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When former England international Joe Cole left Chelsea last summer after seven years it was seen as a surprising move but definitely not the end for a player blessed with fantastic skill and technique. Liverpool promptly snapped him up on a four-year deal but now only a year later, Cole is on the outside at Anfield as he looks set to try and resurrect his career at a new club.

Cole’s enjoyed many successful years at Stamford Bridge, winning three Premier League titles and two FA Cups. His time in London came to an end after injury problems and being restricted to substitute appearances in his final season. Liverpool’s capture of Cole on a free transfer was seen as a coup for the Reds with many other clubs linked with the player and it was a chance for Cole to continue to make an impact in the Premier League.

But under Roy Hodgson and then Kenny Dalglish Cole has been on the periphery at Liverpool, limited to substitute appearances as a lack of form and injuries hampered his first season at Anfield. He recorded a reasonable 32 appearances last season but during that time he only made nine league starts, scoring a total of three goals. Despite experiencing a torrid time on Merseyside, 29-year-old Cole is surely still a possible bargain yet to be considered properly this summer.

Despite figuring in the club’s pre-season and assistant manager Steve Clarke’s comments that he has a contribution to make, the significant investment in Liverpool’s midfield this summer means that Cole’s chances to make an impact in his second season with the club look limited. Premier League new boys QPR have been linked with a loan move for Cole whilst Tottenham and PSG have also reportedly shown an interest in the player. But why hasn’t anyone taken a chance on a potential bargain of the summer?

The problem for Cole is that we said the same about him last summer. After his release from Chelsea Cole was a real bargain, a player with bags of experience who seemingly just needed a new challenge. He got that opportunity with Liverpool but looked horribly off the pace when he did feature for the Reds. Teams like Tottenham or QPR would again be taking a risk on Cole and unfortunately this one poor season on Merseyside may have left a lasting impression on potential suitors as a warning that Cole is not the player he once was for Chelsea and England.

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However a season-long loan deal to Loftus Road would present Cole with the opportunity of regular first-team football and as Liverpool signed Cole for a free, his loss without gaining a fee would not be a big blow for a club desperate to cut out the deadwood in their squad. Although a move to Tottenham would see him reunite with former boss Harry Redknapp, Cole would not be guaranteed first-team football at Spurs with their wealth of midfield talent and he desperately needs a run of games to try and regain some form. Moving abroad to a team like PSG would also allow Cole to make a fresh start away from the glare of English football.

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Whilst his move to Liverpool has turned into a bit of a nightmare for Cole, he still has plenty to offer the Premier League if given the chance. His one season at Anfield may have had a lasting effect but all could be forgotten if the old Joe Cole can regain the sort of form that made him one of the most skillful and talented English players to grace the Premier League in the last decade.

Do you think clubs should take a chance on Cole? If you want to read more of my bite size, 140 character views and thoughts follow me on Twitter @jennyk5

QPR go into the game having secured their first Premier League win for over 15 years last week, whilst Wigan continue to search for their first three points of the season.

The home side play their third promoted team in a row but have yet to take anything more than a point away from both games. Boss Roberto Martinez will have to make sure his player’s concentration is at it’s maximum level if they are to avoid defeat against the Hoops. Hugo Rodallega has yet to open his account for the season and the Colombian will need to start firing if Wigan are to get an early head start in the race to beat the drop.

QPR on the other hand followed their opening day hammering at home to Bolton with a superb win away at Everton. Tommy Smith scored the solitary goal to give Neil Warnock’s side their first win of the season and send them hurtling into mid-table. Another solid defensive display similar to the previous week’s will be high on Warnock’s agenda who knows points will be hard to come by away from home despite the win at Goodison Park.

This game could go either way with Wigan desperate to secure their first maximum points haul of the season whilst QPR will be riding the crest of a wave after the win at Everton.

Key Players

[player_profile slug=”james-mccarthy” align=”left”]James McCarthy – A driving force in Wigan’s midfield McCarthy will be tasked with linking up with the attack to create and provide goals from the centre of the park.

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[player_profile slug=”daniel-gabbidon” align=”left”]Daniel Gabbidon – An outstanding performance last week at Everton reminded the Premier League just how good Gabbidon is and he’ll be key to securing a second consecutive away win.

