Portsmouth

Odds: 1000/1

Last Five Seasons

2005/06 – 17 (Premiership), 2004/05 – 16 (Premiership), 2003/04 – 13 (Premiership), 2002/03 – 1
(Championship, Promoted), 2001/02 – 17 (Championship).

2005/06 Cup Progress

FA Cup Fourth Round vs Liverpool (h) – lost 2-1.

Carling Cup Second Round vs Gillingham (a) – lost 3-2 after extra time.

Top Goal Scorer 2005/06: Lomano Lua Lua (striker) and Gary O’Neill – 7 goals each.

Players In

David Thompson (Wigan Athletic – Free), Glen Johnson (Chelsea – Loan).

Players Out

John Viafara (Southampton – Undisclosed), Brian Priske (FC Bruges – Free), Gregory Vignal (Lens – Free), Vincent Pericard (Stoke City – Free), Gary Silk (Notts County – Free), Andrea Guatelli (Released), Aliou Cisse (Released), Collins Mbesuma (Released), Sander Westerveld (Released).

Portsmouth survived the drop last season after languishing in the bottom three for much of the campaign. The rescue act was down to former manager Harry Redknapp, who returned to the Fratton Park hot seat just a year after leaving for bitter rivals Southampton.

A six game unbeaten run between March and April saw Pompey scramble together enough points to beat relegation with four points to spare but Redknapp will have his work cut out again this season.

With plenty of money to spend, he has been thwarted in the transfer market this summer. Celtic’s Bulgaria captain Stilian Petrov was high on the wanted list but he failed with a £5 million bid, despite the player wanting a move to the Premier League. Aston Villa turned down Redknapp’s offer of £4.5 million for midfielder Gareth Barry and Real Betis rejected a bid for Brazilian striker Edu, who netted 11 goals in 31 matches last season.

Portsmouth were on the verge of breaking the transfer record fee with the £10 million capture of Benfica midfielder Manuel Fernandes but the youngster, who was not selected for Portugal’s World Cup squad, but that transfer also failed.

Redknapp has managed to sign Arsenal centre back Sol Campbell on a free transfer following five years, five major trophies and 197 appearances for the North London side. Wigan Athletic midfielder David Thompson, a former England international, also arrived on a free transfer, following spells at Blackburn Rovers, Coventry City and Liverpool.

Chelsea defender Glen Johnson, who has fallen out of favour at Stamford Bridge following a £6 million switch from West Ham United in the summer of 2003, has joined the club on a season long loan.

Verdict

The arrival of Sol Campbell will provide some much needed defensive stability and Redknapp is slowly shipping out the dead wood, but survival will be the number one priority next season above everything else.

Blackpool Football Club bosses pulled off a master stroke on transfer window deadline day for British football.

For many months, there’s been speculation surrounding Mr Adams and the keen interest being express by clubs such as Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea. OK, there’s been ‘speculation’ and that’s very different from a genuine offer being made to Blackpool FC to secure Mr Adams’ services. On a day when Fernando Torres left struggling Liverpool to join Chelsea FC (who are also struggling but still in the top 5 league positions) for an astounding £50 million fee, youngster Andy Carroll leaves Newcastle FC to join Liverpool for a staggering £30 million – remember that Mr Carroll has played less than 45 minutes for the England national side and his transfer fee is only £10 million less than that paid for master footballer Zinezine Zidane over a decade ago, don’t you just wonder where, in an environment of austerity and cutbacks, how much does one club have to pay for a player from a competitor?

The master stroke from Blackpool FC? It’s a wonderfully simple, if not perhaps unethical approach to retaining the services of a very influential player. What did they do? Well, Sky News reported that an offer for Adams had been received from high-flying Tottenham Hotspur (remember, it’s deadline day and more ‘last minute’ deals get done on this day than at any other time during the transfer window), but a deal was not able to be done due to the fact that several Blackpool FC shareholders weren’t available to sign documents which would have approved the deal before the 11pm transfer deadline.

Isn’t this a fantastic strategy? A well established negotiation tool is to ‘refer to a higher authority’ if you want to get something done more quickly and easily. But Blackpool FC turned this approach on its head. They appear to have ensured that the ‘higher authorities’ were unavailable, whether they be in different locations or just not contactable by phone. Well done Mr Holloway, you’ve kept the player you never wanted to sell and let other clubs know what challenges they’ll face in future when you don’t want to sell one of your players.

Can’t we all learn something from this that relates to the world of business?

A key tool when influencing another person or group is the element of scarcity. Whether it’s a scarcity of funds, resources or time, creating the illusion of something or someone not being available for long tends to create an element of urgency in the other party. Look at how Ian Holloway played out this drama. And he did it fantastically well! He started with the approach of ‘Don’t ask us to sell our player as he’s not for sale.’ In an interview a few weeks later he stated that in his opinion, his player could be worth up to £48 million. How crazy is that valuation? and that’s possibly what he wanted his intended audience (other Premiership managers) to think. And are you guessing what’s next? Even though £48 million is ridiculous as a transfer fee, if you do want to buy the player and you get him for £20 million – doesn’t it then look like more of a bargain?

