Best starting XI

For the starting XI the goalkeeper has to be Boaz Myhill out of pure necessity with Ben Foster unavailable. The Baggies have enlisted the help of Anders Lindegaard, but nobody really knows how good he actually is. For Manchester United to let him leave on a free would suggest not very, but time will tell. However, if all three are fit Foster gets the nod between the sticks.

The back four would consist of three centre-backs of the 72 Albion now have on their books! At right-back it would be Craig Dawson, not exceptional going forward but solid enough and has just enough pace to get up and down the pitch.

The CB spots are a difficult choice to make. Jonas Olsson is not preferred anymore, although he has been a good servant to the club his talents would now be more appreciated in the Championship = he is almost laughable with the ball at his feet. It’s a tough decision between Gareth McAuley and new boy from Hull City, James Chester. McAuley just edges it for now. This is the last year that he will be able to play effectively at the highest level and Pulis may have signed Chester with that in mind. To partner him Jonny Evans, although yet to wear the shirt his vast experience and relationship with McAuley at international level will see him ease into the setup without much disruption.

Chris Brunt gets the left-back spot. His very limited pace has all but disappeared, so having him in midfield is carrying a player, he can graft but pace is important at the top. People will talk about his ‘magical’ left foot, he can use it at left-back and it isn’t that magical. He doesn’t do badly in the air and he can still pass a ball. The link with Evans on the international stage only increases the case for him to hold the position. It should, however be noted that forgotten man Sebastien ocognoli is still at the club and there are fans questioning what in the world he has done wrong?

If it were my best XI it would be a four man midfield, although I know Pulis favors five. For the four I would have James McClean and Steve McManaman on the wings. Give them freedom to run at players, which is where their effectiveness lies. Both have started the season lively and if their quality and delivery improves they could be real danger men in the Pulis system.

A slow start to this season for the captain and new club leader Darren Fletcher, but he would still make the best XI. His leadership, combative nature and winning mentality are important in building momentum, playing from the back and when under pressure. His partner has to be James Morrison, under Pulis he looks a new player. His game has been reinvigorated, sparking a better campaign for the man that has been suspect for a while now.

Missing out are Chris Gardner, Claudio Yacob and Serge Gnabry, who will all have their part to play as the season goes on.

Although record signing Saloman Rondon is still searching for his match sharpness, but he would be in the best XI over Rickie Lambert – very hard to play these two together. With only two spots up top the other goes to that troublesome character Saido Berahino. His want-away partner Berahino is yet to show us anything this season but we all know what he can do. It is a crucial time in his life and career where he needs to decide what man and player he wants to become. We shall see how he is after the international break, he unquestionably has talent, but as we all know that will only get you so far. To make silly statements about how he has been treated at a club who has nurtured him since age 10 is a foolish move. He now needs to get his head down and apply himself; being a striker gives you a chance to make a quick fix, bang in a few and the fans will be singing your name.

Best performer

This accolade can sit in the glove compartment of Pulis’s motor for now, nobody deserves it after the start that West Brom have made.

Most improved player

Morrison deserves this gong. It is a strange time in his career to be saying that but after the last couple of seasons in that midfield with Graham Dorrans and Brunt his game had stifled. Hopefully he can continue to improve under the watchful eyes of the manager and give a little back to a club that has continued to pick him in spite of his lackluster performances.

Business completed in transfer window 

The signing or Zenit hitman Rondon was the big money move for Albion in this summer window. When the deal went through a memory of the departed Ideye Brown snuck gently into Albion minds and just nestled in, waiting to see another bumbling start and a striker lacking in confidence. Fortunately after his first couple of games it’s looking to be an astute signing. Signed for his qualities that Pulis likes in a frontman Rondon is strong, tall and not afraid to mix it up.

Lambert has joined the ranks after a torrid time at Liverpool, his dead ball skill and aerial presence can only be a good headache for the manager when selecting his starting XI.

Evans is an experienced center-back and James Chester fits the bill of the six foot plus players that Pulis seems to be working towards.

McClean is worth a punt at £1.5m and Gnabry looks a promising prospect that may bring intelligence to a side full or grafters and giants.

In goal Lindegaard supplies competition for Foster and Myhill. Lindegaard will be a long-term back-up when Foster is fully fit and when Myhill inevitably decides to leave and become a number 1 in the Championship.

Albion departed with former record signing Brown after a disappointing time with the club. The Nigerian striker failed to recreate any of the form that got him his dream move to England and after a year he’s been flown over to Greece for a massive £6 million loss. Not many would be surprised if he found some form and started scoring, not that there are too many challenging games in the Greece Superleague.

The Albion have also departed with long serving ball winner Youssouf Mulumbu to Norwich City, Chris Baird has been made captain at Derby County and Joeleon Lescott sold up the road for a couple of million to Aston Villa. Lescott, arguably the most substantial loss after a solid year, but when you perceive the sale £2 million for a player in the twilight of his career then it isn’t bad business. One move that is a sad one for a lot of fans is the departure of Dorrans. So much potential to be a class act, Dorrans was given time and supported by the Hawthorns fans. He suffered with a couple of personal issues in his time at the club and overall his promise was never filled.

Rating the manager 

Not great, not yet anyway. He has put the pieces in place for the Pulis jigsaw to come together, also known as a load of big fellas and a couple of wingers. Players that will run all game and commit to the fight. When the club start picking up points hopefully the atmosphere will be more positive and produce some better soccer. Any which way you want to look at it a 1-0 win at nine-man Stoke is not a good result. Fletcher and Pulis both came out and said that ‘3 points is 3 points’; very astute. 1-0 against nine-men for 60 minutes plus is far from acceptable, and the fact the Baggies were hanging on for the last 10 minutes is embarrassing.

