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As the January transfer window closed for business on Tuesday night it would be a total understatement to suggest that the Preston North End that left it was a completely different one to the team that entered it.

Not only have we appointed a new manager, who achieved massive success at Stevenage, but he has gone on to bring in seven new players during the window. With Chris Holroyd, Jamie McAllister, Andy Procter, Alex Marrow, Chris Robertson, Rhys Murphy and Graham Cummings all arriving at the club.

Overall nine players came in as Jake Jervis and Harry Bunn were brought in by the caretaker managers but they have both returned to their parent clubs. Not only were seven players signed but there were a handful of departures as well.  Club captain Ian Ashbee was released from his contract just over a year after signing, Juhvel Tsoumou has been loaned out to Plymouth Argyle and Clarke Carlisle has had his loan deal cancelled and he has since gone on loan to Northampton.

Personally I think all three departures are very beneficial to the club and we have certainly left January in a stronger position than we entered it. On the field I believe we badly need these signings to be successful as Preston’s form was highly erratic with one win, two draws and 2 defeats in January. It is almost fair to say that any chance of the play offs have now disappeared.

Subsequently Westley would need to dramatically turn around the fortunes of the club if we were to be plying our trade in the Championship next season. It seems highly unlikely with Preston languishing in fourteenth place in the table and nine points off Stevenage in sixth who also have a game in hand.

With Ashbee out the door we now will also need a new full time captain. Coutts would have been the obvious choice to succeed him, but Westley has since stripped him of the captaincy, citing a poor attitude and a lack of professionalism. As he is suspended for the next two games, he has been granted leave from the club for a few games to get himself mentally in shape again. I think this is crucial to our hopes both this and next season as undoubtedly Coutts is one of our best players and we are a poorer team without him. However I completely agree with Westley’s actions and we have to remember that no man is bigger than Preston North End and that is how it should be.

The Graham Westley revolution is in full swing now and it will be tested by the visit of play-off contenders Brentford. They will be out for revenge after Preston won 3-1 at Griffin Park in September, back when we were on our seven game winning streak.

Any Preston fan would give a lot for a similar winning streak right now and it would certainly make Westley extremely popular at the club. It is very apparent now that it will take a long time before we are pointing in the right direction but I have every faith in Westley turning us into a successful Championship team again.

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By Sean Marshall 

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Aston Villa assistant manager Gary McAllister has targeted three wins out of three to ensure his sides’s Premier League survival.McAllister will take charge of the side for the third time at home to Wigan on Saturday in the continuing absence of manager Gerard Houllier, who was recently in hospital with heart problems.

Villa have already crossed the magical 40 point barrier and are six points clears of the relegation zone, but MacAllister said they cannot afford to take any chances.

“Everybody is looking at the numbers at the bottom of the league and asking what the magic number is going to be to stay up,” he said.

“I do not know but we have got nine points to play for. That is our target and we have got to be looking to win all three games.”

“Going to The Emirates to play Arsenal is obviously going to be difficult and we have an in-form Liverpool side yet to come here so there are some good games left for us to be involved in.”

The club’s long-term managerial position is not set in stone, but McAllister said he was just focusing on the immediate future.

“I’ve got a job to do and my concern certainly in the games before Gerard had a little bit of a problem was that we had enough points to pull away from the bottom,” MacAllister said.

“Now it is just purely getting Villa as high up the table as we can with the nine points left.”

“The main focus is purely the club and getting it into a better position than it’s in at the moment.”

“The key thing is that everything here is in place for the club to move forward. Everything that they do is second to none and there’s a touch of class about the place.”

Midfielder Stephen Ireland has returned from a loan spell at Newcastle, but is missing with a thigh strain and is McAllister’s only injury problem.

Arsenal midfielder Denilson has come out fighting following a disappointing weekend result after claiming the Gunners can still win the Premier League title.

Arsene Wenger's side conceded a stoppage-time equaliser to draw 1-1 with Sunderland on Saturday evening.

They are already four points adrift of Chelsea following the champions' 100 per cent start to the new season.

However, Denilson insists the title is very much still within reach for the north London club, who are unbeaten following five rounds of Premier League games.

"I still think we can win the Premier league this season," he told the club's official website.

"We are in a very good position. We have to keep the unbeaten run going as long as we can.

"It has been a long time since we have won the league and I believe this season we will win some trophies.

