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Although Sir Alex Ferguson’s smiling embrace of Pep Guardiola following his Manchester United side’s schooling at the hands of Barcelona in last month’s Champions’ League Final at Wembley was interpreted as the Scot’s eventual acceptance of the Catalan club’s European dominance, and the confirmation that Ferguson’s European legacy may remain at just two titles once he retires, the Old Trafford outfit’s prompt transfer activity this summer appears to signal an immediate desire to topple the Camp Nou empire.

Nothing has been finalised yet but it seems Spanish Under-21 goalkeeper David de Gea will arrive in Manchester imminently to complete a transfer worth in the region of £20million, Phil Jones has already secured his first professional transfer by leaving Blackburn for a fee of £16.5million, and Ashley Young sealed a move to Manchester United player this week to the tune of £17million+.

Wesley Sneijder, Luka Modric and Alexis Sanchez have also been heavily linked with an Old Trafford move, and though de Gea and Jones have been ‘bought’ with strategic necessity – de Gea to replace the retired Edwin van der Sar and Jones as a long-term solution to Rio Ferdinand – Young’s potential appearance in the red of United next season has caused confusion in several quarters. The club may have struggled against Barcelona but conquered the Premiership yet again with an all too familiar swagger for the twelfth time, largely thanks to the League’s top assister, Nani, and the dependable performances of Park Ji-Sung, not to mention that Ferguson retains the services of Antonio Valencia; arguably the most capable winger of the three. So what then is the need for a fourth wide-man at Old Trafford and what could Young provide Ferguson that he may not have accomplished from his current creative charges?

First and foremost Young is, as his name would imply, at a good age to adjust instantly at a club in the higher reaches of the League. Having made his name at Watford in the Championship and for four years at Villa Park, the 25 year-old has experienced a natural career progression and was a palpable stand-out in an otherwise flat Aston Villa side last season, scoring 9 and assisting 14. He is incredibly versatile and has adapted to a number of attacking positions under four different managers in the Premiership in as many years, and has conceded as much, saying: “I believe in being versatile and I’m happy to play on the left, on the right or through the middle.”

His pace and trickery are unequalled by England standards and his noticeable flair had him recognised by none other than Real Madrid just two years ago. He has featured 15 times for his country, is considered by Fabio Capello as a significant part of his future plans and scored in England’s 2-2 draw with Switzerland earlier this month. Young is consistent with corners, something Nemanja Vidic would relish, and free-kicks, an area that hasn’t been effectively addressed since the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo in 2009.

He has been more-or-less the first name on the team-sheet at Villa so will have to acknowledge the difficulties in forcing his way in to a talented team like United. In my view, his quality aligned with an adaptability which allows him to play anywhere across the front make him an ideal signing for the club whose inventive force has weakened since the retirement of Paul Scholes. Links to Liverpool have perhaps muted the excitement of United fans, but Young is likely to prove the doubters wrong in no time.

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The North London rivalry between Arsenal and Tottenham is one that has defined the Premier League era. Such is the genuine animosity between fans and sometimes players, that this fixture is often explosive and, in recent years, highly significant.

Arsenal will have the chance to top the table with a win over their bitter local rivals, whereas Spurs will be looking to build on last weekend’s thumping win against Blackburn. If Tottenham’s key players can carry the confidence displayed in this season’s big European clashes, there is a real chance this Arsenal side may be toppled, as they have been vulnerable at the Emirates so far this season.

That Spurs have not yet won away against an established ‘top four’ club in seventeen years may suggest, however, that some of their players have shrunk a little on the big occasion. They will need buckets of self-confidence if they are to put right one of the worst records in the league.

Prediction: 2-1

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PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor has added his backing to those campaigning for goal-line technology to be implemented in the game.

A Juan Mata ‘goal’ in Chelsea’s 5-1 win over Tottenham has renewed criticism of the current system, with other sports successfully using technology to ensure correct decisions are made.

Taylor feels that football should move with the times.

“The more that it goes on that we don’t use technology, the more perverse it’s looking for football – being the major spectator game throughout the whole world as well as being the major participant game,” he told Sky Sports.

“I don’t think the crowd would mind it at all, it’s in the best interests of the game and justice will be done. It’s so important as to whether a goal is scored, that’s the whole object of the game.

