With the transfer window well and truly open, one of England’s brightest young talents is being linked with a big money move to one of the Premier League giants. 17-year-old Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has impressed for Southampton this season and has already been named the ‘new Theo Walcott’ down at St. Mary’s. Before we all get carried away with England’s next best thing though, cast your mind back to 2006 and Walcott’s own multi-million pound transfer to Arsenal. Is there a lesson to be learned?

Much like Oxlade-Chamberlain, as a youngster coming through at Southampton, Walcott had the world at his feet. He was unpredictable, exciting, set goals up and even scored them. If he didn’t perform, fans put it down to inexperience and were convinced he would be back on song next time. All of a sudden, Arsene Wenger came calling. Walcott was the subject of much speculation and consequently made a move to the North London club with a fee which cost a total of £11 million, after all the add-ons.

For the player himself, there is no debating that the lure of playing for a such a successful club is too much to turn down. Automatically, he would have had thoughts of playing at the Nou Camp in the Champions League and lifting the Premier League title. What actually followed wasn’t really as he would have planned.

As it stands, Walcott can justify his transfer, he has realised most of those dreams. He is finally a regular in the Arsenal first team and is starting to produce the type of consistent performances which he has promised for years but failed to deliver. We saw flashes of brilliance – Croatia away comes to mind – but it was never often enough. How many times in the past few seasons have people questioned whether he had enough to make it as a top quality player? We never let him get on with it, and considering the bad luck he has experienced with injuries and all the focus on his inclusion in the 2006 World Cup, he has done remarkably well to still become a world-class player.

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So considering all of this, is it a wise move for Oxlade-Chamberlain to make the step up to a team like Liverpool? If reports are to believed, they are leading the chase for his signature with a sum in the region of £10 million being mentioned. At 17, what is wrong with plying your trade in the lower leagues? Gain some experience and then make the move when you’re more capable to handle the pressures which will no doubt come from playing at such an illustrious club at such a young age?

At the very least, if Southampton are in a position where they are forced to sell, they should stipulate the player has to be loaned back for another season to carry on with his football education. Tottenham have done it with Kyle Walker, and look at him now. He was superb on loan at QPR and now he is showing he is Premier League class at Aston Villa.

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The future is very bright for the Saints’ new star but he should err on the side of caution. Moving to a top four side brings its own pressures, which will only multiply given his age. He may already have the temperament to deal with such a move and will undoubtedly go on to become a huge success, but the threat is there. Walcott’s Arsenal career was almost ruined by the intensity surrounding such a promising young English talent. He has lived to tell the tale, let’s hope Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain can too.

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Goals from Gabriel Agbonlahor and Ashley Young gave Aston Villa a narrow 2-1 victory at fellow strugglers Wigan on Tuesday.

After an even first half, two goals in the space of 11 minutes after the break allowed Villa to take a stranglehold on the English Premier League encounter, which they held on to despite James McCarthy’s late consolation.

Villa’s 24-million-pound man Darren Bent was quickly into the game, taking delivery of a lovely through ball from Carlos Cuellar with instant control, although his finish was weak and straight at Ali Al Habsi.

Midfielder Stewart Downing then tested the Wigan goalkeeper, who was up to the shot, with Bent also finding the goalkeeper with the rebound.

Wigan winger Charles N’Zogbia had two decent chances for Wigan and – despite failing to work Brad Friedel in the Villa goal – teed up striker Hugo Rodallega, who should have done better from the edge of the area.

The Colombian then squandered a great chance mid-way through the half, firing over after superb build-up play from McCarthy.

The rest of the half petered out, but Villa flew out of the blocks after the interval and found the opening goal inside four minutes.

Young had already seen an effort tipped over by Al Habsi when his corner was met by the head of Cuellar. But while Al Habsi made a magnificent save to deny the Spaniard, the ball looped up on the goal line and was nodded in by Agbonlahor.

Wigan’s response was immediate, with McCarthy’s cross headed inches over his own crossbar by Villa defender James Collins.

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But Villa stamped their authority on the game on the hour mark when Young was needlessly tripped inside the box by Hendry Thomas and the forward picked himself up to smash the penalty down the middle of the goal and past Al Habsi.

Young missed a good chance to make it 3-0 before McCarthy pulled a goal back on 79 minutes with a shot that deflected in off Collins. But Wigan could not muster another to claim a share of the points.

1. Now we’re old and grey tonight, Fernando. Not even Torres can make this clash enjoyable. – There’s an odd thing about Chelsea and Liverpool. It’s unique amongst the heavyweight Big Four, Sky ‘bang bang whoosh OMG it’s’ Super Sunday clashes in its instant ability to under whelm almost everyone at a mention. While there have been some electric encounters here and there, the more instant, reactive snapshots are of the numerous aching bore fests – real or merely perceived through a jaded memory – that have come to define this fixture, no matter how many explosive thrusting percussion hits Sky whack on their promo trailers.

