As the start of the new Premier League season fast approaches fans will be busy assessing their club’s activities in the transfer window. Supporters of West Ham United would have noticed that their club has been busier than most this summer, adding five new players to Avram Grant’s squad. Despite the foibles of West Ham’s co-owners they have honoured their pledge to back the new manager with funds in the transfer market. Their activities will have Hammers fans quietly confident of an improved showing this campaign. Senior players at the club, including its captain Matthew Upson have expressed their view that the squad looks its strongest for a few seasons. But as the club has failed in their attempts to sign high-profile players such as Yakubu, Loic Remy and Neymar are they still a few signings away from where they would like to be?

The first positive to draw from this summer is that talk of a fire sale at Upton Park has not materialised. Previous transfer windows have seen West Ham fans collectively breathing a sigh of relief that their best players had not been sold. Despite reported interest from Stoke in Carlton Cole and Mark Noble and Spurs’ bid for Scott Parker the owners remain adamant that the core of the team will not be disbanded. The club’s reported interest in ageing stars such as Riquelme, Pires and Beckham have not bore fruit. However this will come as some relief to fans who feared an influx of ‘geriatricos’ would be brought to the Boleyn if only for the replica shirt sales.

Avram Grant’s first summer signing was the former Villan, Thomas Hitzlsperger. ‘The Hammer’ is an all-rounder who can be expected to bring some added steel and experience to the midfield, helping to close out games and contribute offensively too. Extra creativity in midfield has been acquired through the acquisition of Mexican international Pablo Barrera. The youngster was used as a substitute in the World Cup but is blessed with pace, good close control and accurate crossing ability. As a natural winger he should bring much needed width to the side which never compensated for the loss of Matthew Etherington.

However after last season defence and attack were always likely to be the key areas of concern for West Ham. A vast number of fans were left bemused by the club’s decision to release Guillermo Franco and Ilan. Both forwards had impressed with timely goals especially Ilan whose diving header at Goodison Park to clinch a 2-2 draw lifted spirits at the club immeasurably. Frederic Piquionne has been signed from Olympique Lyonnais for a fee of £1 million and will team up with Avram Grant for a second time following his loan spell at Portsmouth last season. He will add depth to the forward line but is unlikely to bring a plethora of goals having never been prolific during his career. Fans therefore may still be craving for a quick, skilful forward who can net fifteen plus goals whilst former a partnership with Cole. The club have seemingly missed out on capturing Remy and have decided against signing the portly Milton Caraglio.

In defence the club have secured the services of Tal Ben Haim on loan and announced the signing of Kiwi defender, Winston Reid earlier today. Reid is aerially strong and whilst Ben Haim has earned a reputation for making clumsy challenges, both players can play at full back which will strengthen the club’s defensive options. Julien Faubert and Jonathan Spector were both exposed last season after being far too casual in defence.

Typically of West Ham’s co-owners, transfer dealings have frequently been conducted with a degree of hyperbole. When the club’s website referred to being close to signing a “young international who represented his country to distinction at the 2010 Fifa World Cup,” thoughts drifted to Mesut Ozil before it transpired to be Reid. It has been a broadly successful transfer window but Hammers fans will be hoping for at least one more signing that would signal the club’s renewed hope and ambition ahead of the 2010/11 season.

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With the PL season nearly upon us, let’s see the WAGS that will be keeping the players on their toes. Click on image to VIEW gallery

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Manchester United’s youth side from the early-to-mid ‘90s was something of a football phenomenon. Dubbed ‘Fergie’s Fledglings’, four of the starting XI who played in United’s 3-2 Youth Cup victory over Crystal Palace in 1992 would become fully-fledged internationals and go onto play a major part in United’s success throughout the next decade.

David Beckham, Gary Neville, Nicky Butt and Ryan Giggs were their names and the quartet went onto break into the United first-team following their success at youth level, while Paul Scholes and Philip Neville followed shortly after. Over 1,500 appearances between them later and Scholes, Neville and Giggs are still at the club helping Ferguson’s latest batch of youngsters to come through the ranks.