“People will say, and (UEFA president, Michel) Platini has said, that’s why he wants to use those officials behind the goal and has done so. I don’t see that as the way ahead and I don’t see that as a job for somebody who wants to be a referee or an assistant referee.

“When you see how successfully it’s been used in a game like rugby, league and union, as well as tennis and cricket, it’s what the modern sporting spectator expects – in the interests of seeing that justice is done and the right result.

“Controversy is always going to be part of the game, but I think the sooner it comes in the better.

“I know people will say it’s the thin edge of a wedge because the next point will be should it be a penalty, has a goal been scored, was it offside or not? That might be a debate for another day, but at least I think we should have that goal-line technology for starters.

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“The technology is there and I see no reason why we should waste it any longer,” he concluded.

By Gareth McKnight

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Newcastle United have signed Lille midfielder Yohan Cabaye on a five-year deal for a reported fee of 4.3 million pounds.The 25-year-old helped Lille to a double of Ligue 1 and the Coupe de France last season, but told his team-mates before their final game of the campaign that he was bound for the English Premier League.

“This is a fantastic move for me,” Cabaye said.

“I have enjoyed great times with Lille but the time is right now to test myself against the best and playing for Newcastle United in the Premier League does just that.”

“My first impressions of the club and the city are that it is a lovely place and the stadium is magnificent.”

Cabaye’s good form with Lille, where he made more than 250 appearances, scoring 39 goals, earned him a France debut against Norway in August.

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew said he was pleased that his first signing of the close season was a player with a reliable record at the highest level.

“We are delighted to have signed Yohan on a five-year contract,” Pardew said.

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“He has a first class pedigree having proved himself at the top level in France, both for his club and the national team.”

“He will add great quality to our squad and I am really looking forward to working with him.”

Boss Roy Hodgson admitted that his Liverpool side had not deserved to leave the DW Stadium with three points, having been held to a 1-1 draw by Wigan Athletic.

Steven Gerrard set up Fernando Torres for an early opener, but the Latics hit back to equalise seven minutes into the second half through Hugo Rodallega.

Hodgson said:"We didn't deserve to win the game. I thought we looked tired, our passing was not anywhere near where we expect it to be.

"We had a bright start and bright finish, but I think we can be more than happy with a point.

"The goal was a wonderful piece of play from two outstanding players, a marvellous pass and a wonderful finish which put us on the front foot.

"But we didn't capitalise on that. We had a spell where we were pretty much in control, but from the start of the second half we invited Wigan on to us all the time by consistently giving the ball away.

"As a result they took advantage and scored an equalising goal. We did a little better towards the end and we were unlucky with Steven's shot which hit the underside of the crossbar.

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"But it would have been harsh on Wigan had we won it and they can probably feel the 1-1 result flatters us more than them.

"We always knew this was going to be a tough test, they are not a bad team at all."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

The overwhelming sound of supporters rummaging in draws and rooting around filing cabinets was all that could be heard in Newcastle on Sunday evening. Geordie supporters embarked on a frantic forage for passports as their beloved club edged close to achieving a feat not a soul clad in black and white could have envisaged in their wildest dreams at the Premier League’s kick off last August. Eight months on and the Magpies are on the cusp of a return to European football for the first time since 2007 when under the stewardship of Glenn Roeder. Current commander Alan Pardew has led the Toon Army on a whirlwind journey into the top six with just nine games left to play. Or nine cup finals as he put it following the 1–0 triumph over Norwich at St James’ Park on Sunday. Pardew has overseen a remarkable turnaround during his 15-months on Tyneside surpassing expectations of a top half finish and assembling an exciting squad that plays an intoxicating brand of attacking football.

With entry to next season’s Europa League now a distinct possibility and fans hysterically scanning their passport expiry dates, the question now posed is would continental competition benefit or hinder Newcastle United?

