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Modern footballers are increasingly criticised for their exorbitant lifestyles and detachment from reality. The recent incidents involving England internationals Ashley Cole and Wayne Rooney have heightened and justified public dissatisfaction with the some of the game’s most high-profile figures.

The much-maligned duo, who are key figures in the national team set-up, are undoubtedly amongst the most despised footballers in the Three Lions’ squad. Fortunately for messrs Cole and Rooney, England colleagues John Terry and Steven Gerrard have also tended to attract their fair share of hatred and headlines too. Each member of this illustrious quartet is subjected to a chorus of boos whenever they ‘play away’, but which one is England’s most hated football player?

Ashley Cole

The case for: Arguably the world’s greatest left-back, but undeniably a complete and utter wrong ‘un.  England’s most capped full-back has consistently attracted the wrong sorts of headlines since his controversial move across London from Arsenal to bitter rivals Chelsea. Since then, the 30-year-old has shown himself to be quite the ‘player’ off the pitch too after cheating on wife and beloved national treasure Cheryl on multiple occasions.

With his reputation beyond repair, Cole has continued his mission to secure his position as the nation’s most hated footballer. Shortly after revelations about Cole’s private life were first revealed, Chelsea’s number three infamously turned his back on referee Mike Riley following a dangerous tackle on Tottenham defender Alan Hutton.

Having conquered the realms of infidelity and petulance, Cole, desperate to wrestle back the crown of ‘England’s most loathed’ from team-mate John Terry, decided to shoot a work experience intern with an air gun. A remorseful and regretful Cole has tried to make amends for this latest indiscretion by… failing to issue a public apology. What a guy.

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Defining moment: Describing contract negotiations with then-Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein, a hard-done-by Cole said: “When I heard Jonathan (Barnett) repeat the figure of £55k, I nearly swerved off the road.”

Schadenfreude moment: Cole is an extremely consistent player, and he seldom makes mistakes. However, his unintended assist for Danny Welbeck in Sunderland’s 3-0 victory at Stamford Bridge earlier this season was highly satisfying, as was his Waddle-esque spot-kick in Chelsea’s FA Cup fourth round-replay defeat to Everton last month.

Wayne Rooney

The case for: Well, well, well. Since bursting onto the scene as a 16-year-old at boyhood club Everton, Rooney has courted controversy with clockwork-like consistency. The potty-mouthed striker, praised in some quarters for his passionate style, frequently displays a lack of respect towards officials. Rooney was sent off against Spanish side Villarreal in 2005 for sarcastically applauding a referee, and was dismissed against Fulham in 2009 for throwing the ball away.

England’s most disappointing performer at last summer’s World Cup, Rooney further aggravated the nation’s long-suffering fans after he opined “nice to see your home fans boo you” to TV cameras following England’s draw with Algeria.

Rooney even managed to invoke the wrath of his own fans earlier this season, handing in a transfer request in order to earn himself a cheeky new contract and bumper pay-rise, all whilst going through the most barren run of his career.

‘Wazza’, clearly perturbed by his recent failure to look anything look like a top-class striker, elbowed Wigan Athletic’s James McCarthy in a horrific unprovoked off-the-ball incident last weekend. Unsurprisingly, the notoriously lenient FA decided to let Rooney off the hook.

Defining moment: This one is a tough one. Prior to 2010, many would’ve highlighted his intimate ‘liaisons’ with some of Liverpool’s most liberal grandmothers, but cavorting with a prostitute whilst his wife Coleen was pregnant certainly takes some beating.

Schadenfreude moment: His recent barren streak, which saw the ex-Everton man go eight months without scoring a goal in open play for Manchester United.

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John Terry

The case for: No list of football’s most hated figures would be complete without the ‘Lionheart’ himself, John George Terry.

A string of moronic nicknames, a penchant for harassing officials and an irritating tendency to talk about himself in the third person all provide strong reasons to dislike Chelsea’s number 26. Factor in the sanctioning of unauthorised tours of Chelsea’s training facilities and running over a Stamford Bridge security guard, and it’s clear that Terry provides stiff competition for fellow Blue Ashley Cole.