There might also be some disgruntled fans wondering why he failed to sign a recognised right-back or left-back. He doesn’t rate Pocognoli or Christian Gamboa yet declined to bring in a wing back, which leaves the team with very limited width. It would have given him another option with two bombing on from the back and overlapping the wingers. Particularly with his preference for crosses being delivered, Rondon and Lambert need the supply to do their business in front of goal.

Forecast for remainder of season  

The forecast looks rainy (slow start) with a chance of sunshine (a few wins) as the season develops. Grafting, disciplined performances are on the agenda. When gelled and the strikers are firing it could be a mid-table finish.

Overall rating out of 5 

3. Pulis has never been relegated as a manager, nothing to suggest that record will be broken this time around. Not very exciting but will get the job done, I wouldn’t imagine the club will be relegated.

Best XI

Best XI is a tricky one, not because it’s a struggle to separate the close qualities in our side, more the opposite. Not a tough decision between our ball winning defensive midfielder or our creative spark. No, it is hard to decide our best 11 based on the complete drivel that Albion fans are enduring week in, week out. At his disposal clock-watching Alan Irvine has a squad that previous Albion managers could have only dreamt about. Chairman Jeremy Peace has delivered him a team that, if managed correctly, could be a force. A side boasting millions of pounds spent on imports to give him a fighting chance of breaking into the top 12 and taking the club forwards.

Instead of that, Irvine has persisted with the players that were already at the club and have proven they can’t take us to the next level. Chris Brunt, Graham Dorrans and James Morrison inexplicably occupy the midfield and it shows no signs of changing, despite the poor performances and results.

In goal Ben Foster picks himself. Right-back is somewhat harder because Andre Wisdom is the obvious choice for Irvine, unfortunately I’m still not seeing it. One good assist for a goal against United is about as far as his positives go. The club have Costa Rican World Cup star Christian Gamboa on the books, he’s a West Brom player, why are we trying to develop Wisdom when he’s not even ours? Gamboa has blistering pace and would offer another option going forwards.

Craig Dawson and Joleon Lescott make the central partnership. Lescott has shown his class since being bought in and Dawson is finally starting to get some consistent game time that he has lacked at the club. Hopefully they can continue to build a relationship that might save the club from a relegation scrap.

Sebastien Pocognoli slots in at left-back, and despite his suspect defending against Palace I like my wing-backs to get forwards and he does that. His final delivery lacks in quality at times but the Belgian is still fairly new to the English game. Hopefully with Lescott next-door, and time, Pocognoli will bring consistency to the West Brom left side. Jason Davidson can’t get a look in, another player bought in based on a good World Cup.

The only man I would guarantee a spot in a best XI is Sessegnon, he is the type of player that can change a game in seconds and our only midfielder that possesses real pace and attacking intent. Other than that Craig Gardner probably has the edge over Morrison, Brunt and Dorrans, who all severely lack pace. Due to Gardner’s combative nature, the way he strikes a ball and his all round game he just gets the nod. I want to know why Irvine is playing the aforementioned trio every game? 4-0 against Burnley bagged Dorrans a spot in the European best XI and a 10 out of 10 rating. Once again it needs to be put in perspective, this is Burnley, at The Hawthorns, they were injury riddle and without Sam Vokes and Danny Ings, who are they only reason Burnley got promoted to the top division. To even survive a club needs to be beating the teams around them. Dorrans, Morrison and Brunt are okay against those teams. Against the bigger boys they just don’t cut it. They were non-existent at Anfield and did alright against Manchester United in a credible 2-2 draw. Did an average job against Palace at home, and were sub-par in a terrible spectacle against Leicester City and were again invisible against Newcastle. The midfield is the hub of any team, the area that needs to provide the basis for every attacking move, the line of defence protecting its back four. All three lack Premier League quality and would be more suited to the Championship.

Up top Saido Berahino has continued his development and rightly gained a place in the England squad. He is looking like the real deal, a bright light on a dismal, dark season. Good touch, great movement and emphatic finishing has saved the club from being in the bottom three. No other player has scored more than one league goal for West Brom. With the goal difference already in the negative who knows where we’d be without him. Victor Anichebe is good at what he does, he’s a handful for any defense and a real athlete, but unfortunately he is still spending a lot of time with niggles and knocks on the treatment table. The big summer signing Ideye Brown is still somewhat of an unknown quantity to the West Brom fans. His fleeting minutes on pitch haven’t given any indication as to whether the big Nigerian can play football or not, hopefully he receives some time to get fit and make an impact.

Transfer Window

January brings the prospect of new faces. I don’t think the club need to tinker with the playing staff too much, just the management side. When all fit Albion have a good squad and one capable of staying in the league. Peace will be shrewd and knows that spending big in January isn’t the solution. Maybe just a change of manager can spark new life and give some of the fringe players a chance to play.

Managerial Progress:

My feelings on his midfield selections are pretty clear. It’s nice to have the ball, which Albion seem to do in spells, but the lack of incision or quality coming from the midfield is frustrating. Keeping the ball like Barcelona is fine, if you’re Barcelon. If you’re two Scots and an Irishman then it just doesn’t, hasn’t and won’t work. It sounds like the start of a joke, the punch-line is no matter how little they contribute they’re guaranteed a spot next game. That decisive pass, jinxing run, just isn’t in their locker.

Sebastian Blanco’s fit, Silvestre Varela’s in training,  Youssouf Mulumbu’s fit, Claudio Yacob’s fit and Georgios Samaras is fit. At least have the guts and try changing it up. Sticking to a formula that nicked a win via an own-goal and picked up one win in the last six games since the start of October is just not acceptable. Poor management for not recognising the problem and changing it. Instead of trying to win games it feels like Irvine is setting out his side not to lose. Packing the midfield and hoping to nick goals isn’t any way to play, especially at home.

