themselves into their respective pickles. In Farsley’s case, leaving their tax bill unpaid is just about one of the most basic errors you can commit in football - and one that many clubs still commit. It’s difficult to find too much sympathy with a club who put that bill to one side chasing short-term success.

But at the same time, forcing Farsley to the brink when there’s other solutions out there doesn’t help either. It wouldn’t be a huge surprise if the club join Northwich in starting the season on minus ten after some last minute wrangling, but it’s going to be a nervous few weeks for Farsley fans. Maybe Leeds United supporters may fancy throwing a tenner - or a goldfish - in the collection pot in solidarity.

In the midst of looking up all of the latest transfer news and rumors on footballers big and small, I often come across a talented unknown or little-known being linked with a certain club.

Are they going to be the next [insert legend past or present here]? Some do, some don’t, it’s just the hit or miss nature of the game. There are a few young talents in this morning’s roundup that could go on to big things with big clubs, and all the same, they could be a colossal flop.

Remember, Youtube videos can be deceiving, but that doesn’t make them any less fun to watch - especially when they involve amazing goals like this one).

England

Chelsea Sign Zhirkov

Chelsea have signed CSKA Moscow star Yuri Zhirkov for £18m. (ESPN Soccernet)

Analysis: Will he be more Arshavin or more Pavlyuchenko? With that price tag, he won’t be sitting on the bench, so we’ll find out either way before too long.

United To Sign Obertan

Manchester United are set to complete a deal for highly-rated young Bordeaux winger Gabriel Obertan. The 20-year-old, who has eight caps for France’s U-21 squad, has also garnered interest from the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, Inter Milan, and AC Milan. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: It’d appear that he’s more of a signing for the present than the future. If they do land him, I’d imagine they’ll loan him out somewhere he can gain regular appearances and continue his development. Looks to have a lot of potential though (judge for yourself here), so with regular first-team football under his belt, he could well make an impact at United in a few years’ time.

City Close On Lucio?

Manchester City are reportedly ahead of Inter Milan in the race to sign Bayern Munich defender Lucio. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: No real need to try to lure John Terry for 30-40m when they can get a proven, experienced defender like Lucio for a whole heck of a lot cheaper.

Fulham To Lose Hangeland?

Fulham defender Brede Hangeland has turned down the club’s offer to double his wages from £15k a week to £30k a week, fueling speculation that Hangeland could leave Craven Cottage. (The Mirror)

Analysis: Not exactly the best of news for Fulham fans. It’s safe to say that Hangeland could get a little more than £30k per week if he moved to Arsenal, who’ve been linked with him for some time, but it’s not time to panic or speculate about where he could go just yet.

Spain

Barcelona Turn To Forlan

If Barcelona are unsuccessful with their attempts to sign Valencia striker David Villa, they could turn to Atletico Madrid’s Diego Forlan. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: Forlan would likely come a little cheaper than Villa would, and he’d bring just as many goals. Then again, so would keeping Samuel Eto’o, but that one may be past the point of no return now.

Atletico Madrid After Gervinho

Atletico Madrid could make a €10m bid for Le Mans striker Gervinho. (Transfer Market Web)

Analysis: He’s young, he’s African, and he’s a striker, which automatically makes him the next [insert African star here]. All humor aside, if this little zig-zag schooling of the Rennes defense (see here) is something he’s capable of showing on a regular basis, then I say sign him up right now (and if you’re Le Mans, two words: sell-on fee).

France

Lyon To Land Kleber?

Lyon could be set to land Brazilian striker Kleber from Cruzeiro for €8m. (Transfer Market Web)

Analysis: He had a previous spell in Europe with Dynamo Kiev, with whom he earned Champions League experience, and he’s also been linked with Liverpool this summer, so he’s obviously not short on talent. And here’s a little Kleber video as proof.

Scotland

Celtic Talks For Fortune

Former West Brom loan star Marc-Antoine Fortune is off to Glasgow for talks with Celtic. Nancy have reportedly accepted multiple £3.8m bids for Fortune, who appeared to be on the verge of a move to Hull City recently. (Sky Sports)

Analysis: Celtic have an edge here, thanks to new manager Tony Mowbray having worked with Fortune last season at West Brom. The opportunity to play in the Champions League doesn’t hurt either.

