Premiership Talk

With another exciting weekend of Premiership action behind us, all eyes are set on next week - or are they? It was FIFA’s great plan to throw yet another international week into the fixture list, so the world’s top players are all getting on planes and jetting away from the clubs that pay them. Players such as Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard have a short plane ride to Germany while other players like Cristiano Ronaldo can look forward to a long flight to Brazil - and back.

Every time international teams play friendlies it seems that a major player goes down with an injury. Sir Alex Ferguson was quick to point out that young Danny Welbeck has only just returned from an injury sustained on his previous international trip. Now he needs to risk injury again, with hardly any training under his belt and extremely limited match fitness.

So as players risk health and fitness while sacrificing hours and hours of flight time, where does it leave us - the fans? Where does it leave clubs and owners? In short, it leaves us wanting more - or less in this case. More Premiership action and less international friendlies. The English Premier League is the home of excitement and passion. Passion because we care; passion because there is something on the line. Honestly, who can’t wait until Wednesday to see the likes of Israel square off against the Ivory Coast? Not many people I’d imagine.

With all of that said, here’s to a successful and safe week of international friendlies for all players. I’d love to hear your thoughts about these friendlies on the Premiership Talk Forum.

Leave your predictions for this weekend’s Premier League matches in the Premiership Talk Predictions Game! Prizes will be handed out soon!

If you’re reading this article first, you are in the wrong place! Read Part 1 of the Weekend Match-Ups Preview to see what the first 4 Saturday games could have in store for you! This article will be focusing on the second 4 games on Saturday. I am going to dub this part of the Weekend Preview the “Potential One-Sided Wins” article. The 4 teams I am going to pick have all been playing really well lately, and they are all matched up against teams who have not been performing very well. Without further adieu, let’s get the show on the road!

Manchester United v. Stoke City (15:00): Sorry Stoke, but you will be the unfortunate losers in this match. Samir Nasri stepped up big last game for Arsenal, and they were able to hand United an important loss, but don’t count them out of the title chase just yet. They still have a game in hand to play, which is against lowly Fulham. And they have already played the rest of the Big Four away, so let the push for another title begin. It starts with Stoke. Manchester United are looking for a punching bag to get all of their frustration out on, and Stoke look like the best candidate for the job. I know Stoke has shown flashes of brilliance here and there, but I wouldn’t expect any of that this game. It should be a goal-fest for United because they have reached their boiling point, so now it is time for them to unleash on all of their upcoming opponents. Man United with the victory.

Newcastle v. Wigan (15:00): Watch out for Newcastle. Although they are currently sitting in the dreaded relegation area, Newcastle has shown that they can win important games this season. At this point, every win is important for them. Wigan, on the other hand, had a whole month of losing, and they are just now beginning to maybe turn it around. 3 points over their last 2 matches is helpful, but like Newcastle, they are also sitting way down near the bottom of the table. It is always hard on opponents playing at St. James’ Park, so Newcastle is the team I am picking to come away with a big victory. The constant rain and cold that comes with playing at Newcastle is not what Amr Zaki dreams about when he pictures himself scoring goals. This will be an interesting game, and probably messy game. Amr Zaki and Wigan will just have to wait another game before they can find another 3 points. Newcastle it is.

West Ham v. Portsmouth (15:00): Now I know that West Ham is at home for this match, but Portsmouth is playing very solid football at the moment. West Ham may surprise everybody and win big at home, but they are playing really ugly football at the moment. Portsmouth, although not in much better shape, is playing more consistently than West Ham currently. Jermaine Defoe has 6 goals on the season, and I would expect at least one more tomorrow. West Ham, meanwhile, do not have a consistent goal scorer. That may or may not be a bad thing, but nobody has really stepped up and taken the role as team leader. It would be nice if West Ham could get a nice home win, but I really don’t see that happening. I would say a tie at best. I’m leaning toward a Portsmouth win, although I’m sure West Ham will find some way to put one in the back of the net.

West Brom v. Chelsea (17:30): Can anybody stop Chelsea - besides Liverpool? Maybe, but I really don’t feel that West Brom is one of those teams. West Brom was just manhandled by Liverpool last week, and now they move on to Chelsea. They probably won’t score a goal on Saturday even though they are in front of their home crowd. Expect Chelsea to put up at least 3 goals on them, maybe 4, possibly 5, since they seem to like scoring 5 goals in games this season. Chelsea will win this game handily, just like Liverpool did last week against West Brom.

