Owls look to raid Hammers rejects

According to the mail online, Gary Megson is trying to secure the loan signings of West Ham misfits Benni Mccarthey and Herita Ilunga. McCarthy has failed to impress for the hammers but was no so long ago one of the hottest properties in the Premier League. Whereas Ilunga has been taken out of the Hammers squad which means he is ineligible to play in the Premier League for the rest of the season, making a loan move elsewhere the likelihood for the Congolese left back. Apparently Megson has been given permission by Milan Mandaric to cover the bulk of the players wages and Megson is reported to have said 'We are trying to get both players in and the two clubs have been in dialogue for a few days.'

Ambitious attempted loan signings from Gary Megson which could work a treat especially with the Owls crying out for a new left back. McCarthy could add an extra threat up front, if the rumours are true, a gamble is certainly what this attempt would be called, but if it comes off, and pays off, Megson is a genius. This news comes after a positive result on the south coast which sees the Owls keep their first clean sheet in 12. More and more optimism is growing under Gary Megson as he continues to experiment with formation and selection and give the players the harsh reality check they truly needed!

Welcome distraction comes to an end (positives still to be taken!)

The Owl's run in the F.A cup, which has been our best for many years has been an appreciated distraction for all Wednesday fans. The dismal form in the league has led to many supporters leaving all hope of success with the magical F.A cup. Wednesday had looked a different side in the cup especially in their visit it to Ashton gate, where they comprehensively defeated Championship strugglers Bristol City. That fourth round tie set up a fixture with Premier League opponents Birmingham City, who have already filled themselves with cup glory this season and were looking for a repeat performance of their Carling Cup journey. However bad the recent League one form may have been for the Owls, there was still a small, reserved sense of hope of the cup class at St Andrews, after all anything can happen in the F.A cup. However for me that optimism was as per usual shattered just by reading the team selection. I traveled down to Tranmere with 3000 Wednesday faithful on Tuesday night and was along with everyone else appalled a the lack of grit and incompetent defending shown by the Owls at Prenton Park. The performances of Tommy Spurr, Mark Reynolds and Michael Morrison were particularly disappointing and lackluster. Spurr was once again played out of position and was responsible for the first two goals in the 3-0 defeat and Morrison and Reynolds were once again poor, particularly in their distribution from the back. To my shock, once again those three names were starting in the same positions at St Andrews, three players very low on confidence had once again been picked when a perfect opportunity for mixing things up had come about. This poor tactical decision was realised by Megson within 25 minutes as the Owls were 2-0 down due to horrendous defending from Reynolds firstly and Morrison secondly. Megson brought on Richard hinds for only his second outing of the season. Tommy Spurr was moved back to left back, a position he is slightly more comfortable in and at half time the changes developed further. Morrison was replaced after a 9th successive poor game by Mark Beevers and James O'Connor was replaced by the lively Liam Palmer. That didn't stop the Owls letting in one more goal in the second half and letting Birmingham cruise home to the quarter final.

However amongst the negatives of team selection and poor player performance, there were definitely some positives to take home from the long journey. The first success that came out of the game was indeed the performance of Richard Hinds, who has been completely out casted by Alan Irvine all season. He looked far more comfortable than Tommy Spurr at right back  and played solidly against a Premier League side in only his second appearance of the season. Furthermore, another of the substitutes Liam Palmer looked incredibly comfortable and confident on the ball. Palmer played pass after pass and was not afraid to move with the ball at his feet, which is a welcome change after watching weeks of James O'Connor and Darren Potter get rid of the ball as fast as they can. Palmer must surely be close to a starting role, with another poor performance from O'Connor. Another real positive to take out of the game was the overall defending on the back four in the second half especially Reda Johnson who looked a class act at St Andrews. Finally, the man who impressed most for Wednesday for the second successive game was Isaiah Osbourne, who once again as he did at Prenton Park, broke up play and added extra physical presence to the midfield. Osbourne has looked really comfortable in a low confidence side over the past two games and his signing could turn out to be an incredibly positive one.

