The 2011-12 Championship league fixtures have come to an end and finally the automatic promotion positions have been confirmed. However, at the other end of the table, the relegation picture had been clear for some time. The bottom three teams can now begin preparation for a spell in League 1.

Below are the final league positions that really matter:

Reading - Champions
Southampton - Promoted

West Ham United - Play-Off semi-finalists
Birmingham City – Play-Off semi-finalists
Blackpool – Play-Off semi-finalists
Cardiff City – Play-Off semi-finalists

Portsmouth - Relegated
Coventry City - Relegated
Doncaster Rovers – Relegated

Promoted Sides:

Reading

Reading claimed the Championship title over a week ago, following a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace. The Royals boss, Brian McDermott, held back the tears as he watched his side lift the trophy for the second time following the achievements of Steve Coppell’s side in 2005/06. Following Reading’s heartbreak in last season’s Play-off final, the fans will be delighted with their clubs return to the top flight, after a four year absence.

Southampton

Yesterday, Southampton were promoted to the Premier League after beating Coventry City 4-0, ending their seven-year exile from the top flight. The comprehensive win, completed a fairy tale rise under manager Nigel Adkins which has seen the team transform from a League 1 outfit into a team fit for the Premier League. The promotion is their second in succession, after rising from League 1 last term with a second-placed finish, behind champions Brighton & Hove Albion. Clearly this a remarkable achievement for Adkins team, hopefully this form can be carried into the top flight next season.

Chances of Survival in the Premier League

This season, the promoted Swansea, Norwich have drastically exceeded expectations. Both teams sit in mid table positions, a situation they could only dreamed of 12 months ago. No doubt, Reading and Southampton will look to emulate this success. Both teams have the advantage of large financial backing. I expect both managers will look to bring in new talent once the transfer window opens in July. However, this alone will not ensure their survival come next term. QPR have been a clear example of this, despite amounts of spending, the London club have struggled for points this year against other top division teams. McDermott and Adkins will look to sustain the core of their team, whilst bringing in a few quality new players. The likes of Adam Lallana and Rickie Lambert will be vital for the Saints next season, whilst Reading will rely on Harte, Kebe and various other key players. As long as both teams move positively into next season’s fixtures, playing their own style of football, I’m confident they will do well.

Play-off Position Round-up

This season the play off finals will be a very tough contest. The road to Wembley now begins as Blackpool, Birmingham, West Ham and Cardiff will battle for the final chance of promotion to Premier Division.

West Ham United had to settle for third place even as a Carlton Cole brace sank Hull 2-1 at Upton Park in the final league game of the season.

Cardiff City wrapped up the final Play-Off spot, but made their fans sweat first before beating Crystal Palace 2-1.

Whilst, a 2-0 win, against Reading on the final day, lifted Birmingham into fourth place above Blackpool, who were held 2-2 at Millwall.

Personally, I would love to see Blackpool back in the Premier League. Ian Holloway is such an entertaining manager and this is even seen by the way his teams play on the pitch, pure attacking football! The Seasider’s were unlucky to be relegated a year ago as they suffered defeat to Man United on the final day of the season.

However, West Ham are the side most likely to go up. Sam Allardyce has arguably the strongest side of the six. The Hammer’s fans will be expecting play-off success.

Championship Play-off Semi Finals confirmed as follows -

1st legs

Cardiff City v West Ham United – Thursday 3rd May 2012 kick-off 7.45pm

Blackpool v Birmingham City – Friday 4th May 2012 kick-off 7.45pm

2nd legs

West Ham United v Cardiff City – Monday 7th May 2012 kick-off 4.30pm

Birmingham City v Blackpool – Wednesday 9th May 2012 kick-off 7.45pm

Final

Teams TBC – Wembley 19^th May 2012

Relegated Sides:

Coventry and Portsmouth were both relegated to League 1 after losses last weekend. For Portsmouth, relegation is the latest chapter in a turbulent recent history and in a season in which the club has endured administration and a 10-point penalty. While it has been 29 years since the south coast club were in the third tier, Coventry, another club with off-field issues, were last in the old Third Division in 1964. Meanwhile Doncaster finished bottom of the league with just 36 points.

However, it’s not all doom and gloom for these sides. In the last 5 seasons, many clubs have displayed the resilience to bounce back from relegation. Both Norwich and Southampton are the good examples of this. These sides have won consecutive promotions and now find themselves playing in the Premier League next season. If Portsmouth can sort out their financial issues I’m sure they will take a similar course. The clubs prestige and history will be enough to keep them afloat and see them through a tough year in League 1. Leeds, Charlton and Sheffield United are further examples of clubs that have ended a period of decline. These 3 teams have all recovered following a short spell in the lower leagues. They now find themselves climbing back up through the divisions. There’s no doubt fans of the newly relegated sides should be optimistic going into next season.

