Sunderland AFC has announced plans for a summer tour of the USA and Canada ahead of the 2015/16 Barclays Premier League season.

After leading The Black Cats to Premier League safety last season, Dutch manager Dick Advocaat will lead his team across the Atlantic for three friendly fixtures. The club will start in San Francisco and play two fixtures in northern California. The first will take place against Sacramento Republic FC at Bonney Field on Tuesday July 14, whilst the second will see Mexican Primera side Club de Futbol Pachuca travel to Bonney Field to face the Premier League outfit on Friday July 17.

The club then travels to Toronto to play MLS side Toronto FC on Wednesday July 22. The fixture is of interest to many as it will mark the returns of Jozy Altidore and Jermain Defoe to their former clubs. Altidore, the USMNT striker, failed to make an impact as a Premier League player at Sunderland in a disappointing 18 month stay in the North East before heading back to MLS to find scoring form. Traveling the other way, Jermain Defoe had a disappointing exit at Toronto FC, netting 11 goals in his brief stay with the club.

Speaking of the tour, Sunderland sporting director Lee Congerton said: “The trip will afford us the opportunity to face quality opposition as we prepare for the season ahead. The facilities for training are great and the games step up over the tour in terms of intensity and this will help us build our fitness and sharpness levels, which is the main aim of pre-season.”

Gary Hutchinson, the club’s commercial director said: “There is a growing interest in football throughout North America. The Barclays Premier League in particular is increasing significantly in popularity, with every game shown live on TV throughout the season. This tour will afford us a fantastic opportunity to introduce Sunderland to an important overseas audience and connect with our existing supporter groups in the territory, which is a key growth area for our club.”

Fans who wish to attend the games in the summer tour can purchase tickets from any of the three clubs’ online ticketing websites, as Sunderland will not be selling any themselves.

Steve McClaren is due back in England on Tuesday after a personal holiday, and speculation is heating up surrounding his potential move into the vacant Newcastle United managerial position.

McClaren, 54, most recently held the position of head coach at Championship side Derby County, before being sacked at the end of May. Newcastle United have been without a permanent manager since Alan Pardew left the club in early 2015 and a miserable caretaker performance from John Carver that saw the club only secure Premier League safety on the final day of the season.

Former captain Rob Lee, who spent 10 years of his career at Newcastle United, urged owner Mike Ashley to wrap up Steve McClaren for the position, saying: “If Steve McClaren is to be Newcastle United’s next coach, I hope it can be the start of getting a more English feel to our club.

“I’m always banging the drum for English players at Newcastle, and while I’m not too sure how much say Steve will have over transfers, hopefully his arrival will signal a move in that direction.”

The former England international, who made over 300 appearances for the Magpies, added: “I’ve always believed Newcastle needed a nucleus of British-based players and it’s sad to see them getting away from that. Everyone thinks I’m anti-foreign players, but I’m genuinely not.”

Whilst Newcastle have been reported to be scouting QPR striker Charlie Austin, they also have scouts surrounding Dutch center back Bruno Martins Indi of Porto. McClaren himself has extensive European experience after two spells at FC Twente and time with VfL Wolfsburg, so that would perhaps not bring the end to Newcastle’s policy of foreign acquisition.

McClaren saw his Derby side lose confidence and form in the final stages of the season before his eventual firing, with promotion looking sure in early 2015 only for Derby to slip out of the playoff positions in the final weeks of the season. McClaren would have to inspire a number of high profile international players such as Tim Krul and Moussa Sissoko that Tyneside is the place where they can achieve success at the highest level.

There has been rife speculation throughout recent months that McClaren will take on the vacancy on Tyneside, and whilst endorsements from former club legends may help his cause, he will still have a very tough task at hand.

As the Premier League drew to a conclusion this Sunday, Stamford Bridge erupted in celebration, respectful applause could be heard across The Etihad and the Britannia for two English midfield legends, and sorrow descended on the city of Hull. However, as the dust settled on the final day of the season, many a fan were left with a certain emptiness. Without the Premier League to occupy the weekends, many soccer followers are left somewhat beleaguered and alone. No relaxing sink into the couch with a beverage and snack, no office debates up on Monday mornings, no cross country train journeys or trips to the local bar. However, with the close of the English season comes an opportunity to discover more of global soccer, and this summer definitely doesn’t disappoint. The off season months are jam packed with action from across the globe, and we at World Soccer Talk have broken down the dates and details of some of the finest action.

Copa America

The 44th edition of the Copa America is set to grace our screens very soon, with some of the finest talents in world football taking centre stage in Chile. At -3 UTC, the games will be at a more appropriate time for US viewers, but will make great evening viewing for those in Europe. The tournament kicks off on June 11th and the final shall take place on July 4th. Each of Barcelona’s front three will compete against each other, as Luis Suarez’s Uruguay will defend their title against the host nation, as well as Neymar’s Brazil and Lionel Messi’s Argentina. The World Cup semi-finalists and finalists will have something to prove after last year, with the former nation particularly wishing to put their World Cup misery behind them. Combined with appearances from some of the Premier League’s finest, visiting CONCACAF nations Mexico and Jamaica, as well as a sneak peak of the best talents from the South American leagues, the tournament is a must see for any fan wanting to get their fix this summer.

MLS

The MLS season is already in full flow, but the approach of the second half of the season before the playoffs is an ample opportunity to tune and enjoy the action. Whether its following the fate of your favorite ex-Premier League stars like Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard as they join David Villa, Kaka, Giovinco and many more in the United States, or getting completely invested in a physical, dynamic and ever improving league, the MLS regular season runs right up to the end of July. Following a new league can almost feel like rediscovering the sport, and the Premier League off season presents the perfect occasion to pick up on the all MLS action.

Pre-season tournaments

One of the best things about the build up to the winter based season is the sheer amount of top class sides battling it out across the globe in efforts to regain fitness before the regular league season. Who didn’t love seeing Yaya Sanogo score four goals past Benfica, or Balotelli and Mancini’s pitch side bust up in Los Angeles? Pre-season tournaments showcase established stars alongside youth prospects in the world’s best sides, and with an ever increasing number of tournaments, the action almost never stops for the giant European clubs. Arsenal’s Emirates Cup host Villarreal, Wolfsburg and Lyon on July 25th and 26th this year. The latter two clubs have both re-entered the Champions League after brief omissions and have been playing some of the most exciting football in their respective countries, so the tournament promises to be an exciting spectacle. Elsewhere, the International Champions Cup, played across three continents, see the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea, Barcelona and Paris Saint Germain go toe to toe with each other against some of North America’s finest clubs in the US between July 11th and August 5th. Always full of upsets, the tournament allows for some of the best clubs in world soccer to play in front of adoring fans from across the globe.

European competition and international qualifiers

Even with all this in store, there are still the final offerings of European football to sink our teeth into. The Europa League and Champions League will come to their conclusions over the next two weeks, as well as The FA Cup final between Arsenal and Aston Villa, as well as the Copa Del Rey final featuring Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao. Barcelona are still on course for an historic treble victory this season, so the conclusion of the European club season still has plenty to offer in its final days.

Beyond this, there are several international friendlies and European Championship Qualifiers in the pipeline, as the USA head to tough fixtures against the Netherlands and Germany in June, as well as an enticing derby between England and the Republic of Ireland. These are just some of the highlights of International football in early June, which sees two extended match days follow up the closure of the European season.

All in all, you’ll be hard pressed to ignore all the soccer going on across the globe. Whatever your time zone, whomever you support, there will be some soccer across the summer months that should ease your cravings for the beautiful game.

FIFA, the world football governing body, released a statement regarding the arrests of FIFA officials by Swiss authorities and extradited to the United States earlier today.

The statement welcomed any approach to try and provide transparency regarding the allocations of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, stating:

“FIFA welcomes actions that can help contribute to rooting out any wrongdoing in football. We understand that today’s actions by the Swiss Federal Office of Justice on behalf of the US authorities and the Swiss Office of the Attorney General (initiated by FIFA through the submission of the file on the 2018/2022 FIFA World Cup bidding process) relate to different matters.

“Firstly, the arrest of six individuals this morning in Zurich concerns investigations by the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of the State of New York. The Swiss authorities, acting on behalf of their US counterparts, arrested the individuals for activities carried out in relation with CONCACAF and CONMEBOL business.

“The second instance follows FIFA’s initiative of presenting the file on the 2018/2022 FIFA World Cup™ bidding process to the Swiss Office of the Attorney General in November 2014. The authorities are taking the opportunity of the FIFA Congress to interview those FIFA Executive Committee members who are not Swiss residents who voted back in 2010 and are still in office.

“Today, the Swiss Office of the Attorney General announced that it has opened criminal proceedings against persons unknown in relation to the 2018/2022 FIFA World Cup™ bidding process. FIFA is fully cooperating with the investigation and is supporting the collection of evidence in this regard. As noted by the Swiss authorities, this collection of evidence is being carried out on a cooperative basis.

“We are pleased to see that the investigation is being energetically pursued for the good of football and believe that it will help to reinforce measures that FIFA has already taken.”

The arrests were made by Swiss authorities in Zurich, acting on behalf of the US Attorney’s office for the Eastern District of the State of New York.

There has been widespread questions about Qatar’s suitability to hosting a World Cup due to its climate, employment rights and human rights issues, as well as reports that it paid FIFA executives to vote for the country to host the 2022 World Cup. It has since been confirmed that the World Cup will be moved to the winter of 2022, with many questioning the validity of the voting process that resulted in the Qatari bid’s success. An internal investigation by FIFA was not made public and FIFA concluded there was no wrong doing, but external authorities now seem to be taking steps to properly investigate the voting process.

These arrests come at trying times for Blatter, who is bidding to maintain his position as FIFA President in Friday’s election. This will come as a welcome PR boost to opponent Prince Ali of Jordan, who is standing as the UEFA candidate for the election.

Despite winning promotion to the Premier League, numerous reports are that Watford are ready to replace manager Slavisa Jokanovic with highly-rated Spaniard Quique Flores set to replace him at Vicarage Road.

Jokanovic, a Serbian, has been manager of Watford for under a year, joining in October of 2014 after previous spells at Hercules and Levski Sofia. He was appointed at a time of turmoil as the fourth Watford head coach in five weeks, but managed to stabilize the Hornets and achieve promotion with one game to spare this season. The manager is without Premier League managerial experience, but did have a two year stint as a footballer at Chelsea in the league over a decade ago.

His potential replacement, if media reports are to be believed, is a man with a plethora of experience in top flight soccer. Quique Flores has an extensive playing career at Valencia and Real Madrid, before managerial stints at Valencia, Benfica and Atletico Madrid, winning the Europa League with the latter club. Most recently, after coaching in the Middle East, he has been jobless since leaving Getafe in February for personal reasons. Though Flores certainly has an impressive managerial resume for a man of only 50, the sacking of Jokanovic may come as a shock to many followers of the North London club.

Flores was recently rumored to be close to a Premier League position as manager of West Bromwich Albionbefore the Midlands club eventually gave Pepe Mel control, so the idea of taking charge of a club tasked with Premier League survival is not out of the realm of possibility, with many reporting a formal approach has already been made to the Spaniard.