I watched Birmingham game on the internet because I couldn't make it down their myself yesterday and this is how I would rate the performances of the players.

Nicky Weaver, 6- Didn't have an awful lot to do, and hasn't been his flying, shot stopping self in recent weeks, also conceded another three goals, however none of them were his own fault.

Tommy Spurr, 5- really poor going forward, crossing was absolutely atrocious, looked far more comfortable defensively when he was switched to left back.

Reda Johnson, 8- Looked a class act and the shining light in the Owls defense, especially in the second half, won everything in the air.

Michael Morrison, 4- Once again very poor, at fault for the second goal, does not look comfortable at right back or center back and was substituted at half time by Megson.

Mark Reynolds, 4- Also poor, was substituted half way through the second half because it quite simply wasn't working, in my opinion he isn't a left back and hasn't been given a fair run at center back.

Gary Teale, 6- Looked a constant threat but his final ball was horrendous, as was the rest of the teams.

Isaiah Osbourne, 8- once again looked composed and strong in the tackle, looks a good signing so far.

James O'Connor, 3- ineffectual, another disgraceful performance from JOC, surely can't keep his place in the starting line up for another week

Daniel Jones, 6- Jones didn't get in the game as much as he would have liked, however he looked dangerous when he was involved.

Neil Mellor, 5- Something has changed for the Owls top scorer, has looked the same since his injury, continues to look more and more lazy every week.

Clinton Morrison, 5- Didn't have the best of games against his former club, missed a sitter in the closing moments but didn't cause the Birmingham defense any other problems.

Substitutes

Liam Palmer, 8- Looked incredibly promising, comfortable on the ball and a good passer

Mark Beevers, 7- Couldn't fault him when he came on, can't imagine him partnering Reda Johnson at Center back though, they are too similar players.

Richard Hinds, 7- Did very well considering the circumstances, too slow to play right back week in week out though, but very good cover option.

Tommy Spurr, am I the only one watching?

It's been a while since I wrote an article, but I just can't hold in this outburst any longer. My depression and lack of desire to talk about football has transformed in anger and contempt for some Sheffield Wednesday players. The player that angers me more than anyone is the incompetent, predictable and frankly quite embarrassing Tommy Spurr. When Spurr was finally dropped a few months back I was overjoyed at not having to watch him give ball after ball away and foul or ignore the presence of some quite honestly poor wingers in league one. At this time Tommy Spurr was playing in his favoured position at left back and was getting ripped up weak in weak out by the likes of Brentford's Myles Weston, who are very standard league one Wingers, and Spurr seems to make them look like Super stars. Wednesday have been awful defensively in recent months and that has called for Tommy Spurr to be brought back into the side.  For the last two games, Tranmere on Tuesday and Birmingham today, Spurr has been positioned at right back. For me Spurr is the worst left back in League one, constantly letting wingers past him and in behind him or instead taking them out with embarrassing fouls that just show his complete lack of ability. Spurr is also one of the most predictable and worst passers of the ball I have seen in a Wednesday shirt, constantly hoofing it up the line and out of play, and when in the opponents final third he cannot cross a ball to save his life. This shown quite brutally in his attempts of crossing in the first half at St Andrews. Twice Spurr found himself in promising positions on the left and twice he fluffed crosses to the first man with no pace or whip to be seen on the ball. Spurr had one good year for the Owls, in which he managed to consistently defend properly and some how has become a favourite and a regular at Hillsborough, he even attracted interest from Championship leaders QPR. All I can say is how I wish we'd cash in when we had the chance, because if any scout saw him play now, they would tell their club to stay well clear of the hopeless full back.