Defining moment: Hands up if you’ve slept with the mother of your former team-mate/best friend’s son? John Terry has. 2009’s Dad of the Year allegedly went behind the back of his own wife and had it away with Wayne Bridge’s ex-girlfriend Vanessa Perroncel. The nation subsequently rejoiced when Terry was ignominiously blanked by Bridge prior to Chelsea’s home defeat to Manchester City last season.

Schadenfreude moment: Being knocked out cold after he threw his head at Abou Diaby’s boot amused many, but seeing ‘JT’ miss the opportunity to secure Chelsea’s first ever European Cup is a treasured memory that I will never forget.

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Steven Gerrard

The case for: Superman in a red shirt, far from it in white, Liverpool’s very own Roy of the Rovers is almost universally despised amongst supporters of other clubs. Although Gerrard has chalked up fewer off-the-field indiscretions than his esteemed counterparts, ‘Stevie Starfish’ has earned himself a reputation as England’s worst diver. A tendency to go down far too easily has clearly rankled many football fans, with this irritation exacerbated by Gerrard’s claim that “people like Carvalho are ruining the game”. Liverpool’s number eight also said, “if I saw one of my team-mates diving, I would definitely have a word.” Oh the irony.

A close friend of fellow Liverpudlian Wayne Rooney, Gerrard provided the inspiration for Rooney’s recent elbow with unpunished forearm smashes on Portsmouth’s Michael Brown and Sunderland’s Danny Welbeck last year.

Defining moment: Being caught punching a DJ (for failing to put on Phil Collins) on CCTV, and then, ‘against all odds’, being acquitted in the resulting court case.

Schadenfreude moment: Two comical backpasses which lead to goals scored against Liverpool; one against Arsenal in 2006, and another against Chelsea in 2010.

Who is England’s most hated player? Any glaring omissions? Let me know below or message me on twitter at www.twitter.com/zarifrasul

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Rumours have been circling that Tottenham are willing to make a bid worth around £30 million for Palermo pair Edinson Cavani and Simon Kjaer. Focusing on Cavani in particular, could the Uruguayan solve a problem for Harry Redknapp in the forward position at White Hart Lane?

On any potential deal Palermo President Maurizio Zamparini said:

“Tottenham have bid €35m, an offer we cannot refuse, seeing as the two players have both said they want to leave.”

(Sky Italia)

Many fans have argued that with Champions League football in the offing that the Lilywhites must invest in a top quality striker as Jermain Defoe, Peter Crouch and Roman Pavlyuchenko are not the most prolific bunch. Of course Defoe scored 18 Premier League goals last season, but five of those were in the same game and he could probably benefit from a top quality strike partner.

However, although Cavani has impressed for Uruguay in the World Cup he is mostly there to supplement the goal scoring talents of Luis Suarez and Diego Forlan (another reported Tottenham target).

Last season the 23-year-old Uruguayan played 34 games in the Italian Serie A for Palermo and scored 13 goals.

Redknapp is desperate to boost his playing squad ahead of his first ever Champions League football campaign and may see Cavani as a player who is ideal for both the UEFA competition and Premier League as he is fairly physically imposing figure standing at 188cm (6 ft 2 inches) tall. Cavani is also young, so has plenty of time to improve on his game and find his vital goal scoring touch.

Other reports suggest the Cavani may shun the likes of Tottenham and Manchester City as he hopes to become the ‘Wayne Rooney of Inter Milan’.

He certainly rates his own ability and believes he is just what any team needs as he is fairly versatile:

“Today I am a striker who can adapt to different roles. Put it this way, I would like to become the Wayne Rooney of Inter Milan. I want to be a striker who can play many roles.”

Despite the rumours the north London club have denied the link, but the Palermo President’s comments must have some weight to them. At the very least it shows that Zamparini is willing to sell.

Do Tottenham fans believe Cavani can have a major impact at White Hart Lane? Surely £28 for both Cavani and Kjaer would be a bargain deal seeing as Cavani alone was valued around €25 million originally?

