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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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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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.

Julian Draxler to Arsenal doesn’t make sense. Or it makes all the sense in the world. Stockpiling is one thing, but this is slightly different.

Draxler at Arsenal wouldn’t have a defined role, and that’s part of the worry for some people. “Where would he play?” is the question that followed Cesc Fabregas to Barcelona and Mario Goetze to Bayern Munich. Even Mesut Ozil’s arrival in England had most wondering what the point was of his pricey capture.

Draxler is an attacking midfielder. For now. He has all the subtlety and ingenuity of those currently in the Arsenal team, but he’s cut from a slightly different cloth. In the past when it looked like Arsenal were heading the race to sign the Schalke youngster, it made sense as a means to lift the weight of responsibility off Jack Wilshere, at the time Arsenal’s leading light heading into the future.

Now, the onus is different. The picture has changed somewhat. Arsenal are a fantastic attacking team with a manager who allows for a limitless horizon. Draxler at Arsenal, playing through the middle, reads from the script currently in play in Spain and Germany. It’s not beyond logical thinking. It just needed someone in England to go against the grain and get the ball rolling.

And it shouldn’t be forgotten that a Draxler “project” is the norm for Wenger. He’s done it in the past, either from the point of view of transforming wide players or midfielders into centre-forwards – Thierry Henry and Robin van Persie – or simply looking to youngsters with immense talent to build for the future – Aaron Ramsey, Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Wenger’s perceived stubbornness can be a good thing. He knows what he wants from Arsenal and how to take them there. With the club’s recently available wealth, that task has been made easier, allowing for the very best pieces that fit the puzzle to be acquired.

No one would say no to seeing Schalke’s 20-year-old midfielder at Arsenal. It just so happens that this latest storm of transfer discussion arrives at a point where Arsenal are in need of an “anti-project” to aid in their charge on the Premier League title. A player defined by his qualities in and around the penalty area and one who leaves no doubts about what he is capable of on the pitch. So while Draxler would be a great buy for Arsenal one way or another, it’s understandable if the excitement level on this proposed move hasn’t quite reached its peak.

But Arsenal are in need of a player who possesses the qualities of the German: tall, skilful, good in front of goal with a hammer of a shot. And then there’s the matter of talent. Draxler is the crown jewel at Schalke, one of Germany’s absolute finest at this time, possibly only surpassed by the youngster who made the stunning switch from Dortmund to Bayern last summer. The image of Arsenal, one that was crafted through the signing of Ozil, would only be enhanced further.

The plea for Wenger to buy an established striker will only get louder, and with it you feel the Arsenal manager will do the exact opposite. In fact he’s already played that card, by acquiring Ozil from Real Madrid when many fans, I’m sure, would have settled for Karim Benzema or indeed Gonzalo Higuain if given the option. Primarily because the two strikers fit a more obvious need. It almost seems like Wenger is toying with supporters, such is the humour in their clamour for one thing, only to be offered something else, yet with equal or greater star-status.

Draxler may not even become a centre-forward in the traditional sense if he arrived at Arsenal, and I don’t particularly see that as Wenger’s aim in this. Draxler is a complement, another piece, someone who can play alongside the ensemble of attacking midfielders Wenger has assembled but offer that much-needed cutting edge for the final phase of play.

In the German, Wenger has clearly identified a player who he believes he can mould into the perfect player, the perfect Arsenal player. For Wenger, it’s not about creating something that others want; it’s about fine-tuning what he already has.

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It doesn’t make a great deal of sense due to the obvious pressing need in the team. But this is Wenger’s way, dealing with a problem in a far less obvious manner.

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Two days after David Moyes had declared Manchester United could win the Champions League this season, the cruellest of blows to those hopes paired his side with the foremost team in European competition and the favourites in Uefa’s premier tournament.

It’s not just the cruelty of the tie – as well as the wicked humour of a spiritual entity working beyond; the football Gods, as we say – it’s the coincidence of having these two clubs paired together at this time, a period in United’s history where they want to and need to be more like Bayern.

Fans of opposing teams in Germany will cringe at such a thought: more like Bayern. Who would want to be more like Bayern? After all, this is a team who are perceived to be destroying German football – a premise that has rightly been challenged as nonsense. Bayern Munich are a financial powerhouse, built in such a way that completely contrasts Manchester City, Chelsea, PSG, and those of that ilk. The Bavarians are mainstays, obsessed with tradition and doing things ‘the right way.’ Not too dissimilar to their counterparts at Old Trafford, who opted for the principle of longevity played out with dignity and respect.

