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The dust is beginning to settle after the controversial release of Sir Alex Ferguson’s My Autobiography, and recent results suggest that Manchester United has escaped the media storm brought on by the former manager with minor difficulties. Yet, just as we are forgetting about the uproar caused by Fergie, another autobiography containing revelations about the Red Devils and the knighted Scot himself hits the shelves. Albeit, one less likely to have a significant impact on Manchester United’s campaign.

Tuesday November 5th will see former England manager Sven Göran Eriksson release his latest book My Story. This may not seem to concern United at first, but an in an extract printed in the Mail on Sunday, Eriksson reveals that he was in line to take the helm at Old Trafford. In fact, the deal was as good as done.

“I knew it would be tricky. I had a contract with England until the 2006 World Cup and I would be severely criticised if I broke that contract. But this was an opportunity to manage Manchester United. A contract was signed – I was United’s new manager,” writes the Swede.

This begs for an interesting thought experiment – where would Manchester United be right now if Fergie had indeed stepped down and left the club in the hands of the worst hairline in world football?

United’s decision to hire Eriksson at the time is understandable. Fergie announced in the early stages of the 2001-02 season that he would end his managerial career after one last conquest, and the board was searching Europe for a worthy successor. ‘Svennis’ had just been appointed the England manager, and would lead the Three Lions in the 2002 World Cup in South Korea. His club record was among the European elite back then. Following successful spells at IFK Göteborg, Benfica, Roma, Fiorentina and Sampdoria, he went on to manage Lazio into the peak of their existence.

With the Swede in the hot-seat, I Biancocelesti became a leading force in Italian football. In 2000 they brought home only the second Scudetto in the club’s history, and Eriksson won two Coppa Italias and two Supercoppas. After winning the UEFA cup winner’s cup in 1999 they came up against Fergie’s treble winning Man United in the Super cup – and won. Needless to say, Svennis deserved the admiration from Old Trafford – at the time.

This is, however, where the successful story of Sven Göran Eriksson ends. He took Three Lions to a valiant 3-1 semi-final defeat to eventual world champions Brazil, but since then, England have failed to make a real impact on international football, despite the so-called golden generation all reaching the peaks of their careers. In hindsight, Man United fans can look back at the club’s Svennis dodge blissfully aware that this might be the single most important incident of the recent success.

So let’s pretend that Eriksson did step into the void left by Sir Alex in 2002, and attempted to recreate his title-winning traditions. He would doubtless had taken over a strong team. A team that where only narrowly beaten 6-5 over two legs by the Real Madrid Galacticos, in the quarter final of the Champions League. However, they where approaching the biggest transition in Manchester United’s modern era. The trophy less period between 2003 and 2007 saw Fergie patiently nurturing the emerging talents of players like Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo. Had the same period been directed by Mr Eriksson, I doubt it would produce a pay-off of five Premier League titles, one FA cup title and a Champions League win.

Svennis did have a brief managerial spell in the premiership eventually, though, with the Red Devils’ neighboring rivals Manchester City. Despite spending big on summer transfers and having promising start to the 2008-09 season, the Blues failed to show any form of consistency, and finished ninth. This suggests that Svennis struggle with the unforgiving nature of the Premier League. No other top flight is as demanding in that respect. There are no easy games, and if your team is incapable of performing on a weekly basis, a host of points will be dropped. In spite of an impressive record prior to his England spell, Eriksson is not the top drawer appointment Manchester United were looking for at the time.

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Since 2008 he has drifted across continents, spending brief periods at Notts County and Leicester in the lower English leagues, and having short appointments with the Mexican and Ivory Coast international teams, never staying put for a full season. Is there one thing Manchester United emphasized in their search for a Fergie successor, it was the prospect of finding a subject capable of producing another 20-year reign of dominance.

Now Svennis has migrated to China in order to manage Super League side Guangzhou R&F. Only thinking about the potential damage his appointment could have had, and was close to having, for the club will send violent chills down many a Man United fan’s spine. As so many times through his 26-year reign at United, Fergie got it right in his decision to stay another decade.

Considering he’s only 25-years-old, it would seem bizarre that Hatem Ben Arfa’s age would be of any real prominence, when dissecting the Frenchman’s career. Indeed, Newcastle United’s prodigious winger has years left ahead of him, including his peak ones, surely destined to be spent in the top flight and perhaps challenging for top honours, too.