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Verdict: 1-1

The latest England squad announcement has thrown up few surprises, and you can guarantee there was a whole host of players left disappointed at the decision of Fabio Capello, as they were overlooked once more. It has been suggested in the past that there is somewhat of a ‘big club’ bias in regards to England selection, but does it really matter what club you play for?

Scott Parker suggested that his recent move to Tottenham was down to his need to be selected for the England Euro 2012 squad. He made huge strides with the international set-up last year, despite the fact that West Ham finished bottom of the table, but he believed that he needed to play Premier League football to be a genuine contender for selection. The gulf is not really that massive between the two divisions, but history does suggest that not many players from the Championship have earned an England call up. However, playing Premier League football is no guarantee that you will get a chance with the international side, even if you merit a place, as players from certain clubs seem to be continually overlooked.

Parker was selected in the latest squad, but others have faced rejection once more and will wonder what more they can do to impress Capello, and get a chance at international level. Stoke’s Ryan Shawcross has been exceptional for the last two seasons, yet he has never received an international cap. He has captained his side into Europe, dominated and led from the back during their superb start to the season, and has been playing consistently well for the last two years, but he has seemingly not impressed Capello. You have to wonder if he had moved to Liverpool-one of the clubs linked with him over the summer-whether Capello would have come calling.

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Shawcross believes that his clubs success this season could push him into Capello’s Euro 2012 squad, but past history would suggest he is destined to miss out. Unfortunately players at certain clubs just don’t seem to get the recognition they deserve. It is also interesting to note that Peter Crouch has been overlooked in the latest squad and it will be interesting to see if he gets a look into the squad if he impresses at Stoke.

Capello seems to have prioritised youth with his selections, with players like Phil Jones and Danny Welbeck selected in the squad. Going with youth and giving the future players a chance is definitely a good move, but the players must at least merit their place. When players like Tom Cleverley and Chis Smalling were called up after barely any time on the pitch for Manchester United, you have to question if there is a ‘big club’ bias, especially when you have the excellent Roger Johnson, Scott Dann and Matt Jarvis who barely get a look in.

Players who are in form and playing well should be picked, regardless of who they are playing for. Sitting on the bench at a top four club should not give you a divine right, or pass into the England squad. Surely it is better for Capello to select somebody like Shawcross, who is playing week in week out and impressing, than someone who is constantly in and out of their side, or someone who is not in form.

It seems as though players at the bigger clubs have an automatic path into the England squad, while players at other clubs can have years of good form and often get overlooked, or take considerably longer to earn a call up. If they were to play for a bigger club, they would be considered on a much more frequent basis and it is a shame for certain players that they never get a chance with England, because of where they play their football.

Do you think there is a ‘big club’ bias with regard to England selection? Let me know your thoughts by commenting below, or following me on Twitter @LaurenRutter for more comment and debate.

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After the Chelsea Pitch Owners defeat of Roman Abramovich’s plans to buy back Stamford Bridge in order to redevelop the stadium are Chelsea fans considering it a victory or a missed opportunity? And do fans have the right to put sentiment ahead of the progress of their club? The vote on the issue, which required 75% of the vote for Abramovich’s plans to be ratified, fell short by around 15%, showing that the majority were still in favour of selling the land to the oligarch.

The issue of sacrificing history for the sake of the expansion of the club is something that Arsenal fans know only too well. When the plans for Ashburton Grove were proposed they were met with mixed feelings. The abandonment of Highbury, a beautiful art deco stadium steeped in history, was not a happy thought for many fans but the desire to be able to financially compete with their rivals lead many to believe that it was a decision that had to be made.

If you ask the fans now I think that you’ll find that most wished they were still in their old ground. However this could be for a number of reasons: they haven’t won anything since they’ve been at The Emirates, ticket prices are higher than ever and they haven’t yet reaped the financial benefits because they’re still paying off the loans taken to fund the stadium. At the end of the day though it has arguably secured the future of the club. Arsenal have always been a big club but their form in recent years could have had more lasting effects were they not to have a stadium that would always make them an attractive club to buy, and a club that can guarantee big revenues. I feel that the complaints about the stadium will be long forgotten in twenty years time when the new stadium will have its own history and the club will be more profitable than ever.

