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Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson has returned to his former club, Fulham, to snap up the 29-year-old full-back Paul Konchesky on a four-year contract.

As part of the deal, Reds youngsters Lauri Dalla Valle and Alex Kacaniklic have moved to Craven Cottage.

The transfer comes as little surprise as Konchesky was at Anfield on Sunday to watch his new club edge past West Brom 1-0.

Konchesky made his name at Charlton Athletic, featuring in over 150 first-team matches for the Addicks before joining Tottenham on loan seven years ago.

After featuring in 15 games for Spurs, the defender returned to The Valley before moving to West Ham United on a permanent basis five years ago. He went on to make 70 appearances for the club before being transferred to Fulham in the summer of 2007.

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Konchesky made 122 starts for the Cottagers, helping Hodgson's then side reach the Europa League final last season.Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

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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Veteran striker Michael Owen is hoping his stay at Manchester United will be extended beyond this season.Owen, 31, signed a two-year-deal when he joined the Old Trafford outfit on a free transfer from Newcastle United in 2009, but now has less than six months running on his contract.

The forward has netted 13 goals in 37 matches during an injury-plagued stint with Sir Alex Ferguson’s side, but still remains hopeful of signing a new deal.

“I am not sure about my future yet – my contract expires at the end of this season,” Owen told the club’s official website.

“I’ve made no secret that, in an ideal world, I would extend my stay. I would love to play here for longer, but I will just wait and see what the club say. We’ve not held any talks yet.”

Owen is in contention to play for his side against Chelsea in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.

Second-half goals to David Luiz and Frank Lampard gave the Blues a 2-1 victory in the last meeting between the two sides in March, but Owen believes United can reverse the scoreline this time around.

“Since I’ve been at the club the games at Stamford Bridge have been odd. We don’t get outplayed there, that’s for sure,” he said.

“Unfortunately we haven’t had many good results, though. I’m sure our luck will change at some point.”

“In the league last month we were 1-0 up and put on one of the finest displays of football Stamford Bridge has probably seen from a visiting team. I don’t think many teams go to Chelsea and play like that.”

“Then they got back into the game from nothing, really. Maybe we were a little guilty of contributing to our own downfall but we won’t let that happen again.”

For a moment, he was an Everton hero. His extra-time winner against Liverpool sent the Goodison faithful into delirium as the Toffees rallied to dump their cross-town rivals out of the 2009 FA Cup. Now, Dan Gosling will be remembered on the blue half of Merseyside for an altogether different reason: as a traitor.

Gosling has enraged Everton fans following his free-agent move from Goodison Park to Newcastle United. The midfielder retreated on a verbal agreement that would see him stay on at Everton and earn a significant improvement on his previous wages. The lack of a written contract meant Everton were powerless to stop Gosling from moving to St. James’s Park for no compensation.

Gosling’s decision to leave Everton is made all the more painful given that Moyes handed Gosling his first taste of top-flight football during his short two year stint on Merseyside. As my fellow FootballFanCast writer Zarif Rasul states, David Moyes has shown himself to be dedicated to developing youth talent within his ranks, with the likes of Jack Rodwell flourishing under Moyes’ astute stewardship. It seemed like a match made in heaven for a young midfielder looking to make a name for himself in the Premier League.

From a fan’s perspective, Gosling’s departure is hugely frustrating as a result of the hype that had been generated from a few good performances. As a young English midfielder at a prominent English club, Gosling’s on-field exploits were always going to garner speculation that he could be the next Steven Gerrard or Frank Lampard. For those who bought into the some of that hype, his defection leaves those supporters feeling short-changed at the loss of a promising English talent to another club.

While some supporters might be feeling short-changed, Gosling’s agent certainly isn’t. Gosling’s agent, David Hodgson managed to secure his client a healthy pay-raise, along with a substantial signing-on fee to which he is entitled to a share of. The prevalence of an agent culture has led to accusations of greed towards players who attempt to hold their clubs to ransom during contract talks.

Moyes saw the potential in Gosling and he decided to repay the faith shown in his talents by leaving the club without a penny to show for their troubles. Gosling chose to turn his back on Everton after all they had invested in him, both on the pitch and off it. Since injuring his ACL against Wolves in March, Gosling had been using the Everton treatment room to rehabilitate himself back to match fitness whilst simultaneously trying to engineer a move away from the club.