But Ben Arfa’s journey from a raw French wonderkid to an unstoppable Premier League menace, has been an arduous one and in some ways, well overdue. But where as many felt that taking a chance on the former Olympique de Marseille man was a gamble too far, Alan Pardew is now reaping the rewards of his considerable talent.

In this case, perhaps good things do come to those who wait after all. And for all at St. James Park, Hatem Ben Arfa has been most definitely worth that wait.

Match of the Day pundit Alan Shearer was infamously ridiculed in 2010 after uttering the now immortal line, “No one really knows a great deal of him,” upon viewing Ben Arfa’s barnstorming highlight sequence from Newcastle United’s 1-0 win away to Everton. But despite showing remarkable ignorance for a man paid by the taxpayer to display an extensive footballing knowledge, it does in some ways represent quite how much the Hatem Ben Arfa story had stalled at that point.

Because Ben Arfa wasn’t some unknown, mysterious Gaelic talent when he signed for what was at the time, Chris Houghton’s Magpies – initially on loan- in 2010. His Champions League debut in the colours of Lyon serve as a relatively poignant reminder as to quite how long ago it was, when he first burst onto the scene. The scores were evenly matched at 2-2 during Lyon’s tightly contested Group D fixture with Manchester United.  As a young, and rakish Ben Arfa came on to replace Sidney Govou, he found himself playing against a United side that started with both Eric Djemba-Djemba in midfield and one Tim Howard in goal. The date was 15th September 2004. Not far off eight years ago now.

And in some respects, it seems really quite remarkable that it has taken the Clamart-born winger so many years to really start fulfilling his true potential.

Because a look at his contemporaries suggests not all has gone quite as planned in the time that’s passed since that Champions League debut. Ben Arfa was widely recognised as one of the biggest hopes of French football if not the biggest, during the mid-noughties. He was the one touted to reinvigorate Les Bleus and gravitate them back towards international success, even more so than his youth team colleague Karim Benzema. Yet today Benzema, a year younger, currently plays for Real Madrid and beholds 52 caps for his country. Ben Arfa has only 13.

Abou Diaby is another of his countrymen who wasn’t of thought to be able to posses quite the levels of talent that Ben Arfa had, yet still has more caps for his country – even with his arguably dire injury record. Yet it is into an old French documentary that ironically featured both Diaby and Ben Arfa as teenagers, in which we get an insight as to quite why the Newcastle winger’s career seems to have taken so long to truly flourish.

In the documentary titled À La Clairefontaine, cameras were allowed into the now famous French footballing hub, where they followed the fortunes of several fleeting young players- including the pair of Diaby and Ben Arfa. And in an excerpt that you can view here, even at a young age, we’re exposed to the volatility that has plagued Ben Arfa’s career.

And unfortunately for both Lyon and French fans, it was seemingly a character trait that Ben Arfa was unable to shed. Clashes with both Benzema and now Arsenal defender Sebastien Squilacci, only weeks after singing a long-term deal at Lyon, put an end to his carer at the Stade de Gerland and signalled the start of a new one at Marseille. But yet again, his career continued to be scorched by an abrasive attitude that has continuously overshadowed his extraordinary talents with a football. Clashes with Modeste Mbami, Djibril Cisse and managers Eric Gerets and Didier Deschamps marred his time at the Stade Velodrome – the latter culminating in Ben Arfa going on strike, resulting in his move to Tyneside. At this point, none of Europe’s top clubs were even thinking about taking a persona like Ben Arfa’s onto the pay reel.

But what was their loss was undeniably Newcastle United’s gain. His first season was of course curtailed almost as soon as it began, after Nigel de Jong’s controversial tackle inflicted a compound fracture of the left leg. But even then, Newcastle had seen enough to turn his loan from Marseille into a permanent move. And since his return to full fitness, he’s not looked back.

Ben Arfa has began to show the sort of form and showcase of ability that made Europe stand up and take notice all those years ago. The Frenchman has a genuine gift and possesses a level of skill that perhaps ranks amongst the highest tier in the league. Alan Pardew has described the winger as having “magic in his feet,” and last season, we finally started to see it appear on a regular basis; he ranked up a highly reputable five goals and seven assists in 26 Premier League games. This season, he already has two goals from four.

