With all of European football sure to be intrigued by what should be a competitive and exciting Euro 2012 this summer, some of the best players in the world will represent their countries and fight for glory. But will the Championship be represented at Europe’s top table? With the Republic of Ireland qualifying for the tournament in Ukraine and Poland, a number of players from the second-tier of English football may well make the grade, however there are one or two others that could also influence Euro 2012 betting odds.

Ireland – Darren O’Dea

Giovanni Trapattoni has tried to install a youthful exuberance into the Republic of Ireland squad, and although old heads such as Richard Dunne and John O’Shea are sure to make the Irish backline, O’Dea could have an important part to play. With 25 caps for his nation the former Celtic centre half has proved that he has the ability to cut it at international level, and the 25-year-old has started to come into his own at Leeds.

Ireland – Sean St Ledger

St Ledger was hailed as an excellent prospect in the earlier days of his career, with a number of Premier League sides interested in the confident defender. However, the now 27-year-old never really lived up to his potential and has played his football predominantly in The Championship. After spells at Preston and Middlesbrough he now steps out for ambitious Leicester City, and has been a mainstay in their rearguard this season when fit. With 25 caps to his name St Ledger should be included in the squad, and may well fight it out with O’Dea for a place in the starting XI.

Ireland – the rest

Along with the two established defenders, there are a number of other promising and talented Championship players looking to make the squad for Euro 2012. Paul Green of Derby has recently broken into the scene and has ten caps to his name, whilst Kevin Fahey has also been in the squad consistently since 2010; the Birmingham midfielder has amassed 15 caps. Veteran Kevin Kilbane’s experience may be called upon despite the Hull wideman’s age and Andy Keogh of Leeds will fight to make one of the remaining striker positions.

Denmark – Kasper Schmeichel

Son of legendary Manchester United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel, Kasper as not lived up to the heady heights of his father but is proving to be a capable stopper. After spells with Notts County and Leeds, the Dane finds himself as number one at Leicester, starting all of their games this season. After 17 caps for Denmark under-21’s, the 25-year-old broke into the senior squad by being included for a game against Iceland in 2011. If Schmeichel continues his good form he may well go to Euro 2012, but will have to overcome 100-cap veteran Thomas Sorensen to play.

England – Ben Foster

Birmingham goalkeeper Ben Foster has been on loan at West Brom this season, and has been an ever-present for Roy Hodgson’s men. With the stopper on a temporary deal at the Baggies, the idea is that Chris Hughton’s men get promoted and Foster can return to play Premier League football. With a shortage of English goalkeepers playing in the English top flight, Foster has a good chance of being included if he can help the Hawthorns outfit finish in the top half. And with the change in England manager, he might just be persuaded to end his voluntary international retirement.

The author, Gareth McKnight, writes for Soccerlens.com.

Soccer is really starting to grow in popularity in the United States, with the game in the North American country going from strength to strength. With the country’s first ever win over Italy this year and a recent draw with Argentina, the national side are starting to become more of a force to be reckoned with. However, with Robbie Keane the only MLS player to have the ability to impact Euro 2012 betting odds this summer, and the nation not qualifying for the Olympics, international football still needs more attention for the game to fully blossom in America.

There is no doubt that the influx of high-profile foreign players help the MLS gain popularity and certainly will aid young American footballers coming through the ranks at their respective clubs. The likes of David Beckham, Thierry Henry and Rafael Marquez have been icons in the sport for the fans to adore, but also role models for younger players looking to play the game. The fact that the number of big-name foreign players is limited though is also a positive move for the national league, and will hopefully allow the homegrown players to prosper also.

Beckham looks likely to feature in the Olympic Games for England this year as one of their over-23 players, and as well as being an ambassador for the host nation, he will represent the MLS when he participates in the competition. The former Manchester United and Real Madrid star will likely be in contact with fellow professionals that may be considering a move to the MLS, and will be able to tell a populace of fans who do not watch the game in the United States how good the competition can be.

However, a better testament and promotion of the MLS would have been the United States’ involvement in the Olympics. With the majority of the competitors 23 or under, it would have been an excellent opportunity for some of the young stars of the MLS to go head-to-head with players from the English Premier League, Serie A or La Liga, something a number may never get the chance to do. Giving younger players who excel at club level the chance to represent their nation can only be good for their confidence and give added experience. Unfortunately, this year at least, the United States will not be present at the London games.

With Jurgen Klinsmann now at the helm of Team USA, the nation will look forward with expectancy towards World Cup qualifying, which starts in June. With home friendlies against Scotland and Brazil in the build up, excitement should be building ahead of what will hopefully be a successful campaign for the nation.

The author, Gareth McKnight, writes for Soccerlens.com.

Of the four English sides in the competition, City have the toughest group, with a representative from both Italy and Spain coupled with the mite of German powerhouse Bayern. The Group A campaign starts on September 14th with a home fixture against Napoli, but the pivotal point in deciding City’s fate could well be the back to back fixtures against Villarreal in the middle of the fixtures. Home wins are essential, as the Allianz Arena, El Madrigal and San Paolo will pose difficult destinations for the English side.

Napoli exceeded expectations in 2010-11 by finishing ahead of the likes of Lazio, Roma and Juventus to finish third in Serie A; they were actually in the thick of it and had a chance to win the Scudetto until their form dipped five games from the end of the season. Walter Mazzarri’s team pride themselves on attack, and have a South American duo upfront that are looking to bring the glory days of when Maradona wore the sky blue back to Naples.

Edinson Cavani finished top goalscorer in the Italian top flight last year, and has an eye for goal that could cause Vincent Kompany and the likes problems, whilst Ezequiel Lavezzi has established himself as a mainstay in the Argentina international squad – both were linked with a move to Eastlands during the summer. Despite their potency going forward, Napoli rely heavily on captain Paolo Cannavaro at the back, and have a tendency to lose concentration. City’s attacking options could be too much for the Italian side to contain, but expect a fiery encounter in Italy.