Irvine’s comments that he didn’t play Berahino against Bournemouth because he was trying to protect him are ridiculous. At a club like Albion your only real shot at silverware is the Capital One Cup, and at a stretch the FA Cup. So when he drew Bournemouth, Irvine should have known he’d be playing his top-scorer and only goal threat. I know he would have wanted to play, and as a West Brom fan his inclusion was well worth the ‘risk’.

Rating (out of 5 stars): 2. 

With the next two games more than likely to bring two consecutive loses, against high flying Chelsea and Alexis Sanchez’s Arsenal, Irvine is on thin ice and he needs to be preying that the hard head of Peace isn’t waiting directly underneath with a pair of scissors and his 12-month rolling contract. Too many glaring mistakes in selection and his choice of words on several occasions, “there’s fit then there’s match fit” have left him with fading faith. Cut-throat Peace won’t put the club in jeopardy and too many excuses will see Irvine out the door. Peace can take his job, but Peace can never take his freedom. Although Irvine should probably avoid The Hawthorns for a while.

West Bromwich Albion manager Alan Irvine came into the club under heavy scrutiny with the overwhelming initial reaction of the fans being annoyance and frustration. General consensus was that if previous head coach Pepe Mel had been given time to implement his high pressing, quick counter attacking game, he may have been a success at WBA. The players he had were not good enough, not fit or fast enough to play how he wanted and he paid for their downfalls.

After the dismissal of Pepe Mel, Albion then bumbled around without a manager for a while, being linked to a few average names, and then the club finally offered Tim Sherwood the job. Great! Ambitious, young, English and outspoken, Sherwood seems to be his own man, a manager to shake up the dressing room and revolutionize the club, which would have been ideal for Albion. Just when WBA fans thought the club were on the brink of getting their man, the Baggies announced the appointment of Alan Irvine on a rolling 12 month contract.

Who? That’s right, Alan Irvine. The same manager who lost his job at Preston North End, and then got Sheffield Wednesday relegated from the Championship. My reaction, and the instinct of most West Brom fans was, “what the hell was going on?” It’s no secret that chairman Jeremy Peace likes to keep his arms short and pockets deep. Irvine was without question the cheap option.

However as time has elapsed, the appointment of Irvine is looking slightly more promising. It turns out Sheffield Wednesday were in all sorts of financial trouble when they were relegated, and the season before Irvine got the boot at Preston North End he actually took them to the play-offs in his first full season in-charge. He has no direct Premier League experience, but has lots in the youth system at Everton as academy manager. He also worked at Preston as assistant to David Moyes. Alongside those slightly reassuring nuggets of information, the players he’s managed to acquire give West Brom fans a glimmer of hope.

Speaking of transfer signings, Craig Gardner was the first man that signed his name for West Brom next season. Albion fans are pleased with this deal. He’s a born Brummie that has years of English Premier League experience. Sunderland picked him up for £6 million and used him sparingly. Hopefully West Brom can coax the best out of him. Time will only tell if Irvine can help Craig recapture his form.

Joleon Lescott is the highest profile English Premier League player West Brom have managed to sign. He penned a two-year contract with a one year extension. Lescott is a strong centre-half with 26 England appearances. Despite being an ex-Wolverhampton Wanderers footballer, he was welcomed by the supporters. The defensive combination of Olsson and McAuley at the club is on borrowed time. Both defenders are aging and lacking pace, so the addition of Joleon will inject new life into the back four.

Chris Baird is another free agent that joined the club. He’s another footballer with penty of experience, although it would have been nice to pick him up five years ago. Still, he’s a decent utility man nonetheless.

The only loan signing so far is Andre Wisdom from Liverpool. The youngster played for Derby last season and impressed for the club as they reached the play-offs. He has taken his opportunity to test his skills on the biggest stage at West Brom. He converted from a centre back to a right back over the last two seasons, which is where Wisdom will be filling in for the Baggies.

On the other side of defense, 26 year-old Sebastien Pocognoli has joined for £1.5 million from Hannover 96. The Belgium left-back was selected for the preliminary 23-man Belgium squad for the World Cup in Brazil. However he missed out on the final selection. With a delicate touch and quick nimble feet, Pocognoli could well be Albion’s signing of the season.

Last but not least is the signing of Brown Ideye or ‘Bobby’ for short. At a club record signing of £10 million, the Nigerian striker will be the man relied upon to stick the ball in the net. Ideye has been handed the number 9 shirt, a shirt synonymous with goal scorers across the world. Ideye is just under 6 foot but he has a leap and the frame of a strong athlete. A hero at Kiev Brown, he has a blistering pace. Ideye scored 33 goals in 74 games at Dynamo Kiev in his time there. Yes, £10 million is a big signing for Albion, so the hope is that he can deliver the goods (and goals).

While West Brom has brought in several new acquisitions, the club released a large number of professionals. Opinions about the players released were split amongst supporters.

Steven Reid left the club to join Burnley. He was a loyal servant to Albion. He adapted his game over the years to become a right-back. There’s no doubt he cared about the club, but his lack of pace cost him and the team on a few occasions. It was time for him to move on.

Goran Popov‘s loan at the club has ended. His only gift to the club was a chant that supporters made about him, to the tune of Popeye The Sailor Man: “Popov the Albion man, he lives in a caravan, looks like a killer and he hates the Villa, Popov the Albion man.”

Despite his inability to cross or pass a ball, Liam Ridgewell left the club to become a Designated Player at Portland Timbers in MLS. Ridgewell, who played as left back for Albion, was consistently awful.

Markus Rosenberg, meanwhile, never had his chance at WBA. He left on a free transfer before the end of the season without ever really showing why the club signed him in the first place. Albion fans will never know if he would have been a success. It’s hard to tell if a player does not play or get a run of games, especially as a striker.