This edition however, had the added spice and drama of Fernando Torres, and a debut against his former beloved Liverpool that deserved at least three more dramatic percussive hits, an explosion graphic and a lot of running in slow motion.

Unfortunately, even el odyssey del el Niño failed to liven up the encounter, and in fact proved to be the most crushingly boring part of it. Despite Jamie Redknapp promising us that Torres’ greatest strength was that he would “literally” score every time he got past the last man, he didn’t. Nor did he figuratively, or metaphorically, instead enduring a disastrous evening of losing the ball, being hit in the face, and failing to do anything of any interest at any time at all. He was withdrawn after only an hour, though can at least claim to have not been on the losing side, in the strictest, most technical sense. And while he may be looking for all the world like a sickly Labrador wrapped in a duvet, Kenny Dalglish and his big coat pulled off a masterstroke here. Even before Raul Meireles’ smash and grab winner (or Mor-rar-les if you’re Jamie Redknapp, or wrong) it was Liverpool who had looked the most likely, and most able (with the exception of Maxi Rodriguez, who seemed to be playing his own game – with bigger goals – in his head) to break the deadlock. The biggest compliment is that Chelsea never looked even remotely like scoring once. Literally or otherwise.

2. Playground tactics & Rabbit in a hat tricks. – It’s hard to know what to make of the game Alan Shearer thinks is the greatest he’s ever seen. No is my natural reaction. But that’s part of my natural reaction to everything the great tufted one says, so it’s hardly a fair analysis. I would personally still rank the famous 1996 Newcastle – Liverpool game ahead of it, purely on quality, something this match certainly didn’t lack, but contained less of than it did frenetic energy and blustering scrappiness. For a start it owed much to the idiocy of Abou Diaby, who in the great history of Arsenal players at crucial times of the season (or possibly just William Gallas) decided to act like a flapping petulant giant child and got himself sent off. The biggest act of childishness on display however was not Diaby’s, but unfolded on 68 minutes when Gunner’s keeper Wojciech Szczesny refused to relinquish the ball after Barton’s first penalty, cocooning it and hiding it behind his back like an 11 year-old taunting his seven year-old sister with the soon to be naked and melted Barbie doll he’s just stolen. It’s always struck me as one of the biggest acts of c*ntsmanship in football this, and surprises me that it’s not considered up there with diving and phantom card waving when the finger wagging purists go on their weekly rants. It’s quite simply the most childish thing anyone could possibly do on a football pitch bar giving someone a Chinese burn or perhaps kneeling down behind them and getting their mate to push them over. “I’m not giving the ball back, na na na na na na, it’s behind my back now, you can’t see it, now it’s above my head, you can’t reach it, na na na na na.” When Barton converted a second later in the half, Szczesny grabbed the ball and threw it out dramatically in a grand sarcastic gesture, presumably demonstrating how wronged he felt by his initial booking and how trivial the matter clearly was to him, despite making a ridiculously overblown deal about it. “Here, have your stupid ball if you want it so much. Like I care. Pffffttt”. How old are you? When Joey Barton looks more mature than you, you’ve got to be doing something wrong.

I know what you’re thinking. In a game of such excitement, starling goals and high drama, this is what you’re fixated on? Yes. Weird isn’t it? But it really did annoy me that much.

3. Always play advantage if you can. – In the game that I actually thought was the best of the Weekend, but which admittedly didn’t contain Arsenal, or a team who were once in a film with Anna Friel, the brittle orange head of Louis Saha overcame the brittle orange defense of Blackpool in the pouring dramatic rain (rain is always dramatic, always) at Goodison Park. This was a real blood and thunder tie – literally Jamie – with numerous suffering kicks and cuts to the face, and anyone failing to do so settling for a nice coat of mud instead. A good old fashioned back and forth affair, which is always more exciting in my book (and I stand whole heartedly by my book and it’s interpretations of things) for it’s unpredictable, any which way but lose aesthetic. which for all the unlikely drama at St James, it’s strictly linear “one side did this, then the other came back” narrative couldn’t match. Whilst hero Saha may be beginning to resemble a half unwrapped Terry’s chocolate orange at present, it’s a shame that his biggest flaw is that he’s always just as liable to break into pieces. Fit and in form though he’s as dangerous as anyone, and he could’ve  added to his four goal salvo and joined* that illustrious 5-goal club were it not for the decision of referee Kevin Friend to award Everton the free-kick he’d blown for just as Louis had swiveled to plant the ball in the bottom corner. It didn’t prove decisive in the end, as it hadn’t when a similar situation occurred in Bayern Munich’s Champions League tie with Fiorentina last season, but one can easily imagine a scenario where it might have, and eventually will. Note to Referees; always play advantage. Always. You’re only blowing to give the obstructed team a fairer chance of scoring. If they’ve scored, you can’t say much fairer than that can you?

* Obviously due to the nature of cause and effect, and the fact it would’ve only been his second goal, this isn’t actually a truth at all. And I hate people who pretend it is for narrative convenience. Especially in blogs. They’re the worst people ever.