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Do you think you have what it takes to predict the outcomes of all the weekend’s match-ups? Try your skills out in the Premiership Talk Predictions Game!

Also, don’t forget about the last installment of this 3-part series! It will be released Saturday afternoon for your viewing pleasure.

This weekend at Premiership Talk we will be featuring a 3-part series covering the whole weekend of football. First we will be releasing an article about the first 4 games on Saturday’s slate. Next we will then release an article about the next 4 Saturday matches. Finally, for your reading pleasure, we will release an article about the 2 exciting Sunday matches. So, let’s get ready for an exciting week of football, lads!

Bolton v. Liverpool (12:45): A couple weeks ago I would have completely written this game off as an easy win for Liverpool, but don’t back out on Bolton just yet. Although they are certainly not title contenders, they have come along nicely in the past few weeks. Over the past 2 weeks they have handed losses to Manchester City (2-0) and Hull City (1-0). Now I’m not saying that Liverpool isn’t going to win this game. All I’m saying is that Bolton could make it interesting. Not to mention, Liverpool just came off a really easy game against West Brom. They will have to guard against complacency. I would expect this to be a great game, but I also wouldn’t be surprised if Liverpool won handily. It all depends on whether Bolton continue to play like they have been playing as of late. With all that said, I am picking Liverpool to win this game because they have only lost one match all year, so I would hardly expect another loss out of them.

Arsenal v. Aston Villa (15:00): If Arsenal and Aston Villa are planning on keeping their title hopes possible, they need to start winning lots of games in a row. Chelsea and Liverpool are building an early and comfortable lead, and neither of these teams can afford for that lead to grow much more. As we’ve seen in the past, Arsenal is one club that starts off the season strong, but as noted as reason #6 in the article “7 Reasons Why Arsenal Won’t Win the Premiership,” they are injury prone. They always have a knack for limping across the finish line rather than finishing strong. However, they just came off a huge win at the Emirates against arch rival Manchester United. Now would be as good a time as any to get their title campaign underway. Although key injuries are already falling upon them, they have proved that they can win without them. Look for Arsenal to bring this new confidence into their home game against Aston Villa. Villa have stumbled as of late against teams they should have beat, so look for that trend to continue tomorrow at Arsenal.

Blackburn v. Sunderland (15:00): This could be a good game solely because both teams have not been playing well lately, so they will be out to prove something. Both teams lost in front of their home crowds last week, so they will be out to show their fans that last week was just a minor bump in the road. I really don’t know what team to pick right now because they both have been playing terribly recently. I would have to say this game is going to be a draw. Sunderland had started out the season nicely, but they must’ve hit the OFF switch because they have not been doing anything, and they just look terrible out on the pitch. They have now slid all the way down to 19th place on the table. Deservedly so, though, because they shouldn’t be winning games with the football they’ve been playing. I would expect a draw, but with a slight lean toward a Blackburn victory at Ewood Park.

Fulham v. Tottenham (15:00): I wrote off Tottenham way too early in the season. Now I can’t stop picking them to win games! I guess they just needed a nice change of scenery. Thank you, Harry Redknapp. With all the wonderful things that Redknapp has done for the club since he joined them, he is shaping up for a future Wednesday Wonder article. With all that aside, Tottenham are now playing beautiful football, and the whole team has been rejuvenated. Although a long way off from the title, they are just trying to show the rest of the football world that the first part of the season was a major fluke. Because of this, I will not even hesitate to say that Tottenham should win this game. I just cannot see Tottenham’s winning ending anytime soon. Fulham should put up a good fight, but Tottenham will be the ultimate victors.

Discuss this article and more in the Premiership Talk Forum! Also you can make your own predictions for this weekend’s matches in the Premiership Talk Predictions Game! It’s never too late to join!

Finally, look out for Part 2  of the Weekend Match-Ups Preview coming out later today and Part 3 coming out Saturday afternoon!

