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When Tottenham Hotspur acquired the services of Giovani Dos Santos in the summer of 2008 their fans hoped they had gained a former Barcelona player to rival that of Arsenal’s Cesc Fabregas. This attacking player who is equally adept at playing on the wing has yet to stamp his authority on White Hart Lane. The Mexican international has hardly had a chance to make his presence felt due to a succession of ankle injuries and loan moves. Tottenham’s successful push for a Champions League spot last season can be partly attributed to the improved performances of a number of players. Gareth Bale is foremost amongst these players, having put in some exhilaratingly commanding performances on Spurs’ left wing during their difficult end of season run-in. He was a player transformed but in another important season in which Harry Redknapp has already raised the issue of fixture congestion, can Dos Santos step up to become this campaign’s Gareth Bale?

Giovani Dos Santos’ three goals for Barcelona all came during his final appearance for the club in their 5-3 defeat of Real Murcia. In June 2008 the Mexican completed an £8.6 million move to north London. It was unfortunate that an ankle injury halted his progress initially and with first-team opportunities not forthcoming he was loaned to Championship outfit Ipswich Town for the latter half of the 08/09 season. A return of four goals in eight appearances and scoring the winner in the keenly contested East Anglian derby earned him praise at Portman Road. Frustratingly for the player the next campaign followed a similar pattern. Having suffered another ankle injury he was eventually sent to Turkish giants, Galatasaray on loan.

Having been brought to the club by former manager, Juande Ramos and sporting director Damien Comolli, Dos Santos has had to adjust to the straight-talking regime implemented by Harry Redknapp. For the experienced Englishman the player harbours the talent and ability to succeed but has lacked motivation. In the Mail on Sunday Redknapp said, “It’s whether he has the dedication and the desire. He lacked that in the past but hopefully he’ll get his head right and show what he can do.”

The motivation and desire to showcase his attacking skills was not an issue in Mexico’s World Cup campaign. Although he evidently enjoyed the confidence of the now former Mexico boss, Javier Aguirre as he played in every game for the side in South Africa. His performances merited a place on the shortlist of Fifa’s prestigious Hyundai Best Young Player Award. With his brother Jonathan narrowly missing out on Mexico’s 23-man squad some questioned whether his attitude would again be at fault. This was not the case as the forward deployed on the right wing unleashed a number of powerful shots in the opening game of the tournament. Dos Santos who would invariably drift into a more central, freer role appeared sharp and quick witted in attack, combining well with his team-mates and unsettling labouring defenders with his speed. His final ball could have been more consistent but the ideas, creativity and enthusiasm from this young attacker was palpable.

Gareth Bale transformed his reputation at Spurs last season from that of perpetual loser to one of the best left-sided players in the league. His contributions together with the improved performances of Bentley, Gomes and Pavlyuchenko were critical as the side beat Manchester City to the coveted fourth place finish. The achievements of Bale and other players who have endured difficult spells should provide hope and context for Dos Santos. In the continued absence of one special signing Spurs may just need Dos Santos to be this season’s Gareth Bale.

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

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So far this season we have seen Man Utd concede eleven goals in their opening ten games, Tottenham fourteen, Chelsea fifteen and Arsenal twenty-one. All had conceded less at this stage last year and for a club like Arsenal the news is particularly grim. They have conceded just under half of the total number of goals they did in the whole of last season in their first ten games this year. Have we got to the stage where the naivety of managers has reached new lows amongst the Premier League’s top clubs?

Man Utd

Manchester United’s figures for this year may not seem too bad at a glance, but you have to consider that they could have conceded a lot more. They have allowed more shots on goal than any other club this season and for a team that just spent almost £40m shoring up its defence with the signings of Phil Jones and David De Gea there defensive display’s have been mediocre at best. Fans might point to the injuries and suspensions to Vidic and Ferdinand but frankly Man Utd endured much worse injury crises last season and fared a hell of a lot better. To be conceding over a goal a game as champions is not what you’d expect and United fans will be hoping for an improvement.

Tottenham

Spurs too have bolstered their defensive options this year with the signing of Brad Friedel in goal and Scott Parker protecting the defence. On top of that they have regained Kyle Walker at right back to give them options that they didn’t have last year and club captain Ledley King has already played as many games as he did in the entirety of last season. However, if they carry on conceding at the rate that they are then they would end up conceding far more than they did last year.