For me what makes it so much worse, is the fact that three Wednesday managers have failed to spot his poor play and continued to play him in and out of position. It is sometimes embarrassing when the likes of Richard Hinds get one game in a whole season because players like Tommy Spurr are apparently capable enough to play out of position, when in reality he cannot even play in his favoured position. Some may criticize my opinion, because of our lack of other options in Spurr's position, but Daniel Jones has come in, in the summer and fair enough he isn't the best defensive option at left back, but he is at least as competent as Spurr at defending. His attacking play is by far superior and yet one bad game from Jones sees him dropped, 30 from Spurr sees him applauded for his effort. Effort counts for nothing when you don't have the ability. I can only be critical of the manager's selections as the other option we have persisted to use at left back is Mark Reynolds. Reynolds was signed as an impressive centre half and only Wednesday would play him in a weaker position until he is dropped for poor performance. With Michael Morrison yet to play a half decent game in a Wednesday shirt, surely it is time to give Reynolds a decent run in the team at Centre Back and put Jones back in a position where he has excelled far better than both Reynolds and Spurr all season. In my opinion Spurr ranks with some of the worst we have seen down at S6, personally I think Leon Clarke made more of a positive impact. For me Spurr's time at Wednesday has got to be coming to an end, if any club comes in for him, Megson should snap their hands off and sign a decent replacement when he has the chance, because I am honestly fed up of seeing Tommy Spurr's name on the team sheet, whether he is playing right back or left back, it just isn't acceptable, lets see some change please Megson, god knows we need it.

Sheffield Wednesday 2-2 MK Dons

The weekend saw the beginning of another new era at Sheffield Wednesday, new manager Gary Megson who was appointed just the day before the game, was there to watch and spur on his new players. I think it's safe to say most Owls fans are happy with the new managers appointment, but like any choice, he was not everyones favorite candidate for the Hillsborough post. Before the game in an interview with the Yorkshire Post, Megson admitted "I'm going to have to be part of it this weekend. I am not the type that likes to sit and watch from the director's box". Wednesday fans could already sense a hands on approach from a man who had followed his fathers foot steps making himself a legend by playing In a Wednesday Shirt. Megson racked up 233 appearances for the Owls, in two different spells, making himself a fans favourite in the defensive midfield role, which he was highly regarded for throughout his career. Megson managerial career has been rather hit and miss so far, with a fantastic four year spell at West Brom followed by a rather unconvincing period as manager of Nottingham Forest, in which they were relegated to the third tier of English football. Megson also has Premier League experience as a manger with both West Brom and more recently Bolton for whom he managed 99 games in the Premier League. Unfortunately, because Megson wasn't the first managerial choice of either the club or the supporters at the Reebok Stadium, he was never really given much of a chance and much of his good work, was undermined by the lack of acceptance and support from Bolton Fans. Megson has been out of the game for over a year now and was eager to get back into football, especially with the club he has supported as a boy. On the official Sheffield Wednesday website an interview with Megson revealed his delight at managing the club and Working under Milan Mandaric once more. "Managing Sheffield Wednesday is something I have always wanted to do and I am absolutely delighted", Megson also acknowledged the difficulty of the task that he was faced with "The job itself is a tough job - ordinarily you would want to be managing Sheffield Wednesday in a division where you think the club should be but we are where we are and now we want to try and get it moving forward as quickly as we can."


