Though they finished the season with both the Champions League and FA Cup trophies, Chelsea fans will still have been disheartened by the club’s sixth place finish in the Premier League. With their worst league finish since Roman Abramovich purchased the club in 2003, it is clear that some work is needed in order to make the team competitive for the league title once more and ensure they can maintain their position as challengers for the league title in the long term.

The most urgent factor for Chelsea this summer should be the appointment of a new manager. Despite Roberto Di Matteo’s success in the latter half of the season, the transition to a permanent role is by no means secure. Pep Guardiola and Fabio Capello are among the names to have been linked to the position though nothing is yet concrete. The job needs to be offered to someone soon in order to provide stability in pre-season and with the former Barcelona coach taking a sabbatical and Capello out of experience in club management, the decision does not seem a hard one. If the saga is allowed to drag on for too long it would only serve to create uncertainty and disconcertment in the dressing room.

However, despite not having a coach to lead the team next season the club have already started their overhaul of the squad. The departure of Didier Drogba leaves a hole up front but since his 29-goal haul in the 2009/10 season the Blues have not been in possession of a prolific goal scorer. Frank Lampard continues to find the back of the net on a regular basis but a striker is needed that can match the prowess of Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie and Sergio Aguero at their Premier League rivals.

A few years back Fernando Torres would have been considered as one of the most esteemed strikers in the league but his continual battle for form has seen him find the net just 12 times in 67 appearances. If he cannot rediscover his best goal scoring form then Chelsea could be left dangerously short of firepower once more. But instead of purchasing yet another forward, there are options already open to the club. Daniel Sturridge ended the season with 11 league goals from a wide position, yet his spell at Bolton Wanderers last year suggested that he can handle the rigours of operating as a lone striker in the Premier League. Romelu Lukaku could also provide some promising back up if he is not sent out on loan. Trusting in these players could prove vital to propel Chelsea up the league standings and back into contention for the league title.

The other problem area with the playing squad remains in attacking midfield. Capturing Marko Marin could prove to be a shrewd piece of business as his pace in the wide areas is something that the Blues have been severely lacking since Arjen Robben and Damien Duff terrorised full-backs under Jose Mourinho. The club decided to release one such player in Salamon Kalou but are reportedly close to snatching the signing of another impressive wide player from the hands of Manchester United and Manchester City in Eden Hazard. This could also see Juan Mata move back into his favoured position in behind the striker and offer the starting line-up much more balance.

However, with UEFA’s Fiancial Fair Play regulations gradually becoming stricter the need to graduate youth players from the academy has never been more prevalent. Josh McEachran and Gael Kakuta will both be returning from their respective spells away from Stamford Bridge during the off season and need to be integrated into the first team. Allowing young players an increased level of responsibility in the senior squad is essential to create a tighter unit for the coming years.

Looking further to the future, for Chelsea to be considered as one of the most reputable clubs in world football they will need a new stadium. The Blues have clearly outgrown their current home and regular crowds of 60,000 upwards would not only help create increased revenue but also provide an ever more intimidating atmosphere when playing at home.

This summer will be pivotal as to the direction in which Chelsea head in the coming years. With the right moves, focusing on both the short term and long term needs of matters both on and off the field, the Blues could once again become a competitive force in the upper echelons of the Premier League.

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Do you believe Chelsea can challenge for the Premier League title next season? Let me know on Twitter.

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Manchester United midfielder Nani has stated that England may struggle in Euro 2012 without Wayne Rooney.

The Three Lions striker is banned for the first two games of the tournament against France and Sweden, leaving Roy Hodgson’s men slightly short up front.

Portugal star Nani has stated that he feels that Rooney’s absence could be crucial for the side’s chances.

“Rooney is a key man and two matches without my United companion could be too much for England,” Nani stated to The Sun.

“Roo is angry about his absence because he knows he’s the man to score goals and he won’t be there working for the team.

“I sincerely want England to reach the quarter-finals but it’s not going to be easy.

“For an England team without Rooney, Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard and Gareth Barry is vulnerable because they are suffering in all departments of the team.

“These players are so important for the team and their replacements are not at the same level.

“These absences place many doubts about the English for the Euros. England need to make their biggest effort because injuries are destroying the team.

“It’s incredible to lose so many men each week.

“England do have players of sensational quality but that does not guarantee success. They must perform as a unit and not depend on individuals.

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“Danny Welbeck could cause a lot of harm and break down defensive systems. The kid has improved a lot this season and justifies his presence in the team,” he concluded.

Nani was struggling with injury, but is expected to be able to feature for Portugal against Germany in his nation’s tournament opener.

