Tottenham leapfrogged Newcastle into the Premier League top three after Emmanuel Adebayor scored twice to see off Aston Villa at White Hart Lane.

Spurs had manager Harry Redknapp back in the dugout for the first time since he underwent heart surgery and he proved the perfect inspiration for his side as they ran out comfortable 2-0 winners against an colourless Aston Villa. Adebayor had gone six league games without scoring but took only 14 minutes to end his barren spell converting Gareth Bale’s cross in spectacular fashion before bundling home a second delivery from the Welshman five minutes before half time. The on-loan Manchester City striker had chances to complete his hat trick after the restart as the hosts comfortably strolled to a seventh win in eight games against Alex McLeish’s side. The Villans failed to mount a serious challenge and managed to test former goalkeeper Brad Friedel in the Spurs goal as the home side wasted a host of chances to extend their lead. The omens certainly sat in Tottenham’s favour before kick off as Redknapp returned to the White Hart Lane bench just three weeks after a minor heart operation to extend his personal record against the Midland side to 11 games.

The last five meetings between the two sides had ended in Spurs’ favour and they looked intent on making a sixth taking hold of the game from the first whistle. McLeish deployed former Spurs man Alan Hutton in a right midfield role ahead of Carlos Cuellar to counteract the threat of Bale and although the duo doubled up on the Welshman for most of the evening the winger couldn’t be stopped. Redknapp was able to name an unchanged lineup for the third game running as Rafael Van Der Vaart shook off a hamstring injury to continue his prolific partnership with Adebayor and it was the latter who gave Spurs the lead on the quarter hour. After squandering a headed chance just minutes earlier he produced a moment of divine brilliance as he acrobatically overhead kicked Bale’s cross past Shay Given after Steven Warnock failed to sufficiently clear Van Der Vaarts corner. It was the striker first goal since scoring twice against Liverpool on September 18th and that knocked the wind out of Villa’s sails as the North Londoners continued to press forward. Their the Dutch master was clearly intent on getting his name on the scoresheet but could only smash an effort into the side netting before seeing his audacious lob sail over Given’s cross bar.

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It was no surprise when the hosts doubled their lead just before the break with Bale once again the architect teasing Cuellar on the left before picking out Adebayor who made no mistake at the back post for his fifth goal in a Spurs shirt. Villa tried to mount a comeback in the second half but any chance of salvaging anything from the game were shot after Darren Bent could only head Chris Herd’s cross tamely into the hands of Friedel. In fact it was the home side who looked more likely to score next and they should have increased their lead with Adebayor shooting straight at Given from 18-yards after collecting Luka Modric’s through ball. The Togo striker then curled wide from distance later on after Kyle Walker had fired wide on 58 minutes. He was presented with another chance to complete his hat trick 13 minutes from time but was denied by Given once again as he pounced on the ball during an almighty goal mouth scramble. However despite the missed opportunities Spurs ran out comfortable winners as Villa once again failed to win on their traveue. McLeish and his side face a tough set of fixtures leading into the festive period with games against Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea all on the horizon.

PSG are set to challenge AC Milan over the January signing of Carlos Tevez, according to the Daily Mail.

Milan confirmed talks with Manchester City had begun after it was clear Tevez would never play for Mancini again although it appears the Italian club are only interested in a loan deal. PSG appear to have failed with attempts to sign Hulk and Edinson Cavani, but the mega rich French club are desperate to bring in a world class striker in the New Year.

AC Milan vice president Adriano Galliani is still hopeful of a deal to bring the Argentinean forward to Italy but has confirmed that no deal is complete yet.

“Yes it’s true, PSG are also in the running, although I haven’t heard from (their sporting director) Leonardo,” Galliani was quoted as telling Sky Italia.

“We know City’s desire is to the sell the player, our proposal is to loan him and hope City say yes.

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“I’m neither optimistic nor pessimistic. I can certainly say the player would prefer to be at Milan but you have to convince City to send him out on loan and that’s not easy.”

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Everyone regained their breath? What a Super Sunday that was, with arguably the best game of the day being saved till last. Manchester City narrowly edged out a valiant Arsenal attempt to take at least a point away from the Etihad Stadium, but what did we learn from that enthralling ninety minutes?

