Somewhere, right at this very moment, there is a Newcastle fan staring intently at the Premier League table. A broad smile sweeps across their face as he remembers the Magpies are nestled comfortably in fifth place, just a point behind Chelsea and nine ahead of rivals Sunderland.

Even the most optimistic member of the Toon Army couldn’t have foreseen the inspired rise up the table after last seasons mid-table finish. Their uprising was ironically set in motion by the sale of the highly popular Andy Carroll, as Alan Pardew’s retention football coupled with his shrewd signings has gradually transformed St James’ Park back into a revered fortress.

The club appears to have emerged unscathed from a difficult period in their history. Their loyal army of supporters have stood by them despite their descent into the Championship and now that certain expectations have been achieved, do they dare team of more famous nights in Europe?

Only time will tell if Newcastle will be able to cement their place in the European qualification spots come May. What’s more intriguing however is whether they can establish themselves as one of the current crop of ‘big clubs’. Not big in terms of stature but rather their ability to consistently compete at the top of the table. Tottenham and Manchester City have burrowed their way into the coveted ‘top 4’, why can’t Newcastle do the same?

Under Pardew’s leadership Newcastle have seen their direct style of play renovated by a philosophy that focuses on patient build up play. At the heart of this, core midfield players such as Yohan Cabaye and Danny Guthrie have been influential in aiding this transition. The change in mentality will mean fewer goal gluts but it’s proving to stem the flow of goals conceded at the over end of the pitch. This new approach seeks to adopt the mantra of many top European sides like Valencia and AC Milan, with whom Newcastle will soon hope to emulate.

The fortunes of the football club, for this season at least, will revolve around the prolonged good form of striker Demba Ba. The ‘smiling assassin’, as he’s known on Tyneside has announced he is happy at the club despite continued reports of a move away and has spoken of his joy playing alongside Senegalese compatriot Papiss Cisse.

With the transfer window now firmly shut until the summer, the major concern regarding Ba will perhaps surround his troubled injury past. Tony Pulis notoriously cancelled Ba’s impending transfer to Stoke after describing his knee as a “ticking time bomb”. The player himself admitted, “The knee isn’t 100%,” after his transfer to West Ham but has insisted “It’s fine. I can play football; I know how to manage it.” (Guardian)

At present the fans seem content with Mike Ashley’s ruling at Newcastle. After making a number of questionable decisions throughout his reign, he should be praised for ensuring a swift return to the top flight. Ashley strikes me as an incisive businessman despite his desired portrayel as a supporter and the £35m sale of Andy Carroll has proved to be an inspired decision. In order for Newcastle to progress however, it is vital that they maintain their nucleus of new household names. The likes of Tim Krul and Cheick Tiote have attracted envious glances from rival managers and it’ll be an intriguing test of Ashley’s resolve as to whether they remain at the club beyond this season.

Aside from the inevitable flurry of incoming bids, it’s crucial that Ashley continues his investment in the rapidly evolving transfer market. It’s fair to point out that Newcastle do not currently possess a prominent ‘star’ player who is renowned on the world stage. Whilst this maybe an ingredient to their current success, with the team benefiting their much publicised team spirit, it’s important that a club like Newcastle can attract players of the highest calibre. Could Newcastle realistically attract the likes of Emmanuel Adebayor and Rafeal Van Der Vaart, as Spurs have done?

We’ve seen many surprising teams surpass expectations and clinch a European spot in recent years, but very few have been able to sustain their dominance.  Everton are a club currently wilting under a lack of investment with the club’s transfer policy resembling a top nightclub, one goes in only when another heads out.

Fulham have failed to recover from their defeat in the 2010 Europa League final and the subsequent departure of Roy Hodgson whilst Villa have also seen themselves spiral down the league after a combination of both suspended investment and the exit of a very astute manager.

The mark of a great side is their capability to replace their existing stars with a new breed of players from the academy. Unfortunately, despite Ashley’s investment at youth level, very few players look likely of making the grade. Nile Ranger heads the list of local produce but his career has become so embroiled in controversy that it looks like he’ll leave the club under a Ravel Morrison shaped cloud.