Bayern have just simply done things better. Alex Ferguson has long been an admirer of the way Bayern are run. He wants the same for United: old players taking up roles of importance either among the coaching staff or in the club’s hierarchy. It’s very much about continuity and the upholding of tradition.

Even the upbringing and development of young players is to be envied. Where United are fielding Danny Welbeck and Tom Cleverley, Bayern possess Thomas Muller and Toni Kroos. It’s no surprise that United are said to be desperate to land Kroos as a means to upgrade their midfield and build around for the foreseeable future.

By the time this tie rolls around next month, Bayern will be crowned Bundesliga champions. That they’re in the Champions League quarter-finals is no surprise. Their opponents, on the other hand, appear a little incongruous considering their domestic struggles and the quality held by almost all others competing at this stage of the competition.

If Moyes will be looking for an ounce of hope to cling on to by thinking Bayern may lower their game after having successfully defended the league title – and that they haven’t been at 100 per cent domestically of late – he’ll face even further cruelty by being reminded that Pep Guardiola simply won’t allow it.

The same question sounded off at various stages last season: how can Guardiola top this? For most, he’s already improved on Jupp Heynckes’ work, which was a refinement of what Louis van Gaal brought to the club previously. Even more so, from his days at Barcelona, we know the kind of man and manager Guardiola is. Absolutely committed to his work, obsessed, like his current club, with detail, and a manager whose own professionalism was and is told by his players’ continued focus until the final whistle.

Moyes will be without Robin van Persie, sidelined through injury, and Juan Mata, cup-tied from his involvement in the competition with Chelsea. At Bayern it’s notably different, where we really don’t know Guardiola’s strongest XI – another sizeable advantage against any opposition.

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The midfield is packed with options, both in personnel and tactical formations. Against Arsenal, Guardiola tinkered with his side – as he’s grown accustomed to doing so – by moving Philipp Lahm into midfield to control the game. When his side met Dortmund earlier in the season, Javi Martinez was pushed further up field into the No.10 position as a means to win the aerial battle and bypass Dortmund’s pressing game.

Thiago Alcantara has been sensational for periods of this season; Toni Kroos’ reputation continues to grow, deservedly; and Bastian Schweinsteiger was once again the match-winner this past weekend against Mainz. And this is to completely ignore what Bayern have in the wide positions and further ahead with Mario Goetze. Yes, United do need to be more like Bayern.

Overwhelming favourites or not, Bayern have perfected the ideal to which United have set out to replicate.

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has denied a charge from the FA and has requested a non-personal hearing in regards to his post-match comments after the Blues’ 2-1 loss against Sunderland on April 19.

Rui Faria, Chelsea’s assistant manager, has also admitted to two misconduct charges as well as requesting a non-personal hearing.

In the same game, Brazilian midfielder Ramires received a four-match ban for his lash out on Sunderland’s Sebastian Larsson.

The Black Cats ended Mourinho’s 77-match unbeaten Chelsea home league run and the Portuguese manager was unable to hide his anger, resulting him to sarcastically praise the performance of the match officials.

After the game, Mourinho told Sky Sports: “Mike Dean’s performance was unbelievable and when referees have unbelievable performances it’s fair to congratulate them.

“He came here with one objective, the objective to make a fantastic performance and he did that.

“Congratulations to Mike Riley, because he’s the referees’ boss, and what they are doing during the whole season is fantastic, especially in the last couple of months, especially in matches involving the teams that were in the title race – it’s absolutely fantastic.”

An FA Statement read: “Jose Mourinho has denied an FA charge and requested a non-personal hearing in relation to comments he made following Chelsea’s game against Sunderland on April 19, 2014.

“It is alleged that Mourinho’s post-match comments constitute improper conduct, in that they call into question the integrity of the referee appointed to the above fixture (Mike Dean) and/or the integrity of Mr Mike Riley, general manager of the Professional Game Match Officials Limited, and/or the comments bring the game into disrepute.

“In relation to the same fixture, Chelsea assistant manager Rui Faria has admitted two misconduct breaches and requested a non-personal hearing.