However I think that the circumstances for every club are different and the decision to move on is not always going to be right for every club.

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Chelsea

The Chelsea Pitch Owners originally bought the club in an effort to safeguard the security of the club, originally from property developers and now from any other potential suitors that may not have the long-term interests of the club at heart. I must say I think it’s an admirable attempt by the CPO to stand up for themselves in the face of one of the most powerful men in football and a man who has guided Chelsea to the most successful period in their history. On the one hand it may seem as though they are preventing the progression of their club by confining themselves to an average sized stadium but on the other hands they appear to be taking the responsible angle. Should Abramovic decide at any point that he no longer wants to own Chelsea and sells the club then had the CPO given in they would almost definitely regret their actions. There are definite dangers in being owned and run by a singular wealthy individual and in retaining their stake in Stamford Bridge the CPO have retained an element of power amongst the supporters.

Tottenham

Tottenham’s plans to obtain and redevelop the Olympic stadium have obviously ended in failure. And many of the fans are not disappointed. That is not to say that all of them are, but a majority appeared to be in opposition to the idea of moving the home of their club: something they constantly like to remind Arsenal fans that they did when they upped sticks and left Woolwich for more northern pastures. Tottenham’s is an interesting situation. Their progress in recent years seems to merit a larger ground. They are one of the most improved teams in recent years but they run the risk of sliding back down if they cannot financially guarantee their place at the top. They have arguably the best squad they have ever had but it will not last forever and when players do start to move on they need to ensure they are in a position to compete financially both in terms of transfer fees and wages. The obvious answer to this is to move stadiums; but where to? The ideal situation would be to redevelop White Hart Lane but for numerous reasons this has not taken off. What’s more: where would they play whilst this was being redeveloped? At the Emirates? Unlikely.

People have accused Spurs fans of being sentimental in their aversion to moving further east and whilst it does make sense financially it would truly be a shame for the club and its supporters. Football clubs are about more than just football. They are the pillars of local communities, they have come to define certain areas and supporters, with the exception of most Man Utd fans, have strong ties to the area in which the club exists. To abandon north London would be to abandon a large section of the fan base. Arsenal was fortunate enough to build Ashburton Grove next to Highbury. Not all clubs will be so lucky.

Liverpool

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Liverpool chairmen Ian Ayre stated in July that due to numerous environmental, property acquisition and statutory issues the redevelopment of Anfield into a 60,000 seat stadium is extremely unlikely to happen. The redevelopment of their current ground would have cost the new owner s a considerably lower amount than the proposed move to Stanley Park. Liverpool fans will be reluctant to leave a ground that is one of the most famous throughout the world, both for its atmosphere and its history. It is totally understandable that fans would have reserves about moving. However I think that Liverpool are in a relatively fortunate situation in that their ground is not as small as someone like Tottenham’s. the immediate future is not such a pressing issue and despite not winning a league title for over twenty years they have managed to maintain their competitive level. Moreover, they have an extremely large fan base abroad, which provides revenues that other teams definitely lack.

The decision to move grounds is never an easy one. Particularly for supporters who have been going to their beloved ground their entire lives. The prospect of moving to a new stadium after fifty years of going to your favourite ground is not enviable. However fans have to realise the sentimentality and history do not guarantee you a future at football’s top table. Every club must find its own solution, and every fan must be willing to compromise.

Follow Hamish on Twitter @H_Mackay

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Early on in the summer when it was clear that Liverpool were in the market for a quality left-back a number of names began to arise. There was Arsenal ’s Gael Clichy who ended up at Manchester City and Celtic’s Emilio Izaguirre who suffered a serious injury and probably won’t be back before Christmas. Then there was more left-field choices like Benfica’s Fabio Coentrao who ended up at Real Madrid.

Although most of the names listed in conjunction with the left-back position at Liverpool belonged to quality players, I believe that they ended up signing the best possible player for the job in the form of Jose Enrique .

He was absolutely superb once more against United at the weekend, showcasing both the offensive and defensive side of his game.

Defensively he’s been a rock. He’s very difficult to get past, well built and will usually win in battles of strength and determination and can also put in a good tackle. Despite his stocky build he’s surprisingly pacey and can usually keep up with whoever is attacking him down the wing.