From a football perspective the outlook does look gloomy. Not to paint myself as a pessimist but, whilst the current crop of players are more than capable of holding their own in Europe, the Magpies don’t possess a squad with the depth to cope with such a gruelling schedule. The demands of European competition have greatly intensified in recent years with teams required to play two games within the space of three or four days with a continental round trip thrown in for good measure. It’s an physically and mentally draining excursion that necessitates the ability to rotate players to ward off fatigue. Fulham and Stoke, both of whom have larger squads than Newcastle, struggled to manage the extra load added onto their domestic commitments. Their league form and position suffered as a result and they find themselves in the bottom half of the table with no hope of a return to the Europa League next season. It was clear that the Toon Army toiled to cover the loss of key players Hatem Ben Arfa, Demba Ba, Yohan Cabaye, Fabricio Coloccini, Steven Taylor and Cheick Tiote at differing points of the campaign. Now imagine the club trying to tackle a Thursday night fixture in Europe and then a Premier League game on Sunday deprived of one or two players from that list.

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Obviously Pardew will be recruiting new faces during the summer. However whoever he brings in will be subsidised by the sale of fringe players and one potentially big name. Tiote has been linked with a move to Chelsea and if £20 million is laid on the table it’s likely that owner Mike Ashley will gobble it up without hesitation. With Dan Gosling, Danny Guthrie and Peter Lovenkrands, all of whom are on the periphery of the first team, likely to leave along with striker Leon Best there will be huge gaps left to fill in terms of retaining the healthy complexion the squad currently has. Right now the aim for Ashley is to balance the books so, for example, if five players step through the revolving door at St James’ expect five to step out. Thats how he’s doing business right now. Irrespective of the extra riches that comes with qualifying for Europe or finishing sixth in the league he will avoid splashing out on lucrative transfers. Newcastle can’t compete on the European front with a philosophy like that. Thats not having a pop at the Sports Direct mogul because it if wasn’t for him the club would have died a slow and whimpering death. Ashley’s tightening of the purse strings has put the Magpies’ accounts back into the black for the first time in a long while. But, it’s that prudent approach that prove to be a hinderance.

No disrespect to the players like James Perch, Danny Simpson and Mike Williamson but they don’t possess the talent required  to compete at the level Newcastle aspire to reach. There are five or six other players of similar ilk. Couple that with the reliance on youth to provide backup and there just seems no conceivable way how Newcastle can marry the Europa League with their Premier League obligations without suffering a few injuries and the dreaded mid-season burnout. It would prove to be a huge burden on their domestic campaign without the necessary investment. It’s no falsehood that they need to bolster every area of their squad but the likelihood of that happening is slim.

Therein lies a decision for Ashley to make. Whilst a continental adventure will provide a significant boost to the clubs coffers it could only last for one season. What needs to be considered is would it be more beneficial for Newcastle to consolidate in the top half, strengthen the squad bit-by-bit and then make a play for Europe? If they’re going to approach the Europa League with a majority of the current players in tow supplemented by a few additions then it could prove to be a disaster. The best thing for the Toon Army at this current juncture would be to avoid the allure of the European lights and continue their rebuilding process on the home front.

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Real Madrid director general Jorge Valdano has left the club after repeatedly butting heads with coach Jose Mourinho.Club president Florentino Perez announced Valdano’s departure on Wednesday, saying he wanted to give Mourinho more authority in line with the role of a manager in English football.

Valdano said he was sad to leave his post, but is convinced Mourinho’s staying on will be good for the club.

“I have always respected Real Madrid. I’ve never turned the club into a battlefield,” Valdano said.

“I always put my position as director general before who I am, and I have always avoided fighting that battle.”

“I have great respect and love for this club, and all my efforts were aimed at living up to the greatness of this team.”

“I believe Jose Mourinho staying on is good for a club that’s been unstable in the past. It needs to settle for a reasonable period of time. He’s done a good job, I believe he is a good coach and I find it normal that he stays on.”

“It is always painful to leave people and places you love. The public had to know about this and I wished to say goodbye.”

Perez said giving Mourinho more power was the way forward after a season that yielded just one trophy, the Copa del Rey.

“The experience of the season just ended has shown the need for new organisation at the club, giving autonomy to our coach,” Perez said.

“This is the first step in our reorganisation process which we will develop in the coming weeks.”

“I will not hide how painful the departure of Jorge Valdano is. We have come a long way together but my feelings cannot be a reason for not fulfilling what I believe is my obligation. Jorge, I appreciate all your hard work and dedication.”

But Perez denied the Portuguese coach had pressed for Valdano to be relieved of his duties.