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By his own admission, Ben Arfa has taken a long time to mature as much as a person as he has a footballer. Indeed, Armand Garrido, a former youth coach at Lyon, once said that he “always thought Hatem was a couple of years behind in some respects.”

But most importantly, Ben Arfa seems to feel in himself that he’s turned the page. Talking before the European Championships this summer, the Frenchman said:

“I’ve evolved, I grew up.

“I am calmer, quieter. In the field, I feel much better. I’m really much more committed to the collective. I think now more than ever, I’m a competitor.

“With experience, it made me better. I give everything now because I am responsible for my actions.”

And with that change in attitude, the only way is surely forward, for both Ben Arfa and Newcastle United. In a strange way, the pair seem to resemble something of a perfect match. Both club and player have had their fair share of issues in recent years. But at full capacity and with no further distractions, they can both help each other to attain the sort of success that their standings deserve.

How do you feel about Ben Arfa’s future on Tyneside? Still worried about his volatile persona or are you confident the problems of the past are behind him? Tell me what you think on Twitter: follow @samuel_antrobus and bat me all your views. 

Abdoulaye Doucoure is expected to be hot property in the transfer market this summer, and West Ham should be at the front of the queue for his signature.

What’s the word?

Everton fans have been debating a move for Watford’s Abdoulaye Doucoure this week, after Soccer Saturday pundit Charlie Nicholas said the Toffees “will surely be looking to snap him up”.

Arsenal and Spurs have also been linked with a move for the Frenchman, but he would be much better suited moving to West Ham, where he would be guaranteed the playing time he wouldn’t get at a top six club.

The Hammers desperately need a new spine to their team this summer, and with Manuel Pellegrini looking likely to take over, could Doucoure be the former Manchester City man’s first signing?

A much needed upgrade?

Every club and fan base has a scapegoat when things aren’t going their way, and for many Hammers’ fans this season that scapegoat was Cheikhou Kouyate.

The Hammers will probably need to sign an entire new spine to their team this summer if they want to move up the table, and upgrading Kouyate to the more technically gifted Doucoure would be an excellent start.

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Doucoure has been the standout performer for Watford this season, grabbing seven goals and three assists from midfield.

The 25 year-old has also impressed in a defensive sense, averaging 2.1 tackles per game and 1.5 interceptions per game. Kouyate actually betters the Frenchman’s tackling at 2.2 tackles per game, but has less interceptions.

Where the contrast between the two players is really stark is on the attacking end, where Kouyate has added just two goals and three assists in 32 league starts.

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The Senegalese international averages just 0.5 key passes a game, less than half of what Doucoure offers, averaging over one key pass every game. Doucoure also averages more successful dribbles and a better pass success rate.

The Hammers have more than one position they need to upgrade on this summer, but hijacking Everton’s interest in Doucoure would be an excellent starting point, and Pellegrini will no doubt prefer more technically gifted players given how his Manchester City side played.

So, West Ham fans, would you back a move for Doucoure? Would he be an upgrade on Kouyate? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…

Two points dropped at home against a Burnley side that spent roughly a fifth of what Manchester United did during the summer, especially after Jose Mourinho’s comments on Manchester City’s outlay under Pep Guardiola, was the inevitable headline from the Boxing Day action at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils could now fall an incredible 15 points behind the Premier League’s runaway pace-setters should they triumph as expected over Newcastle on Wednesday evening, while United have now lost to Championship outfit Bristol City, drawn to Leicester City and the Clarets in consecutive games. If English football’s hectic winter period separates the wheat from the chaff, Mourinho’s United seemingly belong in the latter category.

“We are in the second year of trying to rebuild a football team that is not one of the best teams in the world. Manchester City buy full-backs for the price of strikers. When you speak about big football clubs, you are speaking about the history of the club. [£300m] is not enough.”

Yet, in almost any other Premier League season and particularly those with Sir Alex Ferguson at the helm, a Boxing Day comeback against the division’s pluckiest side would be viewed as something of a moral victory for the Red Devils – or at the very least, the kind of positive reaction to their own failings that’s been at the very core of the club’s DNA during the last three decades.

United once prided themselves on gung-ho second halves and late goals, especially when scored by the club’s academy products. So why has Jesse Lingard’s 45-minute brace, started with an ingenious flicked finish and completed in stoppage time, left such a foul taste of disappointment? Why has United’s Boxing Day thriller become two points dropped rather than one gained?