By Gareth McKnight

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With the Football League season just over a month away Football FanCast’s Shrewsbury Town blogger Liam Hoofe takes a look at how pre-season is shaping up at the New Meadow. 

In three days time Shrewsbury will play their first game of their pre-season campaign as they continue to prepare for life in League One after their promotion from League Two last season.

On Thursday night Town will travel away to Southern League Premier division outfit Evesham United. Whilst Evesham should provide a good run out for the lads, which is always vital ahead of a new season, it shouldn’t be too difficult of a game for Turner’s men.

It will be a decent chance to give some of the less experienced players a run out while also giving the fans a chance to see some of the new faces that have come in during the post season transfer window.  It has been a busy summer for Turner and after some high-profile departures, the new campaign will be something of a rebuilding exercise so pre-season will be vital in working how he can best utilise the new players at the club.

The match also marks an occasion for Evesham United as Shrewsbury will be the first football league side to compete against their side at their new Jubilee stadium, which was opened last week by Ron Atkinson after the club had been homeless for the previous six seasons.

I imagine Graham Turner may play two different sides against Evesham, one in each half. This all gives the fans a good look at the whole squad, seeing areas in which we lack depth and require improvement to perhaps bring more players in before the big kick-off.

All around this should be a good run out for Graham Turner’s men and an enjoyable occasion for Evesham United and their fans.

You can follow me on Twitter @LiamHoofe

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Although the day had been coming for what felt like an eternity now, it still didn’t seem to feel any easier when it happened. As the curtain finally came down on the career of one Ledley Brenton King, Tottenham Hotspur didn’t just loose a club legend. They lost one of the finest central defenders in a generation.

But as macabre as it may seem, King’s decision to retire wasn’t just the correct decision for his own well-being- it was the correct decision for Tottenham Hotspur. It’s an uncomfortable truth, but the club would have struggled to push on with the yo-yoing presence of their former leader in the ranks.

King knew this and his decision personifies both the courage and the selflessness that has adorned his career in N17. A career in which, even if the great man’s modesty would never entertain such a notion, has truly earned the title of legendary.

In the passing days since the club announced that King was set to hang his boots up once and for all, a reflection over the past 13 years has perhaps jolted many supporters as to how long the now former skipper has actually been at the club. After making his debut at Anfield in a 3-2 defeat to Liverpool towards the end of the 1998-99 season, it was the 2000-01 term in which King really began to establish himself under George Graham.

But as bizarre as it may seem that the great man once had the fleeting Chris Perry as competition, it was the dark specter of Sol Campbell that perhaps catalyzed the destiny of Ledley King forever. The comparisons between the two were inevitable. Both were crafted as trainees at Spurs, both possessed immense power and physical ability yet the two also had a rare level of technical excellence with the ball at their feet. There is little need to denote why that passage makes such painful reading for supporters.

As Campbell did the unspeakable, Ledley King no longer became just another player. He was the light, the one constant in an era full of George Graham, Glenn Hoddle and Jacques Santini like variables. Supporters bestowed as much expectation as they did adulation on the thoroughbred centre-half. Suffice to say, King didn’t disappoint.

What followed was a decade of football that immortalized him into the annals of White Hart Lane history. At the risk of sounding condescending, supporters from other clubs who aren’t entirely sure what all the fuss is about, simply haven’t followed King’s career close enough. When supporters talk about ‘club legends’, so often it is the cult heroes who crop up in conversation. Players, who clocked up hundreds of appearances and had great one-off seasons but not necessarily the most talented of footballers.

The thing with King is that he genuinely was one of the most gifted central-defenders to play the game. He had the supreme physical attributes and the body-lunging bravery that we appreciate in this country. But he was a footballer. Dare you say it, he embodied the ‘Spurs’ way of playing. He saw things that other defenders couldn’t see; he read the game in another way. And that gift was perhaps the most poignant one as the injuries took their toll.

Because there was of course, a heartbreaking sub-plot of injury that blighted Ledley King’s career. A vast majority of those who visit White Hart Lane could give you a relatively decent lecture about the degeneration of knee cartilage, such is its documentation in the national press. But as the years went by, even some Spurs fans perhaps took the King’s presence for granted, such was his supernatural ability to play Premier League without any real physical conditioning and a full working knee joint.

That’s not meant in a derogatory term. And again, without aiming another parting shot at Harry Redknapp, his infamous quip about King being so good, it was worth having him if only for 20 games a season, perhaps rings more hollow now.