Pardew remains unfazed by speculation linking him with the vacant England job and appears entirely focused on the job in hand. Much like Arsene Wenger, he seems capable of installing an exciting style of football in amongst a relatively average squad. Whereas Arsenal fans are slowly turning on their manager, I’m sure Newcastle fans would love to emulate the uniterrupted European qualification the Gunners have enjoyed over the past decade.

Agree or disagree. Send me your verdicts on Twitter @theunusedsub

But was there really any real transfer speculation circulating over Deuce’s head during the window of opportunity for many potential suitors? The answer was not really. Clubs seemed far more interested in his injury-plagued strike partner Andy Johnson.

What is more surprising is that when you look closely at Dempsey’s stats, they make for some impressive reading, questioning just why the lack of interest?

Statistics clearly show that Dempsey is the highest scoring American to have played in the Premier League. He currently boasts a tally of 43 goals for the Cottagers. What’s more is that he has struck more goals for the club than any other player in eleven consecutive seasons, and often vacates the left midfield role, failing Martin Jol’s decisions to play him as a centre forward. Still not impressed?

The football public have at times pondered whether an American with such a good pedigree could cut it at a traditional top four club, say an Arsenal or Chelsea. But in five years, no such club has got the cheque book out to acquire his services.

Let us examine his strengths; beside his innate rapping abilities. Dempsey is immensely versatile and has been used on the flanks for most of his Fulham career, but his tall 6ft1 frame has enabled him to hold the ball up well in a centre-forwards role during Bobby Zamora’s absences. It remains to be confirmed whether Dempsey will fulfil this role until the end of the season, as he did in the recent game at City, or whether Russian new boy Pavel Pogrebnyak will fill the void left by Zamora’s move to W12.

Moreover, Clint is highly experienced, winning 82 caps for Jurgen Klinsmann’s Stars & Stripes since his national team debut in 2004, earning a reputation as a hard-working professional with a never say day attitude. Surely traits such as these could be welcomed into the underachieving ranks of fellow Londoners; Arsenal and Chelsea this season?

Current TalkSport pundit Andy Gray told the Fulham Chronicle

“I never feel cheated when I see Clint play, he does it all and works extremely hard for the team”.

If we look back in Premier League history, few American’s have ‘made it’ as such at traditional top four clubs. Failing, Tim Howard’s move to Manchester United back in 2003 where he made 45 appearances, you are hard pressed to find United States internationals at the top end of English football.

American hero Claudio Reyna had a spell at Manchester City, but City have improved into a more established outfit since the start of the 00’s. Elsewhere, Everton have embraced many talents from across the pond including Joe-Max Moore, Brian McBride and currently Landon Donovan. And up the M62 at Bolton, they currently employ Stuart Holden and Tim Ream.

But the question still remains whether Dempsey will one day get a move to a club playing at the elite European level. Clint himself may harbour Champions League ambitions but first he will look to help Fulham battle through the mid-reaches of the Premier League and balance the clubs targets between survival and a top ten finish.

Is Clint good enough to move to a top four club or should he remain at the Cottage? Follow me @http://twitter.com/Taylor_Will1989

Penalty taking is considered a test of ones nerve and resolve. Like a modern day version of pistols at dawn the battle to see who crumbles first is both exhilarating and fraught with tension. Second guessing where the goalkeeper is going to dive and trying to work out from his stance where his weaker side lies. It’s a mental test of endurance like no other and if you’re lucky enough to come out smiling the feeling of success is sensational.

Right, enough of the romance before this turns into a soppy set piece love story. For every perfect dead ball there is an absolute howler of side splitting proportion. For every exquisite spot kick there is blunder that leaves you cackling and gasping for air. As wonderful as it is to witness flawless set pieces in all their glory you really can’t whack a good old fashioned mishap.

Skying a free kick out of play, tamely tapping a penalty into the welcome grasp of a goalkeeper and missing the ball completely are just some of the hilarious clangers included in this list.