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"I am confident because we have shown all the time in games how well we can play and the spirit is there as well.

"In training we work together and we have definitely got a chance of winning something."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

None of the top six face each other this weekend but they should nevertheless be wary of slipping up against seemingly inferior opposition. The likes of Stoke and Swansea are unlikely to tamely roll over against Liverpool and Arsenal respectively. So who are the players to look out for on the 21st Matchday of the Premier League?

The Captaincy Debate

One man who had an excellent Christmas period was Gareth Bale. The Welshman’s performance at Norwich in particular earned him plenty of plaudits from the media. With Spurs playing their second home game in the space of four days, Bale will be in amongst any attacking activity for Harry Redknapp’s men. The last time Wolves visited North London though, they snatched a point as they only conceded one. It might not be as free-flowing as Bale would like.

In that case, it’s certainly worth looking at Sergio Aguero as a possible alternative. The Argentinian has found the net in his last two performances against Liverpool and Manchester United. He travels to Wigan on Monday night looking to further his total of fourteen league goals this season. The Latics have been very inconsistent this season but can take heart from the fact the league leaders haven’t scored in their last two Premier League away days.

If you’re worried by this statistic, then why not consider Wayne Rooney. Despite reports claiming Rooney could be sold off by Sir Alex Ferguson , the United No.10 turned in an unblemished performance against fierce rivals Manchester City in the FA Cup last Sunday. However, in his last thirteen Premier League games, the former Everton star has only netted four times. He faces Bolton on Saturday as the Trotters try desperately to stave off the threat of relegation. He scored a hattrick in their first encounter earlier this season.

The Captain – Gareth Bale – The stage seems set for Bale this weekend to continue his excellent form against a Wolves side vulnerable to the Welshman’s quick turn of speed.

The Vice Captain – Sergio Aguero – The Argentinian should be confident of netting at the DW Stadium on Monday night as he faces the third worst defence in the Premier League.

Long Term Look

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Let’s focus on a player who has revelled under new Sunderland manager Martin O’Neill – Stephane Sessegnon. The attacking midfielder who hails from Benin has had a terrific Christmas period for the Black Cats netting twice and creating three. Priced currently at a modest £6.5 million on Fantasy Premier League, Sessegnon offers a good alternative to more pricey midfield options.

Sunderland have upcoming home games against Norwich and Swansea meaning it is all the more tempting to draft in the Benin international. That said the way the Wearsiders have been playing with O’Neill in charge, you wouldn’t bet against Sessegnon having an impact in this weekend’s match against Chelsea, considering the plight of both sides.

Last week, The FA announced the tickets prices for this season’s FA Cup Final. Eyebrows were raised as the highest priced tickets smashed through the £100 barrier for the first time. Prices for the most expensive tickets to English football’s end-of-season showpiece will cost £115, an increase of 22% on last season. I say that eyebrows were raised – the tabloids described it as causing “outrage” from supporters, naturally.

This is the first rise in prices for four years, as the FA pegged their top ticket prices at £95 for the first four FA Cup finals after Wembley re-opened in 2007. The cheapest tickets this year are £45, up £5 on last year.

In many of the newspaper articles about the price announcement, there is a quote from an FA spokesman, who said: ‘Our ticket price structure is in line with other major sporting events held in the country every year. Prices for this weekend’s semi-final ties have not changed despite the increase in VAT.’

And he is partly right – the semi-final tickets were very fairly priced in my opinion, ranging from £30 to £60. But this just makes it even more galling to hear the prices for the final.

The prices are not fair. The FA has a responsibility to the fans of the game, the fans that keep the game in existence, and the fans that they are supposed to represent. They should be well aware of the current economic climate, of the increasing financial burden on football fans, and they should act accordingly. As they say on their website: “Football Is The Nation’s Game”.

The Champions League final prices are even worse, but this doesn’t excuse the FA Cup prices. And only this week, Michel Platini has apologised for the extortionate prices and £26 booking fee. And so he should, though this is little comfort to all the people that have already purchased tickets.

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So this is football. Rip off the fans at every available opportunity. I’d be a very naïve person not to have already known this, this is what football has become now at the top level, and there is little we can do except vote with our feet. But the fans of two clubs who have not been to a final in at least 30 years are not going to boycott the game. I’d have paid £200 to go, and I don’t have much money.