For similar articles, visit my blog chrisslinnell.wordpress.com and follow me on twitter https://twitter.com/#!/ChrisLFootball.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

As we cross the cusp from morning to afternoon, it is being widely reported that Newcastle are within hours of appointing Alan Pardew as their new manager, following owner Mike Ashley‘s seemingly illogical decision to sack Chris Hughton from his post on Monday.

According to nearly all of the foremost bastions of the British media, Pardew will be named as Hughton’s successor at some point during the next 24-48 hours, as we wait for the culmination of the ‘advanced talks’ that are currently being held between the two parties at St James’ Park.

It is further understood that a five-and-a-half year deal has been placed on the table for Pardew, with a relatively low wage that is said to have been ‘highly-incentivized’ by loading the contract with a multitude of performance-related bonuses.

Several sources are also claiming that the former Southampton boss will not been given ‘penny one’ to spend on transfers and contract-renegotiations until summer at the earliest.

Hughton’s sacking, which has been met with blanket scorn from the footballing community at large, was prompted by Ashley’s desire to install a ‘more experienced’ (his words, not mine) man at the helm of the club into which he has poured £200 million of his personal fortune – and, considering that Pardew has a 500-game, four-club managerial career behind him, the devil’s advocate in me can just about vindicate his appointment in Hughton’s wake.

Chris Hughton was sacked by Newcastle on Monday

However, Pardew’s 11-year career isn’t exactly dripping with plaudits, with most of his success coming early on in guiding Reading and West Ham to a high-ranking Championship finish and a promotion to the Premier League (via the play-offs) respectively.

His crowning achievement was arguably piloting the Hammers (who were mired in tumultuous mid-decade upheaval at the time) to the 2005/06 FA Cup final, in which they lost out narrowly to Liverpool in extra-time, thanks to a belting strike from a visibly knackered Steven Gerrard – and that’s about it really.

Pardew was duly sacked by West Ham in December 2006 after guiding them to their worst run of results in 70 years and, a fortnight later, took over at 19th-placed Charlton – who went on to finish up in…well, in 19th place.

Despite being touted as favourites for an instant return to the top table, Charlton rapidly descended back into second-tier obscurity under Pardew’s charge and he was forced out of the Valley ‘by mutual consent’ in late 2008.

The following summer, Pardew was sworn in at nouveau riche League One hopefuls Southampton and, despite battling admirably against the effects of a pre-season 10-point deduction, he and his staff were jettisoned after narrowly missing out on a play-off spot amidst rumours of cripplingly player low morale, hierarchical conflicts and increasing isolation at  St Mary’s.

And here we are.

Pardew delivers the verdict on his time at Charlton

The question I’d like to put to Ashley is whether he’s just chasing a cheap Cockney knees-up with one of his old chums, or whether he actually considers ‘periodical middling’ mixed with a healthy dose of ‘ill-fated lower-league slumming’ to constitute the ‘necessary experience’ needed to ‘take Newcastle forward’?

I guess technically it does, in so much as that any back-story technically constitutes experience – though Chris Hughton may feel aggrieved that single-handedly rescuing an imploding giant from the brink of ‘belly-up’, achieving the instant promotion back to the big-time that Pardew failed to negotiate at Charlton and punching his weight in the Premier League with a squad that was all-but completely written off not so very long ago (all within the space of 18 months) somehow does not.

The mind boggles, it really does.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Steven Gerrard turned 30 in May this year. Therefore, it can be said that he has entered the twilight of his illustrious career. The reign of captain Stevie G is almost over. But alas, Liverpool fans, there is no need to fear or fret, because Rafael Benitez, before he left, made what I’m sure will prove to be one of the best ever signings in English football. Charlton Athletic youngster, Jonjo Shelvey, is now at Liverpool.

A few months ago, Liverpool beat a host of clubs  including Chelsea, Tottenham and West Ham to the signing of England’s next legend. The fee, believed to be in the region of 1.7 million pounds and could rise to about 3 million pounds, will prove to be one of the best long-term investment buys of modern football.