So please make sure your mouth is free of any liquids and your stomach muscles are worthy of withstanding intense laughter. We aren’t prepared to foot the bill for medical costs or laptop repair. But do enjoy this hysterical compilation of some out of the ordinary set pieces from around the world.

Click on Chris Waddle to take you to Top Ten Worst Set Pieces

The “Beckham Law” has given La Liga incredible leverage with which to persuade footballers that their futures lie in Spain; allowing foreign players in the top tax bracket to only pay 23% tax, less than half of what players in England would pay at 50%. Not only did it allow players’ income to be greatly increased, it also meant Spanish clubs did not necessarily have to increase a player’s wages from what he was receiving at his previous foreign club.

But now with the new tax laws coming into effect, it will greatly disrupt clubs on both the financial front and in their ability to retain or entice players to join the Spanish league. But how greatly will we see the effects of this? With a more level playing field in terms of tax compared to England, for example, Spain not longer hold a greater hand, therefore allowing the Premier League another added bonus on top of the other incentives it holds.

There has already been financial trouble in Spain this season: the opening weekend of the league season was postponed for the players’ strike due to unpaid wages totalling 50 million euros for both the first and second divisions. What this means now is that clubs are going to have to re-negotiate player contracts in order to subsidise the tax increase. While not all players in Europe or leagues around the world are of high enough quality to play for Barcelona and Real Madrid—who evidently will also feel the effects of the tax increase despite their significantly greater revenue—teams such as Sevilla or Villarreal are going to find themselves even further away from the top of the league table. Not being able to pay wages as it is—as has been the case for Villarreal in recent months—means eventually there will be a smaller market of talent to attract. The El Madrigal side are already seeking to offload striker Nilmar in order to pay the wages of the other players; something that highlights how clubs in Spain are regressing and unable to compete for long spells at the top of the table. Another example is Mallorca, who have in recent years just missed out on Champions League qualification but who are also in financial dire straits. The club finished last year in 17th place, avoiding relegation; but a huge drop from their fifth placed position a year earlier.

Not only does the increase in tax affect players’ pay packets, but why would footballers want to play in a league where the financial and competitive disparity is so great, and will only continue to grow? Arsene Wenger said a few seasons ago, “I can’t see anyone with a competitive edge wanting to go to Spain. They have two good teams, but the third placed team is 21pts behind. It’s a league that is in complete disarray, and if you are competitive you stay in England.” Of course, Wenger was talking indirectly to Cesc Fabregas, who the club managed to hold onto in the summer of 2010. But why should what he has to say only be limited to Fabregas? However, players may have other reasons for wanting to join La Liga from the Premier League: the physicality is greatly reduced and players such as Cristiano Ronaldo have been kicked off and then back onto the pitch since they arrived in England. That incentive was greatly heightened by the significant drop in taxes the players would pay.

But now what happens to La Liga?

I don’t believe there will be a huge swing in the number of the world’s best players wanting to play in La Liga, or even remaining there in the future. The fact is, Barcelona and Real Madrid are reason enough to want to go to Spain, and almost every top player in the world who has ambitions beyond their current standing will want to pull on either of the famous shirts. But what we are likely to see are the clubs below the top two struggle. It may open up to a much more unpredictable league, whereby clubs spend heavily to hold on to their stars or attract big names through the increase in wages, but end up paying for it a few years later. For a league in so much trouble already, the tax increase appears to do nothing but harm a league desperately trying to find its feet.

Admittedly I think this was the FA’s intention all along with Capello’s comments regarding the Terry decision giving them the leverage needed to oust him from the dugout. Thankfully for them the 64-year-old chose to walk away from the position opening the door for fans favourite and media darling Harry Redknapp to take over. The outcry for the Tottenham boss to be handed the Wembley reigns is both comprehensible and perplexing in the same degree. The media’s constant glorification of Redknapp has seemingly brainwashed the rest of the country into thinking he’s a managerial genius capable of returning the glory days back to football in this country. The demand for him to be appointed ahead of another foreign coach belies all sense.