It’s not just the ticket price that will leave your wallet bare. If you want to eat or drink once you are there, you may want to re-mortgage your house before setting off. If you want to park in the official car-park, it’s probably best that you sell your house and move into a hostel.

Many who attended the semi-finals won’t be going to the final of course. This showpiece event allows less fans of each club to attend than in the previous round because of the allocation of seats elsewhere. The FA dish out 23,000 tickets to ‘full member’ clubs at all levels across the country, whilst a further 17,000 seats are designated for corporate ‘Club Wembley’ members. Manchester and Stoke City’s allocation is about 6,000 less than they were given for the semi-final.

Here’s that FA spokesman again, quoted in a Manchester evening news article on the allocation:

“The final is our showpiece event and we use it to reward those who have contributed to football, be it parents, volunteers or coaches. The 17,000 Club Wembley members are those who fund the stadium and who have allowed it to be built. I would say 25,000 is a fairly good allocation. I would say the complaints are louder this year because we have two teams who have not been to a final for a long time.”

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So there you have it – the FA don’t hide the fact that their actions are often guided by the desperate need to pay off their £800m white elephant of a stadium.

It’s hard to argue against allocating tickets to the football “family”, though a blossoming black market trade for tickets from this allocation will soon spring up. But to stop 17,000 fans seeing their team in what may well be the first cup final of their lifetime is harder to defend, a situation that has arisen because of years of incompetence and bad planning that the fans will pay for years to come – and not only by paying over the odds, but via the other consequences of the new stadium, such as four north-west teams travelling 200 miles to play a football game to help pay off their association’s debts, and at the same time devaluing the achievement of reaching a Wembley final. I’m just surprised they haven’t sneaked the quarter finals into the Wembley schedule yet. Give them time.

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Depending on who you believe, or perhaps the colour shirt you wear, Holland international Dirk Kuyt is either one of the most under-rated players in the Premier League or a poor forward who was converted into a hard-working right-midfielder to fill a hole in the Liverpool starting XI.

Certainly a player who was a permanent fixture in a Holland side that navigated their way to the World Cup Final this summer must be doing something right. Unfortunately Kuyt’s disciplined and regulated approach along the touchline has failed to capture the imagination of Reds fans during his time at the club. While his hard labour doesn’t go unnoticed, many fans would prefer to see a more natural option on the right-side of the Liverpool midfield.

Offensive wingers were all the rage when Liverpool last won the league title in 1989-90. A 26-year-old John Barnes scored an astonishing 22-league goals from midfield as The Reds secured their joint-record 18th league title. Since then, the club’s affiliation with flying wingers, much like its rate of collecting trophies, has severely diminished.

Attacking wingers were synonymous with the success of LFC throughout the ‘70s and ‘80s. Jamaican-born Barnes was among the best of them, terrifying defenders in a sea of red with his electric acceleration, dazzling skills and mazy runs.

Under Benitez however it was his side’s chronic lack of width which came to symbolise the Spaniard’s failure to deliver a side capable of unlocking the league’s most stubborn defences. Particularly during the 2008-09 season when 11 draws ended the club’s slim title chances. Benitez’s persistence in continuing to play Dutchman Kuyt on the right-wing after his arrival in 2006 was systematic of this.

After bagging an impressive 71 goals in 101 appearances for Dutch side Feyenoord, few had predicted Kuyt would spend the next four years chasing lost causes and tracking back on the right-hand side of the Liverpool midfield. Converted from a leading marksman in his native Holland to a makeshift winger with a one-in-four ratio at Anfield, Kuyt had to adapt his game to fit into the Benitez’s side.

Kuyt is clearly not your stereotypical touchline speedster and his lack of pace, guile and creativity can often leave Reds fans frustrated. The 30-year-old’s industry and application along the touchline is unmatched however and this supplements somewhat for what he lacks in inventiveness.

It has been reported Spanish boss Benitez is keen on a reunion with his former charge at the San Siro with Inter Milan. The Italian side have reportedly offered Liverpool £7.5m for the player’s services, with 23-year-old Nigeria striker Victor Obinna moving in the opposite direction as a make-weight in the deal. While Obinna is highly-rated, does Hodgson really want a player deemed not good enough to cut it at Inter? Liverpool would prefer a straight cash deal and an offer of £12m plus for an aging player would be a good piece of business by Roy Hodgson.