18 year old Shelvey has the world at his feet and now has the opportunity to take it by storm. But, why am I comparing him to Steven Gerrard? Well, let me share some interesting facts with you:

Should Shelvey make his debut later this year for Liverpool, he would be at the exact age that Gerrard made his debut back in 1998. Also, interestingly enough, they both currently stand at the exact same height- 6 feet. They both have the same playing style as well. We are aware of Gerrard’s box-to-box playing style and that’s exactly how Shelvey plays. We are also aware of Gerrard’s other role as a supporting striker behind Fernando Torres. Shelvey also excels in that role. Both players also score goals from midfield. Indeed, those are some very interesting similarities between both players.

Shelvey has represented England at 2 levels in his career thus far- U16 and U17. For the U16′s, Shelvey captained the team to glory in the 2007 Victory Shield, scoring 3 goals in 3 games in the process. He also played a key role in the Montaigu Tournament which England won for the first time in 7 years, playing in all 4 games and  scoring a penalty in the final against France. For the U17′s, he scored on his debut against Estonia in a thumping 7-0 win. Surely, he is one to look out for at U21 level and of course at the big stage, the senior team.

So, overall, it has to be said that this kid is a remarkable talent and with time and opportunities, he will blossom into a homegrown world beater. At a time when Liverpool and England cannot call on Steven Gerrard, they will certainly be encouraged to turn to his natural successor, Jonjo Shelvey.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

The 2010 World Cup is heading into the knockout stages, and just as the action in South Africa is getting ready to really heat up, so are things on the transfer front.

Manchester United had a relatively quiet summer last year, but it doesn’t look like that will be the case this summer, as United look set to strengthen their squad in multiple areas. One prime area is midfield, and there are two targets in today’s roundup of transfer tidbits who could be on their way to the red side of Manchester at some point in the near future.

Of course, out of the plethora of players that will be linked with United throughout the summer, only a handful will end up on the summer transfers lists. Will today’s duo be in that bunch? Only time will tell, but let’s get to the good stuff, shall we?

England

United High On Meireles And Navas

According to reports, Manchester United are interested in Porto midfielder Raul Meireles and Sevilla attacker Jesus Navas. (Metro)

Analysis: United do need to look to the future when it comes to the center of midfield, and Meireles, who is adept both defensively and going forward, would be a quality addition to United’s squad.

There’s no doubt that Navas could cut it in England on a talent level, but his past issues with homesickness could throw a wrench into such a move, as it did with a potential move to Chelsea four years ago.

Tottenham Open Talks Over Palermo Duo

Tottenham have opened talks with Palermo for a big-money double swoop for center back Simon Kjaer and striker Edinson Cavani, with Palermo president Mauricio Zamparini saying that the club would accept an offer of £28m. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: Adding two top young talents would be a tremendous boost to Tottenham’s hopes of making a serious splash in the Champions League and being a serious Premier League title contender, but pulling the deal off won’t be easy. Cavani reportedly prefers a move to Inter, while Manchester United and Manchester City are both after Kjaer.

Villa Look To McGeady?

If Manchester City are successful in their efforts to land James Milner, Aston Villa could go after Celtic star Aiden McGeady to replace him. (Goal.com)

Analysis: McGeady has been heavily linked with Spartak Moscow, but despite the monetary benefits of a move to Russia, Villa should feel like they have an excellent shot at landing McGeady, as he’s just tabbed top agent Struan Marshall to help broker a move to the Premier League.

West Ham Target Benitez

West Ham are pursuing Santos Laguna striker Christian Benitez after being unable to make any headway with Everton for Yakubu. Benitez spent last season on loan at Birmingham City, scoring four goals in 36 appearances. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: Benitez’s goal haul at Birmingham City wasn’t impressive, but you have to consider that the Blues were one of the poorer attacking sides in the Premier League last season despite an impressive ninth-place finish. With a season of Premier League experience under his belt and some quality attackers around him, I think Benitez could really flourish at West Ham if they can afford him.

Bayern Striker In Blackpool Move?

Blackpool have made a move for Bayern Munich striker Denis Yilmaz. The 22-year-old is available for £750k. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: Yilmaz has scored a solid rate for Bayern’s reserve team, but it’s time for him to move on with several names ahead of him in the pecking order, and Blackpool could be a great opportunity for him to establish himself in a top league.

Boro Land Bailey

Charlton skipper Nicky Bailey is moving to Middlesbrough in a £1.4m deal. The 26-year-old midfielder has penned a three-year deal with his new club, and the deal will go through next week. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: Bailey had a terrific season in the Championship in 2008/09, scoring 13 goals and assisting on seven more, and he’ll greatly help a Boro side which struggled in attack after Adam Johnson’s move to Manchester City, with Johnson still finishing as the side’s top scorer despite not playing in their final 18 matches.

