The controversial Italian boss was always a passionate, fiery, enigmatic kind of player and he has proven to be exactly the same as a coach during his brief managerial career to date.

Having helped guide the Black Cats to safety, Di Canio used his post-match press conference following the 1-0 defeat by Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday to take a swipe at the levels of professionalism and discipline at the club; as well as lamenting the attitude and ignorance of the players – most notably bungling defensive duo, Phil Bardsley and Matt Kilgallon.

Chief culprit was of course Bardsley, photographed by Kilgallon lying on the floor of a casino with £50 notes laying around his body, an image which found its way onto Instagram  - an act which begs the question, ‘when will footballers learn about the use of social media?’

It’s a separate issue, but Sunderland is an area which has been hit hard by the global recession and to see an individual picking up 10s of thousands of pounds a week lauding his winnings in a public forum is extremely ill-advised behaviour.

By all means gamble, by all means give it the big one if you are lucky enough to enjoy a big win, but do stop to think for a nano-second about the peasants who pay your wages when you hit that ‘post’ button on your phone.

Bardsley – or rather, partner Tanya Robinson – quickly took to Twitter to deny that the full-back had been drinking, also stating that the winnings were given to be given to charity and that he deserved to be able to celebrate avoiding relegation.

I, of course, have no evidence to the contrary, but it seems an odd way to celebrate winning money that you intend to give to charity.

Moreover, as far as avoiding relegation is concerned, it was hardly the feats of Bardsley and chums that kept the Black Cats in the division. Whether or not Bardsley and his teammates ‘deserved’ to be celebrating staying up, it seems a pretty crass way to behave; embarrassment at even being in the position is much more apt.

Returning to Di Canio and my original point; the press have been quick to tout around the number seven as the number of players who have been fined by the former Swindon boss this week, with fines handed out for misdemeanours such as arriving late to training, leaving early without permission and self-diagnosing whilst avoiding the claws of the team doctor.

Di Canio’s press conference after Sunderland’s 1-0 loss to Spurs:

It all rather makes you wonder what on earth was going on at The Stadium of Light under O’Neill. The Ulsterman is famously ‘old-school’ and you can’t imagine the former Aston Villa man standing for the kind of poor standards Di Canio has been trying to stamp out either.

PFA chief Gordon Taylor has since waded in, stating that Di Canio and Sunderland are not be above the rules, which is of course true. By the same token, the players at the club are not above Di Canio’s ground rules either.

The Italian might come across as slightly madcap at times, but there is method behind the apparent madness.

Fining players for not carrying out their professional duties with the most basic levels of professionalism seems to me to be the exact reason why fines should be imposed.

It is those basic levels of professionalism which are the basis from which success can be built. Afterall, if you can’t even mange to arrive at training on time, then what evidence is there to suggest you will be giving your all in a match or training situation?

Fabio Capello was quick to instill the same kind of basic values in the England national team when he took over from Steve McClaren as boss, and, whilst the Italian disciplinarian was just the latest to fail to get the best out of England, he came closer than any of his predecessors during the 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign.

At Arsenal there is a strict set of rules about training ground conduct, and an equally stringent set of fines to accompany the offences. Most impressively, these rules and sanctions are not handed down from the top by Arsene Wenger; they are the player’s own guidelines.

The Gunners cannot be held up as a paragon of virtue when it comes to running a successful football club and winning trophies concurrently, but they are significantly closer to winning silverware than Sunderland are at the present time.

This summer will undoubtedly be a busy one for Di Canio and Sunderland; shipping out the players who are not prepared to adhere to his ideals and bringing in players who are not only good enough to improve the current playing staff, but buy into what the former West Ham man wants from his players in terms of human qualities.

By Tom Bodell – Watford fan - @TBBodell

The manager, Diego Simeone, arrived in December 2011, becoming the 49^th coach the club had employed under the current owners. 18 months later, and the former Argentina international has earned himself a place amongst Europe’s most respected coaches, bringing a degree of stability to the club. In March, Simeone signed a new-deal, meaning that he’ll remain as Atlético coach until 2017.

Atlético will finish the season occupying third sport in La Liga. They’re currently nine points behind Real Madrid who became the Copa Del Rey runners up on Friday evening after Atlético completed a memorable win over their Madrid adversaries.

Three sending-offs marred a bad-tempered final at the Bernabeu as Atlético secured a dramatic extra-time victory. Jose Mourinho was sent to the stands late in the second half whilst Cristiano Ronaldo was given a straight red card after 115 minutes. Gabi, the Atlético captain was ordered off in extra-time after encroaching at a free-kick, earning a second yellow card. Real had initially taken the lead after fifteen minutes through a Ronaldo goal but Los Colchoneros fought back. Fiery forward Diego Costa brought his team level on 35 minutes and Joao Miranda’s 98^th minute header secured a famous victory for Atléti.

Despite two Europa League trophies in the last four seasons, Real’s nickname for Atlético is ‘El Pupas’, meaning ‘the jinxed one’. Real have proven to be a difficult hurdle which Atlético have struggled to overcome, exaggerated by the fact that, before Friday, they had not beaten Real since 1999, with Real coming out on top in the previous 13 meetings in a row! However, fortune was on Atlético’s side on Friday night and the Spanish Cup victory ended their abysmal run against their local rivals.

The 2012/13 La Liga season has seen Lionel Messi break Barcelona’s 60-year-old goalscoring record as the Catalan club won yet another Spanish title. Whilst over in the Spanish capital, Atlético’s biggest rivals have had to endure constant speculation about the future of their manager as well as their star player. Jose Mourinho has hinted that he will return to West London. Cristiano Ronaldo, though, has played down reports of him leaving Spain, saying “I have two years of contract and I’m not worried about my renewal.”

Atlético finished last season in a European place, as well as winning the Europa League and hammering Chelsea, the ‘Champions of Europe’, 4-1 in the European Super Cup. This season they have secured Champions League football with a top-3 finish, boasting a convincing home record with only three defeats at the Vicente Calderón Stadium. In Ramadel Falcao they boast a goalscorer to rival Cristiano Ronaldo but whether or not he will be part of Atlético’s Champions League campaign is another matter. ‘El Tigre’ has notched up 28 league goals in this season and has found himself as a transfer target for many of Europe’s elite clubs.