Here is a video showing the talents of Edinson Cavani:

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Follow me on Twitter: ajwilliams1987

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Click on image below to see the BRAZILIAN babes at the World Cup

Although always an underlying issue in the game, even in 2011, the issue of racism within football has reared its ugly head recently with a passion. Not only have we had to contend with allegations of racial abuse by crowds, but also by opposition players during games. Despite massive efforts with campaigns such as ‘kick it out’ in the game, the problem does not seem to be going away and is arguably getting worse once again – or just more publicity on an issue that has been going on for years.

It is a sad fact that in the top European Leagues, racism is something that is more prominent than in the Premier League, with Roberto Carlos having a banana thrown at him in the Russian league, and players in Italy and Spain suffering torrents of abuse at the hands of the crowds. As Ashley Cole and SWP will testify, monkey chants are a favourite of supporters.

Whilst UEFA and FIFA have taken action against teams for the behaviour of their supporters, albeit with a paltry fine or on the rare occasion playing behind closed doors, at least they are attempting to cut this out. More clearly needs to be done on this scale with points deductions and playing behind closed doors for an extended period of time becoming what should be the standard punishment for racial abuse in the crowds directed at players.

Where there is little effort from governing bodies to eradicate such abuse however is when it is alleged that a player from the opposition team has made a racial slur to another player.

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It would be hard to forget the ‘mono’ ‘mucho morro’ incident that marred the Classico semi-final in the Champions League, with footage seemingly showing that Barcelona’s Busquets had called left back Marcelo what translates as a monkey. Real complained to UEFA yet they felt all Busquets had said was ‘you’ve got a nerve’. In such a highly fraught game, that is about as likely as Mad Mario staying inside on Bonfire night.

Again in La Liga the issue has come to the fore surrounding a Barcelona player – this time Cesc Fabregas who is alleged to have racially abused Sevilla’s Freddie Kanoute. This may go some way to explaining the bizarre loss of control displayed by the striker at the end of the game, yet Fabregas has made strong denials of making such a slur.

The issue in Spain is worse than in the Premier League crowd wise, as here it is virtually unheard of for crowds to chant in such a way, yet the problem of players using racist taunts is still a huge one.

Manchester United captain Patrice Evra has made a formal complaint over the behaviour and comments of Luis Suarez, and the FA are currently investigating if England captain John Terry was guilty of similar behaviour in the game against QPR.

The fact that John Terry, captain of our country, is accused of such an issue speaks volumes, and the problem goes to the very highest level of the game. It initially appeared that Terry and Ferdinand were involved in a misunderstanding, with JT issuing a denial and saying he was merely repeating a comment Ferdinand accused him of making – claiming he had not. Ferdinand however was unaware of such a conversation between himself and Terry, and only became aware of the allegations after the match.

No matter who is being accused of making such a comment – player, pundit or manager, the sanctions, if the person in question is found guilty, should be of the very highest nature. The issue is actually finding them guilty in the first place.

Continue reading on PAGE TWO…

This is something that governing bodies seemingly shy away from unless there is indisputable evidence – pundit Ron Atkinson being caught live on TV would be an example of this – yet when coach Luis Aragones of Spain infamously called Thierry Henry a negro de mierda, the RFEF were fined one day’s wages by UEFA. Such a pathetic stance on such a deplorable comment speaks volumes about the way UEFA view such comments, and their reluctance to find players guilty of similar accusations is a major reason why this is common place in the game of football.

The FA are just as guilty of this, with a classic example being when Everton’s Lescott and Howard claimed to have heard Newcastle player Emre using the N word towards Joseph Yobo; yet after complaining to the FA they stated they felt just as on trial as Emre was, and that the whole process left them ‘thoroughly disillusioned’ (Guardian).

Such a reaction by the FA and the way the complaining party is made out the be lying is something that cannot be allowed to continue, as this will prevent players from coming forward, and leave them thinking ‘what is the point?’ It also gives the impression to offending players that they are able to say such comments and face little or no sanctions.