When United lost the opening game of the 1995/96 season to Aston Villa 3-1, Sir Alex Ferguson was widely criticised for relying on such young players following a summer clear-out at the club. With an average age of just 24, The Red Devils went onto overturn Newcastle’s 14-point lead at the top of the table to finish the season with the Premier League and FA Cup Double to prove their doubters wrong.

Following the sale of Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid for a world record £80m in the summer of 2009, Sir Alex was widely expected to splash the cash to reinforce his squad in an attempt to land a record fourth successive league title. Ferguson however invested little and once again switched his focus to developing the club’s youth players. He has opted to look to the future again this summer, refusing to buy over-priced players in the current financial environment:

“We’re looking at something different. We’ve signed Chris Smalling for £10m, Javier Hernández for £6m and Mame Biram Diouf for £4m and a bit. People clamouring for big signings are missing the point; £20m is a lot of money to spend on young players, but that’s what we like to do – get players who are going to develop in the club, because the long-term view has got to be important here.”

The trio of Smalling from Fulham, Mexican forward Javier Hernandez and 20-year-old Bebe, along with Diouf (on loan at Blackburn), are all aiming to make an impact in the Premier League this season. They join the likes of Brazilian twins Fabio and Rafael, defender Jonny Evans and Federico Macheda who have already began to take small steps towards regular football at Old Trafford.

But can Ferguson’s latest bunch of youngsters emulate Manchester United’s class of ’92? It’s certainly a tall order. The most successful player from that youth side is Ryan Giggs who is now the most decorated player in Premier League history with 11 league titles, as well as four FA Cups and two Champions League medals to his name. Should one of Ferguson’s young protégés go on to win half that amount then they would have had an extremely successful career.

It has now become increasingly difficult for youth team players to break into first-team Premier League squads in football’s current climate of mega-rich owners who spend millions each year on fresh talent. We are unlikely to ever again see a group of young players come through the ranks like United’s in 1992. Ferguson is building the modern day equivalent however, importing the best foreign talent to forge a side that could dominate the league for the next decade.

SAF has already tipped Jonny Evans to eventually take over from Nemanja Vidic, who is 29 in October, in the heart of United’s defence. While 20-year-old Smalling is viewed as the long-term replacement for Rio Ferdinand who managed just 13 league games last term after suffering from back and groin problems.

Identical twins Rafael and Fabio, who play right and left-back respectively, have been labelled as Brazil’s answer to Gary and Phil Neville (with a bit more flair!). Rafael started many games ahead of Neville and Wes Brown last season, making 16 appearances in total, while his brother Fabio has seen his United career disrupted by injury. But both are expected to make an impact this season in the full-back positions despite their compeition. United’s young striking options are also frightening with Danny Welbeck and Diouf both gaining experience on loan at Premier League clubs this season. Italian-born Macheda announced himself to the rest of the league with a wonderful injury-time winner against Aston Villa in April 2009 and is widely expected to feature regularly after an injury-hit season last time around.

The most exciting talent perhaps is ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez who scored on his debut for the club during pre-season and the two subsequent fixtures after. The 22-year-old then scored on his competitive debut in the Charity Shield against Chelsea and made his Premier League debut a few days later as a replacement for Wayne Rooney against Newcastle. The livewire striker has excited fans with his pace, skill and commitment and the young striker has already scored over 30 goals in 80 appearances for United and former club Guadalajara in Mexico.

With Wayne Rooney, Nani and Anderson still yet to enter the prime of their careers the future looks bright for United and their up-and-coming stars. Only Ferguson knows if they have the potential to emulate the success of his 1992 squad but he will be quietly confident of their chances to continue United’s period of dominance for a few years yet.

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Are Sir Alex’s concerns justified?

Did Bellamy finally meet his match?

West Ham United co-owner David Gold has admitted that there is no chance of former England captain David Beckham moving to Upton Park.