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Despite only just entering December, the first hints of new kits for the 2015/16 season have started to emerge. Images have been leaked of some Real Madrid kit concepts and track jackets. Three kits have been released, the first in the traditional Los Blancos white with a grey away and navy third choice strip also being leaked.

Real Madrid in recent years has pushed the boundaries with their kit releases, particularly in the away department. An ever controversial florescent pink kit was introduced this year and the olive green 2012/13 kit was an interesting concept that drew plaudits and criticisms in equal measure. However, the bold approach to away and alternative strips doesn’t appear to have continued into the new season, as Madrid have opted for more conservative options, if the leak is to be believed.

Traditional Adidas stripes don the shoulders of all three kits, but are one of few details present in the new leaks. This gives a sleek and dynamic look to the home and alternative strips. However, the grey kit with green detailing leaves something to be desired. The bold green doesn’t quite fit with the simplistic, chic look of the other kits, but also doesn’t match the boldness of the recent away kits. It’s a shame that the navy kit looks to be the alternative as it will see much less use than the grey away kit as the concept seems to fit with the design of the home strip, as well as Madrid’s efficient and slick play style in recent seasons.

Of course, with kit leaks there is nothing confirmed until the official club release, but these concepts could well prove to be the official club kit designs for the 15/16 season.

Crystal Palace have found themselves topping a table that none of the club will want, currently leading all Premier League sides in fouls per game after 12 gameweeks. The Eagles are also tied for the most sending offs of the season, level with Swansea and Manchester United on three dismissals each.

Perhaps this data can provide some insights into the playing style of Palace. Whilst they top the charts of fouls per game, they are well under the average number of yellow cards (22.85) and in fact sit fourth lowest in the league on yellow cards. Looking at their style of play under Neil Warnock illuminates why this may be the case. Often second best in possession, Palace are set up to soak up pressure and then hit quickly on the counter. The pace and tenacity of Dwight Gayle and Fraizer Campbell, alongside pacey wingers Yannick Bolasie and Jason Puncheon allow for this quick transition style play and Marouane  Chamakh’s deeper positioning shows their intent to sit deep and defend. As a result, we can see the initially confusing data set become clear, as Palace’s defensive approach is naturally going to allow the opposition to draw fouls. This explains why The Eagles top the fouls per game but are ranked lower when the teams are ranked by cautions and sending offs.

Top 20 Dirtiest Premier League Teams (based on fouls per game average)

On the other end of this idea is Arsenal. Low on the table when ranked by fouls per game, the Gunners have the highest total of cards so far this season. A lot has been made of Arsenal’s shortcomings when dealing with counter attacks and over committing when in attack this season, and perhaps this data set reinforces these ideas. Whilst the number of fouls Arsenal commit is low, the nature of the fouls, as they seek to desperately defend a counter attack causes more yellow cards to be shown to the players. Furthermore, a higher average pitch position could well lead to more bookings. Mile Jedinak and Mikel Arteta could foul a player in similar positions on the pitch, but because Arsenal are more likely to have fewer players behind the ball at the point of the challenge, the chance of a yellow card it higher. It must also be noted that certain players have been guilty of amassing a number of yellow cards on an individual level this year for the Gunners. Chambers and Wilshere between them have totaled 10 of Arsenal’s 31 cards, showing perhaps that individual improvement in their tackling may be required.

A similar theme is present in Chelsea’s data. Chelsea sits relatively low on the fouls per game table but have totalled 28 cards so far. Chelsea, in an effort to break down teams who will seat deep, will also often adopt a high pitch position and high playing full backs. Though they have obviously succeeded in combating the counter attack more than Arsenal, perhaps the price to pay here is a high yellow and red card ratio.

Elsewhere, one other anomaly is obvious when perusing the data. Southampton sits fifth on the fouls per 90 table but rock bottom of the disciplinary charts, with just 16 cautions and no red cards all season. Part of this has to simply be down to The Saints sublime defensive record. When a team is conceding as few as Southampton is (just 6 in their opening 12 games) it is unlikely that poor and mistimed challenges are causing a raft of yellow cards at the same time. However, the table gives us insight into Ronald Koeman’s pressing game that has been implemented at Saint Mary’s this season. High pressing in its nature is about taking defensive risks higher up the field, as the drawback is negligible but the reward remains very tempting. This pressing game could explain the high number of fouls compared to the minor amounts of bookings. Firstly, a pressing game is likely to involve lighter challenges from forward players, but the tackles and fouls are likely to be in a more fortunate position when a referee considers a caution.

What interesting observations can you glean from the above data? Share them with us and the readers in the comments section below.

Think you know the Premier League? Show us your soccer expertise by playing a fantasy soccer game against The Gaffer and fellow World Soccer Talk personalities on Draft11.com. It’s free to play, and if you finish in one of the top 5 positions, you’ll receive a cash prize of $25!

World Soccer Talk has partnered with Draft11.com, one of the leading games in the daily fantasy soccer space, to create a private league just for World Soccer Talk readers. Hurry and enter your fantasy team for this week’s upcoming Premier League matches before the Friday night deadline. And try to beat The Gaffer and World Soccer Talk personalities Nick Webster and Kartik Krishnaiyer who will be playing against you, too!

Draft11.com works in a different format to classic fantasy soccer, in that you pick a team for each weekend or round of fixtures, rather than on a season long basis. Simply pick a team under the salary cap and watch them collect points for goals, assists, passes, crosses and a host of other stats as the plays happen. The points system is different to all other fantasy games, so make sure to look into it before creating your team. After you register for free, you can continue to play for cash prizes on Premier League games (Champions League, Serie A, La Liga and Bundesliga games are also available).

To enter the game, visit Draft11.com and register for free. Then look for the “World Soccer Talk League” contest that’s listed on the homepage. Create your team, hit save and then you’re set! It’s free to play and it’s easy to register.

As a reminder, the Premier League teams in action this upcoming weekend are:

The matches on Match Day 13 are as follows (all times Eastern):

Saturday, November 29: 

West Brom vs Arsenal, 7:45am, NBCSN and mun2 and NBC Sports Live Extra
Manchester United vs Hull City, 10am, NBCSN & NBC Sports Live Extra
Liverpool vs Stoke, 10am, NBC Sports Live Extra
West Ham vs Newcastle, 10am, NBC Sports Live Extra
Swansea vs Crystal Palace, 10am, NBC Sports Live Extra
Burnley vs Aston Villa, 10am, NBC Sports Live Extra
QPR vs Leicester, 10am, NBC Sports Live Extra
Sunderland vs Chelsea, 12:30pm, NBC and NBC Sports Live Extra

Sunday, November 30: 

Southampton vs Man City, 8:30am, NBCSN and NBC Sports Live Extra
Spurs vs Everton, 11am, NBCSN and NBC Sports Live Extra

Southampton against Manchester City is the headline game. Who knows? Both of these clubs may end up battling for second place at the end of the season, so the match is going to be a huge one.

Plus, there are a host of other tricky fixtures you’ll have to navigate to beat our resident experts. Will Mario Balotelli return to inspire Liverpool to beat Stoke City at Anfield in order to avoid falling down the table? How will both Spurs and Everton perform after their Europa League hangover?

These are the kinds of questions you’ll be asking yourself.

The competition runs across the entire Premier League weekend, stretching right into the Sunday fixtures, so be sure to get your team registered at Draft11.com in order to enter.

We know you’re a Premier League expert, but now’s the opportunity to show us what you’re made of for a chance to win a cash prize.

Good luck, and may the best person win!

Every year, I push myself to make a fantasy soccer side. Usually based around the English Premier League, I pick my side that is going to see me top the world. And then I leave it. This year, I still have Olivier Giroud in the team, despite him being injured until the turn of the year. Two years ago, Alex Song stayed in my side for an entire season, despite him moving from Arsenal to Barcelona. Sometimes I want the fantasy experience, be it the glory of bragging to my mates or sitting for an hour, scouring statistics to make the correct choice. But for long stretches of the season, I don’t want to micro manage my fantasy side, and this often ruins the whole season for me.

Luckily, Draft11.com is a fantasy soccer platform that suits people like me. There is no season long commitment; you can play on whichever match day you choose, picking a squad for a single weekend to battle out against other entrants into the competition you enter. If you have a poor result one week then it doesn’t scar you for a season, you just pick a new squad next week!

Draft11.com is able to blend what many love about fantasy soccer with many new features that make the game more intuitive. Goals and assists are counted and you still name a captain for double points after picking a team that has to fit under a ‘salary cap’, much like any other fantasy platform. However passes, crosses, interceptions and a host of other stats are also included that may mark a good performance. As always, it is about prioritizing which stats are most valuable and how to pick your players around that theory, but it does at least give some viability to players who may not often be picked in other formats.

Players can always play for free, but for those who wish to put their money where their mouth is, cash competitions are available where prizes can be won! They work on an entry fee format, where one pays to get into the competition and wins rewards if the team’s performance does well enough to merit it. This is another added dynamic that can make fantasy soccer that bit more exciting, either as a wager between friends or a straight competition with other keen fans.

The English Premier League and Champions League competitions offer the full range of point scoring and deducting methods. Plus, Draft11.com has games available for other top European leagues too such as Serie A, Bundesliga and La Liga. Being able to dip and dive into different leagues across the same platform is a huge bonus for fans of the game that aren’t just tied to one particular league.

Live scoring is available via Stats Inc. so you are able to keep track of your team from the outset, which is especially important when your attention could well be diverted between numerous games. An intuitive scoring system, cash prizes and the ability to play only when you really want to make Draft11.com a great alternative to traditional fantasy soccer fans from all over the world. Signing up is easy and free, so give it a try out on the next match day!

Turning up six hours before kick off is something usually reserved for club staff, tourists and middle aged mothers who ‘want a little extra time to get there, just in case’. Despite being none of the above, that is exactly what I did last Thursday, as I stepped off the underground to face Wembley at 2pm for the England against San Marino game. I did this to attend a pre match event, hosted just over the road from Wembley at Carlsberg’s The Eternal Optimist pub, hosted by Soccer Saturday’s Jeff Stelling and featuring a host of former professionals, including Ian Wright, Matthew Le Tissier, and Chris Waddle as well as comedian Paddy McGuinness.

The day had a host of activities for the various competition winners and people lucky enough to be given tickets such as myself. A pre-match panel discussed England’s national side and the game in the evening, with questions posed from people selected by a prowling Geoff Shreeves who made his way around the room. Either side of this were DJ sets as the fans and guests could talk with the legends and enjoy a quality pub experience, packed with bar games, pool, table football and a number of FIFA 15 loaded Xbox Ones scattered across the premise. All backed by unlimited complementary beer, TV sets playing highlights of the England national side and overflowing platters of snacks, there was never really a dull moment. I couldn’t get enough, I drank too much, ate my weight in onion bhajis and talked with fans and players about everything from 3G pitches in non-league football to Scottish Independence to why my accumulator for the day was a terrible bet (it won though, didn’t it, Chris Waddle?). High end suits met with men clad in England shirts and memorabilia to form a melting pot of English fandom as various competition winners arrived from all walks of life – their common joy uniting them. Capped off by a set from The Lightning Seeds, most known for their hit single Three Lions (which was belted out from everyone in the room), it was hard to leave the building to head towards the game without feeling mightily patriotic.