The obvious answer is that United should comfortably beat Burnley at Old Trafford – the Clarets’ last victory there was all the way back in 1962 – but that assumption underestimates Burnley in the way many of Manchester United’s divisional rivals have already this season; Chelsea, Tottenham, Liverpool and now United have all either drawn or lost to Sean Dyche’s side at home, which is exactly why they’re seventh in the table.

The Clarets are in that position on merit and the only top six side who haven’t conceded points to Burnley at home this season are Manchester City – even United fans would admit Guardiola’s team are currently in a league of their own.

So perhaps a wider, more considered answer is whether United fans really know what they want from Mourinho. Since being appointed in 2016, the sections of support criticising Mourinho’s negative tactics have grown louder and louder. But the Boxing Day starting XI included two top-class centre-forwards, another striker out wide in Marcus Rashford, a luxury playmaker in Juan Mata and two incredibly offensive full-backs in Luke Shaw and Ashley Young.

It was an attacking line-up and became even more so after United went two goals down – by the end of the match, United’s back four included three players who have played or still do play in midfield – Young, Nemanja Matic and Phil Jones – while the midfield consisted of four attacking players – Mata, Rashford, Lingard and Henrik Mkhitaryan – being anchored by Paul Pogba, hardly the most disciplined of engine room options. The changes had the desired effect too; in the second half, United had 14 shots at goal, further increased their possession from 68% to 71%, and scored twice.

Apart from a third goal and a far superior performance from Romelu Lukaku, who was worryingly disappointing yet again, United supporters couldn’t really have asked for much more from the second half. Placed in the context of another season, under a different manager with different players, that last 45 minutes would have gone down as vintage United, showing the heart, passion and belief that the club built its modern success upon. If United supporters want the kind of gung-ho performances and last-minute action that echoes the thrills of the Ferguson era, they won’t come too much closer than this with Mourinho in charge.

But in many ways, that epitomises how self-perpetuating Mourinho’s pragmatic approach becomes over a sustained period of time. After two games in which United produced a combined 42 shots at goal compared to their opponents’ 14, Mourinho can rightly argue the attacking quality and control his side showed for the vast majority of that 180 minutes hasn’t been adequately justified in terms of results.

But when your philosophy is so focused on results rather than performance, that mentality becomes infectious, to the point where results are the only thing Mourinho’s United are truly judged upon. And on paper at least, a home draw with Burnley is a disappointing one.

“We had some, we also lost some good passing opportunities and didn’t attack all the crosses we had, but the spirit was really, really good, and I have nothing negative to say about my boys. Amazing spirit, starting both matches behind, recovering and trying to win and being the best team on the pitch. But of course we wanted six points, and we have two.”

Mourinho, though, doesn’t help himself either. While he did argue the merits of United’s performance and the character required to pull off their late comeback following the final whistle, he then overshadowed it by bringing Manchester City’s spending into the discussion. ‘United draw at home as Mourinho moans about City spending’ was always going to be the prevailing narrative, and if there’s one team you shouldn’t bring up after failing to win, it’s probably the only side who are above you in the table and the only top six side who’ve beaten Burnley at home this season.

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If United had limited his post-match analysis to simply the endeavour of his own players, perhaps the Boxing Day comeback would be viewed as the closest Mourinho has come to bringing Fergie-esque, frenetic finishes back to Old Trafford.

Instead, the debate has moved onto the apparent motivation behind everything these days – money.

One way or another, this summer was going to be the culmination of previous years of struggle; the embarrassment, frustration, the countless reminders from anyone who didn’t have an association with the club that Arsenal haven’t won a trophy since 2005.

But the culmination the fans were promised wasn’t to be. Instead, Arsenal threw the ball into their own net; gave away a penalty in the final minutes of a hard fought, emotional rollercoaster of a game. Arsenal have pushed the self-destruct button in a way no other club can.

Arsene Wenger says he’s not afraid to spend, that the club are willing “to do it” if they find the right players and importantly those who are better than what they have. Gonzalo Higuain was available and went. Was he not better than Olivier Giroud and Lukas Podolski, or indeed any striker the club have had since Thierry Henry? Willian is going to lead the exodus at Anzhi, but are Arsenal even contemplating a move, or can they not compete against the likes of Tottenham or Liverpool? What indeed was all that effort put into finishing fourth for? The fist pumping and celebration, only to be outdone by teams who have finished either just out of the Champions League places or out of Europe altogether.

