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One of the biggest shocks of the culmination of the transfer window was injury-plagued Owen Hargreaves’ move across to the blue half of Manchester. Having played just four times in three seasons for Manchester United, questions arose as to why Manchester City would take such a gamble on the midfielder. Since the conclusion of the contract, City boss Roberto Mancini has openly stated that the club only signed Hargreaves because he was a ‘cheap option’, which is not exactly inspirational news for the player to hear. So how should Hargreaves react to this confidence shattering statement?

After City’s summer of enormous spending and in light of Fifa’s financial fair play regulations, the club stated that they had no money to buy any more players, and would have to work with loan or free deals. Hargreaves provided the perfect bargain option for City, who promptly announced that they only brought the former England international in because they couldn’t afford Fernando Gago or Daniele De Rossi.

To find out that you’re somebody’s third choice, and have only been signed as a ‘cheaper option’, is not really what anyone wants to hear. Although Manchester City also praised Hargreaves’ quality, their statement just seems utterly baffling. For a player so short on matches and fitness, his confidence must be extremely brittle, and stating this in public is downright stupid, and poor man-management by Mancini.

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There is no doubt that Hargreaves is a quality player, and that he will provide strength in depth for City over a busy season for them. He gives Mancini a different option in the centre of the field, and will provide excellent back up for starting anchormen Nigel De Jong and Yaya Toure. However, in order to get the best out of Hargreaves, City need him physically fit, and more importantly, mentally strong. For someone with dented confidence after his persistent injury problems, and lack of a new offer from Manchester United, this is hardly the kind of statement that will inspire him to great things.

What Hargreaves has to do now, is prove Mancini wrong, and shake off the ‘cheap option’ label. He has to use the rather disrespectful statement to inspire him to perform to his highest standard, proving that he is much more than just a bargain replacement. He has to turn the statement into a positive and use it to achieve his best level. Perhaps it will even bring out the best in him, and prove to be a cunning master-stroke from Mancini. It is all about how Hargreaves reacts to it, and how he deals with it, whether in a positive or a negative way.

Certainly Hargreaves has enormous mental strength and resolve to have recovered and battled back from serious injury problems. However, the amount of time he has spent off the field is enough for little doubts to have crept into his mind. He bears the scars of the past, and is probably quite fragile right now, so statements like this and his omission from the Champions League squad are hardly going to inspire him to great things at City.

How do you think Owen Hargreaves should react to being labelled the ‘cheap option’ at Man City? Let me know your thoughts below or follow me on Twitter @LaurenRutter for more comment and debate.

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Liverpool defender Daniel Agger believes Kenny Dalglish’s influence on the Anfield club is the reason for their resurgence this season.

Following the sacking of Roy Hodgson last month, Dalglish returned for a second managerial stint with theMerseyside giants and the 59-year-old Scot has turned their fortunes around.

Dalglish’s first league game in charge resulted in a 2-1 loss to Blackpool, but Liverpool have since gone unbeaten in five English Premier League matches.

They have won four games in succession, culminating with Sunday’s 1-0 triumph over champions Chelsea, and sit in sixth having lingered above the relegation places earlier in the season.

Despite the departure of Fernando Torres to Chelsea in a 50-million-pound deal, Agger insists the mood in the camp is buoyant and credits much of that to Dalglish’s involvement.

“A big part of it is Kenny and (his assistant) Steve Clarke. They have made a major difference,” Agger said.

“But it is also something to do with confidence, because it is the same footballers as before.”

“Confidence can win you games and somehow Kenny and Steve have put the confidence back in the players and the belief.”

“I think we have shown that definitely in the last four games. It is looking good, although there is still a long way to go.”

Agger said Dalglish, who scored 112 goals for Celtic and 118 for Liverpool in a 21-year playing career, had tried to instil an attacking mindset since his arrival at Anfield.

“He is a positive guy. In football terms, he is positive,” he said.

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“First of all because he likes to play positive football, going forward, and keeping the ball on the ground and I think he is good among the players.”

“The training sessions have been really good and I think everything starts at the training ground.”

“If you can get that right you have a big advantage in the games.”

Uruguayan sensation Gaston Ramirez is set to be new Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers’ latest target, according to The Metro today.