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Chelsea

Chelsea has the excuse of a manager new to the Premier League that promotes attacking football. But to go from one of the meanest defences in the league to conceding five at home in one game then we can see that there are clearly problems to be addressed. Villas-Boas has said that Chelsea will not change their attacking style of football and whilst this is admirable and entertaining it also reminds me of a certain stubborn French manager enduring torrid defensive troubles of his own at the moment. Chelsea has proved under previous managers that the players they have can form a formidable defensive force and the subsequent, present frailty suggests naivety from the young Portuguese manager.

Arsenal

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The odd defensive faux pas is nothing new to Arsenal fans but even they will admit this season that there are worrying signs. Yes, they have new players who are struggling to adapt to the English style and language. But that is nobody else’s fault but their own. They could have signed these defenders at the end of last season and given them time to settle in but they did not. To concede seventeen goals in four away games is shocking by anyone’s standards, let alone a team playing in the Champions League. Whether the defensive coaching is conducted by Wenger, Pat Rice or another there has to be someone held to account for such meek defensive performances. In over two decades of watching Arsenal I have become used to watching them spontaneously implode as a team but to lose 8-2 at Old Trafford and be the only team beaten by bottom of the table Blackburn this season are new lows. The victory at Stamford Bridge will have gone some way to building confidence but to again concede three away from home is worrying. Arsenal cannot always expect to score five away from home against such tough opposition.

You could argue that these defensive frailties are merely signs that the league as a whole is becoming more competitive but to say that is to ignore the swathes of pitiful defending exhibited by most of the top teams this year. By and large the defenders for the teams in question are the same with perhaps one or two new faces added yet their performances are less convincing than ever. Chelsea Arsenal and Man Utd have all conceded at least five goals in one game this season. Does anyone remember the last time that happened to top teams after only a quarter of the season gone? The fault lies with both the management style and off field preparation. On Sky Sports over the weekend the commentary team, including ex-Gunner Alan Smith commented on the difference in coaching techniques between George Graham and Arsene Wenger saying that under Graham defensive coaching took place every single day – a stark contrast to Wenger’s methods. Obviously we want to see exciting attacking football in our league but sooner or later certain managers will have to look at their defensive performances for the current season and realise that something must be done.

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Over the last week Jose Mourinho has come out with some very strong statements about his desire to return to England. Clearly, Jose Mourinho has come tired with life at the Bernabeu, knowing full well that Real Madrid will be playing second fiddle to Barcelona for many years to come. Barcelona and Pep Guardiola have shown Mourinho that he isn’t quite as special as he may think and it is clear he is looking to jump ship at the earliest opportunity.

Real Madrid are not in a poor position. They have moved into the quarter finals of the Champions League, they are in the Copa Del Rey final and only lie five points behind Barcelona in the race for the La Liga title. For many coaches this would represent good progress and of course the season is not over. So why does Jose Mourinho insist on telling us that he wants to move back to England and that he was first choice for the England job? Is it a come and get me plea to Manchester City or Manchester United? Perhaps, but I think this is happening because deep down he knows the truth of his situation: Jose Mourinho can’t beat Barcelona.

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The 5-0 drubbing in the first Classico was a real lesson for Jose Mourinho and his Real Madrid team. Fortunately, since that game they have got better, have worked harder and have no doubt come together as a team – something that isn’t synonymous with Real Madrid sides. After that game, Mourinho blamed his players and took no responsibility for the poor judgement in his team selection that night. It was very un-Mourinho like but that night he learnt who was the greater side, and who was a greater manager. Since that drubbing, Mourinho has been looking for an exit strategy.

His managerial career thus far has been exceptional. His home record is nothing short of unbelievable and his winning titles in both England and Italy is something that has to be applauded. But I would question whether Mourinho faced much of a challenge at Chelsea. It was a club with an endless supply of wealth – certainly more than it’s rivals and a club that already had a back-bone of exceptional players. The same was true at Inter – he was expected to win the league, he was given huge resources and after the Italian football scandal, Inter Milan were too strong – something that Mourinho was well aware of.