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It’s a shocking display of mismanagement that Aaron Ramsey ended up at centre-back against Aston Villa. It’s even more stunning that Arsenal allowed Gabby Agbonlahor to waltz through the midfield and defence as if he’d just arrived from Barcelona this summer. Here’s a question: will he ever do that again in his career?

But only Wenger could think that a midfield of Jack Wilshere and Ramsey, neither of whom are particularly skilled or experienced at handling defensive duties in the middle of the pitch, could overcome a Premier League side, it doesn’t matter who the opposition are. Arsenal were deserving of everything they got on Saturday. Well actually to rephrase, Wenger got everything he deserved. The fans, on the other hand, have been taken for a ride, and I’m sure the players aren’t too impressed either.

Is Wenger losing the plot? Maybe a little bit. He said the media got everything they wanted after the 3-1 defeat. Hardly. Everyone has been telling Wenger exactly what will happen, but unfortunately none are as well remunerated as the Arsenal manager. It baffles then that he or anyone else at the club couldn’t see this coming. Or, likely that they did but chose to ignore.

The problem is, for a lot of fans the lines are distorted. Some are failing to distinguish between Arsenal the club and Arsene Wenger, as if one needs the other to survive. There’s an image, wrongly created, that suggests “real” Arsenal fans must back the manager 100 per cent, otherwise “go and support some other team.” But as long as the manager has that pocket of unconditional support, he will continue to do as he pleases – like go into a season with only 17 players and talk his “squad” up as title contenders – much to the detriment of the club.

That £40 million + £1 bid for Luis Suarez was disastrous and summed up Arsenal perfectly, both in inexcusable penny-pinching and also in their lack of experience, astuteness and respect at the summit of the market. Ok, maybe all that was needed for the player’s alleged clause to kick in was an extra £1. Why should a club pay £100,000 extra when £1 will do? Because it’s good etiquette, it maintains a level of peace and good will between clubs, and ultimately it shows that Arsenal aren’t one of the most ridiculous and baffling football operations in Europe.

There is only one outcome from this summer, and that’s another mad and reckless dash to find anyone or anything that can do a job. It’s gone beyond challenging for titles and making the most of the resources you have; instead, another Andre Santos may rock up at the club and eat into the wage bill because Wenger sees him as a better investment than a title-winning centre-forward.

It’s no longer a matter of whether or not Wenger has sullied his reputation with the club; we’ve moved well past that. But once again, it’s not to show that there is a lack of appreciation for what he’s done, but more that fans are aware that Europe is moving much faster than the Arsenal manager is willing to.

Contract extension talks should not so much be shelved as completely set alight. It’s now a case a damage limitation. The next couple of weeks will define the remainder of Wenger’s current contract. Being dumped out of the Champions League by Fenerbahce isn’t unlikely, despite how many times Wenger has “come good” at the final hurdle. That train will eventually come to the end of the track.

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Is Wenger deserving of the heavy criticism he’s currently facing?

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Ashley Cole has rubbished suggestions that his unreasonable wage demands were halting progress to a new contract at Chelsea. The Daily Mail reports

The England international confirmed talks had began last month, but denied wanting a colossal £200,000 a week for his services.

The Blues say talks over a new deal are progressing well and the club remains confident at the left-back’s ability to play at the top-level for several years to come, despite traditionally being reluctant to offer lucrative contracts to players in their thirties.

But speculation will still rumble on over Cole’s future, particularly if he still has not signed a new deal by January, as it would allow him to pen a pre-contract with another club.

Real Madrid have reportedly been admirers of Cole for some time, while many of Europe’s other top teams would surely be interested.

At present, Cole is suffering from an ankle injury which will see him miss tonight’s opening World Cup qualifier away at Moldova and he faces a race against the clock to be fit for the visit of Ukraine on Tuesday.

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According to reports in Marca, Paris Saint-Germain have been made aware of Neymar’s desire to leave the club despite the Brazilian only arriving at the club last summer.

What’s the story?

Paris St-Germain signed Brazil forward Neymar for a world record fee of 222m euros (£200m) from Barcelona in August 2017.

The gifted winger signed a contract with the club worth 45m euros (£40.7m) a year – 865,000 euros (£782,000) a week – before tax from the initial five-year deal, a total outlay of £400m.

At the time the 26-year-old said he had joined “one of the most ambitious clubs in Europe”.