Of course, the departure of the Colombian forward will be huge. Terry Gibson works as a co-commentator for Sky’s coverage of Spanish football and believes that Falcao would be a massive loss for Atlético. However, he also added that he thought it would be “impossible for [Atlético] to replace Forlan & Aguero”, who were both sold in 2011, yet they managed to cope with losing two of their best players and went on to win the Europa League that season, beating Athletic Bilbao in the final.

Reports earlier on in the calendar year suggested that Chelsea were preparing a bid, possibly using Fernando Torres as part of a swap deal. Then rumours emerged that they may offer Atlético their young goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, as well as a sum of money. Currently on-loan from Stamford Bridge, the young Belgian has spent the last two seasons at Atlético Madrid and has made almost 100 appearances for them since first joining the club two years ago.

Until recently Manchester United have been favourites to sign Ramadel Falcao, but when commenting on this, the 27-year-old marksman said “I don’t know where that information has come from about me joining Manchester United. That’s part of the press”.

However, latest reports are suggesting that French Ligue 2 money-bags Monaco are in line to sign the Colombian forward this summer for a deal worth around £50 million, as they prepare for life in the French top-flight next season.

Monaco will not be participating in any European competitions next season, having only just been promoted. To convince Falcao to join the club, Monaco plan to include a clause which will allow him to leave cheaply if Real Madrid come calling during his stay in Southern France.

Atlético Madrid fans, meanwhile, will be hoping that Friday’s Copa Del Ray victory may convince their forward to stay at Vicente Calderon for one more year.

By Nick Munday – Tottenham fan - @nick_munday

However, can Moyes really make it at the biggest club in England after punching above his weight at Everton for so many years?

Tactically, Moyes has been limited to what players he can obtain and use to defeat opponents. He has a pattern of signing an experienced goalkeeper, solid back-four, strong central midfield, silky wingers and a target man with a skilful striker upfront. This has worked somewhat extraordinarily at Goodison Park, challenging for Europe and finishing above bitter rivals Liverpool seems unreal for the resources they have to hand.

Kevin Kilbane, who played with and under David Moyes, thinks the Scot has what it takes to succeed at Old Trafford:

So, is Moyes a great manager or is he just good with low budgets? Looking at some of his transfers over the last 11 years, he has signed some pure quality but has also signed some pure tosh that should have never got Premier League football. Marouane Fellaini (£15M), Tim Cahill (undisc), Mikel Arteta (£2m), Phil Neville (undisc), Tim Howard (undisc), Leighton Baines (undisc), Yakubu (£11.25M), Steven Pienaar (£2.05M), Seamus Coleman (undisc), Phil Jagielka (£4M), Sylvain Distin (undisc), Joleon Lescott (undisc) and Nikita Jelavic (undisc) are some of his best signings. But can you remember that he also bought Marcus Bent (£450K), Rodrigo (£1.25M), Per Koldrup (£5M), Richard Wright (£3.5M), James Beattie (£6M), Andy Johnson (£8.6M), Carlo Nash (undisc). Managers in the top division often find it hard to select the right type of talent because they have so much available to them, I think this could be the biggest downfall to Moyes’ United career.

On the other hand, Moyes has the right attitude, spirit and could motivate Frank Gallagher to give up the booze. Players like to play under him and he commands the dressing room well, much like Fergie himself. He has proved he can handle pressure during his first season, keeping Everton in the top division when they were relegation bound.

Personally, I want Moyes to be a success at United, he is a proper football manager that does his job because he loves what he does. However, I can see him getting starstruck by the size of Manchester United and freezing in the spotlight.

By Dan Noble - @danny_noble

I say this because watching Liverpool in their recent 6-0 mauling of Newcastle and draw with Everton they seem like a new side, granted these are two games but Suarez’s absence allowed manager Brendon Rodgers to play the tactics that the fans have been calling for.

Firstly it has allowed January signing Phillipe Coutinho the opportunity to play in a more central role and allowed him the central creative spotlight that he thrives in as seen in his playing days at Inter and Espanyol. This freedom and creativity allowed for another January signing Daniel Sturridge to make the incisions and runs that saw him score a brace against Newcastle last weekend.

Furthermore it has allowed players such as Henderson, Downing and even Fabio Borini the opportunity to shine a little bit more.  Whilst I believe that both Downing and Henderson will never live up to their price tags, they have been playing much better than usual as of late. This could be due to a different manager, different playing systems or simply because they are another year older and wiser however Henderson scored a brace against Newcastle as well as Downing providing two assists. There is a clear correlation between when Suarez plays and the effectiveness of the trio playing behind him, if there is one thing that Suarez could do to improve his play it is to better integrate with those around him and advance his link-up play.  Nevertheless early on in the season if you had taken Suarez out of Liverpool’s team mid November with his goals and assists, Liverpool would be bottom of the League on just two points.

Here’s the incident again:

With the horrors of Alberto Aquilani’s transfer to Liverpool still fresh in the minds of Liverpool fans, everyone doesn’t want to see Fabio Borini go the same way. The Suarez ban could not have come at a better time for the Italian as he recently recovered from injury. Whilst Borini is a different style of player to both Suarez and Sturridge he could provide an option for Rodgers on the bench, however he needs to play and Suarez’s absence could provide the opportunities Borini needs to prove himself.

Moreover the ban gives Suarez some much-needed R & R. The Uruguayan international has played non-stop for Liverpool this season, and Liverpool have found it very hard to cope without him at times in both the FA Cup and Europa League making it very hard for Rodgers to rest him. The ban allows Rodgers to rest Suarez whereas without it he would have struggled to give further opportunity to youngsters to show their talent.

In conclusion, Liverpool want to be back playing European football again. Suarez alone will not make that dream come true, and his recent ban gives opportunity to other players to step forward and make a name for themselves. Whilst Newcastle were abysmal on the day, it still is a testament to a team to put 6 past another at home. Also the recent draw against Everton could have gone differently if Liverpool had been more clinical with their chances. Whilst I agree that these are only two games, I feel Liverpool can really press on and accelerate their development a bit more, with or without Suarez.