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Rather than staying at Everton and attempting to break into the first team through dedication and hard work, Gosling has taken the easy way out.

What do you think? Will Gosling be a success at Newcastle or will his decision to leave Everton ultimately haunt his career?

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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Sir Alex Ferguson believes his Manchester United side are playing like champions after their gritty 4-2 win over West Ham at Upton Park on Saturday.United looked to be on course for more dropped points at half-time, trailing 2-0 after a pair of penalties were converted by Mark Noble.

But Wayne Rooney ripped the game apart in 15 second-half minutes with a hat-trick before substitute Javier Hernandez completed the win six minutes from the end.

The victory gave Ferguson’s men an eight-point lead over second-placed Arsenal, although the Gunners have played two games fewer than United, and the 69-year-old was delighted with the performance.

“We played like champions today and we played to our ability,” Ferguson told Sky Sports.

“That was a championship-winning performance.”

“It’s not an easy place to come with the fight for relegation and that result might put them (West Ham) in trouble.”

Ferguson watched Saturday’s match from the stands as he served the second of a five-match touchline ban, but he was impressed by the resilience his players showed.

“Being two goals down at half-time was a travesty considering the possession and chances created in the first half,” he said.

“We kept making chances in the first half, they couldn’t get the ball off (Antonio) Valencia in the first half and he delivered two or three fantastic balls, he had the opposition on toast really.”

“We had to go for it, bring in Hernandez and put (Ryan) Giggs to left back. Goal difference didn’t matter, we needed to get something.”

“Second half when Chicharito (Hernandez) came on, he gave you pace and the running behind line we needed.”

“There was a strong bench today with Nani, (Dimitar) Berbatov and (Michael) Owen. I thought if it was still 2-2 in last 10 minutes, then I would bring Michael on and go for it – going for it is vital to our club.”

West Ham boss Avram Grant – whose side remains in the bottom three as a result of the loss – said they did not make life difficult enough for United in the second half, but remained positive about the relegation fight ahead.

“It was too easy for them to control the game,” Grant said.

“In the second half they had nothing to lose, put Giggs at left-back and sent a lot of quality players forward. But we have given them too much space.”

“There were a lot of positive things. We wanted to win and did everything very good in the first half. But footballers need to complete two halves.”

“The league will be very tight but I think we can do it because we have come into good shape at the right time.”

By Alex McLeish’s own frank admission another finish in the “Top 17” next season would be progression in itself for a Blues side looking to establish themselves in the top flight after their best place finish for 51 years upon their return to the Premier League.  Whilst the Scotsmen is right to quell any over-exuberant and somewhat premature whispers about Europe..

Just how do Blues go about building upon such an excellent campaign?

1.Retaining the services of “Big Eck” – Alex McLeish’s signings last summer were as good as any, typified by the additions of Scott Dann and Roger Johnson from Coventry and Cardiff respectively as well as Barry Ferguson from Rangers but after such a startling season that saw Blues go 12 games unbeaten typing up McLeish’s contract may prove to be their best piece of business this time around.

2. Scoring more goals – Whilst there defensive performances took justified plaudits, Blues were a bit shy in front of goal scoring just 38 goals in 38 games and another striker to feed off 6ft 7inch Nikola Zigic may be essential if they are to try and match their achievements last term.  Blues had been linked to Bobby Zamora for most of the summer and have more recently turned their attentions to AZ Alkmaar’s Moussa Dembele.

3. Looking to the future – Despite their experience the likes of Lee Bowyer, Stephen Carr and co will not be around forever and perhaps McLeish would be wise to take a closer look at January acquisitions Craig Gardner and Michel. The Spaniard has only featured nine times since arriving at St Andrews but his arrival was not without praise from SkySports Spanish correspondent Guillem Balague who described the former Sporting Gijon man as a good passer of the ball whilst comparing him in style to Javier Mascherano but with better passing range. After being given time to settle in, Michel may flourish this season under the guidance of a man who was so patient in the chase for his signature and he may add some much needed energy and elegance in the absence of Bowyer and Ferguson. Gardner made 13 appearances for Blues after the short trip from Villa Park, the last six matches on the right side of midfield due to Sebastian Larsson’s incline in form. A ‘bluenose’ himself, he endeared himself to the St Andrews crowds earning special praise for his performance against Aston Villa in an unjust 1-0 defeat. If Pre-season is anything to go by McLeish certainly seemed impressed with Gardner towards the end of last season and he may be used more frequently for Blues.

