Game of the weekend: Southampton 2-1 Chelsea

Southampton dealt a major blow to Chelsea’s hopes of Champions League qualification with a stunning victory at St Mary’s that relieved their relegation worries. The win meant Mauricio Pochettino has now led the Saints to wins over Premier League giants with Manchester City and Liverpool also leaving the South Coast empty handed. With the FA Cup tie with Manchester United on Easter Monday there were seven changes made by Rafael Benitez to the side that beat West Ham a fortnight ago. And it showed as the home side began brightly and snatched the lead after 23 minutes when Jay Rodriguez beat Petr Cech with a composed finish following a slick build-up involving Steven Davis and Rickie Lambert. Their advantage didn’t last long as John Terry escaped his marker to meet Marko Marin’s corner and plant a firm header past Artur Boruc 10 minutes later before Lambert’s decisive intervention. The 31-year-old striker curled a fabulous free kick past Cech to mark his 500th league appearance in appropriate style and earn the Saints a crucial three points.

Result of the Weekend: Wigan Athletic 1-0 Norwich City

Wigan moved a step closer to Premier League safety after Arouna Kone’s late winner against Norwich lifted them out of the bottom three. Yet another great escape looks to be on the cards for Roberto Martinez and his side as they followed up the home win against Newcastle two weeks ago with a resilient display at the DW Stadium. One win in their last 14 has left Chris Hughton’s side dangling just four points above the relegation zone as their profligate attack was punished once again. The home side, on the other hand, have taken nine points from 12 but lead a charmed life and should have been dead and buried if it wasn’t for the Canaries’ wasteful finishing. The Latics came to life in the latter stages and, after Antonin Alcaraz saw a header cleared off the line and Jordi Gomez fired over, snatched the lead with 10 minutes left. Referee Howard Webb played a great advantage in the centre circle allowing Gomez to thread the ball through for Kone to run on to and fire past Lee Camp at the near post.

Rounding up the rest….

Manchester United strengthened their grip on the Premier League title with a narrow win over Sunderland at the Stadium Light. Sir Alex Ferguson’s men returned to the scene in which they ultimately lost the top-flight crown on last seasons dramatic final day. However this time the scenario was much changed and the league leaders left the North East having taken a major stride in their bid to regain the trophy from neighbours Manchester City. The game was settled just before the half hour mark when Robin Van Persie’s cross-shot deflected off Titus Bramble and looped over goalkeeper Simon Mignolet. The Black Cats barely threatened an equaliser as under-pressure Martin O’Neill watched slipped to within a point of the relegation zone.

Arsenal entertained four different goal scorers as they maintained their top-four pursuit with a resounding win against struggling Reading at the Emirates Stadium. The game marked Nigel Adkins’ first as Royals manager and its one he will be quick to move on from as the home side demonstrated their budding late season confidence. Gervinho, much maligned by sections of the Gunners support, broke the deadlock on 11 minutes with a close range finish from Santi Cazorla’s cross before the Spaniard found the net himself with a curling strike. Oliver Giroud made it three after the break as he drilled a low shot past former Arsenal keeper Stuart Taylor. The visitors did manage a consolation in the 68th minute through Hal Robson-Kanu’s header but Mikel Arteta restored the three goal lead from the penalty spot after Adrian Marriapa fouled substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Gareth Bale was the match winner again for Tottenham as they moved up to third after beating Swansea at the Liberty Stadium. Andre Villas-Boas’ side recovered from defeats in their previous two games to secure all three points in South Wales and put themselves into a commanding position in the race for automatic Champions League qualification. They needed only seven minutes to grab the lead with Jan Vertonghen playing a neat one-two with Bale before brilliantly controlling the floated return pass and poking the ball past Michel with the ice cool composure of a world class striker. And the Belgian repaid the compliment 14 minutes later. His clever pass found Bale on the edge of the area and that the Spurs winger expertly controlled with his right foot before driving the ball into the top corner with his left. The hosts rallied after the break and halved the deficit with 20 minutes to go courtesy of Michu glancing in Sung-Yeung Ki’s corner to score his first goal since their Capital One Cup win last month.