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4.The future’s bright, the future’s Orange. – It was certainly fitting that on such a uniquely ridiculous day, the current leaders and only unbeaten side in the League should lose their match and record to the team planted firmly at the bottom. Even more so to a team whose steadfast dedication to the Hyacinth Bucket school of grandiose has them insisting the current hue of their famous strip colour is still ‘Old Gold’, when it’s quite clearly some kind of dirty orange. Not quite as orange as Holland’s Oranje perhaps, no. Nor as Tangeriney as Blackpool’s jovial sea side number, but still orange. It may indeed be “old’ gold, but a gold that’s so old it’s now become orange, or a version of gold before they’d worked out what gold actually was, and then decided that that was gold, and this was actually orange. Not helping my peculiar fixation on this, was the fact that everyone in Wolverhampton seemed to be orange. Or ginger to be more precise (and fairer.) Literally (in the Redknappian sense) every single crowd reaction shot and valedictory end of game euphoric crowd pan revealed wave upon wave of ginger people, in orange shirts, including at one point a teenage Sideshow Bob in a plaster mask. Aside from unleashing my inner colour Nazi, the game proved more testament to the unpredictable, fatalistic, nihilistic, Sods-lawian, Fergusonian ‘bloody hell’ nature of football. A man with preposterously high cheek bones scored two, one off his back, and the visitors failed to create anything of note in the second half as the oranges played for time as early as the 60th minute. But who can blame them? Despite what Arsene Wenger thinks (which would be a great title of a book I want to write) a team like Wolves have every right to play to their strengths with survival on their minds, and it’s up to the more talented, visiting side to break them down. Put simply Arsene, “Oranges are not the only fruit.”

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5. Hoof! There it is…Huth! There it is. – We’re currently living – for those who hadn’t noticed – in a post Allardyce world. It’s a glorious age of free flowing loveliness where the Premier League can rack up 41 goals in a day and even Wigan and Blackburn can churn out an exhilarating 4-3 in front of the thousands of people who never seem to be at the JJB. It takes allsorts though, and for those odd souls still missing a little bit of Big Sam, thank the burly, hoof ball heavens for Stoke City. Along with almost every other top flight fan in the country, Stoke’s followers got to enjoy a raucous, passionate, end to end, high scoring encounter, topped by a last minute winner in dramatic circumstances. Only Stoke though God bless ‘em, did it in such a uniquely Stokian way. Their first was probably a foul, and offside and poked in by a huge obstructive striker a yard about a yard out amidst a goal mouth scramble. The second came off somebody’s back, and probably their arm, before it fell in off the lumbering steamrolling thigh of Robert Huth. The third was quite a decent goal, or what commentators call a very decent goal when they don’t want to say good, and usually when they’re being patronizing or talking about Stoke, by which they mean a long free kick which the defender bundled in at the back post. But oranges are not the only fruit. I doth my cap to you Pulis, you are a maverick in these times.

The immense hagiography and hyperbole flung indiscriminately at everything Barcelona do these days can, on occasion, go a little too far for me. In fact before the great battle of the Barsenal’s part II began I had to scrap a hyperbolic based drinking game in which the player drinks a shot every time a commentator gushes unnecessarily over something relatively straight forward they do, for fear of poisoning myself before the half was out. Though on reflection, death by Clive Tyldesley would certainly be a novel way to go.

Regardless of whether you think they’re the Ubermensch SuperTeam or not, it’s hard, nay almost impossible to deny that they’re the top team around. They are indeed the benchmark, and it’s up to everyone else to see where they measure, to which the answer is invariably – “somewhere below.”

How far below Arsenal measure is now a contentious matter of opinion. Last year Arsene Wenger’s men were crushed, horribly. If Barcelona were a Ferrari, then Arsenal was a man in a Ferrari jacket making brum brum noises in a layby.

This season however, the Gunners have dragged themselves manfully up the pecking order with a performance and result that clawed back most of the dignity and pride they lost being out Arsenaled by their spiritual older brothers last season. I say most, because although my first inclination was to shower praise on the team for their dogged, hard fought victory, it seems that the world and his wife have gotten there first, and then gone overboard, and then some. In fact in all the sunshine rhetoric and glowing praise, it’s become easy to forget Barcelona’s very healthy position, and performance.

It started – as most things of an absurd nature often do – on ITV. No sooner had the sweat dried on Cesc Fabregas’ pirate beard than he was being asked, “If Barcelona are the greatest team ever, where does this result put Arsenal?” To be fair to the mercurial Spaniard he answered this question with the correct amount of confused distain and annoyance, reiterating that they still had another match to go and had “only played 45 minutes” which served as both a fitting analogy for the tie, and an accurate appraisal of his performance. Unbowed by that however, the microphone was then thrust into Pep Guardiola’s startled face to enquire as to whether he’d “lost to the better team” which seemed an odd question to ask a man whose team had just enjoyed over 60% of possession and 75 minutes of relative comfort away from home. But then the only real revelation from this was that ITV employ one more person who can’t be trusted with a live football broadcast.