The addition of Crystal Palace full-back Nathaniel Clyne may also be a judicious signing if Birmingham are willing to stump up the £3million the club insist on for a player with such a bright future. Stephen Carr was resolute amongst the Blues back four but the eulogies  about the young defender from the Championship tend to suggest he will one day play for a side in the top four and his natural pace and stature make him ideal to push Carr for a place in the first-team.

4. Continue to improve the infrastructure – If Birmingham are to progress on the pitch, progression off it may also be key and Peter Pannu’s pledge to invest heavily in the scouting network and the academy will be certainly enhance the club. Clubs like Everton and Fulham invest around £1.5 million into their scouting department in comparison to Blues’ £200,000 in the most recent past. If Blues are to stay in the Premier League for years to come, the right model for the academy set-up is required so that the club can prosper in future.

5. Hope that Foster can emulate Joe Hart’s season – The signing of Ben Foster from Manchester United is perhaps the best Birmingham could have done after Manchester City denied them the chance to keep hold of Hart. Hart was integral in Birmingham’s sensational return to the Premier League and this was reflected in his emotional farewell at the Reebok Stadium on the final day of the 09/10 season. They will hope that just like Hart, who struggled initially, Foster will exhibit his talents when thrust under the scrutiny regular first-team football will put him under and this may be key for Birmingham if they are to get anywhere near last season’s dizzy heights.

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With the PL season nearly upon us, let’s see the WAGS that will be keeping the players on their toes. Click on image to VIEW gallery

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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.

Birmingham boss Alex McLeish praised the fighting qualities of his players after they moved out of the relegation zone on Wednesday.McLeish’s side managed a hard-fought 1-1 draw with Everton at Goodison Park, with the point good enough to see them climb above West Ham into 17th place in a packed bottom-half of the English Premier League table.Jean Beausejour’s header put the Carling Cup winners in front after just 17 minutes and despite John Heitinga’s superb leveller, McLeish was still pleased with the effort from his players, especially defensively.”We had to get back to basics and we defended really well, but we didn’t really penetrate after a really bright start,” McLeish said.”I have to pay compliment to the battling qualities of my players and we will need that right until the end of the season.”The former Rangers manager is also expecting this season’s relegation battle to go right until the last day, with just 11 points separating eighth-placed Sunderland and bottom-of-the-league Wigan.”It’s going to be tough and it’s going to go right to the wire,” he said.”We have a lot of tough away games, but if we show that spirit and character and on our day we can win any game as we proved against Arsenal.”Everton manager David Moyes bemoaned the injury to playmaker Mikel Arteta after the match, with the Spaniard, who was captain of the Toffees for the night, leaving the field early with a hamstring injury.Moyes feels that Arteta’s absence hurt his side going forward as they failed to convert their second-half dominance into a victory, but expressed his happiness with the club’s recent form.”It was a setback (to lose Arteta) and you could sense it was a setback for the crowd as well as we needed Mikel to be creative for us,” Moyes said.”I couldn’t tell you how bad the injury is as I have not had a chance to speak to the medical team yet. He played very well on Saturday and to lose him so early on was a major blow.””We played better in the second half than in the first half, but we just didn’t have the quality to turn some of the good play into goals.””We are disappointed we couldn’t take full advantage and the get the home win, but we have picked some good points in the last few games.”

New Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson remains confident that star striker Fernando Torres will still be a Reds player next season.

The 26-year-old Spain international continues to be heavily linked with a move away from Anfield, but Hodgson has faith that Torres is going nowhere.

He told reporters:"As far as I know he is looking forward to coming back here – he is back on Monday.

"He is enjoying a holiday – a well-deserved break as he has not had one for three years.

"He is spending a lot of time with his family, keeping a low profile and as far as I know he is not really speaking to anyone.

"But he has told us that he is looking forward to Monday, looking forward to getting back to work and looking forward to playing for Liverpool next season.

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"That is what I know, so other reports, I would suggest, are erroneous."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email