In the summer, Gold had hinted that he was keen to bring the former Manchester United and Real Madrid star to the east end of London, but Beckham has not replied to the Hammers' offer.

"It was a possibility and we really did try to get him, but we have not heard back," Gold told the Sunday Express. "It would appear he has gone on to other things and now we have to move on too."

Meanwhile, England manager Fabio Capello appears to have performed a U-turn and has refused to rule out an international return for Beckham.

Before England's friendly victory against Hungary earlier this month, Capello had appeared to suggest that Beckham's international career was over.

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However, the Italian coach has now admitted he will give the 35-year-old a chance to recover from his current Achilles problem before considering him for selection.Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

Blackburn Rovers boss Sam Allardyce has told Steven N’Zonzi to forget about all the plaudits he won last season and concentrate on improving his game.

The former Amiens star was voted last term’s player of the season but Allardyce has not been impressed with his attitude in the opening month of the current campaign.

The former Bolton Wanderers and Newcastle United manager said of the 21-year-old:“I don’t think he’s been unlucky, I just don’t think he’s played to the level he played last year. That’s the reason why he hasn’t put himself in the side.

“Vince Grella, who struggled last year because of injuries, has kept himself a little bit fitter and is now getting himself in the frame a little bit more. That puts pressure on Steven.

“Steven’s a young man who’s gone home in the summer and, for me, has come back and thinks it’s just going to happen.

“Young lads do that. He’s got a kick up the backside, taken it in the chin and, when he gets back in to the team, he can show me he is back to his normal self.”

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Liverpool chairman Martin Broughton has confirmed manager Roy Hodgson could be bought out of his contract should the club be sold.

With New England Sprts Venture expected to take the ailing Premier League side on, Broughton has admitted a clause was placed in the former Fulham coach's contract when he joined in the summer.

It has been reported that Hodgson would receive a £3million lump sum should any new owners decide they want a new man at the helm, pouring uncertainty on his future.

"Roy knew when he signed from Fulham that we were in the process of finding new owners," he revealed.

"He was fully reconciled with the possibility there would be an ownership change and the risk involved with that.

"With that in mind, provisions were made in Roy's contract to relate specifically to any change in ownership."

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Argentina international Carlos Tevez may be rested for this week's Europa League clash between Manchester City and Lech Pozna, according to boss Roberto Mancini.

The 26-year-old has featured in 11 of City's 13 games in all competitons so far, with Sunday's brace in the 3-2 at Blackpool bringing his goal tally for the season up to seven.

He has now netted a remarkable 30 goals in 43 appearances for City since arriving at Eastlands in the summer of 2009 and has done much to lift his side up to second in the Premier League table.

Mancini said:"I will probably rest Carlos on Thursday or Sunday (against Arsenal). I will speak with Carlos and we will decide.

"Out of the two games, there will probably be one where Carlos will stay on the bench, because he needs to recover.

"Carlos is a key player for us, but then for us all the players did well at Blackpool. There were other good performances as well as Carlos.

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"Manu Adebayor worked so hard, probably the defenders were tired by the time (David) Silva came on. Silva is also very important for us. He's a fantastic player."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

Liverpool’s recently appointed Director of football, Damien Comolli, is not one to shy away from blowing his own trumpet. He claims credit for the recent successes of the Spurs team, particularly the uncovering of Gareth Bale. Having been in charge of recruitment for three years at Spurs from September 2005- October 2005, it is no wonder that the majority of the team are players he has signed. Especially given that this was a period of strong investment in the transfer market by Tottenham. His claims, although debatably credible, expose a lack of professionalism and hunger for media attention for the man now at the helm of Liverpool’s transfer policy. When surely the club are wishing to turn attention away from the backroom staff and running of the club and onto positive events on the field.

It also shows an extremely selective memory, neglecting such expensive failures as Darren Bent and David Bentley, Tottenham’s two most expensive signings. Other players bought to the club that have evaded Comolli’s memory consisted of Hossam Ghaly, Ricardo Rocha, Gilberto and Dorian Dervite to name but a few. Such an expansive but scattered transfer policy was bound to bring in a few gems that have gone on to establish themselves in the first team. But the long list of failings in such a short space of time suggests Comolli is not the shrewd recruiter of talent he would have us believe.