As last season, King did finally begin to look human. Even then, he was still head and shoulders above most Premier League defenders. But as he began to mistime tackles for the first time in his career, fans knew something was up. The sight of him at times, physically struggling to straighten his knee, was perhaps the final straw.

But it’s the effect on the rest of the team which we often have shunned ,such has been the importance of the man. Spurs haven’t had a stable back four in several years now. Because as good as the team may have been for the game in which King played, it was the next fixture in which another partnership had to conjoin, where the team would suffer.

And as optimism blooms under the new Andre Villas-Boas era, there is a feeling Spurs are on the cusp of something big. But as painful as it seems, surely every team will hit a glass ceiling with a back four that shuffles every other game. Tottenham fans may be mourning, but there is a feeling of understanding at White Hart Lane. When asked if there were any positives to take out of King’s departure, the Spurs community on Twitter seemed to retain the sense of realism.

@Yids Stability.

@KennyPalmer Spurs will now be able to have a regular/stable CB partnership and a defined back four.

@SibsTHFC it’s better that he’s retired with his legs all still in one piece. Better that than witness a very sad slow decline…It also allows a new partnership that will last for years to be formed.

And it is the future that can now be built on at White Hart Lane. Spurs may not have been able to acquire the services of a top-class centre-half, in the mould of someone like Jan Vertonghen, if Ledley King was still looming at the Lane. How could they sell the club to a player on the premise that they would only be able to play every other week?

It feels uneasy to consign Ledley King’s retirement as a necessity. Yes, if he had chose to work another season for the club, you’d imagine he would gain the club several points along the way, such is his phenomenal level of ability. But it could also have been the season where, for the first time in his career, he began to cost the club points. Potentially, at the cost of massive loss himself. The club will never forget, but it had to move on.

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Ledley King will always exist at White Hart Lane in some capacity. For the moment, it’s ambassadorial, but who knows what the future may hold. In the era of perceived Premier League greed, Ledley King was a player who went through genuine pain and put himself at real risk by playing for his football club.

He always wanted what was best for the football club. His decision to call it a day has evoked many emotions, but maybe in some ways, we should be harnessing optimism, not eternal sadness. Tottenham Hotspur can now finally push on.

How do you see Ledley King’s retirement? Right decision for you or do you think the club should have kept him on for one more season? Tell me how you see it, for Spurs talk and anything else, follow @samuel_antrobus and tell me what you think. 

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After a slow start to the transfer window, with murmurings of Huddersfield struggling to attract targets to the club, the optimism has been restored with the completion of our first two signings of the summer. Attacker Sean Scannell has made the switch from Championship rivals, Crystal Palace, whilst full back Paul Dixon has agreed terms, having left Dundee United at the end of last season.

Scannell, a fans favourite at Palace, prefers to play as a striker, despite spending the majority of his career on the wing. The reviews from Palace fans have been positive, the majority being disappointed in their club for allowing him to leave, as he has the potential to become a top player, and displays a down to earth attitude, characterised by him regularly being spotted walking to the ground in his tracksuit before home games!

The statistics don’t represent Scannell in a particularly positive light; 12 goals in 130 appearances doesn’t represent a particularly prolific attacker. However, statistics seldom tell the whole story, as shown by the debate over the sacking of Lee Clark re-emerging after his employment at Birmingham City; many opposition fans are citing statistics displaying Clark in a positive light, whereas Town fans maintain that we simply didn’t look like being promoted with him in charge.

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This week Paul Dixon became Town’s second capture of the summer. The natural left back will offer a more natural balance in defence; last season Town were largely reliant on playing Calum Woods at left back, despite his natural position being on the right hand side of the defence. Woods was an able left back at League One level, and will be a good deputy in full back positions in the Championship, however, it is likely he would have struggled with the better right wingers in the division, had he been our first choice left back.

Like Scannell, Dixon arrives in Huddersfield on the back of positive reviews from his former employers. From reviews, Dixon appears to provide good support going forwards, whilst maintaining solidity at the back. Given that our full back on the opposite side, Jack Hunt, is also an attacking full back, Dixon providing a similar option on the opposite side should offer Town a good attacking threat from deep positions.

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Whilst further signings are still very much a necessity in order for us to be competitive at this level, these two signings are a positive start to our summer spending. A few more additions of similar calibre should see us able to do ourselves justice at Championship level.

Manchester City recovered from their Champions League hangover to narrowly beat Swansea at the Etihad Stadium, although the victory was marred by injuries to Micah Richards and Michel Vorm.

A stunning second half strike from Carlos Tevez keeps City within touching distance of league leaders Chelsea as they moved up to second in the table above rivals United who tackle the Blues tomorrow afternoon.

