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There is no longer a revolution underway at Anfield, it is well and truly complete as Liverpool now occupy fifth place in the Premier League and although it is probably too late to catch Manchester City for the Champions League berth, this season has been well and truly rescued by Kenny Dalglish and his team. Liverpool spent big and boldly in the January transfer window in order to try and salvage their season and despite Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez (especially) having performed well for the Merseyside outfit since their arrival, it has been ‘King’ Kenny’s faith in the youngsters that has been the real positive from this season.

John Flanagan, Jack Robinson, Jay Spearing, Jonjo Shelvey and Martin Kelly have all made great strides under the Kop Hero and have slotted in comfortably to aid Liverpool through their injury troubles, with all of them turning in performances that belie their years. Dalglish’s belief in the youngsters has been a breathe of fresh air in a league that sees the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City mainly ignoring home grown talent and preferring to spend big abroad, but with a reported major summer overhaul of Liverpool’s squad, will the promising starlets be lost amongst pound signs and foreign imports?

Since the end of January, Liverpool have only let in 8 goals, a remarkable feat by a defensive unit. Martin Kelly, can play all across the back line and prior to his injuries the young England Under-21 international’s performances have even forced Liverpool and England’s first choice right back Glen Johnson to play at left back several times this year. But with both these full backs out, along with Fabio Aurelio, up stepped Jack Robinson. The young Englishman put in a sublime performance in the recent 1-1 draw with Arsenal, where he had Samir Nasri and Theo Walcott in his ‘back pocket’. With such talents emerging in the full back positions, should Liverpool really look to be adding someone like Newcastle left back Jose Enrique to their squad?

Jay Spearing epitomises that iconic FIFA 2010 saying “bulldog-like approach” and has been hugely impressive in the absence of Steven Gerrard. Despite the much improved performances of Lucas and a returning Aquilani, if Liverpool were to partner the young Englishman with Stevie G next season, he would only get better, which is a scary thought considering Spearing’s incredible determination and work rate already at just 22.

The future is bright down Anfield Road and if Kenny Dalglish sits tight, he will reap the rewards from his young stars next season, and with the money saved on transfers perhaps Kenny can afford a different haircut after 30 years.

Perhaps the time has come for a Red Dawn.

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Listen to the latest episode of our award nominee podcast – The Football FanCast. – Featuring Razor Ruddock, Gary O’Reilly and King Jacks! Don’t forget to help Razor and O’Reilly become award winners in the 2011 EPL Awards

The transfer window shut some time ago now and we’ve had a chance to see most of the Premier League summer signings in action by now. Transfer activity was generally slow, minus Manchester City of course who might even have spent more than the rest of the Premiership teams put together, but as always deadline day itself brought at least a bit of excitement. It’s always hard to predict how new signings will perform: some will hit the ground running, while others will have to make do with warming the bench for the season. But some transfers have caught the eye: either for being great bargains or for involving potential Premier League stars of the future, or both! Here are ten of the best pieces of business by Premier League clubs this summer…

Click on the image below to see the Top TEN Premier League Summer Transfers

The narrow minded attitude of the BBC has sparked plenty of criticism over the past month or so as two Football League Shows over the Christmas period were cancelled, suggesting that the show could be scrapped altogether. Rumours were flying about on social networking sites but it is still unclear whether the 72 football league clubs’ supporters will be able to watch action from their teams.

The BBC claim it is in negotiations over whether to recommission the Football League Show, which is in the final year of a three-year contract, but whether they are successful is still to be seen as the Premier League is once again showing its distance between the rest.

A BBC spokeswoman made a statement on the recent cancellations: “The Boxing Day and 2nd January fixtures are outside our contractual obligations,” she said. “Many factors come into play when planning the busy Christmas schedules and we were unable to schedule a programme for New Year’s Eve. To address the shortfall, we will be doing an additional programme later in the season.”

Football League Show host Manish Bhasin attempted to squash any rumours that his show will be no longer after this season is finished.