Villarreal finished fourth in La Liga in 2010-11, meaning they had to come back early to go through the qualifying stages rather than booking a holiday on travelsupermarket.com before the season started. The Yellow Submarine are at a similar level to Napoli; they too have strong attacking options but a questionable rearguard. City have two things to worry about with being drawn against Villarreal; Giuseppe Rossi and El Madrigal. The ex-Manchester United frontman has evolved since his brief time in England and is now a sharp, clinical and dangerous striker. Add to this the cauldron of the Spanish team’s home ground, which has broken away teams in the past; City’s stars must maintain their composure on their visit on November 2nd.

Bayern will be the toughest of the three opponents, and will fancy their chances of winning not only Group A but the entire tournament. Jupp Heynckes has had a strong start to his time back in Bavaria, and Die Roten have ominously dispatched of a number of Bundesliga sides already this season, with a 5-0 win over Hamburg setting the gauntlet down for the rest of Europe.

The Germans have an international cast of superstars of their own, and Mario Gomez is starting to prove himself as one of the continent’s top goal-scorers. Supplied by Franck Ribery and Thomas Mueller, the Allianz Arena outfit have the potential to score goals against anyone. Their downfall in 2010-11 was their defence, which seems to have been strengthened by the summer purchases of Manuel Neuer and ironically Jerome Boateng, who moved from Eastlands six weeks ago – the German side look back to their best.

City fans will accept nothing short of progression through the group, but the draw they have been handed means it will be no walk in the park for Mancini’s millionaires. The three teams they will face should test the English side and give them a few uncomfortable moments, in what should be a baptism of fire for the tournament debutants.

Gareth McKnight writes for Soccerlens.com.

In the professional era of world football, the players have a responsibility to their clubs, managers, fans and the game. They are regimented with extensive training programs, fed a disciplined and scientifically proven diet and have their bodies looked after to ensure the pinnacle of sporting performance. Long gone are the days of celebrating a victory on a Saturday afternoon with a few beers after the game down the pub – or are they?

In the golden oldie days, word class players such as George Best were are as good at the taking part in the social part of the sport as they were on the pitch, with no team diets or multivitamins to concern the leading stars. The now deceased former Manchester United great admitting to even having a drink at half time in some games, spent time behind bars for drunkly assaulting a police officer and disgraced himself on national television whilst drunk.

Best was followed by Frank McClintock, a famous womaniser who loved the party lifestyle. The Scotland international was ready for a high profile move to Liverpool in 1972, but failed a medical due to his excessive partying lifestyle. He was given a break to recover, regain health and fitness, take some vitamin D and come back to take the medical for a second time, which he again failed.

Paul Merson and the Arsenal team of the 1990’s were a work hard, play hard team and the former England man went through a three month rehabilitation period in 1994 as he admitted being an alcoholic. Club teammate Tony Adams confessed to playing under the influence of alcohol, was imprisoned in 1991 after being found guilty of driving whilst 27 times over the legal drink-drive limit and went through a recovery process for alcoholism also in 1996.

But it is not only the wild characters of the game that have been apprehended and embarrassed under the influence of alcohol. Squeaky clean Peter Shilton was arrested for drink driving after crashing his car into a lampost, whilst ‘boring’ Alan Shearer assaulting fellow Newcastle player Keith Gillespie after a night out in Dublin.

With professionalism in full swing, wages higher than ever and the commercial aspect of the game demanding footballers act as role models, alcohol shouldn’t play a part in the modern game, but still does.

Of the current crop of professional footballers a spate have been arrested for drink driving, including Jon Obi Mikel, Fabian Delph, Michale Essien and Eidur Gudjohnsen. Tottenham captain Ledley King assaulted a nightclub bouncer on a boozy boys night out, whilst, more seriously, ex-Plymouth Argyle goalkeeper Luke McCormick is serving a seven year jail sentence after killing two boys whilst driving when intoxicated.

The modern Premier League player may have all the right information and people around him, but nonetheless alcohol remains a constant facet in the game, as potential role models turn to shamed celebrities.

Gareth McKnight writes for Soccerlens.com.

Football players representing the top clubs have just put paid to a frantic 2010/11 fixture list, with the top echelon of British football having played in three domestic competitions, European games and international fixtures. The summer brings an opportunity to spend the multimillions and take a well earned break before it is time for pre-season and to do it all over again.

Here are the three most popular holidaying destinations of the modern professional footballer.

Las Vegas – The bright lights of sin city have always been appealing to the professional sportsman, and this summer has been no exception. With all night partying, grand hotels and live shows to soak up, Premier League players have been rushing to get their travel money from the post office.

Manchester City’s England international duo Joe Hart and Gareth Barry have been across in America’s west coast, and have been spotted enjoying the blistering sunshine in the day, and partying whilst they can at night.

Frank Lampard has also been enjoying all that Las Vegas has to offer, but instead of travelling with teammates, went on a break with girlfriend Christine Bleakley. The Chelsea midfielder proposed his long term partner after a romantic lunch in Los Angeles, and is rumoured to have spent £120,000 on the ring (hope he had travel insurance!)

The party lifestyle of Las Vegas has it’s drawbacks however, as Marouane Chamakh found out three years ago when he was blackmailed by a Swedish woman who claimed to have illicit photographs of the now Arsenal frontman.

Barbados – The Caribbean island has become a new holiday haven for professional footballers, with a number of leading players and coaches in the English game spotted on a break this summer. Wayne Rooney has reportedly stayed in the high-brow Sandy Lane district on the island, and has been photographed spending time with Liverpool forward Andy Carroll, who has also holidayed there. Fabio Capello will hope that the two strikers can build a good rapport off the pitch, that may benefit the England side on it.

Other Premier League figures visiting the paradise island include Everton boss David Moyes, Gary Mcallister and Phil Neville.