“Paris St-Germain’s ambition attracted me to the club, along with the passion and the energy this brings,” he added.

“I feel ready to take the challenge. From today, I will do everything I can to help my new team-mates.”

Fast forward to the present and Neymar has reportedly asked to sit down with PSG President Nasser Al-Khelaifi to negotiate his exit.

Why does he want to leave?

Already the ex-Barca man reportedly regrets making the move to Ligue 1 with the Brazilian struggling to adapt to the PSG dressing room.

Neymar is said to have a poor relationship with Argentine core of the team, Angel Di Maria and Javier Pastore, while his relationship with strike partner Edison Cavani is said to be equally tense.

Where could he go?

While most teams in world football would love to have Neymar in their squads, the sheer cost of any possible deal with PSG limits the Brazilian’s options to a handful of clubs.

A return to Barcelona doesn’t seem likely with outgoing icon, Andreas Iniesta, recently stating it would be “weird to see him back at Barca.”

Don Balon has previously linked Neymar with moves to both of the Manchester teams with both sides equipped with the financial means needed to pull off the deal.

Even so, Real Madrid appears to be Neymar’s preference.

During the Ballon d’Or gala held in Paris on December 7, 2017, Neymar reportedly expressed his desire to sign for the 12 times European champions even if it meant forcing an exit from PSG.

Analysis

Should Los Blancos convince the PSG hierarchy to sell their prized asset the transfer fee would be in excess of 250 million euros, a slight increase on what the French champions paid to prise the forward away from the Camp Nou.

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Real Madrid are the most likely to complete any deal for Neymar Jr. with the club looking to appease their expectant fanbase with a marquee signing after surrendering their title challenge to arch-rivals Barcelona.

However, Los Blancos officials are reportedly wary of Man City complicating any deal because of their financial power and the draw of enigmatic manager, Pep Guardiola, who Neymar has previously admitting his desire to play under.

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Stop grumbling ladies and gentlemen – the brightest talent that England has had in decades is on the verge of making the most exciting move he could possibly make.

Forget the astronomical transfer fee – that’s what English talent goes for these days – and forget the fact that City need homegrown players, Sterling is not simply a signing to make up the numbers, nor is he an overpriced luxury, he’s an acquisition to make City great. Over the next decade City will be one of England’s top very teams, and Sterling will reach his peak: one of England’s best players at one of England’s best clubs.

Short-term, though, Sterling will make City better. David Silva, City’s maestro of a playmaker, dons a beard and wizard’s cap when he plays. He has no left foot – it’s actually a wand – and he is the possessor of a style and a guile rarely seen outside of the capital of Catalonia. Sergio Aguero is a striker so potent that he frequently misses a month or two of the season and still finishes as top scorer.

It’s high praise to say that a 20-year-old can make this lot better, but add Sterling and City get their own ‘SAS’ primed to raid the opposition area with elegance and prolificacy. After all, why didn’t City win the league last season? The City hierarchy think that it simply boils down to the fact they didn’t score enough goals. A whole 19 fewer Premier League goals than in the 2013/14 title-winning season when City scored 143 goals in all competitions – beating Manchester United’s record from the 1950s: a decade so free-scoring that even a 3-2 could have been seen as ‘dull’.

Sterling won’t bring goals by himself, but he’ll be a Jesus Navas replacement. Navas has the speed, and he’s certainly a good provider when he wants to be. But he lacks the skill and trickery that Sterling has. Too often Navas runs into blind alleys, crashes against defenders or wallops the first defender with a cross. Navas is a Jack Russell Terrier, he’s an excitable busy-body who’ll bite at your legs. Sterling is a Springer Spaniel – just as excitable, but you trust him not to overheat and have to lie down for a while.

Long-term, though, Sterling brings more to City. He’s young and can develop in lots of different ways. It’s up to the manager to figure out what the youngster’s best role is and what parts of the game he should work on most intensively. Does he need to become a better passer, for example? Maybe he needs to work on his strength? The great thing about being 20 is that, like electricity, you are pure potential – you can become anything. It’s once you plug into something that you become something, but when you’re 20 you can plug into anything. Sterling is clay in the hands of a master potter, it’s up to Pellegrini to shape him.