By Harrison Mead - Newcastle fan - @Mead93/harrisonhuffs.blogspot.com

Even worse with the relegation battle this year is that the loser will miss out on the new bumper TV deals for Premier League clubs next season. The £5 billion contract to televise all Premier League games gives the top English division more money then ever before. Even a bottom half of the table club can look to make £40 million from the new deal.

Along with missing out on the new deals, clubs may also lose out commercially. These include their sponsorship deals which nowadays include relegation clauses meaning they pay out a lot less which in turn leads to a loss in revenue. This usually adds up to about a loss of £4 million for relegated clubs. It is harder to sell your club as an advertising board when you aren’t in the Premier League as well so newer and better deals are hard to come by.

One of the biggest impacts of being relegated is the decrease in crowds at games. For example, it’s a hell of a lot harder to sell a ticket to a Peterborough game (all due respect to Posh) then it is a Manchester United one. Teams such as Bolton, Wolves and Blackburn have all seen decreases in attendances of as much as 40%. To put it in perspective – that can equal the losses of several million pounds over the course of a season.

Thankfully, fans of Premier League sides don’t react like this when suffering relegation:

The biggest and hardest hitting impact of all is the wage bill. This will be most felt by QPR whose wage bill rocketed in a bid to stay in the Premier League. In January the club spent £23 million on bringing in Loic Remy and Christopher Samba, furthermore is that both are on wages upwards of £50,000 a week. The problem with this is that if no club looks to buy and match the wages of these players then they will be forced to stay at QPR and maintain their wages there at a time when the club is losing a lot of revenue. The biggest fear is that even if the players agree to cuts, the shortfall in the revenue in the Championship could cause QPR’s financial model to completely collapse into oblivion. The same can be said of Reading, however, they’re nowhere near in a much risk as QPR as they haven’t spent as much and didn’t gamble so aggressively.

Another worrying fear for clubs is their very own existence. Relegation from the Premier League can, in a worse case scenario, lead clubs on the slippery, slippery slope leading to administration. Portsmouth, who were F.A Cup winners in the same year they were relegated from the Premier League, suffered this fate, as you’re probably aware. This kickstarted a downfall that has seen Portsmouth end up in League Two this season following a winless streak that started in October 2012 and finished in February 2013.

However, it isn’t all doom and gloom for relegated clubs. There remains these ‘parachute payments’ meant to soften the blow of the loss of TV revenue. The figures work out at £48 million over the course of 4 years. With £16 million paid out in the first two years, followed by subsequent payments of £8 million over the other years (providing the club isn’t promoted). However these really don’t fill the void left by relegation and there is still a loss of £21 million from TV revenue streams.

Overall, relegation really is a matter of life or death for some clubs. It has reared its ugly head already taking Reading and QPR with it, but now has either Aston Villa, Newcastle, Wigan or Sunderland to be its final victim. Even if your side manages to bounce back immediatley from relegation there still remains a loss of £45 million. Will this be too much for these clubs? Only time will tell. But one thing is for sure, and has been repeated by numerous managers who have managed in both the Championship and Premier League, and that is that the Championship is an extremely hard league to get out of. But with the likes of Cardiff being promoted this season are we in for a new wave of promoted teams?

By Harrison Mead - Newcastle fan - @Mead93/harrisonhuffs.blogspot.com

For all the talk of how goal line technology will put an end to club debates, I would argue that it already has done. The technology at the disposal of many TV stations means that in most cases the debate is put to bed before it even starts – Robin van Persie’s goal against West Ham is not up for debate whether he is offside or not; the officials got it wrong and it’s there for everyone to see. Nobody can argue whether he was onside, because Sky already drew their lines within seconds of it being scored and the evidence is there to see. The question now becomes, what good is the technology that already kills the debate, if the clubs themselves can’t use it?

The reason “1966 and all that” is still being debated is because there weren’t cameras covering virtually every blade of grass. If there was, we’d have definitive proof of whether the ball crosses the line. Again the question becomes, if we in the audience can see the definitive proof, why should the clubs not be allowed to see it? The debate has already been taken away from us, and no-one seems to be complaining.

“Where does it stop?” is another debate I’ve heard for this, specifically that if we introduce goal line technology, we will have to introduce more technology. This doesn’t sit well with me, and I use rugby as the example – while not a regular rugby watcher, I have it on good authority that while similar technology has been in place for years, it hasn’t progressed further than to determine whether a try has been scored. Players are still cited for off-the-ball incidents after the game because the referee hasn’t seen them, and there is still room for major controversy and talking points after the game. Goal line technology has so far only been used to determine whether the ball has crossed the line, because that’s all it’s needed for. The same could, in theory, be applied with football in that its scope only is limited to whether the ball has crossed the line. Personally I hope that it does remain confined to that, but there is nothing to suggest that it will spread further.

Goal line technology will not necessarily slow down the game. Remember the Zidane-Materazzi incident? Who would like to stand up and say that they wish Zidane wasn’t given the red card? Sure, it spoilt the ending to a terrific career, but after it became clear that he head-butted Materazzi off the ball, there should only have been one decision. The game carried on, the referee’s attention was drawn to it as soon as an assistant saw the replay, and the correct call was made. No-one complained that the game had slowed down, no-one said it was the wrong decision, no-one debated whether he actually did it or not. The world moved on and mourned an idiotic way for a superstar to end his career.

It seems illogical to suggest that goal line technology should not be implemented just because it makes it harder for punters to debate aspects of the game. For one, there are an infinite number of topics to argue over – whose club is the best, the relative value of one player over another, the continuing hilarity supplied by Liverpool and Blackburn Rovers. Whenever I go to the pub to watch a game, I rarely actually hear debates over whether a goal actually crossed the line or not. Most debates centre around which club deserves to win it more, who played well and who needs to be sold; if there is a goal line incident, it’s usually forgotten about after a couple of days, once the next earth shattering controversy rears its head. As I said earlier, if there is an incident, the debate is usually already over before the game restarts.