Italy

Inter Target Rafinha

If right back Maicon leaves Milan to join Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid, another Brazilian could take his place, in Schalke star Rafinha. (Transfer Market Web)

Analysis: Rafinha had eight assists last season, so he’s more than capable of filling Maicon’s role as an attacking right back. And with Schalke’s hand perhaps forced by the fact that his contract runs out after next season, he could also be a relatively inexpensive purchase in relation to what his predecessor will likely be sold for.

Rossoneri Ready Fabiano Offer

With Luis Fabiano having difficulties agreeing a new deal with Sevilla, AC Milan could be set to make a fresh swoop for the Brazilian striker after missing out on him last summer. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: You’d have to think that Alexandre Pato will bounce back after not being his best last season and that Klaas-Jan Huntelaar will be much better in his second season at the club, but AC Milan need to add more quality up front to help them be a serious threat in Serie A and in Europe next season.

Germany

Bundesliga Return Beckoning For Pantelic?

Serbian striker Marko Pantelic is reportedly a target for Werder Bremen and Schalke 04, and the former Hertha Berlin star, who spent last season at Ajax, is very open to the idea of a return to the Bundesliga, according to comments made to a German television network. (Sky Sports)

Analysis: Pantelic was a consistent scorer during his four seasons at Hertha Berlin, and though he’s no spring chicken, his familiarity with the Bundesliga and his reliability in front of goal would make him a worthwhile signing for both of the aforementioned sides.

France

Marseille Eye Quagliarella

Marseille are interested in Napoli striker Fabio Quagliarella. (Transfer Market Web)

Analysis: I don’t see this one coming to anything. Quagliarella is set to be a major part of Napoli’s quest to make a run at a Champions League place and make some noise in the Europa League, and unless Marseille offer an eye-popping amount of money for him, he’s not going anywhere anytime soon.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

It’s official! Liverpool have confirmed that Charlton’s 18-year-old starlet Jonjo Shelvey has passed a medical and agreed personal terms during a whirlwind visit to the club’s Melwood training complex this morning, and will sign on May 10th for an initial fee of £1.7 million.

A clause in the highly-rated midfielder’s contract will see the transfer fee rise to £3 million, subject to appearances and performance-related targets at domestic and international level.

I can’t help but feel Rafa’s gone and got himself a bit of a bargain here. Shelvey is Charlton’s youngest ever debutant (he made his first team bow at the tender age of 16 in 2008) and is steadily improving year-on-year.

Operating mainly as an attacking midfielder – but also able to fill in as an out-and-out striker – Shelvey will offer Benitez the same guile, energy and commitment that a European ‘ready-made’ (think Arda Turan or Georginio Wijnaldum) would offer, but for a fraction of the price.

It remains to be seen whether or not Shelvey is ready to make the step up to the Premier League (I personally think he is far more suitably equipped for the rigours of the top flight than Fabian Delph was when he made the similar leap from Leeds to Aston Villa last year) but all-in-all I can’t help but think this represents some very shrewd business on Liverpool’s behalf.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

As the game of football continues to receive criticism from certain quarters for failing to embrace modern technology- particularly the introduction of video referees- the encounter last night between Charlton and Bristol Rovers in League One served to highlight a prevailing injustice in the game.

Dominic Blizzard, of Rovers, was booked 12 seconds into this match, whilst Grant Basey of Charlton was substituted off, taken to hospital and diagnosed with a suspected broken ankle before the 7,600 strong audience had finished their first chant. A clearer red-card offense would be difficult to point out, but such was the speed with which Blizzard had injured his opponent that the referee may have felt that the game was at too embryonic a stage to reduce the number of men on the field.

Phil Parkinson, the Charlton manager, had no doubts about the offence: “Instantly, as soon as it happened, I thought the lad had to be sent off, and the referee has got to deal with it. From my memory, he wasn’t far away from the incident. If he deals with it straight away, then it’s a different game.”

Whether or not the referee should have been so swayed- or, indeed, whether a fourth official acting as video referee would have intervened and strengthened the punishment- is a side issue. The point is that the victims here were Charlton, and not just because Basey has been in sparkling form and is an integral part of the London clubs aspirations of a play off and eventual promotion. He now faces a long lay-off. Nor is it the fact that Bristol Rovers went on to win this game. Nor even that Blizzard remained on the field.