Remember, in business, whether you’re a leader, manager, sales person or customer service agent, you are ALWAYS negotiating. And if you’re not using effective negotiation and influencing tools and techniques, you could lose out. And, with great respect for Mr Holloway, if you don’t want to sell out, make it amazingly difficult for the other party to access the relevant resources (in his case, the shareholders) to approve such a deal.

When Arsene Wenger took charge of the Arsenal Football Club in October 2006 he was relatively unknown in the English football community. Since his arrival, however, Wenger has transformed Arsenal into a successful, multi-national side with a strong emphasis on stylish, attacking football.

As a passionate supporter of Arsenal for the past ten years I have had the privilege to witness Wenger’s entire tenure as manager of the club. In that time I have watched the club win the Premier League title three times (1998, 2002 & 2004), the FA Cup four times (1998, 2002, 2003 & 2005) and reached both the UEFA Cup Final and Champions League Final once each (2000 & 2006 respectively). I have seen many great players come and go from the club from all over the world and been spoilt by some scintillating attacking football.

So without further ado I am happy to present, playing in Wenger’s favoured 4-4-2 formation, the Arsenal Team of the Decade.

Goalkeeper of the Decade: Jens Lehmann

German goalkeeper Jens Lehmann joined Arsenal in July 2003 as a replacement for long-serving Englishman David Seaman. Whilst many supporters will no doubt question Lehmann’s selection in this side over his predecessor I think it is hard to argue with Lehmann’s outstanding performances for Arsenal. In his first season with the club Lehmann went the entire Premiership season without losing a game – an astonishing tribute to his consistency and ability in goals.

His next season was less spectacular but he put in a significant man-of-the-match performance in Arsenal’s FA Cup Final win over bitter rivals Manchester United. Lehmann’s stepped up another level in the 2005/06 season when going unbeaten throughout his entire Champions League campaign with Arsenal until being unfortunately sent off in the final. He was subsequently awarded with the Champions League Goalkeeper of the Year.

An astonishing save from Real Madrid’s Raul in the quarter-final second-leg and an important late save from Juan Riquelme’s penalty-kick in the semi-final second-leg against Villareal were the highlights of his campaign. Lehmann has always been a fine shot-stopper and despite a tendency to be hot-headed deserves his place as Arsenal’s Goalkeeper of the Decade.

Best Moment: With Arsenal 1-0 ahead of Villareal on aggregate and on the brink of their first Champions League Final their opponents was awarded a late penalty to give Riquelme the opportunity to send the tie into extra-time. But up stepped Jens Lehmann who dived to his left and kept out Riquelme’s penalty to spark delirium in the Arsenal camp and put them through to their first Champions League final.

Right Back of the Decade: Lauren

Cameroonian midfielder Lauren joined Arsenal from Real Mallorca in 2000 and was converted to Arsenal’s first-choice right back for the 2001/02 season. He was an integral part of the Arsenal defence that won the double in that season, equally adept at defending and attacking and forming a vital partnership with Freddie Ljungberg down the right flank.

Lauren was an incredibly gifted player with exceptional technical ability. He combined this technique with great speed and aggression to make the ideal attacking right-back. He was a member of the Arsenal side that went through the Premiership season in 2003-2004 undefeated but was suspended for four matches for confronting Ruud van Nistelrooij after the Manchester United striker’s penalty miss against Arsenal at Old Trafford.

Despite leaving to the club and joining in January, 2007, Lauren will go down as one of Arsenal’s best wing-backs of all time and gets his place as Arsenal’s Right-Back of the Decade.

Best Moment: With six games to go in the 2001/02 season Arsenal were locked in a tight battle with Manchester United for the Premiership title. The Gunners met London rivals Tottenham Hotspur in a crucial game which was poised at 1-1 late in the second half. When Thierry Henry won a penalty for Arsenal in the 85th minute it was – surpisingly – Lauren who took responsibility for the kick. With all the confidence in the world he poked his penalty down the middle of the goal to seal crucial win for the club and set them on their way to the Premiership title.

Central Defender of the Decade: Tony Adams (Captain)

It is impossible to leave the man nicknamed «Mr Arsenal» out of this side. Although previously suffering from alcoholism during the 1990s Tony Adams was revitalised by the arrival of Arsene Wenger and the implementation of the club’s reformed dietary practices and went on to captain the club to two league-and-cup doubles, in 1997/98 & 2001/02.

Adams was the ultimate English central-defender; tall, strong and an excellent in the air. He excelled at organising the defence but was also a ferocious man-marker. Adams is the most successful captain in the club’s history and is the only English football player to captain a league-winning team in three separate decades.

As such, Adams not only makes it into the Arsenal Team of the Decade as one of the central defenders but is also handed the captain’s armband as a tribute to his leadership and loyalty to the Arsenal Football Club over his eighteen-year career.

Best Moment: Tony Adams capped his and Arsenal’s exceptional Premiership campaign in 1997/98 with the final goal of the season. When central defensive partner Steve Bould collected the ball on halfway Adams tore off towards the goal and Bould chipped the ball into his path. With only the goalkeeper to beat he smashed the ball past the Everton goalkeeper to round off Arsenal’s brilliant season.