The game itself was a foregone conclusion. England put five past San Marino after a slow start, but buoyed by the atmosphere, much created by those at the Carlsberg promo event, the game was a great experience. Despite only selling 55,000 tickets (Wembley seats 90,000), the bottom tier was close to full so the atmosphere was jovial and entertaining. Even Wembley’s terrible excuse for chips in curry sauce couldn’t dampen my spirits. After the game drinks were had once more at The Eternal Optimist as everyone else bustled towards the train home and we headed up to the balcony to overlook the national stadium and take photos in the cold London air.

In a way, the night ended on a melancholic note. As I left, I mentioned in passing to my girlfriend that ‘that is how all matches should be watched’, before instantly realising that this wasn’t going to be the case. I feel I should complain to Carlsberg, because the next few games I attend will pale in comparison to the experience that surrounded the England against San Marino game.

Ian Wright, Paddy McGuinness, Jeff Stelling and the Carlsberg Fan Squad put on the Ultimate England Experience for 1,000 fans at Wembley. The Carlsberg Fan Squad aims to make football BETTER for fans by listening to real fans, celebrating what is great about football and improving the experience of being a fan. Follow @CarlsbergUK for weekly Premier League ticket giveaways. That calls for a Carlsberg!

Positive injury news for Arsenal as Theo Walcott returns to training Arsenal and England winger Theo Walcott has returned to training at Arsenal’s London Colney training ground this week.

Walcott, 25, has been out of action since sustaining an injury in the 2-0 win over Tottenham back in January.

Walcott missed the remainder of the 2013/14 Premier League campaign as well as England’s brief World Cup outing in Brazil.

Young German starlet Serge Gnabry has also returned for the Gunners this week. The pair bolsters Arsenal’s attacking options significantly after long term injuries to Mesut Ozil, Olivier Giroud and Yaya Sanogo in recent weeks.

Questions remain over Arsenal’s medical staff, as the Londoners have again sustained a huge amount of injuries in the opening weeks of the season, but the return of the two attackers will help mitigate the effects of the current injury crisis.

More good injury news for the Gunners has also emerged, as rumors of Danny Welbeck sustaining an injury after seeming to limp off in England’s game against Estonia have also proven to be false. Walcott is likely to be named as a substitute in this weekend’s clash with Hull City, as Arsenal look to regain some league form.

The Gunners came through a tough run of fixtures to sit 8th after 7 games.

Mesut Ozil has suffered a knee injury that will rule him out of action for up to three months, the German national team announced today.

Ozil, 25, was assumed fit when he arrived for international duty, but a ligament injury was discovered by the team’s medical staff, who have estimated he will spend 10-12 weeks off the field. For Germany, their depth of talent should realistically cover themselves for their qualifiers against Poland and the Republic of Ireland, but for Arsenal, it only adds to their injury woes.

With many already on the injury table at Arsenal this will come as a huge blow, but many will ask if this could be a blessing in disguise for Ozil, who has looked out of sorts in recent weeks.

Saturday’s defeat for Arsenal at Stamford Bridge wasn’t one that echoed many of the short comings of the past. There were no cries of ‘boys against men’, nor claims that Arsenal can’t defend set pieces (though that theme has recurred somewhat this season). What happened was more a battle of two teams with largely similar approaches, which Chelsea rightly came out on top of. However, whilst the criticisms that armchair pundits launched at Arsenal for the last few years have disappeared, one new criticism has arisen. It usually sounds something like “£42 million…for him?”

Mesut Ozil arrived from the Bernabeu at the end of last season on a wave of optimism. A rare and genuine world class signing for Arsenal, it seemed to signify the end of an era, one in which the Gunners had to produce and develop their talent, rather than importing the readymade product. It was a surreal moment for Arsenal fans and when he broke away from the Sunderland back line, 10 minutes into his debut and placed an inch perfect pass into the oncoming Olivier Giroud, it still didn’t feel real. 1-0 Arsenal. They took the lead on the pitch, but more importantly, they’d taken the lead on the transfer market too.

The form continued, assists mixed with a few goals were perhaps overshadowed by Aaron Ramsey’s superb displays, but his talent was there for all to see.  His performances once he had settled were an intimidating prospect. What we weren’t to know is that we would still be waiting for him to truly settle, over a year on.

Certainly, Ozil seems to enjoy his new life. The German contingent in the Arsenal squad has helped him adapt and all accounts suggest he enjoys life in London. Whilst he seems to have transitioned well at the club, on the pitch it hasn’t been the case.

Firstly, there were cases of fans and onlookers mislabelling him as a player. People who expected him to be continually involved were misinformed. One could watch highlights of him and assume he exemplifies a bombastic, attacking threat that is so adored in English footballing culture, the type that takes games by the scruff of the neck and dictates them. Rather, Ozil has always tried to manipulate games as a puppet master, deftly moving the game to his will, rather than the ‘lead from the front general’ that Gerrard represented in his prime, or the tinkering engineers of David Silva and Santi Cazorla. The German would drift out of games for the purpose of drifting back in at the opportune moment, his movements on the pitch would be precise and with a quiet determination, but all too often now he drifts out of games now for extended periods, either not imposing or not being able to impose himself in his own way.

Of course, balance needs to be struck. Some criticism of Ozil manifests itself from ignorance, from not understanding his play style, or perhaps understanding and not accepting it. Recent data from Opta Stats suggest he was the most effective player in possession across the 2013/14 season – so some of the criticism he receives is surely misplaced. Ozil rarely cuts a figure of frustration when things don’t go his way. His philosophy of letting his talent speak for itself, rather than overexerting himself physically as a replacement for talent, often irks many of his potential admirers. What comes off as quiet confidence in a good performance can easily be seen as apathy when he isn’t firing. This adds to the idea that he isn’t performing.

However, this relaxed approach wouldn’t be criticised so much if there were results to silence it. As it is, Ozil’s off days are coming more and more regularly. Perhaps this season, the form could be a result of this undiagnosed injury, or could be a result of him having to adapt to two new faces in the attacking line up in the form of Alexis Sanchez and Danny Welbeck. However, these two signings should have given Arsenal the movement and penetration that a player like Ozil could thrive off. Every argument for why he is underperforming s not one that a world class player should use as an excuse. Reasons are there, explanations can be found as to why he isn’t at his best. But should a player of Mesut Ozil’s quality need excuses? Should a player 13 months into his career at a club still be experiencing teething problems?

Once more, balance is needed. Those who write him off as a poor player often don’t understand the nature of his game and how he can affect play in his subtle mannerisms. However, a player of his calibre should not be afforded so many excuses; a world class signing should not need everything to be perfect around him for his quality to shine through. Perhaps some time out of the spotlight and some time to reflect could well do him a favour. Or perhaps we need to redefine how we see Mesut Ozil. He provides moments of brilliance that few others are capable of, he changes games with single actions, and a lot of the positive aspects of his game often go unseen. However, we also know he doesn’t replicate these moments of brilliance often enough. To conclude this piece neatly is difficult, because Ozil himself has no neat conclusion. His story and career is open ended, much like when he is on form, he could advance from here in any direction. What we can say is that the next year or so will be crucial in how we remember the German.

Follow me on Twitter at @JMWillis01

Crystal Palace set foot into the 2014/15 season shrouded in doubts and controversy. Half way through last season Palace were rooted at the bottom of the table, but the introduction of Tony Pulis with a new, rigid style of play saw a five-match winning streak in April that secured Premier League football for Palace this season. However, as quickly as it looked like The Eagles fate was turning for the better, Pulis fell out with the club management and left the club without a man at the helm just a couple of days before the season started.

Truly, times looked troubling for the Londoners. The reappearance of Neil Warnock is hardly seen as a progressive stride akin to those made earlier in the year, and the lack of transfer funds available to the club has left a certain gloom over Selhurst Park in recent weeks.

The summer was mainly characterised by loans and free moves for Palace, and this has made their dealings somewhat underwhelming. Kevin Doyle, Fraizer Campbell and Brede Hangeland are all flirting with the standard necessary for Premier League survival, but are far from guarantors of safety. However, a loan move for Wilfried Zaha, who looks to be rediscovering some form, alongside moves for Martin Kelly and James McArthur are positive steps, despite a restricted budget. But despite some positive moves and departing players not meeting the standard, their summer must be categorized as a relative failure.

However, on the pitch, things appear a little better. An encouraging opening day performance against Arsenal has been followed by two draws and a fantastic win away to Everton, giving the South Londoners five points from their first 5 games. Now out of the relegation zone and with a kind run of fixtures coming up, Palace can go into these games with hope and an almost fully fit squad.

Much of Palace’s play rests on the shoulders of captain and Australian international Mile Jedinak. Often seen as a simple ‘destroyer’ in midfield, Jedinak has steadily increased his contributions more and more in forward positions during his Palace career and his partnership with McArthur will be a force to be reckoned with among the smaller Premier League clubs. If Zaha can rediscover some of the form that secured his transfer away from Selhurst, Palace may not face the poor season many predicted at the end of the transfer window.

There are, of course, still worries that will lurk in the minds of Palace fans. Warnock is a temperamental and sometimes confusing character, able to create tension in a dressing room and board room alike. The squad is also rather thin, whilst capable players have been brought in, it would only take a few injuries for the cracks to appear beneath the paper. The situation has improved, but remains extremely precarious. One feels that the walls could come crashing down on Palace rather quickly, be it through more boardroom trouble or a rough patch on the field.

Best XI

Speroni

Kelly, Dann, Delaney, Ward,

Jedinak, McArthur

Zaha, Chamakh, Bolasie

Campbell.

Season rating so far: 2.5 out of 5.

Listening to European soccer is to be made even easier this season with the renewal of radio services in the United States for Premier League and Bundesliga broadcasting rights.

talkSPORT, the world’s largest sports radio station, has been given the rights to broadcast coverage of all 380 Premier League fixtures in the 2014/15 season, broadcasting across 25 countries including the US and UK. The games shall be broadcast in 9 languages, including English and Spanish.

Premier League Chief Executive Richard Scudamore spoke of the deal, saying: “talkSPORT has for many years produced high quality radio commentary of Barclays Premier League matches in the UK, and successfully extended this to an international audience when they became our first global audio licensee two seasons ago.”

“We are extremely pleased that we will continue this partnership and look forward to working with them as they make Barclays Premier League radio commentary available in more languages and to more countries around the world.”

The deal means talkSPORT will be the host of Premier League radio across the US and the UK for the next three seasons. talkSPORT representative Scott Taunton said “Today’s announcement means we can extend talkSPORT into even more markets, as well as creating new opportunities for advertisers and sponsors. I’m pleased that talkSPORT’s ever growing international audience will now be able to look forward to listening to our world class live coverage of the Barclays Premier League for a further three seasons.”

TuneIn radio app will be carrying radio coverage of the Barclays Premier League, using their app to allow users to tune in to talkSPORT radio online and on the go. TuneIn is an ever growing company that is the most popular way to listen to thousands of radio stations from across the globe. Their dedicated talkSPORT channel gives ease of access to US listeners, which shall provide free coverage available in English, Spanish and Mandarin to all TuneIn users. Live coverage is complemented by news and player interviews via the app in their aim to bring a quality radio experience.