“Budget decision I’m afraid … but all the goals will be online on the BBC Football website,” he said on Twitter “The FLS has NOT been scrapped! It’s on till May and who knows maybe even longer … but …”

Whatever the decision come May, the nonchalant decision to not show crucial fixtures for waiting fans is a clear sign that the BBC have more interest in the Premier League than ever. The gap between the top two divisions in England is widely thought not to be a great deal in footballing terms, but financially and in people’s priorities it is now huge.

The funding for the Championship sides is decreasing consistently and clubs falling from the top division are finding it harder and harder to compete at the lower level due to financial restrictions and a shock to the system.

It is staggering to think that the Championship, League One and League Two clubs get so little TV time but yet I am confident that West Ham, Birmingham City, Southampton and possibly Cardiff City would not look out of place in the declining Premier League this season. The parachute payments are a ticking time bomb for clubs such as Blackpool who will take a long time to match the heights of Premier League football last season and without excellent owners will have that debt for a long time.

The Football League Show will return this weekend even though the BBC claim that this weeks’ Carling Cup games were more important than the Football League in recent weeks, but the timing of the show usually passes midnight and not all supporters will be able to watch it which once again shows priorities that are not welcomed in modern day football. I am interested in all levels of English football, not just the top 20 teams so why should I not be able to watch the rest because the BBC feel it is less important.

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Do you think the Football League Show is worth keeping on? Let me know on Twitter: @Brad_Pinard

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Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuain hit a hat-trick in their 6-3 thrashing of Valencia in La Liga on Saturday.Jose Mourinho’s side was in devastating form as they held a 4-0 half-time lead at the Estadio de Mestalla, although they failed to make up any ground on first-placed rivals Barcelona, who also had a win.

Higuain was the provider of the first in the 23rd minute as his pass led to Valencia goal-keeper Vicente Guaita palming into the path of Karim Benzema, who hammered home into an empty net.

The Argentine got his first goal of three in the 31st minute with a tight finish, before setting up Kaka for the team’s third six minutes from half-time.

The Brazilian returned the favour twice to Higuain, either side of the interval, as Real Madrid led 5-0 after 53 minutes.

Valencia striker Roberto Soldado pulled a goal back on the hour mark before Kaka completed his brace after an assist from Benzema two minutes later.

Substitutes Jonas and Jordi Alba provided some respectability to the scoreline with goals in the last 10 minutes as the third-placed Valencia crashed to a heavy defeat.

Barcelona maintained their eight-point lead at the top of the table, however, with a hard-fought 2-0 win over Osasuna.

Goals from David Villa and his second-half replacement Lionel Messi ensured Pep Guardiola’s team kept their buffer at the top.

Villa finished smartly in the 24th minute after benefiting from a slick team move that led to a superb pass from Jeffren in his direction.

Messi wrapped up the points two minutes from time with a neat finish after Dani Alves slid him behind the Osasuna defence.

The loss continues Osasuna’s nervous finish to the season, still sitting two points above the drop zone.

Stoke City boss Tony Pulis is hoping to strengthen his squad following an injury-plagued start to the new season.

Pulis saw Mamady Sidibe join fellow striker Kenwyne Jones on the sidelines during Saturday's 2-1 defeat at home to Tottenham.

Club record signing Jones was already facing a spell in the treatment room with a knee problem picked up on his debut against Wolves before Sidibe ruptured his Achilles tendon on Saturday.

He is likely to be sidelines for around ten months which has left Pulis short of attacking options.

"Mamady will be out for a year and that's a massive disappointment because the effort and commitment he puts in for us every week is just first class," said Pulis.

"We've already lost Kenwyne Jones for the trip to Chelsea and though it's not going to be the six or seven months we first feared, it's still a ligament injury that could be another two or three weeks.

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"We're looking to bring in another three or four players but this has been our toughest start since we came back up."

Meanwhile, Pulis has laughed off reports linking him with a move for Tottenham's England striker Peter Crouch.Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

I think it’s fair to say that Arsenal fan patience with Russian International Andrei Arshavin has finally run out. His completely ineffectual cameo against City on Sunday could well prove to be the kiss of death for his Premier League career. All the talent in the world means naught if you don’t have the fitness levels to back it up in combination with the will and mentality to see out a game.

