I think most Reds fans would agree that Liverpool need another central defender this summer. With the constant injury worries over Daniel Agger, and Sotirios Kyrgiakos expected to leave in the summer, there has already been speculation over who the Merseyside club would be interested in buying. Gary Cahill has been suggested in many reports, but another player speculated is Birmingham City ’s Scott Dann .

No doubt the Blues have missed Dann since he was sidelined for the rest of the season after a serious hamstring tear in January, and I firmly believe that if he was fit, Birmingham would not be in the relegation battle they are in now. His record alongside Roger Johnson last season was nothing short of superb, with an unbeaten home record and conceding 47 goals.

At 24 years old too, Dann would also fit into FSG’s strategy of bringing in young talent to the club, and the fact he was born in Liverpool would also make the move even more attractive. It has been a rapid rise for the Scouser as only 5 years ago he was sent out on loan to Hednesford Town in the non-league. He started life at League Two side Walsall after impressing on trial at the club in 2003.

He moved up the youth ranks of the club and was a regular in the Saddlers’ reserves side in the 2004/05 campaign. By the end of the season, it was thought best for him to go out on loan to gain first team experience and he made the move to Danish club Koge BK for the rest of the season. On his return from Denmark, Dann joined Conference North side Redditch United in October 2005 before being recalled at the end of the year. An injury crisis at Redditch’s Conference North rivals Hednesford Town meant Dann was afforded the opportunity of first team football at the non-league club. After playing just three games though, he returned to Walsall due to injury.

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Dann’s career at this stage did not look too promising but after signing a short term deal to stay at the Bescot Stadium, he got his chance in the Walsall first team during the 2006/07 campaign. It would prove to be the making of the player as he was an integral part of the side which helped the Saddlers to the League Two Championship. He was rewarded for his fine form with a new long term contract and he continued his good form in League One, helping Walsall establish themselves in the division.

By this time, he was attracting interest from bigger clubs and Coventry City paid a sizeable fee for Dann in the 2008 January transfer window. After helping City avoid relegation from the Championship, he was named captain for the following 2008/09 season. After helping the side finish 17th in the Championship, Dann was be on the move again after only a year and a half at the Ricoh Arena. Newly promoted Premier League side Birmingham City paid Coventry £3.5million for Dann in June 2009, instantly striking up an excellent partnership at the centre of defence with another new signing Roger Johnson helping them to finish 9th in the table. During the campaign they went a record 12 matches unbeaten, with plaudits crediting Dann and Johnson for Birmingham’s success in the top flight.

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The second season has been more difficult for Birmingham but it didn’t stop Dann helping the Blues to the Carling Cup final. In the semi-final against West Ham however, he paid a heavy price with a torn hamstring, and an operation was needed which has kept him of action until the summer. Birmingham City rate him at £10million, but if the club are relegated, they will no doubt listen to offers for the player.

Read more of David’s articles at Live4Liverpool

Birmingham City defender Roger Johnson could be on his way out of the club, according to The Daily Mail.

Johnson was signed by Birmingham two summers ago from Cardiff for £5 million and played in all 38 of Birmingham’s league games. Despite the club’s Carling Cup success, they were relegated on the final day of the season and several Premier League clubs look set to move for the star defender.

Blackburn Rovers could move for the player as a replacement for 19-year old Phil Jones, who looks set to join Manchester United in a £16 million deal. Sunderland are also keen on the 28-year old whilst last season’s relegation rivals Wolves have reportedly had a £6 million bid rejected.

Despite approaching the final year of his contract, Birmingham have quoted Sunderland a £14 million price tag and are keen to hold on to the central defender as they prepare for life in the Championship.

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Johnson isn’t the only player linked with a move back to the Premiership with striker Cameron Jerome reportedly a target of Bolton. Likewise, the club’s top earner, 6ft 8in striker Nikola Zigic, could be free to leave in order to cut the cost of his £55,000 weekly wages.