In a week where Roberto Mancini conceded defeat in the title race Manchester City produced a champions performance to sweep past Newcastle. Mancini’s men struggled to break down the resilient Magpies for much of the first half until Carlos Tevez slid in to convert Gael Clichy’s low cross four minutes before the break. The advantage was doubled on the stroke of half time as David Silva fired home from inside the box after Rob Elliot pushed Edin Dzeko’s effort into his path. Alan Pardew’s side barely threatened Joe Hart’s goal and found themselves further behind just after the break. Gareth Barry’s strike looked to be heading wide only for Vincent Kompany to divert the ball into the net to mark his return in style after a two-month absence. Yaya Toure completed the rout with 20 minutes left as his ball in from the right flicked off James Perch and squirmed past Elliot at the near post. Defeat leaves Newcastle in a precarious position with only three points worth of breathing space above the drop zone.

Andy Carroll scored a rare brace to ease West Ham’s relegation fears and dent 10-man West Brom’s hopes of European qualification. In a week where the Hammers announced they’ll be moving to the Olympic Stadium their current home provided the ideal setting to more or less guarantee they’ll be a Premier League club next season. A spell of early pressure from the Baggies failed to pay dividends and Carroll calmed the home crowds growing nerves with a thumping header from Gary O’Neil’s corner in the 16th minute. O’Neil doubled the lead just before the half hour mark when Ricardo Vaz Te teed him up outside the penalty area to curl the ball over a stranded Ben Foster. Carroll wrapped the game up with 10 minutes remaining, watching James Collins’ free kick dip over his shoulder before executing a brilliant first time volley that flew past Foster. Graeme Dorrans nabbed a consolation from the penalty spot with two minutes to go before Youssuf Mulumbu compounded a miserable afternoon for Albion when he was sent off for kicking the ball at O’Neil after he was fouled by the West Ham midfielder.

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Everton’s boosted their chances of qualifying for Europe next season with a slender victory over Stoke at Goodison Park. Kevin Mirallas’ strike just before the half was all the Toffees required to send Tony Pulis’ struggling side pacing and leave them just four points clear of the drop zone. The goal itself was fit to win any game as Mirallas shrugged off the challenge of Steven N’Zonzi in the centre circle and ran at the visiting defence, bamboozling Geoff Cameron with a rapid change of direction before burying the ball past Asmir Begovic. The Potters missed a host of chances to snatch a point in the second half with Ryan Shotton’s heading wide from close range and highlighting their current predicament.

Sunday

Liverpool came from behind to beat Aston Villa and deny them the chance to pull out of the relegation zone. Paul Lambert’s side were seeking a third straight victory that would boost their chances of remaining in the Premier League next season. And they looked on course to achieve that when top scorer Christian Benteke fired home from Gabriel Agbonlahor’s lay-off on the half hour mark. But just two minutes after the break the visitors levelled when Phillipe Coutinho split the Villa defence in half to pick out the run of Jordan Henderson who calmly clipped the ball over the onrushing Brad Guzan. Steven Gerrard converted from the penalty spot on the hour after Luis Suarez was fouled by Nathan Baker to complete the turnaround. Victory leaves Brendan Rodgers’ troops just three points shy of sixth spot which is currently occupied by Merseyside neighbours Liverpool.

The rumours that West Ham manager Sam Allardyce is expected to sign a new three-year deal worth £9m in total, which is a considerable pay increase on his current two-year deal at £2m per-year, are refusing to go away, but with safety achieved, will the club be tempted to look for a bigger name capable of bringing more attractive football to the Upton Park faithful, or would the simply be mad to even contemplate looking elsewhere?