Where did this deluded theory, that only an Englishman can lead England to the pinnacle of world football, manifest itself? Oh wait, I’m sorry, it must have slipped my mind that we devised the beautiful game and only a Union Jack wearing native can bring the glory days back. Honestly I forget that football existed outside the British Isles. Short mindedness has led to people forgetting that the national team isn’t exactly the powerhouse it once was. Capello’s 15-trophy haul following spells managing in Italy and Spain must have been achieved with a variety of tactical witchcraft. There is no way he could ever have accomplished anything similar in this country. Not a chance. One of the finest coaches on this planet was doomed to fail before a ball had even been kicked simply because he was never the nations first choice. Yet Redknapp is worshipped as being the greatest Englishmen to ever grace a dugout in the last 15-years. Remind me again what he’s ever won in his career? Oh yes one FA Cup and a Division One title with Portsmouth. Hardly a CV capable of landing a top job around Europe is it? After all and statistically speaking Capello was the best England manager there has ever been with a win percentage of 66.7%. It put’s him ahead of managerial greats Sir Bobby Robson, Ron Greenwood and Sir Alf Ramsey. Surely that has to count for something, right? Not over here it doesn’t.

He’s still considered a failure. Admittedly some of his decisions sometimes left many dumbfounded. What was he thinking when he decided to place an England cap upon the amply sized cranium of serial clogger Kevin Davies? But that’s just a damning indictment of the deficient talent pool in this country. What makes everyone think Redknapp is capable of undoing a decades worth of under performing to break the mould and actually progress beyond the quarter final in a major tournament. Tottenham’s ascent up into the Premier League top three has seen the nations champion become lauded for his ability to improve players. Lets face it any team with Emmanuel Adebayor, Gareth Bale, Luka Modric and Scott Parker  would succeed. Unfortunately for him club management is significantly different to that of coaching a national team. No money to spend, limited time with players and having to make do with what is at his disposal. Redknapp’s man management is one of his strongest tools but with England games few and far between it would be difficult to forge bonds in such a restricted timeframe. Don’t even get me started on his insufficient tactical nous either. Does anyone recall Rafael Van Der Vaart divulging the secrets of Redknapp’s artful cunning when comes to playing strategy. A clipboard standing untouched in the dressing room before kick off. Is that some kind of modern inspiration technique? Is that really what you want from an England manager, someone who relies on luck to see him through? Surely a man with so little tactical understanding can’t improve the standard of the national team? Lest forget the most successful managers in the top flight are actually Scottish.

Frankly that is all brushed under the carpet, overlooked and forgotten about once Redknapp speaks to the media. They gush over him like a teenage boy lovingly gazing across the dinner hall at his high school crush. His popularity with the southern press pack and tendency to poke his head out of a car window and provide a potent soundbite has put him head and shoulders above any other candidates. Disparaging against foreign coaches has become a favoured custom for the media who’s constant chirping about English pride and all that tripe has brainwashed the rest of the country into believing Redknapp is some sort of messiah. Judging the situation from a level playing field I can honestly say there are better managers out there and a majority lie abroad. It remains to be seen whether the FA will find themselves caught up in the media love in and eventually submit to the nations desire to see loveable ‘Arry installed. According to some leading journalists he’ll play the English way. Whatever that is. Anyone expecting him to perform miracles will be sadly disappointed.

A pair of recent cup successes against the two Manchester clubs has highlighted the Reds infuriatingly inconsistent nature. Ignoring a hiding at White Hart Lane, victories at Arsenal, two at Chelsea and upper hand draws against Tottenham, Manchester United and City in the league as well as eliminating that pair from both domestic cup competitions has proven the Reds ability to compete with the sides occupying the places they intend to attain, yet, this enviable sequence has been perforated by a succession of dropped points against the lesser lights.

Insipid home draws with Sunderland, Norwich, Swansea, Blackburn and Stoke coupled with defeats away to Stoke, Fulham and most recently Bolton have impeded Liverpool’s pursuit of a top four place and given their contrast in results, in begs the question as just to what’s going on down Anfield Road?