Megson's reign as the Owls boss comes right in the middle of a dire run of form. Despite a positive start from Wednesday at the Weekend, they were once again a goal down at Hillsborough with less than 20 minutes played. Keanu Marsh-Brown was played through on goal and beat Arron Jameson to the ball, only for the young keeper, making his second start of the season for the Owls, to bring him down. Jameson was only booked for the penalty, which may well have been a red card on another day. Jameson very nearly took advantage of his fortune by coming close to stopping Peter Leven's low hard strike to the Youngsters left, but it was not to be. Jameson made his only other appearance this season, in the reverse fixture as Stadium MK where Wednesday came away 4-1 winners, Jameson impressing on his debut. Wednesday then looked rocked and could not get back into the good play that saw them on top in the early stages of the game. Just nine minutes later MK Dons took advantage of some more slack Wednesday defending, Michael Morrison gave his man far too much room to get a cross in, which was flicked home by Daniel Powell. Unfortunately for Wednesday an imposing, powerful home debut from Reda Johnson has yet to be repeated at Hillsborough, Alan Irvine strengthened the defense in the transfer window and his signings are so far yet to impress. Johnson is clearly very strong and powerful in the air both in his own box and the opponents box, but he lacks co-ordination and composure from what I have seen so far. Michael Morrison has failed to inspire since his move from Leicester City and has looked awkward most of the time. Hopefully for the Wednesday faithful, the current defensive lapse is due to an almost entirely new back four being strung together, and sooner or later things will come good for the new signings.


Alternatively, Wednesday new front man Gary Madine has continually impressed for the Owls since his move from Carlisle. Madine had scored 2 in 3 before Saturday's game at MK Dons and for the first 25 minutes once more looked very composed and showed off his great touch for Wednesday. After Wednesday went 2-0 down Madine looked much quieter, probably through no fault of his own as the big target man was surrounded by players low on confidence and lacking the quality needed in the final third. Wednesday went in 2-0 down at half-time and failed to look threatening in their attempt to get a goal back, the only sign of Wednesday coming close to a goal came from James O'Connor who clipped the crossbar with a strike from the edge of the penalty area. Wednesday were given a glimmer of hope at the end of the first half, with Gary Mackenzie clumsily pulling back Clinton Morrison on the half way line, with Mackenzie already on a booking he had to walk back down the tunnel. Changed certainly needed to be made and Gary Megson, although not in charge of team affairs on the day, could not help getting involved in the half-time team talk. Gary Madine ended up being replaced at half-time, surely suggesting he must have picked up a knock in the first half, and Gary Teale also came off after a lack-luster first half performance. Neil Mellor and Paul Heffernan took to the field, and bizarrely Jermaine Johnson moved into a central role, leaving four attackers on the pitch and no wingers to supply the service. Hopefully this is not a sign of things to come for Wednesday, as I doubt many Wednesdayites want to see Wednesday play the long ball game under Gary Megson. The tactics once again looked peculiar as Wednesday chased the game, finally Wednesday pulled a goal back mid way through the second half with arguably Wednesday's man of the match, going on a mesmerizing run before flicking through Neil Mellor, who calmly slotted the ball past the Dons Keeper, Martin. Wednesday then kept the pressure up for a while, but continued to be frustrated as the lack of wingers on the pitch for the Owls, made the job far more comfortable for the MK Dons defense. Having said this Wednesday continued to look a threat from corners, especially Giles Cokes corners from the right, which eventually saw success. in the 83rd minute Coke played a ball in which was flicked toward the back post by Neil Mellor, Clinton Morrison was standing unmarked and with his back faced to goal volleyed home impressively. Hillsborough began to raise the roof as expectation and momentum built, and just a minute later Owls fans were given even more to cheer about. The Dons had a rare attacking free kick, which was whipped in to the back post towards two completely unmarked men, one of which Hammered the ball towards goal from 5 yards out only to be foiled by a fantastic finger tip save from youngster Jameson. He tipped the ball onto the bar and then watched his defenders make up for their awful marking by clearing their lines well. Within seconds Wednesday were on the counter attack and Daniel Jones had been played clean through, two covering defenders tried to track back, but Jones' pace proved too much for them and goal scorer Leven brought down Jones and was issued a second yellow card. Wednesday had 6 minutes remaining to grab all three points, and Giles Coke was ever so close to doing so, his strike struck the outside of the post with just a few minutes left. Wednesday attacks were now coming wave after wave and a high ball towards Neil Mellor looked promising before he was bundled over, for what looked like a cast iron penalty. The referee waved away Wednesday's loud appeals to the dismay of the supporters and players. Stoppage town was now upon the Owls and one last attack was on the cards, Paul Heffernan  was put clean through on goal, and was again blatantly taken out by an MK Dons defender. But miraculously the decision was not given, and this time, Clinton Morrison could not hide his discontent, following the referee down the field, arguing his case in vain, with the only outcome a yellow card for the Owls front man.