Under Martin Jol there was a clear emphasis to bring in young British talent to the club in order to build for the future. This could go some way to explaining why Comolli’s signings at Spurs are only now beginning to flourish given time and correct management. And perhaps given a different brief at Liverpool i.e. to find players that would immediately improve the first team; he could prove beneficial in the short term given his eye for talent. As his successful signings at Spurs, which he is more than happy to point to, suggest he does possess. However aside from the less than successful players mentioned he also resided over the recruitment of two strikers each costing over £13m, Darren Bent and Roman Pavlyuchenko. They were subsequently deemed by two successive managers, Ramos and Redknapp, unable to play together at a time when they were the only recognised senior strikers in the squad. Although it is unclear who is entirely to blame for this scenario, it seems to me that a Director of football should recruit players to fill the positions needed and should know how they can fit in to the existing. The failure to address the departure of Michael Carrick, that so badly affected a team that was a lasagne-gate away from qualifying for the Champion League in 2004, has got to be seen as a huge transfer failure. Especially if Zokora was intended as that replacement, given his game is completely different of that of Carrick’s.

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The most baffling transfer scenario that developed during Comolli’s time at Tottenham was the failure to address the problem on the left wing. A problem admittedly that Spurs had had for a few years before his arrival. But I find it hard to believe that neither Jol nor Ramos told the Director of football that this was a position they needed to fill by entering the transfer market. Yet instead of a left winger or even left sided midfielder Spurs became flooded with mediocre central midfielders such as Murphy, Ghaly, Boateng, O’Hara who were all forced to play out on the left and therefore never got the opportunity to show what they could really do. Right back was the other position where Comolli’s scattered transfer policy was overindulged, with Hutton Chimbonda, Corluka and Gunter all coming to the club in the space of two years. Seeing as Hodgson seems to be doing a reasonable job of signing central midfielders that are not going to set the world alight in Poulsen and Miereles. Liverpool fans should be concerned with the possibility of a high influx of young right backs to settle their problems in front of goal.

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After a quite frankly pathetic showing at Wembley on Wednesday night against France, England have a lot of soul-searching to do. I was slightly aggrieved that England even pulled one goal back against a French side who, for much of the game looked as if they were playing a different sport. What was perhaps more disturbing was the amount of young faces in a side that were completely outclassed, and it left me wondering, was will become of England, not at the Euros in 2012, but at the World Cup in Brazil in 2014?

There is undoubted talent in the English ranks in the guise of players like Jack Wilshere and Andy Carroll, and they need to be utilised effectively if England are going to succeed once the last of the ‘golden generation’ have hung up their international boots, as the likes of Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard have most probably only got one more major tournament left in them. So now must surely be time to at least have one eye on our national side’s future?

If that is what the dreadful performance against France was all about, then I can just about stomach it, because after all, most great sides have to go through their teething stage, especially at international level, and through giving young players the experience on the biggest stage, Capello may well be doing the right thing. However, something tells me that wasn’t what was on his mind in the selection for the team last night.

The problem is; the future of England and the future of Capello are not bound together. He probably thinks of England’s future post-2012 about as much as England fans contemplate what Capello is going to do after his contract runs out, because even if England win Euro 2012, the most likely outcome is that Capello will still leave. The selection of youth at Wembley on Wednesday night was born more out of necessity than of a desire to give fledgling English talent a chance to gel together, and this is worrying.

After the debacle of South Africa, if we don’t begin to make provisions for life after Capello and after Euro 2012, the world cup in Brazil may go the same way… if we make it there.

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Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini has spoken of his belief that December will be a 'very, very important' month.

Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal all face each other in the next few weeks and on Sunday Spurs host the title holders at White Hart Lane. However, City do not face any of these and this weekend's fixture is bottom placed West Ham at Upton Park.