In truth, the mixed bag return of results has been a recurring theme since Kenny Dalglish re-took over the managerial reigns at the beginning of the year. After resuscitating his side from the Roy Hodgson debacle, King Ken ushered his club onto the periphery of the Champions League places with a points haul of 33 from 18 games, which, theoretically if worked out over a full campaign would have been enough to usurp Arsenal from fourth spot.

However, even that brief renaissance was beset with trips and falls. Points were shed to Blackpool, Wigan, West Ham and West Brom which defied the logic of more defeats of United, City and Dalglish’s bunny rabbits – Chelsea.

Anyone who has watched Liverpool with any great interest since Dalglish’s second coming cannot have failed to be impressed with the tone, tempo and organisation the Scot has instilled back into the team.

The Reds commitment to hassle and hurry with numerous infectious runners working hard to press and regain the ball has knocked teams out of their swagger meaning they are one of the most difficult teams to play against – especially at home.

As demonstrated in the last few weeks against the current top three sides in the division, Liverpool look most adept when swiftly countering with or without Luis Suarez as the spinning-top foil to spring forward, but when asked to dominate games themselves and force the issue, they have shown the sort of penetration associated with a velcro dartboard. If you also factor in no European commitments, a return of 39 points from 24 Premier League games with just 28 goals scored is actually well down on what they achieved in the second half of 2010/11.

Barring Suarez, few, if any of Liverpool’s other midfield and forward dimensions have performed with the sort of functions which match the sides ambitions to gatecrash the top four and much of the failings must go back to Dalglish for the way he has set the side up.

Dalglish’s hand picked signings allude to continuing a style he mastered during the 80’s but which has quickly gone out of sync as English football tries to mirror it’s more sophisticated continental counterparts.

Liverpool are essentially equipped to play a high tempo game, with plenty of width and wing-play with crosses zipped in as the main source of supply, yet against well drilled defensive units they distinctly lack the subtleness or guile to pick their way through.

For a club that prided itself on its touch-and-go, pass-and-move liverpool groove they have this season airmailed the ball forward with a worrying regularity. Their workaholic wingers lack a trick or a flick and since Xabi Alonso departed, the central midfield area doesn’t possess the sort of intricacy to create enough gaps in back fours. Overall, the side is more perspiration than inspiration and when arguably you are better than two-thirds of the teams in the division, it’s not a good equilibrium.

After establishing a base and structure during the first few months of his second term, Dalglish then had a full summer to refine the approach and to add to what he had shrewdly orchestrated, yet, even despite an outlay of close to £100m on the hand-picked recruitments of Andy Carroll, Charlie Adam, Jordan Henderson and Stewart Downing, Liverpool still appear more limited than they were before.

Even if you ignore the sums spent, are these individuals good enough to challenge the players playing for the top four? Downing has never suggested he could be anything other than an above average Premier League winger and no goals or assists so far suggests so. Elsewhere, Adam had one decent season as the talisman of Blackpool but looks a rung below top-class and Henderson relies on physical attributes rather than technical. The problem is further exasperated by Carroll being a battering ram of a forward who requires a direct approach to flourish and it is no coincidence that Liverpool’s most effective outlets are regularly the dynamic duo of Bellamy and Suarez who solely provide what little ingenuity there is.

Given the money Dalglish had to spend, the signings could have been far more astute. Juan Mata was available for near enough the price of Downing, whilst Turkish schemer Arda Turan went to Atletico Madrid for approximately half. Sebastien Larsson could have been signed for free and even a return for Yossi Benayoun could have been arranged without much fuss.

Arguably Scott Parker would have been a better pick than Henderson and Mikel Arteta could have provided the panache supposedly sought in Adam. In the problematic striking department, Darren Bent would have been available and more suitable for Liverpool just weeks before Carroll arrived and even since, the prolific Demba Ba went to Newcastle for nothing whilst Emmanuel Adebayor and Roque Santa Cruz were allowed to leave Manchester City on season long loans for the price of subsidised wages. All in all, there were options, but Kenny chose the wrong ones.