Shane Long really divided opinion when he left the Albion for Hull City. Many fans idolized him as their favorite WBA striker. He was a hard worker and had a quick turn of pace but for me he was never good enough. His inability to provide quality in the box meant he could never be a good striker. He had one stand-out game his entire WBA career, against Aston Villa, but other than that he was over-rated.

After his loan spell ended, Scott Sinclair rejoined Manchester City. A couple of seasons ago the Chelsea youngster bossed it at Swansea and got himself a move to the blue side of Manchester for £6 million.

Diego Lugano came in from Paris Saint-Germain. He was slow, clumsy and error prone. Despite being Uruguayan captain, it seemed the footballer had forgotten how to play the game. Scapegoated in an embarrassing defensive display against Aston Villa, he never found any form at the Albion and the card magnet found himself without a club after Albion swiftly showed him the door.

Morgan Amalfitano was another player that the WBA faithful were split when rating the player. Possibly the best two goals of Albion’s season were scored by the little French winger — his delicate chip after a mazy run at Old Trafford and his looping volley against Cardiff at The Hawthorns. Other than a few moments of brilliance, Morgan did little else. Amalfitano had a habit of taking extra touches and getting closed down, either having the ball stolen from him or the cross being blocked. The club made the correct decision in letting him go back to Marseille.

Matej Vydra, much like Rosenberg, never had a fair chance at The Hawthorns. He had pace, movement and could finish. He scored a couple of goals and looked dangerous whenever he played. The coaching staff may have seen something different in training, but for me, he should have been given another chance.

In the case of right back Billy Jones, it’s tough to criticize the club or player in the decision to let him leave on a free transfer to Sunderland. I liked him as a right back. He was suspect in a tackle but gave everything and went forward with pace. West Brom offered him a new contract but he decided to move to The Stadium of Light.

Last but not least, Thievy Bifouma is the only player that the club should have fought hard to keep. The sole signing of the departed Pepe Mel era looked like a dangerous striker. He was strong and fast with an imposing physical presence. He scored a couple of times. I won’t be surprised if we see Bifouma again at the top level somewhere in Europe. A talent like his is too special to ignore.

In a case of which European media outlet do you believe, Eurosport is reporting that Atletico Madrid and Chelsea have held talks to discuss a potential deal that could see Fernando Torres return to Atletico Madrid.

Meanwhile, Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo quotes an unnamed Atletico Madrid source, saying that no talks have taken place.

According to Eurosport, Atletico chief executive Miguel Angel Gil Marin has been in London discussing the deal with Chelsea representatives.

Despite being number three on the all-time Spanish goal scorers list Fernando Torres has struggled to consistently find the net for Chelsea. The ex-Liverpool number 9 now finds himself in an uncomfortable position at Stamford Bridge – warming the bench. Despite the exit of rival striker Demba Ba to Turkey, he may still find himself surplus to requirements at Chelsea with the return of Romelu Lukaku and arrival of Diego Costa from Atletico.

Fernando Torres began his football education at Atletico and paved his way into the first team, debuting at only 16, progressing steadily and scoring 75 goals in 174 La Liga games for his boyhood club. El Nino (the boy) captained Atletico at 19 and could now return to the team where he first made his name.

With Atletico and Chelsea engaging in a number of transactions over the last month, we may see another transfer concluded between Jose Mourinho’s side and beaten Champions League finalists Atletico Madrid. As mentioned Diego Costa has already made his move to the English Premier League, along with Brazilian defender Filipe Luis. Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has returned from Atleti to Chelsea, after being on loan at the Spanish club. Chelsea have also enquired about centre-back Miranda, although Simeone is understandably resisting losing any more of his squad players.

Chelsea are reluctantly contemplating taking a cut-price fee in the region of £14 million for Torres – who is 30 and has had a number of injury issues. Atletico feel their offer is fair, but Chelsea ideally want closer to £20 million.

Torres has only scored 45 times in 172 matches for Chelsea, nothing like the blistering form that got him his £50 million move to Stamford Bridge. He notched 81 goals in 142 games for Liverpool and was the first Reds player to score more than 20 league goals in a season since Robbie Fowler, and the quickest ever player to reach 50 league goals for the club.

Could this be a last chance for Torres to recapture his form? Fernando has stated he is happy to stay and fight for his place at Chelsea. However if a move were to become available to link up with Simeone and Atletico, would Torres be mad to pass it up? Should he stay and fight or go back to where it all began? Have your say in the comment box below.

New photos of Manchester United’s away shirt for the 2014/15 season have been leaked on the Internet featuring a white shirt with black collar and buttoned neck. The leaked images may be close to the finished article of the upcoming season’s Manchester United away shirt.

Despite the ink still drying on a new lucrative Adidas kit deal, Manchester United will continue to play in a Nike shirt this upcoming season. The prospective new away shirt carries the infamous Nike swoosh in red, and a small ‘Red Devils’ icon in black – tucked away under the top button for the collar. There may be three buttons running down the collar although it is hard to tell by looking solely at these leaked photos.

The new Manchester United home shirt was unveiled last week; however the away kit is regularly released while the club is on tour for pre-season. The club jets off to the United States on its preseason tour this Friday.

For its away shirt, last season Manchester United sported a blue checked shirt with a tight collar. The season before (12/13), the club wore a white away number. Unfortunately that was coupled with a long, red collar that drooped to mid chest, unlike the smart button neck collar this new kit models.

Although the button neck may not be for everybody, the white will be a welcome return for fans at Old Trafford. A club of Manchester United’s stature need to play in bright, bold colors, not dark blue tartan. It is essential that the shirt is recognizable from a distance as a unique piece of manufacturing; it is representing a huge world brand.