The main reason I want goal line technology introduced is because it helps the referees. They – and linesmen – are the ones who bear the brunt of criticism if a goal is incorrectly given/not given. Once goal line technology comes in, they will have more definitive assistance and be able to make key decisions quicker. While it is easy to accept a decision if it goes for you, it is harder if it goes against you. If we can guarantee that a referee gets a decision right 100% of the time, why are we so afraid to implement it? Ultimately it doesn’t make any real difference to you or me whether the ball has crossed the line or not; it makes a huge difference to the clubs who could be relegated on the back of a controversial defeat or lose out on the title on goal difference. Even those in the middle could suffer in terms of money generated through final standings.

Goal-line technology can help everyone. While it is true that clubs lower down the leagues will struggle to afford to implement it, there will undoubtedly be plans in place for the FA or Carling Cups. Who’s to say that the FA won’t assist those lower down the ladder in getting the technology introduced (stop laughing at the back)? In all likelihood, it may be a while before it gets introduced into the Cup competitions while it remains so expensive. I doubt there will be any complaints as long as the rule applies to everyone.

All the arguments against goal line technology are a fallacy. There is nothing to suggest it will spread further, the debates have already been taken away from the punters, and in the end it doesn’t make a jot of difference to us. To the regular punter, football is still a form of entertainment. As long as the characters are doing their jobs, we are happy. Why should we stand in the way of progress if it means the arbitrators of our game have their lives made a little easier?

By Raj Devandran – Arsenal fan - @Muqabala1

I won’t natter on about how it will slow down football to the speeds of rugby, as it has been proven that hawk-eye takes a matter of seconds to relay its results to the referee, which is incidentally shorter than most appeals by players nowadays.

I will natter on about how the introduction of this technology will kill off football as the people’s game. How often do you hear people in the pub debating the latest refereeing error over a try in rugby? Rarely. How often is the pub alit with debate over the latest contentious decision in any sport, other than football? It isn’t.

This is why football is so popular. It brings people together. It briefly splits them over all manner of debate, but eventually it becomes a way of communication. Without goal-line technology, this debate remains alive and we can highlight some of the greatest debates of recent years, such as Luis Garcia v Chelsea in the Champions League and, of course, would England have beaten Germany had that Lampard ‘goal’ stood?

Of course, Hawk-Eye is only goal-line technology so it wouldn’t affect most decisions that become talking points. But is it silly to believe that, once Hawk-Eye is in place, it is only a matter of months before the first concepts to video replays are drawn up? I think not.

This would be the real tragedy that comes from Hawk Eye. Not only would we be starved of dubious goal-line decisions, but we would also be lacking in conversation about poor refereeing decisions, or unseen incidents. The plethora of pub talking points would become an endangered species, alongside the polar bear and wins for Leicester City.

This video replay addition to technology in football would be the thing that slows football down and this combined with Hawk-Eye would really kill off football as a common ground for people to talk about. Everyone can comment on goal-line decisions and poor tackles, but not everyone can comment on the form of Youssouf Mulumbu when he is playing against a strong centre-forward.

Hawk-Eye is not a bad idea in concept – I can see why serious gamblers, football clubs and certain others would desire it to be implemented – but it just doesn’t fit in with the idea of football being a sport to talk about. It is also a very costly system to put in place which, although it wouldn’t really affect Premier League clubs, it would be very hard to force clubs in the Championship and lower down the pyramid to fund it.

You could argue that this wouldn’t be an issue, just make it a Premier League only system. But what then for cup competitions? It may seem odd, but clubs would loathe to dealing with that inconsistency. Sometimes they will be playing with technology, and sometimes they wouldn’t. Would Hawk-Eye be used in European competitions? And what about International competitions? This facility seems an expensive option that won’t even have too much use. Video replays will have more of an effect, although they are extremely expensive to introduce, and would we want every decision being the focus of a 5-10 second delay?

I may be being melodramatic but: if the death of the people’s sport is what you want, back goal-line technology all the way. Support the game we love as it becomes a corporate money-maker, with the correct decisions being the only important thing. Hopefully, with Hawk-Eye looking a sure-thing now, it won’t come as far as video replays to support the referee. Everybody can do their thing by enraging pub debate further, by spreading this opinion, which I know many others share.

By Seb Segarra - @PitchsidePie - http://pitchsidepie.wordpress.com/

- Lick Simon Weston’s elbows

- Have my tits pinched by a crab

- Drink a pint of Rick Wallers arse gravy

There were some great suggestions put to clubs today to vote on – fairer distribution of wealth, play-off places, a single governing body – however, for whatever reason, they were accompanied by this mad stipulation that the league be formatted in this 12-12-18 structure that then split into 8-8-8 with beheadings at half-time and the final games of the season taking place in Wales on a Tuesday or whatever the fuck it was.

I’ve read some fans say that “it’s better than nothing” – well fist me to death if that isn’t the worst attitude to have;

“Would you like something to eat?”

“What do you have?”

“Arsehole flavoured Monster Munch”

“Well I suppose I better seeing as that’s the only option.”

It’s the mindset of absolute idiots and such narrow mindedness is precisely why the game in Scotland is in the condition it’s in.

Fans’ demands have been relatively simple – more even distribution of money, play-offs, bigger leagues and a single governing body, all the things that were on offer today. No one  asked for the wheel to be reinvented. Just for small changes to be made that’ll have real positive benefits for the game and start to bring fans back on a match day.

No one has sat in an Scottish Premier League ground and thought to themselves;

“You know what our game needs? Not one split but fucking loads of them. Splits all over the fucking shop. I want a split to happen every time someone says the word split. Splits all over the place.”

Incase you’re unsure what I’m on about, here’s a brief report on what was on the table but was rejected:

We’ve all sat in Scottish Premier League grounds and scratched our heads at why we’re playing St Johnstone for the eighth time this season or why the game is on a Gaelic channel that half the country doesn’t have access to. The current set up is more tedious than the story your senile relative tells you each and every time they see you, for years and years;

“Did I tell you about that time I found a Jaffa Cake shaped like Winston Churchill’s forehead?”

Aye gran, you did, but please continue.