Shortly after Baseys removal Bristol Rovers scored their first goal as Charlton struggled to regroup following the removal of Basey at left-back. Incidentally, Basey normally defends the short ball to the near post, the area which Bristol Rovers attacked and were able to head on for Steve Elliott to finish smartly with a volleyed effort that opened the scoring for Rovers.

If Charlton had been facing 10 men, as they should have been, the result could, and probably would, have been different. Although Charlton did not impress until the final fifteen minutes of this encounter, this incident was an important one. And admittedly Kuffour was badly injured as the result of a challenge from Charlton, too, and was forced to leave the field.

However, Charlton were doubly punished because they were forced to use one of their three permitted substitutions as the direct result of a horrendous challenge from an opposing player. With only two changes available to the manager Phil Parkinson, Charlton finished the game with ten men themselves as he had been forced to use all his substitutes.

When Mooney had to come off with a head injury, Parkinson had no substitutions left from which to replace him. Charlton scored a late goal and if the numbers had been stacked in their favour, Parkinson believes that could have made all the difference: “As it happened, scoring our late goal could have been important. Bristol Rovers are a team low on confidence and with one more change you never know what might have happened in an extra two or three minutes.”

Forget video refereeing, extra officials on the goallines and even the question of replays in the FA cup if you like, because there is an easy redressing of justice that the football league can fix at once.

If a player has injured another to the extent he has to leave the field, and the referee has deemed intent (i.e. booked the player in question), then the victim’s team should be allowed a free substitution. Heck, even dock the offending players team one of their allocated changes if needs be.

Rugby Union have recognised this with rolling subsitutions and sin bin periods for yellow cards. If a player has committed a serious infringement, numerical advantage is given to the team that has been offended against, even if it is not a red-card offence.

Football should recognise, in an era where physicality and aggression lead to serious injuries because of the speed of the modern game, those that target opponents should be punished adequately, both individually and as a team.

Phil Parkinson, Grant Basey and Charlton football club would have had a slightly less bitter pill to swallow this morning if they had not been the victims of a prevailing injustice in our game. Just ask Ashley Cole and Chelsea if they agree after their trip to Goodison Park last week.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

We’re now over halfway through Soccerlens’ full season preview ahead of the big League kickoff this weekend. Today we’re up to League 1, which contains fallen ex-Premier League teams Leeds, Charlton, Norwich and Southampton as well as smaller teams like Yeovil, Exeter and Wycombe.

Can the Saints overcome their points deduction, can Brentford keep on their buzz after winning League Two? Read on…

Bluffer’s guide to the League

The third tier of English football is often overlooked. There’s none of the relegation from the League drama, nor the potential of promotion to the Premier League, but there’s still a mix of the big clubs, the ambitious and thestrugglers. Four clubs have been in the Premier League while five have done their time in non-league. All are in the mix.

If League One were a footballer it would be…

Phil Neville. Not exactly pretty to look at but often seriously underrated. Has a lot of past glories but is capable of producing a surprise and challenging for a higher spot despite competing in an area with less cash than bigger teams.

Last season in a Tweet

Leeds pay for a slow start, Leicester dominate, Peterborough and MK Dons keep up their promotion momentum, Scunthorpe win over neutrals, heartache for Northampton.

Table toppers

Last season we confidently predicted Leeds would be champions. Wiping the egg off our face, we’ll confidently predict THIS will be Leeds’ year. Simon Grayson already has one promotion to his name with Blackpool. Even with Fabian Delph departing, the whole squad has quality and United will be keen to avoid the playoffs, where they have a habit of choking.

Promotion pushers

Much as it hurts to write this, MK Dons are probably best placed to take the second promotion spot. The club others love to hate have got plenty of cash behind them and have spent it wisely. PaulInce will be looking to prove a point on his return after his short-lived time at Blackburn. Losing Sean O’Hanlon to injury is a blow but the Dons should be strong enough to survive this. Sadly.

Playoff prospects

The focus will be on the ‘big three’ relegated from the Championship last season, and of those Norwich City looked best placed to be challenging at the top of the table. Manager Bryan Gunn has built a squad from scratch and they’ve gelled well in pre -season. The team has experience and quality and if Grant Holt can make the step up a division then the Canaries could be singing again.

Huddersfield Town had a disappointing season by their standards last season but the board have got out their cheque book for rookie manager Lee Clark. Although the ex-Newcastle man is untested, there’s much to suggest the Terriers have what it takes to push into the top six. Peter Clarke will be a solid signing at the back.