This in combination with his excellent reading of the game and his technical ability make him very difficult to contend with.

I’m particularly impressed with his crossing ability. It was my belief that Downing and Henderson were brought to the club to provide ammunition for the likes of Andy Carroll, but it seems the man actually providing the chances is Enrique. He flashed in a couple of great balls at the weekend and I’d like to see more Liverpool players making runs into the box to attempt to connect with his crosses.

It may well be early days in his Liverpool career but he already seems to have improved on his Newcastle days and he must be up there with Leighton Baines vying for the role of number one left-back in the Premier League.

Considering that Enrique was said to have cost Liverpool around £6m and Baines would have cost upwards of £15m I’d say the club picked up a genuine bargain. He’s got real quality and I struggle to see any player who could have been brought in for a similar price and provided as much as Enrique has and will do.

Surely he’s Liverpool’s bargain signing of the summer?

Article courtesy of Harry Cloke from This is Futbol

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So if you want the opportunity to win this fantastic prize on Saturday then click on the banner below – what have you got to lose?

Blackburn have put an £18 million price tag on the head of star Junior Hoilett in an attempt to fend off interest from potential suitors Newcastle and Tottenham the Mirror reports.

Rovers boss Steve Kean is desperate to keep the winger at Ewood Park after his impressive performances this season as the club continues it’s battle to avoid relegation.

The 21-year-old’s contract runs out at the end of the season and has yet to commit to a new deal with Tottenham and Newcastle both keeping tabs on his situation.

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp has been a long-term admirer of the Canadian whilst Magpies manager Alan Pardew reportedly made an enquiry about his availability during the summer.

The clubs Indian owners aren’t prepared to sell him unless their hefty valuation is matched whilst Kean is convinced he can talk Hoilett into prolonging his stay at Ewood.

Negotiations over a new contract have hit a snag with a dispute over over the size of a potential sell-on fee causing the player to renege on signing a deal worth around £2 million-a-year.

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It’s thought they are prepared to let his contract run out if they have to and take the risk of going to a tribunal to determine what fee they will receive should he decide to move clubs.

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Manchester United welcome Wolves to Old Trafford on Saturday knowing they have to keep winning if they are to close the gap on rivals City at the top of the Premier League.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s side lie five points behind their neighbours at the summit and know victory over Mick McCarthy’s side could see them close the gap with City playing Chelsea on Monday. The Red Devils have been at their formidable best since their derby day drubbing in October winning four of their last five games by a goal to nil. In typical United style they responded to that humiliating defeat at Old Trafford by shutting up shop and grinding out the necessary results to ensure they stay within touching distance of City at the top. Last week’s win at Villa typified the game plan employed Ferguson with his side giving nothing away in defence and limiting the home side to just a few shots on goal. The return of captain Nemanja Vidic and the form of teenager Phil Jones have ensured United have a stable presence at the back whilst the latter has also proved to be a big hit going forward too. His goal against Villa was his first for since joining the club from Blackburn in the summer. The only problem that remains for United is to get Wayne Rooney scoring again with the striker failing to find the net since September. He’ll be confident of regaining his deadly touch against a Wolves side who have won only once away from home all season.

The Midlands side will travel to Manchester full of confidence after their late win over Sunderland last week moved them four points clear of the relegation zone. However that victory simply papered over the cracks of a run that has seen them win twice in their last 11 games and plummet down the table. A strong start to the season saw the optimism levels rise at Molineux only for that to give way to a dreadful run of form that saw them become embroiled in yet another battle to escape the clutches of the bottom three. Whilst they’ve been able to keep their head above water for now with wins here and there Wanderers need to start stringing a consistent run of positive results together to avoid being pulled further into the mire. Defending needs to dramatically improve with Roger Johnson and Christophe Berra looking lost at times during games whilst the return of Steven Fletcher from injury should take some of the attacking burden off Kevin Doyle’s shoulders. The Scotland striker showed just how important he is to the club by scoring twice to win the game last week and McCarthy will be relieved to have him back to full fitness. Starting their run of festive fixtures off with a trip to Old Trafford isn’t ideal but with games against Stoke, Norwich and Bolton on the horizon Wolves will see an opportunity to pull themselves further away from trouble.