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However obvious and inevitable the subsequent praise, it still strikes me as odd that such a win be treated with such reverence. Arsenal are not a small team, in fact they could reasonably claim to be the 4th best team in Europe at present, so it almost seems patronising to elevate this victory – which owed at least a small debt to fortune – to the pantheon of club legend purely on the basis they won it. This wasn’t Norwich beating Bayern, this was Arsenal, a team who reached the final of this competition only five years ago. Likewise Barcelona aren’t actually the impervious indestructible Gods of grass the more over-excited footballistas often present. They’re often quite poor – by their standards – away from home in Europe. They were beaten by a greater margin last seaon when faced with Mourinho’s Inter and considered by many to have ‘robbed’ Chelsea the season before. Put bluntly, I expect Arsenal to get this type of result in their home ties, and what’s more, before last season’s match up, so did most Arsenal fans. It was indeed a euphoric and hard fought victory (and one they deserve to revel in) but it wasn’t really a fantastic performance. Beating Inter 5-1 at the San Siro or Madrid at the Bernabeu were great performances and great results. Taking a one goal lead into the second leg after being mostly outplayed is not.

Despite Sky Sports News doing their best to ramp the hyperbole to cranking levels all day Thursday, only the most optimistic and red tinted Gooner could genuinely claim to rank this as “one of the best performances under Arsene Wenger,” as someone from Sky’s indistinguishable conveyor belt of blonde haired women and bland looking men spent the whole day implying through a plethora of texts and emails. Even up until the minute of Arshavin’s winner the game seemed largely like a rescue job. For the first 45 Arsenal were practically knickerless as the Barca passing beast loomed threateningly down on them. They were lucky to escape a 2-0 deficit thanks to a bad offside call on Messi, and for the majority of the game looked far more the jacketed layby man of last year than the revving engine they finished as.

But they rallied, and kept fighting and their performance was great in one crucial aspect they’ve notoriously lacked in years gone by – bottle. Well two in fact, because Jack Wilshere was exceptional for a 19 year old playing at this level against the best team around. So rattled did Barca look in those last 10 minutes that Arsenal may well have gotten a third. But those 10-20 minutes were the only time in which the performance could seriously be called “great” and it seems unfair to a man of such achievements as Arsene Wenger to claim it amongst his best. In fact where Arsenal truly suceded in those closing stages was in besting their opponents for pace and directness, rather than “playing them at their own game” and coming off second best.

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A draw would’ve probably been fairer but no one can begrudge Arsenal their moment of glory basking, especially after last year and with a hard task yet ahead. But if Wenger and Arsenal fans really value progressing in the tournament, they’re gonna need an even better performance than that at the Camp Nou. Barcelona are still the kings of the castle, and the next stop is the castle itself.

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Carlo Ancelotti has warned new defender David Luiz he needs to calm down as he battles to overcome injury and face Blackpool on Monday.The defender became a Chelsea hero when he scored against Manchester United in Tuesday’s 2-1 Premier League victory – and somehow managed to avoid getting sent off after giving the likes of Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez a real battering.Referee Martin Atkinson’s decision not to hand the centre-back a second yellow card infuriated United boss Sir Alex Ferguson, who now faces disciplinary action for his post-match outburst.And Ancelotti has warned the 23-million-pound signing, who also picked up a hamstring injury after racing around against United, he needs to take things a bit easier in future.”He has to know English football. He has to be more calm on the pitch. Obviously he’s showed fantastic ability and quality. He has to improve, but he will because he’ll have more experience and knowledge about English football. He can change his behaviour on the pitch,” Ancelotti said.”He’s showing fantastic ability offensively, obviously. He’s able to pass the ball and move in front without problems. He’s able to shoot at goal. But defensively, he can improve.”The Chelsea manager is hopeful his new signing will recover in time to face Blackpool on Monday but he may need a late fitness test.”Until now, he’s not been able to train. I hope he will train tomorrow,” Ancelotti said of Luiz. “Mikel, too, had a knee problem in the warm-up before the game against United. He had a scan yesterday, but everything was ok. I hope, also, that he can train tomorrow. The other players are fine.”Chelsea go into the match at Blackpool as huge favourites, not least because of the huge difference in financial muscle between the two clubs – after all the 50 million pounds Chelsea paid for Fernando Torres would probably be enough to buy Blackpool lock, stock and barrel. “I know, I know – but it doesn’t mean anything. Obviously, when you have the money you can have important players, top players. But the difference in football is teamwork. If you are able to reach teamwork levels with fantastic players, you can win the most important titles in the world. The most important thing is to have that teamwork,” he said. Chelsea must decide whether to recall Didier Drogba after he was left on the bench two games in a row. But Ancelotti is expected to stick with Torres even though the former Liverpool man is still waiting for his first goal in a blue shirt.”Everyone here isn’t afraid or worried because he hasn’t scored. Everyone is looking at his performances. He played a very good game – he didn’t score, obviously, and it’s important for the strikers to score,” he said. “But not for us. I’m asking him to have good movement for the team and to have combinations with the other strikers. He’s doing very well.”