And to a team ageing as rapidly as Manchester City, youth is an invaluable thing. The whole structure of the club these days is designed to be sustainable and ‘holistic’, and the first-team squad is anything but that just now. But the signing of Sterling is a step towards rectifying that. Of course, ‘holistic’ is a new-age, business-speak way of saying ‘integrated’. The club’s owners have set about integrating all aspects of the club, building a home for their Blues in East Manchester, pumping billions of pounds not just into Manchester City, but into the city of Manchester itself.

The men, women and children who represent the football club will be housed in one small city, so to speak. A city built by Manchester companies, creating schools and jobs for Manchester people: the Etihad Campus is ‘Manchester City’ in microcosm.

And the grand idea taken to it’s logical extremes, the ultimate realms of fantasy, is that one day City’s new youth academy will churn out homegrown talent La Masia style. The overall dream of Sheikh Mansour seems to be one involving mirror image after mirror image – the players of all genders, ages, colours and creeds representing the club; the club representing the city; and all of that representing the country itself. More than a club. A hell of a lot more than a club, actually. Just like Barcelona and Catalonia.

City were on the cusp of signing Fabian Delph before his U-turn embarrassed the club on the same day as United announced the signing of a literal legend of the game in Bastian Schweinsteiger, so the club needed a win. Perhaps they didn’t want to spend quite so much on Sterling, but they needed a win badly.

And Sterling is a big win. Not just for this season or next season, but for the next 10 seasons. Forget the ‘money-grabbing 20 year-old’, forget the undeserving diva, forget the spoilt child throwing his toys out of the pram. Manchester City is the club with the long-term vision and the ability – both financially and philosophically – to make it work and that’s why Sterling is moving.

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The youngster has sat across from Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez in the Liverpool changing room. He’s seen Gerrard miss his chance to finally win a Premier League title and has seen Suarez move on to claim a treble at Barcelona. He’s seen Gerrard and Carragher leave as Liverpool legends, but without a Premier League winners’ medal to split between them. But for a young Londoner with the talent that Sterling has, that’s a mundane prospect. It seems to have spooked him. He wants medals and adulation. He wants to be the greatest English player of all time. At City the grass looks greener, and with the finance, the philosophy and the players why wouldn’t it? At City, he can fulfill his dream.

I said that Schweinsteiger is a legend of the game: he has eight Bundesliga titles, which is the most any player has ever won. He has 111 Germany caps and he has time to win a whole heap more. He’s won a World Cup and a Champions League. This season Xavi, Pirlo and Frank Lampard have left Europe for semi-retirement. Xavi has eight La Liga titles, Pirlo has six Scudetti, and Lampard has three Premier League titles. They’ve all won a Champions League and played in countless finals, and that’s not even to mention the number of domestic cups they have between them. Pirlo and Xavi are World Cup winners, too. So when Sterling looks up to these guys, he sees his whole career ahead of him. When he retires he wants to have what they have, and what’s wrong with that? There’s no point in playing football professionally if you don’t want to be the best. And clearly the young lad doesn’t think that Liverpool can offer him the chance to reach those particular levels. Imagine the regret if he stayed at Liverpool while City dominated.

So lay off Sterling. He’s doing the right thing for himself, for Manchester City, and if all goes to the Sheikh’s plan, for the country, too. These are grand dreams but why shouldn’t he have them? He’s 20 and has the potential to be anything. And City are a team who will not only take him where he wants to go, but they’ll make him their poster boy for the next ten years. Surely that’s incentive to be the best. One day we might hear Sterling’s name mentioned with players of the ilk of Xavi and Pirlo. And if that happens he’ll be totally vindicated. Sterling’s aim is the stars, and City have offered him their rocket ship. He’d be a fool not to take it.

Another week another decent signing…

This week saw the fifth signing of the summer so far, with Richard Chaplow joining the club after a two-year-deal after being released by Southampton.

Chaplow signed on loan at the Den late last season and was massively influential in our slight up-turn in form before the F.A. Cup semi final, and turning out to be the form that kept us up.

The central midfielder will provide the vital competition in midfield which last season we desperately craved. Players started to take it easy, Trotter would be his usual self – plus KJ would love to play defenders in the middle of the park.

Quietly but surely, Lomas is starting to build his own squad, and a decent one at that. We are looking at signing players with Championship experience, rather then lower league players on a punt, or whichever player is flavour of the month at Bournemouth.