Finally, TuneIn has also struck a deal with the Bundesliga and SPORT1.fm to bring live Bundesliga coverage to US users in both English and German. An official Bundesliga channel will be available alongside SPORT1.fm’s coverage of the German top tier, giving ease of access to even more European soccer. Every single Bundesliga game will be broadcasted via the app, giving the user a vast array of choice when listening in. Free and available across the globe, TuneIn is bringing the radio experience back to soccer with a new and efficient service.

Angel Di Maria has released a personal statement following his transfer from Real Madrid to Manchester United, in which he insisted he never wanted to leave the Spanish capital.

Di Maria, 26, spent four years at Madrid, capitulating a superb final season with a Champions League victory. In his letter, he insisted he never wanted to leave Madrid for United, but that he felt forced to do so. The Argentine has just set a British transfer record after his £59m transfer.

In the letter, he has said: “My cycle at Real Madrid has come to an end. It’s impossible to capture all I have experienced here in a few lines, but this letter is to communicate how I’m feeling at the moment of parting.”

“In these four years I’ve had the honor of wearing this shirt I have felt nothing but pride for what I went through and what I have achieved with my teammates.

“Unfortunately today I have to go but I want to make it clear that this was never my desire. I’ve always wanted to progress, as anyone does in their job.

“I went to the World Cup after winning La Decima with the hope of getting some signal from the club but it never came. Many things and many lies were spoken.

“They always wanted to attribute the idea of leaving on me but that’s not what happened. Unfortunately my football isn’t liked by someone.

“The only thing I asked for is fairness. There are many things I value and many of them have nothing to do with my salary.

“I hope I can find them at Manchester United, one of the biggest clubs in the world and at which I’m hoping to make history.

“I’ve been lucky enough to share a dressing room with fantastic players, who have been even better companions. I think that was the key to La Decima.

“I want to apologize for the times I was wrong, on or off the pitch. It was never my intention to harm anyone. I sweated for this shirt in every game as if it was my last.”

The World Cup runner up was a key figure in Real Madrid’s success last year but has obviously felt ostracized over the course of the summer. The Argentine will be looking for a fresh start at Manchester United, but these developments perhaps enlighten all as to the nature of his departure.

You can follow Jordan on Twitter @JMWillis01

Crystal Palace has announced that Sporting Director Iain Moody has resigned from the club.

The incredibly laconic statement suggests that the evidence of racist, homophobic and sexist texts sent between Moody and ex-Cardiff manager Malky Mackay is the reason for the resignation.

This comes just days after Tony Pulis announced his departure from the club, following an internal struggle with the ownership over transfer funds. Pulis was picked by many as manager of the season after his miraculous recovery with Palace last season, leading them to safety from relegation.

Mackay, for a time, was tipped to become Palace boss after Pulis left the club, but the allegations being made and Moody’s resignation have quelled any such rumor.

When talking of South Korean international Kim Bo-Kyung, the two have been reported to have sent texts such as “Fkin chinkys. Fk it. There’s enough dogs in Cardiff for us all to go around”.

On agent Phil Smith, texts allegedly read “He’s a snake, a gay snake. Not to be trusted” and on a female football agent a damning allegedly text read “I bet you’d love a bounce on her falsies”.

These are just a handful of the texts that were allegedly sent that have resulted in Moody’s immediate resignation. For the individuals, it may make it much harder to find work at the top level for the foreseeable future. For Palace, it is more controversy and more instability at a time when neither was needed. The club needs to steady the ship with some swift and shrewd managerial recruitment to boost their hopes of Premier League survival.

You can follow Jordan Willis on Twitter @JMWillis01

Swansea City has revealed the signing of Argentine central defender Federico Fernandez from Napoli.

The defender, who played in the World Cup, will replace Chico Flores, who joined a club in Qatar earlier this month.

Fernandez, 25, who has failed to secure a regular starting spot at Napoli in his three year spell, was a part of the Argentina squad that reached the World Cup final in Brazil, making an appearance in the 2-1 victory over Bosnia.

After helping Napoli to their Copa Italia win last season, Fernandez has moved from the south of Italy to the south of Wales on a four year deal, for a fee believed to be around £7million.

After being tipped by many to struggle this season, Swansea opened up their season with a shock 2-1 win over Manchester United. This new signing will dampen the blow of Chico Flores’ move to Qatari club Lekhwiya SC, who reunited with former Swans manager Michael Laudrup. The 25-year old international has all the credentials to make a top Premier League centre back and will be a good addition in what could be seen as a strong summer of signings for the Swans.

You can follow Jordan Willis on Twitter @JMWillis01

Manchester United has confirmed that Sporting and Argentina left back Marcos Rojo has signed for the club, for a fee believed to be in the region of £16million. Luis Nani has been sent the other way on a season long loan.

Rojo will be unveiled as United footballer after he passes a medical and agrees personal terms.

Rojo, 24, featured and impressed in Argentina’s World Cup run. United has long been linked with the player, who may play as a left wing back or as part of a back three.

Nani, 27, has fallen out of favor at Old Trafford, becoming a scapegoat for the recent poor performances of last season. After showing promise in the early part of his seven year spell at United, he was never able to fully hit his potential. After being linked with a host of clubs, most notably Juventus, the player has ultimately landed in Lisbon for a year to attempt to revitalise his career.

United, who suffered a 2-1 defeat to Swansea at the weekend, has been largely criticised for their lack of transfer activity this summer. Before this signing, only Exeter City had made fewer signings this summer out of all 92 English football league clubs.

The signing of Rojo will be a bonus for United, but many at the club will be hoping for more than just the Argentine if they are to compete at the top again this season.

You can follow Jordan Willis on Twitter @JMWillis01

Premier League survival and a trip to Wembley, what more could a newly promoted side ask for? Last season’s FA Cup finalists Hull City must be pleased with the result of their season, even if it did end in disappointment.

Manager Steve Bruce puts it best, when he said in his first pre-match press conference: “I don’t think anything changes. I sat here this time last year and said that we have to stay in the Premier League. We’re now going into the second season and we’ve never lasted for longer than that so that is the challenge now.”

Survival is key to The Tigers. Whilst they may not have a similar cup run to serve as a distraction to their Premier League ambitions, they may well have to juggle a Europa League campaign if they come through their play off against Belgian side Lokeren. If so, the demands of playing regular midweek football is something that might stifle Steve Bruce’s squad. Last year, Hull relied on a very strong start in the league (losing 14 of their 21 matches after Christmas) and if they are hoping to rely on another strong start, they may be found wanting towards the end of the season.

In the transfer market, Hull have been far from dormant. Selling Shane Long for a reported £12million to Southampton after buying him six months earlier for just £7m is a great piece of business. They have also managed to sign Jake Livermore on a permanent deal from Tottenham after forging an impressive midfield partnership with Tom Huddlestone. Adding big names Robert Snodgrass and Tom Ince alongside lower profile Harry Maguire and Andrew Robertson will help bolster the squad. The former two hopefully making a meaningful impact for Steve Bruce’s side. One does have to wonder whether this will be enough to ensure they are able to compete in the Premier League again with the potential hindrance of European football. You only need look at Swansea last season to see how midweek games can really make league form suffer.

However, when found wanting, Steve Bruce was not happy to sit idly by and try the same thing over and over. He was regularly tinkering with his line up to combat individual teams, and a manager who is flexible can be worth its weight in gold for Premier League survival. Beyond this, Hull has been shown they are willing to spend if needed, with the £15million splurge on Nikica Jelavic and Shane Long potentially securing their survival last year. This perhaps shows that whilst their squad may not look complete at the moment, changes are always able to be made if there is a need for it. The downside to that is, that there probably will be a need for it.

For me, it all rests on how Hull approach the Europa League. I do dislike when clubs (largely from England) neglect the Europa League as a second rate competition, but when the financial gains are so heavily weighted towards the Premier League, sometimes it becomes a necessity. If the Hull management are able to keep their squad fresh, I feel they should scrape by. If not, it could become a very scrappy and nervous season for many Tigers fans.

Predicted finish: 16th

For more Tigers news, analysis and opinion, bookmark the Hull City team page.

Former Everton youth coach Alan Irvine takes control of West Bromwich Albion this season, giving him his first Premier League managerial role. Finishing 17th last year, leaving their survival until the penultimate game and going through a managerial change during the course of the season, most West Brom fans will be happy to put last season behind them. However, the Midlands side limped into their fourth successive Premier League campaign and look to have made good steps towards securing their future in the top division over the summer.

The summer transfer activity has been somewhat encouraging. Signing Joleon Lescott from Manchester City was a huge and early bonus that will help strengthen a weak defense. After starting the summer with no recognized full backs, Liverpool loanee Andre Wisdom, Costa Rican World Cup star Cristian Gamboa, Chris Baird and Andre Wisdom have come to fill in the gaps. With Ben Foster signing a new contract, Alan Irvine has obviously noted the weakness in defense that saw West Brom lose so many points from winning positions last season.

Further up the field, The Baggies have broken their transfer record for Nigeria and Dynamo Kiev striker Brown Ideye. He is somewhat of an unknown quantity, and the 25-year old was a startling omission from the Nigerian World Cup squad, but West Brom have shelled out £10million for the striker’s services, so big things will be expected of him. He has scored 33 times in his 74 outings for Kiev and will hope to transfer this form to the Premier League. He is definitely a gamble, but one that West Brom obviously have faith in.

Perhaps West Brom are still a little short in an attacking sense, though the contract extension of Graham Dorrans will help this. However, what is more important than this is the slightly unknown quantity of Alan Irvine. He has worked alongside David Moyes in a number of roles as well as having spells with Sheffield Wednesday and Preston North End in the lower leagues of English football. He hasn’t had great success with these sides, but people note him for his meticulous and thorough managing style as well as his good communication. Perhaps more than his abilities, his continuing presence will prove important. The West Brom players will have had to adapt their style mid-season as Pepe Mel replaced Steve Clarke, but at least with this change they have had a whole pre-season under their belt to prepare.

If West Brom is able to create some continuity this season, then they should be able to do enough to survive. They now have real Premier League experience and some exciting young talents to blend into their experienced line up. Last season has the potential to be just a blip on the radar of Premier League longevity, something that the Baggies may well be able to put behind them. With a new look, solid defense, West Brom should be able to build on the tatters of the previous year and push forward.

Predicted finish: 16th

You can follow Jordan Willis on Twitter  @JMWillis01

There are lots of fantasy soccer games out there, but a new site named Mondogoal has brought something unique and refreshing to the table. Mondogoal has set up a fantasy soccer game where you can compete for cash, every single match day. Combined with a beautiful and easy-to-use design, Mondogoal has emerged as a best-of-breed fantasy soccer game.

The game works on similar principles to other fantasy soccer games out there, in that you pick a team that meets the price conditions, and earn points based on their performances in a game.

Players choose 11 footballers from at least 3 teams and that team must fit under the salary cap of $100 million. Those players earn points for goals, assists and minutes played. Players, dependent on position, can also earn points from shots on target, passes completed, clean sheets, interceptions and saves.