Arsenal are involved in the best games of the season – They’ve lost 8-2, won 5-3 at Stamford Bridge and lost 2-1 in a very entertaining North London derby. The Gunners inability to defend but ability to attack have allowed neutrals to enjoy some of the best Premier League games ever and this campaign isn’t even half a season old.

Wenger never ceases to amaze – In the Frenchman’s post match interview he concluded that “We are now out of the title race” Err sorry Arsene, but were you ever in it?

RVP’s record affected his game – No one even knew such a record existed but a few weeks ago the media went crazy as the Dutchman closed in on Alan Shearer’s 36 Premier League goals in a calender year. Yesterday for the first time, I saw RVP seem fixated on this possible achievement and several occasions take the selfish option instead of sliding in one of his team mates much to the frustration of them and no doubt, the fans.

Micah Richards is a shocking defender – *and jump * Sorry, that was me getting off the ‘Micah Richards for England’ bandwagon. The Manchester City right back was terrible yesterday, I mean we’ve always known he was clumsy (probably should have been a penalty against Ramsey) but the Englishman took his inability to defend to all new levels. If Arsenal had utilised the left wing at all they would have found copious amounts of space for Gervinho, Walcott and Arshavin, on so many occasions Richards was tucked inside Vincent Kompany or Kolo Toure highlighting his lack of positioning and tactical understanding. This performance comes after a terrific attacking and defending performance from Glen Johnson earlier in the afternoon.

The Arsenal Utopia is over – For many years Arsene Wenger’s side have been deemed the second greatest passing team on the planet behind Barcelona, however at the Etihad yesterday that myth died. The Gunners passing was far from slick and in the opening twenty minutes it was nothing short of suicidal far from the crisp passing days of Pires, Bergkamp and even more recent such as Hleb and Fabregas, if anything City played the ‘Arsenal way’.

Mancini can’t help but revert to type – This season the Man City manager seemed to cave in and gave the media and the fans what they wanted, free flowing attacking football with all of their striking superstars on the pitch at once. However yesterday the ice cool Mancini went back to his old stereotypical Italian ways; with the score at 1-0 and the game far from won the Italian took off Mario Balotelli and replaced him the versatile but defensive James Milner. The substitution surprised many but worked as Mancini’s side grounded at an Italian scoreline of 1-0.

Gary Neville is a terrible pundit – Oh wait we already knew that.

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Let me know what you learnt about today or what half time snack you had by popping over to www.danieltblazer.com

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Fulham and West Brom had to settle for a point each on Wednesday night, as they played out a 1-1 draw at Craven Cottage.

The hosts went into the lead midway through the second half, as Clint Dempsey opened the scoring on 69 minutes, but a Somen Tchoyi equaliser eight minutes from the end ensured spoils were shared.

Home boss Martin Jol was slightly disappointed to concede in the last ten minutes, but all in all was happy with a point.

“To concede a goal in the last eight minutes was disappointing but I was happy,” the Dutch manager told Sky Sports.

“You always have to make a difference against teams like this, they played very well, were well organised and you need patience and still play in a good tempo.

“And I think in the second half we did that. In the first half we didn’t.

“So the extra quality came from Bryan Ruiz and of Clint Dempsey, you know that he’s a goal scorer,” Jol concluded.

West Brom host Swansea next on Saturday, whilst the Cottagers travel to take on league leaders Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.

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By Gareth McKnight

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For the vast majority of players a career isn’t a career unless you’re actively taking part in the playing side of your club’s exploits. However there are exceptions to every rule. There are not many, but a few players in the Premier League who have, for whatever reason, decided that the hunt for pastures new where they can be guaranteed playing time has simply ceased to interest them. Whether they have achieved all they had hoped to in their career already, they enjoy a comfortable life consisting purely of training and sitting on the bench or they just don’t want to give up their plump little pay-cheque some players are happy to purely be a backup. For some the opportunity to move to a big club is the opportunity of a lifetime, for others it is simply a financial opportunity.

Click on Stuart Taylor to unveil the top 10 leeches

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Follow me on Twitter @H_Mackay

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Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher has stated that his recovery is going well, and that he hopes to be back to action with the Premier League champions next season.

The Scotland international continues to battle a debilitating bowel condition and has been absent for Sir Alex Ferguson’s men for the bulk of the season due to the illness.