Manchester United −2nd

Last Five: Won 1-0 v Aston Villa (A), Drew 1-1 v Newcastle (H), Won 1-0 v Swansea (A), Won 1-0 v Sunderland (H), Won 1-0 v Everton (A)

Potential Starting X11: 1. D. de Gea 12. C. Smalling 6. J. Evans  5. R. Ferdinand 3. P. Evra 18. A. Young 24. D. Fletcher 4. P. Jones* 17. Nani 19. D. Wellbeck 10. W. Rooney

Injury News: Nemanja Vidic and Javier Hernandez become the latest players to check into the United treatment room joining Anderson, Tom Cleverley and Michael Owen who all remain out.

Key Player: Phil Jones

Despite not expecting to feature much during his first season at Old Trafford Jones has become an integral part of the United side since his summer move from Blackburn. The teenager has come on leaps and bounds since pulling on the famous red shirt with some composed displays at the back whilst also offering a telling presence at the other end of the field. His first goal for the club proved to be the winner against Villa last week and Ferguson will be expecting more of the same from his latest young talent.

Match Fact: United enjoy playing Wolves having won four of their six Premier League meetings between the two sides.

Wolves – 16th

Last Five: Won 2-1 v Sunderland (H), Lost 3-0 v Chelsea (A), Lost 2-1 v Everton (A)Won 3-1 v Wigan (H), Lost 3-1 v Manchester City (A

Potential Starting X11: 1. W. Hennessey 23. R. Zubar 6. J. Craddock [C] 16. C. Berra 3. G Elokobi 11. S. Ward  8. K. Henry [C] 20. N. Milijas 17. M. Jarvis 29. K. Doyle 10. S. Fletcher*

Injury News: Wolves have no new injury worries with defender Richard Stearman likely to miss the trip to Manchester whilst Kevin Foley has been ruled out until Janaury with an ankle injury.

Key Player: Steven Fletcher

It’s been an injury laden season for the Scotland striker but whenever he’s played he’s scored goals. Fletcher proved his importance to Wolves last week the two winning goals against Sunderland on his return and McCarthy will be delighted to have his hit man back in business. His partnership with Doyle is one of the strongest in the league and he’ll be tasked with matching the Irishman’s work rate at Old Trafford on Saturday.

Match Fact: Wolves have beaten United only twice in the Premier League and have never recorded a top-flight victory at Old Trafford in their three visits thus far.

Match Fact: 

Last Time at Old Trafford

Premier League 6 November 2010

Manchester United 2-1 Wolves

Park (45, 90)

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Ebanks-Blake (66)

Attendance: 75,285

Referee: Phil Dowd

PREDICTION

United have shut up shop and gone back to basics following their deby day battering winning four of their last five by a goal to nil. The Red Devil’s are doing the bare minimum to secure maximum points as they continue their fight to regain top spot from rivals City. Wolves on the other hand are desperate to put more daylight between themselves and the relegation zone and will happily settle for a point at Old Trafford. However with Ferguson’s side conceding only one goal in five games it could be another miserable afternoon for McCarthy and his men.

Score 3-0

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John Terry has looked like Titus Bramble, Frank Lampard has started fewer games than Ali Dia (Google this name if you want a laugh at Graeme Souness…and who doesn't want to do that), Didier Drogba has been blowing hot and cold more often than Katy Perry and Fernando Torres has just been blowing cold, very cold. What an earth is going on over in the blue half of West London?

Three words, Andre Villas-Boas. Ok, admittedly those words won't surprise many of you out there and why would it? The former Porto man has come in for more than his fair share of criticism from fans, pundits and journalists alike. Whether it be his confusing tactics, confrontational attitude in press conferences or his choice to defend the impotent Fernando Torres until the cows come home.

So yeah, another generic AVB article right? Wrong. After re-watching the a few highlights from the season so far (because being a student doesn't allow you to afford a social life on Friday night's) but this time I was able to watch this time without the bias towards Arsenal, the euphoria surrounding Walcott's performances and RVP our MVP and as a 'neutral' you really do notice a lot more.

I remember Jose Mourinho's first few press conferences in England and they were very similar to AVB's confrontational, defensive and borderline aggressive, so perhaps a good omen for Chelsea because the self proclaimed 'Special One' achieved great things during his time at Stamford Bridge.