Irrelevant of the looks, Manchester United regularly leads the way in shirt sales and there is no evidence to show they are slowing down. This new kit will be eagerly anticipated.

Manchester United’s away shirt has continued the trend of tight fitting soccer shirts, despite its retro button-up collar. The bright white, buttoned shirt looks sharp — much like the soccer Manchester United will be hoping to play this coming Premier League campaign.

England has scheduled a friendly against Scotland to be played in Celtic Park on November 18. It’s the first time England will play Scotland north of the border in 15 years.

The last time these teams met in Scotland, Paul Scholes scored two goals at Hampden Park to defeat the Scots in a Euro 2000 qualifier play-off first leg. England held on to qualify despite losing the second leg 1-0.

This time, the Hampden Park national stadium is unable to host the friendly since it will be under refurbishment following this summer’s Commonwealth Games where it is being used as a venue for athletics. So Celtic Park proudly offers its service to the oldest international footballing fixture, which debuted in 1872.

Scotland came to Wembley last year and gave England a stern test, taking the lead twice from a couple of excellently executed goals by James Morrison and veteran front-man Kenny Miller. England debutant Rickie Lambert then stole the show with a Shearer style header from a corner with his first contribution to the game. England held on for a 3-2 win on their own turf and a trip to Celtic Park later in the year will see another locally produced international contest. Following a disappointing World Cup, England will face a revitalized Scotland side under Strachan, whose boys will go with real belief into the friendly. Taking heart from their increasing quality of performance and results.

Since giving England a fright, Scotland have had some impressive displays under Gordon Strachan and have shown glimpses of being a revived national side. The results have followed and wins against Macedonia, Croatia, Norway and Poland, along with draws against impressive World Cup participants Nigeria and USA, arguably makes the Tartan Army favorites against England in November. Since Wembley, Scotland have only lost once and that was against Belgium in September of last year.

Scotland have a point to prove. It will be a good chance to show England that despite the downfalls in the Scottish game, the Scots are still producing players that can rival their neighbors.

The game itself will be England’s final senior fixture of the year, coming three days after an away qualifier for Euro 2016 against Slovenia.

Sport giants Nike have pulled out of a shirt sponsorship deal with Manchester United. The Red Devils have asked for £60million+ a year for Nike to supply the kit and training gear. Nike has decided not to renew their contract with the club. However Nike have the first right of refusal in case they want to reconsider.

United have a long-standing relationship with Nike, but their current 13-year deal is set to expire on July 31st next year. Negotiations over the fees have been dragging on for approximately 12 months, with Nike paying Manchester United £23.3million under the current deal.

United have priced themselves out of Nike’s estimated valuation, which leaves the door open for rivals adidas to swoop in and strike up a deal.

Adidas already sponsor Premier League clubs West Bromwich Albion, West Ham United, Sunderland and Chelsea. If adidas are able to finalize a deal with Manchester United, they would arguably possess the strongest Premier League entourage, with Chelsea and Manchester United still major players in the world market. As of February 2014, the Ferguson dynasty has continued to live on at Old Trafford off the pitch if not on it, with Manchester United retaining the title in shirt sales. Statistics released by retailer kitbag.com show they are topping the sales league ahead of Barcelona and Real Madrid (in second and third), with Chelsea in fourth.

United’s on-field season has had no effect on their shirt sales. The club still has a global appeal abroad among soccer fans.

If adidas matches Manchester United’s demands of £60m/year, this will be a successful summer in terms of new signings given that Louis Van Gaal’s appointment and the additions of Ander Herrera and Luke Shaw. The club will be hoping to conclude a deal sooner rather than later with the season drawing near, especially given the lost TV revenue from UEFA Champions League soccer.

If you believe the Spanish and English newspapers, Barcelona is on the brink of signing Liverpool striker Luis Suarez. The media is reporting that Barcelona is willing to offer Liverpool between £70-80million for the mercurial forward. There are whispers of players involved in a swap deal, with Alexis Sanchez’s name being banded around — although Alexis Sanchez may be on his way to Arsenal, depending on what you read and believe.

Recent talks between Barcelona and Liverpool have been described as ‘productive.’ It would seem that both sides are moving to a deal potentially being done. Barcelona hasn’t tried to hide their admiration for the player either. This week, Barcelona Sporting Director Andoni Zubizarreta described Suarez as “humble” after his apology was issued to resolve the issue of biting Giorgio Chiellini in the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Suarez is no stranger to the spot light. His consistent performances for club and country have seen his name linked to numerous clubs during his time at Anfield. Liverpool tried to put the matter to bed with a new long-term deal signed at Christmas. However it seems his goal scoring form has attracted new suitors who are willing to pay a significant amount of money for his services.

The Uruguayan joined Liverpool in 2011 and has proceeded to score 69 league goals since then. He also delivered a very impressive return of 82 goals in all competitions. Last season, he lit up the Premier League, establishing a deadly partnership with Daniel Sturridge. The strike partnership was coined as SAS (Suarez and Sturridge).

Suarez’s talent has never been in doubt. The question is whether he’ll remain at Anfield this summer, or move to Barcelona or Real Madrid.

What do you think? Is it tabloid rumors or is there a truth to the story? Share your opinion in the comments section below.

The final games in Group D take place tomorrow and both sides in this fixture find themselves in a somewhat unexpected situation.

Costa Rica go into the match-up with no pressure after winning convincingly and playing fast tempo, pressing football in their opening group games against Uruguay and Italy. They employ an attractive attacking mentality – zipping the ball around at pace, coupled with a superb work ethic and defending in numbers. Los Ticos find themselves at the top of Group D in a fantastic position as they have already qualified.