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“The first breach was that Faria used abusive and/or insulting words towards the fourth official (Phil Dowd). The second breach was that Faria’s behaviour following the match referee’s request that he leave the technical area amounted to improper conduct.

“A date for both hearings will be set in due course.”

Manchester United is undoubtedly the most successful English club in the Premier League. They’ve won 13 of the 22 EPL seasons, as well as two Champions League triumphs. And a lot of their success is down to their good transfer business over the past two decades.

Manager Sir Alex Ferguson, in charge of the club for 26 years, was a massive part to the Red Devils’ dominance signing players like Wayne Rooney, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Cristiano Ronaldo, and of course Eric Cantona.

However you can’t always get it right, with the United hierarchy purchasing several flop players during the Premier League era.

Here are the TOP FIVE WORST Manchester United signings in Premier League history…

[ffc-gallery]CLICK ON MAROUANE FELLAINI TO REVEAL!

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5. Marouane Fellaini

Although it’s been only one year since Fellaini’s £27.5million deadline day deal from Everton, the transferred epitomized Manchester United’s worst ever season in the Premier League era.

United have just lost Sir Alex Ferguson for the first time with David Moyes replacing the legendary Scot, and fans expected to see Moyes spend big in order to challenge for the Premier League title once again.

But Moyes was over-cautious, before using a massive £27.5million to bring his former midfielder, who went from double digit league goals with Everton to none last season.

The powerful Belgian still has time to redeem himself under new boss Louis van Gaal, but many have already labelled him the biggest transfer flop of 2013-2014.

4. Juan Sebastian Veron

Juan Sebastian Veron was signed in 2001 from Serie A side Lazio as one of the best players in the world for a huge £28.1million, but failed to live up to the fan’s high expectations.

There was no doubt the Veron was a classy player, able to pick up players with the long ball and dictate central midfield. However he was never able to adapt to the pace of the Premier League, which saw him caught out more often than not.

After only two seasons United cut their losses by selling him to Chelsea for half the price at £14million, but the Argentine only managed seven league appearances during an injury ravaged season.

3. Massimo Taibi

//www.youtube.com/embed/esFAGx7RDL4

In the 1999 summer transfer window spirits were extremely high in the United camp after their incredible Treble of League, Cup, and Champions League success. But legendary goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel left the club, forcing Ferguson to search for a successor.

His replacement was Massimo Taibi, purchased from Venezia for £4.5million and had a decent start for the Red Devils with a man-of-the-match performance against Liverpool. However in his third game against Southampton the Italian was the victim of one of the worst goalkeeping blunders in history, as he let a weak Matt le Tissier shot trickle under his legs (1:40 in the video).

The next match United lost 5-0 to Chelsea, which was the last Red Devils saw of the Milan youth goalkeeper.

2. Anderson

Anderson is still on the Manchester United roster, but it is a bit of a surprise the Brazilian hasn’t been offloaded already.

The 26-year-old was a massive £25million purchase from FC Porto back in 2007, after his exploits with the Portuguese side dubbed him as the ‘next Ronaldinho’.

Anderson arrived on £3million less than Veron, but although Veron showed signs of immense class, Anderson was never able to fulfil the potential legendary Brazilian World Cup winner Tostao dubbed to be as good as Neymar.

Many other flops – like Kleberson and Djemba Djemba – came as unknowns but the huge hype surrounding the Anderson signing and massive fee make the midfielder one of Ferguson’s worst ever transfers.

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1. Bebe

Number one on the Manchester United worst transfer list is none other than Bebe.

The Portuguese winger/striker was technically not even Alex Ferguson’s signing, as then assistant manager Carlos Quieroz recommended Bebe to his boss and the Red Devils went on to sign him for a £7million fee.

However the 24-year-old was unable to convince anyone at Old Trafford of his abilities, making only two appearances to the supporters’ bewilderment.

Not only were the fans confused, but so was Ferguson… who had reportedly never seen Bebe play.

This statement from Bebe summarized the relationship: “He told me to cut my hair, it will look better. So I cut it the same day. In the next training session, he didn’t recognise me. I went past him many times and he didn’t know me.”

Bebe was sent out on loan three times, but surprisingly, had a successful 2013-2014. He has however confirmed his departure recently, ending his Manchester United career.