This challenge looks like it could be one hurdle too far for Jose Mourinho. He has the worlds most expensive player in Cristiano Ronaldo, a talented midfield and the best goalkeeper in the world but it’s still Barcelona that grab the headlines. Even with all the talent on their books and all the investment poured into the club, Real Madrid do not have the class of Barcelona. If Mourinho is given an exit strategy this summer expect him to take it.

Read more of Tom’s articles at This Is Futbol

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Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill has revealed that Manchester City transfer target James Milner has asked to leave.

O'Neill vowed to fight to keep hold of the England international after rejecting an initial £20million offer from the big-spending Eastlands club before the World Cup.

However, following Milner's return to pre-season, O'Neill has admitted the 24-year-old midfielder will be allowed to leave if the price is right.

Milner, who still has two years remaining on his existing contract, has made 90 appearances for Villa since arriving in a £13million deal from Newcastle United in July 2008.

Speaking earlier in the month, O'Neill admitted the former Leeds United and Newcastle man was key to Villa's hopes of improving on last season's sixth-placed finish in the Premier League.

"Eventually if players do want to leave the football club, or any football club for that matter, then it becomes more difficult than ever before," he explained.

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"But what I will say is we have a better chance of performing in the manner in which we did last season if we could keep the best players and James comes into that equation."

O'Neill has been linked with a move for West Ham United midfielder Scott Parker should Milner leave Villa Park.Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

I am shocked by some negativity hanging over Tottenham Hotspur at the moment. With the club sitting just three points off of the Champions League places with a game in hand and on fantastic form surely they should be favourites to steal that fourth Champions League spot for the second time in three years ahead of Arsenal and Liverpool.

Yesterday Roman Pavlyuchenko slated manager Harry Redknapp for failing to select him after praising his form and now defender Benoit Assou-Ekotto believes the club will fail if they don’t spend big this year. Having been worryingly quiet in the transfer market this summer, Redknapp managed to bring in Scott Parker and Emmanuel Adebayor and more importantly hold on to his key players that have started the season well.

With Adebayor and Rafael van der Vaart firing up front and Parker and Luka Modric combining in midfield, the first eleven is looking very strong. There is a lack of strength in depth at White Hart Lane but that does not seem to be affecting the results on the pitch with five wins in six games moving Spurs up the league to fifth.

Left back Assou-Ekotto, has urged the club to offer new, improved contracts to van der Vaart, Modric and Gareth Bale to prevent them leaving the club in the near future. Modric was persuaded to stay at Spurs in the summer by chairman Daniel Levy after Chelsea came in three times to buy the Croatian. With a current contract not set to expire until 2016 and the club rejecting a £40million bid in the summer, surely he isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Bale has also stated his confidence in Spurs going forward, and is in no rush to move on; however Real Madrid and Inter Milan are interested in the Welsh winger. Van der Vaart has started to score goals again, playing in his favoured attacking midfield position and may attract interest in January or the summer.

Assou-Ekotto told the Evening Standard: “If we want to become great, the club have to do certain things differently so as to match what the top teams do in a financial sense. Since we qualified for the Champions League, we can say, yes, we have become a big team.

“Now, to become like Chelsea or Manchester United, we need to keep the same team for the next couple of years and make everyone happy to stay, rather than being in the situation we were with Luka Modric during the summer.

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“There’s a lot to be excited about at Spurs now with the new training ground and maybe a new stadium. It feels like the future could be really good for the fans but if the players don’t stay, we could end up like Aston Villa. Instead of being able to build on what they had, players ended up leaving Villa, so I hope Tottenham will make the right steps.”

Is Assou-Ekotto right to be worried or have Tottenham shown their ambition over the summer in rejecting a £40million for a player and now showing the rewards on the pitch looking very impressive?