England have nothing but pride to play for. Their earliest exit from the World Cup since 1958 means they are already eliminated from the most prestigious of football competitions. Roy will experiment with the line-up after being told he is secure in his role for the remainder of his contracted two years. Veteran midfielder Frank Lampard is handed the armband in what may well be a much changed England side.

Jorge Luis Pinto will be utilizing his squad against England. Resting key players for the next round is commonsense and it is plausible he might be tempted to give star front man Joel Campbell a breather. Costa Rica stunted Pirlo’s magic against Italy but will be in no rush to commit any silly tackles against England with knock-out stages looming.

England have been poor in the competition and deserve to be exactly where they now find themselves, out. Roy Hodgson has set out his team not to lose in the opening two matches, and done just the opposite. His negative mentality has created a slow, unadventurous England team that have used Baines and Johnson as their main outlets despite the legs of Barkley, Lallana, Wilshere and Shaw sitting on the bench. Now that there is nothing riding on it hopefully Roy will open his mind and try to win by placing some trust in the young flair players England have at their disposal.

England entered the tournament in 10th and Costa Rica 28th in the official FIFA world rankings. We’ll see about that.

The game kicks off 13:00 local time in Belo Horizonte.

Portugal have lost front man Hugo Almeida and defender Fabio Coentrao to injuries in their first group game. The duo were both injured in their opening World Cup match against a strong German outfit that ran out easy 4-0 winners against a Portuguese team lead by an invisible Cristiano Ronaldo.

Not only with Coentrao miss the USA game, but the Portuguese player is out for the entire World Cup.

It hasn’t been a dream start for Portugal’s World Cup campaign as front man Hugo Almeida hobbled off in the first half. They then lost full-back Coentrao to a suspected groin strain midway through the second period. Both players likely will miss the remaining group games, including Sunday’s game against the United States. To compound their woeful start, Pepe was sent off yesterday after head-butting Germany’s star man Thomas Muller.

The pressure is now well and truly on Bento as he prepares his diminished squad for their next game against a USA team that will go into the match full of belief after their late victory against Ghana. Can he rally the boys to produce the victory they need or will the World Cup be short journey for Ronaldo?

Ex-Manchester City stopper Costel Pantilimon has joined Sunderland on a free transfer. The 6ft 8in Romanian was released from City after completing three seasons at the Etihad Stadium. Pantilimon is the tallest player in the Premier League and his arrival up north will surely daunt Vito Mannone as they battle for the number 1 spot.

It was undoubtedly the late season revival that saved Sunderland from the drop and subsequently Gus Poyet his job. Gus will be hoping his summer signings will strengthen the squad and prevent a similar scenario this coming season. Costel has already heaped praise on his new gaffer Poyet and cited him as the major catalyst behind his choice to join The Stadium of Light:

“After speaking with the boss, I knew this was the right place and he was the right man. I can’t wait to start.”

Pantilimon joins Billy Jones from West Bromwich Albion and Jordi Gomez as Sunderland’s third summer signing.

After a long and grueling Premier League season, Cardiff, Fulham and Norwich have bitten the dust. Instead of looking forward to another year of outings at Old Trafford, Anfield, the Emirates and Stamford Bridge, these three clubs will travel to the likes of Ipswich Town, Bournemouth and Huddersfield.

It is interesting to wonder what the future holds for these former Premier League sides. Let’s take a look.

Cardiff City

Cardiff were destined for relegation the moment they spent over £4million on Peter Odemwingie. The Nigerian international only played 15 matches for Cardiff before being swapped for Kenwyne Jones. It was the equivalent of trading a knife for a fork when you’re trying to eat soup. Chairmen Vincent Tan didn’t provide the necessities to mount a successful campaign, and manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær didn’t have much of a chance when appointed.

On a more positive note, there have been a couple of players who have looked good this season. Craig Noone seems like a handy winger and goalie David Marshall was fantastic. Steven Caulker will likely receive Premiership interest and there might be a few others that transfer back into the Premier League. Getting back up is not an easy task, but with the manager and most of the playing staff staying put, there’s a realistic possibility of a platform back to the big time.

Norwich City

Norwich spent and it just didn’t work out for the Canaries. Chris Hughton gave it his best shot at taking the club to the next level but the players didn’t respond.

As an English football fan, it was admirable to see his ambition and the backing of the board. It was an exciting time for Norwich fans. Unfortunately, things went south and the team capsized at the end of the season. The key problem was that the Norwich purchases did not deliver. The strikers couldn’t score, and it is scientifically proven without goals you can’t win games. Gary Hooper and Ricky Van Wolfswinkel struggled. And their lack of goals coupled with Sebastien Bassongs’ ability to give them away spelt disaster for the club.

The future isn’t all that grim as many players will remain and fight for promotion next season. Nathan Redmond is now back in the Championship where he made his name playing for Birmingham City. Robert Snodgrass looks like he might be one of the few players to leave. However, with most of the team presumably remaining in tact, I can see Norwich mounting a challenge in the Championship next season.

Fulham

I don’t think many could have foreseen the capitulation that occurred this season at Craven Cottage. The average age of the squad was seemingly archaic and with Martin Jol at the helm, Fulham were perhaps in deeper trouble than most would have predicted. The club played musical chairs with their managers before giving the role to German journeyman manager Felix Magath.

Fulham never made necessary strengthening in the summer and were forced into desperation buys in January. Tottenham loanee Lewis Holtby was accused of hindering the club’s survival hopes by Magath. Kostas Mitroglou came in from Olympiacos for a record transfer fee, but spent several weeks unfit or injured. He can’t be too enthused about the prospect of dropping from the Champions League to the Championship within a year.

Fulham will be hoping that some of their players will get offers elsewhere in order to clear some of their high wage bill. Unfortunately, the wages will be high and their ages don’t make most of the players more than a one season investment.