Instead, the money was spent on a congregation of signings whom operate with similar functions but still leave Liverpool devoid of the sort of fluidity and expression needed to regularly stretch teams to breaking point and score the volume of goals required.

The transfer market is a difficult place to operate and strike-rate’s fluctuate even for the most astute but still, Dalglish’s most loyal subjects would be hard pressed to argue that he spent wisely when other more viable options could have been acquired.

Overall, Liverpool are in a far better position than twelve months ago but given the solidarity at board level and unequivocal support the manager holds, are they really doing that well?

A lot of new grounds have bought into this idea but what if clubs could only sell the rights if the buyer reflects them.

Click on the Sports Direct Arena to see some of the best endorsement opportunities for clubs around the country.

You must learn to crawl before you try to walk, a famous proverb that accurately summarises the current state of the modern game. Blinded by pound signs, swayed by insatiable agents and conned by false promises, many of England’s brightest stars have faded from the limelight.

Crystal Palace boast a long-standing tradition of consistently producing exciting players from their highly regarded academy. Over the past decade the team’s nucleus has been built from local talent, helping to create a real sense of community and pride from within the club.

Sadly though, the rapidly inflated wage packets currently being offered by Premier League outfits are causing young players to abandon their parent clubs. You need look no further than John Bostock as an example of how the young can be lead astray.

I was fortunate enough to be at Selhurst Park on the 29^th of October 2007 when at the tender age of 15, John Bostock became the youngest ever player to represent Palace. It was a crisp Monday evening, the team were two nil down against high-flying Watford and seemed resigned to defeat. As the groans of discontent echoed round the ground, the crowd were suddenly buoyed to see the youngster warming up on the touchline.

Although he was only on the pitch for a few minutes, every successful pass and surging run was greeted with a deafening cheer. The introduction of Bostock helped inject a real buzz of excitement amongst the supporters and masked an otherwise uninspired performance.

As with many fairytales, this one wouldn’t have a happy ending. After making three further appearances for the club Bostock announced he would be joining Tottenham at the end of the season, with the fee going to a tribunal. The club were awarded an initial fee of £700,000, described at the time by owner Simon Jordan as the equivalent of ‘a packet of crisps’, which would rise by a further £1.5m depending on his future number of appearances.

Since then Bostock has endured a torrid time at Spurs and to this date has only made one competitive appearance for the club. He’s shown brief glimpses of his potential during loan spells at both Brentford and Hull but it remains increasingly obvious that he would have been better served continuing his development at Palace.

Bostock is not the only player to suffer disappointment since his departure from the Eagles. Wayne Routledge is only just finding his feet at Premier League newcomers Swansea having become somewhat of ‘journeyman’ over recent years. His time on the football club merry-go-round has been long and arduous, having been initially seduced by the bright lights of White Hart Lane back in 2005.

Lets not forget Tom Soares, who has recently been dumped on loan at SPL strugglers Hibernian after failing to impress Tony Pulis at Stoke. Ben Watson and Victor Moses are arguably the exception to the rule but despite their growing number of first team appearances for Wigan, it looks like they too will be playing for a Championship side next season. Are you reading Wilfried Zaha?

There is a strong sense that this ugly trend will continue to be a focal point in the sport, with the introduction of the new Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP).

The idea behind the scheme is that the best players are developed by the finest coaches at clubs using state-of-the-art facilities. This will in turn allow a greater number of youngsters to realise their potential and ultimately benefit the national side. Whilst on paper this scheme seems beneficial, it stems from deluded logic that will have a significant impact on clubs outside the Premier League.

If you ask any teacher, they will inform you that the best learning environments are intimate and structured to engage with the varying personalities of each student. Herding the cream of the crop into one giant pen will not aid their development. Clubs will be bursting at the seems with handpicked players, who will slowly drip feed them back down the leagues as they inevitably fail to excel in such a chaotic atmosphere.