Last season Millwall fell short at the final hurdle but despite a relatively quiet summer on the transfer front, look at have a squad that can again challenge for a play-off place. Neil Harris will again be the focal point for the attack but keep an eye on new signing Steve Morison.

Southend United’s squad may not be littered with eye-catching names but Steve Tilson’s side will still be very difficult to beat. Run out of steam last season as they looked to bounce back to the Championship but the Shrimpers have a strong, settled squad and could be this season’s surprise package.

Outside bet

Charlton Athletic’s fans will be demanding an immediate return to the Championship, but the debt-ridden club may find League One tough going. On paper, then Addicks squad isn’t bad but much depends on how they can pick themselves up after a disastrous last season. May have to settle for consolidation rather than promotion.

Relegation fodder

Since reaching the playoff final in 2007, Yeovil Town have found it tough going in League One and have struggled for form and consistency. Terry Skiverton is a popular figure at Huish Park but lacks experience and his appointment felt like a cheap option. With strong teams coming into the division, the Glovers could get squeezed in a long season.

Carlisle United are another team who’ve found the going tough since a storming first season in League One and only just escaped relegation on the final day of last season. There is experience and talent in the squad but Greg Abbot is working under budget constraints and the Cumbrians are still looking short in key areas.

Traditionally one of the promoted sides will struggle in League One and Wycombe are likely to be that team. They’ve suffered off-the-pitch instability and limped over the promotion line rather than sprinting. Already hit hard by injuries, Peter Taylor will need every ounce of his experience to keep the Chairboys up.

Stockport County are another side that have had their problems behind-the-scenes and a new, untested manager in Gary Ablett. The former Liverpool player can expect a tough season and still needs to add to a very small squad short on talent. Goalkeeper Owain Fon Williams is a decent shot stopper and could be called into action more than he’d like this coming season.

Joker In The Pack

Southampton are starting life in the third tier for the first time in 50 years but have spent much of the summer fighting off liquidation. The Saints start on minus ten, and new boss Alan Pardew will have to rouse his squad into life quickly. It’s impossible to tell if the south coast club will struggle or storm up the table.

Solid gold gaffer

Russell Slade saved Brighton from certain relegation last season and the Seagulls will be hoping the ex-Yeovil, Grimsby and Scarborough boss can work some of his magic on the south coast. It says much for the 48-year-old’s abilities that, as he moves slowly up the Leagues, his old clubs struggle once he leaves them.

Three to watch

Grant Holt scored goals for fun at Shrewsbury last season and it was always a case of when not if he’d move up the leagues. The powerful forward will now be expected to lead Norwich’s assault on the title and his performances will be under the spotlight like never before.

Simeon Jackson was another striker who lit up League Two last season, scoring 22 times and attracting attention for other clubs. Has never played at this level before and much of Gillingham’s survival chances depend on the nippy frontman finding the net on a regular basis.

Had Sven been watching Notts County last season, he would have been frustrated that the Magpies couldn’t tie Myles Weston to a new deal. Now the young winger is atBrentford and will have a point to prove against Charlton, where he started his career. Could be a star for the Bees this season.

Make sure you return tomorrow when we preview The Championship ahead of the big kick-off this weekend. Full of big name clubs, this season looks to be tighter than ever. And we haven’t even mentioned the ongoing saga of Newcastle. Come back tomorrow to get the lowdown on who’ll be heading for the Premier League.

Also See:

09/10 Championship – Season Preview
09/10 League Two – Season Preview
09/10 Blue Square Premier – Season Preview

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

If you didn’t get enough transfer gossip for breakfast this morning, we’re back with another batch of fresh transfer news and rumors for you this evening.

We have fresh updates to our Premier League, Serie A, and Bundesliga summer transfer lists, as there are new signings to report from each of those leagues, and a few more faces could change places in the near future.

England

Valencia To Choose Manchester Or Madrid Soon

Wigan winger Antonio Valencia is set to choose between Manchester United and Real Madrid when he returns from holiday on Friday. (Daily Mail)

Analysis: This one has been at the ‘almost’ point for a little while, and hopefully it doesn’t stretch out much longer, one way or another. The sooner it gets done, the sooner the losing club can work on alternate targets, and the sooner Wigan can go about getting a replacement and reinforcements in other areas.

Chelsea Target Shelvey

Chelsea have joined the queue of clubs interested in landing Charlton starlet Jonjo Shelvey. The 17-year-old has garnered interest from the likes of Everton and West Ham, but a move to Chelsea could allow Shelvey to return to Charlton on loan. (Sky Sports)

Analysis: Chelsea have been linked with some big bids for big foreign names and will likely sign a few big-money targets from outside England, but it’s nice to see them going after promising young English talents like Shelvey and Daniel Sturridge.

