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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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.

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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After only one win in twenty games, Tranmere manager Les Parry was sacked on Sunday after a run which has seen the super white army win just one of their last eleven games. It came as a somewhat as a surprise to many who thought it was inevitable that Parry’s job was still safe with the prudent owners unwilling to spend added cash.

It now seems that Saturday’s 1-0 loss at Chesterfield was the final nail in the coffin and after the defeat to one of our relegation rivals Chairman Peter Johnson ended Les Parry’s tenure as manager.

Don’t get me wrong, Parry has been a fantastic servant to the club and his determination to succeed as a football manager is admirable. However, the job has gradually few tougher and tougher for Parry, and ultimately a run of poor form has ended in Parry being sacked.

Parry will be best known for his service as the club’s physiotherapist. He has been at the club for over 1000 games and surprisingly managed to keep Tranmere in the league two seasons ago with a victory on the last day against already relegated Stockport County.

At times, Parry’s ego hasn’t helped him at all. His stubbornness to change things and his inability to change a game has proved his downfall. I’m unsure whether he will get another manager’s job but I know for sure he has a very good CV. As a result “Dr” Les Parry will almost certainly be able to get a physiotherapy job either at a new football club or elsewhere. That is the least he deserves.

I expected Parry’s replacement to be someone associated with the club or a manager who demands a very low wage and Martin Allen’s name had been linked with the job. However the club announced last night that Ronnie Moore will take charge of the club on an interim basis until the end of the season.

Moore previously managed the club for the three years from 2006 but was dismissed after missing out on the League One playoffs at the end of the 2009 season. The decision to bring him back will be welcomed by the fans who still believe that Moore shouldn’t have been sacked in the first place. I am confident that he is the right man to ensure that Tranmere remain in League One come May.

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By Tranmere Rovers blogger James Formstone

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Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has rejected Patrick Vieira’s recent claims that his side get the best of refereeing decisions.

The Manchester City football development executive claimed that match officials are scared to award decisions against the Premier League champions at Old Trafford, after a Michael Carrick foul on Danny Murphy in the Red Devils’ box went unpunished in Monday night’s game with Fulham.

However, Ferguson feels that luck evens out through a season.

“From the referee’s position, I can see why he didn’t give a penalty when Danny Murphy was brought down,” the Scot told reporters, reported by Sky Sports.

“The ball moved to the angle as Michael Carrick challenged him. From that position, it wasn’t clear.

“It was a good claim but City could have had a penalty against them at Stoke for a foul by Gareth Barry.

“Every club gets breaks here and there, you get good ones and bad ones.

“It evens itself out over the season, that will never change.

“We had a terrible decision earlier this season when Newcastle got a penalty and Tottenham could claim the same when Mario Balotelli wasn’t sent off and ended up scoring the winning goal.

“You could go through millions of things like that.

“Maybe smaller clubs feel that (decisions go against them when they play big clubs) but someone said some years ago that we get lots of penalties. It is only averaging out at three a year.

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“You can’t say that is a lot when you are attacking teams all the time.

“Most managers believe the breaks even themselves out,” he concluded.

By Gareth McKnight

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In the most exciting of circumstances, Chelsea and Bayern Munich achieved a most unlikely double this week by defeating the two giants of Spanish football in the Semi Finals of the Champions League. Chelsea knocked out reigning European Champions, Barcelona, 3-2 on aggregate on Tuesday night after gaining a 2-2 draw at the Nou Camp whilst Bayern saw off Real Madrid in the Bernabeu after a penalty shoot-out on Wednesday.

Both games were overloaded with excitement, with the victorious teams winning through against all the odds and in Chelsea’s case, against impossible circumstances after being reduced to ten men following captain, John Terry’s, sending off and two nil down!

Following a 1-0 lead from the first leg then impetuous was on Barcelona and their intense pressure finally forced a mistake allowing the ball to find its way to Sergio Busquets in a position where he simply passed the ball into a gaping net after 35 minutes.

Terry’s dismissal soon followed following an after the ball incident which saw Terry knee Barcelona’s Alexis Sanchez in the back of his leg and this left the Blues with no recognisable central defensive partnership after Gary Cahill had limped off the pitch in the first ten minutes with a hamstring injury. It took Barca just seven minutes to extend their lead when Iniesta struck the second, a goal which everyone thought would be the “final nail in Chelsea’s coffin” – except of course the remaining Chelsea players and interim Head Coach Roberto Di Matteo.