However, both Roberto Mancini and Michael Laudrup will be undoubtedly have their minds on the well being of Richards and Vorm, who were both stretched off towards the end forcing referee Martin Atkinson to add a record 12 minutes of stoppage time.

The hosts suffered from defensive indecision during the 3-1 defeat to Ajax in midweek and had to have their wits about them in the early stages, with Richards doing well to clear a Pablo Hernandez cross.

City were then almost gifted the lead but Carlos Tevez was denied by Chio Flores after  Vorm’s poor clearance fell straight to Sergio Aguero. The Dutch keeper did make amends soon after to brilliantly keep out Tevez’s 15-yard strike in the 38th minute.

That came just 90 seconds after Michu thought he’d broken the deadlock after dispatching the ball past Joe Hart but saw his effort chalked off as he was offside when played through by Wayne Routledge.

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Hernandez then squandered a glorious opportunity just before half time before Hart was on hand to thwart Michu in the penalty after he latched on to Ki Sung-Yueng’s defence-splitting pass.

After the break the home side improved and almost snatched the lead straight from the kick off but Aguero fire wide when well placed. It was left to Argentine compatriot Tevez to provide City’s moment of inspiration as he fired a 30-yard rasper into the bottom corner to end his eight-game goal drought.

After the Olympics, everyone is now taking the assumption that footballers are overpaid, underachieving, arrogant idiots. Which, of course, most of them are. However, a number of unpleasant incidents last season, coupled with the professionalism and sporting behaviour on show at London’s showpiece event has brought the behaviour of footballers into the limelight once again.

Although not all the players act like petulant show ponies, others are simply nasty pieces of work. Joey Barton’s ‘naughty CV’ is far longer than his actual achievements in football and he’s just one of a number of players that supporters simply love to hate. However, it’s questionable as to whether some of these victims of abuse are acceptable hate figures or merely misunderstood characters of the English game. Depending on your club loyalties, you’re sure to agree or disagree over a number of these selections, but we’ve picked out the Top 15 misunderstood footballers.

Click on Duncan Ferguson to unveil the list

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The news that Real Madrid midfielder Lassana Diarra was the latest player to move to Russia in search of riches, completing a four-year deal to sign for Anzhi Makhachkala, will have come as a surprise to many and will go down as a missed opportunity for some in the top flight.

After finding his first-team opportunities limited at the Santiago Bernabeu this term, even more so given the arrival of former Tottenham midfielder Luka Modric, it was clear for all to see that a deal could be done for the 27-year-old enforcer, bringing and end to a four-year spell with the current La Liga champions.

Having struggled to remove Sami Khedira from the spot alongside the hugely influential Xabi Alonso last term, Jose Mourinho toyed with the idea of converting Diarra into a right-back to add competition to a fairly problematic position for the Portuguese boss, with only Alvaro Arbeloa used there for most of last term, with Sergio Ramoes often utilised in the centre, but the Frenchman is thought to have turned down the offer of a new positional lease of life, paving the way for a Premier League club to swoop, or so we thought.

Former Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp had Diarra on his wish-list last summer, but his large wages proved a stumbling block during any negotiations and they club opted for the cheaper alternative of Scott Parker instead. However, a year on, with Parker sidelined through injury, Huddlestone and Jenas on the scrapheap and the inexperienced and somewhat limited Jake Livermore starting regularly, there was certainly a spot open in the club’s starting line-up.

Sandro remains a brute force of nature in the middle of the park, but his lack of positional discipline and occasionally wayward passing still cause concern and the club did move for the far more expensive Yann M’Vila, albeit briefly, instead for a time, until his £15m valuation ended any chance of a move. Real Madrid’s willingness to do a deal and shift on Diarra would have seen a player with proven Premier League experience available for half that price.

At Portsmouth, Diarra showed that he was technically proficient, particularly for a holding midfielder, in possession of a subtle, yet superb range of passing, combined with a tactical awareness that saw him slot comfortably into a better quality side at Real Madrid rather seamlessly and he has an international pedigree.

Newcastle’s Cheick Tiote has shown that the role of the rampaging, energetic holding midfielder is far from at an end in the top flight, even if it has been reduced in recent times and there’s more to Diarra than the Ivory Coast international in terms of what he’s capable of when he’s on the ball. Had he not burned his bridges with Arsene Wenger at Arsenal quite so expertly, he could have proven the perfect replacement for Alex Song.