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A point to ponder is that of Carlos Tevez’ rumoured lawsuit for defamation of character against manager Roberto Mancini. Should the player proceed and win, thus setting a very dangerous precedent, players accused of racism could easily then launch a counter complaint and possible lawsuit citing that the accusing player is guilty of defamation of character. This, coupled with the FA’s seeming reluctance to find players accused of such slurs guilty, could well see the increase of racially abusive comments and in turn players refusing to make complaints about them.

This is something that cannot be allowed to happen, and despite massive efforts being made with the ‘kick it out’ and ‘show racism the red card’ campaigns, more could be done, especially with regards to insults from fellow players. As Robert Earnshaw said, the maximum punishment possible should be thrown at the offending player, as racial abuse between players is as ‘bad as any offence in the game’.

Yes it is true that efforts have been made, and successfully in some cases to eradicate racial abuse from the game, especially in English football, but further effort is needed. From a continental perspective, a great deal more needs to be done, not only with regards to insults between players, but chanting from crowds during games.

The only solution is for FIFA, UEFA and the Football Associations of individual countries to clamp down as hard as humanly possible on such allegations, and continue the work being done with ‘kick it out’ and similar campaigns, and should individual players be found guilty of slurs of a racist connotation, lengthy bans, stripped captaincies and hefty fines should be incurred. The possibility of points deductions should not be ruled out either. Only then can we being to truly eradicate such disgraceful behaviour from the game.

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The signing of Joe Cole from Chelsea on a free transfer last summer looked like a bargain for Liverpool, especially beating off potential interest from Tottenham and Arsenal for the England star. However after a sending off on his debut for the club and misfortune in injuries, he’s yet been able to shine in the Red jersey and with the likes of Newcastle United interested in the players services, would it be wise for the club to cash in on the player who has failed to live up to expectations or does the talented 29-year old deserve more of a chance at Anfield?

The player certainly has a lot of admirers from fans to players; with Steven Gerrard claiming that Cole is as good as Lionel Messi. At the World Cup last summer, England fans were demanding that Joe Cole saw more time on the pitch than on the bench but Fabio Capello showed he lacked faith in the player being a talisman in the first eleven. It is clear that Joe Cole has an abundance of talent and let’s not forget he played an integral role in Chelsea’s success in the last decade but the player is not the most consistent of performers. Although Liverpool manager, Kenny Dalglish commented on the player after he came on as a substitute against Sparta Prague last night :

“We have got to be patient with Joe. That is his first run out since I came here. We want to give him a bit of time and make sure he gets there. Form is temporary, class is permanent and that is where we stand with Joe”

It is important that Dalglish is showing faith in the player, something that was missing from the previous manager, Roy Hodgson but could it be a gamble? Hodgson is not the only manager who hasn’t favoured Cole, with his team work and lack of defensive qualities often cited. However, Cole is that typical talented attacking midfielder that gets played out of position. Whether on the left or right side of midfield, his best position is playing in the hole behind the striker but it’s that free role position that isn’t favoured by many mangers in England.

Personally I’ve always been a fan of Joe Cole and believe if it wasn’t for injuries, he would’ve achieved even more in the game by now. But the former West Ham player will be turning 30 towards the end of this year and with his fitness in question you have to wonder if the player can make it back to the form we knew a few seasons ago. On the positive side, Dalglish is being patient and allowing the player enough time to get his match fitness back and eventually with more games under his belt for Liverpool we should all start to see the Joe Cole we all like to watch, or at least I hope we do.

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A mixed week at Old Trafford has seen the obligatory transfer link with Benzema while David Gill has reassured supporters that Fergie has £95m to spend should he so wish this summer. Elsewhere the Glazers have insisted that they won’t be tempted to sell at any price, while Ben Foster criticises United supporters for causing a distraction with their protests.

This week at FFC we have seen a mixed bag of Man United blogs which has included…Criticisms of United fans unwise; Marveaux should welcome United move and in defence of Michael Carrick.

Plus we have taken a look at the best Man United stories on the Web this week.