Here’s where it gets interesting. You can create a team on every day when there is a match day in any of the following leagues (EPL, Serie A, La Liga, Ligue 1, Bundesliga and MLS). They host matchday, daily and weekly contests and there are plenty of user based competitions too. And if you come out on top, you can win cold, hard cash!

If you think you can manage your fantasy team to victory, you can win money in the process. And in addition to earning bragging rights, you can also win cold, hard cash. Meaning, thanks to Mondogoal — doing what you love most, watching the glorious game of soccer — will now be even more glorious because now you’ll be watching even more soccer, and maybe winning money in the process.

You can choose to compete in any of the aforementioned leagues or in a multi-league system where numerous leagues are accounted for. You can play against your friends or in non-pay games, or you can pay an entry fee to enter contests for money. Signing up is completely free, and you never have to pay a penny if you don’t want to. Being a skill-based game, this game is legal across the majority of the US.

The Mondogoal system utilizes Opta stats, a famous and reliable stats service that will give you every comfort in the reliability of the results. It will display an array of data to allow you to make informed choices. You can review the data and then make your pick of players up to 10 minutes before kick off, meaning there is no annoying line-up surprises to hamper your chances.

Through giving you a chance to create a team every week to enter, and by giving you the maximum possible time to pick your team, Mondogoal has eliminated a lot of the elements of luck from the traditional fantasy format. Essentially, they have designed a purer way to test your skill and knowledge in fantasy sports, and the added cash incentive is exactly what you need to stay competitive.

And then there’s the drama. With Mondogoal, there’s no “I’ll always have next week” excuses. You get the excitement of any entire fantasy league experience crammed right into 90 minutes of action. You’ll see the game in a new way, be cheering every tackle your defender makes and praising your forward for ‘giving the keeper an early test’, just because he netted you two points. Whether it’s a head to head against a friend, a single stranger or a group of players online, you’ll always have a way to make any matchday interesting and relevant.

Register for free today and experience why Mondogoal is so unique and addictive.

The draw for the second round of the League Cup was revealed tonight with 13 Premier League clubs joining the competition at this stage, while current holders Manchester City and the other clubs competing in Europe will join in the third round.

The mouthwatering game of the round features Milton Keynes Dons against Manchester United.

The games, which will be played during the week of August 25, are as follows:

Burton vs QPR
Port Vale vs Cardiff
Middlesbrough vs Preston
Stoke vs Portsmouth
Huddersfield vs Nottingham Forest
Swansea vs Rotherham
Watford vs Doncaster
Millwall vs Southampton
Bournemouth vs Northampton
Brentford vs Fulham
West Brom vs Oxford
Scunthorpe vs Reading
Derby vs Charlton
West Ham vs Sheffield United
Swindon vs Brighton
Leicester vs Shrewsbury
Crewe vs Bolton
Birmingham vs Sunderland
Gillingham vs Newcastle United
Norwich vs Crawley
Bradford vs Leeds United
Aston Villa vs Leyton Orient
Burnley vs Sheffield Wednesday
Walsall vs Crystal Palace
MK Dons vs Manchester United

For viewers in the United States, select games are televised live on beIN SPORTS.

You can follow Jordan Willis on Twitter @JMWillis01

EA Sports announced today that its making significant changes to goalkeepers in FIFA 15. It is part of its attempts to provide a more realistic gameplay experience, with keepers acting and moving a lot more like their real world counterparts. It is just one of an array of new features that FIFA 15 will bring to the franchise.

One such feature is the addition of the Turkish Super Lig. Previously, only the larger sides such as Galatasaray were featured in the game, but now the whole league is available. This certainly goes someway to softening the blow of losing the Brazilian league. The game also brings all 20 English Premier League stadiums to the game, with unique chants for each venue.

“We’re delivering innovations and improvements that have been at the top of our fans’ wish list: new goalkeepers, more responsive gameplay, and the Turkish Süper Lig,” said David Rutter, Vice President and General Manager at EA. “This year we’ve put the game in the hands of fans earlier than ever before, listened, and delivered what they want in gameplay, authenticity, and modes.”

FIFA Ultimate Team is also getting new features, with a ‘loan’ system available so you can try out potential players for a few games before purchasing (available through the FIFA catalogue). ‘Concept Squads’ is an in game version of a squad builder and you can now play ‘Friendly Seasons’, matching the idea of ‘Online Friendlies’ in the traditional online format.

A new ‘Team Management’ page in Career Mode helps fans customise their teams more thoroughly, with six different team sheets available for different tactics, streamlining the experience. EA have also added a highly customized individual player tactics feature.

‘EA Sports Football Club’ has also been renovated, adding new features to make the game more social and easier to interact with friends.

Finally, ‘Match Day Live’ is EA’s soccer news hub, bringing you the latest news stories and league tables directly into the FIFA 15 menu, allowing the player to keep in touch with reality whilst they play.

Mobile app users, watch the video here.

You can follow Jordan Willis on Twitter @JMWillis01

Richard Scudamore, Chief Executive of the Premier League, has reaffirmed his will for a 39th round of Premier League fixtures to be played abroad.

The idea drew a lot of criticism from the media and from fans when it was first proposed in 2008, but Scudamore has told the BBC that he and Premier League clubs would still be in favor of the move.

Scudamore, speaking at the official launch of the 2014/15 Premier League season, said: “The clubs wanted it then and they all would still probably want it now.

“It will happen at some point – whether it is on my watch, who knows?”

He has, however, noted that clubs do regularly travel the world on pre-season tours without the back drop of the Premier League and has said that having a 39th round of fixtures may not have much benefit over what is already the norm. This summer, records were broken as 109,318 flocked to Michigan to see Manchester United play Real Madrid.

On this, Scudamore said:”What has been interesting over the summer, particularly in the US, watching those audiences, you could argue that we don’t need to do it [bring in the 39th game].

“To get 102,000 [sic] to what we would call a pre-season friendly – you wouldn’t get more even if there was three points, six points, or even nine points riding on that particular game.”

Scudamore spoke publicly for the first time since being criticized over alleged sexist remarks in emailed he had sent. He took the time to defend the Premier League as the finest league in the world, despite global stars like Luis Suarez and James Rodriguez joining Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in Spain’s La Liga.

“The fact of the matter is we have got the most competitive league.

“The way we we distribute the TV rights to all the clubs, the way me make every club able to compete is very, very different to how they do it in other leagues – particularly in Spain.

“I would far rather have a league where we are talking about five, six, maybe seven teams that can possibly come and challenge to win the title.

“In Spain, it’s not quite the same in terms of strength in depth.”

Scudamore did also apologize for his emails that appeared to undermine the women’s game, saying: “We don’t see a gender split at all in terms of football.”

You can follow Jordan Willis on Twitter @JMWillis01

Louis Van Gaal has named Wayne Rooney as the captain of Manchester United, with Darren Fletcher taking the vice-captain position.

Rooney, 28, has been at Old Trafford since 2004 after his £26million move from Everton at the age of 18. He has since scored 158 goals in over 300 appearances for the club as well as lifting 5 Premier League titles. With the departure of senior players Patrice Evra, Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, Rooney has slotted into the captain’s armband for a new look United side.

Speaking to the official club website, Manchester United manager Louis Van Gaal said:

“For me it’s always very important the choice of captain. Wayne has shown a great attitude towards everything he does. I have been very impressed by his professionalism and his attitude to training and to my philosophy. He is a great inspiration to the younger members of the team and I believe he will put his heart and soul into his captaincy role.

“Darren Fletcher will become the vice-captain. Darren is a natural leader and will captain the team when Wayne isn’t playing. Darren is a very experienced player and a very popular member of the dressing room, I know he will work well alongside Wayne.”

Wayne Rooney said: “It is a huge honour for me – and for my family – to be named captain of this great club. It is a role I will perform with great pride. Team spirit has always been very high in our dressing room and I am very grateful to the manager for the faith he has shown in me. I look forward to leading the team out on Saturday at our first match of the new season.”

Darren Fletcher also told the club website: “I am delighted to have been named as vice-captain. It’s a very proud moment for me and my family. Wayne and I have always worked well together and we will continue to work closely together in our new roles. I would like to thank the manager for putting his trust in me.”

You can follow Jordan Willis on Twitter  @JMWillis01

Hull City forward Shane Long has been linked with a move to Southampton for a fee of £12million, reports Sky Sports News anchor Jim White.

Long, 27, only moved to Hull City in the January transfer window this year, and has netted 4 times in 15 games during his time at the KC Stadium. His fee at the time was £7million as he came in alongside Croatian Nikica Jelavic in a bid to keep The Tigers in the Premier League.

Shane Long has enjoyed spells at Reading and West Brom during his career, but has failed to ever hit a double digit scoring tally in the top flight of English football. However, his ability to create space for teammates and his notorious hard work have gained many plaudits over his career. His £12million transfer would follow Fraser Forster’s arrival from Celtic, as Southampton look to replenish their depleted squad.

Southampton have suffered heavy personnel losses this summer with Luke Shaw, Dejan Lovren, Rickie Lambert, Adam Lallana and Calum Chambers all leaving St Mary’s for larger clubs in England this summer. Ronald Koeman now seems to be using these funds to support moves to replace these stars.

You can follow Jordan Willis on Twitter @JMWillis01

The Football Supporters Federation (FSF) will be marching on the Premier League and Football League headquarters in London on Thursday to demand affordable ticket prices.

Soccer fans are protesting the rising ticket prices, particularly in the Premier League, that they claim are excluding many soccer fans from attending games.

Ticket prices have risen much above the rate of inflation in recent years, with more and more lucrative broadcasting and sponsorship deals being signed along the way. The FSF is campaigning on the grounds that in an ever more lucrative environment, clubs could sacrifice gate money to provide a more accessible Premier League, to those of all income brackets.

It’s important to recognize that there have been steps taken. Clubs are now required to provide certain assistance to away day travelers, in the form of subsidizing costs or providing free travel to away games further away. The FSF would say that these types of regulations are a small measure that doesn’t solve the issue.

Of course, if clubs are continually selling out their stadiums, there may be little financial incentive to cut ticket prices. Though there is an ever increasing amount of money in top flight soccer, gate money still provides an important source of income for all clubs.

Whilst there has been a lot of media attention in recent years on rising ticket prices, drawing comparisons towards what is seen as the more affordable German Bundesliga, a recent report concluded that much of the data presented can be misleading, and once one accounts for promoted clubs adjusting their prices, the rise in ticket prices is minimal.

The debate is certainly one that will rage onward. Though one has sympathy for fans who have been excluded from following their Premier League clubs, the hyperbole and misleading statements from all sides make it difficult to get a clear view of the situation for many onlookers. This march will be part of a continuing, wider protest from soccer fans to make soccer more accessible, and the debate is unlikely to end any time soon.

Read more details regarding the march on the Premier League and Football League headquarters.

H/T SportingIntelligence for the ticket prices data.

You can follow Jordan Willis on Twitter @JMWillis01

Hatem Ben Arfa has taken another move to damage relations with his club Newcastle United, after announcing he shall hold his own ‘meet and greet’ with Newcastle fans, after being excluded from the open training session being held on the same day. However, he has been advised to cancel the event to limit the damage of an already rocky relationship with NUFC.

The session, which was to be held Tuesday night, would have taken place at The Back Page book store in Newcastle. Ben Arfa is still popular among many Newcastle fans and would have drawn attention away from Newcastle’s own public events.