The final Whistle came about and for the 3rd home league in a row Wednesday had drawn 2-2 against their league one opponents. This time Wednesday will feel unjust because of the manner of their defeat, but they can have no complaints about referees at Hillsborough in recent matches who have reduced two times to 9 men in the last few weeks. Neither time have Wednesday been able to capitalise, highlighting the need for urgent change. The truth is, we probably should have come away with victory against MK Dons but poor defending and lack of a creative edge up front has caused the Owls to be on a prolonged winless streak. One thing for sure, is that new manager Gary Megson has his hands full, with high expectations still surrounding Hillsborough since the investment from Milan Mandaric, who is yet to see Wednesday win a League One fixture under his reign.

Player Ratings

Arron Jameson - 7, he was unlucky to concede the penalty which was largely down to poor defending and saved a point for the Owls with a magnificent save, however his kicking was at times poor in difficult conditions.

Lewis Buxton- 6, still didn't look 100% match fit and made a couple of errors, but in all fairness in the second half he was playing as a right winger, which is certainly not his most comfortable position.

Michael Morrison- 5, still finding his feet for the Owls, looked unsettled and nervy and his slack defending was the cause for the second goal, only positive was once again his demonstration that he is a very good tackler.

Reda Johnson- 5, had his first poor game in an Owls shirt at Hillsborough, MK Dons weren't exactly enthralling to watch going forward, but still made Johnson and his CB partner look awkward a lot of the time, also kept giving away silly fouls, which caused problems for the Owls.

Daniel Jones- 7, looked very comfortable going forward in the second half, and made a terrific run to get Leven sent off, still didn't look good defensively at times.

Jermaine Johnson- 6, first half saw him look both lively and frustrating as we often see with Jermaine, but always possesses a threat to opposing defenders. Second half saw him in a much more central role, Johnson thrives in space, playing him along side 3 other attackers was never going to work, and saw him play an ineffectual role in the second half.

Giles Coke- 8, very impressive again for the Owls, was playing like he was at the beginning of the season. Inspiring runs and hard working back tracking as well. Unfortunately lack of similar influence around him, stopped him having such an effect on the game.

James O'Connor- 6, did what JOC always does, worked hard and got amongst the MK Dons midfielders, but once again lacked any quality with his passing, However he was unlucky to hit the bar from a lovely strike in the first half.

Gary Teale- 5, poor game from Teale, who often gives Wednesday the extra bit of class needed in this division. Teale's set pieces were poor and so was his general play, which saw him substituted at half time.

Gary Madine- 7, showed a very good touch and looked class on the ball as well as in the air for 25 minutes. Lacked much effect on the game towards the end of the second half, and was subsequently taken off.

Clinton Morrison- 7, Grabbed himself a well deserved goal, and continued to be as vocal as ever, at times was not involved as much as he would have liked to be.

Substitutes:

Neil Mellor- 7, gave Owls an extra option up front and grabbed a crucial goal
Paul Heffernan- 7, once again looked composed and should have won a penalty late on, offers an extra bit of class up front for Wednesday, hopefully Megson will see that much more than Alan Irvine ever did.