I believe that Fulham will struggle next season and find it difficult to immediately bounce back to the Premier League. Fulham supporters should be praying that their club doesn’t become the next Nottingham Forest, Leeds United or Wolves. There is a very real possibility of dark days ahead at the Cottage.

After the first part of classic Premier League footballers was well received, I decided to continue the series. Here are five more greats from memory lane:

1. Emerson

The Brazilian central midfielder came to the Premier League during the Bryan Robson days and set the league alight, for a few months at least. Joining up with his Brazilian pals in an exciting time at Boro, Emerson had a classic footballing name and a strong physical presence. One of my favorite players as a youngster, Emerson moved around the pitch and pinged an old school Mitre captured everybody’s attention. I enjoyed watching him roam the pitch with that big floppy head of hair. Every time I scored a goal from twenty yards, I’d shout ‘Emerson!’ in my best commentary voice.

He left the Riverside after a slightly bitter period where he had attempted to force a move to big bullies Barca. He ended up at Tenerife, a popular holiday destination for Brits, fitting for a man that promised so much but in reality delivered little more than showmanship. I’m not sure what he’s up to now. After firing through a string of clubs, he’s probably back in Portugal with his wife, sitting around reminiscing about when he used to have hair. “Remember that time I was Portuguese Player of the Year? Put the kettle on!”

2. Pierre Van Hooijdonk

He looked a little like a muscular Ronaldinho. Pierre was another one that could eat an apple through a letterbox. He also knew how to find the net. Relegated in his first season with Nottingham Forest, when he joined they were already in deep trouble, drawing their way to Championship football. He blitzed it in the Championship, netting over thirty times and maintaining his place in the Netherlands side while playing in the second tier of English football. It would be interesting to know how many players have achieved that.

Forest were again relegated from the Premiership in a season that was plagued by bad blood between Van Hooijdonk and the club. Unhappy with the summer business, he refused to play and intermittently appeared for the side until leaving at the end of another relegation season.

The Dutchman went on to have a good career scoring everywhere he went. Across Europe, he never failed to deliver.

He is now co-owner of a company called Gino-b that sells sneakers. Not my cup of tea. Check him out on Twitter; he has adopted the old school Emerson hair style.

3. Tim Sherwood

Tim Sherwood deserves a mention as he is making a decent fist of it at Tottenham Hotspur. Sherwood captained Blackburn to the Premier League title in 1994-95, receiving a spot in the PFA Team of the Year. That was as good as it got for the combative midfielder. And from there he played for Tottenham, winning nothing before achieving a promotion with Portsmouth near the end of his playing days.

Tottenham fans will be hoping he can turn things round. And with a very useful squad down at White Hart Lane, there’s every chance of him doing so. Getting Emmanuel Adebayor playing is a small victory in itself.

4. Nathan Blake

Nathan Blake had average stats on Championship Manager 00/01 but always scored against me. But that wasn’t something he regularly did in real life. Blake seemed to attract relegation — some players drift between clubs in relegation battles. Footballers are like water. They always find their level. Nathan’s level was just above the Championship but unfortunately just below the quality of the Premier League.

His Premier League career had begun before his Championship Manager days when he joined Sheffield United in a relegation season. He later joined Bolton, in a relegation season. Promotion followed, as did relegation. His big frame failed to make up for his lack of technical ability and he forged a name as a grafting front man, not a goal scorer. A big money move saw him in the Premier League again with Blackburn; it doesn’t take a genius to guess what happened next. Following that drop, he moved to Wolves and won promotion a year later. That was proceeded by relegation from the Premier League, making it the magic five relegations for big Blakey, furnishing him the prestigious label of the most relegated Premier League player.

Blake now runs his own property business in Cardiff; However I wouldn’t stay in one of his houses as it might go down.

5. Faustino Asprilla

Tino’s full name is Faustino Hernán Asprilla Hinestroza. The Colombian international came to the Premier League in 1996 for a deal just under £7 million from Italian outfit Parma. He only stuck around for a couple of years and scored a handful of goals in his time at St James’s Park.

The fondest memories Newcastle fans have of him come from the out-stretched leg that grabbed a goal in an epic 4-3 loss to Liverpool. They’ll also remember his hat-trick against Barcelona in a 3-2 win at home. Other than that, his era at Newcastle United was filled with controversy and off field capers. On Championship Manager 00/01, you could pick him up for £200-500k from Al Nasser and he was only 31 — the bargain of that year’s game. The only problem is that he would sometimes miss training and if you tried to fine him for it, he would ask for a transfer. He had a few days off a month on my game, and I’m ashamed to say they would go unpunished as I was too afraid to lose him.

The real madness started after his time on Tyne. He has been involved in so many different things off the pitch that he didn’t really maintain a steady footballing career. He hammered through eight different clubs in numerous countries. After that it got even worse. His rap sheet included drugs, guns, reality TV, pornography and Darlington FC. He was arrested for possession of a weapon after firing a gun from his farm in Colombia. I don’t know which is worse, that he got his mini Tino out or that he almost played for Darlington.

When starting with a Championship or Premier League club, the long-term goal in Football Manager is for complete domination unchallenged as the top club in Europe for a sustained period of time. Priority however is building a lasting legacy rather than quick success. Simple rules to live by

1. Never break the bank
2. Always stay within budget
3. Look to refresh the side every couple of seasons

The first two rules are self-explanatory. When you leave the club, it needs to be in a position of supremacy. Any debts are out of the question. Moving stadium, for example, is a financial stretch for a club. Fantastic as it is when doing so, make sure you’re turning over a big profit every year as to keep the club in the ascendancy. The key to this lies in youngsters — keeping the reserves full of young players from across the globe. Have them all loaned out (unless using them in the first team doing the business). When they return in pre-season, check their progress and potential one by one. When they’re not doing it, ship them on for a big profit and always try getting a 50% sell on with no time for sentiment. Just in case you made a bad call when they misfire on you, you can collect a tidy sum and the club stays in the black, big style.