Abu Dhabi – John Terry has taken his family to the United Arab Emirates city on an expensive and luxurious break this summer, breaking the beach or party holiday mould. The Chelsea skipper treated wife Toni and children Georgie John and Summer Rose to a stay in a five star hotel, with the cheapest room reported to be a cool £681 per night. The city on the Persian Gulf is the richest city in the world, and the defender spared no expense on the family break.

We the fans look on with jealousy as the men who play the game we love get to spend exuberant amounts of money in places we will most likely never get to see. Roll on pre-season, fitness training and a British summer.

Gareth McKnight writes for Soccerlens.com.

Photo by ivan03

Manchester City fans may be in for a rude awakening if they honestly believe they will win the Premier League this season. They may not win a title just yet, especially after coach Roberto Mancini has already indicated that his first aim is to get the team qualified for the Champions League next season. That could also explain his tactics to defend against the top tier teams in the league that are arguably better than his and settle for a point. Despite this scheme however, several football pundits in England still have City as title contenders. They are currently in the top three and threaten to top the standings at any given moment. Additionally, they have one of the most expensive squads in the EPL and once the wage bill is high, high productivity and results are expected.

However, City’s defensive tactics against big teams, while producing the desired results for Mancini, only proves the clubhouse crisis at Eastlands. A team so gifted with a strong attacking force should utilize their prowess to get maximum points. Not only are these matches becoming increasingly unentertaining, it defeats the purpose of promoting rivalries. Now all one would expect from a Manchester derby is a 0-0 draw. City’s last encounter with Arsenal was also thoroughly disappointing. City should pursue a more aggressive tactic against these teams but this could be easier said. Mancini still has to figure out what to do with high paying, talented players who are not getting even the light of day on the pitch in crucial matches. Why not encourage a combination of tough defense and overwhelming attacking with City’s wealth of talent? Time and time again, it’s clear to see that Mancini has a difficult time choosing the best squad without angering or frustrating one of his superstars. The clubroom atmosphere must not be the most pleasant in all the EPL.

With that said, City must at all times seek to get the edge over all its major opponents if it wants to stay on top. Drawing with either Manchester United or Arsenal only gives their opponents the upper edge. And while Mancini is only interested now to make it to the Champions League before thinking of a Premier League title, I don’t think he can comfortably achieve that goal with such tactics, especially when there are hungrier and more aggressive teams competing in this league.

It’s only a matter of time before Manchester City realize that buying its way to success is not the formula for a successful and potent team. It might provide a burst of energy on the pitch and heighten the hopes of your fans who believe they are finally coming out of the doldrums of a title wilderness, but there are no guarantees. Mancini’s comfort in just qualifying for the Champions League may not appease his wealthy team owners and even the most ardent Eastland fans.

Expectations are still high for Manchester City, but it will take witty management of the available assets by Mancini to deliver the desired results while at the same time pleasing his boss, players and fans. Based on this assessment, I don’t think any manager would want to be in his shoes.

The upcoming transfer window is so vitally important for clubs to bring in the right players that will change the fortunes of the club, whether that be for the final push towards winning the league such as in Chelsea’s case or if it means to avoid relegation just like supporters of West Ham United, Wigan Athletic and Wolverhampton Wanderers will be hoping.

In West Ham’s case there are some very important positions that appear to be weak and in need of some very important signings. These acquisitions could be the difference between the Hammers playing in the nPower Championship next season and staying in the Barclays Premier League.

Here are my recommendations in terms of where West Ham United need help and which players would be a suitable fit:

Defenders

West Ham’s defence is leaking badly this season and potentially could prove to be there undoing this season. The back line needs so serious refurbishment and these could be the players to do it;

Wayne Bridge – The answer to the Hammers left back problem is Wayne Bridge. However due to their current financial predicament they could not afford to buy Bridge. Also he would be unlikely to agree to a permanent deal, with the chances of Championship football so very high with the clubs current league position. Signing Bridge on a loan deal would sure up the defence till the summer and if he could fly down the wing and maybe chip in with a couple of assists.

David Wheater – Wheater is growing tired of Championship football and would perhaps be interested in a move up to the Premier League. Certainly the London lifestyle would appeal to anyone, however would he be interested in coming to West Ham with their chances of going down? Would David really be interested in going down again in just five months? Wheater would be a strong permanent signing in the defence, a commanding presence that the club certainly could so with.

Joleon Lescott – Rumours have been floating about, that Roberto Mancini could be tempted to let him go in the window. However his extortionate wages mean that he is an impossible signing for most clubs. The signing of Lescott would be seen as a coup by most people, however, again this would only be on loan and given his history he is far more likely to move to Wolves as he has already played for them and is from the Black Country.

Johnny Evans – Evans has been told he may go out on loan to rebuild his confidence after his poor performance at Upton Park in the League Cup, where he could have been blamed for several of the goals. However he has proven in the past from his spell at Sunderland, that he has potential and is in fact a very sturdy and accomplished centre half. A loan spell at West ham could be just the thing he needs to bring back his shattered confidence.

Midfielders

West Ham have troubles in midfield. Three very good players have been injured, two for most of the season. They potentially already have the midfielders at the club if only they were not injured. Every Hammers fans is desperate to see Thomas Hitzlsperger play and the return of Jack Collison will be a huge boost. However until that happens these are just some of their options;

Miralem Sulejamni –  Although predominately a forward, Sulejamni can play on the wing and his pace would help the club down the left flank. Naturally left footed as well, he certainly would provide an interesting outlet for the club. The club already recognised this as they tried to acquire his services in the summer and agreed a deal not only with the club but the player as well. Unfortunately they couldn’t secure a work permit, however with the autumn internationals maybe he has now played the required amount of international games to acquire a work permit.