On the stroke of half time, Chelsea’s Ramires found a run to the edge of Barcelona’s box to meet a superb through ball delivered by Frank Lampard and the Brazilian audaciously chipped the ball over Barca keeper, Victor Valdes, head and into the empty net. The goal brought the aggregate score to 2-2 but crucially it put Chelsea back in the “driving seat” on the away goal rule.

Chelsea’s ten men went out for the second half knowing that they had just 45 minutes to survive but to survive against a side that had scored 104 goals at the Nou Camp this season was a tough ask!

It certainly seemed the tie was over early in the second half when an accidental trip in the Chelsea box made by Didier Drogba on Lionel Messi gave the home side the chance that they needed. The penalty also provided the Argentine International and World player of the year an opportunity to score his first ever goal against Chelsea. Incredibly his spot kick smacked heavily against the bar and bounced away to safety giving rise to the hope that this was after all going to be Chelsea’s night.

For the rest of the half, Barcelona attacked relentlessly while Chelsea defended heroically, shots were saved, tackles made, vital interceptions became common place and fouls were given away when nothing else would suffice. Cech was inspired in goal and in Drogba, Chelsea had a striker who gladly slotted into both full back positions when called upon and who also made a series of great defensive headers. He was also on hand when needed up front and held up the ball on its rare visits to the Barcelona half.

Attack after attack rained in on Chelsea’s beleaguered ten men but Barcelona, despite having 90% of the ball could not score a goal. They had the ball in the net but it was ruled offside and a glaring chance was wasted by Busquets who scooped his shot over the bar.

Barcelona were running out of ideas as the game wore on and Chelsea’s place in the final was confirmed when Fernando Torres broke clear on the counter attack, rounded Victor Valdes in the Barcelona goal and score a minute into stoppage time. Torres, who had come on for an exhausted Didier Drogba could not have scored a more important goal to silence the many critics who have questioned his performances following the £50 million move to Stamford Bridge from Liverpool last year.

The second part of Chelsea’s battle to win the one trophy that has eluded them since Roman Abramovich took over ownership of the club in 2003 will take place at the Allianz Arena in Munich where the Blues will face Bayern Munich, who become the first team in the Champions League era to hold home advantage in the final.

Di Matteo is the ninth manager during Abramovich’s tenure to try and deliver Champions League success at Stamford Bridge and whilst the odds favour the Germans, after overcoming Barcelona, Di Matteo and this Chelsea team will be confident of defying the odds once again.

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After another disappointing end to the season for Sunderland, Martin O’Neill finally gets the chance to stamp his authority at the Stadium of Light this summer.

The Black Cats have been busy in the transfer market during previous seasons but have little to show for their efforts after big spending former managers Roy Keane and Steve Bruce left them with an unbalanced squad. After the improvements made under O’Neill it’s expected chairman Ellis Short will back him with funds but can Sunderland actually afford to invest heavily again?

Every fan craves a little transfer action but it may not be so easy for Sunderland as clubs around Europe prepare for the new UEFA Financial Fair Play Rules. Teams will have to spend within their means and many will use the time to streamline their squads before the rules kick in. Sunderland have already released nine players this summer including Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon and more are expected to follow.

It’s a difficult situation for O’Neill as he knows his squad is lacking in a few areas but he can’t spend big to flesh it out. His rebuilding job will have to coincide with the club offloading fringe players and tightening the purse strings.

Becoming a self sustaining business is something many teams are focusing on but there are some Sunderland fans who can’t understand where the money has gone. Bruce was backed heavily but his transfers actually made a profit for club. The sales of Darren Bent (£24m) and Jordan Henderson (£16m) combined with the money from TV rights and the reward of a mid table finish means they should have plenty of funds to work with.

Unfortunately it’s never as simple as that. In reality Bent was bought for £10m rising to nearer £16m and his short stay in the North East meant Sunderland still owed instalments to Tottenham when he left. Also Aston Villa didn’t pay £24m in full so the club isn’t as rich as some might think. Early season criticism of Bruce was that he never replaced Bent but he actually signed Stephane Sessegnon during the same January transfer window so it was only the Henderson money that really inflated their bank balance.