The powers that be dangled the carrot of great changes like those mentioned above but with the stipulation that if clubs didn’t also accept the 12-12-18 format then essentially, they could get fucked if they thought they were getting all the other changes too.  Where does the game go from here? Do those in charge take a massive sulk and leave us to rot in the current format? Do other club owners act like Stewart Milne at Aberdeen and act like someone’s lit the fuse on their tampon? Do the fans continue to be ignored?

The leagues biggest problem is that fans are not coming along on match days due to the product on offer being worse than a striptease from your mum. Instead of being asked what we’d like to see we’re being told what we’ll get.

“I’d like a pint of lager please.”

“Here’s a Mars bar that I’ve rubbed up and down a tramps gooch instead.”

How do you get the fans back? Listen to them. Maybe not all of them, there will be some right arseholes out there but if clubs engage with fans on the issue, listen to what they’ve got to say and take that to the governing bodies then surely we’ll get some of the changes we’re desperately crying out for.

By Meestah Sahmon – Hearts fan - @meestah_sahmon/http://meestahsahmon.blogspot.co.uk/

It would be brilliant to get a lower tier seat for £35. It’s not overly expensive, it’s close to the action, and it’s easier to identify the players. But by the time tickets get to me, all those seats are gone. Those of us who can’t afford to/can’t see value in buying a membership (for me, it’s because I can’t see myself being able to afford enough tickets to make membership viable) are being punished by being asked to pay extortionate prices for games that aren’t as sexy as the Champions League or top-4 clashes.

This is why I agree with – and have signed – the Football Supporters Federation’s ‘Twenty Is Plenty’ petition. There is plenty I disagree with in regards to the Football Supporters Federation, particularly regarding Safe Standing Areas, but the petition – available at http://www.fsf.org.uk/petitions/20plenty/ – will help to at least reward those of us who go to away games. Every football player is effusive in praising away fans because they are usually louder than the home crowd. Another accepted truth is that only the really hard core fans go to away games. Clubs are now starting to punish their loyal fan base by asking them to pay money that most simply cannot afford to shell out on a regular basis. If this carries on, it won’t be long before we see £100 away tickets and allocations not being taken up on a regular basis.

While Arsenal got most of the criticism for their prices, especially in the build-up to the home game against Manchester City, it is worth noting that Chelsea also charged upwards of £50 for away fans, while other top clubs have been doing the same and having it go unreported. This is not sticking up for Arsenal; merely that they were unlucky to have been the ones called out. In any case, if enough people sign the Twenty Is Plenty petition then perhaps clubs will at least think about how much they are charging away fans. Perhaps they will try to subsidise the price of away tickets through home fans’ tickets.

Today’s ticket prices would make more sense in a world where the Premier League did not just sign a multi-billion pound sponsorship deal with Sky. With every passing year, gate receipts are becoming a smaller and smaller slice of the income each Premier League clubs earn, and clubs should start to reflect that in their prices. It’s not unreasonable for clubs to want to maximise their income, but to do so in an area that’s becoming less and less relevant does not make sense. There are other, more lucrative revenue streams to pursue, for example the pre-season tours around the world (and the associated merchandise sales), selling merchandise, player sales (and trying not to stock up on talented youngsters purely to spite opposition teams) and even, in the case of Trabzonspor, building a hydro-electric power plant.

Personally I don’t think the petition goes far enough; it shouldn’t just be away fans whose ticket prices are reduced. Tickets across the board should be reduced to allow the next generation of fans into the stadiums. The fact that the average age of a stadium-goer is mid-40s (and a white male, but that’s for a different day) tells its own story about how long it takes to get into a position to regularly attend games; today’s parents now cannot afford to take their kids to games, so it’s not just this generation lost because of the economic crisis. The next generation now will struggle to remember what it is like to attend a live match, and will have no compulsion to do it again. Before long, the home stands will either be empty or full of 80-90 year-olds accompanied by their carers.

But at least it’s a start. If we can persuade clubs to look at how much they charge away fans, perhaps a wider review will be conducted to seriously consider the importance of gate receipts and whether anything can be done to reduce prices across the board. Perhaps then more of us can see more games more often.

By Raj Devandran – Arsenal fan - @Muqabala1

Clarke had taken over a side that was stable and didn’t need much tinkering. The transfers he did were very good though. Claudio Yacob is a contender for bargain of the season while Romelu Lukaku could be considered for loan signing of the season and sealing the Ben Foster deal wasn’t a bad acquisition either. This shows the Scot has the ability to spot talent and within a budget, which is not a bad asset to have.

He has not only signed great players but improved them. Clarke has given youngsters like Izzy Brown, Callum Jones, Adil Nabi and George Thorne a match day experience with the first team. I think every player has improved since he joined the club but Lukaku has come on leaps and bounds under his guidance and that shows what he is capable of. First touch, hold up play and awareness have improved in the Belgian and it is no coincidence that he has done it over a period of time with Clarke coaching him.

People talk about the character of the side David Moyes has established at Goodison Park and rightly so but go north to the midlands and you will find a West Brom side built on the foundations of character and belief in each other. Everyone plays for each other and everything is done as a team. Players have signed new, long-term deals because of the feel good factor around The Hawthorns due to the team aspect of things.

I know what you’re thinking and, for the record, Odemwingie is an individual not welcome at the club. The fact that Steven Reid had an altercation with the want away striker shows how much the club means to some players. The likes of him, Brunt, Morrison, Thomas, Olsson, Mulumbu and Dorrans all played a part for the club while they were gaining promotion and becoming that stable Premier League club they have turned out to be.  Clarke has acted with dignity throughout the whole saga and not acted out of turn, giving his opinion but not going overboard while ensuring the saga does not retract from what has been a spell bounding season for the club and as he said the players that have worked hard to have a season like they have had deserve better than have just one man’s antics spoke about tirelessly. The Scot rightfully refused to continually answer questions on the ‘Tweeter’ and admitted if he had a bigger squad he wouldn’t have even travelled to Upton Park.

Now West Brom are a stable club, Clarke can build himself as a manager and stay for many years if he wishes. Yes the club could get relegated in a couple of years, it is possible especially with the budget they obtain but they could also continue as a stable, mid-table club and look towards Europe in a season or two with Clarke continually implementing his ideas and style on the players. See Fulham as a prime example.