It’s telling that the last two meaningful Arsenal shots on Joe Hart’s goal came from Thomas Vermaelen, a man with a genuine never-say-die attitude. All I can remember from Arshavin is a dirt poor cross, which had the delivery been better would likely have resulted in a goal.

With Gervinho off to the African Cup of Nations and Chu-Young Park not offering a real alternative, I think it’s fair to say that Arsenal ought to bring somebody else in.

Some may suggest promoting the likes of Tomas Rosicky , Yossi Benayoun or Oxlade-Chamberlain, but they are all either too old or too raw. What’s really needed to replace Arshavin is a player as influential as the diminutive Russian was when he first arrived at the club.

The usual names will be tossed out: Lukas Podolski (yes please), Eden Hazard (we can dream) and Goetze (who can play on the wings as well as in the centre of midfield) but I think Wenger should also give heavy considerations to Xherdan Shaqiri.

Shaqiri has come on leaps and bounds during his time at FC Basel and his rise to prominence culminated in him providing the two assists that saw Man United tumble out the Champions League. At just 5”7 he certainly wouldn’t add any height to this Arsenal side, yet neither did Arshavin. What’s needed is his direct running, dynamism and his eye for a pass.

Indeed, he strikes me as the perfect antidote to Arshavin. What impresses about Shaqiri at just 20-years-old is his hunger and work-rate. He’s like a grass-powered dynamo, fizzing across the pitch, eager to make things happen. It’s all a far cry from Arshavin’s tepid, effort-free approach to the game.

Of course, in all likelihood Wenger won’t buy this kind of player during the January transfer window. Maybe he’ll instead seek to address the Gunner’s full-back problem. Of course that wont stop fans dreaming of the possibilities and surely Shaqiri is one of the very best?

Article courtesy of Harry Cloke from This is Futbol

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Antonio Valencia is receiving a lot of praise for his forty-minute spell as an emergency right back against Chelsea on Wednesday night.

The Ecuadorean was perhaps not the expected choice to fill in for the injured Rafael, with Park Ji-Sung’s famed energy levels and tenacity probably making him a more obvious candidate at the time.

However, Sir Alex Ferguson had decided to let a winger do a full back’s job only four days earlier against West Ham, when Ryan Giggs played at left back for the second half in place of Patrice Evra. The tactical switch worked very well on that occasion, and the results were just as satisfying at Stamford Bridge too.

If United’s back four has looked experimental at times lately then that is entirely understandable. Due to injury and suspension, defensive resources have been stretched. John O’Shea and Wes Brown both have vast experience at right back but were unavailable on Wednesday night; it was telling, too, that the beleaguered Jonny Evans, who has spent some time at full back, was overlooked from the bench when the need arose to replace Rafael.

Evans, of course, was sent off against Bolton in March, his last appearance for the first team, and his dismissal resulted in a defensive reshuffle then, with Michael Carrick moving to central defence for the last portion of the match.

While necessity has been the mother of invention, then, in terms of the recent successful deployment of Giggs and now Valencia at full back, it’s also worth remembering the recent FA Cup tie against Arsenal that saw Rafael and Fabio line up as wingers. The personnel United have used in wide areas has been particularly interesting for several weeks now. In fact, it reminds me of an article that Jonathan Wilson, the Guardian’s resident tactical expert, wrote for the newspaper’s website last October.

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Wilson’s topic was Barcelona’s full backs and how far they push up the pitch. His theory was that, with the forward pressing of Dani Alves, in particular, being both a primary source of attacking width and also an effective way of countering teams that sit deep, the Spanish side’s formation was morphing into a curious throwback to a system supposedly consigned to history. With Vittorio Pozzo in charge, Italy’s two World Cup wins in 1934 and 1938 were achieved with what was known as the W-W formation, essentially a 2-3-2-3. With the two wide defenders playing higher up the pitch than where modern full backs would traditionally operate, alongside a deep-lying midfielder they would form a floating trio in front of the centre backs. The deep-lying midfielder was the hub of the team, dropping almost into defence to receive the ball as the full backs pushed on.