Fergie’s comments give United cause for concern

Manchester United Youngsters – End of Season Reports

Criticism of United fans is unwise, especially when they pay his wages

Marveaux should welcome a move to Chelsea or United, not dismiss it

Rooney – the man who the hopes of 50 MILLION people rest on

Michael Carrick: faltering or already failed?

UEFA’s financial fair play ruling is anything but fair play

In DEFENCE of Michael Carrick

If the PL BIG Four were musical artists…

Top TEN Scapegoats in the Premier League

Drogba, Rooney, Torres…The changing ways of the centre forward

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Best of Web

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Solving the enigma that is Dimitar Berbatov – The Busby Way

Anatomy of a bid – United Rant

INTERVIEW: New Sponsors Aon Speak About Glazers, Debt and “The Brand” – RoM

Analysts say Manchester United must sell players to pay debts – Guardian

Is Jose Mourinho about to scupper Fergie’s plans? – A Kick In The Grass

Q3 Results – first thoughts and update post analysts’ call – The Andersred Blog

Bolton entertains Norwich City at the Reebok this weekend and you can watch the action in style, courtesy of another Football FanCast giveaway. We have teamed up once again with the good people of 188Bet who are providing an executive box for 10 people for Saturday’s game.

Both teams were on the wrong end of defeats at the weekend with Owen Coyle’s side the latest side to face the wrath of the Champions’ strike force that tore apart their defence at will. The result in fairness wasn’t a fair reflection of the play, but Bolton will be determined to get a positive result against the Premier League new boys.

Paul Lambert will also feel that the results haven’t mirrored the Canaries efforts so far this season and the Scot will be determined to see his Norwich side register their first win of the season. It promises to be a classic and the perfect fixture for your very own Premier League Box experience.

To enter the prize draw for one of the 5 pairs of places in the Executive Box then sign up to 188BET to be in with the chance for Saturday’s big giveaway.

The competition closes at 11:59pm on Thursday 15th of September so as long as you sign up and make your bet before then you’ll have a chance of winning. So sign up, place your bets and keep your fingers crossed! You be watching Bolton v Norwich in ultimate style in just under a week’s time.

Click on the banner below and sign up to be in with a chance in this week’s prize draw

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Only a few months after Gareth Bale announced his arrival on the world stage in Tottenham’s 4-3 defeat to Inter Milan in the group stage of the Champions League, next Tuesday the Welshman and his teammates will take to the San Siro pitch for the second time this season. The venue might be the same but, of course, the stripes on their opponents’ shirts will be different. This time the Londoners will be lining up against Inter’s city rivals AC, the Rossoneri, in the latest instalment of their first campaign in Europe’s most prestigious club competition for almost half a century.

A two-legged tie against the Serie A leaders was the most daunting draw that Harry Redknapp’s team could have been given outside of a visit to Barcelona or Madrid. Nonetheless, Spurs can point to an undefeated record against Milan as they bid to reach the quarter-finals. It is astonishing that Tottenham, with such a long history of European competition, have only met their next European opponents twice before. Now is the perfect time to look back at those meetings from 1972.

The Inter-Cities Fairs Cup was renamed the UEFA Cup in 1971. European football’s governing body took over the competition’s running three years after qualification for it had become determined solely by a club’s league position, discarding the tournament’s previous idiosyncratic entry method that had had more to do with economics than sporting performance. Spurs qualified for the inaugural 1971/72 competition, then, by virtue of their third-place finish in the First Division the year before, and not because of London’s identity as a venue for trade fairs. Milan, meanwhile, entered the draw as the runners-up to Inter in Serie A.

Spurs and Milan would eventually meet in the semi-finals but to get that far both teams first had to see off four other opponents. Iceland’s Keflavík ĺF were despatched 15-1 by Spurs in the first round, with Nantes of France overcome next, before back-to-back victories over the Romanian sides Rapid Bucharest and UTA Arad took Bill Nicholson’s side into the last four. Milan, who had won the European Cup three years earlier under their incumbent manager Nereo Rocco, knocked out the Cypriot side Digenis Akritas Morphou, Hertha Berlin, Dundee, and Lierse of Belgium to earn their showdown with the Londoners.