After being handed the two-year deal at the start of last season, Allardyce’s mandate was simple; win promotion back to the top flight at the first attempt and then ensure the club maintain their Premier League status above all else. On both fronts, albeit courtesy of a messy promotion campaign and play-off final with what was by far the league’s most expensive squad and heftiest wage bill, the 58-year-old has achieved all that has been asked of him, but is that enough?

The club’s co-owner David Sullivan told the Daily Mirror this week: “At the end of the season, we will sit down with Sam. If he wants to stay and is reasonable with his demands, he will stay.” Of course, if the reports are to be believed, despite having to fund £15m every year of their stay at the Olympic Stadium by handing it straight back to the government, it looks as if even though funds are tight, they are extremely keen to keep Allardyce at the club.

And why wouldn’t they be? With nine games of the campaign left to play, they sit six points above the relegation zone in 14th position, and every West Ham fan would have taken that at the start of the season. Stability is the watchword in the top flight these days and Allardyce offers that, while the curse that befalls clubs he has managed shortly after his departure, with Bolton, Newcastle and Blackburn all getting relegated inside two years after his exit, should surely stand as a cautionary tale for a club that’s been through the ringer in recent times in terms of yo-yo’ing between the Premier League and the Championship.

Allardcye clearly feels settled in east London, telling Sky Sports on Wednesday about the prospect of a new deal: “We both want to do it, it’s just a question of sorting out the dotting of the i’s and crossing of the t’s. As always, that is not as easy a situation as you would like. You always have to do some negotiations when you are moving into the next contract, just as there were plenty of negotiations over the first contract. So we will hopefully come to a conclusion very shortly.”

It all depends on what sort of club West Ham want to be and how ambitious this move to a new stadium has made them. Allardyce is the very essence of a compromise candidate in that no fan particularly loves how their team plays with him in charge, and it can be downright dour fare at times, bordering on depressingly unadventurous, but he’s excellent at keeping a side stable in the top flight, of bringing in the occasional flair player and delivering consistent results. In terms of a substance test, there are few out there with better record over the past decade, but that nagging doubt about a lack of style refuses to go away.

West Ham fans have cultivated this myth that they are one of the final bastions of passing football, but having been to Upton Park on a number of occasions this season, there have been plenty of times when the style hasn’t been considered direct enough from the vocal voices on the terraces. A nervy atmosphere which means any man in the dug-out is only ever a poor run of results away from being under serious pressure and both Alan Curbishley and Alan Pardew have spoken of the poisonous atmosphere inside Upton Park at times, a culture that’s been allowed to fester  due to the club’s inability to implement the pass and move philosophy it so apparently craves.

In that sense, you have to respect Allardyce for going so against the grain in implementing his own style, a long ball game he knows is effective. At times it lacks such little ambition it’s absurd, but across a 38-game league campaign, it will always get you just enough points. Is ‘just enough’ what the club wants, though? It’s certainly what it needs and any move for a glitzier name would be a huge gamble. Allardyce is tolerated not because of what he represents, but because he delivers what is asked of him and no more in what is a pure marriage of convenience.

Long ball football can only take you so far and it’s no coincidence that both Stoke and West Ham have scored the least amount of goals away from home this season in the entire league, a pitiful return of just nine apiece in 15 games. Allardyce has overseen a side that has lost 10 games on the road this term and were it not for their home form, they would be in serious trouble.

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The grass is not always greener, as clubs that have dispensed with Allardyce’s service have shown in recent seasons, while he does seem to get more out of a side the longer he works with them, which again counts in his favour for being awarded a new deal, but yet again we return to that style vs substance debate .

If being a mid-table club with a decent cup run is enough for West Ham fans at the moment, then they simply can’t do any better, but should the stadium move set pulses racing a little more, some of those frustrated by the sheer lack of ambition at times on display and the outstanding commitment shown at trying not to pass the ball, few would begrudge them their due at looking at alternative candidates. With a new deal seemingly close, a big summer of transfer activity awaits the club and most importantly, the man in charge, for not only what it will say plenty about him, but also what he hopes to achieve across those three years.