Shaun Wright-Phillips – This is a fairly obvious option as he would provide a massive amount of pace. Granted he can only play on the right wing and it would most definitely be a loan signing as his wages and transfer fee are going to be way out of the hammers price range, but Wright-Phillips may be tempted to sign for the Irons as his father Ian Wright played for the club and may encourage his son to sign for the Irons.

Jamie O’Hara – O’Hara is an obvious candidate for the Hammers, having worked with manager Avram Grant last season at Portsmouth. However O’Hara has been injured all season and although is returning to full fitness, would signing him be any different to waiting for Collison or Hitzlesperger for regain fitness.

Joey Barton – This is a rumour that has broken over the last few weeks and will be very interesting especially if the board run out of patience with Grant and decide to give Chris Houghton a chance to be manager of the club. Barton comes with a lot of off field baggage but at the same time so did Lee Bowyer and he never let the club down. He would provide grit and determination in the midfield and would make a very interesting and could potentially claw the club away from the relegation zone.

Strikers

West Ham has a very badly misfiring forward line. The club has simply not scored enough goals, they have got eight goals this season from midfield and their strike force has got only five. The potential candidates are;

Carlos Tevez – Completely ludicrous and never going to happen but his transfer request at Manchester City has put hope into every Hammers fan, that maybe just maybe he will return to keep the club up and repeat his heroics of four years ago. Obviously this would be a loan signing as City would wanted at least £30million and he would be worth every penny, Mr Ferguson. Realistically Tevez is not an option. But the idea of the player what he does and how he plays is exactly the sort of player the Hammers need to sign to keep themselves up.

John Carew – Carew would be a fantastic signing for the club. A man who can not only shoot but can also score headers, something that West Ham really do need at the club. A goal scorer who can ultimately get goals as well as setting them up, with knock downs for his fellow strikers. Carew would be a loan signing as his transfer fee would be around the five million mark and that would be a rather large substantial sum of the estimated transfer kitty given to the manager in January.

Robbie Keane – Pace, finishing and creativity. All the traits that our strikers currently lack. Robbie Keane would be just the man to fire the club out of the trouble as his creativity is something that the Hammers clearly lack, and his ability to be able to score from nowhere is something that they definitely do lack. Obinna tries hard but doesn’t have the accuracy or the consistency. Keane would need to be a loan signing as the transfer fee and wages he would demand would be something that the West Hams financial men could simply not find.

Rickie Lambert – This would be a giant gamble by the club, however Lambert’s goal scoring record speaks for itself. Over the past few seasons he has scored over 20+ goals, this shows he certainly knows his way to goal and could just be the man to fire the Hammers to safety. Lambert would agree to come to the club on a permanent basis as even if the club were to be relegated, he would still be playing at a higher level than if he were to stay at Southampton. The transfer fee for Lambert would be around the 3.5million mark I imagine, so something that is well within the Hammers reach.

Whatever the club do in January and whoever they sign, a goal scorer has to be the priority as they simply cannot afford to continue to be so profligate in front of goal and expect to survive this season.

This weekend’s selection of Premier League fixtures sees one of the league’s highlights with the North London derby between Arsenal and Tottenham, but a much less fashionable, though potentially crucial, fixture will take place at the Reebok Stadium between Bolton and Newcastle.

Both sides have so far surprised everyone with their impressive starts to the season that see both of them occupy top eight places in the table. Bolton have lost just one of their last nine league fixtures with in form strikers Kevin Davies and Johan Elmander playing an important role in their success so far. Two impressive away performances last week saw them pick up a respectable point at Everton and a 3-2 away at Wolves.

As for Newcastle, a brilliant 5-1 victory against local rivals Sunderland was followed by an unlikely win away at Arsenal thanks to the much talked about Andy Carroll. While disappointing home performances that followed against Blackburn and Fulham have halted their progress somewhat, an away record that is bettered only by Arsenal means they will travel to Bolton on Saturday full of confidence.

A win for either side this weekend in this game will reinforce their fantastic starts to the season and Bolton will spend Saturday night in joint fourth place if they pick up their third home win.

While the North London derby may boast the technically better football on Saturday, don’t be surprised to see a much more physical game played out between these two sides. Kevin Davies, Kevin Nolan and Paul Robinson have earned themselves reputations as some of the ‘hardest’ men in the EPL, although the absence of notorious bad boy Joey Barton for Newcastle through suspension may be crucial in this battle at the Reebok.

The last three meetings between these two sides has produced just two goals, with each side claiming narrow wins and a goalless draw also being played out in that time. They are very different sides from the ones that met two seasons ago though and with just 13 games played each, a combined total of 42 goals have been scored and 35 have been conceded, so an open and exciting game will be expected.

This game may not get the amount of publicity that some of the others will this weekend, but a look at the league table as it stands shows just how crucial it is for two of the EPL’s improving sides.

Editor’s note: Three weeks ago, Earl began this series as a chronicle of his quest to find the Premier League team that connects with his spirit as a fledgling soccer fan from afar.

Between the Euro 2012 qualifying weekend (where I found myself happy for Wayne Rooney to overcome his personal distractions) and a weekend trip to see my favorite American football team, the Buffalo Bills, I didn’t catch much Premier League action the last two weeks. This provides the reason for my delay in this installment.

I mention the Bills because I think it provides a bit of a glimpse into my state of mind as a sports fan. I am a Buffalo sports fan at heart. The Bills (NFL) and Sabres (NHL) have long been my favorite teams. In 2000, I also became a fan of the then-pathetic Philadelphia Phillies. The common thread between these three teams: small market philosophy. The Phillies are known today for a larger salary figure than back in 2000. In my mind, something that draws me to a team is it’s commitment to build from within, to respect a budget and the fiscal facts of doing business in a tough situation.

I received some comments from the first installment about my ruling out the Big 3. I ruled them out because I don’t go for that. I watched Manchester United and Liverpool yesterday, it was a great game. Berbatov played brilliantly. But that tells the story right there: Berbatov was bought at a stiff price. I simply can’t come to root for a team that’s gone out and bought a championship. Add Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City, and even Liverpool (regardless of their recent decline) to that list. They play brilliant football, but rather it’s the way they build the team that turns me off.