News that Rio Ferdinand could be out for the season hasn’t been met with the level of disappointment by many United fans that you’d expect.

While the loss of arguably the world’s best centre back is a massive blow there’s a feeling among many Reds that it needn’t be a devastating one.

The reason for the underlying optimism is a certain Christopher Lloyd Smalling who exceeded everyone’s wildest expectations with a series of assured performances at the heart of United’s defence.

Watching Smalling playing for Fulham last season, I was a little sceptical as to why we’d signed him to be perfectly honest as in the few games I saw him in, he looked a little shaky to say the least. What I, in my infinite stupidity failed to do was watch him over any extended period of time, just simply the occasional game here and the odd highlight there before making a negative assumption.

Smalling has fitted into the defence when called upon with consummate ease, displaying the confidence and ability to move the ball forward you’d associate with Rio Ferdinand. Smalling’s pace and physical presence make him a daunting prospect for any forward to face and he’s shown he’s more than adept at tackling and winning aerial battles.

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Smalling has composure on the ball which belies his inexperience, yet unlike other defenders most notably Ferdinand, who have that same style, his play never seems perfunctory. That’s not to say that Smalling is at the same level as Ferdinand, it would be daft to suggest such a thing, but there can be little or no doubt that he’s certainly living up to the moniker of Ferdinand’s heir apparent.

Smalling’s rise to the summit of club football has been nothing short of awe-inspiring as a man who a mere two years ago was plying his trade in the Ryman league is now first choice for a team chasing the treble.

The concern I have is that while Smalling has gone from non-league to England class in barely two years, he’s still a relative novice in the top flight, who ideally was expected to be United’s third, fourth of even fifth choice centre back this season.

Don’t get me wrong as Chicharito has so ably shown top flight experience isn’t the be all and end all when you’ve got such an abundance of talent, but that shouldn’t detract from the fact a lot’s being asked of a player who’s barely reached 20 Premier League appearances.

Unlike a striker who can miss three chances but score one and still be a hero, if a defender makes just one error in a game, it can prove costly.

With the current United defensive injury problems reaching crisis levels, Ferguson has little choice but to turn to Smalling. With both John O’Shea and Rafael out for at least a few weeks, then surely Wes Brown will be required to fill the right back role.

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Jonny Evans is thought to have a strong chance of being fit for the Bolton game this weekend, but here is where one of the main problems lie when it comes to playing Smalling. In an ideal world Smalling would be used sparingly, perhaps even just as cover for Evans and Vidic who played together more than admirably during United’s 11 game clean sheet record breaking run in 2008/09.

Yet since then Evans has been on downward trajectory and other than a few minor glimpses of the defender once considered the most exciting at the club, some even rated him higher than Gerard Pique when they were both fringe players, he’s become something of a worry to say the least.

It’s now got to the point where if Evans and Smalling are both fit, then it surely has to be the former Fulham man who’s preferred such is the level of unreliability you’d associate with the Irishman.

Nemanja Vidic is expected to return after Saturday’s game and take his place in the defence for the following week’s trip to Upton Park.

With a fit Vidic, and no Rafael or O’Shea you’d expect Brown to occupy the right back and either Smalling or Evans be asked to partner the United skipper.

The thought of Jonny Evans being in defence at Upton Park again is almost not worth thinking about as watching him make Carlton Cole look like Eric Cantona in the freezing cold a few months ago was arguably the nadir of any away trip I’ve ever been on.

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It now seems inevitable that Smalling is going to be called upon for a series of games which could make or break United’s entire season. Yet is that really the best thing for both player and club?

Against both Liverpool and Marseille Smalling has shown signs that he’s not as infallible as everyone once thought. I’m not criticising him, merely pointing out an observation that I’m sure many other Reds have noticed.

In the game at Anfield, Smalling was one of United’s better defenders- or at least less bad ones- I know that’s the same thing, but if you think about it there’s a different meaning.

In the game against Arsenal Smalling was immense while the in the Champion’s league after a somewhat nervy start he gradually looked a little more composed.

The point is that Smalling is currently serving his apprenticeship at Old Trafford, he’s shone brightly and impressed everyone but are we asking too much of him to be a first choice centre back for possibly the rest of the season?

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Evans and Brown may have looked shaky at times, but unlike Smalling they’ve been involved in both title run-ins and big Champion’s league games a number of times. The general consensus among United fans is to stick with Smalling until Rio returns- or if that’s not forthcoming, until the end of the season.

Smalling has undoubtedly shown he is the real deal, and alongside Vidic his extra pace and composure is the perfect compliment.

However if he should show signs of the pressure getting to him then would giving Brown or even the much-maligned Evans another chance be such a bad idea?