However, there are reasons why the former West Ham, Liverpool and Chelsea assistant can’t become the baggies’ version of Moyes and mainly that would be down to his ambition as a manager himself.

While at Chelsea he had a job for life but left to find a new challenge and learn more, that sort of thinking will allow him to progress nicely throughout his career, sadly for West Brom though it will also mean one day Clarke may well become too big for them and he will move on to a bigger job.

When the Albion faced Chelsea at The Hawthorns Clarke was asked about Roberto Di Matteo winning the Champions League with the Blues. His response was one along the lines of being delighted for the club and Roberto but he also said that if he had stayed at Chelsea it could’ve been him leading the side out in Munich. However it leaves a gap that he now wants to fill – winning the Champions League, which would be his ultimate dream. That shows the ambition he has.

Steve Clarke still keeps in touch with Jose Mourinho and the two are still good friends. While his stock rises within the game as a manager and no longer a coach he will get offers from elsewhere and if Albion cannot satisfy his needs (European football etc) then the club could just be a stepping stone for the boss on his trail to success. That is no bad thing for the club and Clarke will no doubt have an affiliation to the side that gave him his first opportunity as the leader.

Of course, there is no guarantee that Clarke will become a great but he is on the path to it and the Baggies would love to hold on to his abilities. I feel that may be harder than it seems in a couple of season’s should they continue on their path to achievement.

So, in short, Clarke could well become the David Moyes of West Brom, he has it all in his locker, but the Baggies would have to continually progress and improve to please Clarke’s ambitious nature or he’ll find it elsewhere.

By Ashley Davies – West Brom fan - @TNC_Ash

What has emerged from the shadow of the former England captain was that the play has gotten significantly better since he arrived years ago. Most noticeably, the quality has significantly improved. Now, the coaches aren’t always parking the bus and trying to grind out a point. There’s more of an international feel to the league, not to the levels of the old NASL (North American Soccer League), but it has matured tactically and has reached new heights in that respect. Players are now getting snapped up by European sides. A couple of examples are Brek Shea who joined Stoke City and Sahii to Anderlecht.

What has emerged on the field, or pitch as you may call it, is the improved play of a couple clubs. Portland Timbers, and here’s a shock, Chivas USA, have impressed in particular. Another side that deserves a lot of credit is out east the leader in the standings with a full nine points, the Montreal Impact.

All pre-season we were told and shown that Chivas USA were building ‘an anti-American team’. They sold and released everyone (apart from Goalkeeper Dan Kennedy) who didn’t speak Spanish, and then picked up a few players from parent club Chivas Guadalarra. Low and behold El Chelis actually knows how to manage in this league. He literally took FC Dallas apart and tied with the two time cup winners Los Angeles Galaxy in their Derby.

Staying out west, Jason Kreis with the Real Salt Lake Club has been going through his roster also and attempting to rebuild after their 2009 MLS Cup victory. A good majority of his players have made way for younger talent and they’re still in the top of the league, getting four points in three games. It’s by no means a great return, but it’s just above the play-off line (top five in each conference get in), which is promising.

Portland Timbers have developed an attacking mentality this year. While they’ve still not won their first match under ex-USA Under 23 coach Caleb Porter, they’ve shown that they can attack and are a real threat on occasions. Porter seems to have converted Darlington Nagbe into a dangerous attacking midfielder. Nagbe is definitely one to keep an eye on.

Out in the East, the talk all winter was about New York Redbull and how they’ll do this campaign under new manager Mike Petke. He’s certainly got an outstanding squad to pick from. Throughout the first month Petke’s side drew a lot and seemed to lose their heads and fade massively in games. It was all too easy. This is a side that has Thierry Henry, Fabian Espindola and Tim Cahill, but for some reason they are still in the bottom half of the East, sitting close with another team which the media slobbered all over – Chicago Fire.

Here’s a few goals from the season so far:

What has been apparent in the east this year is that many teams didn’t go through any changes but are still near the top. Ok, so Montreal and Philadelphia started the season with different managers than they had at the start of last year, but they are first and second place respectively.

What we have also seen in the East is that early MLS big guns DC United may be back to how they used to be. Carlos Ruiz, a player who has bounced in and out of the MLS, has come back but he’s back-up and gets a lot of media attention. DC United have had to play the first couple games of the season without Dwayne De Rosario, their star man, due to suspension. They’re above the play-off line though. It’s early days, but they’ll be confident still.

It’s the start of the season and the table will change a lot, as it would do in any league, but the signs are good and its been very entertaining so far. The standout positive is the fact that the quality seems to have improved immensely, even without David Beckham. He did great things and played a part in taking the league to the next level, but the MLS is growing still and will continue to do so without him.

By Stephen Brandt – Liverpool fan - @StephenCBrandt

The fact of the matter is, they’re better than homegrown players.

We’ll use Pardew as an example. He has done a textbook job at Newcastle. One of the remarkable things about him is that he is a scout and a manager.

He was one of the first to realise that Ligue 1 had true quality. Premier League quality. Look at the examples.

Marseille were making noises as to the imminent departure of Loic Remy. The Montpellier president, Louis Nicollin, sounded resigned as to the fates of Mapou Yanga-M’Biwa and Olivier Giroud. Matthieu Debuchy being selected as the first choice right back for France’s Euro 2012 campaign. Yann M’Vila was making ‘come and get me’ pleas. What do they have in common? They have all been snapped up by top clubs. They are all plying their trade on a bigger stage.

Meanwhile, the dreaded Liverpool trio Andy Carroll, Stewart Downing and Jordan Henderson were distinctly unimpressive for their club. Andy Carroll was showing signs of improvement at Euro 2012, but has failed to make the grade, and is forced to watch Danny Sturridge consistently improve. Jordan Henderson is now virtually non – existent, as Jonjo Shelvey continues to shine. And Stewart Downing has had to accept that Raheem Sterling is ahead of him in the pecking order. Why? Not because Brendan Rodgers prefers youth, although to extent he does. It’s because they are not good enough.

This is no disrespect to the likes of Chris Smalling and Phil Jones. They are steadily improving and maturing, especially when you consider where they were last year. No doubt Sir Alex Ferguson will take some credit for that. But sadly for homegrown talent they have been the exception, not the rule.