That’s not to say that teams shouldn’t build through transfer. The teams I listed above seem to buy two or three teams worth of stars. I know that teams need depth to compete in multiple leagues, as evidenced by Manchester United losing Valencia to a nasty break during Champions League play. That being said, most of these teams run out a group of “all-stars” each match, and to me that seems like a shortcut to success. Could Manchester United win with Tom Cleverley or Danny Welbeck? We’ll never know because they are never given a chance to assert themselves with the Red Devils.

Additionally, I want to add a few other teams to the “no” list:

Wigan Athletic – There are many weeks I’ll be rooting for Wigan, but I can’t get behind a team that is destined for the Championship. They played well against Manchester City this weekend, but it will be tough for them to escape the bottom.

Blackpool – Very similar to Wigan, except I think their style is very attractive compared to the Latics. They are definitely making a go of it on a shoestring budget, but I see a run down the table as the season wears on. I hope I’m wrong.

West Ham United – The only thing that makes me like this team is their goalkeeper Robert Green. Call me strange, but I find myself empathetic to his plight. He cracked under pressure in the World Cup, and it will likely dog him the remainder of his career. Besides his unfortunate tale, this team is a carcass amongst rottweilers. Most of the players seem to be dogging it half the time. In watching their games, I find myself feeling even more sorry for poor Robert, and perhaps wish he was able to take a game or thirty off for Yom Kippur.

Add to that Everton from my first episode (who again showed against Newcastle United that they couldn’t hit the broader side of a barn from 10 feet), and that makes 9 that I’ve scratched off at this point.

I don’t plan on making this a long, drawn-out series, and that’s partly why I’ve gone back and decided to simply rule out as time goes on. I’d prefer to know who I’ll pledge my football allegiance by Thanksgiving. I do know that, the more I watch, the more the field is narrowing. And again, I do appreciate your suggestions and comments. That being said, I’m fairly certain that I’ll find the one in the remaining eleven teams.

After the World Cup, I was so jazzed about the beautiful game. I couldn’t wait for the Premier League season to commence. I had checked out all the options available to a DirecTV subscriber, as well as the possibility of foxsoccer.tv since we do have broadband. Foxsoccer.tv were rather sluggish in putting information about their package for the 2010-11 season, so I went out and picked up the DirecTV Sports Pack (to get Fox Soccer Channel) as well as Fox Soccer Plus.

When DirecTV began to rumble with the news that they would add HD feeds of FSC and FS+ , I thought my decision towards paying for FS+ was going to pay off.

Then, reality wasn’t quite as perfect as the press release. For DirecTV subscribers, FS+ HD is only available during live broadcasts. Approximately 3-4 matches per week are live and in 720 HD, by my estimation. That’s after paying a premium to access this channel. I sent emails and tweets their way, and there has been no indication that this policy will change.

The other part of Fox Soccer Plus that has disenchanted me is that it seems they continue to focus more on rugby union than soccer. My suspicion is that rights to rugby matches are much more cost-friendly than tape-delayed Premier League. There are always 1-3 EPL matches that receive no airing anywhere on broadcast television.

Hypothetically speaking, let’s assume Fox Soccer Plus decides to air every Premier League match for a round each week. On DirecTV, the delayed matches would all be in SD.

Why should I pay a premium for a channel that a) doesn’t broadcast full-time in HD, and b) doesn’t broadcast a third to a half of the games available to them because of their commitment to rugby union? Sometimes I wonder if they should change their name to Fox Rugby Union Plus.

So my dilemma is over at the moment. From foxsoccer.tv’s trial period, I thought their product was legitimate. Had I not already subscribed to FS+, I would have committed back in August to foxsoccer.tv. I have changed my mind, and now have subscribed to foxsoccer.tv. There are a number of reasons, some of which I’ve already stated. Another reason that the switch makes sense for me is that it allows me to watch matches on-demand, without clogging up the DVR (and hogging the main television for hours on end each night). While I don’t believe any of the streamed games are in true 720p, at this point it’s not that important since the same is true for games on FS+. In addition, when I do finally figure out which EPL team will receive my full support, I am assured of seeing their game live.

If anyone from DirecTV reads this blog, my message to them is this: if you’re charging a PREMIUM FEE for a channel, that channel should be broadcasting in the highest definition available. And for the Fox Soccer/FS+ people, I think a broader offering of association football would go a long way to bringing me back on board. Again, this is a premium service, I would think that the money raised by the monthly fee could afford you the chance to air a wider variety of soccer matches than the same replay of a Premier League match most people watched live.

The bottom line: if I were single without kids, DirecTV’s lineup would be acceptable, under the premise that in a few months the full FS+ HD lineup would be offered. As a married guy with a wife and kids who haven’t caught the soccer bug yet, I think the breadth of coverage received from foxsoccer.tv overshadows the FS+ lineup, and it is now my choice for watching recorded matches.

As a lead-in for this ongoing series, I am new to the English Premier League. Well, I’ve known about the Premier League since my college years. Sophomore year, I roomed with a guy who was a sanctioned FIFA referee for youth leagues. He told me about this new league, The Premier League, and it was the greatest thing that would ever happen to soccer. It only took me 15 years and an eye-turning 2010 World Cup to realize he was right.

So, as a new fan, what else do I need but a favorite team? I will chronicle my search for a team in this series.

I will start with what I learned from the World Cup. As an American fan, it would seem on the surface that Everton would be a wise first choice. Tim Howard, a goalkeeper that was supposed to bring America deep into the knockout phase, is the keeper at Everton. Landon Donovan was loaned to Everton, so he’d be there this fall, right, transferred for a hefty fee? Plus, they’ve been a mid-tier team, poised to breakthrough into the top of the table. So for me, at first it seemed like Everton would be the clear-cut favorite.