Central Defender of the Decade: Kolo Toure

Arsene Wenger signed Kolo Toure from Ivorian club ASEC Mimosas for the tiny sum of £150,000 in 2002 and turned him into a superstar. Originally thought to be a midfield utility player, Toure was converted to central defence by Wenger and formed a strong partnership with Sol Campbell that saw the club go undefeated in the Premiership in the 2003/04 season.

Toure’s success at converting to central defence is made all the more remarkable by a style of play more attributed to a winger. His blinding speed, natural agility and strength on the ball have proved more than enough compensation for his modest height of 1.83m. Like Adams, Toure is a natural leader on the pitch and has become a fans’ favourite at Arsenal. He was part of the Arsenal defence that went 10 games without conceding a goal in the Champions League and continues to be touted as a future captain of the club.

While many supporters will believe that Sol Campbell should get the second centre-back position on this team I think Toure pips him due to his superior technique on the ball. As such, Toure partners Tony Adams as the second central defender in the Arsenal Team of the Decade.

Best Moment: Arsenal played Villareal off the park in the first half of the Champions League semi-final first-leg match at Highbury but were unable to find the goal their play deserved. But right at the death of the half Toure popped up to turn home Alexander Hleb’s cross and score his first ever Champions League goal. It would turn out to be the crucial goal in the tie which finished 1-0 to Arsenal after a 0-0 draw in the return leg made famous by Jens Lehmann’s penalty save.

Left Back of the Decade: Ashley Cole

It pains me to say it after his recent disloyalty to the club, but Ashley Cole gets the position of left-back in the Arsenal Team of the Decade ahead of Nigel Winterburn and Silvinho. While at the club Cole was an integral part of Arsenal’s attacking double-winning sides of 2001/02 and 2003/04.

Always willing to get forward and support with his exhilarating pace, Cole is blessed with excellent technical skills and is a solid crosser of the ball. He is an excellent tackler and has often dominated in games against Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo, a credit to his man-marking ability.

It is a shame that Cole’s career at Arsenal ended the way it did and he will always be remembered for that rather than his fabulous performances that he gave in the seven years he spent with the club. For these consistent performances and Cole gets a spot in the team as the Left-Back of the Decade.

Best Moment: Cole’s performance against Manchester United when marking Cristiano Ronaldo in the 2005 FA Cup was one of the best in his Arsenal career. He nullified Ronaldo’s dribbling time and time again to enable Arsenal cling on to a 0-0 draw until the end of extra-time. Then, in the penalty shoot-out Cole calmly converted his spot-kick as Arsenal went on to win the trophy for the third time in four years.

Right Midfielder of the Decade: Fredrik Ljungberg

Fredrik Ljungberg joined Arsenal in 1998 for £3 million from Swedish side Halmstads BK following an outstanding performance for his national team against England in a World Cup Qualification match. Wenger took a considerable risk in signing the player without seeing him play live but his faith was rewarded in part when Ljungberg scored on debut as a substitute in a 3-0 win over Manchester United.

He ended the 2000/01 season in fine form with a run of goals before scoring in Arsenal’s FA Cup Final loss to Liverpool in Cardiff. Ljungberg hit his best run of form for the club a year later in the closing rounds of the 2001/02 season where he netted in five consecutive matches before providing the assist for Sylvain Wiltord to wrap up the title for Arsenal at Old Trafford. He scored a marvellous solo goal against Chelsea in the FA Cup Final to become the first player to score in two consecutive FA Cup Finals in 50 years.

Ljungberg’s defining characteristics have always been his speed, tenacity and ability to make late, surging runs into the box to create goalscoring chances. Few are able to do this as well as Ljungberg and as such, he gets the right midfield position in the Arsenal Team of the Decade.

Best Moment: In the final matches of the 2001/02 Premiership-winning year Ljungberg scored vital goals on an almost ridiculously consistent basis. But it was one of his goals, scored earlier in the season against Liverpool at Anfield that defined Arsenal’s title-winning side. With Arsenal down to ten men after Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s harsh dismissal the side were well and truly up against it. But Ljungberg proceeded to decide the game by first winning a penalty for Thierry Henry to open the scoring before firing in the sealer after a fine bit of Robert Pires trickery. That goal and Ljungberg’s celebration remain a personal favourite memory of mine and define the fighting characteristics of the 2001/02 Arsenal side.

Central Midfielder of the Decade: Patrick Vieira (Vice-Captain)

Arsene Wenger’s purchase of the Senegalese-born French international from AC Milan in September 1996 for £3.5 million is widely regarded as one of his best pieces of transfer business. After joining the club, Wenger developed Vieira into a composed and technically proficient midfielder to compliment his endless stamina and physical strength.

Vieira made a habit of scoring a number of long-range goals early in his time at Arsenal but became more and more defensive as his career progressed. His defensive nature provided stability for the defence and allowed the likes of Cole and Lauren to push forward and assist Ljungberg and Pires in forward attacks. Nevertheless, Vieira still had a knack of bobbing up in big matches and slotting home a goal or two.