Daily Links

The 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup has gotten underway, and if you haven’t taken a gander at Soccerlens’ in-depth Gold Cup preview and predictions, you should do so. Also, if you’re looking to find out when the matches will be aired on TV, you can check out the complete Gold Cup TV listings at World Cup Blog.

Ever wondered what all those long acronyms like CONCACAF stand for? You can find that out and a whole lot more about the world’s football federations, all thanks to Martin Banks’ excellent work.

Four weeks ago, I was playing Football Manager. I was managing Manchester United and was faced with the dilemma of how to replace Tevez and Ronaldo. With 80 million quid in the bank, money wasn’t an issue; however the question of bringing in the “right” player involves more than just money.

Browsing through my shortlist, the expected names appeared: Benzema, Ribery and Ibrahimovic. All of a sudden a crazy thought popped into my head. Why not look at Micheal Owen? Unquestionably talented, excellent goal scoring record, English and above all free! I entertained the thought for a mere split second before quickly laughing it off, after all we all know Michael Owen is finished.

Cue 1 July and the Daily Mail breaks a story that Michael Owen is in discussions with Fergie! Would he gamble where I had dared not? A few days later we would learn that the answer was yes!

Now that Michael Owen is officially a Manchester United player, we find ourselves moving on from the question of ‘Could it happen?’ to ‘Will it work?’

The answer to the question really has two components. First, will he stay fit? Let’s assume that Michael’s injury troubles are past him and move onto the second question. Does Michael fit our system?

The press has focused on the rekindling of the Rooney - Owen partnership that had started so brightly for England. Indeed at Euro 2004 it looked at one stage to be capable of propelling England to glory until an untimely broken foot cut short Wayne’s tournament. I think it’s fair to say that despite a reasonable return, the partnership never really lived up to it’s initial promise. Could that promise finally be fulfilled at Old Trafford?

Personally I have my doubts. My main concern is that Wayne and Michael are quite similar players now. Gone are the days where Michael’s pace saw him consistently on the shoulder of the last defender. His best performances in a Newcastle shirt was when Keegan utilised him just behind the front two strikers. Therein lies the problem, that is Wayne’s preferred position, one which he has been quite vocal about wanting to focus on after a season of playing wide left.

As a result I really don’t think you’ll see Wayne and Michael together all that often this season. Which brings us to Dimitar Berbatov.

It’s no secret that Dimi failed to impress last season. Despite flashes of brilliance and an uncanny ability to retain possession in the face of immense pressure, he constantly seemed to be out of position. What good is holding the ball up and threading a brilliant pass to a winger, when there is nobody in the box to finish off the chance?

It’s that very style of play though which makes me believe that Michael can forge a strong partnership with Dimi. Where as last season there was nobody to finish the chances Dimi’s link up play created, this season we have the quintessential goal poacher in Michael Owen salivating at exactly those kind of chances!

Of course it’s not just Owen that will capitalise from Berbatov’s hold up play. Rooney has shown for England that if he is allowed to get into dangerous positions he is more than capable of finishing chances.

If United go back to a traditional 4-4-2 system as expected then Dimi’s link up play coupled with Michael and Wayne’s predatory instincts will become crucial to United’s chances of retaining the league.

So whilst England supporters will be hoping Owen’s move will allow him to strike up a ‘World Cup winning’ partnership with Rooney, a more likely situation is Owen and Rooney rotating to take advantage of Berbatov’s link up play with the likes of Nani and Valencia.

Micheal Owen to Manchester United, as unlikely as it may have seemed two weeks ago by the end of the season we might just be asking the question, why didn’t it happen sooner? Providing of course he can stay fit!

Welcome to Old Trafford Michael.

Del Amitri and football are not something that usually mix. Certainly not with any success, anyway (see this example of World Cup pessimism for details). But whilst musing over Michael Owen’s “Eastenders-end-scene” switch to Manchester United this weekend, it was hard to ignore one of Justin Currie’s lyrics.

“It’s hard to say you love someone, and it’s hard to say you don’t”

Football fans tend to be a strange lot, immune from the usual boundaries of love and affection, but still willing to put their heart on the line time and time again. How many times has a promising start to a relationship been soured by a missed penalty, a serious injury, a murky transfer request, a painful departure? How many times have you thought your new £10m striker was “the one”, only to find he was actually El-Hadji Diouf? Or Emile Heskey?