It has taken three games to sour to the Toffees. This team reminds me of a romantic comedy that frustrates the crap out of you because they have to write in a bunch of heartache, pain, near misses, and unfortunate strokes of horrible luck. Unfortunately, Everton has not provided me with that end-of-movie smile that left me deciding that the drama and tension was worth the happy ending.

Take for instance the game Sunday at Villa Park. How many times can a team NOT put a ball on net? Brad Friedel made a couple of outstanding saves, but the number of chances that were close-but-no-cigar left me wanting to strangle the entire team and myself with it. I know, that’s soccer, but for Everton that’s been the early trend.

For the first three weeks, here are their numbers:

• Week 1, at Blackburn, 0 Goals, 16 Shots, 4 Shots On Goal
• Week 2, vs. Wolverhampton, 1 Goal, 13 Shots, 2 Shots On Goal
• Week 3, at Aston Villa, 0 Goals, 21 Shots, 7 Shots On Goal, 19 Corner Kicks

By the statistics, Everton seems to be able to generate chances, but their finishing ability is nearly non-existent. It could be a stroke of bad luck, or an early season slump, but the games have been excruciating to watch. Nothing is more annoying to me than to watch a team make the wrong decision, or even when they do make the right decision, convert horribly with a ball that bounds off into the stands. I’d even take a shot to the keeper’s chest, at least give the ball a chance to get through!

Everton has therefore dropped on my list. At the very bottom will likely remain the Big Three throughout my search, because I can’t bring myself to root for the most decorated teams. I consider the groups to be a) ruled out, b) not likely, and c) most likely.

• Ruled Out (3): Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United
• Not Likely (7): Everton, Liverpool, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, West Bromwich Albion, West Ham United, Wigan Athletic
• Most Likely (10): Aston Villa, Birmingham City, Blackburn, Blackpool, Fulham, Newcastle United, Stoke City, Sunderland, Wolverhampton

In two weeks, I’ll be back with my next impression. Until then, I’m open to your suggestions and advice.

England’s exit in the Round of 16 in the World Cup has triggered a fresh call to rein in the cosmopolitan roster sheets of the Premier League by placing quotas on the number of foreigners on each team. I have yet to come across a coherent argument as to why such a move will assist the English national team. The Bundesliga, Eredivisie, Serie A, and La Liga have oscillated in their percentages of foreign players and there is no discernable pattern as to whether it has helped or hindered their national teams to have more or less foreigners in their own league.

So, what would happen if England limited the number of foreigners in domestic football? My guess is that it would be uniquely disastrous for England. The Premiership is the most popular league in the world and as such generates huge treasuries for even middling clubs to spend on players, coaches, and infrastructure. Reducing the potential talent pool of players is likely to decrease the quality of play and ultimately push viewers away from the English league which means less to spend on developing domestic clubs. That might be balanced by having more spots for English players to hone their craft if there was sufficient infrastructure for the players to hone their craft but there doesn’t appear to be such an infrastructure in place. Tony Attwood of Untold Arsenal wrote an interesting column exploring why England seems to be comparatively behind other traditional football powers and why Arsene Wenger employs so few Englishmen in his first choice squad. Attwood spotlights a few jarring numbers,

“UEFA says there are only 2,769 English coaches holding the three top coaching qualifications. Spain has produced 23,995, Italy 29,420, Germany 34,970 and France 17,588.”

and

A report from Leeds Met University earlier this year said that, “There is a great shortage of adult coaches as 1,113,000 adults in the UK wanted but did not receive any professional coaching in 2006.”

So what’s going to happen if you isolate England’s top players from better schooled foreign players… if (as the money and the interest levels dry up) you remove an incentive for foreign managers to coach in the premiership? It would seem that you would have an abundance of English players who have even less instruction than they do now. That hardly seems a blueprint to success.

There is however a reason to believe that if your team is not Italy, then getting some of your players into foreign leagues might help the national team progress farther in the World Cup (and there is no reason to think that Italy wouldn’t benefit from some diversity as well).

Since 1990, there has been one world cup winning country, Italy’s 2006 bid, that has not had significant number and quality of personnel actively playing in foreign leagues when they won. And even a couple of Italy’s 2006 stars’ had some previous experience in foreign leagues (Gattuso – Rangers 1997-98, Materazzi – Everton 1998-99, and the Italian-Argentine Camoranesi – Aldosivi 1995-96, Santos Laguna 1996-97, Banfield 1997-98, Cruz Azul 1998-2000 before Verona and Juventus).

Similarly, of teams finishing runner-up in the world cup, only Italy’s 1994 bid played a squad without significant experience in foreign leagues (Italy had none at the senior level).

Of 3rd & 4th place finishers, Germany 2006, had 4 players with foreign league experience, Korea 2002 had 2 players playing outside of Asia but did have 5 players in the J-League, Italy 1990 had no foreign club experience, England 1990 had Lineker’s 103 Barcelona caps and Waddle’s glittering Marseille experience not to mention that nearly half the side had played in Scotland as well as the domestic Football League. Every other squad to finish in the top four since 1990 has been staffed with a minimum of 5 players with some experience playing for a foreign club and many had double or triple that. Presumably, some of these players are learning to win games in ways not focused upon in their domestic leagues and they are getting altogether different technical and tactical approaches to add to their game. I’m not sure that there is any one reason why Italy seems somewhat immune to the need to place its players in foreign leagues but I’m guessing that the emphasis on tactics implies a greater learn and response to an opponent than other schools emphasize. Indeed, Germany spent an entire generation sending players to Italy in particular. The 1986 and 1988 squads had 2 players apiece playing in Serie A. By 1990, that number had jumped to 5 and every team that Germany presented to the Euros or World Cup in the 1990s had at least 4 players (and sometimes as much as 40% of the squad) who had played in Serie A. This has been coupled by a growing German presence in France and England.