Arsene Wenger’s young Arsenal side enjoyed a 2-1 victory over reigning champions Manchester United over the weekend. The French manager was quick to point out that his side gained a leg up in the title race with those three points, but fans around the league still aren’t considering the Gunners as valid contenders. Why not? Here are seven reasons:

1. Lack of Discipline. This young Arsenal side doesn’t lack talent at all, but they do lack discipline. The football that they play is fantastic - but when they’re not playing football it’s just ugly. Players like Cesc Fabregas, Robin van Persie, and especially Emmanuel Eboue have been known to make a mockery of the game as they go down after zero contact and continue to roll on the ground. This all culminates in calls which Arsenal fans see as “disgraceful” but are entirely deserved. Suspensions down the line will haunt the Gunners.
2. Inexperience. Along the same lines as discipline, the young side from London lack experience. This often results in their lack of discipline showing, but inexperience will cost them in other ways, too. A perfect example of this inexperience is their collapse against Tottenham at the Emirates, as Spurs scored twice in stoppage time to salvage a 4-4 draw. Not holding on to wins will cost Arsenal dearly, and a little more experience would avoid this.
3. Results Against the “Small” Teams. All too often it’s forgotten that Arsenal have already lost 25% of their games (three losses in their twelve league games). What’s even more surprising is that these losses have all come against opposition that Arsenal should have beaten handily. Hull, Fulham, and Stoke are the three sides to have taken all three points off of the Gunners. Doesn’t sound like the breakfast of champions…
4. Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester United. The rest of the “Big Four” have already proven this season that they are no slouches. Liverpool are sitting atop the table with only one loss this season, and that came against a rejuvenated Spurs side under Harry Redknapp. Chelsea, meanwhile, are beating opponents by convincing margins and have only lost to Liverpool this year. Manchester United, who are being written off by far too many people, have already gone away to the rest of the Big Four clubs and will still be above Arsenal if they win their game in hand. None of these three sides look like they’ll be letting up any time soon.
5. No true wingers. Almost all of the world’s top clubs have worldclass wingers, and Arsenal are clearly an exception to this rule. The situation got so bad that Arsene Wenger began playing temperamental Emmanuel Eboue as a right midfielder (sorry, Arsene, but I don’t think it worked all that well). Tomas Rosicky is the closest thing to a natural winger that Arsenal have, and he’s out on a long term injury. Aleksander Hleb is also gone from the club, and a replacement for him was not found. Arsenal’s lack of wingers means they heavily depend on their central midfielders - if Cesc Fabregas or Samir Nasri come down with serious injuries then Arsenal will struggle going forward (yes, they’ve got great central midfield coverage, but these players are mainly defensive minded).
6. Injury prone. In recent years Arsenal fans have been quick to point out that their terrible luck with injuries led to a few trophyless campaigns. And yes, I will admit it, Arsenal are a bit unlucky with these. Robin van Persie always seems to be hurt, and to have such a skilled player out doesn’t help. The aforementioned Rosicky injury leaves Arsenal a bit stranded in the winger position, so the onus is on the club’s youth to step up. A few more injuries to key players will leave Arsenal in the same situation as last season - doing well until they stumble across the finish line with a depleted squad.
7. Arsene Wenger’s stubborness. There’s no doubt about it, Arsene Wenger is a great tactician. He is, however, also known as a stubborn man, especially when it comes to transfers. Even though all fans know that some experience is needed, Wenger simply refuses to splash money around. Often times this results in a youngster being bought for the future, and while that youngster may pan out down the line, it doesn’t help the club now. Look at Arsenal’s summer signings and you’ll see names like Amaury Bischoff, a player who has talent but won’t make an impact this year. Mr. Wenger, it’s time you go out and buy yourself a star today.

These are the key seven reasons that have affected Arsenal this season and will continue to. While they may be towards the top of the table now, don’t get your hopes up - they set the league’s pace for much of last season before falling long before the they reached the finish line.

What are your thoughts? Can Arsenal go the distance this year? Have your say in the comments section or on the Premiership Talk Forum. Predict Arsenal’s score against Aston Villa this weekend in the Premiership Talk Predictions Game.

Every now and again, I come across a site that is so fantastic that I can’t help but let all Premiership Talk readers know about it. What’s better? Well, there is one thing better: when that fantastic site offers merchandise to test and review on my site. Without further adieu, I’d like to introduce you to Soccer Pro, one of the best sites on the internet to get any piece of footballing (or soccer) goods that you want.