The 21 year old has been the talk of a host of top European clubs this summer, with Barcelona, AC Milan and Manchester City all reported to have shown their interest in the Bologna winger.

However, Liverpool now look the most likely candidate to sign Ramirez, whose agent declared a move to England could well be on the cards. ‘Gaston is ready to leaveItaly– so much so I am in England for talks with a Premier League club’ announced Pablo Betancourt.

The summer has been a frustrating one thus far for Liverpool, having missed out on Hoffenheim midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson and then being unable to agree terms with Fulham for Clint Dempsey, Ramirez could be just the answer they are looking for.

Having been valued at £20 million, Ramirez still has 4 years left on his contract at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara but is more than happy to move to Anfield regardless, joining fellow Uruguayan Sebastian Coates.

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The move to Anfield could mark the start of a busy period in the transfer window for Rodgers’ side, as they also look to bring in Dorus De Vries from Wolves as goalkeeping cover, as well as Joe Allen from Swansea.

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Tottenham midfielder Sandro has signed a new contract at White Hart Lane that will keep him at the club until July 2016.

The Brazil international impressed in his first season in England last term, and has been linked with a move to AC Milan and Roma.

Despite this, the South American has put pen to paper on a new deal that will keep him in North London for a further five years.

“The club is delighted to announce that Sandro has signed a new five-year contract which runs until 2016,” an announcement on the side’s official website read.

Sandro is currently recovering from a knee injury that he picked up whilst on international duty with Brazil during the Copa America.

Meanwhile, Chelsea boss Andre Villas Boas has stated that a January move for Spurs playmaker Luka Modric is unlikely.

The Croatia international was the subject of at least three bids from the Stamford Bridge outfit over the summer, with Spurs turning down a deadline day offer of £40million for the midfielder; the Chelsea boss believes their interest may end there.

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“No I don’t think so. The market is closed and I won’t speculate what happens in January,” he told Sky Sports News when asked about Modric’s future.

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Harry Redknapp doesn’t like the term wheeler dealer, although it remains to be seen whether Tottenham will be partaking in any last minute dealings within the next 48hours. With a strike-force that has only accumulated six Premier League goals between them this season, few would be surprised if the North Londoners don’t look to add at least one striker to their roster by Monday night.

At FFC this week we have seen a mixed bag of Tottenham blogs that include time Keane moved on; Tottenham need to take a transfer splash, while Levy gamble’s with eviction notice.

We also look at the best Tottenham articles around the web this week.

Andy Gray and Richard Keys starring in…

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TEN things we can guarantee on Transfer deadline day

Time Tottenham star put himself out of his misery

An unenviable decision that Harry Redknapp has to make

The answer to Tottenham’s prayers…and England’s?

Tottenham gamble with eviction notice

Will Tottenham fans shed a tear if he was to leave WHL?

Tottenham chief’s words leave me feeling a little uneasy

Crouch v Pavlyuchenko – who would you rather?

Knocking Tottenham’s intentions has a smack of hypocrisy about it

Passionate, crazy, talented…that’s why I love him at Tottenham

Last minute transfer dealings at Tottenham

Hart Break Lane? Or football at its finest?

The NINE key factors behind every transfer fee

Why Tottenham need to make a transfer splash

*Best of Web*

Stadium problem solved. Simples – Spurs Musings From JimmyG2

Pienaar Butter Jelly Time – Who Framed Ruel Fox?

An open letter to Daniel Levy –Martin Cloake Online

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Sideways Spurs need fantastic forward – Dear Mr Levy

Stratford Decision Day Looms: No One Bothers To Ask The Fans – Tottenham On My Mind

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Click on Miss Santarelli below to see her in all her glory

When Simon Grayson was sacked as Leeds United manager in February, it seemed a little harsh. After all, the Whites lay just outside the playoffs despite embarking on a poor run of Christmas results. The man Ken Bates deemed good enough to finish the job was ‘promotion specialist’ Neil Warnock, who has delivered success from the lower leagues on seven previous occasions. It didn’t quite turn out the way Uncle Ken had planned though, as Leeds stuttered to a 14th placed finish, stumbling to some humiliating defeats on the way.