In Owen’s case, things were a little easier. Liverpool fans had heard for years how this wonderkid was tearing up records for our youth team, and leading the charge for England schoolboys simultaneously. We had heard about his electrifying pace, his cold-eyed, surgical nature in front of goal, and the fact that he had a rock-solid personality. We had high hopes.

And then, in May 1997, we saw him. Seventeen years of age, not so much as a whisker adorning his chin, running clear of the Wimbledon defence to latch onto a pass from Stig Inge Bjørnebye, and sidefoot past Neil Sullivan with the panache and confidence that would become his trademark. It was in vain, defeat at Selhurst Park that night extinguished our bid for a title that had looked in the bag at the turn of the year (we famously ended up finishing fourth in a two horse race that season), but a star was very much born, the 1997-98 season was awaited with renewed optimism.

I remember that summer, 1997. All the talk was of one thing. Owen & Fowler. Fowler & Owen. These two strikers would go on to become the greatest partnership ever to wear the red of Liverpool, no doubt. Fowler had scored 31 goals in 1996-97, 36 the year before, 31 the season before that, and 18 in his debut campaign. He already wore the moniker of God as if it had been invented for him, fusing- as the Guardian’s Rob Smyth astutely observed recently- “the mischief of Ferris Bueller with the swagger of Liam Gallagher”. Now he had a sidekick, and not just any sidekick, one with the acceleration, awareness and self-belief to notch goals in any situation, against any defence.

And so we fell in love. We knew Owen had grown up an Evertonian, but then so had Fowler. And McManaman. And Rush. Never bothered us then, why should it concern us now? Especially when the kid was cool enough on his first senior start for the club to convert a penalty, again at Selhurst Park, again against Wimbledon, to earn us an opening day point. A week later his goal earned another draw at Blackburn, and his pace was already causing seasoned defenders to experience a set of emotions ranging from mild discomfort to all-out-distress. All of a sudden Liverpool had the hottest property in world football, and it looked like a marriage made in heaven.

Twenty three goals in his debut season was better than Fowler had managed in an admittedly weaker side four years previously, and his eighteen league strikes earned him a share of the golden boot with Dion Dublin & Chris Sutton (honest). But that spring, something changed with Owen and Liverpool fans. Something happened that really shouldn’t have made us feel the way it did. He made his England debut.

Aged 18 years and 59 days, Owen was the youngest England cap of the 20th century when he turned out against Chile at Wembley, and instantly the public clamour for his inclusion in the 1998 World Cup reached fever pitch. This kid simply had to go to France, Glenn Hoddle owed it to the nation. Not to Liverpool, but to England.

Some cynics argue that from the moment he made his England debut, Owen became England’s Michael Owen, rather than Liverpool’s. It is a tad harsh, after all it wasn’t Owen’s fault he scored the most incredible goal for his country at that World Cup, thus propelling himself to almost iconic status.

And it wasn’t as if his performances for Liverpool diminished either, the following season he managed 23 goals again, despite picking up a serious hamstring injury towards the back end of the season at Leeds. But still Liverpool fans found it hard to admit their feelings. Most still felt a sense of loyalty towards Fowler, even though God’s influence was waning as injuries took their toll on his youthfulness, whilst some simply found Owen’s apparent lack of personality a barrier. Either way, it is undeniable that he was never afforded the reverence his achievements arguably merited.

In my case, it was a little different. I can remember where I was when I fell in love with him. I was in my Grandad’s house, watching Liverpool, or more specifically, Owen, systematically dismantle Newcastle United at St James’ Park in August 1998. The game had an extra edge to it because it was the first game since the departure from Tyneside of Kenny Dalglish, to be replaced by Ruud Gullit and his brand of “sexy football”, the Gallowgate End was packed with dreadlocked wigs and optimism. And Owen humiliated them.

His first was a clinical poacher’s effort, smashing a rebound inside Shay Given’s near post after the Irishman had saved Paul Ince’s long-ranger, his second was all about pace and finishing as he raced clear onto McManaman’s pass to slide through Given’s legs, and his third was simply special, and secured my affections.

Picking up possession 45 yards from goal, Owen showed his strength to hold off the challenge of Laurent Charvet, before knocking the ball beyond the challenge of Phillipe Albert, and clipping the most exquisite of finishes beyond the flailing Given with the outside of his right foot, before celebrating with a surprisingly-amusing rub of his hands. It was class, and cheek, personified, and if you couldn’t love that then you didn’t deserve the lad.