So maybe what’s happening is that the traditional powers are incorporating everybody’s else’s leagues (including the English), but the English are ignoring the opportunity to learn the same of their chief European rivals which would seem to put the English at a huge disadvantage. I suppose one could argue that by limiting the amount of foreigners in England, other national teams would forget how to play against the English, but that seems like it would take a long time and not really solve the systemic problems. Perhaps better to push English players to explore other leagues and bring back that experience to fuse with the benefits that are already inherent in English football while pushing a national directive to domestically increase the coaching corps as well as creating widespread easily available scholarships to encourage players and coaches to study football abroad.

Being a London-based football blogger specialising in English and American soccer and a professional digital-type, The Gaffer’s recent post asking why there aren’t more good soccer blogs from England snagged my interest. It’s a subject which has cropped up many times, from my work on football bloggers’ influence to discussions about possible studio guests for my blog’s sister podcast, recorded in London.

The Gaffer’s post, which itself touches upon some crucial factors, has received several comments, most of which carry what I’d consider to be elements of the truth. I wanted to share my thoughts on why there seem to be relatively few England-based football blogs given that we should theoretically be located right at the very heart of the English game. Some of these points have been covered in the aforementioned post, some haven’t. Please feel free to chip in with your comments at the end.

Most of these points compare England to the USA, where I believe the football blogging community is more respected and more valued than it is in any other soccer country in the world.

Most importantly, I think English football supporters were a little slow off the mark when it comes to blogging. We’ve been ensconced in fan communities for years, and they work – supporter message boards are still the thriving, beating heart of UK online fan culture. So it took us time to cotton on to the benefits of blogging, and even longer to work out that it’s (a) an opportunity to disrupt the traditional media and (b) potentially commercially viable.

In England, bloggers are not filling in gaps; we’re trying to knock down brick walls. The football media is well and truly saturated. Every newspaper, local and national, gives over inches and inches of column space to coverage of the game and most are well established. We have a 24-hour rolling news channel which, give or take the odd bit of cricket and rugby coverage, is dedicated to football. Football is everywhere. The Gaffer and some of his comments suggest that this may be a barrier to entry, but for me it makes it more difficult to succeed but doesn’t necessarily prevent people from getting involved.

I think we suffer in England from having too broad a potential audience. “Football fans” in England covers, for all intents and purposes, pretty much everyone. If English bloggers made a sluggish start and lacked focus from the beginning, the absence of a defined target audience hardly helped. Conversely, the US soccer community is a tight-knit niche and although the Premier League viewing public is much larger than the MLS market, the most influential writers Stateside tend to have some interest in domestic matters or, at least, the US national team.

Unlike their English counterparts, American football bloggers are absolutely integral to the culture of the sport in their country. They are important for its growth and development as well as its commentary. This, along with the quality of their work and the under-developed (but thriving and maturing) soccer market in which they operate, affords them access English bloggers could only dream of. It’s not direct access to the Premier League, of course, but they’re able to speak to figures within Major League Soccer, US Soccer and the soccer press in the States. This boosts their standing on all matters football, Premier League included. It’s a real success story for a group of deserving writers.

Despite all this, I truly don’t believe that there is a dearth of good quality English football blogs based in England. A large number of excellent writers are producing regular, compelling content which simply doesn’t achieve the eyeballs it deserves. That’s another issue, and in general I’d say overseas writers were faster to realise that blogging is about more than great content and we must optimise and promote our sites if traffic is more important to us than critical acclaim (in many cases, it isn’t).

In North America in particular football bloggers have found a sweet spot which allows top quality writing to pick up lots of hits. Many UK writers remain guilty of writing brilliant posts and then leaving them to rot.

If you have the time to do some digging around there are tonnes of domestic blogs worth your subscriptions. There are some fantastic writers, like Chris Mann and James Appell, who offer genuine insight at the expense of linkbaiting and traffic-hoarding. They’re targeting a niche market of football geeks, enthusiasts and amateur tacticians and are well respected within those circles because of their understanding of the idiosyncrasies of the game and their superb writing.

It’s writers like these – who will succeed on a more steady, stable growth curve as their stock rises – that create the understandable belief that England is home to fewer ‘good’ football blogs than it should be. But don’t assume mistakenly that there aren’t as many good UK blogs as there are US blogs or blogs from elsewhere. Our market is tough to crack, and it’s even tougher to broaden our work out to address a global audience. Powerhouses like EPL Talk and Soccerlens dominate the landscape because they’re run by writers who knew what they needed to do early on and have a grasp on web business as well as football.

Under the surface, though, English football is covered by some serious domestic talent. In essence, I think the original post could have been spun slightly differently. Yes, the US in particular is disproportionately strong in blogging about top-flight English football, but that’s because the US soccer community has been a roaring success online. We should credit them first and foremost.

Chris Nee is the editor of twofootedtackle and the co-host of the twofootedtackle Podcast and is based in London.

Have you read any great English blogs deserving of more recognition? Here’s your chance to give them a plug.

When Harry Redknapp walked out on Portsmouth for the second time at the end of October, the general consensus was that the immediate future looked bleak at Fratton Park.

Redknapp, with the help of Milan Mandaric and whichever Gaydamak is actually pulling the strings, dragged Portsmouth kicking and screaming into Premier League regular status. Having saved the club from relegation in some style in 2006, Redknapp steered them to UEFA Cup qualification last season by way of an FA Cup victory.

Assistant manager tony Adams was promoted as Harry Redknapp was jeered by fans who watched him receive the Freedom of Portsmouth. Given Adams’ unimpressive stint in charge of Wycombe Wanderers in 2003 and 2004, Pompey fans and pundits were understandably cautious in lauding the decision. For my part, I think Adams was a brave appointment by Portsmouth, and I can see the thought process behind it. Adams was an integral member of Redknapp’s staff, the success of which was unquestionable. On paper, the value of changing room continuity is immeasurable. Obviously football doesn’t necessarily work like that.