This goes right down to the very grassroots of football, to when your Stewart Downing’s and your Andy Carroll’s were kids. But that has already been analysed and over-analysed.

I will say this though. Remember Jon Stead? That bright young up-and-comer? The player who single handedly rescued Blackburn from the drop in ’04? He plays for Bristol city.

English players may start with a bang, but they go out with a whimper.

By Olly O’Carroll - Man City fan - @OllyOCarroll

This week saw the withdrawal of Rio Ferdinand from the England squad, the latest in a long list of sagas involving the FA and the England squad, in particular – the second involving Ferdinand in a short space of time. The first of course being when England manager Roy Hodgson discussed his selection policy openly with a man on the London tube, before mentioning anything to the players themselves; which was preceded by his refusal to select Ferdinand for ‘footballing reasons’. It could have been worse. Like in ’08, when then England manager Steve McLaren refused to select ex-captain David Beckham, before performing a rather ridiculous u-turn when his campaign to reach the European Championship was all but dead. Whilst I’m sure Roy Hodgson won’t re-call Rio in the future, never mind in a futile attempt to resuscitate his respective World Cup campaign; these continuous blunders do beg a question. Will they ever end?

To answer that, I believe we must look at the root of the problem. And that root, begins at the doorsteps of the FA Headquarters. I’m sure when they appointed Hodgson, they saw an end to the errors of years gone past. Capello’s persevering and often reckless attitude – picking unfit players whilst omitting those players who’s form was red-hot. Then there’s Sven-Goran Eriksson’s inclusion of an inexperienced teenager in a World Cup squad. A decision which Eriksson himself later admitted to be “not too logical”. Hodgson could have been different; he was the man who the FA seen to be risk-free, and a man who wouldn’t tell them the truth, if it wasn’t what they wanted to hear. Perhaps this was a bad decision, in hindsight.

England have been poor since 1966. Whether they’ve been below poor, is debatable. A few semi-finals isn’t quite what you would expect from the hosts of the, often self proclaimed, greatest league in the world. Where did this lack of success come from? It could have, and should have been so different. An obsessive culture developed after ’66, and that obsession was with winning. No real progress was made, it was simply thought that success; much like loss, was part of the process. And it would come eventually. Perhaps that is the case, and it is still to come. But I would imagine nations like the Netherlands, Spain and Italy would have something to say about that. Massive strides have been taken in recent times to improve the Premier League, and it has unquestionably became as impressive as ever. However, these strides have been taken whilst other nations are giving birth to the footballing philosophies which are now dominant and idolised across the modern game. Total Futbol, Tiki-Taka, Catenaccio; all spawned by European nations with a different way of doing things to the English. These nations are the sorts who produce technical, specialist players; the false number nine’s and regista’s of the footballing world. Andrea Pirlo, Wesley Sneijder, Xavi; the list could be endless. This all goes on whilst the English produce all-round footballers. Frank Lampard, James Milner, Steven Gerrard; and this is still evident today with the likes of Phil Jones having fairly recently played Premier League games in several different positions whilst Marco Verratti has been molded into one of the finest regista’s in Europe, at the young age of 20. Don’t allow my lamenting of the English developmental system to deter you though, all of the afore mentioned players are tremendous, but the way they have been produced couldn’t be more different. Instead of focusing their energies on producing songs regarding ‘football coming home’, the men in charge of English football might have been better looking outside of their home; and picked up some winning methods from their European neighbours.

Compare and contrast the amateur and professional leagues of Holland with their English equivalents and you will notice something. Across the board in the Netherlands, the facilities are better. Perhaps the glamour of the Premier League will outweigh that of the Eredivisie, but if you were to compare Dutch eighth-tier side Enschedese Boys with Dulwich Hamlet an English side of the same level; I can assure you some surprising results. The KNVB (Royal Dutch Football Association) pump around €1Billion back into the game each year. Only 10% of which is provided by the government, the other 90% is contributed by respective local authorities around the country. English television rights sell for over £3Billion each year. Less than 5% of which is given by the Premier League to help benefit grassroots development. Competition is merely a factor across Holland. Whereas for many English schoolkids it will be drilled in at a young age as the only option, with anything less being regarded as failure; a sad thought. The gulf between professional and amateur youth sides is nothing like that of England, too. With regular games being played out between eighth-tier youth sides and those who will go on to play at the top-tier. The frenzy that was produced from Daniel Carr being given a trial at Liverpool wouldn’t have happened in the Netherlands, not even close. Different cultures breed different habits and different social norms, but after a quick look at the end products, I know which culture I’d like my future son to be brought up in.

There are a multitude of problems that at times threaten to engulf the English game. Continuous outsourcing of top players by Premier League sides has led to an often apathetic youth football setup, which will come back to punish the FA in itself. Last week Gareth Southgate, Head of Elite Development for the FA until July 2012, said live on ITV’s highlights show “I’m not convinced by [Mats] Hummels”. Whilst I’m sure he has since come to regret such a statement, it is laughable that a man who until last year held such a prestigious position at the FA could fail to recognise the undeniable talent that a player like Hummels has. In 2011 UEFA made a recommendation to the Football Association to adopt the Netherlands network of football development, were they interested in reproducing the kind of success that had been seen there in recent times. Whether they will ever see sense, is another matter entirely.

I cannot guarantee that an upheaval of English grassroots development will bring trophies, in the same way I cannot guarantee that the current flock of players will fail to deliver a trophy in coming years; the only thing I can assure you of is that the current Rio Ferdinand fiasco is not the last problem that will be sparked by the negligence of the FA.

By James Leveratto - @FalseNumberNine

Fitting Fabregas into the Barcelona team was a concern raised by many before the club finally succeeded in bringing the former-La Masia player back in 2011. The trio of Xavi, Iniesta and Busquets seemed to be so complete, and with Xavi not retiring for a few years yet (he recently extended his contract until 2016) there seemed no easy place for Cesc in the line. Pep Guardiola, a long term believer in Fabregas’ skills, tried numerous ways to fit the player in, adopting a 3-4-3 formation or moving Iniesta to a less effective position out on the left wing, but as yet neither has yet superseded the 4-3-3 or Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets trio. And despite his continued successes in the national team, Fabregas has been on the receiving end of criticism from the Camp Nou faithful.