The first leg took place at White Hart Lane on 5th April. In goal for Milan was Fabio Cudicini, Carlo’s father, whilst captaining the away side was the iconic Gianni Rivera. It was the skipper’s long pass that brought about his side’s opening goal after 25 minutes. Terry Naylor could only nod the ball into the path of the onrushing Romeo Benetti, who had given the ball to Rivera in the first place. The 26-year-old midfielder took one touch before steadying himself and firing past Pat Jennings in the Spurs goal from the edge of the box.

Milan’s lead only lasted five minutes. Cyril Knowles turned away from his marker to cross from the left towards Alan Gilzean, who beat three markers to head the ball down into the path of Martin Chivers. Chivers tried to set up Martin Peters but he couldn’t get his shot away, only for Steve Perryman to hit a rising drive that Cudicini could only help into the net.

Midway through the second half and the night got even better for Spurs and for Perryman. Giulio Zignoli gave away a corner that was subsequently headed clear but only as far as the 20-year-old hero from the first half. Perryman brought the ball down effortlessly before calmly striking it right-footed past Cudicini, this time without the keeper getting a touch. “He’s done it again!” exclaimed the commentator, Barry Davies.

The game finished 2-1 but, even as the home crowd celebrated what had been a momentous win against a team that had won the European Cup twice during the sixties, Davies was still keen to stress that Milan would need only a 1-0 win in Italy in a fortnight’s time to knock Spurs out.

The commentator should have shown more faith. Alan Mullery’s seventh-minute strike in the San Siro meant that Spurs had matched Milan’s away goal from the first leg. Tottenham’s captain had spent part of the season on loan at Second Division Fulham as part of his recovery from injury, but here he was swapping an away game at Leyton Orient for the opportunity to silence 68,000 Italians. Rivera made it 1-1 on the night from the spot with 21 minutes remaining but Spurs held on to claim a 3-2 aggregate victory and a place in the first UEFA Cup final against fellow First Division side Wolves.

Mullery scored again in the second leg of the final as his side claimed what was then their second European trophy, to add to the 1963 Cup Winners’ Cup, winning 3-2 on aggregate against their English opponents. Few Spurs fans are seriously contemplating another European final this season just yet, but a repeat of their team’s 1972 heroics against Milan will go a long way to changing the minds of the doubters amongst the faithful.

You can follow William Abbs on Twitter.

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It was a difficult season for everyone concerned with Aston Villa last time out as the controversial appointment of Alex McLeish did little to quell concern at Villa Park. Having already relegated their midlands rivals, the Scot tried his best to repeat the trick but thankfully his players did just enough to survive and Chairman Randy Lerner has since cut his losses on the unpopular manager.

Fast forward a few months and there’s a fresh band of optimism among Villa fans ahead of the new season. Such hopeful emotions can realistically be attributed to the majority of supporters counting down to the Premier League’s upcoming opening weekend, but with Paul Lambert in charge there’s a genuine sense of positivity stemming from the Holte End. The former Norwich City boss may not be blessed with an extensive list of honours on his CV but he has shown in his fledgling managerial career that he is more than capable of cobbling together of group of players and making them hard to beat, all the while trying to play attractive football. It’s a philosophy that is thoroughly appealing to the Villa faithful, so with renewed vigour for the impending League campaign, what can fans expect from their beloved side this season?

So steep was the previous campaign’s dip in form that the majority of fans would be happy just to return to the top ten and suffer no threat of relegation. While these expectations may seem watered down given the club’s illustrious history, there’s a sense of realism regarding the current situation, which is keeping fans grounded. Long gone are the days of European finals, and even replicating the 6th place finishes enjoyed under Martin O’Neill is not something that is expected of Lambert and his new cohorts. It’s a refreshing change from the often demanding world football fanaticism and on reflection is probably the best approach for Villa going forward. After all, they have a new manager and a young squad which, on paper, is clearly weaker than the top eight teams in the league. While there is no reason not to try to break that mould, demanding such ambitious standards from an inexperienced group could place too much pressure on the side and inevitably lead to disappointment if such high standards are not matched. Instead, the majority of fans have chosen to keep their demands more reserved and understand that a top ten finish with a decent cup run would constitute a marked improvement on the McLeish era. It would be a progressive step in the right direction and continuous improvement year-on-year is the most appropriate method of development.