The deal is an interesting one for Liverpool’s new manager to consider and it could well be time for the Merseysiders to finally ditch their aging proverbial workhorse. Liverpool are simply not going to win a major honour with a player of Kuyt’s limited quality on the wing. Kuyt is certainly open to the idea of a reunion with Benitez, revealing:

“On Thursday night, during the Europa League game against Trabzonspor, the board of Liverpool informed me officially that they have received a fax from Inter.

“You can call this a luxury situation for me now.”

The former Utrecht player certainly gets his fair share of goals and assists but to start challenging again Liverpool need to change their style of play and address their lack of width and Kuyt should be the first to go.

Like this article? Then follow this author by subscribing to his RSS feed or follow the latest Liverpool news on Twitter.

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Click on image below to see the gallery of Mario Balotelli’s stunning girlfriend

Leon Osman rescued a point for Everton after Norwich threatened to upset the odds and leave Goodison Park with all three points leaving the Mersysiders just four points above the drop zone.

It proved to be a frustrating afternoon for the blue half of Merseyside as the hosts failed to break down the stubborn Canaries despite dominating the game from start to finish. After failing to keep a clean sheet all season Paul Lambert’s side were only nine minutes away from recording their first shut out of the season before Osman’s deft finish found a way past John Ruddy to break Norwich hearts. They looked on course for a rare away win following Grant Holt’s third goal in two games just before the half hour mark but will consider themselves lucky after being forced to defend for much of the games as the Toffees threw everything at them in search of victory. Moyes’ side had lost their last two games without scoring and it looked like they would have to endure another strike out before the last gasp equaliser.

Supporters will be unhappy that their side’s weaknesses in front of goal cost them dearly once again with Marouane Fellaini seeing his toe poke from Tim Cahill’s knock down saved by Ruddy. Osman then saw his strike headed away by Russell Martin before Magaye Gueye volleyed wide and Cahill tried his luck with a tame effort. Chances were coming and going for the home side and they should have had the game wrapped up before Holt opened the scoring for the Canaries. The bruising striker scored twice against Newcastle again and found the net again showing great strength and composure to swivel on Steve Morison’s knockdown to power the ball home from inside the six-yard box via the far post. His afternoon should have ended soon after he appeared to elbow Fellaini in the face following an aerial challenge with referee Lee Probert deciding to keep his cards in his pocket.

Everton were clearly rattled after going behind with Moyes deciding to send Louis Saha on for the second half and the Frenchman almost made an instant impact playing in Osman who saw his shot tipped wide by Ruddy. He then forced the Norwich keeper into a superb instinctive block after latching onto Denis Stracqualursi’s flick. Ruddy then almost cost his team rashly coming off his line allowing Saha to clip the ball towards goal only for Martin to clear it to safety. With time running out it looked as if an equaliser would never come with the away side not giving the Toffee’s a sniff. However they were finally breached with nine minutes left on the clock as Osman improvised to cleverly flick Royston Drenthes free kick into the net to lift the doom and gloom that was seeping in around Goodison Park. Drenthe then tested Ruddy twice before Stracqualursi was denied the chance to write his name in lights by a Martin who produced a goal saving tackle to thwart the striker as he closed in on goal.

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West Bromwich Albion boss Roy Hodgson sung the praises of his players after they won 3-2 at Sunderland on Saturday.Hodgson’s dream run as Albion manager continued as he went unbeaten for the seventh match in succession and saw his side enter the top half of the English Premier League table.

West Brom trailed twice but second-half strikes to Youssouf Mulumbu and Paul Scharner wrapped up a terrific away win, which left Hodgson glowing.

“I thought the players showed enormous character and ability in the second half to come out again and I thought, quite frankly, we were good value for our 3-2,” Hodgson said.

“Today was a very important victory, because it’s not easy to come to the Stadium of Light at any time and win matches.”

“And when you’re fighting for your life at the bottom to win, it’s even better.”

But despite sitting 10th on the table, Hodgson says his side are not safe from relegation.

“We’re not over the line, 39 points isn’t over the line,” he said.

“But it’s a lot happier position to be in, with 39 with six to play rather than 31 or 32 with six to play, which some of our rivals have got at the moment.”

Sunderland manager Steve Bruce lamented his side’s defensive errors and the fact they could not hold onto their 2-1 lead.

“We had a disappointing 20 minutes after taking the lead twice,” Bruce said.

“When you take a 2-1 lead at home you should be good enough to stay on and take the three points.”