Birmingham Land Hart On Loan

Birmingham have signed Manchester City keeper Joe Hart on a season-long loan deal. (The Mirror)

Analysis: Definitely a move that had to happen with Hart harboring ambitions of being in England’s World Cup squad next year. There’s a good chance this one could turn into a permanent move, because as long as Shay Given is at City, it’s unlikely Hart’s going to have many opportunities.

Burnley Close On Mears

Derby County have accepted Burnley’s bid for defender Tyrone Mears, and personal terms are set to be ironed out when Mears returns from his holiday. (Sky Sports)

Analysis: At least this time he won’t have to sneak out of a window to make the move happen, eh?

Spain

Barcelona Table New Villa Bid

Barcelona have made a £35m (€41.2m) bid for Valencia striker David Villa. The offer includes the option of a player, with Bojan Krkic and Martin Caceres mentioned as possibilities. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: Sizable offer, yes, but would it be the ‘amazing’ offer that would be required for Valencia to sell Villa? Including Krkic could well take it over the top, though Valencia would no doubt want him in a permanent move, or at the very least, an extended loan deal.

Italy

Cissokho’s AC Milan Move Back On?

AC Milan and FC Porto are once again attempting to thrash out a deal for defender Aly Cissokho. Cissokho was all set for a €15m move to Milan, but a potentially serious teeth issue was found during his medical, and after Porto rejected Milan’s offer to take him on loan with a view to buy, the deal appeared to be off. (Sky Sports)

Analysis: It’d be pretty unfortunate for Cissokho to miss out on a career-changing move because of his teeth, but I think the two sides will be able to work something out in the end.

Cagliari Sign Nene

Cagliari have signed Nacional Madeira striker Nene in a €4.5m deal. (Tribal Football)

Analysis: With Robert Acquafresca (Cagliari’s leading scorer last season) set for greener pastures, the club needed to find a replacement, and they’ve landed a good one. Nene was the leading scorer in the Portuguese top flight last season with 20 goals, helping Nacional to fourth and a place in the Europa League.

Germany

Werder Sign Marin

Werder Bremen have completed the signing of Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Marko Marin for €9m. The 20-year-old, who has 6 caps for Germany, has penned a four-year deal with his new club. (Sky Sports)

Analysis: Pretty unfortunate for M’Gladbach to lose promising talents like Marin and Alexander Baumjohann (to Bayern Munich) when they’re trying to get away from the bottom of the Bundesliga. But this is a great signing for Werder, as they now have two of Germany’s top young playmakers in Marin and Mesut Ozil.

France

Zaki Linked With Lyon

Former Wigan striker Amr Zaki is being linked with a move to Lyon. (Sky Sports)

Analysis: Though his loan spell at Wigan didn’t end nearly as well as it started, what the spell did do was increase his visibility. Hopefully though, if he winds up moving to Lyon, he doesn’t run into the same issues that he had at Wigan. After dealing with similar issues from Fred, Lyon won’t be too lenient if he slips up.

Rennes To Pip Fulham To Odemwingie?

With Fulham being slow to push through a deal for Lokomotiv Moscow striker Peter Odemwingie, Rennes could steal in and make a move to land the Nigeria international. (Sky Sports)

Analysis: Odemwingie had a lot of success with Lille before a big-money move to Lokomotiv Moscow in 2007, and his addition would be a big boost to Rennes’ hopes of earning European football next season. They tied Toulouse for the most draws in Ligue 1 with 16, and having more quality up front could’ve helped them turn a few of those draws into wins, which would’ve been enough to get them a place in Europe instead of missing out on a place by just a few points.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

After 15 years of heartache, success and a little more success, Charlton Athletic Chairmen Richard Murray announced to a stadium of Addicks fans in 2006 that legendary boss Alan Curbishley would be leaving his post at the end of the season.

The announcement, made on the April 29th before a Premier League fixture, stunned thousands of supporters crammed into The Valley and shocked Athletic players who were none the wiser. As many expected, Charlton crumbled to a 2-0 home defeat against European place chasing Blackburn Rovers.

Nearly three years on, four managers later and in excess of £20 million worth of debt, The Addicks are situated rock bottom of The Championship and 12 points adrift of safety. The HSBC building society has also recently withdrawn their overdraft facility, but Murray has quelled reports that the club face going into administration.