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David Pizarro scored a last-gasp penalty as Roma survived a scare from lowly Lecce to record a 2-1 win in the Serie A on Friday.Roma, who have gone unbeaten since Vincenzo Montella took over as manager following Claudio Ranieri’s resignation, took the lead just after the half hour through Montenegrins striker Miko Vucinic.The hosts looked to have stolen a point when Guillermo Giacomazzi snatched an equaliser in the 75th minute, but Pizarro broke Lecce hearts by converting from the spot in injury time following Gianni Munari’s foul.Vucinic refused to celebrate after his 32nd-minute opener, though the former Lecce man had every right to after weaving his way to the edge of the area and somehow splitting three defenders and Lecce goalkeeper Antonio Rosati with a side-footed thrust into the bottom-right corner.Lecce pushed hard for an equaliser and found it through Giacomazzi, the Uruguayan midfielder rising to meet Munari’s cross and looping a header under the crossbar 15 minutes from injury time.But Munari went from hero to villain in the 89th minute, fouling in the area and allowing Pizzaro a chance to break his 12-month goal drought from the spot.The Chilean playmaker was up to the task, stumping Rosati with a powerful drive into the right corner and ensuring Roma kept themselves in the Europa League places for another round.Roma will remain sixth on the table through the weekend after improving to a five-point gap over Juventus in seventh, while Lecce could find themselves in the relegation zone if Cesena can win at Sampdoria on Saturday.

Until the ubiquitous and unscrupulous presence of the media, the World Cup was the stage that dominated tactical advances in the game. It was Brazil, known for their overt attacking intuitions, who were the first to shift to four defenders (from the traditional W-M formation) in their triumph at the 1958 World Cup. This led to a widespread imitation of their 4-2-4 over the next few years but as the world adapted to Brazil’s 58’ formula, the seleção had evolved yet again by 1962. This time they dazzled with a 4-3-3.

The World Cup continued to showcase tactical progressions and instigate widespread adoptions of winning formulas up until the 90s, where worldwide broadcasting and the internet took hold. With almost every league available to watch it became far more difficult to shock the world football consciousness with something revolutionary or unplayable; in essence it levelled the playing field a great deal. Now it is top level club football that dictates the direction of the game, and no better exemplar can be found than the single striker system at use by almost every team at the World Cup today.

If we take the Premier League, the flat 4-4-2 was adeptly destroyed by Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal (see here) early in the 2000s. Mourinho’s Chelsea similarly highlighted how a numerical disadvantage in midfield can cripple an opposition. The need for the Premier League teams to vary their tactics became especially clear in European ties and greater variation, always in a single striker system (Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United), led to sustained success in the last half of the 2000s. But the common dictum attached to playing a lone striker, especially in England, is that it’s a ‘negative’ or ‘defensive’ formation. That a formation itself is either offensive or defensive is a prevailing fallacy in the game. The truth is that formations remain neutral but it is the personnel and instructions to players that make them overtly attacking or defensive. Taking a glance at France’s Euro 2000 final team, in a single striker system, shows Djorkaeff, Zidane and Dugarry playing off Thierry Henry. Can that possibly be considered defensive?

The major international tournaments have reflected the changes of club football rather than instigated them. If we take Euro 2008, by the end of the tournament, albeit for injuries as well as tactical decisions, Germany, Croatia and Spain all played with a single striker. In the 2008 African Cup of Nations 13 of the 16 teams started with 4-4-2 but this year, at the same tournament, the use of twin strikers had almost disappeared (barring Ghana’s occasional switches to 4-4-2). And the World Cup is largely going to be a tournament for the single striker system (Spain, Italy, Germany, Argentina and Holland will all be using some form of it). What’s perhaps more interesting than rudimentarily observing the change is a comparison between the evolutions of two of the best propagators of single striker systems at South Africa: Brazil and Spain.

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Teams in Spain had adopted the 4-2-3-1 very early in the 2000s. The national team only produced its best football in the Euro 2008 semi and final when Fabregas had to replace the injured Villa. Counter intuitively the injury to Villa facilitated a change to 4-1-4-1 and the team played much more cohesively. They retained their shape in the final and have since – it seems – decided that a single striker formation allows their stars the best platform on which to play. And now, due to Senna’s absence, the team have opted for two holding midfielders (in Busquets and Alonso) instead of one. Silva and Iniesta operate on the right and left respectively as wingers with strong central intuitions; cutting in from wide induces the interchanging and fluid movement that most teams only enjoy after training at club level for a long time.