However Fletcher feels that he is making progress and wants to be fit and available for selection for next term.

“I’m OK. I’m taking all my medication and listening to the doctor,” he told Manchester Evening News.

“It’s a week by week situation so I’ve not got any timescale on recovery, but the target for me is next season now. If I can come back then that would be great for me.

“It’s something that will never leave me, but you have to find somehow a way to manage it so that I can still play my football.

“I’m trying everything under the sun at the moment, diet, hypnotherapy,” he admitted.

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By Gareth McKnight

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Waking up on Tuesday morning the first football orientated news story that caught my gaze was that Manchester City were prepared to ‘offload’ striker Edin Dzeko in the summer. Slowly bestirring oneself from an eight-hour slumber the neurones whizzing around in my recently reanimated brain laboured hard to put together a feasible motive as to why a club would want to let a front man, with 18-goals to his name this season, leave. Using the term ‘offload’ makes it sound as if City are desperate to dispose of the Bosnian. More than likely  it was his crimes against goalscoring that broke the camels back. In truth Dzeko has fluttered in and out form  this season, failing to nail down a regular starting spot ahead of popular pair Sergio Aguero and Mario Balotelli. Even the nefarious Carlos Tevez has wormed his way back into the fold and now appears to be Roberto Mancini’s new sidekick as they chase a first Premier League title in City history.

However there is a deeper narrative to the news that Dzeko is will shortly be clearing out his locker at the Etihad Stadium and waving goodbye to the blue half of Manchester once the season reaches it’s climax. City’s frantic need to bring home a league title has seen them burn holes through many a chequebook over the last two or three seasons with players joining and leaving before they’ve even had time to unpack their suitcase. Dzeko cost them £27 million just over 18-months ago but the chances of recouping half of that amount appear to be slim. It’s a growing and unsustainable trend that could threaten City’s hopes of ever achieving their championship goal and making an impact in European competition. It could plunge them firmly in the red with the new Financial Fair Play rulings looming over the horizon.

I’ll try to avoid delving into the whole ‘Man City trying to buy the title is so unfair’ but in reality it actually is with it having a negative effect on other clubs around Europe. With a billionaire Sheik subsidising Mancini and predecessor Mark Hughes’ lavish thirst for expensive players they are constantly driving up the cost of transfer fee’s and wages forcing clubs to spend beyond their means in order to compete. City’s unlimited spending power puts their rivals under pressure to match up or settle for second best. With the new financial regulations coming into force next year clubs will only be permitted to record debt of upto £37.5 million over a two year period with the focus on eventually breaking even and operating within their profits in time for the 2014/15 campaign.

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But, with City’s penchant for spending colossal amounts of money in the transfer window their chances of complying with the new laws are slim. Their decision to dump Dzeko, inevitably incurring a massive loss on what they paid for him, is the latest in a long line of players that have been purchased at over inflated rates and sold at a deficit. Perhaps the worst examples of the clubs careless spending are strikers Emmanuel Adebayor, Jo, Robinho and Roque Santa Cruz who were purchased at a combined cost of £100 million. Jo eventually left on a free after scoring once in 21 league appearances following his £17.5 million move from CSKA Moscow. Santa Cruz joined for a similar amount from Blackburn in 2009 but went on to play 20 games finding the net just three times and hasn’t worn a City shirt for almost two years. Adebayor fared slightly better following his £25 million move from Arsenal with 19 goals in 45 appearances but his petulant behaviour towards Mancini saw him loaned out to Tottenham this season with a cut price summer move to White Hart Lane on the cards. Robinho joined Hughes’ revolution just after the Abu Dhabi group took control of City costing a hefty £32.5 million. He departed to AC Milan within two-years for half of what the club paid for him. Even big money buys like Gareth Barry, Joleon Lescott, James Milner and Kolo Toure won’t command half of the fee’s they were purchased for.