Curbs and Effect

So what has happened to the club that survived the Premiership drama for five years before internally combusting? Well, let’s start with Curbishley. His reason for stepping down from the post was because of the belief that he had achieved all he could at the club. In the time period of his notice, Alan had been linked with the England job and was even interviewed by the F.A before their decision to appoint Steve McLaren as boss.

Curbishley’s departure from the club after 15 years was always to have a negative effect in the dressing room but surely not as deep a one to push the stable team into a steep relegation battle in the following season. When Sir Alex Ferguson retires from football after more than 20 years in the job, Manchester United wouldn’t be expected to drop their standards of football – that is if they employ a manager with a proven track record that can handle the pressure of Premier League football.

Life after Curbs

Iain Dowie was appointed after a great record with Crystal Palace. Of course, the disappointment of relegation was overwhelming for both Dowie and Palace, but with it they were given the chance to start again and rebuild during the summer for a promotion push. However, despite relegation, Dowie had impressed as a manager and rumours circulated that Palace Chairmen Simon Jordon had been approached by a number of top flight clubs wishing to attract Dowie. In fact the only approach made was from Milan Mandaric of Portsmouth.

In his Charlton reign he was given more money than any other manager, in order to buy success for the club, but to their dismay couldn’t keep the team away from the relegation zone. A disastrous start to the season spelled trouble at The Valley and after only 12 games in charge was dismissed, leaving Charlton manager less and in the relegation zone.

Les Reid was drafted in temporarily but suffered the same fate as Dowie. Unable to inspire a sorrowful team he was replaced by ex-West Ham boss Alan Pardew. Appointed on Christmas Eve to a Charlton team on 12 points and a -20 goal difference, Pardew was unable to steer Charlton clear of relegation from the Premier League.

Many football enthusiasts expected a rebound for the Addicts, especially after the signings of Luke Varney and Chris Iwelumo. However, Charlton were unable to mount a serious title challenge and ended the season in lowly 11th.

The road to League 1

Therefore, the 08/09 season would be a test to both Charlton’s and Pardew’s resolve and after opening victories against Swansea and Reading, Charlton fans sensed hope for the first time since he took charge.

The winning start failed to continue and during the winter spell of matches, Charlton suffered 17 matches without a win. Expectedly Pardew was drafted out of The Valley equation and Parkinson took over from an assistant manager position to try and halt the slump.

So with 37 games played, Charlton sit 24th in The Championship and 10 points from 23rd placed Southampton. For the remaining nine fixtures, is there hope of a miracle revival?

Unfortunately for The Addicks – four wins look unlikely – let alone achieving enough points to secure safety. For Charlton fans they must walk the same route that so many top flight teams have faced. Over the years the likes of Wimbledon, Leeds United, Leicester City and Bradford have all descended from the Premier League but then continued a downward spiral to the lower leagues.

The problem clubs such as these face, is the unwritten law of the ‘one year chance.’ This notion has two effects on recently relegated clubs.

Firstly, the board give the current manager one year to improve the clubs standing. Promotion in that year is priority number one, in order to avoid as much debt problems as can be helped – but also to satisfy fans that have been used to the entertainment that Premier League football comes with.

Secondly, the club’s top players give the team one year to improve on their position – again promotion – before they leave to highest bidder.

Some teams are able to build during the summer and push for re-promotion the following season. Birmingham City and Reading are currently proving this in the Championship, seated 2nd and 3rd respectively.

However, when managerial changes and player departures rock clubs, there is only one way that the team will head. Moral, motivation and inspiration are all key factors for a healthy team and unfortunately for Charlton, they lack all three.

League 1 is their fate. Whether the spiral continues after that has yet to be seen.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

With the focus on football today, it’s a relatively slow day in transfer news and rumors, but I’ve managed to scrounge up many of the day’s best bits, including the latest on Kaka and Manchester City’s other potential dealings.

England

Kaka is going to seal his £108m move to Manchester City next week. However, while he’s already saying his goodbyes, he seems to feel that he’s being pushed into making the move to City. Oh dear.

Analysis: Once again…this can only be good for everyone, right? Right?

Manchester City are also planning on making a £40m swoop for Chelsea’s John Terry. (The Sun)

Analysis: City would benefit more on the pitch from the presence of a guy like Terry than they would from Kaka, but you can nip this one in the bud. Terry is a blue through and through, but not that kind of blue.

City won’t be getting top keeper target Gianluigi Buffon, but they have made an improved £8m offer for Newcastle keeper Shay Given. (The Sun)