Spain’s success is not just the sheer volume of world class midfielders and forwards; the fact that they play the same systems at club level has already given them intimate tactical knowledge and an inbuilt understanding with their compatriots (Xavi, Iniesta and Busquets train together for club, Silva plays the same outside right position for Valencia, Villa understands his ex team mate’s movements and fluidly interchanges, Alonso is Madrid’s deep lying playmaker). England on the other hand play a modified 4-4-2 and none of their stars (Rooney, Gerrard, and Lampard) play the same formation at club level. The highly systematised nature of elite football means these changes are significant; it is a contributing factor, but by no means the whole reason, to Spain being so cohesive and England being so disjointed.

Brazil’s 4-2-3-1 is a change from the European style. The main difference is Robinho’s position; he plays a withdrawn second striker role on the left hand side and Ramires offers energy and defensive capabilities on the right. Their shape is called a diamond in midfield instead of an outright 4-2-3-1 but the subtlety of their execution should not be ignored. Jonathan Wilson commented on Robinho’s position as a main stumbling block for opposition teams, especially European sides who employ a similar system. The player has shown no desire to be defensive at all so should an opposing right back be instructed to maraud forward (calling Dunga’s bluff on that side of the field) or hold his position to nullify Robinho’s threat? It remains a strength for Dunga’s side indelibly geared to their strengths on the counter attack.

But the final point worth mentioning is how much does the labelling of a formation (calling it 4-4-2 or 4-1-3-2 or 4-2-3-1) actually matter? It is argued that when we actually recognise something and give it a name, it can be evolved and modified. So whilst it is important to gauge the widespread shift to the single striker system what should not be lost are the positional variations that players impose on their formations. Many would attribute Ferguson’s 1990s success to a flat 4-4-2 but he claims he has never used twin strikers; he says one has always been withdrawn. For Spain’s formation Villa is rendered the focal point of attack but in games, just as often, he drifts as a false nine to provide for team mates (who themselves have drifted to exploit space). Greece’s Euro 2004 win had the morning papers after their quarter final and semi final victories torn between dubbing their system a three man defence and a four man defence. The truth is the team varied their defensive setup during the tournament, completely dependent on their opposition strengths. So tactical observations remain important but we should always remember a 4-2-3-1, for example, isn’t going to cover the subtlety in movement between the Spanish style and the Brazilian style.

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Newcastle are set to renew their interest in Sochaux forward Modibo Maiga in January after failing to strike a deal during the summer the Mirror reports.

After missing out on Melvut Erdinc Magpies boss Alan Pardew was unhappy that the club missed out on signing the Mali international before the transfer window closed but is now preparing to reopen negotiations with an £8 million bid.

The Ligue 1 club stalled on giving the Premier League club a decision on whether they were prepared to sell Maiga with the transfer window clock running down despite the striker being keen on the switch to Tyneside.

He is now suffering abuse from his own fans after publicly declaring his wish to leave the Stade Auguste Bonal and confessed that he is fed up with it.

“I have had enough of being booed by supporters right now, but anyway it does not stop me scoring goals for the club and making them happy” he said.

“I scored a double for them again (at the weekend). I had two chances on Saturday against Toulouse, two goals, just to thank them.”

The 24-year-old is still open to the idea of a move to St James’ Park at the turn of the year admitting that he wants to play in a ‘top league’ and that they are a ‘good club’

The 24-year-old said: “Newcastle? They are a very good club, I will not finish my career in Sochaux if I am scoring every week – that is the reality of football. I have not invented that!” 

“At the moment I am here and scoring goals. I do not know when the transfer window opens what there will be. It depends also on the club, but in the near future I want to ply my trade in another top league. It is a genuine ambition, I will accept being booed for that!”

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Rumours have emerged this week that Bundesliga side Wolfsburg will table a £5m bid for Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel in the summer. Despite the emergence of these reports, the Slovakian centre-back has refuted suggestions that he is seeking an Anfield exit.

“I have learned about the interest of Wolfsburg only from the internet and don’t even know how true this news is,” said Skrtel.

“One thing is for sure, though – I have a valid contract with Liverpool, I am happy there and if they are happy with me, too, I am not going anywhere.”