The third tip is to refresh the side. It goes without saying that if you have fantastic worldies, then don’t sell them while they are performing well. As soon as a ‘Big Name’ has a bad season, for me he gets offered out if there’s profit to be made. Same goes for when they hit 29; if they aren’t indispensable, they hit the road while they still have profitability. This shows some of the money coming into the club.

Football Manager is available from Amazon and other retailers.

Formerly Championship Manager, now Football Manager (or FM, for short), the FM revolution is an exquisite slice of heaven handed to us from the soccer gods. If you haven’t played it, you don’t know what you’re missing.

Over the 15 years that I’ve been playing the game, I have experienced several different types of games within the game itself. My favorite is starting unemployed with a Sunday League reputation. But I have fond memories too of FM08 with Alfreton Town, some Sheffield Wednesday games over the years, a journey with Woking and my Exeter days (or months, more like it) on FM13.

There are thousands of Football Manager addicts out there. Here’s my story.

At university, I built and opened a website called Footyman.com. It was a site opened for Football Manager talk, videos, stories, player reviews and info. I have completed all-nighters with a close friend more times than I care to remember — this confession coming from a man who is nearly 26. We’ve stared at the screen until our eyes were red.

At my old job, they blocked one website for an office of 60 people. It was a Football Manager site, and I’m positive that nobody else was using it. I even asked around. It must have shown up so often they felt it was affecting my work, when truth be told their tosh was effecting my important FM commitments.

I even own a Football Manager T-shirt. The missus hates it when the garment gets an outing. “Aren’t you embarrassed to wear that? Everyone will know what a geek you are.” She will never understand the error of her ways. In truth I love wearing it, people need to know who I am and what I stand for.

I’m a self-confessed FM addict and I’m not one bit ashamed. Potentially hard to understand from the outside looking in, but everything about Football Manager engages me. That split second the screen goes black when the game is about to come on. Hours spent scrolling stats, monitoring regens and building a formidable backroom staff — these small touches of brilliance enthrall millions daily. From England to the US and beyond, Football Manager has become the go-to game of our generation and it shows no signs of backing off.

‘Have no fear of perfection – you’ll never reach it’

Salvador Dali

Stick to your doodling pal, Football Manager is here.

Unfortunately for Dali, he never got to experience FM, poor guy. Fortunately for us it’s better than ever. I’m currently playing a FM game with West Bromwich Albion, and here’s my trophy haul so far:

Pepe Mel, eat your heart out.

Football Manager 2014 is available from Amazon for download on the Mac and PC.

Most soccer fans will know what I mean when I say that it’s a real joy recalling old player names from the past. Remembering the name of an obscure forward that played a handful of games for Arsenal in the 94/95 season may seem foolish to some, but when nobody else can remember him, a sense of pride follows. Repeatedly striving to trump your friends with the anonymity and completely random nature of the players cited is the name of the game.

Here are six players to jog the memory of veteran soccer fans, or to create fresher memories among newer fans to the game:

1. Steve Ogrizovic

Best known for his days at Coventry, he kept goal at Highfield Road for just over fifteen years and played over five hundred games in the sky blue. He enjoyed a great period of time in the top flight despite looking like a campfire myth. Although I reckon the tales may have worked in his favour when it came to penalties. The kickers were visibly shaken as they stepped up; frightened to look into his eyes in case they became his next meal.

2. Darren Moore (Big Dave)

Big Dave, who was likely better known for helping teams to be promoted to the Premier League than playing there, did play a crucial part in West Bromwich Albion’s yo-yo years. Moore was an absolute unit; he stood at well over six foot in length, width and depth. A man mountain that didn’t lose many in the air, Moore was suspect on the deck. Perhaps his size limited him on the turn, and nippy Jermain Defoe types probably enjoyed matching up against him. Darren was an all-round great guy who was adored by the fans. The born again Christian had a good career and only recently hung up his massive boots.

3. Mark Fish

Personally I remember Mark from his time at the heart of the defense up at Bolton’s Reebok stadium. He also did a sturdy job while at Charlton for five years. Overall he racked up more than two hundred games at Bolton and Charlton before heading back to his home in South Africa. I remember reading that he once turned down a move to Old Trafford. I have no idea if it is true or not, but I’m sure United are far from bothered. He was good, not that good. He may have found himself out of his depth at a club of that magnitude. No need for a fish out of water joke.

4. Phil Stamp

A stocky bullish type, Stamp could play a little. He was a good example of hard work and persistence with rather limited ability. Stamp was a product of the Middlesbrough youth team. He was the original squad rotation player, in and out the team for years. He liked to take the midfield by the scruff of the neck and stamp his authority on a match. He weaved out a nice career at Boro during a spell of inconsistent years at the club. Phil saw some real class come and go over his stint, and played in teams with internationals. He then went to Hearts on a free.

5. Albert Riera

Albert Riera never really made the impact I expected him to. When he signed, I recall it being a deadline day purchase. And I remember watching on Sky Sports News as they played short clips of him running with the ball, jinxing and cutting past opponents.

I have vague memories of him at Man City on loan a couple of years before, so I was quite excited to see him in action again. Unfortunately it never really materialized. The gangly Spaniard had a decent career and still plays at the top level in Turkey. Alas, Riera couldn’t find his form at The Kop with first team chances limited. At the time Liverpool had other options and he left after upsetting Benitez. The club took a cut price offer to get him off the books. Good player; bad time at the club. How often have we seen that happen.