The drop in performance and results was attributed to an apparent dearth of quality in the squad at Elland Road according to the new man in charge, while Leeds fans chose to aim their irritations at the Chairman rather than those in charge of footballing matters. The summer has brought little in terms of comfort either, with an apparent takeover taking longer to come to fruition than expected. Warnock has been left frustrated by a lack of funds that has seen his summer plans wrecked and he has recently been linked with the job at Nottingham Forest.

The aura surrounding Warnock is a strange one; his reputation for earning promotion now seems to precede him. While he may get his sides into the top flight on a regular basis, keeping them there is an entirely different story. His last two assaults on the Premier League didn’t go according to plan, he was relegated at the first attempt with Sheffield United, while last season at QPR, Tony Fernandes took the decision to axe the man who got them up as the R’s hovered dangerously above the drop zone. The question is then, is Warnock the man to revive the glory days at Elland Road or he is merely a temporary stopgap designed to set the Whites back on the path towards the heady heights?

The immediate answer to that question lies in the length of Warnock’s contract. Bates only offered his new boss a deal lasting until the end of 2012/13, suggesting the man in charge has one go at making it work. It suits both parties. Leeds have been stung by the costs of sacking a manager on a lengthy contract before, while Warnock seems certain that managing the Whites will be his last job in football. However, it also suggests that Leeds appointed Warnock with the simple intention of promotion before they part company, a marriage of convenience if you like.

Warnock knows the specifications required to perform well in the Championship, but his dealings in the transfer market don’t exactly smack of ‘long term planning.’ For example, he transfer listed Adam Clayton, a player who had shown plenty of potential last season, while he hasn’t exactly pushed the boat out to renew Aidan White’s contract either. The club claims this is down to excessive wage demands, but if Huddersfield can afford to offer Clayton a better deal than what he’d earn at Elland Road, we may as well give up now. New arrivals include 33-year-old Adam Drury and 29-year old Paul Green, while 30-somethings Paddy Kenny and David Norris are expected to sign on the dotted line before too long as well. This isn’t a criticism of Warnock’s work in the market, indeed each of these individuals add something different to a squad that was found wanting in certain areas last season, but more an observation of his transfer policy. He operated in a similar way at QPR as well, bringing in experienced heads like Clint Hill and Shaun Derry to ensure the side would be well-equipped for promotion, rather than building for the long-term.

The takeover talk at the club may change Warnock’s plans somewhat. He may find transfer funds are more accessible upon completion and the new owners may set out a new set of targets for Leeds United. If Warnock was to get the Whites into the Premiership, it would be difficult to imagine him walking away from the job. When QPR sacked him in January, he spoke of his disappointment of not being allowed to finish the job he started. You’d imagine then that he’d loathe to let someone else continue the good work he’d put in place. If all goes according to plan, the marriage of convenience could turn into a shot at reviving the glory days, with Warnock given the chance to establish Leeds as a Premiership force once more.

Whether he’d succeed is another question. Examining his work at QPR last summer suggests he might not, given his failure to prepare them for the task ahead by signing players well past their best like Kieron Dyer, Danny Gabbidon and Luke Young. Club captain Joey Barton wasn’t exactly forthcoming in praising the outgoing boss either when Warnock departed Loftus Road. Ultimately, it seems that Warnock isn’t capable of handling a side in the top flight, he’s never achieved anything amongst England’s elite despite his managerial career spanning 22 years.

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This is all hypothetically speaking of course. Leeds haven’t demonstrated enough clout so far this summer to suggest they are even capable of mounting an attack on the Promised Land. This year’s relegated teams have already opened the chequebooks to ensure they won’t be stranded in the Championship, while Leeds are selling their best players to their rivals. It seems people at the club have bought into the Warnock myth a little too much and simply believe his presence at Elland Road will ensure a promotion challenge anyway. He’s not a miracle worker and while his track record at this level is superb, there remains a number of blemishes on it. It’s down the club to give Warnock the opportunity to work his magic and a completed takeover would be an encouraging start. However, should Leeds start next season badly, Elland Road can be an unforgiving place to work and that marriage of convenience may well turn into a messy divorce.

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In light of the riots, Spurs have been granted another week to bring in any new faces before their season starts. The North Londoners have been linked to half of Europe this summer but have failed to make any significant breakthrough in strengthening their squad. Levy is renowned for leaving his transfer business right until the last minute and this window appears to be no different.