Yet some people didn’t. They still cringed every time he appeared on television talking about wanting to do well for club and country, they still cursed when he sold his soul to advertise Lucozade et al, they still longed for Fowler to return to his old ways and give them someone edgier to worship again. But, painful as it is to say this, Fowler’s best days ended when his cruciate went at Goodison Park in 1998, and from then on it was Owen who carried the mantle for Liverpool, who Gérard Houllier built his team around, and who the fans were forced to build their dreams around.

For a while, it looked like our dreams- and Houllier’s- would be realised. Owen’s 24 goals in 2000/2001 helped Liverpool to an unprecedented League Cup, FA Cup & UEFA Cup treble, with his most memorable contribution coming in single-handedly overturning a goal deficit to Arsenal in the first ever Cardiff FA Cup final (the day even the non-believers were forced to believe).

The same year he picked up his most-famous hat-trick, in Munich against Germany, and in December, he became the first Englishman in twenty years to pick up the prestigious Ballon d’Or award as European Footballer of the Year. Meanwhile he was very much the premier striker at Liverpool now, with Fowler jettisoned to Leeds after an era-ending row with Phil Thompson. How could anyone doubt him? Especially as the next two seasons brought about the best goals return of his career (29 in all competitions), second place in the Premier League, and another League Cup triumph.

Yet in the meantime, there was an underlying problem with Owen at Liverpool. His contract, signed as a 20 year old with the world at his feet, was edging ominously close to its expiry date, and Owen was visibly disheartened at the diminishing quality of Liverpool’s squad under Houllier, and the increased burden he (along with the likes of Steven Gerrard & Jamie Carragher) was being forced to shoulder as a result.

Houllier’s departure in 2004 saw the arrival of Rafa Benítez and, with funds and squad depth in short supply, one of the Spaniard’s first acts was to take the tricky decision to sell Owen to Real Madrid for a cut-price £8m+ Real squad player Antonio Núñez. Liverpool fans were outraged and heartbroken in equal measures. Both at the board for allowing our best forward to leave for such a fee, but equally at Owen for seemingly walking out on the only club who would ever love him.

His year’s (under-rated) soiree in Spain completed, and with Liverpool bagging an improbable and unforgettable Champions League triumph, the time came for Owen to return to the Premier League. Would Liverpool be willing to forgive and forget? Would Owen? The answer seemed to be yes to both, but on 30 August 2005 came the news that all but ended a love affair that had seemed destined to last forever- Owen had joined Newcastle.

Liverpool it seemed could not match Real’s asking price, and England’s number one striker would be heading for the North East instead. His return to Anfield on Boxing Day 2005 saw what is commonly described as “a mixed reception”, the truth was there were more boos than cheers, and the only reason they seemed a bit muted were because we felt sorry for him having to play for such a poor side.

And to be fair, the sympathy was retained pretty much throughout his stay on Tyneside. Injury after injury, manager after manager, messiah after messiah, we all felt for Owen as his career faltered beneath the circus of St James’. He still showed glimpses of his old self, a brief reminder for England in the autumn of 2007, an apparent rebirth as an attacking midfielder under Kevin Keegan, but the general consensus was that Liverpool had seen the best days of Michael Owen, and for that it was perhaps time to let bygones be bygones, and appreciate the memories he gave us.

But then, this. Owen had been linked with some pretty surprising moves this summer in the wake of Newcastle’s relegation, Stoke, Hull, even Everton seemed well placed to snap him up. His advisors even commissioned a brochure advertising his services to potential suitors, with some pretty cringeworthy adjectives banded about (Owen apparently is not only “good-looking” and “cool” but also “sincere”).

It is doubtful that Sir Alex Ferguson would place too much stock in such a gimmick, but if, by chance, he did peruse the paraphernalia during his summer, then it is likely that one statistic will have jumped off the page at him. Owen last season managed just ten goals for Newcastle, but his chance conversion rate was statistically the best in the league. In a struggling side under immense pressure, that is no mean feat. At a better side that can be priceless. So United took the plunge. His wages are likely to be hefty (though no heftier than some), as is his signing on fee, but in truth the move represents little gambling from either side. Owen knows he will get chances, United know he will get goals.

But from a Liverpool fan’s perspective, it is a move that finally severs any ties Owen may still have with the club. It’s hard to say you love someone, but I loved Michael Owen. And it’s hard to say you don’t, well I don’t. Sorry Michael.