He was captain of the Arsenal sides that won the double in 2001-2002 and went unbeaten in the Premiership in 2003-2004 before winning the 2005 FA Cup Final with his final kick for the club before joining Italian side Juventus. He will remain a true Arsenal legend and there can be no arguments about Vieira’s place in the Team of the Decade as the premier central midfielder.

Best Moment: It was a fitting end to his Arsenal career when Patrick Vieira lined up to take the fifth and final kick against Manchester United in 2005 and scored to win the FA Cup for the club. Vieira had many great moments as captain of Arsenal but to win the the trophy with his final kick for the club was a fairytale end to an outstanding career.

Central Midfielder of the Decade: Gilberto Silva

The Brazilian midfielder joined Arsenal for £4.5 million in August 2002 following outstanding performances for his country at the World Cup in Korea & Japan. He brought with him a reputation for simple, effective football – something not normally attributed to a Brazilian player – with his favoured position as a holding midfielder, sitting just in front of the defence.

Gilberto made an immediate mark in his first match for Arsenal, scoring the winning goal in the 2002 Community Shield against Liverpool. His first season with the club was looked on with mixed reviews and a tendency for him to appear invisible during games frustrated supporters. But in his second season, any frustrations vanished. He formed a skilful and physical central pairing with club captain Patrick Vieira and helped Arsenal go through the entire Premier League season unbeaten.

Gilberto has remained a vital member of the starting team and became vice-captain after Vieira’s departure from the club. He was widely regarded as the club’s best player in the 2006/07 season which brought out the best in Gilberto as both a leader and goalscorer. His versatility and quiet consistency over his time with Arsenal makes Gilberto the perfect central midfield partner for Patrick Vieira in the Team of the Decade.

Best Moment: Although he missed a penalty, the thrill of captaining Arsenal for the first time to a 1-0 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford will live long in the memory for Gilberto. He was a commanding, dominating presence in midfield and allowed the more skilful Cesc Fabregas the freedom to trouble the Manchester United defence. If ever there was a game that signalled Gilberto’s transition from team player to team leader then this was it.

Left Midfielder of the Decade: Robert Pires

The French dynamo joined Arsenal from Marseille in 2000 for £6 million and left the club for Spanish side Villareal six years later in the summer of 2006. The impact that Robert Pires had on the success of Arsenal between those two dates was remarkable. Pires scored 62 goals and provided 43 assists in 189 Premiership appearances to make his mark as a player of astonishing effectiveness.

Pires’ two peaks of form as an Arsenal player came in the 2001/02 season when he was voted PFA Player of the Season after dominating the midfield for Arsenal, and the 2003/04 season in which he scored 14 goals to help the club go unbeaten in the Premiership for an entire season. Pires’ biggest attributes were his flawless control, blistering pace and technical creativity. Importantly, he was equally adept at scoring beautiful or ugly goals at crucial moments for the club.

He formed a formidable attacking relationship with the likes of Fredrik Ljungberg, Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry and is an obvious choice as the Left Midfielder of the Decade for Arsenal.

Best Moment: The pinnacle of Pires’ Arsenal career came in his second season at the club when he was voted PFA Player of the Year despite missing the last two months of the season with a knee injury. His finest moment of that season came in a match against Aston Villa where Pires scored an outrageous individual goal to seal a 2-0 victory. Receiving a long ball from Ljungberg, Pires flicked the ball over Aston Villa defender George Boateng’s head before chipping Danish goalkeeper Peter Schmeicel. It was a moment of pure class from a class player.

Forward of the Decade: Thierry Henry

When Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger signed Thierry Henry from Juventus in August 1999 for £10.5 million it was seen by most observers to be a strange decision. At his spell in Italy, Henry was used mainly on the wing and scored just three goals in 16 appearances for Juventus – generally struggling with the defensive discipline in the Serie A. Upon arrival at Arsenal he was immediately converted into a striker by Wenger and since that day the club and Henry have never looked back. Although he failed to score in his first ten matches with Arsenal, Henry ended his first season with 26 and a star was born.

Henry is now the highest goalscorer in Arsenal history with 174 goals from 254 games. But his performances have always been about so much more than just scoring goals. He is an amazing athlete, one of the fastest players with the ball at his feet in the history of the game and has an inventiveness and imagination that has thrilled the football world. Highlights include his amazing self-made volley against Manchester United, his hat-trick away to Roma in the Champions League, a stunning individual running goal at home to London rivals Tottenham and a late header to win last season’s Premiership match at home against Manchester United.

There are no words that can accurately describe the impact that Thierry Henry has had on the success of Arsenal since he signed in 1999. His promotion to captain after Patrick Vieira’s departure was a reward for his loyalty and influence at the club and a sign of the great respect that his fellow teammates and the Arsenal community have for him. As such, Henry not only makes it into the Team of the Decade but is also named the Arsenal Player of the Decade.