“Mourinho did not make any demands. He asked for more autonomy in line with how English clubs are organised,” Perez said.

There has been no shortage of celebrity Arsenal fans over the years, for example even Her Royal Majesty the Queen of England has been accused of following the Arsenal in the past, before she broke Arsenal hearts by confirming that her allegiance lies with the Hammers.

However, these ten celebrities are fully fledged, Arsenal loving humanoids, and may I say, that as celebrity fans go, it is one of the finest lists around…

Click on the North Bank below to see the top 10 celebrity fans who have once graced it

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Well there you have it. The top 10 famous Arsenal fans. Think there’s a celebrity missing from the list? Don’t consider Piers Morgan to be human, let alone a celebrity? Get involved in the comment box below.

Aston Villa winger Marc Albrighton has stated that the club does not expect to be embroiled in a relegation battle, and games against beatable opponents in coming weeks should send the team back up towards mid-table.

The Midlands outfit are currently in 15th place after a poor run of form, but the midfielder does not feel that this is cause for concern.

“No, we’re staying positive,” Albrighton told The Guardian when asked if Villa are fighting for survival.

“We have two games now against Blackburn and Wigan where we know we are good enough to beat those teams. So we’re aiming for six points now, nothing less, that will lift us back up the table.

“We’ve just got to stick together, everybody at the club has to unite and hopefully we can get out of this slump and start winning football matches,” he stated.

Alex McLeish has had to harbour the bulk of the blame for Villa’s poor season, but Albrighton has backed the Scottish manager to get it right with club.

“I’m in favour of the gaffer. He’s been doing well in training for us, he helps us out and he speaks to us, which is what you want from a manager.

“I thought the fans were terrific inside the ground on Sunday, they were brilliant. They got behind us from the first minute, and that’s what we need going through this bad time. Hopefully we can repay them over the next couple of games,” he concluded.

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By Gareth McKnight

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England under-21s have been handed arguably the toughest draw for the group stage of this summer’s European Championship in Denmark by joining Spain, Czech Republic and Ukraine in group B. Stuart Pearce’s men, who were runners-up in 2009 and semi-finalists two years earlier, appear to have paid the price for narrowly failing to secure seeded status for the tournament as they now face a struggle to qualify from the strongest of the two groups.

Group A seems to be the gentler of the two groups, containing hosts Denmark, Switzerland, Belarus and Iceland, who were seeded just ahead of England. The Three Lions have been teamed with Spain for the second consecutive tournament, having beaten them during the group phase in 2009, and they begin this summer’s campaign against the Spanish on June 12th in Herning, where they will also play Ukraine four days later.

But despite the toughest of draws, what are England’s chances of returning with the trophy they last won in 1984? The under-21s also triumphed two years previously in 1982, but the format of the competition has altered dramatically since then, and now imitates the structure of senior competition. Fabio Capello’s side disappointed in South Africa last summer, but Pearce’s young squad is considered one of the most promising on the continent, the likes of Jack Wilshere, Andy Carroll and Daniel Sturridge providing significant encouragement.

Spain are currently odds on favourties to win the competition outright, but despite the senior squad adding the World Cup to their Euro 2008 title last year, the country’s Under-21 side have not been crowned European champions since 1998. That said, manager Luis Milla, is confident his side can emulate their elder counterparts, explaining: “They know what it means to compete. They are used to a certain model, a way of playing, that is very similar at all age levels, and they’ve grown in that system. So they understand the game in a very similar way, and we focus very much on that.” What’s more, Juan Mata and Javi Martinez, who were both members of the 2010 World Cup winning squad, are likely to be called up by Milla for under-21 duty in Denmark, forming part of a very threatening team.

England’s best chance lies in the attacking potency of Pearce’s squad. Daniel Sturridge produced an exceptional individual display, scoring the third, in a 4-0 rout of Denmark at the end of March, when Jordan Henderson and Danny Welbeck, the highly talented Sunderland pair, also found the net. The only worrying fact is that it was the youngsters’ first win in four games, and England lost the following game, at home against Iceland, having taken the lead. History indicates that pre-tournament form never guarantees the continuation of momentum once the finals competition begins, and England certainly have as good a chance as Spain to bring home the trophy with a squad now brimming with Premier League experience.

Support England; Follow me on Twitter

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