And should they beat the Hammers they will go joint top with Arsenal who play United at Old Trafford. The side's manager admits it is a great opportunity, but wants his players to focus on underlining their title credentials by getting maximum points from their matches.

He has also spoken of how the Premier League has been 'very strange' this season, as all the top-four teams have only three points between them, but also added that things might changing as soon as the Champions League starts again.

The Italian also added how important December's fixtures will be to City's progress.

"We are not playing against those three, but we are still playing against strong teams.

"It's more important that we play well against West Ham and win if possible.

"We must look at ourselves and win these games against West Ham and then Everton. West Ham, Everton and Newcastle are very difficult games for us."

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City will be without top scorer Carlos Tevez and new defender Aleksandar Kolarov, who are both serving suspensions. Mancini's other defensive issue, Kolo Toure – who felt a tightness in his calf against Bolton – appears to be resolved as he is likely to start.

West Ham's Swiss midfielder, Valon Behrami, has hip problem and faces a fitness test. Mark Noble (hip) will be out until the new year.Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

With the sudden and completely unexpected onset of the same weather we had last year, the general confusion over which, if any SPOTY nominees actually constituted sportsmen and early reports of leaves on the line at Penge, sport seems to have been cancelled for the foreseeable future. With this in mind now seems as good a time as any to gather our thoughts for the new year and one thought I’ve been having rather recurrently – and fittingly for the panto season – regards an old phenomena that’s been steadily rising in popularity these last 12 months.

Booing has undergone somewhat of a populist revival (or resurrection if you will) at English football grounds of late, and despite its ever increasing ubiquitous-ness, it’s still an issue which divides fans. The main contention being its appropriateness or in short – the question of whether it is something real fans should do? (which I of course realise isn’t that short at all).

Of course ‘Things that real fans should and shouldn’t do’ is a contentious, constantly shifting and deeply hypocritical tome anyway, and one which can consist of up to 15 directly contradictory things at any one time. Hating and booing opposition players is a given, the level of hatred depending on many factors but it’s suffice to say that any Liverpool fan should on no account ever admit to quite liking Gary Neville’s beard. Willingness (or at least pretend willingness) to put your devotion to a group of well toned physically fit men in coloured uniforms ahead of any loyalty to your loving family is also mandatory, along with the constant threatening abuse of the referee, regardless of his actual performance and the disapproval and non-use ever, ever, ever of cheap elongated plastic horns.

Booing your team however remains an activity that many fans still decry. “It’s not the done thing, you don’t boo your own. Supporters support” etc, etc. The belief being it’s a nouveau phenomena, brought in by the plastic and prawn brigades – the new type of fan who sees football as entertainment rather than a contest and demands satisfaction more often than the experience can reasonably offer. In short (and actually short this time) spoiled c**ts.

This, at least, is the theory. It’s one I’ve heard espoused regularly by the Alan Greens of this world (and all the callers he graciously allows air time when they agree with him) whenever the Wembley crowd tear themselves away from Mexican waving long enough to pay attention to the football only to realise it’s utterly woeful.

I’ve heard it on message boards and phone-ins whenever the Emirates, Anfield or (as was the case on Monday night) Eastlands reverberates to a bassy tone after the home team fails to perform, or even at the perpetually successful Old Trafford when earlier this year the returning Wayne Rooney was booed by a section of his own faithful just as John Terry, Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole have been at Wembley Terminal 5.

But amongst all the points scoring and top fanning of whether it’s “propa” or not, I feel a more interesting conversation is being overlooked. Because of all the booed-out games I’ve attended (and I attend most England games – Algeria included – so you can imagine the abuse my shells have suffered), I’ve rarely noticed much of a divide in the “type” of fan booing. In fact in that infamous Algeria game in Cape Town the majority of abuse was coming from the gnarled veterans behind the goals. So is it really a new type of fan? Or is it more accurately a new type of reaction to a new type of player?