Best Moment: In the middle of the historic 2003/04 season Arsenal faced Liverpool at Highbury after being knocked out of both the Champions League and the FA Cup in consecutive matches. The performance that Henry produced on that day was truly astonishing as he single-handedly turned a 2-1 half-time deficit into a stunning 4-2 victory. His second goal of the match – to grab the lead for Arsenal for the first time – was one of his best ever for the club. After dribbling halfway past three Liverpool defenders he coolly slotted past Liverpool goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek to get Arsenal’s Premiership season back on track.

Forward of the Decade: Dennis Bergkamp

Dennis Bergkamp signed for Arsenal for in June 1995 for £7.5million after two disappointing seasons with Inter Milan in the Serie A. The Dutchman hit his best form after the arrival of Arsene Wenger in 1996 and was voted as the PFA Player of the Year for the 1997/98 season when Arsenal won the league and cup double. Bergkamp’s best attributes were always his impeccable control and intelligence when on the ball. He would rarely waste a touch and was just as able to set up a teammate for a goal with a brilliant pass or flick as he was to finish chances for himself.

The quality of the goals that Bergkamp scored is something to cherish as an Arsenal supporter. This is best illustrated in a 3-3 draw with Leicester City where Bergkamp scored a hat-trick of such brilliance that his three goals took up all three spots in the Premier League Goal of the Month award – the first and only time a single player has achieved this. There was also a monumental goal he scored against Newcastle where he bamboozled his marker to score the Goal of the Season in 2002. Goals became less frequent as his career progressed but until his retirement at the end of the 2005/06 season Bergkamp remained a valuable member of Wenger’s team.

Dennis Bergkamp will always be remembered as a great team player and one of the most influential Arsenal players in the club’s history. Thierry Henry has previously called him the «perfect» strike partner because of his unselfishness and ability to read the game. This unselfishness is illustrated by the fact that as well as scoring 121 goals for Arsenal he has also provided 166 assists for the club. This makes him the ideal partner for Henry in the Arsenal Team of the Decade.

Best Moment: The 2-0 victory that Arsenal recorded away to Newcastle in the 2001-2002 Premiership season will forever be remembered for Bergkamp’s amazing piece of skill in opening the scoring for the Gunners. There is conjecture over whether his touch was intentional but in flicking the ball past Newcastle defender Nicos Dabizas and slotting past Shay Given he is credited with scoring one of the best goals in the history of the game.

The Spanish Super Cup is over and with that it’s La Liga match time between Real Madrid and athletic Bilbao.

After their match against Barcelona ended in bad blood and with their coach Mourinho at the epicentre, Real Madrid will be keen to put the unpleasant memories of Wednesday’s game behind them, and get on with the business at hand.

But Mourinho’s men are nothing if not tough competitors and Barcelona can expect a fight on their hands as Real Madrid get set for a long La Liga season. And they will begin with a derby match against traditional rivals. In their La Liga opener on Sunday, Jose Mourinho’s wards will take on Basque side Athletic Bilbao. Athletic will want to take advantage of any disharmony in Madrid’s ranks resulting as a fall out of the Spanish super Cup fiasco. Athletic Bilbao would be fortunate to take any points from Mourinho’s wards but three points would be cause for prolonged celebration against their hated rivals.

There have been few changes at Los leones although it could be argued that coach Cparo was a major change as was the signing of Zaragoza’s promising midfielder Ander Herrera.

In contrast, critics may argue that their rivals made a lot of changes that were effectively useless by bringing many new players to the squad, such as Callejón, Varane, Coentrão, Sahin, and Altintop.

Most of these players are good in their own right but what are they doing in a team in which there are at least two players ahead of them for every position. Most of them may end up spending the bulk of the season on the bench.

These two teams have a rivalry that extends beyond football and that should make for a gripping enocounter with emotions running high among fans in the stands. Most of all, there should be no shortage of entertainment.

The teams have met each other at the Bernabéu, on 80 past occasions, all in the first division. Real Madrid has won 55 of those games, with athletic Bilbao taking 13. The remaining 15 have ended in stalemates.

The last time Bilbao won away against Real Madrid was in February 2005 on the back of goals by del Horno and Iraola. However, the last seven games between the sides have gone Real Madrid’s way with the winners scoring 25 goals and conceding just six.

In their league opener, Real Madrid will want to begin with a victory to announce their title aspiration, loud and clear, for all their rivals to hear and dread.

Roy Keane enjoyed over 12 years at Manchester United, he became the club captain and helped the team to win seven League titles, four FA Cups and the European Champions League. Keane made 458 appearances and scored 51 goals for the club.

Born in Ireland in 1971, Keane signed his first contract with Irish side Cobh Ramblers In 1989, and it was obvious from an early age that Keane was a determined and committed player. This commitment could be seen on the training ground and through to match days, his attitude that served him so well in his early days remained with him throughout his career.

Keane quickly established himself in the first team and his ability was obvious, even when he was playing against players older and more experienced than himself, it wasn’t long before his qualities attracted the attention of other clubs. Keane was invited to attend a trial at Nottingham Forest and he signed for them in the summer of 1990 for a fee of £47,000.