After Henderson’s departure Bruce embarked on a massive recruitment drive that saw over 10 players join the side. The permanent arrivals did much to appease fans who were frustrated by years of loan signings that only papered over the cracks. While spending £30m on 10+ players sounds great, each player was only worth roughly £3m so Sunderland were actually left with an inflated wage bill and a team full of squad players. It meant the club were unable to improve on last seasons 10th place finish and O’Neill told Sunderland Echo that any strides made during his reign will not hide their fragility for long.

“Despite us wanting to finish in the top 10, had we done so it might have glossed over a few things that we needed to address in terms of strengthening.

“After spending the second half of the season in charge here, I’ve a great idea about the strengths and weaknesses of the side and what we need to do to try to improve.”

Unfortunately Short has told O’Neill he must lower the wage bill before he can bring new players in so how much can he actually spend?

Loans of Wayne Bridge, Sotirios Kyrgiakos and Nicklas Bendtner will not be made permanent and the impending departure of Asamoah Gyan should help swell the coffers. There are returning loan players who are surplus to requirements and rumours over the futures of Kieran Richardson and Ahmed El Mohamady so Sunderland should generate enough funds to improve the team.

The only problem is selling current squad members will mean replacements are needed. Sunderland already need a left back, centre back, cover for both fullbacks, right and left wing cover and at least two new forwards to form a competitive squad with depth in every position. Fans know they also need a creative midfielder to counter grafters like Lee Cattermole and Craig Gardner so suddenly O’Neill has gone from choosing a few select signings to needing a complete overhaul of his squad.

It’s exciting for the fans but would another season of massive player turnover be a good thing given the clubs recent lack of stability?

Sunderland’s transfer policy will have a major say in their aspirations for next season. They have potential but need quality to embellish the consistent performers they already own. It wouldn’t be the first time they’ve failed to maintain a balanced squad and this time the situation is magnified because they have to sell before they can buy.

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Rivals Newcastle recently illustrated what can be achieved with some successful wheeling and dealing. It’s a precedent Sunderland fans would begrudgingly love to follow for they know if O’Neill struggles to improve the squad they’ll face another year going round in circles and have little to play for come the end of the season.

The phrase ‘In O’Neill We Trust’ has never held so much importance and fans will hope he uses his funds wisely to propel them into the top 10 for good.

Do you think Sunderland should spend a lot this season? Do you trust O’Neill to invest wisely this summer?  Let me know your views and opinions by following me on twitter – Tweet me @Alex_Churcher

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Dimitar Berbatov has admitted that he will leave Manchester United this summer, after becoming frustrated at a lack of first-team opportunities.

The Bulgarian forward has fallen behind the likes of Wayne Rooney, Javier Hernandez and Danny Welbeck in Sir Alex Ferguson’s preferences, and has had to watch on from the sidelines for the majority of this campaign.

Berbatov will look for a new club, and feels he can still play at the highest level.

“My time at Manchester United is running out. I no longer feel like a valuable part of this team,” he told bTV, translated to English by Sky Sports.

“I think I did well in the few opportunities that I received. But I am a little frustrated by the way this happened, I do not think I deserved it.

“I’ve talked 10 times or even more with the manager and he always told me there would be a place for me in the team. But after that I continued to stay on the bench.

“But I have dignity and I stopped going to such meetings, it is clear that I’m leaving United. It’s obvious that I have to leave.

“I’m looking for a new place now… I know I can still play at the highest level,” he concluded.

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By Gareth McKnight

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Well, we’re deep into the summer recess now, and with no league or cup action to satisfy our footy cravings, we turn to the Euros.

Here’s my latest blog on players and staff at Euro 2012 with strong, or extremely tenuous links to Crystal Palace FC.

Where better to start than the manager of the England team?

Roy Hodgson grew up in Croydon and was on the books at Crystal Palace as a school boy during the mid-1960s. Hodgson never quite made it as a pro player, knocking around the non-league ladder before finishing up at another local club Carshalton Athletic. (Author note – I’ve actually played a couple of games for Carshalton too, although I think it was the 7th team or something!)

Hodgson has selected as his right hand man a coach with much stronger links to the boys of SE25. Ray Lewington joined Crystal Palace as coach in the late 1990s, before becoming assistant manager to squint-eyed gaffer Alan Smith. Following Smith’s demise, Palace had a short-lived spell where they tried to adopt a more ‘continental’ approach to football management with Lewington being appointed as Head Coach, but again this did not really work out. Lewington has been around the football circuit from managing Brentford to coaching in the Premier League with Fulham, and is highly respected amongst the footballing fraternity.