Back to AVB's press conferences, would a man who should supposedly be scared for his job with Roman Abramovich's track record really come out and attack the British media and isolate himself further? Whether it be that the Mr Chelski is too preoccupied with his court case, where he stands to lose billions, to really focus on Chelsea but whatever the reason, I can't help but think AVB knows he has the backing of the 53rd richest man in the world, for this season at least and here's why.

When a new manager arrives he will obviously want to make his mark and there will be players he will want to move on to pastures new. The problem AVB has is you can't walk into a club as prestigious as Chelsea and start upsetting the apple cart without good reason,, the Portuguese’s handling of Frank Lampard has caused uproar amongst fans, especially as when the Chelsea 'legend' has played this season he has consistently scored and put in some impressive displays. However come January a marquee attacking midfielder signing could finally see AVB get his way with the Englishman.

So the 34 year old's 'tactics' to remove Lampard are still a work in progress however with John Terry the former British Virgin Islands' manager has managed to achieve want he wanted, and that is for the England international to look vulnerable and replaceable. Twelve months who really could have imagined that Alan Hansen and Gary Lineker would be highlighting a weakness in John Terry's game on Match of the Day (well maybe Wayne Bridge had hoped.). The high line utilised by AVB has caused nothing by problems for the defensive line of Chelsea and this allows AVB, probably not in January, but in the summer to bring in players he wants, to play the style of football he wants without there being too much uproar due to the inconsistencies in Terry's performances throughout this season.

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A slight kamikaze mission from AVB but sit tight Chelsea fans, twelve months of major overhaul and you could have a man who outstays Sir Alex Ferguson. AVB has a plan and is the man to finally end player power at the Bridge and no doubt bring Mr Abramovich his Champions League.

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Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli has been charged with violent conduct by the FA, and is set to potentially face a four-match ban.

The Italy international appeared to kick out at Scott Parker during City’s 3-2 win over Tottenham on Sunday, stamping on the Spurs midfielder’s head towards the end of the game.

With the incident going unpunished, ironically Balotelli ended up scoring the winner in injury time, but the attacker may well face time on the sidelines now.

“The FA has today charged Manchester City forward Mario Balotelli with violent conduct following an incident in his side’s home game against Tottenham Hotspur,” an official statement reads.

“Balotelli was involved in an incident with Tottenham’s Scott Parker during Manchester City’s 3-2 victory at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday 22 January 2012.

“Balotelli has until 6pm on Wednesday 25 January 2012 to respond to the charge,” it concluded.

If Balotelli accepts the charges he will miss the Carling Cup semi final against Liverpool and Premier League games against Aston Villa, Everton and Fulham.

Joleon Lescott, who appeared to elbow Younes Kaboul in the second half of the clash, will not face disciplinary action however, and is deemed not to have a case to answer.

Meanwhile, Balotelli’s agent has confirmed that his client will stay at the Etihad Stadium until the end of next season before deciding his future.

“Mario and Roberto Mancini are not married, but Mario is grateful,” Mino Raiola told GR Parlamento.

“Sometimes they fight and argue, but Balotelli knows what Mancini was and is for him.

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“However, I cannot say that Mario will remain at Manchester City for life.

“Certainly he will stay there this season and the next one, too. Then we will see,” he concluded.

By Gareth McKnight

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Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov has been linked with a move to former club Bayer Leverkusen once more.

The Bulgarian forward has found first-team opportunities at Old Trafford something of a commodity this season, and has had to make do with a handful of appearances thus-far.

With the veteran attacker’s contract due to expire in the summer, reports in the media have stipulated that the Eastern European hitman could be on the look out for a new club.

Sky Sports state that Leverkusen are keen to bring Berbatov back to the BayArena, and that The Red Devils man was spotted on a flight to Frankfurt on Sunday for potential talks with the Bundesliga side.

Meanwhile, Mirror Football have reported that Arsenal are ready to make a move for Manchester United youngster Ravel Morrison.

The 18-year-old prospect’s deal at the Premier League champions expires at the end of the season, and he has rejected a new contract from his current employers.

The newspaper indicate that Wenger is an admirer of the youngster, who is thought to be frustrated at his lack of competitive action this term.

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By Gareth McKnight

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