Roy Keane made his debut for Nottingham Forest against Liverpool at the beginning of the 1990-91 season, and gradually made more first team appearances throughout the season, a season which saw Forest also reach the FA Cup final but they lost to Tottenham Hotspur. Forest returned to Wembley the following season for the League Cup final, but this time lost to Manchester United. Nottingham Forest however were a team in decline and despite Keane’s best efforts they were relegated from the Premiership in 2003.

Much speculation surrounded Keane’s future, and he looked almost certain to sign for Blackburn Rovers, but at the last minute he changed his mind and signed for Manchester United in a £3.75 million transfer, which was a British record at that time.

Keane soon established himself in the Manchester United first team, and endeared himself to the fans as he scored two goals in his home debut against Sheffield United and a few weeks later he scored the winning goal against local rivals Manchester City. Keane helped United retain the Premier League title that season, and a few weeks later win the FA Cup against Chelsea, as United secured their first ever double.

The following season ended trophyless, as United lost out to Blackburn in the Premier League and to Everton in the FA Cup final. The 1995-96 season saw several new players and after a mediocre start to the season, but United went on run of ten consecutive victories in the new year to overhaul Newcastle and win the Premier League. The Reds then beat Liverpool in the FA Cup final, to win their second double in three years.

During the 1996-97 season, United retained the Premier League title, but Keane missed many games due to injury and suspension, but he always remained a big influence on the team when he did play.

At the beginning of the 1997-98 season Roy Keane was appointed as the club captain, after the shock retirement of Eric Cantona, but a few games into the season Keane sustained a cruciate ligament injury that would see him miss the rest of the season. On the pitch, United lost out on the Premier League title to Arsenal, many fans believe had Keane been available, United would have won the title again.

1998-99 was an amazing season for Manchester United, as they went onto win the treble of the Premier league, FA Cup and European Champions League. Keane himself missed the Champions League final through suspension, which he later described as being his worst experience in football.

United won the title again the following year, their sixth in eight years, although they failed to retain the Champions League. Keane was voted as premier League Player of the Year.

Keane won another title in 2003 and remained at Manchester United until November 2005, when the surprise announcement was made that he was leaving the club by mutual consent, he joined Celtic a month later. Roy Keane was always passionate, highly competitive, sometimes outspoken and controversial, but he will always be remembered as one of United’s greatest ever players.

After being deemed surplus to requirements at Atletico Madrid, Uruguayan striker Diego Forlan is expected to try his luck in the Premier League once more after a previous unsuccessful spell with Manchester United between 2002 and 2004. It is fact that some continental players cannot cope with the physical demands of the English Premier League and also struggle to adjust to the weather, lifestyle and culture. We have listed a few «superstar» players who came to play in the Premier League and ultimately went back with tail between legs.

Diego Forlan – Joined Manchester United in 2002 from Argentinian side Independiente and only managed to score 17 goals in 95 appearances for the Premier League champions. This statistic paled in comparison to fellow striker Ruud Van Nistelrooy’s tally of 150 goals in 210 appearances and Forlan was soon offloaded to Spain when Wayne Rooney joined the club in 2004.

Winston Bogarde – Often ridiculed by fans of English football, Bogarde took full advantage of his lucrative contract at Chelsea by refusing to leave the club even though he was reduced to playing with the reserves and even the youth teams. He eventually saw out his contract and subsequently retired from playing when it expired – he was on a reported £40,000 per week!

Juan Sebastian Veron – When Manchester United shelled out a then English transfer record of £28.1 million many people thought that they were getting a genuine world class superstar. Unfortunately Veron couldn’t handle the pace of the Premiership and wasn’t allowed the time and space he was used to and he was often very ineffective in games. United were lucky to recoup £15 million for Veron from Chelsea 2 years later but he was ineffective there too and after spending 2 seasons on loan abroad he moved back permanently.

Hernan Crespo – A prolific scorer wherever he played, Crespo found himself in South London with Chelsea in 2003 after signing from Inter Milan for £16.8 million. When Jose Mourinho took over as Chelsea manager in 2004 he was loaned out to AC Milan, then returned back to Chelsea, then loaned out again to Inter Milan. Although Crespo scored 20 goals in 49 appearances he never fully adapted to the English game and is subsequently regarded as a transfer flop.

Jon Dahl Tomasson – After being selected for the award of Best Dutch Talent in 1996 whilst at Heerenveen, Tomasson was in high demand and eventually chose to join Newcastle United to form, what then manager Kenny Dalglish said would be a perfect partnership with Alan Shearer. Although the partnership started well, Shearer got injured and Tomasson was played out of position as a striker instead of attacking midfielder. He wasn’t comfortable with this new role and his performances were well below par. He ended up scoring 4 goals in 35 appearances for the Toon before returning to Holland with Feyenoord where his career was revitalised and he ended up as one of the best players in his position in Europe.

Tomas Brolin – After impressing for Sweden at Euro 92 and the World Cup in 1994, Brolin signed for Leeds United in 1995 from Italian side Parma. He was expected to make a huge impact but unfortunately this never came to fruition as a fallout with then manager Howard Wilkinson about his defensive abilities and the fact that he didn’t pull his weight meant that he spent a lot of time on the subs bench. After a farcical couple of years where he went to FC Zurich and Parma on loan and also joined Crystal Palace, Brolin retired from football at the age of 29 and has since held the accolade of the worse signing in the history of Leeds United.