Adel Taarabt has raised the stakes in his contract tussle with Queens Park Rangers by hinting he could leave the promoted club.Taarabt was instrumental in QPR’s success in the Championship last season, finding the net 19 times and picking up a league-best 17 assists as the London club fought their way back to the English Premier League.

Now, the Morocco international feels he deserves a payday for his efforts in helping QPR gain promotion, but has seen his requests stonewalled by the club.

Taarabt said he was insistent he will not stay for the same wages as the club is likely to end up back in the Championship before too long.

“I helped QPR win promotion but they will not offer me a better contract. They say I am already on big wages,” Taarabt told the Mail on Sunday.

“They want me to stay four years on the same terms. But I don’t want to sign for four years then after one year I am going to be back in the Championship.”

“No disrespect, but if we keep the same players, it will be very difficult to stay in the Premier League when you are playing Man United and Chelsea.”

“I understand that QPR have changed my life. People had almost forgotten me when I joined from Tottenham. But I don’t think they are being fair to me.”

Newcastle United have reportedly expressed an interest in Taarabt, who moved to QPR after finding first-team opportunities scant at White Hart Lane.

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Asked if he would be interested in a move to the Magpies, the 22-year-old said: “People say Newcastle will be good for me, that the fans love players like me.”

“It is fantastic to play in front of 50,000 supporters every week. I do not need one of the very big clubs at this stage.”

Coach Mano Menezes said it was a sad day for Brazil after they were knocked out of the Copa America by Paraguay on Sunday.Paraguay beat the defending champions on penalties after their quarter-final match finished 0-0 after 120 minutes, with Brazil missing their first four spot-kicks in the shootout.

Brazil had a plethora of excellent chances during the match, but a combination of poor finishing and excellent goalkeeping from Justo Villar came back to haunt coach Menezes and his side.

“Defeats always bring sadness, because we worked to win,” Menezes said.

“We have to get out of a match like this one with the clear notion of how much Brazil has evolved, to the point of being far superior throughout the entire 120 minutes.”

“It was not enough because we did not score the goal we worked so hard for.”

“Today we did our best to win. Only the goal was missing. We need to have maturity and be calm to analyse this properly.”

Paraguay failed to register a shot on target during the 120 minutes, and have progressed to the last four of the competition despite failing to win a match in the tournament so far.

“We lost a place (in the semi-finals) to an opponent who have drawn four times (in the competition),” Menezes said.

“These are the hard things about football and we have to live with them.”

“Football is not just about wanting. It is a series of things. We have two great teams, Argentina and Brazil, out of the semi-finals. I do not believe there are teams who get into a match with no desire to win.”

Paraguay goalkeeper Villar admitted Brazil had been the better side, but praised his team-mates for remaining focused in the face of the onslaught.

“It was incredibly tiring to play against Brazil, but the team maintained order and concentration and that is why we came out ahead,” Villar said.

“Brazil dominated the whole game and we had to fall very far back, but then in the penalties our strikers were better, but that’s a lottery.”

Championship side Ipswich Town have acquired some more English Premier League talent – signing Arsenal midfielder Jay Emmanuel-Thomas.The England Under-19 international became the club’s second signing in the space of 24 hours, after they secured the services of Fulham goalkeeper David Stockdale on a season-long loan deal on Monday.

Emmanuel-Thomas said he wanted more game time at senior level after being starved of opportunities under Arsene Wenger, and he believed Portman Road was the place to find minutes on the pitch.

“Obviously it came to the stage in my career at Arsenal where I needed to be playing games. I had a decision to make and Ipswich seemed the right place for me,” Emmanuel-Thomas told Ipswich’s official site.

“I was impressed with what (manager) Paul Jewell had to say – and the team he is building. I know he is looking to bring in more players and it is the club’s ambition to get in the Premier League.”

Stockdale has made the switch after making 13 appearances for the Cottagers, but should incumbent Mark Schwarzer fall injured, it is believed Fulham can recall their on-loan shot-stopper due to a clause in his loan deal.

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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