“Defensively, we’re all over the place. That’s the big situation. We were rock solid there up until the turn of the year and now we have to score three or more goals to win a football match.”

“We have to go back to the training ground, keep working at it and get our defensive shape back.”

The result means Sunderland have won just one of their last 11 matches in all competitions and Bruce admits his side will have an uphill battle to turn around their form.

“It’s a big disappointment and we’re up against it at the moment. The only thing we can do is batten down the hatches, keep going and come out fighting,” he said.

“We’ve got to keep on going. All we can do is keep plugging away.”

Liverpool stalwart Jamie Carragher will be offered a new contract in the near future, according to Reds boss Roy Hodgson.

The 32-year-old's current Anfield contract expires at the end of this season but Hodgson has no doubts that the one-club man will be offered a new deal once the uncertainty about Liverpool's ownership comes to an end.

"I'm sure it (a contract extension) will be a priority," said Hodgson."Quite frankly so much has happened in the last five weeks, the hours I've spent at the club are enormous, that we haven't actually got round to discussing contracts with players.

"I now know that Carragher has got one year left. That's the only contract of a player that I know about. If you asked me how many years the others have got, I haven't got a clue.

"I can see players like Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard never leaving Liverpool Football Club. I can see them always being part of the club.

"In the same way I'm a bit disappointed that my attempts to bring Sami Hyypia back failed. It only failed because he's so important to Bayer Leverkusen.

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"We couldn't get him out of his contract. He's one I would also put in the Jamie Carragher-Steven Gerrard mould, Liverpool for life.

"Unfortunately he was let go at the end of the season before last and we can't get him back. He's too valuable to them."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

Name: Leandro Damiao

Age: 22

Position: Striker

Club: Internacional

With January fast approaching, Arsenal and Tottenham are preparing to battle it out for the signature of Brazilian superstar Leandro Damiao. The 22-year-old striker currently plays his football in his native Brazil but could be open to a move to Europe if the £25million asking price is matched. Juventus have also expressed an interest in the Internacional striker and the player’s agent has held talks in Turin this week. Damiao earned his first International appearance this year in a friendly with Scotland after scoring 40 goals in 52 games for his club.

Arsenal are looking to sign the striker to bolster their attack, along with proving to Robin Van Persie that they don’t lack ambition as the Dutchman ponders over a new contract. Van Persie has been on great form for the Gunners this season but appears to be the only Arsenal player capable of putting the ball in the net. Arsene Wenger has money to spend from the departures of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri in the summer and Damiao would certainly give them much needed strike power to combine with Van Persie.

So, Wenger has money to spend and the Brazilian forward could be right up his street. He is young, quick and composed for someone of his age. Along with wonderkid Neymar, Damiao is a part of a young breed of South Americans who could be taking over the European game. With Marouane Chamakh not getting a look in at the Emirates and Niclas Bendtner on loan at Sunderland it is looking ever more likely that the Gunners will sign a striker in January.

Harry Redknapp had two bids rejected in the summer for the Brazilian striker but Spurs fell short of the asking price.  With Jermaine Defoe perhaps looking to move away from the Lane to find regular football in January ahead of Euro 2012, and Emmanuel Adebayor only on loan at the North London club, this promising youngster could be the answer to their long term striker problem.

Roman Pavlyuchenko is almost definitely leaving White Hart Lane and two strikers may not be enough to get the title chasing Spurs through the second half of the campaign. Damiao’s deadly touch in front of goal would suit a side that create as many chances as Spurs do. Width of Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon can gift a striker numerous chances in every game. Damiao came to London last year and scored at Craven Cottage for Brazil in a friendly, where Kenny Dalglish was an interested onlooker and Liverpool could also come in for the striker who is attracting plenty of attention from our shores.

Damiao is not your stereotypical Brazilian player, his awareness and off the ball play is more noticeable that his silky skills and dribbling, although he has both. A goalscoring record as a youngster which could compare with the great Ronaldo, it is not hard to see why the £25million price tag is just the beginning price. Damaio can score with his left foot, right foot and head all equally and is a natural in front of goal that is clear to see in his video. A future World Cup star in the making, Damiao can also rough it with the best and would suit European football down to a tee.

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Damiao would fit in to both North London rivals squads extremely well but whether they match the £25million asking price or Juventus get their first, he is certainly one to look out for in the coming years.

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