Does crisis breed opportunity? The Redknapp model – wheeling and dealing, hands-off management and rent-a-quotism – is far from perfect. In truth, an FA Cup win and a top six or eight finish in the Premier League is probably as far as it could take a club. There comes a point where a club on the up needs to change to take the next step.

Whether Adams is the man to push Pompey up to a UEFA Cup spot in the league remains to be seen, but he could well go some way to installing a new strategy at Fratton Park. Perhaps the club can really push on with a little more on-pitch stability, a steady team with a few good quality youngsters, and a more hands-on approach at the training ground.

It’s possible, of course, that it all goes wrong for Portsmouth. Despite being a top class player and clearly an excellent coach, Adams has nothing worthwhile on his managerial CV. He’s obviously a clever guy with superb knowledge of the game, but he’s unproven at best. Still, a gamble wouldn’t be a gamble if there were no chance of hitting the jackpot.

Much depends on the new manager’s ability to hold on to the diamonds in the rough of Redknapp’s transfer policy. With their previous boss still active in the Premier League and openly sniffing around – at a club as fast and loose with cash as Tottenham Hotspur – several Portsmouth stars are surely soon to be subject to transfer bids. Jermain Defoe, Peter Crouch, Glen Johnson and Lassana Diarra are vital to Portsmouth’s short- to medium-term success.

The problem, as always these days in football, is the filthy lucre. Ownership controversy aside, it is becoming clearer by the day that Portsmouth Football Club is not exactly rolling around on a pile of notes. That possibly played a part in the relative smoothness of Redknapp’s move, and it will make it tough for Adams to retain his key players.

So what’s next for Portsmouth? Results are paramount, of course, but the first major obstacle is the January transfer window. Redknapp and others will be circling like vultures and Portsmouth need to be strong enough to fight them off.

If they manage that, Adams will get his chance to shine with some great players in his charge. If not, Portsmouth may well be looking nervously over their shoulders.

For a town more accustomed to the wing exploits of Martin Offiah, Wigan’s been treated to some great football in the last few years. Since promotion to the top flight in 2005 Wigan Athletic have battled through tough matches, pie jokes and countless accusations of clogging to establish themselves as a Premier League club – albeit one with a habit of dipping more than a toe into the relegation zone.

Egyptian striker Amr Zaki has deservedly taken the plaudits so far this term, with Antonio Valencia and rejuvenated England star Emile Heskey in hot pursuit. Impressive performances have been plentiful, notably against Chelsea and Hull City, but no amount of attacking, attractive football can deflect from the central pillar of Wigan’s concerns: the Latics are in a relegation battle.

I don’t think Wigan will go down. In fact, come April, I believe they’ll be home and hosed, nestled comfortably in the warmth of mid-table. The equation is a simple one. Wigan Athletic have an excellent manager, a supportive chairman and some very, very good players.

Dave Whelan, Wigan’s retail mogul owner, is certainly a character. He’s one of those football folk loved by some and loathed by others, but he’s an imposing talisman for his football club, watching on with a smile as John Deehan and Paul Jewell – with a helping hand from a few others along the way – guided Wigan through the divisions into the Premier League. Whelan backs his club to the hilt, fighting its corner on issues like football policing and small Argentinian strikers. He’s no stranger to spending a few quid either.

Being outspoken brings with it plenty of critics, and Whelan has more than a few. But many’s the time he touches a nerve and casts football in an entirely deserved negative light. Sometimes you just have to respect him for it.

On the pitch, Wigan have some players of superb quality. Zaki’s loan move was a shrewd one (though a permanent signing would have escalated manager Steve Bruce to Blackadder-like levels of cunning), and Heskey is a fighter and exactly the kind of outlet a team needs when it’s under pressure. Further back, Valencia, Olivier Kapo and Wilson Palacios are just three very talented players in a squad which, on paper, should have more than enough to survive. Chris Kirkland is error-prone, but occasionally unbeatable.

But the biggest factor in Wigan’s favour is the ability and ever-increasing managerial maturity of Steve Bruce. After spells at Sheffield United and Huddersfield, the former Manchester United centre half developed a reputation as a journeyman manager by amassing just 26 games in charge of Wigan and Crystal Palace in 2001.

Then, for six years, Bruce sat in the dugout at Birmingham City. On reflection (I was no fan of his at the time) I think he’s never quite been recognised for a job well done. He turned City from a club languishing outside the top division into a regular, though not quite permanent, Premier League side. Turning Birmingham into a yo-yo club was hardly groundbreaking but it was a very respectable achievement. To do so against a backdrop of boardroom bickering and disillusionment, and a difficult, often small crowd, was even more impressive.

The fact that Alex McLeish, no mug himself, failed to save Blues from relegation last season suggests just how big a task any manager would have faced to avoid the drop. For my money, Bruce might just have achieved it. I have little doubt that McLeish will steer them back up.

Bruce’s qualities are there for all to see. Signing the best and most promising players from his former club – Kapo, Daniel de Ridder, Wilson Palacios – means that, with Heskey and Mario Melchiot already in situ, the gaffer knows his players well. Respect and loyalty go a long way in football – in the bottom half of the Premier League, at least.

His double courting of Palacios and the loan signing of Zaki also hint that Bruce also has an eye for a player. Once there, he knows how to motivate his charges. Wigan were superb against Chelsea this season, and his faux obsession with Aston Villa during his time at St Andrews helped his players understand what derby day meant. By and large, it worked. Moreover, he fiercely stands up for his team.

Throughout his career, Bruce has kicked every ball. But at Birmingham he matured into a very decent manager. It’s a shame for them that they couldn’t see that, and few could blame him for wanting to leave. I believe their loss will be Wigan’s gain, and Steve Bruce will keep the Latics up this term. They’ve been playing well and sooner or later the results will be there to match.