Liverpool are a club well stocked in the middle of the park, with both Joe Allen and Nuri Sahin arriving this summer, but with Lucas Leiva yet again ruled out for a prolonged spell through injury, they lack that crucial bite in the middle and just in front of the back four, which was cruelly exposed by Arsenal at the weekend, as Abou Diaby repeatedly just ran right through the middle of the side without being challenged.

Over at Chelsea, while Oriol Romeu may be a bright prospect, Frank Lampard, in a more reserved role is entering the twilight of his career and doubts still nag over John Obi Mikel’s effectiveness against top-class opposition. Ramires is better used in a more forward role, and they could have perhaps have done with Diarra too, even if another striker was more of a priority. With Raul Meireles having just moved to Fenerbache, they are now a man light in midfield and you suspect the player would have relished a return to Stamford Bridge.

However, the main contender for the perfect fit in the top flight would have to be Manchester United and he’s often been a name on the lips of many fans for quite some time. The club have never truly replaced Owen Hargeaves properly, even five years on, and he would have added some much-needed urgency to a sometimes passive midfield.

Michael Carrick is often excellent at dictating the tempo, but it’s the club’s continued over-reliance on Paul Scholes, a man who helped wrestle back control of the game against Southampton, that is the biggest worry. Both Tom Cleverley and Anderson appear to lack clearly defined roles in the side and their positional awareness can leave a lot to be desired at times and Diarra would have helped add some leadership to a sometimes rudderless ship.

The temptation to move to Russia is obvious; Diarra will be rewarded for playing in the cultural backwater that is Anzhi with a wage bump if anything, as he moves on a permanent deal as opposed to the previously widely-assumed season-long loan. Building from the back is an integral component to any top side and providing a platform for the more creative players in your side to perform to the best of their abilities is just as crucial, which is where Diarra excels.

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The majority of the top eight in the Premier League, perhaps only Manchester City aside now, are in dire need of a player capable of patrolling just in front of the back four and breaking up play and their reluctance to invest in someone of that ilk, particularly for Arsenal and Manchester United fans, continues to puzzle; letting Diarra slip through the net so easily this transfer window is equally as baffling.

You can follow me on Twitter @JamesMcManus1

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Arsenal winger Theo Walcott insists that his ongoing contract negotiations are not concerned with money and that he is happy at the club, according to Sky Sports.

Apart from Arsenal’s 0-0 draw with Sunderland on the opening day of the campaign, Walcott has been limited to appearances from the substitute’s bench after stalling on contract negotiations which has mounted continued speculation on the 23-year-olds future.

However, the England international has revealed that his reluctance to agree a new deal for the Gunners isn’t based around greed for a pay rise, “It’s been a frustrating start for me, because of false speculation about me and the money situation.”

The former Southampton man says that his hesitance is based on a footballing matter, revolving around his desire to play centre-forward rather than out on the wings, “For me, it has never been about money, it has always been a football decision for me.”

Since the summer Walcott has constantly been linked with a move away from Arsenal, with Liverpool rumoured to be after his services. Walcott said that although he had the opportunity to leave the Gunners in the summer, he has and will continue to remain loyal to the club, “I had opportunities to go in the summer.  If I wanted to, I would have gone, if it was about money. It has never been that.”

Walcott concluded, “The main factors for me now are I want to start playing up front. That is all it is, really.”

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Regardless of whether Walcott’s issue at Arsenal is a financial or simply a positional one, if contract negotiations continue to linger on for much longer, the winger may find himself frozen out by Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger altogether, as the French boss looks to avoid a repeat of the contract saga that surrounded Robin van Persie last season.

Former Arsenal Goalkeeper Alex Manninger has been  given a trial at Everton FC after being released by Italian Champions Juventus at the end of last season, according to the Daily Mail.

Currently a free agent, the shot-stopping journeyman has played for clubs in the Austrian, Spanish, Italian and English top divisions in his long career, also picking up 33 international caps for Austria.

Gunners fans may remember Manninger as No.2 to David Seaman from 1997 to 2002, including a short spell in the side during 1998 where the Austrian kept six clean sheets consecutively, winning the Premier League Player of the Month award.

The 35-year-old was picked up by Juventus in 2008, serving as cover for Gianluigi Buffon over the past four seasons, following spells with Espanyol, Torino, Bologna, Sienna, Salzburg and Udinese since leaving Arsenal.

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Currently, David Moyes only has two goalkeepers in his first team squad at Everton, meaning the Austrian could be appointed second or third choice keeper should his trial go well. However, he is unlikely to replace Tim Howard any time soon, who has held his place in the first XI  since his arrival at Goodison Park in 2006.