To be fair to Fabregas, he has chipped in with a few goals since arriving at Barca:

While his talents as a midfield player are beyond question, there is substance to the frustration that is being directed towards the young Spaniard. Two things were evident in the remontada against Milan. Firstly the pace of the ball circulation and tiki-taka passing that has been crucial to this side for the past few years had returned after they had been sluggish and inaccurate in the games against Madrid and in the first leg at the San Siro. Secondly, with deployment of Alves and Pedro down the flanks and David Villa as a bonafide centre forward to stretch the pitch horizontally and vertically, Messrs Xavi, Iniesta and  Messi were afforded the space and time to reek havoc and pick apart the Italian back four. Here in lies the root cause of Fabregas’ problems at Barca. Some are of his own making, in other cases he is a victim of his environment. Whether included in place of Xavi, in a 3-4-3 or with Iniesta moved out the the left, the extra midfielder slows down the possession circulation and forces the play almost exclusively through the middle. With the four midfielders, plus Messi dropping in to a number 10 position, the attacks become ponderous and predictable and it takes little imagination for the opposition to defend stoutly across the top of the 18 yard box and wait to take advantage of the counter-attack. We can lament about anti-football as much as we like, but with an over-populated midfield, Barca contribute healthily to some very turgid football. Simply put, this team is more effective with two wingers and 3 midfielders.

However, despite a lot of talk about the Barcelona system, there is a fair degree of flexibility in it. Indeed Pep Guardiola often used Seydou Keita as a box-to-box midfielder when a little extra industry was called for, so why has it been so much more difficult to include Cesc? Here, perhaps, we can lay some of the blame at his feet. Despite having been back in Spain for almost two full seasons now, Fabregas remains far too ponderous on the ball, he does not pick his passes quick enough and that allows the opposition to return to rank-and-file defence. And whilst he was brought to the club to offer them more directness and attacking intent in midfield, his desire to find a killer ‘Hollywood’ ball, something fostered during his time in England, often means he gives away possession, the ultimate sacrilege. And, finally, when he first joined a lot was made of the fact that he is more attacking than Xavi, the man he would eventually hope to replace. In and of itself, that is no great problem – Iniesta is far more of an attack-minded player than his midfield partner and Xavi himself is a more offensive player than Pep Guardiola, the man he himself replaced. However, Cesc Fabregas’ stumbles stifle those around him. He does not have the dribbling skills to open up spaces like Iniesta and his desire to drift forwards has led to criticism that he limits the creativity of Leo Messi. Cesc has the skills to succeed at Barca, but he will have to adapt his game to compliment those that already fit into the team.

By Jacob Moffatt - @jacobmoffatt

Perhaps you and your long term partner, trapped in the death grip of a loveless relationship tried to give things one last go at a caravan park in the Lake District. Or maybe you took your God awful little shits on a budget holiday to Croatia where your teenage daughter made eyes at the waiter and got several digits slipped up her while you were asleep.

Those north of the border spent their summer slightly differently. We spent what felt like a lifetime being told;

THIS IS THE END OF SCOTTISH FOOTBALL.

Rangers, one half of The Old Firm, had just been kicked so hard up the arse by the governing bodies that, if they were a person, their pelvic bone would have turned to to a fine paste and they’d have been eligible to claim disability benefits. We were told each and every day that this was armageddon for the rest of us. Life as we knew it was about to descend into anarchy – dogs and cats would live in harmony, blood would pour from the sky, Michelle McMannus would get herself in shape – it was all going to go to shit.

Except it’s not really turned out that way.

This season’s SPL has arguably been one of the most interesting, and for those who don’t support Dundee or Celtic, closely contested in recent memory. Fourteen points seperate the team in second from the team in 11^th, with everyone in between still having the opportunity to make it into the top 6 and even claim a european spot. In previous years by this point in the season it’d be all but decided who would claim top spot with one or two teams fighting it out for 3^rd. Had Celtic not found a bit of form and pulled away from the rest of the pack, there was a point in time where they looked like losing top spot. It’s not very often you can say that about the SPL.

We’ve been fortunate enough to see the emergence of a very accomplished Inverness Caley Thistle team this season. Scoring goals for fun, knocking Rangers out of the cup and currently sitting 3^rd in the league, just three points behind Motherwell. Billy McKay, who some of us didn’t even know was a real person, has been banging in the goals. 18 isn’t too shabby a return for a player not at either half of the Old Firm.

Introducing Robbie Savage and his view on the SPL:

If we’re talking about goals though, it’s only right to mention the man with right angles on his head – Gary Hooper. The box headed striker has scored 24 goals this season and again has many asking if he could do the business in England. We all know that there’s a world of difference between scoring in Scotland and England – it’s like going out in Dundee every weekend and getting your end wet then trying to get your hands on a lovely ladies salmon purse at the playboy mansion. He could do it but it’s a case of him finding the right club and Celtic caving in and selling their prized asset.

There’s a league cup final on the horizon, not featuring either half of the Old Firm and the Scottish Cup could potentially again be contested by two clubs not from Glasgow. Perhaps the standard of football hasn’t been as pleasing on the eye as some might like but this is Scotland. You pay your money to be able to sit and abuse some arsehole with a daft haircut for 90 minutes, not to see some roaster on 90,000 a week try not pass to any of his team mates.

The only black mark on the season so far? Talk of changes to the league structure. The ideas being floated about are more stupid than my friend Doog’s idea to freeze a fart in a jam jar when he was 15 so he could eat it like a terrible smelling ice lolly. Scottish football absolutely needs change but we need to lose this idea that the zanier the idea the better. The only people who want to see leagues split into 3 or 4 are the kind of people who’d put their phone on vibrate, put it down the back of their pants them phone themselves from a landline.

The game is flirting with the idea of moving in the right direction. The next few months could make or break the game up north. Here’s hoping they get things right.

By Meestah Sahmon – Hearts fan - @meestah_sahmon/http://meestahsahmon.blogspot.co.uk/