So, what is Soccer Pro? Founded in 2004, Soccer Pro has pleased soccer addicts in all 50 states and beyond. The site boasts “over 300 styles of soccer shoes, the best soccer jerseys from clubs throughout the world all the soccer gear any player, fan, coach, ref or parent could ever need.” What’s more is that besides your average everyday customer, Soccer Pro has even served United States National Team players who needed some gear fast! A glance around their site - SoccerPro.com - shows why so many people have been satisfied with Soccer Pro.

Soccer Shoes

Every player needs shoes. Every fan needs shoes, too! Soccer Pro doesn’t disappoint in this department, as they have everything you’d ever need for your feet. From hard ground cleats to soft ground cleats, Soccer Pro also has turf boots and indoor shoes. For the summer, stylish sandals from the biggest brands are also available. The best part of this site is that they offer everything at an extremely competitive price, blowing sites like Kitbag out of the water. Want that new pair of cleats that you saw David Beckham wearing? No problem, Soccer Pro has them.

Officially Licensed Gear

With officially licensed gear from around the world, football fans can find the latest jerseys, tee shirts, and more on the site. At the time of writing, there are ten English clubs with merchandise on the site, and many more clubs from around the world. One of my favorite parts of this section is that they offer woven jackets of the clubs which are really nice at a great price. You can also get jerseys with printing for relatively cheap. For instance, as a Manchester United fan I can get a home jersey with Ronaldo 7 printed on the back for a mere $85.50. This is a lot better than the $100+ I’d have to pay from other competitors.

Conclusion

Besides these two major departments I’ve highlighted, there are many other features. Team supplies, balls, and many more at on the site, so explore for yourself. SoccerPro.com is clearly a fantastic resource for all fans. Whatever you are looking for, Soccer Pro has it. Take a look around the site when you get a chance, and keep your eye on Premiership Talk over the next few months for product reviews.

Rafael da Silva has made his mark on English football. In 8 appearances for Manchester United anybody who chooses to keep an eye on him has seen that he has what it takes to remain a fixture in the English Premier League. Rafael can always be seen running all over the field fighting for the ball. His performance against Arsenal this past weekend is a whole different story. After being subbed on for right back Gary Neville in the 63rd minute, da Silva went to work. After a superb display, he finished it off with a 90th minute goal. Granted it came too late, but it made an impression nonetheless. At 18 years old, Rafael is playing like a seasoned veteran. Rafael knows that his spot on the field has not yet been guaranteed, so every time he gets the opportunity, he goes out and proves himself. The Arsenal match made it that much harder on Sir Alex with 3 solid right backs fighting for time. Sir Alex can sleep easy though knowing that the future looks bright at Old Trafford. Look for Rafael da Silva to soon become a constant fixture in the Manchester United starting lineup. If da Silva keeps up the hard work, he will be a world class player down the road. Rafael has a fantastic career ahead of him, and I cannot wait to see his next performance.

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This Saturday’s match-ups offer some very good matches. It also includes the “Match-Up of the Weekend” and the “Blowout of the Weekend.” Not a bad day to be watching football if you ask me.

Arsenal v. Manchester United (12:45): After an amazing game between Chelsea and Liverpool just a couple weeks ago, we now turn to the other half of the Big Four to try and deliver another spectacular match for us this weekend. As any match with the Big Four goes, this is certainly not an easy match to call. Here’s how difficult the outcome of the match can be to determine. First, Arsenal have been playing terribly as of late. First they lost to Stoke City 2-1. Then they couldn’t even put up a goal in their Champions League home game against Fenerbahce, and they ended up drawing 0-0. That could lead to a lot of motivation to play much better, and they could end up easily winning this tough home game. I can’t see that happening for a couple reasons. The main reason is this. If they can’t beat Stoke, how can they possibly beat a Manchester United team that has been playing very well as of late. United haven’t found the loss column in almost 2 months now! I can see a tie only because the match is at the Emirates, but I would expect a Manchester United win given their recent run they have been on.