You can follow me on Twitter @JamesMcManus1

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers is set to open talks with Lille over the signing of defender Lucas Digne, according to the Sunday People.

The 19 year old left back is one of Europe’s most promising young defenders having impressed over the past 18 months in Ligue 1.

The French under-19 international could cost the Merseyside club just £8million as the French club know they need to sell in order to bring in new faces of their own this summer.

Kop boss Rodgers wants to add at least two defenders to his squad this summer after an inconsistent season at the back leaving question marks over the future of current first choice left back Jose Enrique.

Liverpool want to do their business early this summer after leaving too late 12 months ago and so a deal to bring Digne to Anfield could be thrashed out within a few weeks leaving Rodgers to focus on signing a centre back.

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Rafael Benitez ensured Chelsea would end the season third after victory over Everton at Stamford Bridge in his last game as manager.

The conclusion of the Spaniard’s interim reign coincided with David Moyes’ final match as Everton boss before he leaves for Manchester United and the 50-year-old Scot will be displeased that he ended 11-years at the club with a defeat.

And he won’t have been happy with the manner in which is side went behind in the seventh minute. Demba Ba was given time and space to shoot at Tim Howard and the American could only parry into the path of a grateful Juan Mata to slot home.

But it got better for Moyes as he watched Steven Naismith strip David Luiz of possession just before the quarter hour and played a neat interchange with Victor Anichebe before beating Petr Cech with a composed finish. The Toffees almost went ahead in bizarre fashion soon after as Darron Gibson’s strike hit the post and rebounded into Cech’s face before clipping the woodwork again.

Steven Pienaar then curled over, while Howard was called into action after the break to deny Gary Cahill and Sylvain Distin had to block a Ba effort as Chelsea sought to re-take the lead. But it was the visitors that went closest to scoring a second but substitute Nikicia Jelavic left his shooting boots back in Merseyside.

His squanderings would prove costly with 15 minutes left as Victor Moses cushioned a header down for Torres to lash the ball in at the near post from close range to ensure Benitez’s short stay in west London finished positively.

Rafael Benitez post-match: “I am really proud because we have a team in transition and you can see young players, playing 69 games and doing well to the last game. I’m pleased for them and really proud.”

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David Moyes post-match: “It’s emotional because it’s the last time I walk away from the players but part of the job is you move on. It’s rare to stay in a job for 11 years so I’m thankful for getting that opportunity and hopeful they’re in a strong position to push on. It’s really not sunk in.”

Man of the Match…Fernando Torres: Sealed victory for Chelsea with a clinical close range finish after being handed an unexpected starting slot. Season is ending at the wrong time for Torres after rediscovering his best form in recent weeks.

Flop of the Match…Nikica Jelavic: Unlike his Chelsea counterpart Jelavic will be glad the campaign is over. Struggled for goals this term and  a number of squandered opportunities after his introduction from the bench summed up his season.

League One Stevenage came close to a Capital One Cup Round 2 upset at Goodison Park last night, but goals from on-loan Barcelona ace Gerard Deulofeu and Marouane Fellaini spared Everton’s blushes.

With Fellaini expected to link up with former Toffees boss David Moyes at Manchester United in the coming days, it was perhaps quite fitting that he came off the bench in extra-time to win this tie for the hosts. His class shone through when he was introduced to proceedings and, if it turns out to be his final game in a blue shirt, then it was a performance to remember.

But it was Stevenage who opened the scoring ten minutes from half-time. The Everton defence were all at sixes and sevens and failed to clear Oumare Tounkara’s cross, leaving Luke Freeman with the opportunity to send the travelling supporters wild with the visitor’s first shot of the game.