This might all sound a bit theoretical. It makes more sense when players’ names are added to the equation. In Barcelona’s case, as Wilson explained, the deep-lying midfielder who practically becomes another centre-half is Sergio Busquets. For United, the equivalent player would be Michael Carrick. Given his vastly improved performance on Wednesday night – his best for two seasons at least – it is particularly exciting to consider the possibility of a prolonged return to form for the United midfielder alongside the potential shown by two of our wingers at full back recently.

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Giggs and Valencia are clearly not long-term options in wide defensive positions, but Patrice Evra was bought with a reputation as a left-sided defender who could also play on the wing and nobody would doubt Rafael’s willingness to go forward either. If United’s regular full backs were encouraged to attack even more than they already do then Michael Carrick, with some experience in defence himself, would be the ideal covering midfielder in, potentially, our very own W-W.

You can follow William Abbs on Twitter @WilliamAbbs

Read more of Willam’s articles at the excellent ‘Red Flag Flying High’

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They don’t call him wheeler-dealer ‘Arry for nothing but this summer Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has struggled in the transfer market. The East Londoner usually takes to his summer transfer dealings like a duck to water but the 63-year-old has been left frustrated by the club’s inability to secure the signatures of his main transfer targets before the start of the season.

Following last season’s fourth placed finish many fans had expected Spurs to spend, spend, spend in a bid to consolidate their Champions League position and to stay in touch with their rivals at the top. Yet so far the North Londoners have only secured the signature of long-term target Sandro from Internacional for a £6m fee. Redknapp hinted in July that he wanted the club to move quickly in the transfer market saying:

“I think we need to bring in three real quality players that can push us on.

“This is a chance that ­Tottenham really shouldn’t waste. We have got ourselves into our best position since the ­Premier League first started, and we have to build on that.

“We now have to move ­forward and not take a step back and sit and look at what we’ve done.”

While this was seen as a hint to the club’s owner Daniel Levy to loosen the purse strings, Redknapp himself has also come under criticism for his actions in the transfer market. The former Portsmouth manager’s approach for West Ham captain Scott Parker has caused a major rift between the two London rivals, with Hammers accusing Spurs of tapping up their midfield general and vice-chairman Karren Brady blasting:

“Harry Redknapp has introduced something into the transfer market I call Harry’s Law.

“It goes: ‘Do what I like, when I like, with whom I like.”

It seems that Redknapp’s famed charm might be wearing off after also missing out on Joe Cole who signed for Liverpool. He is also ready to admit defeat in the pursuit of Man City star Craig Bellamy, who looks set to sign for either Cardiff or Fulham. Redknapp however has other ideas on why he hasn’t been able to sign the players he would like, claiming clubs don’t want to sell players to Tottenham following their success last term.

“There’s not been a lack of backing. The chairman’s done everything possible, but the clubs just suddenly don’t want to let the couple of players go that we thought they might well do,” confirmed the Spurs boss.

While Redknapp’s latest comments will defuse any potential row with Levy over transfer targets, the Spurs manager has opened up another can of worms by hinting at other clubs refusal to sell. City certainly wouldn’t entertain the thought of Bellamy heading to the club that beat them to the remaining Champions League spot last year. And Redknapp cannot expect West Ham to react positively to his approaches for their star man Parker. Tottenham also look set to miss out on targets Luis Fabiano and Diego Forlan. Spurs seem to be unwilling to match either players’ wage demands or their respective clubs’ asking price which effectively has priced the club out of a move. Levy does not want to break the club’s wage structure but he may be forced to if he wants to land Redknapp’s ‘three quality players’ over the next two weeks.

Redknapp has a reputation throughout his career of doing cut price deals while managing lower league and mid-table sides. It is generally easier to pick up players unwanted by bigger clubs than securing the signing of a club’s biggest asset. When you are attempting to do transfer deals for players that clubs don’t want to let go then you have to be prepared for long, drawn-out negotiations and have a plan B in place should a club refuse to sell.