Following some protracted negotiations with FIFA over some late paperwork, Celtic secured a last ditchÂloan deal for Manchester City youngster John Guidetti on summer deadline day.The 22 year-old has struggled to find his footing in the Premier League but comes with a proficient reputation at U21 level and also enjoyed a very productive loan spell with Feyenoord in 2011/12.In fact, murmurings of the Sweden international’s immense potential have been bubbling under the surface of British football for some time, and it’s exciting to see Guidetti get his chance in the Scottish Premiership.And we at Football FanCast have such high hopes for the City prospect that we’ve come up with FIVE reasons why he’s set to take Parkhead by storm.

[ffc-gallery]CLICK ON GUIDETTI TO REVEAL THE FIVE REASONS

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GOALS

Of course, the obvious impact John Guidetti will be hoping to have at Parkhead is on Celtic’s goals for column.

The Bhoys hardly struggled for goals last season – they netted nearly 40 more than second-place Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership – but with the majority provided by midfielder Kris Commons, Antony Stokes was the only front-man to reach double figures in the league.

The Sweden international certainly has the potential to rectify that – he’s yet to get off the mark in the Premier League but netted an incredible 20 times in just 23 appearances during a season-long loan with Feyenoord in 2011/12. Check out all his goals for the Eredivisie side below:

//www.youtube.com/embed/SMM2H_0DGe4?rel=0

If he can bring that form to the SPL – as many players, such as Virgil van Dijk, have effectively transitioned their game from the Eredivisie to Scottish football before – then Guidetti will have a major impact on Celtic’s title charge.

SKILLS

Form is temporaryÂbut class is permanent, and despite struggling to break into the first teams at Manchester City and Stoke, John Guidetti is a very classy player.

Take this rainbow flick against an unexpected victim in training for example:

Or this sensational strike for the Citizens’ U21s:

Here’s another look at the City loanee strutting his skills on the pitch:

//www.youtube.com/embed/dLvlXr6RcsE?rel=0

BRAWN

Class is all well and good, but there’s nothing like a bit of basic brawn in a centre-forward.

Neil Lennon always wanted to bring a powerful front-man to Parkhead, targeting the likes of Nick Powell and Alfred FinnbogasonÂto name a few over the last year, and Ronny Deila appears to share that opinion, having attempted to sign big-n-burley former Stoke forward Cameron Jerome earlier this summer:

The now Norwich City forward rejected the Bhoys, and admittedly, in terms of pure, battering-ram style physicality, Guidetti isn’t quite the same calibre.

But the 22 year-old is by no means a lightweight; he measures in at 6 foot 1 and comes with a stocky build. He’ll bring power, strength and aerial ability to Celtic’s front-line and has more than enough about him to handle the rigorous nature of the Scottish top flight.

Up for the challenge

There’s a common feeling that many players use Celtic’s exposure to European football as a stepping stone to greater things, and you might assume that of a loanee from the Premier League, such as John Guidetti, too.

But the Sweden international has already publicly remarked on his adoration for the Scottish champions, promising to give ‘100%’ throughout his stay at Parkhead.

The striker continued; “‘I know so much about Celtic. As soon as the club came for me I knew straight away, Celtic is the one and that’s where I want to go. ‘I spoke to the manager and I felt a good connection with him and that Celtic was a club that knew about me and were genuine about what they liked, which is so important.

“With a good manager and good fans and players, you can never go wrong. ‘I’m just going to work my socks off to try to do my absolute very best every game and give 100% because that’s what the fans deserve.”

It may seem like a rather simplistic point, but in the modern era, it’s becoming rarer and rarer to find footballers who actually feel a connection with the clubs they play for.

Apparently, Guidetti was so pleased at finding out he was on his way to Celtic that he started dancing around a coffee shop in Manchester. Unfortunately, we are yet to find a video.

Character

Personality is important for modern players – it’s not the be all and end all, but with so much exposure on television and the internet nowadays, the bad apples get quickly found out.

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John Guidetti on the other hand, seems like a right laugh and a genuinely nice guy. The day after Sweden beat England 4-2, he turned up to training in a self-made Zlatan Ibrahimovic t-shirt:

//www.youtube.com/embed/ichaN3M0nXU?rel=0

He also once gave an incredibly delicate rendition of Last Christmas by Wham:

//www.youtube.com/embed/wrbvqR_XcB0?rel=0

And I can’t understand a word of Swedish, but he also seems like a decent rapper:

//www.youtube.com/embed/rCvGfvxKxm4?rel=0

The Bhoys aren’t only adding a talented player to their squad but a good character too. Guidetti is someone the fans can warm to, especially if he keeps his entertaining antics up at Parkhead.