But the hugely impressive Deulofeu showed why he’s rated so highly by the Barcelona hierarchy by finishing off a mazy run with a curling effort on the stroke of half-time to level things up. And, after Stevenage battled courageously to keep Everton at bay, it was the big Belgian that eventually won it for the hosts with a close-range drive.

One player that didn’t impress the Everton faithful, however, was summer arrival Arouna Kone. Linking up with Roberto Martinez from Wigan once more, it was expected that he’d hit the ground running at Goodison Park. But @sidoyle summed up his performance in the best possible way: “Kone wouldn’t have finished a chip butty tonight.” Make of that what you will.

Stevenage fans were not too downbeat with the last minute heartbreak, though. The performance was something to be proud of and that was plain to see among their supporters. @BenBilling tweeted: “If Stevenage play like that every week we’ll be rocketing up the table!” With just three points from their opening four League One fixtures, they can be forgiven for wondering where last night’s performance came from.

Everton, who managed just eight shots on target from the 31 they had on goal, will no doubt be in the market for an out-and-out goalscorer. With Fellaini seemingly heading for the Goodison Park exit and defender Leighton Baines likely to follow him, Martinez appears to have a bit of a job on his hands before Monday’s transfer deadline slams shut.

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The Toffees will now travel to Craven Cottage to face Fulham in Round 3.

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As always when the Ballon d’Or shortlist is announced there are four or five realistic contenders for the award, and then the additional 15-odd players who are granted the recognition of a nomination. At the back of a year which saw the mighty Barcelona dethroned as the force on the continent by a rock solid Bayern Munich, there might be fiercer competition this time round, especially after Franck Ribery won the European Footballer of the Year award. But let’s face it, we struggle to see the golden ball go to anyone other than Ronaldo or Messi.

One thing will alarm us at the British isles more than anything, though. Despite the presence of five Premier League players, not a single Englishman made the cut to the 23-man shortlist. Not even Wayne Rooney, a regular nominee for the last decade, was considered worthy by FIFA to join the world elite.

The only British feature for the award ceremony in Zurich on January 13th will be Real Madrid star Gareth Bale. The Welshman undoubtedly had a blistering season last year, averaging more than a goal a game for Spurs, and coming within an arms length of firing the north Londoners to the Champions League. Bale is natural edition on the list, but our domestic league enjoys considering itself the best in the world, so why the omission of English players?

Is it possible that FIFA fancy foreign leagues above the premiership?

It is too easy to question the football governing body’s business – they awarded Qatar the 2022 World Cup – and I always feel that their nomination processes is a beauty contest rather than an actual assessment of footballing ability and influence. For instance, could someone explain to me how Neymar has stood out as one of the top 23 players in the world the last year? For all his cute tricks and abundance of potential, you’d have a hard time arguing that his contributions at Santos outdo for example Champions League finalist Marco Reus’s performances for Borussia Dortmund last season.

The fact that only two defenders (Philipp Lahm and Thiago Silva) and one goalkeeper (Manuel Neuer) feature on the list further suggest that the Ballon d’Or should be renamed “The Highest Profiles in Football”-awards. And this is problematic for Englishman. Being an English footballer in the Premier League just isn’t sexy.

These awards tend to go to more exotic footballers. To South American and Mediterranean style players that epitomize skill, flair and finesse. What associations does the arch-English Englishman evoke? Jack Wilshere said it best a few weeks ago.

“We’re English. We tackle hard.”

There is, sadly, nothing sexy about the English stereotype. Therefor, I believe Steven Gerrard can track back, tackle, break up play, and pinpoint cross passes as if his life depended on it, but if Neymar nutmegs five or six defenders, he will easily be preferred. He’ll be cooler, he’ll be more appealing. Therefor, perhaps more English players should move abroad. Not only in order to boost their image, this seems a useless for pure football means, but to look above the immediate horizon for inspiration.