At FFC this week we have seen a mixed bag of Spurs blogs that includes Kyle Walker feels like a new signing; Tottenham’s success lays in its formation, while Levy should take the financial hit.

We also look at the best Spurs articles around the web this week.

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Should Tottenham take the financial hit to move on

Tottenham chief lays down the path for others to follow

What to expect from Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham’s future success lays in its formation?

Kyle Walker: almost a new signing

The psychological enemy within Tottenham Hotspur?

Keane and Pienaar must wonder if it was worth it

Ruiz reveals Tottenham talks

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Best of WEB

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Bilbao win sparks riots – Spurs Musings From JimmyG2

The Tottenham Prophecy – Part One – Dear Mr Levy

€26M Bid On The Cards – Harry Hotspur

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Tottenham Hotspur Season Preview 2011/12. Now Is The Time – Tottenham On My Mind

Ta-Da! The New Season Cometh. But What’re Your Hopes and Fears – Who Framed Ruel Fox?

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Click on Miss Blasi below to see her in all her glory

Start as you mean to go on, as the old adage goes. This season has been something of a tumultuous one for Villa both on and off the pitch. Things obviously didn’t get off to the best start with the sale of James Milner seemingly the straw that broke the camel’s back and Martin O’Neill brought down the curtain on his four-year spell in charge just five days before the beginning of the season. But where has it all gone wrong?

The case for the defence – Villa’s 6th place finish last term was built upon solid foundations that quite simply haven’t been there this term. Last season, Villa conceded just 39 goals all term, the fourth best defensive record in the league and kept 15 clean sheets to boot. This season however, in just 21 league fixtures they have conceded 38 goals already and have just four clean sheets to their name.

The form of Richard Dunne has also been a concern. Is there a more inconsistent defender in the Premiership? Brilliant one season, diabolical the next. Brad Friedel has been unusually poor by his standards too. Stephen Warnock has also seen a dip in form sure to put him behind Leighton Baines in the England pecking order once more. Individual errors have proved costly and although a settled unit at the back, collectively and individually they’ve been poor this season.

In such an unpredictable league such as this one has been so far, consistency is the key, grinding out results even when you’re not playing well is what keeps the momentum going. Villa, much like Liverpool who are also struggling, have been bloomin’ awful away from home and able to do this. In 10 away games this season, they’ve collected just 5 points and have shipped 25 goals. Contrast this with last season and they finished the campaign with the 3rd best away record in the league. A side that once proved a tough cookie to crack has all of a sudden become a soft touch on their travels.

Of course, O’Neill’s resignation just 5 days before the start of the season didn’t help matters. A somewhat juvenile exit for a man often ruled by his emotions, brought an end to a largely successful reign. Kevin McDonald did his best under the circumstances and one thing the terraces have him to be thankful for was his willingness to blood young talent – namely Marc Albrighton, Ciaran Clark and Barry Bannan – from the off.

One criticism that you could level at O’Neill, is that during his time at Villa, more often than not he spent his money poorly and most of the fringe players, in an already thin squad, were his signings. You can’t operate across multiple competitions time and time again on limited resources, without trusting your youngsters and without spending wisely. As a result, the squad is a smorgasbord of youthful exuberance and players on the wane.

The exit of James Milner, the catalyst for last season’s driven consistency must not go unnoticed either. His replacement, Stephen Ireland, has floundered and is already looking to leave the club this transfer window.

A lack of firepower has proved a problematic issue to solve for new manager Gerard Houllier, with the club’s top goal scorer in the league being Stewart Downing this season with just five goals to his name. It’s clear that too much pressure has been placed on Gabriel Agbohnlahor in the past and that in order for Villa to succeed again, the already beleaguered Houllier needs to bring in reinforcements up top this transfer window to lighten the load on the native Brummie.

Finally, we come to Gerard Houllier, a familiar face to English fans from his time at Liverpool. He has got off to a frankly appalling start as Villa manager. The club now find themselves in 18th place in the league and Houllier, a quiet man, the antithesis of the confrontational and passionate O’Neill, has led the club to just 7 wins in his 21 games at the club, with 10 defeats on his record already. A similar record to the one that got Roy Hodgson sacked from Liverpool it has to be said.