Everyone was shocked when Ferguson chose Evans ahead of Smalling against Liverpool in the FA Cup, yet the defender proved his detractors wrong with a solid point.

As always I’m keen to hear your thoughts. Please comment below and let me know if I’ve gone off the deep end yet again or actually have a valid point?

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

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Check out Man United’s representative in the Top TEN solo goals of all time…

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Chelsea’s David Barnard believes a quarter-final against Manchester United could become another classic all-English Champions League clash. West London club Chelsea have experienced some memorable European encounters with Premier League opposition, including a 7-5 aggregate win over Liverpool in 2009.They will now take on United in a last eight re-match of the 2008 Moscow final, which Chelsea lost on penalties following a 1-1 draw.”Obviously we’ve got a great rivalry with Manchester United on the domestic scene,” club secretary Barnard said.”But when it comes to the Champions League we’re experienced in playing other English clubs like Liverpool, we’ve played them four times, we’ve played Arsenal in a quarter-final.””But the Champions League is different to the domestic, believe it or not. The atmosphere, the organisation … so those games are going to be special.””The law of averages says that we were going to come up against an English side at some point. We have the opportunity hopefully to do away with the English club early doors.”Barnard’s Manchester United counterpart John Alexander admitted his side might have preferred to avoid domestic opposition.”I think from the English teams’ perspective it would have been nice to avoid each other,” Alexander said.”But having said that it’s an opportunity for an English club to take a step towards a Wembley final, we hope that it’s going to be Manchester United on this occasion.””It’s what Manchester United is all about, we like to be in the big competitions as long as we can.””We like to be in them and we tend to thrive on the bigger games and we look forward to it.”Gary Lineker – official ambassador for the 2011 Wembley final – chose Real Madrid against his former club Tottenham Hotspur as the pick of the draw.”Spurs – Real Madrid … is a very tasty looking game, two sides who love to entertain,” Lineker said.”A thrilling night for Tottenham fans you’d think.” “I don’t think the Spurs faithful will be overly impressed with what I pulled out … certainly a tough track to final.””If they get through they face Barcelona in the semi-finals, but that is what European football is all about.””It’s the big time and i’m sure the Spurs fans will love their trip to Madrid and certainly the home game against Real.”

About nine months ago, I started writing blogs on this site. I had written a couple on my own site, but it seemed a rather pointless exercise venting my spleen to a grand audience of three (usually family members).

Anyone who writes a blog, about anything, surely wants to get as many hits as possible. You want your effort to have some end-result, after all. It doesn’t affect my choice of topics, but it made sense to write for an established site. I do these blogs because it combines two passions – writing and football. There’s no other reason, it won’t lead anywhere, I don’t profess to do it better than everyone else, but the internet has allowed us fools to find a voice.

But that said, there is one thing more that I always look out for after writing a blog – the thing that makes me check back on the article for two days – reader comments. This is not to boost my ego, or to repair my fragile confidence or hope that I haven’t been viciously put-down, but I think it’s a crucial part of blogs, almost as much as the original article is, as it shows my writing has had some effect on someone (good or bad), and it stimulates some debate (sometimes). You may write an article that gets 10,000 page hits, but if it never gets a comment it seems a bit of a waste to me.

What I wasn’t prepared for though was the nature of some of the comments.

I’ve made it an unwritten rule not to post comments on my own blogs. I have seen so many nice comments that I want to say thank you for, but was wary that some idiot would then accuse me of being full of myself. I got burnt once, commenting on criticism of my blog on Soccer Saturday, where he  proceeded to talk drivel, and then talk down to me as if he was disciplining a misbehaving dog.

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Wow… Not exactly Watergate this piece!

Get a life, Howie. Haven’t you got anything better to bitch about?

Being in a foul mood that particular day, I rather stupidly replied:

Brilliantly spotted Lee – a blog on a football programme is indeed not the same as one of the biggest scandals in American politics. No fooling you is there?

To which he replied:

Good for you! You Googled ‘Watergate’.

Think i was making a witty put-down as opposed to your Stating-The-Bleeding-Obvious one. What are you, twelve? Bless.

Lesson learnt – some people do not want a discussion, but to trade insults. And the common thread with such people is their appalling grasp of the English language, which rather weakens their arguments. Not that I am perfect, and it is churlish (sp?) of me to point out bad spelling, but then I have become an apostrophe Nazi, a much detested breed. Anyway, here’s some of the biting criticism I have received over the past few months:

I hope your hands actually fall off so you cannot reproduce c**p of this nature ever again.

loosen your bo**ocks up. (I tried this, but my next article was even worse)

One of the worst articles i’ve ever had the displeasure. Give up & find a new job. Honestly.

Ah, yes – let’s not forget those who think that this is my job, what I dedicate every waking moment to. God forbid that my research hasn’t been pain-staking, involving going undercover for 12 months at FIFA or befriending Alex Ferguson over a 5-year period just to give my random thoughts a bit more “gravitas”. An accusation of “lazy journalism” can’t be too far away.