At the moment, not a single member of the England international squad play outside of the Premier League. England might be a massive importer of foreign assets, but it is a poorly ran exporter in football terms. Whereas foreign players seem happy to go abroad, English footballers stay grounded, confident that the English way is the best way. England’s World Cup campaign currently relies on a through an through English side that have grown up, learned their football and made their careers in England, with an English manager that plays a thoroughly English system.

It’s outrageously pragmatic.

The reluctance to accept foreign influence is halting the development of English football. While other countries around Europe are developing an interesting and attractive way of playing football, something about the Anglo-Saxon culture seem to dictate that the Three Lions become tag-alongs rather than innovators. Now, I’m sure Roy Hodgson accept input from other parts of the continent, but the framework of English football is at the moment a bit peerless and uninspired. And results reflect it. England have fallen to tenth place on the FIFA ranking, behind exciting and up-and-coming nations like Belgium and Switzerland, and no English player has won the Ballon d’Or since Michael Owen achieved the feat in 2001.

In fact, Frank Lampard was the last Brit to appear in the top three when he claimed second place in 2005. This is a depressing record for the country that regards itself the spiritual home of football.

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In an attempt to arrive at a conclusion, I will say that I am sure the national coaches, captains and journalists who are voting for the best player in the world on January 13th will make a good decision, they have a knack for getting it right. But if England is to ever achieve international greatness again, I am confident that English football will need to embrace foreign influences in a different way. Although the Carrington and Shenley training grounds might be absolute state of the art facilities, I hear they do some decent work at this place called La Masia. Maybe a few English blokes could check it out.

Adnan Januzaj made a move abroad, why can’t the English?

Is pragmatism the cause for the absence of Englishman on the Ballon d’Or shortlist, or is it something else?

Join the discussion below.

It is an area of intense debate and scrutiny among those in the game, entertaining even those that dine at the FA’s top table. Youth development and all that it represents is no doubt a key issue for those that run our game, but are we approaching things in the wrong way?

Liverpool historically have been one of the English clubs famed for having an integrated system of youth recruitment and development, and it comes as no surprise that they are leading the youthful revolution in the modern era. The Premier League club are not the first to embark on a drastic overhaul of their youth system, but for me they are simply papering over the cracks.

According to reports today in the Guardian, Liverpool have seen fit to sack both of their highly rated academy directors as part of radical changes at Melwood. Indeed the sacking of both Frank McParland and Rodolfo Borrell will come as quite a shock to many; the pair having been instrumental in discovering an array of prospects for the club including talented youngster Raheem Sterling in recent years.

Both were recruited to the academy back in 2009 by Rafa Benitez, with Borrell coming with particular pedigree after spending time at la Mesia overseeing youth development for Barcelona. Now naturally I don’t oversee how these individuals behave on a day-to-day basis, but it is clear both of them carry immense reputations within the footballing world and to see them leave Liverpool is a significant shock.

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A lot has been made of coaching standards in this country in comparison to our continental rivals, and this has of course prompted major scrutiny. I don’t dispute that coaching standards are an issue, but a simple revolving door approach just isn’t the answer. It easy to say that academies don’t produce good enough players in England, but for this an extremely short-sighted way of looking at things.

Of course at the age of 18/19 you occasionally get a Lionel Messi coming along who already exudes a certain amount of class at such a young age, but for most development is slow requiring a lot more patience. In England though horizons are short and those in charge fail to ever really look towards the long-term future. Rather than to nurture someone into their prime, they too often favour the easy ready-made purchase from abroad; and this is the inherent problem for me.

How can you judge how successful a youth team is without ever giving players a chance? I accept that one or two get a chance, but their persistent stay in the first team is down more to luck than judgement. Passing the blame to academy bosses is a bit of a cop out if you ask me, they could be doing the kind of job to rival any club in Europe and you simply wouldn’t know because almost none ever get the first team exposure required.

Liverpool are far from the worst offenders, but it still makes for an excellent example. Aside from Gerrard and Carragher, the modern crop of academy prospects breaking through is minimal. The likes of Sterling, Wisdom and Kelly are simply brought in as cover when necessary but never really given the opportunity on merit.