Whilst Skrtel’s commitment to the Liverpool cause is commendable, question marks have undoubtedly arisen over his form and ability over the last two seasons. The Slovakian international appeared in half of Liverpool’s Premier League outings during 2009/10, and he has appeared in every single Premier League game for the Reds this term. The side’s performances over this period have been inconsistent, sometimes downright appalling, and a backline once renowned for its organisation and rigidity has markedly deteriorated.

A recent resurgence under the stewardship of Kenny Dalglish, which has included four clean sheets in five league games, has seen Skrtel demonstrate glimpses of his early Anfield form. However, with Liverpool’s new owners Fenway Sports Group notorious for their ruthlessness in the pursuit of success, doubts persist over Skrtel’s long-term Anfield future. Should Liverpool look to cash in on Martin Skrtel this summer?

After arriving from Zenit St. Petersburg in January 2008, Martin Skrtel quickly settled at the club, and established himself as a vital component of Rafa Benitez’s starting line-up. The tall centre-back played a key part in the side’s title challenge of 2008/09, and impressed with his strength, determination and no-nonsense approach. However, a head injury sustained against Tottenham Hotspur on the opening day of 2009/10 seemed to act as a catalyst for a decline in the Slovak’s performances.

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The defender, who is 6ft 4, is often unusually timid in the air for a man of his size. Despite a fearsome physical appearance, Skrtel is frequently bullied by opposition forwards. His inability to successfully cope with new team-mate Andy Carroll during Liverpool’s 3-1 defeat to Newcastle United earlier this season highlighted the defender’s physical inadequacies and decline. His positional sense has been questionable, and his hesitancy and unimaginative distribution have been evident on several occasions this season.

Although Skrtel is not the only Reds defender to have performed poorly during the last two seasons, it is his mistakes and performances which appear to have attracted the most attention and criticism from the club’s fans. Injuries to Jamie Carragher and Daniel Agger facilitated Skrtel’s regular inclusion in Liverpool’s starting line-up, but it remains to be seen whether this will continue now that the aforementioned duo have returned to fitness.

Club stalwart Carragher still commands a starting berth in Liverpool’s defence, and Danish international Agger finally appears to have put his longstanding injury problems behind him. Whilst Dalglish has deployed a three centre-back system in two of Liverpool’s last three games, it is unlikely that he will continue to use this formation in the long run. Carragher’s leadership qualities and Agger’s composure and ball-playing abilities almost certainly guarantee them a starting berth if and when Dalglish reverts to a two centre-back set-up.

In addition to this, Liverpool have a fine crop of young defenders ready to make the step up to first-team football over the next few years. The first-team emergence of 20-year-old Martin Kelly this season has threatened Glen Johnson’s hold over the right-back berth, but the England under-21 international is expected to switch to his preferred position of centre-back at some point over the next few seasons.

Summer recruit Danny Wilson, who has been used frequently in Liverpool’s Europa League campaign this season, will almost certainly be afforded more first-team opportunities in the Premier League next season. Spanish centre-back Daniel Ayala, who is currently on loan at Derby County, has been praised by Jamie Carragher, and England’s under-17 European Championship-winning captain Conor Coady has been tipped to make his first-team breakthrough soon.

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27 later this year, Skrtel will soon be approaching his prime. Unfortunately it appears as though he hasn’t progressed and developed as well as anticipated at Anfield. Parting ways may prove to be the best move for Martin Skrtel and Liverpool this summer.

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It’s fair to say that in recent times Newcastle haven’t enjoyed that much success,where back in 2009 the team suffered relegation to the second tier of English football for the first time in 16 years. However the team have bounced straight back up to the Premiership at the first attempt and will be hoping that they can build upon this and the good times can finally return to St. James’ Park.Throughout their history the team have been Champions four times prior to the 30’s, the FA Cup on six occasions, the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup and the UEFA Intertoto Cup. Formed in 1892, the club is one of the best supported clubs in the country.We have looked back at some of the moments and key players that had a massive impact at the football club and a few memorable videos from recent years:Click on King Kev to view gallery:[youtube dK4wFKYtipo]Newcastle 7-1 Tottenham[youtube Gh-OS3gHwnk]Newcastle 3-2 Barcelona[youtube DPGe9OrT53Y]Alan Shearer[youtube aWNCwHNsuuU]