Continue to the NEXT PAGE…

Oh hang on, here it is, a comment after I used some random examples (and stated quite clearly that I was using random examples) to show how much charity work clubs do:

The Tottenham Hotspur Foundation last year raised more money for charity than any other Prem League club, yet there is no mention of it here. It seems the author is guilty of the same lazy over sights that he’s accusing the press of.

Sometimes you know what is coming, and never was this more so than when I wrote a blog on Kenny Dalglish taking over at Liverpool, saying I felt it was a decision taken by the heart rather than the head, and not one I agreed with. There was no malice, I just gave my opinion, in an unoffending manner. It wasn’t long before the bile started appearing:

Who the hell do you think you are? are Mun U going to cut their cloth after all the Glaziers are virtually bankrupt and in hock to the hilt whilst Liverpool are now debt free. I’m sick of all you so called friends of Hodgson crawling out of the woodwork, all you really want is to see Liverpool relegated.

Written with such venom, bitterness, looking for a reaction…what’s your problem??

I see you’re a City fan,you worried Kenny’s gonna get Liverpool a top 4 finish? A ball hasn’t been kicked yet and you’re panicking. Pathetic piece of journalism.

Awful attempt at journalism. You ain’t got a clue. Get another job please

It’s the totally fabricated allegations that puzzle most. Being told that you hate so-and-so or want team X relegated because you expressed an opinion on something.

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And if that doesn’t work, just make stuff up. Like this reply to a blog defending Roberto Mancini:

What irks me is that he has no respect for mine, or others like me, he dismisses us of talking tripe, like his knowledge of this situation is somehow superior to ours, it isnt, its just his opinion……….I like his ‘why do I bother’ remark….like by being a City fan he’s doing us all a favour.

I’ve seen from other (non-football) bloggers that they have been “stalked” by trolls offering ridiculous opinions on their articles and deliberately disagreeing with whatever has been written, in the same way that celebrity articles online cause a rush for the first person to gleefully make a comment.

A small-time blogger gets it easy of course. Jonathan Wilson, a journalist who writes (mostly) about Eastern European football for the Guardian amongst others recently also commented on feedback he gets to articles, for a piece on the Football Supporters’ Federation website. He commented:

“Journalists are now expected to walk a gauntlet of abuse as an everyday part of their job…..criticise a big four (six?) club at your peril. Accuse Arsenal of petulance, United of arrogance or City of negativity and you’ll spend the next 48 hours metaphorically wiping the spittle off your Twitter feed.”

He talks of the “great trinity of regular complaints:

“lazy journalism”, ”I expect better from the <insert name of newspaper>”, and “I can’t believe you get paid for this rubbish”.

Even the best journalist gets things wrong. A blogger certainly will.  I write articles I wish I had never started or even conceived in my head, and I read old ones and think that I may have been too harsh, or argued badly, or maybe it was put together in 15 minutes because I have a job and a life and sometimes the real world needs my greater attention. Though it sounds like I am complaining, as per usual, I really am not. Comments are, as I said, what keeps blogging alive, keeps it interactive, and aids debate. Long may it continue.

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There’s another full fixture list of Premier League football to enjoy this weekend, with issues to be sorted at the top and the bottom of the Premier League table. Manchester United minus Wayne Rooney will be looking to extend their lead over Arsenal at home to Fulham, while the Gunners travel to Bloomfield Road to face Blackpool. Tottenham will be looking to bounce back from their Champions League thrashing at the hands of Real Madrid at home to Stoke as they seek to ensure their season doesn’t end with a whimper. Arguably the most attractive looking game takes place at Anfield on Monday night as Liverpool host Manchester City, but in terms of importance you can’t look beyond the relegation six-pointer between Blackburn and Birmingham at Ewood Park.

Man United are 25/1 to fire a blank against Fulham and Man City without Wayne Rooney! – worth a flutter?

Glenn Moore:

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Martin Lipton:

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Patrick Barclay:

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Continue to the NEXT PAGE for the predictions in full…

Football Writers’ Association Predictions – Week 36

Current April standings

1. Steve Bates – 5

2. Des Kelly – 5

3. Patrick Barclay – 4

4. Shaun Custis – 3

5. Andy Dunn – 3

6. Martin Lipton – 3

7. Glenn Moore – 3

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Overall standings

1. Steve Bates – 167

2. Shaun Custis – 162

3. Glenn Moore – 161

4. Martin Lipton – 160

5. Des Kelly – 154

6. Andy Dunn – 153

7. Patrick Barclay – 149

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Patrick Barclay (The Times)

Home Team

Away Team

Aston Villa

V

Newcastle

H

Blackburn

V

Birmingham

D

Blackpool

V

Arsenal

A

Bolton

V

West Ham

D

Chelsea

V

Wigan

H

Man U

V

Fulham

H

Sunderland

V

West Brom

D

Spurs

V

Stoke

H

Wolves

V

Everton

D

Liverpool

V

Man City

A

Blackburn v Birmingham: Another big point for Big Eck.