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Naturally, fans of mid-table teams always aspire to take the next step up in quality and many can still find solace in the achievements of Fulham, and more recently Newcastle United, and use their success as a benchmark for future league and European endeavours. The top flight has become increasingly competitive but the triumphs of similarly ranked sides illustrate the possibilities on offer if Lambert can find the right balance in his team. Such desperately needed stability will be aided by the return of a number of senior players this summer after Villa’s squad was stretched extremely thin towards the end of the last campaign. Their first XI was more akin to a youth team on occasion, as various unknown youngsters were thrust into the limelight and asked to match the performances of their more superior team mates. Understandably, they failed to make the grade for the most part but their experiences will serve them well in future and few fans hold their struggles against them, as the finger of blame is aimed firmly at McLeish. Despite looking tactically inept, the former Birmingham manager’s questionable decisions may offer one positive, given that he has actually blooded a number of youngsters into the side. While Lambert will not rely as heavily on youth next season, he will be comforted by the knowledge that the majority of his reserves have first team experience and can flourish when surrounded by more confident stars.

With a more solid foundation to build upon, anticipation is fairly justified ahead of their opening day clash away at West Ham. They have an eager new manager, some talented senior stars and a number of youth players with the ability to fill in when needed. Add to that a summer recruitment drive that has seen the likes of Ron Vlaar and Brett Holman join their ranks from Dutch football and the future is looking brighter every day. While the club’s latest signings may not be household names, Lambert is still making strides to improve the squad and this is an important change to proceedings given their unwanted reputation for selling top stars.

With a few choice signings to complement the side’s talented performers, Aston Villa could easily regain their place in the top ten and realise the expectations of the terraces. While Lambert may not have much European pedigree just yet, if the bustling attacking energy witnessed at Carrow Road last year translates to Villa Park then the Midlands could well be shrouded in claret and blue next season.

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Is Paul Lambert the right man to the club forward? Should Aston Villa fans be excited about their chances next season?

Let me know your views and opinions by following me on Twitter – Tweet me @Alex_Churcher

Everybody loves it when a great player returns to their former club. The fans affectionately remember the glory years of old and expect the player to bring the same success with him second time round. The player thinks the setting can rekindle his talent and take him back to former heights.

It feels like a good idea all round, but by and large players aren’t quite as good as the first time. There are of course exceptions, great players who’ve come back and added to their previous legend, players such as Peter Beardsley at Newcastle or Ian Rush at Liverpool. But this list is not about successes, this list is far more concerned with the players who should never have come back. Players who should have resisted the wave of nostalgia that swept over them.

Some of these players are greats, and their return was not a complete disaster but just an unnecessary extra, a softening of the legend they left at the first attempt. Others just didn’t work out at all the second time round. In every case though there is an element of something lost, the feeling that this second spell need never have happened for both club and player.

Click on Tony Cottee to unveil the top 10

Bayern Munich have confirmed that Dutch midfielder Mark van Bommel has signed for Italian giants AC Milan.

The 33-year-old’s contract with Bayern was due to expire at the end of the season and after being told it would not be renewed, he asked to be released early in order to secure his move to Milan.

“I am leaving FC Bayern with a heavy heart, but with my head held high,” Van Bommel said in a statement.”

“I had four and a half wonderful and successful years here and would like to express my gratitude to the club and the fans.”

“FC Bayern will always have a place in my heart.”

Van Bommel, who has only made 13 appearances for Bayern this season, had been linked with moves to Tottenham and Liverpool before signing with Massimiliano Allegri’s side.

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“The Dutch international asked for his contract to become void to transfer for sporting reasons,” a Bayern statement read.