Andrei Shevchenko – Arguably the best striker in the world at the turn of the new century, Shevchenko left AC Milan for Chelsea with a record of 173 goals in 296 games for £30.8 million. An indifferent spell in West London resulted in the player netting 9 times in 43 games over a 3 year spell. He spent a year back at AC Milan which was also unsuccessful and he ultimately ended up back at his first club Dinamo Kiev.

Sergei Rebrov – Shevchenko’s Dinamo Kiev strike partner signed for Tottenham Hotspur for £11 million in June 2000 but never realy shone and a return of 10 goals in 60 appearances for the club resulted in him getting shipped out on loan to Fenerbache. He then returned to England with West Ham and had another poor spell only scoring once in 27 games before returning back to the Ukraine with Kiev.

Blackburn Rovers

Odds: 350/1

Last Five Seasons

2005/06 – 6 (Premiership), 2004/05 – 15 (Premiership), 2003/04 – 15 (Premiership), 2002/03 – 6 (Premiership), 2001/02 – 10 (Premiership).

2005/06 Cup Progress

FA Cup Fourth Round vs West Ham United (a) – lost 4-2.

Carling Cup Semi Finals vs Manchester United – lost 3-2 on aggregate.

Top Goal Scorer 2005/06: Craig Bellamy (striker) – 17 goals.

Players In

Benni McCarthy (FC Porto – £2,500,000), Jason Roberts (Wigan Athletic – Undisclosed), Zura Khizanishvili (Rangers – Free), Francis Jeffers (Charlton Athletic – Free), Jason Brown (Gillingham – Free).

Players Out

Craig Bellamy (Liverpool – £6,000,000), Paul Dickov (Manchester City – Free), Gary Harkins (Grimsby Town – Free), Lorenzo Amoruso (Released), Vratislav Gresko (Released), Steven Drench (Released).

Blackburn Rovers were the Premier League’s surprise package last season by securing a sixth placed finish following two seasons just above the relegation zone. Mark Hughes transformed the underachieving former champions and got the best out of bad boy Craig Bellamy, who finished the season as the club’s top goal scorer.

Bellamy’s outstanding form did not go unnoticed and Liverpool snapped him up for a bargain £6 million but Hughes has been quick to sign replacement attacking options. Porto striker Benni McCarthy arrived for an undisclosed fee believed to be £2.5 million. The South Africa international was art of the Porto side that won the Champions League in 2004 and signed a four year contract at Ewood Park. McCarthy has won 60 caps for South Africa and has scored 26 goals. He retired from international football after the World Cup in 2002 but reversed his decision two years later.

Wigan Athletic striker Jason Roberts also signed a four year deal, again for an undisclosed fee. Roberts was Wigan’s top scorer last season with 14 goals and Hughes swooped after he turned down a new contract to extend his stay with the Latics.

Francis Jeffers completed a hat-trick of new strikers arriving at the club this summer, with the former Everton and Arsenal forward joining on a free transfer from Charlton Athletic. Hughes has also been linked with Nicolas Anelka, who has Premiership experience with Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City and Mido, who spent 18 months on loan at Tottenham Hotspur from Serie A side AS Roma.

Verdict

Blackburn’s involvement in the UEFA Cup next season will add strain to Mark Hughes’ squad which still lacks some strength in depth. It is unlikely they will be able to recreate last season’s sixth placed finish and mid table is more likely should they progress to the later stages in Europe.

David Beckham’s full name is David Robert Joseph Beckham. He was born on 2nd May, 1975 in Leytonstone, East London, England. His father Ted Beckham was a kitchen fitter and mother Sandra west, a hairdresser. He has 2 sisters. His maternal Grandfather was a Jew and David has been influenced by Judaism. He has a tattoo in Hebrew from the Hebrew Bible; he wears long sleeves and does not display his tattoos publicly.

Soccer has been in his blood right from his childhood. He used to play regularly with his father. His parents were strong supporters of Manchester United, a quality which he inherited. He did not do well at school. He attended a training session at FC Barcelona as part of talent competition. The first club he played for was «Tottenham Hotspur’s» and finally in 1991 he signed a youth training scheme contract.

He started off by playing for Manchester United in the youth team. The Manager, Sir Alex Ferguson had a great faith in his youth team. Beckham did not disappoint and quickly established himself as United’s right side mid fielder. He played very consistently and regularly for Manchester United, but could not find a place in the England squad before ’96. He made some spectacular goals and thus became a house hold name very soon. His performance in 1998-99 seasons fetched him the «runner up» to Rivaldo for the 1999 European footballer of the year awards. He was the highest paid foot ball player in the world. During this time United won the Premier league; title six times, the FA cup twice and the UEFA champions’ league in 1999.

His relationship with his manager Ferguson became very bitter from 2000 and deteriorated by 2003. In 2003 he signed a four year contract with Real Madrid.

He remained with Madrid for four seasons and won the La Liga championship.