There seems to be very few incentives for clubs who fall shy of the financial requirements in order to be a ‘category one’ club. Palace chairman Steve Parish has recently slammed the scheme in the media suggesting that:

“As far as the Premier League is concerned, we’re here for their benefit. Are we meant to spend all our time and money finding talent and educating kids, only to give them to Chelsea?” (The Sun)

It’s easy to understand his reasons for complaint. Under these new regulations Palace would have received a poultry £350,000 for the services of John Bostock and whilst at present that figure looks like an over-valuation of the player, it offers a terrifying glimpse into the future.

It appears that the FA are hell bent on moulding top English sides to match the achievements of Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona. But do we really want to see Premier League mutate into La Liga? With the same clubs trading blows at the top in an all too predictable and dull affair.

As a fan of a Premier League club, do you currently value your own academy? Do the ends justify the means if it brings success on the international stage?

If you’re a fan of a club outside the top flight, do you feel bullied by financially superior clubs? Do you fear these new rules will impact on the very existence of your club?

Leave your comments below and join on the debate on Twitter @theunusedsub

Having said that, when you have played for some of the biggest teams in Europe and you reach the pivotal age of 30, as soon as a club comes to you with a three-year-deal worth 20 million Euros per season you don’t really take time to think twice.

Straight out of Kadji Sports Academy in Cameroon, Samuel Eto’o found himself plying his trade in Spain with Real Madrid’s B team. Unable able to break into the first team in 1997 he secured loan moves to various other La Liga clubs and eventually parted company with Real Madrid and joined Mallorca on a permanent deal in the year 2000.

The Cameroon striker was their all time leading scorer with 54 goals, later rewarding him with a move to Barcelona in 2004, where Eto’o accumulated 130 goals in 200 appearances for the Catalonians winning a Champions League trophy with Barcelona, making him one their top ten greatest goal scorers of all time.

As we all know, his time at Barcelona lasted until 2009 which saw the prolific striker move to Italy with Inter Milan where he managed 53 goals in 103 appearances while also bagging another Champions League trophy with the Italian Giants.

Now, I’m not one to pass judgement on players who do their job well, but surely the sheer dominance of of Samuel Eto’o leading the frontline of any superior team in Europe would have been an excellent prospect. The Former Barcelona player was linked with moves to Arsenal, AC Milan, Manchester City and Manchester United.

The Cameroon international would have been no stranger to the Premier League or even the Bundesliga; two leagues in which he evidently didn’t play in. His stats show that he has an over 50% goalscoring ratio, no matter where he goes.

Eto’o at any top European club would have been a huge asset to many potential buyers, for the very fact of the matter is he guarantees you goals. Although the price range would have been off-putting for some clubs, especially with his age to consider, it would have been a risk worth taking due to his experience and footballing ability on the pitch. You don’t win three Champions Leagues for nothing.

The only issue I would have with him in the Premier League at this stage is maybe his ego; he’s always been known to fall out with players and staff, but in some cases that can be used as a positive if handled correctly. Samuel has always been known for his controversy; it was only last year that the Cameroon Football Federation handed him a 15 match ban for his role in the national teams strike.

So far, for Anzhi, the 30 year old has bagged eight goals in 12 appearances, so it’s quite hard to say he is not worth what he’s being paid, ok, maybe just a bit much but you understand where I’m coming from. Will there still be time for him to perform at the highest level after his contract is up? I doubt it; Anzhi looks to be the last straw for Samuel in a very successful career.

In his defence you’re going to get a little bit of arrogance with every good player, and it can pay off once a player is delivering the goods at the highest level, and that’s what he continues to do.

So although I am disappointed to not see him in the Premier League especially, I do understand his reasoning behind resisting the chance.

That was only half of the story, though, as there were plenty of tasty tackles put in by both teams. Scott Parker was like a man possessed for Tottenham, but he did get on the wrong end of the boot of the returning Luis Suarez.

Here is Parker writhing in agony on the floor after being kicked by Suarez, but what is the Uruguayan saying to the potential next England captain?

Leave your suggestions below…

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