Reported training ground bust-ups between assistant manager Gary McAlister and Richard Dunne and rumoured unrest at Houllier’s training methods hasn’t helped either and has meant that the club have often been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Some players, such as Warnock, Carew and Ireland, are all apparently disillusioned with life at the club and are eyeing moves elsewhere.

Suffice to say, when a club as seemingly stable as Villa were going into this season, goes into a sudden freefall, there cannot be just the one reason for their demise, but several. Rather than it simply all being Houllier’s fault, which seems to be the popular trend at the minute on the terraces, to blame the manager, it’s the players that have to take more responsibility for their woeful underperformance thus far and it is ultimately at their door that the blame for the fact that they now find themselves in a relegation dogfight lies.

If Houllier is to last until the end of the season, with pressure already mounting on the terraces, who were sceptical upon his appointment right from the very beginning it has to be said, he is going to have to spend his money more wisely than O’Neill did at times at the club. He’s certainly going to have to spend it more wisely than he did during his last foray into English football with Liverpool.

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This transfer window looks to be pivotal in turning the tide and it looks as if Houllier is going to be given some money to deal with Jean Makoun, out of favour at Lyon this season, is a decent if unspectacular holding midfielder and this sort of acquisition looks a step in the right direction. Consolidation, while it might not sound too sexy when put to fans, is the name of the game now.

It’s not all doom and gloom though, this season could be the one where the club sheds some of the dead wood and they’ve already began to blood an extremely promising set of youngsters. If Houllier lasts until the summer, which it looks like he might just do, this poor season could be the start of something much more promising in the future.

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The principals of a youth system at a football club all seem relatively simple enough. Find the youngsters, train the youngsters, then play the youngsters. The reality of the academy at a Premier League club however, is far more complex, involving the scouting and poaching of talent from all across the globe. And one such club who cannot be accused of putting the time and money into unearthing their next generation of stars, is Tottenham Hotspur. The only problem being, they’ve not really developed anything for themselves.

On both a national and domestic level, English football is beginning to wake up the harsh realities that faltering youth developments systems play. Much has already been made of our country’s fabled inability to keep a ball controlled adequately and culturally, this is an issue that has only been found necessary to be addressed, after going 46 years without actually winning anything. But a common misconception is that it is the responsibility of a nation to nurture all of its talent.

Nationally, the deficit of bread-and-butter footballing skills is coming at a very young age, not when they’re 19 or 20 and ready to break into a first team- it is far too late by then. Before the kids break into the academies at say an Arsenal or a Manchester United, the ability has to come from somewhere and it is the national coaching philosophy that adorns our football at local and county level, which is preventing enough talented kids going to the big academies.

But as much as the national press would like to scaremonger us otherwise, English football’s current predicament doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty of talent out there. Of course, a nation the size of England, just in sheer population terms, should be producing far more talent. But that’s an argument for another day. What’s happening to the talent when it gets into the big academies? With the likes of Financial Fair Play coming in to take effect, clubs should be more determined to start developing their own talent instead of paying for proven. In fact, as is now common practice, Spurs even pay considerable sums of money for someone else’s half-developed talent. So where are they?

In 2007, Spurs signed then 15-year old midfielder Dean Parrett from QPR for a rumored £1million fee up front, rising to nearly double that in add-ons and extensions. But what happened to the man who was believed to be one of English football’s brightest prospects, courted by Manchester United and Chelsea? At an age where the youngster needs to be playing football, he has made only a very sporadic 37 appearances whilst on loan at various lower-league teams, whilst failing to play a minute of Premier League football for his parent club. Indeed, a precocious talent and still only 20, but even now, Parrett’s Spurs future doesn’t look particularly bright.

John Bostock, again only 20, was heralded as one English football’s brightest prospects after making his debut for Crystal Palace when he was only 15. But since Spurs fought tooth and nail to acquire him, his development seems to have stunted. Of course, he developed relatively early and there have been rumors of a negative attitude. But at a time in his life when he needs regular first-team football, he has been farmed out to four clubs in four years, making only 26 league appearances- again, none of them coming for Spurs in the Premier League.