In 2007 he signed a five year contract with Los Angeles Galaxy which was worth $32.5 million and that too on his own terms. While playing for Galaxy he also had two loan spells with Milan in Italy in 2009 & 2010.

On the International front David Beckham made his England debut in 1996 when he was 21 years of age, He was made Captain in November 2000 until the FIFA World cup in 2006.

He was the world’s highest paid footballer.

He is married to Former Spice girl Victoria Beckham. The couple has three sons and currently resides in Beverly Hills, California.

Bruce Grobbelaar spent nearly fourteen years at Liverppol, and will probably be remembered for his eccentricities on the pitch as well as his great goalkeeping skills, the fact remains that he won six League titles, three FA Cups, three League Cups and famously one European Cup in 1984.

Born in 1957 in Zimbabwe, South Africa, Grobberlaar was signed from North America side Vancouver Whitecaps for 250,000 in March 1981 by then manager Bob Paisley. Within months of signing he secured a regular first team place after Liverpool goalkeeping legend Ray Clemence signed for Tottenham Hotspur.

An amazing 310 consecutive appearances for Liverpool over five seasons then followed, although it wasn’t all plain sailing. Some erratic performances and errors, for which Grobberlaar took the blame, saw Liverpool languishing in the mid-table of the first division and seemingly out of the title race, however a dramatic resurgence at the turn of the year saw Liverpool win the league title during his first season at the club, as well as beating Tottenham in the League Cup final.

The Liverpool fans soon warmed to Grobbelaar, he showed superb reflexes as a goalkeeper and had great natural ability, always vocal, he displayed a great command of his penalty area and would often be seen berating his defenders, often described as flamboyant he was also renowned for his eccentric moments, punching the ball when it could easily have been caught, or catching the ball with just one hand rather than two. He was renowned for his long throws and dribbling the ball up the pitch or even running up the pitch to contest a header in the centre circle. Heart stopping one minute, and making breath taking saves the next, he would always keep the crowd on their toes, and even entertained the fans by doing handstands on the pitch while the ball was in play.

One of Bruce Grobbelaar’s most famous moments was during the 1984 European Cup final penalty shoot-out he wobbled his legs in ‘mock terror’ before the penalty kicks were taken, many believe this made two of the Milan players totally miss their penalty kicks, as Liverpool went on to win the trophy.

When Liverpool signed David James, there was greater competition for the goalkeepers jersey, and after two very competitive seasons, in 1994 Bruce Grobbelaar finally left Liverpool after making 628 appearances for the club, for whatever reason, he will never be forgotten.

1.Fulham, 1879

The team began as a church side, St Andrews of West Kensington, becoming professional nineteen years later.

2.Leyton Orient, 1881

Starting as the football team of the Glyn Cricket Club in East London, the side took the Orient into the name in 1888 at the suggestion of a player who worked for the Orient Shipping Line. Known as Clapton Orient from 1898, they moved to Leyton in the 1930s.

3.Barnet, 1882

Founded as Woodville FC by former students of two schools in the area, the team became New Barnet FC in 1885 and simply Barnet FC three years later.

4.Tottenham Hotspurs, 1882

Formed by boys from the Hotspur cricket club and from the local grammar school and named Hotspur FC, the side took the name of Tottenham Hotspur Football and Athletic Club in 1884.

5.Millwall, 1885

The team was founded as Millwall Rovers in thee summer of 1885 by workers at Morton’s Jam Factory on the Isle of Dogs.

6.Queen’s Park Rangers, 1886

The club was formed when a team called St Judees combined with a team called Christchurch Rangers in 188.

7.Arsenal, 1886

The Gunners began life as ‘Dial Square’ when a group of workers at the Woolwich Arsenal Armannent factory formed a team of that name and played their first game on 11 December 1886. In 1891 the Club turned professional and changed its name to Woolwich Arsenal, joining the Football League two years later.

8.Brentford, 1889

The team was founded as an offshoot of the Brentford Rowing Club. Once it was established, there was a debate at one of the earliest meetings about whether the team should play Association football or Rugby football. Association won by eight votes to five.

9.Wimbledon, 1889 (now the MK Dons)

Formed as the Wimbledon Old Centrals, they played their first matches on the Common.

10.West Ham United, 1895

The Hammers were founded as the works team of the Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Co. Ltd.

11.Charlton Athletic, 1905

The team was created by a group of teenagers who all lived in and around Eastmoor Street, SE7, and did not become a senior side for another eight years.

12. Chelsea, 1905

Two businessmen called Mears bought the athletics stadium at Stamford Bridge with the intention of staging football matches but they did so before they had a team to play there. After approaching Fulham to see if they wanted to move in (they didn’t) the brothers chose to form a new club from scratch. Chelsea were founded on 14 March 1905 in what was then the Rising Sun pub opposite the main entrance to Stamford Bridge on Fulham Road. Voted into the Football League for the 1905-06 season, they became the only team ever to enter the League before they’d played a match.

13. Crystal Palace, 1905

Founded as a team to play at the sporting facilities at the old Crystal Palace which stood on Sydenham Hill, the side won the Southern League Division Two championship in their first season.

Short term rental London