Dropped points at West Ham this season is by no means an embarrassment. The Hammers have started the season well and look invigorated under Sam Alardyce, but for a side with genuine title aspirations, anything less than three points is a blow.

In truth, the Defeat revealed much about the Sky Blues this afternoon, with the steam-roller like winning machine of last season having disappeared. And with Chelsea looking like the team to beat, do City have any real chance of retaining their league crown? We at FFC Towers are not convinced…

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Lack of defensive presence

While Vincent Kompany is still one of the very best centre-backs in the league and Pablo Zabaleta one of the better full-backs, Eliaqium Mangala and Gale Clichy have been far from convincing in recent weeks. The pair were caught out for the Hammers’ opener, and fans on Twitter were less than impressed with the former in particular…

Reliance on Aguero

Okay, Aguero may be one of the better players to rely on, but such dependence on the Argentine has been a worry. The City hit-man was by no means poor this afternoon, but he wasn’t quite at his best when the ball was in the box.

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Yaya Toure has gone missing

For such a good player, Toure has one major flaw: going missing when he’s needed. Aside from a shot that grazed the bar at Upton Park, the burly Ivorian was fairly anonymous, with his languid style not suited to the hassling of the Hammers. Can City win the title without their tank performing in midfield… we’re not sure.

It has not been a good season so far for Coventry City, currently sitting in 17th position and closer to the relegation zone than the play-offs. Added to that one of the worst defeats in the club’s history at home to Worcester in the FA Cup First Round, it is hardly surprising that attendances are rapidly decreasing each week.

Things have slightly improved recently with the club unbeaten in four League One matches, recording their first two away wins of the season. The squad looks more than capable of a promotion push on paper but with too many loans, injuries and a lot of youngsters coming through, things haven’t turned out well.

In fairness to manager Steven Pressley, since being appointed in 2013 he has had pretty much nothing to work with. Ten point deductions in the clubs first two seasons in League One ended any play-off aspirations, and then added to that a move to Northampton’s Sixfields stadium last campaign. But back in the Ricoh and no deductions, the fans had hoped for a much better season this time round, which simply hasn’t materialised at this point.

This of course wasn’t helped by the departure of five key players in the summer. Goalkeeper Joe Murphy, Frank Moussa, Cyrus Christie and top scorer Callum Wilson all left to join Championship clubs, whilst Captain Carl Baker went to MK Dons after being almost forced out of the club. Defenders Blair Adams and Danny Seaborne also left, leaving Pressley with a big re-building job to do.

Although he has limited resources, recruitment hasn’t been great in all honesty. This is mostly due to seven loan players being brought in who all return to their parent clubs in January. It is unknown at this stage if any of them will be able to stay on for the rest of the season but if not, then Pressley would have an even bigger re-building job to do in the middle of the season. All seven are used on a regular basis with goalkeeper Ryan Allsop and striker Gary Madine perhaps the most crucial of the loanees.

The players brought in over the summer on a permanent basis looked like good additions at the time. Strikers Marcus Tudgay and Simeon Jackson have plenty of experience and success at this level but both have disappointed thus far.

Former Sheffield Wednesday defender Reda Johnson has looked impressive at times but has been equally unreliable. He was originally made captain but was stripped of that just a few months in to the season. He has struggled with injuries but a needless sending off earlier in the season when things were going well rocked the stability of the back-line and the Sky Blues haven’t really recovered since. Johnson is however the club’s top scorer with five goals, which also tells you how the majority of the strikers have struggled this season.

Jim O’Brien was signed from Barnsley and has been the stand out performer this season. He took over the captaincy from Johnson and has led from the front with impressive displays. He possesses that added bit of quality that will be needed if any good is going to come out of this season.

The truth is that there is quality in the side that can compete in this league at the right end of the table. It might have been a poor season up until this point, but the fact is Coventry are only six points off the play-offs and some consistency and a run of good results. January will be a big month both on and off the pitch and could determine Coventry’s fate for this season. Players will have to be brought in if loans to certain players cannot be extended.

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It has been a long time since Coventry City finished in the top six of any league – 44 years to be exact – but can this season possibly put an end to that damning statistic?

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