Bostock and Parrett are the two-most high profile examples, but the examples go a lot further. Foreign talent brought in at a similar age and for similar money, has also suffered the same fate. Czech striker Tomas Pekhart never played once in the league after being farmed out on loan twice- the now 23-year-old is currently floundering at FC Nuremberg in the Bundesliga. Dorian Dervite was highly rated and although he suffered a serious knee injury, the Frenchman was never given a chance. For all his faults, a certain Adel Taarabt was never given a run of games in the senior side. It can’t be denied that there have been other motivating factors in these players not developing quite as planned, but it is an awful lot of talent that took a lot of time and money to acquire, which just haven’t been given the chance to shine.

So what about the current crop in Spurs ranks? It seems amazing that Harry Redknapp can moan about squad size and fail to rotate with such promising talent lurking in the ranks. Andros Townsend, Tom Carroll, Harry Kane and Massimo Luongo all have bags of potential to go on to great things. Ivorian striker Souleymane Coulibaly was signed from Siena after bagging the golden boot at the Fifa Under-17 World Cup. Real Madrid, amongst others, was interested in the 17-year-old and the man dubbed the ‘next Drogba’ is a special talent. But as brutal as it sounds, is he and all of his younger colleagues, all just wasting their time at Spurs?

It is difficult to gauge Harry Redknapp’s potential to develop young talent. If it wasn’t for his seeming contempt for the Europa League, it is unlikely we would have seen the likes of Kane and Carroll in a Spurs shirt this past season. People will point to his time at West Ham, and without taking anything away from Redknapp, the Tony Carr produced talent was surely so good, it would of prospered regardless of Harry’s presence or not. However, as already mentioned, it was Redknapp’s penchant to moan about fatigue and squad strength that drapes the future of Spurs’ youth in potential pessimism. The 65-year-old was seemingly dismissive of the notion that his young starlets  How can the likes of any the above mentioned succeed, if the manager would rather turn to someone like Ryan Nelsen in the transfer window, in times of weakness?

Another interesting side-note, was Redknapp (and the coaching staff’s) decision to leave the Premier League Reserve League in 2009. At the time, Spurs fans greeted the decision with glee, panning the structure and relevance of a league used to keep the deadwood happy. Except that’s not what their rivals seem to use it for. Manchester Untied, Arsenal and Chelsea seem happy to play in it and field their youngsters, but not Redknapp and Spurs? The loan system is important and nothing can match genuine game time. But Manchester United would rather develop the likes of Danny Welbeck in house and then loan him out to Sunderland- teach him the United way. The Tottenham way, seems to consist of loan, after loan, after loan.

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The talent is there in the Spurs youth ranks, both English and International. But potential is nothing if left unfulfilled. Youth development is fraught with difficulty but Tottenham need to find a way of utilizing it their advantage in football terms, not just to boost the bank balance.

Why aren’t Spurs promoting their youth talent? Does the fault lie with Redknapp? Or are the kids just not good enough? Get involved with the discussion for all things Spurs on Twitter, follow @samuel_antrobus

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Wolves boss Mick McCarthy has reportedly made a move for ex-West Ham defender Matthew Upson, according to The Mirror. The 32-year-old became a free agent after his contract with The Hammers expired on July 1st.

McCarthy plans to bolster his defence as Wolves prepare for another gruelling season in the Premier League, with McCarthy’s priorities in the market said to be experience and quality in defence.

Upson ticks both these boxes, having racked up over 350 first-team appearances in a solid career that includes time at Arsenal, Birmingham and West Ham, as well as loan spells at Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace and Reading.

McCarthy could face a battle for England defender Upson with Tottenham as Spurs boss Harry Redknapp is also interested. Redknapp too is looking to strengthen his defence, with an assault on the Premier League’s top four spots on the agenda.

Wolves are still eager to find a new defensive option after missing out on Reading captain Matt Mills, who opted for a move to Leicester City, and have also been linked with Tottenham’s Jonathon Woodgate and young West Ham defender James Tomkins.

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Talksport reported that Wolves are weighing up a move for Tomkins, 22, who is currently negotiating a new deal at Upton Park but could be persuaded into Premier League action by Wolves. Bolton are also said to be monitoring the Tomkins situation with defender Gary Cahill continually being linked to a move to Arsenal.