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Des Kelly (Daily Mail)

Home Team

Away Team

Aston Villa

V

Newcastle

D

Blackburn

V

Birmingham

A

Blackpool

V

Arsenal

A

Bolton

V

West Ham

H

Chelsea

V

Wigan

H

Man U

V

Fulham

H

Sunderland

V

West Brom

D

Spurs

V

Stoke

H

Wolves

V

Everton

A

Liverpool

V

Man City

D

Villa v Newcastle: No question Aston Villa need to lift the mood and banish questions around Gerard Houllier’s future, but unpredictable Newcastle have enough quality to make it another uncomfortable  afternoon for the under-fire French boss. Draw.

Shaun Custis (The Sun)

Home Team

Away Team

Aston Villa

V

Newcastle

D

Blackburn

V

Birmingham

A

Blackpool

V

Arsenal

A

Bolton

V

West Ham

D

Chelsea

V

Wigan

H

Man U

V

Fulham

H

Sunderland

V

West Brom

A

Spurs

V

Stoke

H

Wolves

V

Everton

H

Liverpool

V

Man City

D

Sunderland v West Brom: Sunderland in a mess, West Brom resurgent. Could be a good away win for The Baggies.

Continue to the NEXT PAGE for more predictions…

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Andy Dunn (News of the World)

Home Team

Away Team

Aston Villa

V

Newcastle

A

Blackburn

V

Birmingham

H

Blackpool

V

Arsenal

H

Bolton

V

West Ham

D

Chelsea

V

Wigan

H

Man U

V

Fulham

H

Sunderland

V

West Brom

D

Spurs

V

Stoke

D

Wolves

V

Everton

A

Liverpool

V

Man City

A

Man United v Fulham: Even without Wayne Rooney, United will have far too much for Fulham. Eexpect a fired-up Dimitar Berbatov to prove he’s worth a starting place. Home win.

Martin Lipton (The Mirror)

Home Team

Away Team

Aston Villa

V

Newcastle

D

Blackburn

V

Birmingham

D

Blackpool

V

Arsenal

A

Bolton

V

West Ham

H

Chelsea

V

Wigan

H

Man U

V

Fulham

H

Sunderland

V

West Brom

D

Spurs

V

Stoke

D

Wolves

V

Everton

A

Liverpool

V

Man City

H

Liverpool v Man City: Must-win if Liverpool are to have any chance of gate-crashing the top four and City will have one eye on Wembley. That will give the Reds the edge

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Steve Bates (The People)

Home Team

Away Team

Aston Villa

V

Newcastle

H

Blackburn

V

Birmingham

D

Blackpool

V

Arsenal

A

Bolton

V

West Ham

H

Chelsea

V

Wigan

H

Man U

V

Fulham

H

Sunderland

V

West Brom

D

Spurs

V

Stoke

A

Wolves

V

Everton

A

Liverpool

V

Man City

A

Blackpool v Arsenal: Holloway’s stars are still scrapping for their lives after that defeat at Fulham and Arsenal won’t offer any joy either with Arsene Wenger’s men determined to end the season strongly. 

Glenn Moore (The Independent)

Home Team

Away Team

Aston Villa

V

Newcastle

D

Blackburn

V

Birmingham

H

Blackpool

V

Arsenal

A

Bolton

V

West Ham

H

Chelsea

V

Wigan

H

Man U

V

Fulham

D

Sunderland

V

West Brom

D

Spurs

V

Stoke

D

Wolves

V

Everton

H

Liverpool

V

Man City

D

Wolves v Everton: Mick McCarthy will demand a reaction from his players after the defeat at Newcastle and he should get one.

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Can Fergie complete a double this weekend? His horse What a Friend is 11/1 to win the Grand National. Make sure you don’t miss out on the biggest betting event of the year!

The New York Red Bulls, Paris Saint-Germain and Boca Juniors will play in the 2011 Emirates Cup in England.The tournament, contested over July 30 and July 31, will be hosted by English Premier League giants Arsenal as normal, with this year’s teams sure to entice several fans through the gates at the Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal legend Thierry Henry plays for the New York franchise, while the Boca Juniors are a significant drawcard being the most successful South American club of all time.

On the same day, Arsenal also announced that they agreed to a three-year extension of their contract with Emirates, to be the naming rights sponsor of the tournament.

“We’re delighted and proud to once again be hosting the Emirates Cup this summer,” Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis said on Thursday.

“Nearly half a million supporters have now come to Emirates Stadium to attend the Emirates Cup in the four years, and the tournament is now recognised around the world as a prestigious pre-season event.”

“New York Red Bulls, Boca Juniors and Paris Saint-Germain are three clubs with great players and huge followings, and they are sure to make Emirates Cup 2011 a hugely exciting weekend of football.”

“Also, I’m sure all Arsenal fans will be looking forward to welcoming back Thierry Henry – a true Arsenal legend.”