While Redknapp may have thought he knew the ins and outs of the transfer market, he will have learnt a few lessons this summer. Last season’s success has increased the club’s stature and reputation and they may have to break the bank in order to land Europe’s top players ahead of their European excursion. Spurs will now have to move quickly over the next two weeks to ensure they don’t miss the opportunity to progress on the back of last year’s wonder season.

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Stoke have secured progression to the knockout stages of the Europa League after drawing 1-1 with Dinamo Kiev at the Britannia Stadium on Thursday night.

A Matthew Upson own goal in the first half gave the Ukrainian visitors the lead at the interval, but a late Kenwyne Jones strike ensured that the Potters will be in the draw for the last 32.

With Tottenham, Fulham, Birmingham and Celtic struggling to progress past the pool stages, manager Tony Pulis is proud of the achievements of his team.

“We were off the pace in the first half but they’re a good side. There was one change from the side that knocked Manchester City out last season,” he told Mirror Football.

“What we’ve done is fantastic and we’ve qualified from what I think is the toughest group.

“That’s nine games in Europe and nine games unbeaten. It’s a great, great achievement. It’s very difficult for Premier League teams to play in the Europa League because you come back and every game is like a cup final.

“You can look at other European leagues and the strength in depth isn’t as great. It’s a real struggle in that respect but we want to do well.

“It’s the first time we’ve been in Europe for more than 30 years. You can wash it away, but I don’t want to wash it away, I want to enjoy it, I want the supporters to enjoy it, I want everybody at the football club to enjoy it because we might not get it for a while again.

“It’s the first time this football club’s ever achieved this, so it’s another milestone and is testimony to everything we’re trying to do,” he concluded.

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Stoke now take on Everton at Goodison Park on Sunday, and will look to replicate their European form domestically.

By Gareth McKnight

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Gianfranco Zola was sacked as West Ham manager at the end of last season. The Italian spent close to two years in the Premier League with the Hammers and in that time developed strong feelings for the club. Here’s Zola talking about his time at Upton Park…

So what have you been up to since you left West Ham?

Gianfranco Zola: I’ve been spending a lot of time with the family, and I’ve just focused on that. I’ve also still been working on my UEFA pro licence and watching a lot of games. I’ve decided to spend this time trying to improve on what I did at West Ham and get ready for the next adventure.

So when you say you’re still working on the pro licence, is that something you were working on at West Ham as well?

GZ: Yes it was part of the plan. When I joined West Ham I needed permission to manage from the Premier League and there an agreement made with the Premier League that I had to complete the UEFA pro licence within a certain amount of time.

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Looking back at your time as West Ham manager how do you reflect on your time there?

GZ: When I first joined the club, despite a difficult time at the beginning, we managed to find the right balance. We found a way, and everybody was performing at his best. The second year my plan was to try and build on what we’d done the year before. Unfortunately things didn’t work out like that. The West Ham fans were amazingly passionate and I am very proud to have managed the club.

How would you describe your style as a manager, in terms of how you treat your players and the kind of football you like to play?

GZ: I’m a manager who tries to make sure his team enjoys the football that they play. I believe that every single player plays more than anything for the fun of it, for the pleasure that they take from playing football. So I try to create an environment where the players are enjoying what they are doing and therefore they give their best. That’s my philosophy. That’s what I try to do all the time.

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You were a creative forward who tried to play attacking football, but not all managers are like that. A lot of managers who were strikers are defensive coaches or the other way around. Why do you think that is?

GZ: It’s just a philosophy, you know. Some people think they can give their best by thinking how can I score a goal, others think they can give their best by thinking how they can stop the opposition from playing. It’s just a matter of how your mind works. There’s no explanation, and I don’t think one is better than the other. You have to choose the one that suits you best.

Visit the Dugout www.yahoo.co.uk/dugout for new interviews every week with England’s top football managers

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