Add into that a hefty weight bill and substantial player bonuses and it starts to paint a picture as to why their negligent transfer strategy could potentially hinder the chances of glory in the future. With UEFA cracking down on clubs frittering away capital that they don’t possess City could face expulsion from the Champions League if their finances fail to abide by the new directives. Buying players and then discarding them once they fall out of favour or become alienated operates beyond the realms of prudence. It will never be sustainable in modern football environment that is entering a economic transition. In all honesty it’s absurd. No doubt costly acquisitions in the mould of Adebayor and Santa Cruz will make their way to the blue half of Manchester at the seasons conclusion and ultimately end up on the City scrapheap. The decision to get rid of Dzeko in the summer bears all the hallmarks of City’s ‘buy now ask questions later’ transfer blueprint.

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Thus the summer of lunacy has begun.

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Manchester City and Manchester United are set to battle it out this summer to sign Athletic Bilbao’s highly-rated midfielder Ander Herrera, according to The Sun.

The 22-year-old box-to-box man has been labelled ‘the Spanish Steven Gerrard’ and has impressed in the Basque club’s stellar La Liga campaign and progression to the Europa League semi-finals.

City are believed to have sent chief scout Rob Newman and football officer Brian Marwood to watch Herrera during Bilbao’s draw at Granada on Wednesday.

United meanwhile have had first-hand experience of playing against Herrera this term, with Marcelo Bielsa’s side knocking the Red Devils out of the Europa League.

The midfielder still has four years left on his contract at San Mames, but a transfer fee of around £16 million is being touted for the English sides to potentially land their man.

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By Gareth McKnight

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With Euro 2012 rapidly approaching, England fans are hoping to avoid another scathing post-mortem come the end of the summer: why are we not as technically good as Holland? Why can’t we beat the Germans? Why can’t we pass it like Spain? The very same questions appear year after year, tournament after tournament.

As a footballing nation, England prides itself upon its colossal tradition and the gratification of being football’s founding institution. Yet for all the legends and myths attached to the English psyche, as a collective footballing entity England is in danger of slipping into the realms of mediocrity, as failure to evolve in the same manner as our contemporaries leaves English football susceptible to deterioration.

For some time now, nations in Europe and beyond have been developing new systems, innovative training regimes and unique tactical philosophies which though not entirely revolutionising the game, have notably reshaped and reinvigorated the way in which we think about football. On the other hand, England in contemporary times have brought Kevin Davies and Michael Ricketts into the international fold.

As well as the national team struggling to adapt to modern football’s progressive ways, our club sides have also thrown a stubborn fist in the face of transformation. Despite the rapid spread of globalized forces into the English game, domestic clubs still remain largely antiquated institutions as traditional hierarchical structures persist. There is an owner; he owns. There is a manager; he manages.

Only on very rare occasions has this arrangement been compromised, with generally blundering consequences. A list of various Directors of Football at English clubs reads like a Crimewatch episode for those wanted for crimes against the customary norms of English football. Damien Comolli at Spurs and Liverpool, Avram Grant’s ill-fated time in the job at Chelsea and Sir Clive Woodward’s groundbreaking appointment at Southampton all ended in prevailing misery for those involved. The idea of a manager having anything less that total control over his playing squad is an alien one to English football – time to change?

One Englishman leading the charge for greater evolvement is Lee Congerton at Hamburg in the Bundesliga. Formerly Chief Scout at Chelsea, Congerton moved with Frank Arnesen to the German club last summer and has excelled in his new role as Technical Director. In a recent interview with the Guardian, Congerton outlines his desires for the role to be more widely recognised in England: “I would love to see this role grow in England because I think it can offer so much to clubs. Here in Germany every club has it and it’s very much about the medium to long-term development. And that’s maybe a problem with the English game – the coach goes, big pay out and off we go again.”

Congerton’s words strike a resonating chord in regards to the psychological oversight which is adversely affecting football in England. The English disposition does not allow for this kind of progressive, enterprising form of football governance. The manager is in charge and he must get it right; if he does not, simply sack him and get another in. It’s a cyclical disaster and one which much change if English football on whole wants to achieve growth and betterment.

The introduction of such a role for English club would no doubt aid the development of the academies, as well as laying the foundations for a more expansive way of thinking in the English game. Young players find exceeding benefit with the presence of similar positions at German clubs – outlined by the striking rise in prominence of Mesut Ozil, Sami Khedira and Thomas Muller. Germany are widely insisted to be great favourites for Euro 2012 playing a enviously attractive brand of football, and with club and international football inextricably linked, this has been aided to no end by the developmental structure of the German game.