You might think this is where the Palace connection’s to the England coaching staff ends, but no. Ray Clemence, one of the two goalkeeping coaches that Hodgson is taking to Poland, is actually Dougie Freedman’s father in law. Clemence’s daughter Sarah is married to our Dougie, lucky lady.  Not a lot of people know that… If I can stretch the tenuousness of these Palace connections to breaking point, clearly Gary Neville, another of Hodgson’s new coaches, is a Palace fan.

Who could forget him describing Darren Ambrose’s wonder strike against Neville’s other love, Manchester United, as “…the best goal I have ever seen an opposition player score at Old Trafford.”

So, what players heading for Poland and Ukraine have any connections to the Red n Blue army? Well the most obvious one is Ashley Cole.  Before Cashley was tainted by the glitz and glamour of the Premier League, he was loaned out to Palace from Arsenal in the 1999-2000 season making 14 appearances in the red and blue, scoring once. It was during this period that Cole made 2 appearances for England under 20s. Cole now holds the record for the most capped England left back, eclipsing another former Palace player, Kenny Sansom in 2011.

Away from England, Paul McShane was a last minute called up to the Republic of Ireland squad. In fact, the call up was a slightly controversial one, replacing Kevin Foley who was in Trappatoni’s originally announced final squad of 23. McShane, the flame haired defender, spent the latter half of the season on loan to Palace from Hull. The big Irishman had hoped to get some game time in order to impress the Ireland manager enough to make the plane to eastern Europe. Clearly Palace had worked their magic again.

Another Irishman started out at Palace too. Stephen Hunt came through the Palace academy and made three appearances for the first team before moving to Brentford under the influence of Sir Steve Coppell. He followed Coppell to Reading before moving onto Hull, and was relegated this season with Wolves.

Slightly more exotic, Cédric Carrasso, the third choice French ‘keeper had an extremely brief interlude at Crystal Palace during the 2001/02 season. He came on for the injured Matt Clarke during a 0-0 draw against Birmingham City. Carrasso had been on loan from Marseille at the time, as part of his rehabilitation following a broken leg. Hopefully his roly-poly physique of that era can be attributed to his lengthy lay off, and having broken into the French squad, he now has the frame more befitting an international level athlete! Carrasso has is now plying his trade at Ligue 1 side Bordeaux.

So, will a connection to Palace be a good omen to those out in Poland and Ukraine? History would suggest otherwise. Remember England crashing out at the group stage in 2000? Who was in goal for the final game against Romania? Former Palace keeper Nigel Martyn.  Martyn, a top drawer club keeper for Palace, Leeds and Everton, never really captured the same form at international level and performed poorly on the night.

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What about 1996? What a great tournament! Would have been even better if former Palace skipper Gareth Southgate hadn’t pea-rolled the decisive penalty comfortably into the German keeper’s arms in the shoot-out.  Anyway, not sure if Southgate can claim to have any remaining Palace connections, having been disowned by a lot of Eagles fans due to his development of the much criticised Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP).

It felt as though he was handing the keys of the very academy that brought him through, over to the dirty handed agents and scouts of the Premier League.  We all want the national team to do well, but does it need to cost the integrity of the league, and the soul of small clubs like Palace?

Come on England!  PS Keep your eye out for the number of players wearing red and blue striped boots. It’s surprisingly high.

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Controversial midfielder Joey Barton may well be heading out of the Premier League, as QPR look to loan him out to Blackburn according to The Daily Mail.

The temperamental midfielder has had a career full of ill-discipline and scandal, with the latest incident his sending off for the R’s against Manchester City on the last day of the 2011-12 season.

Barton was dismissed for elbowing Carlos Tevez, but also tried to head-butt Vincent Kompany and kick Sergio Aguero, resulting the FA handing down a 12-match ban.

With Mark Hughes stripping Barton of the club captaincy already, the ambitious London side are thought to be ready to offload Barton as he is thought to be more trouble than he is worth.

QPR owner Tony Fernandes has admitted that Barton is on his last warning, but the midfielder could well be on his way to Blackburn for a season-long loan deal.

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Rovers were relegated from the Premier League last term, and Steve Kean is eager to bolster his squad this summer, with Danny Murphy and Leon Best already joining the Ewood Park club.

By Gareth McKnight