There seems to be some false conception that if you buy someone from abroad they are naturally going to be better, I don’t know if it is a sense of the exotic or what but surely a 21 year old wonderkid from Spain should match up to the best out youth academies can offer? The reality is that in many cases we will never know, the trust in our youth system just doesn’t seem to be there and instead we would rather take what we can get from abroad.

I don’t for one minute believe facilities, staff or even players themselves are that much better abroad; the difference is that even the top clubs in Spain or Germany place a significant emphasis on developing their own. Barcelona who are arguably one of the best teams in the world have for years now relied on their own; the likes of Xavi, Iniesta and Busquets are all home grown. Add to that the emerging crop of new talents that include Sergi Roberto, Martin Montoya and Marc Bartra and you can begin to understand where the actually problem lies in English football.

It just isn’t as simple as recycling academy staff, the problem is a deeply engrained attitude deficiency that sees us complacently relying on what other can offer us.

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Is it time to give youth a chance?

Join the debate below

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PUMA is proud to introduce its most powerful boot yet with the launch of evoPOWER. Officially launched in Barcelona today, evoPOWER is a new performance boot designed to enhance a player’s natural kicking ability, and optimise a player’s power and accuracy when striking the ball. Inspired by the freedom of movement of barefoot kicking, evoPOWER features the most advanced PUMA technologies to date and will be worn on pitch by Cesc Fàbregas, Marco Reus, Mario Balotelli, Yaya Touré, Nemanja Vidić, Dante and many others.

Studies show that a bare foot generates a more powerful kick than a booted foot through non-restricted flexibility. However, players experience a loss of control and accuracy over the ball due to the natural contours of the foot. evoPOWER features the Gradual Stability Frame (GSF) which is an innovative spine in the sole plate that allows the boot to bend both ways, enabling the boot’s movement to be as close as possible to the biomechanics of the bare foot and replicate its natural power. This is further enhanced through the Adap-Lite special upper that only stretches vertically. Control and accuracy are improved through AccuFoam insert located on the upper which, upon impact, creates a smooth and flat kicking surface.

Throughout the boot’s development, PUMA worked with independent experts to test and prove the power and accuracy of the evoPOWER boot. PUMA players Cesc Fàbregas and Marco Reus also tested the boot, providing important feedback.

Cesc Fàbregas said, “Taking inspiration for a football boot from an actual foot sounds like the most obvious thing in the world, but in all the time I’ve spent in football, it’s the first time I’ve heard of this being done. When you try on these new boots, they are actually quite different to what we have worn before. They are so much more flexible; the way they bend with the natural shape of your foot really helps you to shoot harder.”

Marco Reus commented, “Shooting from distance is a key part of my game, in open play and free kicks. Having a boot that maximises power in these instances is necessary to help you capitalize on these moments, and this evoPOWER boot gives me a lot of confidence. I like the thought behind it and have tested it a lot. You can feel a genuine difference – so much so, it actually surprised me. This is a very exciting new boot PUMA have created.”

Mario Balotelli added, “I’m new to the PUMA family, and the football boots they produce were one of the reasons for me signing the deal.  The evoPOWER boot impressed me from the first day I tried it in training, I hadn’t really seen a boot like it before.  What PUMA say about it is true, the flexibility helps create a better contact with the ball and generate really good shooting power.”

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Tottenham manager Tim Sherwood believes that if his side had kept hold of Gareth Bale they would be fighting for the Premier League title this season instead of scrapping for a Europa League spot.

The Welsh wizard became the world’s most expensive player after Real Madrid snapped him up from Spurs in an eye-watering £86m deal last year on the back of an impressive campaign.

Bale was English football’s top performer last term, with his 26 goals in all competitions almost enough to cap a positive season at White Hart Lane with Champions League qualification.