Continue to PAGE TWO…

In my opinion the booings of Rooney, Terry and Cole are the most telling. Far more so than any half time discontent at Goodison or rather bizarre vocal dissaproval at St Andrews. These booings are at the heart of the phenomena because, to put it bluntly, they had little or nothing to do with football.

For years now the feeling that the disconnect between players and fans had become an irretrievable chasm has not so much creeped up but waltzed brazenly into the saloon and gotten drunker, louder and more obnoxious with every passing season. This isn’t strictly fair on most footballers who largely operate well below the excess of the Premier League and whom on the whole – even in the dastardly top flight – behave no different relative to any selected group, with bad apples and good strewn liberally throughout. However, the lasting impression is unfortunately left by these bad apples right at the top, and it leads to the overriding assumption that footballers are – in the main – spoiled c**ts themselves. They simply don’t know how lucky they are and in this age of the Big I’m an X Celebrity Brother Get me On Ice where the general public feel it’s their duty to pass judgment on anyone with anything resembling a personality who’s brave enough to stick their head out of the parapet, they’re gonna bloody well let them know it.

The idea of players as idols is disappearing fast in all except the young, who will no doubt reject it themselves in time. The discontent comes not with new fans and their unreasonable expectations, but from the new players and the passions they stir. Whether the perceptions are fair or not (and most likely they aren’t) the damage is done. I’ve never met so many fans who’ll happily and openly claim to hate many of their own players. A few escape this of course, Sir David of Beckham has had his share of boo boys in the past but is cheered wildly these days on England duty just for taking his bib off, though one could easily find a connection there. With the prominence of the mercenary and the emergence (and failure, certainly internationally) of the Baby Bentleys, those old heads who diligently went about their work aware of their responsibilities (and their mortality) are suddenly a far more attractive prospect by comparison. The Giggs’ and Scholes’, the Bergkamps and Zolas seem a world away from The Rooneys and Tevez’s. Except this isn’t really true as there were hundreds of bad behaving footballers in every era, but the intense scrutiny on the likes of Rooney and Terry and their complete and utter failure to live up to it has seen the profession’s stock plummet with the populace.

And sadly the bad apples poisoning the juice seem to be mostly English too. If Rooney can demand to know Man United’s ambitions after the club has given him a vast medal haul and finished a measly point off the top last term then what does that say of the likes of Fabregas and Torres? While Wazza seemed to think his actions were perfectly justifiable, in comparison to his long term trophy-less foreign counterparts they reek of disrespect and arrogance, doing nothing but bolster Mesut Ozil’s bluntly poignant opinion that England players who were bored in South Africa didn’t deserve to be there. And this is the image that is projected as an example or blueprint of the modern English footballer. And it’s one we – the fans – don’t like.

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This is where the boos come from, rightly or wrongly. They come from your average fan’s disgust at the arrogance of fame. Of the perversion of what was and still is ostensibly a working class game. From the social reality of a struggling economy to the blind and blissful ignorance of wealth and notoriety. Ashley Cole wasn’t booed because he misplaced a back pass, he was booed because he felt £55,000 a week was insulting. It may have taken Wembley five years to react to it, but it was in the mind of every fan who booed that night. It was – and is – social commentary in an age were (for better or worse – and almost certainly worse) passing judgment is Saturday evening entertainment. And it will continue I’m sure. The footballer stereotype needs a lot of overhauling. They will continue to be picked on by the press and highlighted as all that is wrong with excess. They will continue to be booed because the booers don’t want better football, they want better people, and the second the former stops the boos will ring out. There are many to lay the blame at; the media, the culture, the players themselves and even the fans, but none of it will change anything for the foreseeable future. Booing is just one in a long line of visible (or audible) examples of the unrest and discontent that’s slowly bubbling away in the fanbase of top flight football. It’s a crass but simple message to those who are usually showered with praise and affection in both their public and private lives. “We don’t actually like most of you, even if you do play for our team.” It’s here to stay I’m afraid, and anyway, I was saying boo-urns.

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