Ben Arfa, 27, was excluded from the senior squad after a fallout with manager Alan Pardew over his laziness on the pitch and fitness concerns, and has been training with the reserves over the summer. Newcastle are keen to sell the midfielder, but the French international seems willing to run down the final year of his contract at St James’ Park.

Ben Arfa disputes Newcastle’s claims that he has come back to preseason overweight, and this debacle only adds to the pressure on the Newcastle management.

Ben Arfa famously organized his own meeting with newspaper journalists last spring and was fined two weeks wages for breaking club rules, showing it isn’t the first time Ben Arfa has acted out against his parent club. The severity of the punishment for this action is as of yet unknown, though he will have obviously soured an already poor relationship with Newcastle, and perhaps put off other potential suitors.

You can follow Jordan Willis on Twitter @JMWillis01

Several Premier League clubs are set to start utilizing the database of players used by computer game Football Manager to help scout out talent across the globe.

Everton has been reported to be using the database for a number of years, which delivers highly specific and accurate information about players in a wide range of leagues across the world.

Sports Interactive, the creators of the Football Manager phenomenon, are planning on letting analysis company Prozone use their database in their Prozone Recruiter product, which many clubs will use to scout talent.

The details of players’ contractual, positional and biographical information from Football Manager will be added to Prozone’s existing data, which provides video footage and data of tens of thousands of players from around the globe.

CEO of Prozone Thomas Schmider said: “Prozone Recruiter has been built to supplement the intuition of scouts and coaches by delivering detailed performance information on over 80,000 players worldwide.”

“The Sports Interactive database is a highly accurate and valuable resource that will further enhance the recruitment services that we provide. The integration of Sports Interactive data further establishes Recruiter as the most comprehensive recruitment and asset management platform available.”

Miles Jacobson of Sports Interactive, said:

“For years we’ve heard stories of real-life managers and scouts using our data to help with the recruitment process. From now on, it’s official…real managers around the world will be finding and comparing players using data and a search system that will be very familiar to players of Football Manager.

“The information gathered by our network of more than 1,300 scouts around the world, combined with Prozone’s amazing performance data, makes this an invaluable tool for any football club that takes player recruitment seriously.”

You can follow Jordan Willis on Twitter @JMWillis01

Manchester City has today confirmed the signing of France and Porto defender Eliaquim Mangala nearly three weeks after the club released a video of the player being interviewed as a City footballer.

Mangala, 23, has impressed many in Porto since his move from Standard Liege, having a standout season last year for the Portuguese side.

The fee, widely reported to be in the region of £32million, has seen the central defender move from Portugal to Manchester, reuniting him with team mate Fernando. He will look to cement a place in Manchester City’s back line, which often looked frail without Vincent Kompany’s presence including City’s woeful performance against Arsenal on Sunday in the Community Shield.

Mangala has made 3 appearances for France and made the French World Cup squad, though failed to make any appearances in Brazil.

The Frenchman said of the move: “City is a top club in Europe. For me, it was an important step to leave Porto and join Manchester City in order to continue my progress. I want to win titles and I believe I can do this. I am ambitious and this is why I am here.

“I’m very happy to come to England because for me, the Premier League is the best league in the world. It is a very intense and very aggressive competition. There are plenty of goals, so it is also really nice to watch and I can’t wait to get started!”

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini, who spilled the details of the transfer in a pre-match interview for yesterday’s Community Shield, said: “I’m delighted to have added a player of Eliaquim’s quality in the squad ahead of the new season.

“He is already a fine player but in my opinion, he has all of the mental, physical, technical and tactical attributes to become one of Europe’s very best defenders.

“Eliaquim is a player I believe will make an immediate impact in the Premier League, thanks to his physicality, his reading of the game and quality on the ball.

“I think he will prove to be a great signing for us.”

He will face competition from Martin Demichelis and Matija Nastasic for a starting place alongside captain Vincent Kompany, though the centre back position was perhaps an area City looked a little short last year.

You can follow Jordan Willis on Twitter  @JMWillis01

Scotland has taken a novel approach to find some of the best young talent south of the border in England by hosting a training camp not in Glasgow or Edinburgh, but deep in the heart of England to scout almost 70 youth players who would be eligible to play for Scotland.

The training camp was set up in the Midlands and attracted talent from a host of Premier League academies as well as Spanish-born Jack Harper of Real Madrid. The Scottish Football Association sourced players with Scottish heritage between the ages of 14 and 20, working both as a camp for scouting talent as well as convincing them to play international soccer for Scotland.

Scotland Performance Director Mark Wotte recently spoke to The Herald newspaper about the training camp:

“We decided rather than fly the players up to Scotland to train, we would set up a camp in England. It makes more sense for the coaches to go to them.

“There are 24 academies in England and we have to tap into them, because not every player will get the chance to play for England.

“We have taken steps to source players with a Scottish heritage and the response we’ve had has been excellent.

“Of course, there is a risk involved that you want a player to pledge himself to Scotland and they do so but decide to play for England at the last minute. It happened to us with Southampton’s Sam Gallagher; that was disappointing and frustrating. But, then, we have had the positive in someone such as Ikechi Anya at Watford, who has made an impact for the full national team.

“We have to broaden our horizons and accept that not every player will be born in Scotland and spend all of his young life there. We must not restrict ourselves.

“If you look at the Germany team that won the World Cup, not every player was born in Germany. France hasn’t had success because every player was born in France. It’s the same with Holland.”

The question that obviously arises out of this is whether this is acceptable. Of course, all the players at the camp are able to play for Scotland, but when one looks at it as ‘poaching’ another nation’s talent, it becomes something of a moral dilemma.

This isn’t to say that people who hold dual heritage or citizenship should be tunneled into one single nationality. Players have every right to choose where they play, and players also have every right to their own reasons why they play for the nation they choose. Whether they choose a country for a better chance of success, for the purposes of their heritage or identity or perhaps or even because they don’t realistically have a chance of playing for another nation they are eligible for (such as Shola Ameobi representing Nigeria instead of England) – each player has the right to their own decision. What is morally questionable is planting these choices into a 14-year old’s mind. Youth players are not allowed to sign professional contracts at this age, and perhaps the same ethics that formed this rule makes me question whether this is acceptable behavior.

Of course, many players have played for teams at youth levels and then go on to commit their future to another nation (such as Carl Jenkinson, who switched from Finland to England), but offering these camps building an affinity to a nation at aged 14 you are establishing the basis of a decision that should be deeply personal. Perhaps because the Scots have often been seen as footballing minnows compared to their English neighbors, with many players over the years having played for England despite Scottish heritage, this practice is seen as acceptable.

If the Spanish were looking to hold camps in Argentina, where many share heritage, I wonder if this would be held in a more negative light than it is with a Scottish camp in England. Just because the talent pool is smaller in Scotland, does not mean that accessing and convincing talent as young as 14 to play for a particular nation is acceptable. If Spain was to find the next Lionel Messi or Gonzalo Higuain and convince them of their international future at 14, would there not be uproar? I am not against a player playing for any nation that they choose or for any reason, as long as it abides by the relevant ancestry and citizenship laws and regulations, but to try to convince and manipulate the decisions of those that are so young is cynical at best, and irresponsible at worst.

You can follow Jordan Willis on Twitter  @JMWillis01

Real Madrid and Levante have managed to agree terms for the sale of goalkeeper Keylor Navas, according to Real Madrid’s club website.

Navas, 27, had an outstanding World Cup as a central part of Costa Rica’s run to the quarter finals, bringing the attention of many potential suitors. However, it is Madrid who have won the race to sign the Levante stopper, who has always been held in very high esteem by those who follow La Liga.

Navas joins a heated battle for the number 1 spot at Madrid, with a battle raging over the last two years between Diego Lopez and Iker Casillas. Casillas has fallen out of favor in recent years at the Bernabeu, but still holds his starting spot for Spain. Both Casillas and Diego Lopez have been rumored to be on the move away from Madrid and Keylor Navas’ arrival has all but confirmed one will leave the club during this window.

The player has undergone his medical at Madrid and will be presented on Tuesday at 13:00 CET.

The fee is rumored to be in the region of $13.5 million, as the player was entering the final year of his contract at Levante. After two years, he made 46 appearances for the Valencia based side and currently has 58 caps for his national team. The World Cup Golden Glove nominee is said to be commanding a wage of $3.4million a year.

You can follow Jordan Willis on Twitter @JMWillis01

Ever wanted to play a fantasy soccer game which allows you to select your players from multiple European leagues? Choosing from one league can often lead to similar sides and boring results, or perhaps you’re a fan of not just EPL but also one of the other major European sides. Maybe you don’t watch much EPL or you enjoy watching La Liga as much as EPL, meaning your expertise lies in multiple leagues. Euro Fantasy League is the free solution to all these issues, bringing you a new format of fantasy soccer.

Choose your favorite players from the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga and Ligue 1 to make your all star European squad in this new and exciting challenge to fantasy soccer. Knowledge of all five major leagues is key to success in this game, which also brings a new format to fantasy soccer.

You can play a more traditional format, that is, a league where you build a squad of 14 players on a budget of 100m and pick your starting lineup ahead of weekly matches to maximize your points. Within this, you can create mini leagues to play against your friends or online communities and battle out in a straight contest for the highest points. All of your players can be from one league, but you may only have a maximum of 3 players from one club.

In the latest and perhaps more challenging format, you can play what is referred to as the Draft Game. Playing with your friends in the draft league format, you all have to have a completely unique side, with no players duplicated in your league. The process for picking these players is that the first players to join the league get their first pick for players, and then on the second round of picks the order of choosing is reversed. So once Lionel Messi has been picked by the first person who wants him, the option to sign him to your fantasy roster has gone. In this format you don’t have to worry about a budget or team restrictions, but the skill comes in strategically placing your picks at the right time and place in the order. Why pick a popular winger like Jesus Navas when Juan Cuadrado could do a similar job and be less popular and more likely to be a late pick. This is where having a huge player base across five leagues comes in handy, and where out witting your opponents becomes half of the game.

You can register a team in both formats, and have as many different teams as you want all for free! You are allowed 20 free transfers across the whole season, and after that you have to pick, and purchase, from one of the available packages to make additional transfers (regardless of how many teams you have). Only those over 18 can purchase extra transfers.

Points are earned by players for goals and assists, with an equal amount of points earned regardless of position (and a small bonus for a hat trick). On the defensive side, midfielders, defenders and goalkeepers can all earn points for clean sheets (the points totals are staggered, so goalkeepers earn the most). Points are lost by defenders and goalkeepers who concede two or more in a game, as well as for red and yellow cards and missing penalties. A comprehensive stats system is implemented on the site to help you make informed choices and is updated following fixtures.

You can sub in a substitute for a starter at any point as long as it is more than 5 minutes before the start of a match and substitutes become active as soon as you put them in (apart from in the middle of fixtures).

This is not only an exciting addition to fantasy soccer, but gives people the opportunity to pick up an interest in new leagues and soccer clubs they may not have followed previously.

Sign up for Euro Fantasy League today for free, and enjoy a different and exceptional fantasy soccer experience.