After a summer of transfer uncertainty Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy eventually accepted Real’s offer for the 24-year-old, replacing him with a series of stars from across Europe in a £110m spend.

Few of these big buys have settled well, and Sherwood – who replaced Andre Villas-Boas over the winter – has been unable to keep the Londoners in the battle for Champions League qualification.

Bale netted a dramatic late winner in the Copa de Rey final against Barcelona in midweek, and the now Spurs coach feels that if the club still had him they would be battling for English football’s top prize:

“We saw what he did last year: 21 goals and nine assists. He scored the winner in eight games.” He is quoted by Sky Sports.

“We could do with that now, by the way. If you put those points that he accumulated for us on top of what we have got we would probably be challenging for the title.”

Sherwood then went on to lament the loss of Luka Modric a few seasons ago – the Croatian now also plays for Real:

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“The two best players on the pitch (in the Copa del Rey final) were Gareth Bale and Luka Modric and that says everything.”

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Leeds were ultimately unable to hold onto the star man and top scorer of last term’s in the shape of Ross McCormack, as relegated top tier side Fulham flexed their financial muscles to pay £11m for his signature.

With 67% of the Yorkshire side’s goals having come from the Scot last season, his influence will be missed, and a replacement will likely be coming through the Elland Road doors in the not too distant future.

Here are six players who may be snapped up…

[ffc-gallery]CLICK ON ELLAND ROAD TO REVEAL THE SIX

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Britt Assombalonga

23 goals in League One has seen Assombalonga attract Premier League interest in recent times, but the big step to the top tier is unlikely to be on the cards just yet. Play-off defeat may be enough to convince the 21-year-old to look for pastures new, and Leeds might well be able to offer him the level of ambition he would like.

//www.youtube.com/embed/HdLNdgV3DBs

Quick, strong and good in front of goal, the Zaire-born hit-man has the tools to be a top Championship forward.

Leonardo Pavoletti

//www.youtube.com/embed/go4osjriSbQ

With Leeds’ new-found Italian connections, it would be no surprise to see the club head to the country to snap up a fresh striker. One man to have earned rave reviews in Serie B has been Pavoletti, who is firmly in his peak at the age of 25.

With 24 goals in just 36 appearances last season, Pavoletti looks to have the touch of class in front of goal, and would surely be available for a fraction of £11m McCormack fee.

John Guidetti

Maybe an outsider, but Manchester city’s Guidetti is one to consider. Since rising to prominence a few seasons ago with a loan move at Feyenoord, the big Swede has struggled to get game time and to make a major impact.

A loan move to Stoke for the end of last term ended in disappointment, which would suggest that he’s not quite ready for the big time yet. A switch down to the Championship may give him the platform needed to gain some confidence and get himself in the shop window.

//www.youtube.com/embed/KfM8fjtxMvs

Sam Winnall

//www.youtube.com/embed/w5CdbgpVsdc

League Two to the Championship may be a bit of a leap, but with 23 goals to his name in the fourth tier, Winnall could have what it takes. The 23-year-old Scunthorpe man was in great form last season, and would surely be tempted by a big move to prove himself to Wolves – who sent him out on a series of loan moves before sanctioning his exit last year.

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Andrew Johnson

Ol’ AJ may have only managed 10 outings for play-off winners QPR last term, but if he could be kept fit he still has some life left at the age of 33. The former Crystal Palace and Everton hit-man is now a free agent after the jump to the top tier was deemed to large for him nowadays, so another year in the Championship and one last push to get back to the big time may be an option for him.

//www.youtube.com/embed/o2v_V5YmIrg

Shola Ameobi

Another released forward knocking round is Ameobi, The Nigerian was a part of the furniture at St James Park, notching over 300 first-team outings since his debut in 2000. The 32-year-old is likely to be ready to stay in English football, with the Championship a genuine option for him. Leeds could use his experience, and his technical abilities may well be more visible outside of the Premier League.

//www.youtube.com/embed/HXjtgHTPNPQ