Breaking News

The Yorkshire are reporting that a press conference will be called at 5PM to announce Gary Megson as the new Sheffield Wednesday manager. good appointment if you ask me, loads of experience, blue and white in his blood.

http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/football/BREAKING-NEWSSheffield-Wednesday-appoint-Megson.6711388.jp

Irvine finally departs from Hillsborough and Wednesday's woeful run continues

This has been my first post for a week or so, I would put this partially down to my disillusion at the events on and off the pitch surrounding Sheffield Wednesday as well as general footballing events which have frustrated me. This week saw the close of the rather exhilarating transfer window, as well as the Owls reaching the fifth round of the F.A cup and once again letting in a collection of goals away from home, this time at promotion rivals Peterborough. Optimism at Hillsborough was at least for a short time restored with a comfortable 4-1 win over the side bottom of the football league, Hereford. Clinton Morrison did what Giles Coke couldn't do in the previous home game and slotted in two second half penalties. Darren Potter had equalised early on for the Owls with a lovely strike, before throwing a hissy-fit when he was substituted in the second half. Jermaine Johnson also continued his rich vein of form with a goal against the Bulls.

With the transfer window coming to an end not long after the 4th round tie, Milan Mandaric and Alan Irvine had some work to do, to get the targeted six playes in before the deadline. Isaiah Osbourne arrived at Hillsborough on loan until the end of the season from Aston Villa. Osbourne was once seen as a player with great potential under the management of Martin O'neill, but has struggled to get a look in under the reign of Gerard Houllier. Osbourne's contract at Villa Park expires at the end of the season, and if he impresses for the Owls he could earn himself a permanent deal at Hillsborough. Osbourne is known for his physicality and combative nature in the centre of the park, some Villa fans have been reluctant to hand out praise for the youngster, but in all fairness he is being compared to the likes of Albrighton and Abonglahor at Villa Park, who have set the premier league a light. With hours left in the January transfer window, Sheffield Wednesday made a move for the highly regarded Lee Cook. The deal looked almost certain to happen, but by the close of the window it had appeared that the player himself had pulled out, after all terms had been agreed. This brought the usual feeling of doom and gloom back to the Wednesday faithful, who felt that they had missed out on an exceeding promising winger, who could be the missing link in a Wednesday midfield which has lacked creative spark at the best of times.

A hectic week for Wednesday was already well under way, and Tuesday nights game at London Road, just added to the chaos currently surrounding the Owls. The evening started positively at London Road, in a game which had to be seen as a must win for both the club's chances of promotion and the manager's chances of survival. Wednesday were 1-0 up within 5 minutes as Jermaine Johnson continued to shine with a sparkling run down the left, he cut inside taking on two Peterborough defenders before smashing the ball home into the top corner. Wednesdays defence continued to look liable under pressure as it has done in the past few weeks and 5 minutes later Posh made it 1-1. Gary Madine continue his impressive start in a Wednesday shirt, by latching onto a loose ball before slotting his finish into the bottom corner, to make it 2 goals in 3 games for the Owls. Madine's goal sent the Wednesday faithful into raptures, only for them to be silenced once more, this time by the man of the match George Boyd, who I for one would love to see in a Wednesday Shirt. His sot crawled under Nicky Weaver who has certainly seen much better days in a Wednesday shirt. Neil Mellor who is currently not playing in the same manner as he was earlier In the season was hardly involved in the game, but with his first real contribution he played through Chris Sedgwick to smash home from a tight angle. Within the first 35 minutes there had been 5 goals in this match, and there was no sign of anything stopping those goals flowing in. Wednesday continued to impress going forward but still looked nervy at the back. In the 70th minute, last man Darren Potter failed to be Wednesday's knight in shining armour, he lunged in to take down the scorer of Posh' first goal Craig Mackail Smith. The referee deservedly sent Potter back down the tunnel for an early bath, leaving Wednesday really up against it for the final 20. Conversely to how Wednesday had reacted to the opposition having players sent off, nine days previous against Yeovil, Peterborough took full advantage of their extra man. Wednesday's defence crumbled and individual errors and lack of team moral effectively let Posh in to score 3 more goals with just 20 minutes remaining. An evening which had started so promisingly for Irvine and Wednesday had ended in disaster.