Wigan v. Stoke City (12:45): This could surprisingly be a very good match-up. Stoke is coming off their huge win against Arsenal in front of their home crowd. Now they move on to the JJB to add some more surprises to the Premier League table. Wigan, meanwhile, are on a dismal run. Before their win against Portsmouth last week, they had 0 points since the last week of September. The losses are piling up quickly. Can Wigan use the momentum from their last game to beat Stoke? This match is going to be a clash of the new found confidence. I think Amr Zaki and Co. will take advantage of the situation and bring home a victory. Stoke played a great game last week, and I wouldn’t count them out of this match under any circumstances, but Wigan it is.

Hull City v. Bolton (15:00): Hull are for real. Their match against Manchester United proved it. Now I’m not saying that they are a title contender or anything - that would be too bold of a statement this early in the season. However, I do know that they mean business, and their 3 goals at Old Trafford convinced me. They may not have gotten any points out of the match, but that doesn’t matter to me. I think they showed their critics that they want to stay in the Premier League for years to come, and they have the ability to make it happen. So after a huge match against Manchester United, can they keep the goals flowing against Bolton? Before Bolton’s big win at home against Manchester City last Sunday, they had been playing horribly. Does this mean that they have turned things around? I don’t know. It would be too quick to say that. I will certainly not be writing off Hull this week, especially since they are playing Bolton. Look for a big win for Hull in front of the crowd at Reebok Stadium.

Sunderland v. Portsmouth (15:00): Sunderland needs to turn it around, and quick. Last week they got handed a huge 5-0 defeat at the hands of Chelsea. The week before that, they lost to lowly Stoke. Now they have to deal with Portsmouth strolling into town. Portsmouth need to right the ship too, though, having suffered 2 straight losses to Wigan and Liverpool. This should be a great game. These 2 teams had been playing well up until the past couple weeks, so this game should be quite a battle. I would give Sunderland the edge only because they are at home, but they may be a little too dejected after the 5-0 blowout. Only time will tell. I would look for a tie since both teams match-up pretty well against one another. Don’t be surprised, though, if one team or the other squeaks out a one goal win because they both have the potential to turn it on. I would expect a late goal from either team to either draw it even or win it.

West Ham United v. Everton (15:00): Where in the world is Yakubu? After scoring goal after goal after goal at the beginning of the season, Yakubu has been nonexistent. If Fellaini and Yakubu could both step it up at the same time, something special would happen. We’ve waited long enough, so this just may be the week for it to happen. West Ham has not been in the best of form as of late. I will hand it to them. They have had a really tough schedule over the last month. Although they got 1 point out of it, it was expected. Everton is not part of that difficult run. Everton is a good team though. If Yakubu and Fellaini can hook up a few times during the match, we could see a blowout, but West Ham definitely has a chance to keep it interesting and not go home with their tail between their legs. West Ham showed their resilience last week when they were able to eek out a draw at Middlesbrough. I can see a West Ham victory, but this match really could go either way.

Liverpool v. West Brom (17:30): All I can say is: This weekend’s BLOWOUT. West Brom has no chance. No matter what I say in defense of West Brom could ever convince you that they will even draw Liverpool in this game. I would expect Liverpool to score 4 goals easily. Hull beat West Brom 3-0 at West Brom. Manchester United beat them 4-0 at home. Now it’s Liverpool’s turn to get in on the action. There is not much more I can say about this game except that the home crowd will be going crazy the whole game, and they will be able to leave Anfield a very happy bunch.

Do you have anything else to add about any of these match-ups? Do you think there is something I missed and an outcome will be much different than I predicted? Let me know by commenting on this article, or give your own predictions in the Premiership Talk Predictions Game!

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When Middlesbrough went out to get a big name scorer last January, they landed just the guy for the job. Alves, a striker who previously scored bucket loads of goals for SC Heerenveen in the Eredivisie, is an experienced veteran who brings a lot of excitement to the pitch every game. In his one and a half seasons with Heerenveen, Alves was no slouch. In 45 total appearances, Alves notched 48 goals. That is a goal rate that anybody in the world would be proud of. Now as the pinnacle of the Middlesbrough squad, Alves has scored 9 goals in 20 total appearances. Granted, it’s not what he had been doing at Heerenveen, but he’s still relatively new to the team. Look for his goals to keep on amassing as the season progresses. Currently, Alves is helping his club stay in the thick of things in the Premier League. Although Alves is not one to dish out the assists (2 assists since the beginning of the 2005 season), Alves is a rare breed who can score easily. If his teammates put him in a decent spot, chances are the ball is going into the back of the net. At 27, Alves still has several prime years ahead of him, so look for him to keep up these scary numbers. This week’s Premiership Talk Wednesday Wonder looks to lead his team to victory on Sunday, as Alves and Co. travel to Villa Park to take on an Aston Villa team  that has jumped out of the starting gate. Can Alves lead his team to victory in the hostile environment? Have your say in the Premiership Talk Predictions Game!