Ayr United has released their new shirt for the 2014/15 season in a unique way, by using body paint on a topless model. Though unexpected for almost any other club on the planet, Ayr is continuing the trend they started last year.

The slick black shirt sports a white collar and cuffs on the sleeves, with the bodog sponsor name strategically featured underneath the chest. The white seam is a nice touch, and the shorts look as though they will be intimidating to opposition, at the very least.

Ayr United plays in the Scottish League One, the third tier of the Scottish Professional Football League.

The shirt is available from the Ayr United club shop. Model not included.

US international Geoff Cameron has as many as nine clubs trying to sign him this summer, according to reports in the Stoke Sentinel newspaper.

Cameron has been used primarily as a make shift right back over the past two seasons at the Britannia, though with the introduction of Phil Bardsley from Sunderland on a free transfer, that position may be under threat.

The American is more comfortable in the centre back role or in midfield than right back, though it is as of yet unclear if Stoke City manager Mark Hughes sees him featuring in those positions regularly. US boss Jurgen Klinsmann would favor a move away if it meant more time in his favoured positions.

The clubs, five in England and four in the German Bundesliga, are all interested in the 29-year old. Sunderland and Hull have widely reported interest, though the Stoke Sentinel also names West Brom, Swansea and Southampton as the remaining clubs interested in the footballer. With Dejan Lovren departing Southampton for Liverpool, perhaps a move to a regular spot at centre back could tempt Cameron. Though Stoke are in no real hurry to sell, Cameron could well want a move away whilst he is still at the peak of his career.

You can follow Jordan Willis on Twitter @JMWillis01

Former Barcelona manager Tato Martino will be offered the vacant managerial position with Argentina, according to a report from South America.

The position has been left vacant since Alejandro Sabella confirmed that he has resigned from the position as head coach. According to Canchellena, there were a long list of candidates including Jose Pekerman and Diego Simeone, but Martino has proven to be the way forward for the AFA.

Mundo Deportivo are also reporting that a member of the Paraguayan FA has told Radio Cardinal that Paraguay’s approach for Martino to manage their national side has been rejected, so this rumor has substantial basis.

If he is to take on the job, Martino will be reunited with Argentine pair Lionel Messi and Javier Mascherano who played under him at Barcelona. Martino started the season at Barcelona positively, playing a quicker and more direct form of soccer that lead to a 21 game unbeaten streak to start his tenure, but his season started to lose momentum towards the latter stages of the season. He won the Supercopa de Espana, the Spanish equivalent to the Community Shield, but failed to add to his trophy tally by the end of the season, before announcing his resignation.

Spending just a single season at Barcelona, the former Paraguay and Newell’s Old Boys coach may well be looking for a hasty return to soccer, and the vacancy at Argentina could provide him with that opportunity.

You can follow Jordan Willis on Twitter @JMWillis01

The US Soccer Federation has extended the contract of assistant coach Andreas Herzog until the 2018 World Cup in Russia, according to a report from Germany.

Herzog, an integral part to Jurgen Klinsmann’s team that oversaw the United States’ impressive performance in the 2014 World Cup, will not only be a part of the preparations and lead up to the World Cup, but also to the Gold Cup in 2015, Copa America 2016 and, if qualifying, the Confederations Cup of 2017.

Herzog said to ServusTV: “My contract will be extended for another four years. I am very proud of it [my work so far].”

The US will be looking to build on the foundations of 2014, not just on the pitch but also commercially. The 45-year old recognized the support for the US National Team, saying: “The football in the United States has never had this recognition. This has changed for the World Cup.” He added that the development must spur onward, urging for “a competition like the Champions League in the U.S., so the U.S. teams will be stronger.”

It appears that he sees the US’ encouraging performance in Brazil, that won over many onlookers from within the country and abroad, not as a success in itself but as part of a longer ambition to strengthen the game within the country. These are encouraging signs for the United States, and being able to keep hold of the managerial talent at the top of the US game is a good step towards continuing the success.

You can follow Jordan Willis on Twitter @JMWillis01

Liverpool Football Club has announced the signing of 19-year old Belgium striker Divock Origi.

Liverpool paid £10m to acquire the services of the young forward on a five year deal from French club Lille, but he will remain at the French club for a further season on loan.

Origi has netted six times in his 40 appearances at Lille, and impressed many during the World Cup, where he displaced a misfiring Romelu Lukaku as starting striker and netted the crucial goal in Belgium’s 1-0 win over Russia.

He is a strong forward with good attacking instinct who shall look forward to more first team opportunities and a chance to develop further at Lille.

He flew out to the United States to meet Liverpool and finish up the deal. Upon arriving at the club, he said: “I am very, very happy and delighted a club as big as Liverpool showed interest in me. I’m very excited.

“I know it’s a club with a great history, great fans and a lot of great players. For me, Liverpool is one of the greatest clubs in the world and I’m very excited to be part of this great history.”

Firmly labeled as one for the future, it will be interesting to watch his development in France and see when he is afforded first team opportunities at Liverpool.

You can follow Jordan Willis on Twitter @JMWillis01

Southampton footballers Jay Rodriguez and Morgan Schneiderlin are both set to join Tottenham Hotspur, the BBC has reported today.

Southampton are experiencing an exodus this summer with Rickie Lambert, Adam Lallana and Dejan Lovren to Liverpool, and Luke Shaw to Manchester United, as well as Calum Chambers to Arsenal — all leaving for teams sitting above them in the table.

Now it seems that two more first team regulars are set to depart St Mary’s to rejoin former Saints manager Mauricio Pochettino at White Hart Lane.

Though Southampton managed to adequately replace Pochettino with experienced Dutchman Ronald Koeman, Southampton has failed to hold onto many of their first team players that were crucial to their successful Premier League performance last year.

Though figures haven’t been released, it is believed that a fee of £25million would see Southampton willing to part with Schneiderlin. The 25 year old Frenchman has had a break out season, being linked to many top clubs and making his debut for the French national side.

Jay Rodriguez has also enjoyed a successful season at St Mary’s. Though an injury kept him out of the England World Cup squad, he made his international debut last season in the process of scoring 15 goals for the Saints.

Whilst many players have been departing St Mary’s, there has been little positive transfer activity for Southampton, with no new signings thought to be imminent.

You can follow Jordan Willis on Twitter  @JMWillis01

Everton has signed 21-year old Bosnian international midfielder Muhamed Besic on a five year deal for a transfer fee reportedly around £4million.

Signing from Hungarian side Ferencvaros, the young Bosnian has impressed many with his performances for Bosnia in Brazil. After spending two years in Germany with Hamburg, he failed to cement a spot in the first team and reportedly had troubles with the manager Torsten Fink. Besic then moved to Hungary in 2012, making 47 appearances for Ferencvaros and winning the Hungarian Cup. He made his international debut for Bosnia at just 18 years old, making him Bosnia’s youngest ever player, and has since added 11 more appearances.

He is known for his energy and flexibility, being equally competent in defense and midfield. Though Bosnia failed to progress from the group stages, he put in impressive performances that attracted many suitors.

Roberto Martinez said of the signing: “Muhamed is a young footballer who has developed massively in the last two seasons. He has been playing as a centre-half and as a defensive midfielder at an incredible level.

“What he did with Bosnia and Herzegovina in the World Cup, he showed that he is a really mature footballer, that he covers the ground really well, that he is very dynamic and technically very gifted.

“He is bringing us really good strength in an important part of the side.”

He is expected to join training shortly, and perhaps feature in Everton’s final pre season fixture against Porto.

You can follow Jordan Willis on Twitter @JMWillis01

Southampton center back Dejan Lovren has completed his medical and is officially a Liverpool player.

Lovren, 25, spent just a solitary season at St Mary’s, scoring twice in 31 appearances. He becomes the third Southampton player to join Liverpool in this window, joining English pair Rickie Lambert and Adam Lallana.

The fee is believed to be in the region of £20million, meaning Liverpool have paid Southampton close to £50million for the trio. The Saints have now lost four first team players in this transfer window, with right back Calum Chambers being constantly linked to Arsenal, and Morgan Schneiderlin being targeted by both Spurs and Arsenal.

Lovren joined Southampton in the 2013 summer window after a mixed time at Lyon, but then Southampton manager Mauricio Pochettino brought the best out of the Croatian in an impressive season for the Saints and Lovren.

He then went on to feature in all of Croatia’s three fixtures in the 2014 World Cup, giving away a controversial penalty to Fred of Brazil in the opening game.

Liverpool will be looking to sure up their defense, after conceding 50 goals in the Premier League last season, 13 more than league winners Manchester City.

Also at Anfield, it is being reported that QPR striker Loic Remy has failed his medical at Liverpool ahead of his potential move to the club. The club declined to comment on the situation, but Remy has a known heart defect since his signing for Marseille in 2009.

You can follow Jordan Willis on Twitter @JMWillis01

Hull City manager Steve Bruce has been quoted as saying he wants to bring Arsenal’s young right back, Carl Jenkinson, to the KC stadium on a one year loan deal.

Jenkinson, 22, made his England debut in 2012 but has struggled to make an impact at Arsenal, only making 37 appearances in 3 years at the Emirates Stadium since his move from Charlton. Though Bacary Sagna has departed the club, new signing Mathieu Debuchy and the imminent arrival of Calum Chambers from Southampton could mean Jenkinson’s playtime is once again limited.

Arsenal would be willing to let the young Englishman leave on a loan deal and Steve Bruce is keen on the youngster.

On Carl Jenkinson, he has said:

“I had a conversation with Arsenal about four or five weeks ago to see if it was possible. And apparently so, it might be.

“We’ll look at that situation but we haven’t had confirmation from Arsenal. I would hate to speak out of turn but we are led to believe the kid might be available – and if he is, then of course we would be interested.”

Due to injury concerns and lack of depth, Hull is looking to bolster their defensive options ahead of their Premier and Europa League campaigns, with Dundee left back Andy Robertson expected to complete his move to The Tigers soon.

However, reports suggest they are not the only ones interested, with reports suggesting West Ham, Swansea and Sunderland are all looking at Jenkinson as an option.

You can follow Jordan Willis on Twitter @JMWillis01

From the 2014 FIFA World Cup, FIFA generated $4.4 billion in revenue and $2 billion profit, which are record numbers for the world soccer’s governing body, according to a report by German business newspaper Handelsblatt.

The revenue figure of $4.4 billion is an increase from the $4 billion generated from the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, whilst the profit remains at $2 billion, the same figure from four years ago.

However, despite the profits, the organization has so far failed to assign over half of the profits, with the money currently sitting in one of FIFA’s fixed deposit accounts. Meanwhile $570 million of the profits is to be divided up amongst the competing nations, with the DFB of Germany collecting $34 million for winning the World Cup. Each World Cup participating nation will collect $160 million as compensation for their players competing in the tournament and $198 million is to be split between the 209 member nations of FIFA.

After accounting for the distribution of the money, this leaves $1.2 billion from FIFA World Cup 2014, sitting in the bank accounts of FIFA.

You can follow Jordan Willis on Twitter @JMWillis01

Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku is reportedly on his way to Wolfsburg to sign a £20million deal with the Bundesliga club.

In the United Kingdom, Sky Bet has suspended betting on Lukaku joining Wolfsburg, so there appears to be some weight to the transfer rumor.