Why can’t the English do this? Because we’re too resistant to change. Too stubborn, too proud. Congerton states that his “dream in years to come would be to help a manager be successful at a big Premier League club and put some footprints in the sand for the role to grow for others.” Unless the English attitude alters significantly in order to accommodate this change, we may find ourselves languishing further behind our counterparts for many years to come.

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Can you explain why we as a nation cannot find it within ourselves to accept change? Tweet me @acherrie1

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Liverpool’s exploits in front of goal this season have been much criticised, and understandably so, with Kenny Dalglish’s men struggling on a weekly basis to covert chances into goals. As we all know goals-win-games, and as a result of their failings, the Reds have dropped points at home to the likes of Swansea, Norwich and Wigan, denting their early season ambitions for a spot in the top four.

Despite boasting a strike-line with a combined value of almost £60 million, chances have gone unconverted all season, leaving the Mersey men with a goal tally of just 43 after 36 games. To put this into perspective 19th placed Blackburn Rovers have netted on 47 occasions, whilst table topping Manchester City have managed over double the Reds tally, with 88. This consistent failure to turn chances into goals has led to calls from fans and pundits alike for Kenny Dalglish to enter the transfer market and secure a new centre forward for next season. Liverpool fan group Empire of the Kop (@empireofthekop) believe that the club need a lethal finisher to move up to the next level:

“We are lacking in the final third of the pitch. We haven’t created enough shots on target and have hit the woodwork more than 30 times. We need some one who can simply ‘pop the ball in the net’, someone who can just finish.”

Whilst this sentiment remains true, Liverpool arguably possess such a player already in Luis Suarez. The Uruguayan has been a real hit since his arrival on Merseyside in January 2010, instantly winning over the fans with his all action displays and breath-taking ability on the ball. Suarez made an instant impact at Anfield, netting on his debut during the club’s 2-0 home victory over Stoke City, before going on to notch a further three goals as Liverpool surged from 12th place to a sixth, narrowly missing out on Europa League football.

However, this season has been far more difficult for the striker, who has had to contend with off-field issues, and a failing Reds unit. Despite this he has taken his tally to 11 in the league, as well as producing some important strikes in the club’s domestic cup successes, including the cooly finished equaliser in the FA Cup semi-final against Everton.

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Despite this the Uruguayan’s finishing has been called into question during his first full season in the Premier League, with many believing the striker is not the answer to the club troubles in front of goal. However, last weekend’s hat-trick against Norwich displayed Suarez’s full range of ability in front of goal, as the 25-year-old produced three stunning finishes, including a wonderful 45-yard chip over John Ruddy.

The majority of his efforts this season have failed to find the back of the net, but when you consider the quality of service he has been receiving it’s little wonder. Andy Carroll is showing signs of improvement, but for the majority of the campaign he has been poor, whilst Stewart Downing, Charlie Adam and Jordan Henderson have all disappointed throughout the season. Steven Gerrard’s return has clearly aided the club’s front-line, yet due to injury problems in the squad, the skipper has been deployed in a deeper role, and as a result has been unable to link up with Suarez. Due to these factors, the number seven has had to create openings for himself, which is undoubtedly a difficult job. Although his technique and low centre of gravity allow him to beat his marker frequently, the chances of both making the opening and finding the net are fairly slim.

As his goal record of 81 in 110 for former club Ajax displays, Suarez is extremely able in front of goal, hinting that if he receives the right kind of service, he more often than not, will finish the job. As a result Liverpool may benefit from adding more creativity this summer, in a bid to get the best out of their talented South American. The club have already been linked with his fellow countryman Gaston Ramirez as well as AZ Alkmaar midfielder Rasmus Elm, both of whom are potent in terms of creating chances, hinting at a desire on the part of the Anfield club to aid their struggling front-men.

It’s likely that Liverpool will enter the market for a vast array of players this term, as the Fenway Sports Group look to fund an improvement in the squad. The club need to alter their fortunes in front of goal for next season, but the answer to the issues may be closer to home than they realise.

Is Luis Suarez the answer for Liverpool? Or do they need a top level finisher to compete? Let me know your thoughs by commenting or follow @Alex_Hams on Twitter

Special thanks to @empireofthekop (www.empireofthekop.com/anfield/)

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