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After a midweek that saw two fantastic finishes, a couple upsets, and a few solid performances, I feel that those games definitely equaled, if not surpassed the expectations coming into them. We saw Tottenham, down 4-2 with 5 minutes to play, score 2 goals to tie it, at Arsenal. Just as exciting, we then saw Premiership Talk’s Wednesday Wonder, Marouane Fellaini, score a 90th minute goal to beat Bolton in their own stadium. Also, Stoke and Middlesbrough had huge wins over Sunderland and Manchester City, respectively. How much better can these matches continue to get? We will surely see come Saturday.

Saturday, November 1st

Everton v. Fulham (12:45): The secret is out: Marouane Fellaini is here, and he will be a fixture in the Premier League for a very long time. First it was his header goal to level the game against Manchester United. Then it was his 90th minute goal to beat Bolton. What more can this Belgian do? I’m sure we will find out soon enough. Everton are making their push for a comfortable table position, and a win this Saturday against Fulham would be huge. Fulham haven’t been playing all that bad lately, though. With 5 points in their last 3 games, Fulham are showing that they will not just fall by the wayside. However, Yakubu hasn’t scored in a few games for Everton, and with Fellaini on fire, look for Yakubu to jump into the mix this weekend and put one into the back of the net. I wouldn’t be surprised with a draw, but Everton is looking good, and since it’s a home game, I’m taking Everton.

Chelsea v. Sunderland (15:00): The beginning of a new streak. Chelsea will be out for another home win to start another. People may think that Chelsea are vulnerable at home now, but you know what I would say to those people? “You’re CRAZY!” Look for Chelsea to win handily at home, especially since Sunderland are feeling down since their midweek loss to Stoke. Chelsea won easily on Wednesday to a Hull City team that has been making some noise since the beginning of the season. Now Lampard, Kalou, and the rest of the crew move on to a Sunderland team who have been playing decently this season. I can’t see Sunderland doing much of anything in this match, though. Chelsea will be too pumped up for this game, so look for a solid shutout at Stamford Bridge.

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Following what we can all agree was utterly astonishing news regarding Harry Redknapp’s switch to Tottenham, Tony Adams has taken over at the Fratton Park helm, an appointment which has initially gone down rather well with the Portsmouth faithful.

Its evident that Tony Adams has been weighing the job up ever since Redknapp approached the ex-Gunner to become his number 2 way back in 2006 following an unsuccessful spell as Wycombe Wanderers manager; a theory which Harry openly admitted in his first Spurs press conference.

Adams, 42, seems more than excited at the prospect and is relishing his first top-flight job. “I’m very honored, it’s a great opportunity,” he said. “I would have been mad to turn it down.” Despite getting straight into the swing of things with a 1-1 draw with Fulham, Adams admitted it make take a year before we see the “Tony Adams Portsmouth” he wishes to embed at the south coast club.

Not only did the appointment delight Portsmouth fans, other Premier League managers were quick to wish Adams all the best: names such as Paul Ince, David Moyes, Arsene Wenger, and of course Harry Redknapp. Adams will always be a firm fans’ favorite at Arsenal no matter which club’s badge he wears - with some Arsenal fans even going to the extreme of backing Portsmouth as a second club since his appointment!

Although this appointment is just one case, does this spell a new era for English managers in the top flight? Currently, 16 of the managers in the Premiership hail from the UK & Ireland, so does this mean more to pick from when Fabio’s time finally comes, leaving no excuses if the FA do decide to look abroad for his successor?

This can only be good for our game which recently has received its criticisms, and hopefully the introduction of Tony Adams and Paul Ince alike can mean more English talent in the greatest league of all.

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