Lukaku, 21, has spent the last two seasons on loan away from Chelsea at West Brom and Everton respectively, scoring 32 goals in the process. Though some found his form, particularly under Roberto Martinez at Everton, encouraging, others raised questions of his potential to lead the line at Chelsea.

Lukaku has often reaffirmed his desire to start and feature regularly at Stamford Bridge, but Jose Mourinho has already brought in Diego Costa from Atletico Madrid, as well as announcing the signing of Didier Drogba on a one year deal earlier this week. With Fernando Torres still under contract, it certainly appears that there will be at least one departure from the Chelsea strike force.

The transfer is inextricably linked to the signing of Didier Drogba. Many saw Drogba’s arrival as a positive sign for the young Belgian, that he would learn and develop underneath the guidance of the Chelsea legend, but it could well be that the re-signing of the Ivorian shows Jose Mourinho’s lack of faith in Lukaku.

Everton were keen to acquire the services of Romelu Lukaku again, be it on another loan or on a permanent basis, but it is unlikely they will be able to match the fee that Wolfsburg has offered. The Germans seem to be in pole position for his signature, where he would reunite with fellow Belgian and ex Chelsea player, Kevin de Bruyne. Though in very early stages, it will be interesting to see how this rumor develops.

You can follow Jordan Willis on Twitter @JMWillis01

Cristiano Ronaldo is set to become rapper Lil Wayne’s first soccer client in a new sports management company, according to a report in the New York Daily News.

In one of the more bizarre stories of the week, the New Orleans rapper Lil Wayne is starting his own sports management company. Though Wayne is an avid basketball fan, rumors are that Real Madrid and Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo will be one of his first clients. He is set to manage all of Ronaldo’s business in the United States, which would be a huge deal to announce alongside his sports management startup.

Lil Wayne and Ronaldo are reported to be good friends, who exchange regular contact on social media sites, which seems to be fueling the speculation of Ronaldo signing to Wayne’s Young Money/Cash Money brand. Wayne already manages a successful record label of the same name.

Ronaldo, who is scheduled to arrive in Los Angeles today to join up with the Real Madrid squad, will be looking forward from a disappointing World Cup performance, where a niggling knee injury stifled his performance as Portugal crashed out at the group stages of the competition.

Chelsea has confirmed that the club has signed Didier Drogba on a one year deal, bringing him back to Stamford Bridge in a player capacity, and to help him transition into coaching after the 2014/15 season ends.

“Drogba of course needs no introduction,” announced the official club website. A Chelsea legend, Drogba is capable of terrorizing defenses across world soccer, who scored 157 goals for the Londoners, the last of which famously helped them to a Champions League victory in 2012.

Now 36, in the two years away from the Bridge he spent time in China and with Turkish giants Galatasaray before deciding to return to London.

On signing a new deal, Drogba said: “It was an easy decision – I couldn’t turn down the opportunity to work with Jose again. Everyone knows the special relationship I have with this club and it has always felt like home to me.

‘My desire to win is still the same and I look forward to the opportunity to help this team. I am excited for this next chapter of my career.”

Jose Mourinho, who brought out the best of Drogba in his first stint at Chelsea, said: “He’s coming because he’s one of the best strikers in Europe. I know his personality very well and I know if he comes back he’s not protected by history or what he’s done for this club previously. He is coming with the mentality to make more history.”

Mourinho is obviously trying to answer questions of his age and capability of playing at the top, but Drogba’s playing style is perhaps suited to longevity more than many other top striker, including last season’s veteran signing Samuel Eto’o. However, Chelsea currently has four senior strikers playing in their squad, with Drogba joining Fernando Torres, new signing Diego Costa and Romelu Lukaku, who returned from a loan spell at Everton. Unless we see a drastic change of tactics from Mourinho, it is likely only one of these will feature at any time.

The obvious way to view this is that one of these players will be leaving the club. Rumors are rife of Fernando Torres’ departure; perhaps back to Atletico Madrid, whilst Lukaku heading out on loan again isn’t unfeasible. With Andre Schurrle and Mohammed Salah both featuring in the central attacking role last term, what is clear Chelsea is inundated with talent for that position. It raises the question of the necessity of Drogba’s signing, but his influence in the dressing room and helping all of the above names develop their game is unquestionable. Comparisons in playing style can be made between Lukaku and Costa to Drogba, and they can only be set to improve under his wing.

Certainly, we won’t be seeing a return to the days of Drogba starting week-in week-out, but to write this off as a poor transfer would be naive. Unlike last year’s signing of Eto’o, this isn’t another stop gap measure. Rather it’s a player in the twilight of his career who will be willing to take the back seat, and nurture talent under his gaze. Though he may not have a direct impact on the pitch, this could turn out to be a very fruitful acquisition for Chelsea.

You can follow Jordan Willis on Twitter @JMWillis01

Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo is set to join up with the team in the United States on Saturday, which means he should be available to play in the matches in Dallas (July 29 against AS Roma) and Ann Arbor (August 2 against Manchester United), according to MLive.

His teammates Iker Casillas, Luka Modric and Sergio Ramos arrived in Los Angeles yesterday, after arriving from their extended break after the World Cup.

There was doubt as to whether Ronaldo would make Real Madrid’s tour of the States, after his name was initially omitted from the 20 man squad for the International Champions Cup last week. Ronaldo struggled with a niggling knee injury throughout the World Cup and resulted in him not reaching his usual high performance levels, and it was thought that this could be one reason he was set to miss out on the tour, as well as an opportunity for him to recover from a long season.

However, the Ballon D’or winner, who has scored 252 goals in 246 appearances for Los Blancos, is set to make an appearance in the Ann Arbor leg of the US tour as well as their second International Champions Cup match against AS Roma in Dallas.

Ronaldo has been with Real Madrid since the summer of 2009 and finally added the Champions League to his collection of honors last season. He will be looking to move on from a disappointing World Cup for his native Portugal by getting back on track with Madrid.

Tickets are available for Real Madrid’s game against AS Roma in Dallas.

In related news, Gareth Bale discussed what the experience is like playing with Real Madrid.

You can follow Jordan Willis on Twitter @JMWillis01

Swansea City announced today that they have made their fifth summer signing in the form of Ecuadorian winger Jefferson Montero. The transfer fee is reported to be £4million.

Montero, 24, has arrived at the club from Mexican top flight club Monarcas Morelia on a four year deal. The winger has scored 8 goals in 43 appearances for his nation and played in all three of their World Cup games. He also won the 2007 Pan-American in Brazil games with his country, netting in the 2-1 final victory over Jamaica.

Known as a quick and tricky winger, Montero also has experience in Europe, playing with Villarreal, Levante and Real Betis before his two year stint in Mexico.

Montero has joined Swansea for training today and becomes Garry Monk’s fifth summer signing, joining Gylfi Sigurdsson, Bafetimbi Gomis, Marvin Emnes and Stephen Kingsley at the Liberty Stadium.

The addition of Montero to Swansea will give manager Garry Monk plenty of options for the upcoming season with wingers such as Sigurdsson, Nathan Dyer and Wayne Routledge competing alongside Montero for places on the team.

Meanwhile, Swansea midfielder Alejandro Pozuelo has joined Rayo Vallecano for an undisclosed fee. The Spaniard joined the Swans in 2013 for £425,000 but was unable to make an impact in the Welsh side.

You can follow Jordan Willis on Twitter @JMWillis01

Burnley recently announced their new kits for the 2014/15 season, with a traditional claret and blue and a daring all black away jersey.

As with such an historic club like Burnley, the home kit has been tampered with very little. Sky blue sleeves and piping surround the claret body, with the Puma logo on the right side of the chest and the Burnley crest matching it on the right. The FUN88 casino logo sits in the middle, something that looks scarily similar to the Aston Villa kits that were once sponsored by Genting Casinos. However, the logo is rather fitting, with 1888 being the year of the formation of one of the world’s oldest soccer clubs.

Traditional, plainly adorned white shorts alongside claret socks with blue piping make up the rest of the kit. The kit is a far cry from the skin tight Puma fits we have seen at the World Cup and will see at the Emirates this season, looking to be a lot roomier, giving this shirt a classic, bespoke look about it.

One neat feature is the new round collar, with a mini placket coming down. Many of the recent designs have toyed with the sky blue collar, and I for one am glad to see it sticking around.

The Burnley away shirt is where things depart from the traditional. An all black kit is always a good idea, but is hard to execute well. This shirt features a silver piping and detailing that works well on the respective logos and crests on the shirts.

However, when going for this imposing, all black look, it feels the jersey fits a bit loosely to fully carry the effect that it could. Manchester City and Brazil have both toyed with all black kits to varying degrees as well as Portugal’s famous ‘venom’ kit – and these all seem to look better, the more daring they are. The club released the kit behind a greyscale shot of the town, which, without color ends up looking drab instead of menacing. The kit almost looks the same way. It’s a nice concept, but one that feels like the designers have compromised on their initial, bolder ideas. Perhaps it will look better on the pitch, but this kit has just missed the mark for me.

Side note – on both kits, the sponsors have been changed from the “FUN88” logo to a “BFC82” club endorsed logo on youth kits. This is due to regulations on gambling advertisements.

You can follow Jordan Willis on Twitter @JMWillis01

AC Milan has officially unveiled its away shirt for the 2014/15 season.

The white away shirt with red and back details completes AC Milan’s collection of new kits — including the classic red and black home shirt, and golden third choice jersey.

The away kit is a white kit with very thin grey hoops, and red and black bands across the bottom of the shirt. It features red Adidas stripes, which work well in tandem with the red logos of Adidas and Fly Emirates. However, the Milan badge has changed from the traditional Genoan red and white cross Milan usually wear – for a new age, red and black spherical design, with the word MILAN place under it (and an awkward ‘AC’ placed in between the letters). It looks completely out of place on the kit and like a logo for a company founded in the last 10 years, rather than the crest of one of the world’s most historic clubs. It completely misses the mark, and whilst the red and black bands aren’t the most aesthetically pleasing, the badge outright doesn’t fit with the kit or club.

The AC Milan home shirt is likely to divide opinions. To call it ‘red and black stripes’ is doing it an injustice. An innovative design keeps the history of red and black stripes, but with varying width and colour tones, it’s a completely different look from Milan kits we have seen in recent years. It also features the signature Adidas triple stripe on the shoulders, in white, as well as the subtle Italian tricolore on the sleeves. It’s certainly a busy kit, but it works for me. It’s a change from traditional without abandoning the values of the kit and club – which is exactly what Milan need on the pitch at the moment.

The AC Milan third shirt keeps with the recent trend of gilded change strips for Milan, but opts for a green detailing, with green and gold shorts and white socks. The socks look a little set out from the rest of the kit (kind of like when a local team has to change shirts and still wears their regular shorts) but otherwise I am a fan of the kit. It’s slim fit, like the rest of the kits, is flattering without being too tight and the kit has a certain bespoke, regal nature that suits Milan as a club. It has green logos, stripes and details so doesn’t feel as busy as the rest of the kits, but doesn’t toy with Milan’s logo like the away kit. Overall, this is a much nicer kit than the away strip.

You can follow Jordan Willis on Twitter @JMWillis01