Stephen Bywater was the first recruit to the Lomas era. He’s a good second choice goalkeeper to have, but I don’t see him ousting David Forde for the number one jersey, but if Forde did leave for whatever reason, Bywater isn’t a bad replacement.

Jermaine Easter was the next arrival, yes he wasn’t a Lomas signing, but he’s a decent player to have on a one year contract. Last season when we were in dire straights, he seemed to be the only player that had the slightest bit of composure when on the ball, he would be a good option off the bench.

The main target for this summer was always about adding to the strike-force and Lomas has done that massively already with the re-signing of Steve Morison on a year loan. He may have been left in the wilderness somewhat with Leeds, but if he can replicate his debut Championship season form, we can maybe look slightly higher then survival.

Also Lee Martin coming in on a one year deal from Ipswich could be a shrewd move too, a left winger who can also play in the centre. Lomas knows what positions need to be filled, and is working to do quickly.

Lomas was always going to have to make massive changes with the playing personnel at the club, and he seems to know this. He has even brought in a series of different trialists.

Some of these could end up signing contracts and being decent additions to the squad, such as Nicky Shorey and John Pantsil. But some do seem like him doing his mates a favour, does anyone want to see Marlon Harewood come into the club?

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Two goals in 32 at Barnsley and then released at the end of the season, I’d rather have Tampax Tyson or Even Rob Hulse (The Pulse) back at the club, yes Harewood is that bad a choice…

Whatever happens in the opening season with Lomas at the helm, it proves to be a very exciting one…

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Whilst some professional footballers battle their whole career against injuries others spend their playing days met by chants of ‘who ate all the pies’. We pay homage to some of the game’s larger characters.

Wayne Rooney

A world class striker, but the England superstar has battled against the image of being a fat lad from Liverpool.

This week Alex Ferguson again questioned Rooney’s conditioning, admitting that the Manchester United forward’s body type means that he faces an uphill struggle to keep his weight under control.

Whilst both Ronaldo and Diego Maradona looked (enlarged) shadows of their former selves as they piled on the pounds at the twilight of their career. Rooney’s stocky build and sublime skills surely merits him to be crowned as the world’s greatest ever fat footballer.

Andy Reid

Something of a folk hero at Nottingham Forest, the portly midfielder has been mocked for his weight throughout his career.

During his first spell at the City Ground, fans used to chant ‘you fat bastard’ at the Irishman, whose chunky size hasn’t stopped him carving out a solid career for himself.

Whilst at Charlton, manager Les Reed called him one of the fittest players in the squad, and referred to his build as similar to that of Hungarian legend Ferenc Puskas .

Since his return to Forest, Reid has trimmed down slightly, but will be mostly fondly remembered for as ‘Fat Andy Reid’.

Mido

Dubbed ‘Supersize Mido’ during a FA Cup game for Middlesbrough against Mansfield in 2008, the Egyptian striker failed to manage his weight after being sidelined for three months with a stress fracture to the pubic bone.

As a series of injuries reduced Mido’s playing time, his waistline increased and the striker was eventually fined by Middlesbrough after missing the first two weeks of pre-season training for the 2008/09 season.

Mido was then shipped out on a series of loan moves before he finally left Middlesbrough in 2011, joining Egyptian side Zamalek. His return to his homeland was an unhappy one as he struggled again with weight and fitness issues.

In June 2012 Mido joined Barnsley on a free transfer.

Adriano

A real powerhouse in his younger days, the former Inter Milan striker has packed on the pounds as a life of partying got in the way of life as a professional footballer.

The striker was dropped from the Brazil squad in 2006 after the coach Dunga called on Adriano to “change his behaviour”.

In 2007 Roberto Mancini dropped the Brazilian after he failed to turn up to training after a heavy night out on the town. He was eventually let go by Inter at the end of the 2009 season.

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In 2012 he was let go by Corinthians for his lack of interest, and he returned to his first club Flamengo for the third time on a pay-by-play basis.

Jeroen Verhoeven

Although he may be the least well known of the fat footballers on the list, the porky former Ajax reserve team keeper deserves a mention.

He may have only featured three times in three years at the Amsterdam Arena, yet he was warmly received by the home crowd who shouted ‘Pizza’ every time the 16st shot stopper touched the ball in a game against ADO Den Haag during the 2010/11 season.

Currently a free agent Verhoeven is likely to interest any sides hoping to plug a leaky defence.

By Tom Donnelly