Wednesday left London Road just 5 points clear of the drop zone and 7 points away from the play-offs. Considering Alan Irvine's target was automatic promotion this season such a dramatic collapse into mid table was putting the manager under some serious pressure. The Hillsborough camp was quiet all day Wednesday, and rumours were doing the rounds that Irvine was on his way out of the exit door. Earlier this morning it was announced that Wednesday had parted company with the Scotsman and the search for a new manager was already under way. Although Irvine has shown desire and know how in the transfer market, results do not lie and neither do team selections weak in weak out. Some may say that Irvine had no chance under the wielding axe of Milan Mandaric but personally I believe any manager in his situation would have got the chop probably much sooner than Irvine did himself. Most Wednesday fans I'm sure will wish Alan good luck, but be thankful for at least some sort of change to the dire atmosphere surrounding S6. 

The names being linked with the Owls so far are Wednesday playing legend Gary Megson, former Peterborough and Bristol City boss, Gary Johnson as well as Kevin Keegan, Roy Keane and Chris Hughton. Tonight Milan Mandaric has told the media that he has also made contact with potential targets and has a shortlist of 4 managers, also confirming interest in previously mentioned, Megson. Personally the arrival of Megson would not upset me, but some Wednesday fans seem to be less keen, with the possibility of a big name manager coming in, due to Milan Mandaric's great footballing connections. This week could also see the arrival of 2 or 3 loan players which the new manager will get to bring in with funds from the Serbian chairman, rumours surround Lee Cook for whom a move may still be on the cards, as it is well known he would prefer a short term move to regain his fitness.

Who would you like to see manage Wednesday next? and who would you like to see the new manager bring in on loan to boost the squad? Here's to a new start for Sheffield Wednesday! UTO

The Premier League has gone mad!

Two more footballing events which do not involve our beloved club, but which I felt inclined to mention were concerning the events surrounding the Premier League at 11 O'clock on January the 31st. Andy Carroll made his switch from Newcastle to Liverpool for the outrageous fee of £35 million as well as future add ons. Carroll has scored 11 goals this year in his first season in the Premiership and has somehow commanded the humongous fee. The money being Splashed around in football is not only ridiculous, but in my view is ruining the game, The likes of Chelsea and Manchester City have made themselves title contenders, all down to a rich foreigner injecting huge sums of cash into the clubs. I can't help be feel a scorn for football clubs that go about their business in this manner. Now Liverpool have splashed over 60 million pounds on two strikers and Chelsea have spend over 70 million pounds in 1 day. These huge fees stop the progress of hard working clubs, looking to build a positive future. Just look what huge cash injections for transfer fees did for our famous club, Sheffield Wednesday. Wednesday have been left in the best part of 30 million pounds debt because of stupid over spending, only for us to be saved by our king, Mr Mandaric. The massive fees being branded around in the current transfer market also stop the growth of academy players and have a massive impact on our national squad, which has left me being disappointed every time an England squad is announced with the same names brought up each time.

 The second issue that came up in the media once more last week, was Blackpool's £25,000 fine for fielding a weakened team against Aston Villa. The same had happened to Wolves in the previous season. This year the F.A have introduced a 25 man squad system, the system allows a manager to pick 25 players to choose from whenever they need be. Surely this system means that a manager may use any member of his squad when it comes to match day, and to suggest that some players were more valuable in this system than others is ridiculous. Blackpool went on to lose to game 3-2 away from home against Aston Villa, clearly showing they certainly did not send out a bunch of useless footballers, but in fact very good footballers, who clearly played very well. The Premier League needs to change its ridiculous rule sooner rather than later, as it noticeably makes very little sense. All I can say is good on Holloway for putting up a fight and sticking to his word. Holloway even handed in his resignation to prove a point, but to the relief of the tangerine army, chairman, Mr Karl Oysten rejected the resignation and live goes on for the Seasiders.