Joe Cole has been heavily linked to Arsenal this summer after Chelsea announced that he will not be staying at the football club. However he allegedly wants in excess of £120k a week and it begs the question as to whether Arsenal should be meeting his demands.

Whilst Arsenal are said not to be willing to meet those demands outright, they are reportedly prepared to give Cole a basic £80,000 a week, three-year contract laden with bonus such as getting in the top four, winning the Premiership and winning the Champions League.

Although Cole is a good player, he isn’t of the calibre to command a wage in line with the highest earners at the football club, like Cesc Fabregas.

Fabregas is a world class player and could walk into any side in the world with ease; he has contributed to Arsenal immensely over the last few years and is their captain. Cole in contrast has struggled to hold down a regular first-team place during his seven years at Chelsea. He has had to overcome a lot of injury problems and should have to prove his fitness before gets such a high-wage contract. Arsenal won’t want to be in a situation where they are paying Joe Cole a huge amount of money without him being in a fit state to play.

The big question is if they can keep Cole fit then he could make a big impact for the side. He is a very adaptable player as he can play on both flanks, behind the striker and is able to use both feet. Although a gifted player he can consider himself lucky to have made the England squad for the World Cup as he hasn’t played too much football for Chelsea this season and most of his appearances have been a substitute. However this is also testament to his ability that Fabio Capello picked him despite not too much playing time because he knows just how good Joe Cole can be.

Arguably most of Arsenal’s attacking players haven’t had as big an impact on their season as they should have and Cole could bring some much needed vitality to the side, however at what price? Is he worth his massive wage demands, or should Arsenal be looking for a cheaper alternative elsewhere?

Do you think Joe Cole deserves the quoted wages?

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The laws of football can appear strange and convoluted to those who don’t follow the game closely, and for those that do we’re still sometimes left scratching our heads. The problem is that referees each have their own interpretation of a specific law that we might not necessarily agree with. But what are the exact rules as written in stone and what should the referee signal if a certain situation were to occur? Well wonder no longer…

You Are The Ref is the ultimate illustrated guide to the laws of football. Featuring the work of the extremely talented artist Paul Trevillion and his cult classic comic strip, you’re asked to decide what you’d do if you were the referee. Stunning portraits display football stars from all ages, from John Charles, to Alan Shearer, to Kaka, with former international referee Keith Hackett penning the decisions. You’re given the opportunity to test your knowledge about the world’s greatest game, as well as given pointers on how to draw like Trevillion.

The book collects the best classic strips and features brand new art inspired by the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Alongside the refereeing conundrums there is also extra trivia and facts about the world’s best players, with a special section on World Cup heroes from the past where Paul Trevillion selects his 15 all-time icons. Keith Hackett gives an insight of the world of refereeing and even lists his top five referees. Whilst you won’t be surprised that the shiny head of Pierluigi Collina has made the list, the inclusion of a certain Mr Graham Poll who infamously gave three yellow cards to the same player in a World Cup encounter before sending him off may raise a few eyebrows.

You Are The Ref is a fascinating book that will test and increase your knowledge of the beautiful game. Featuring an extended foreword by current Portsmouth and England goalkeeper David James who himself has a passion for art, the book champions the series that started way back in 1957. Since then the game has changed a lot, as have the refereeing dilemmas, but the controversy still remains. The quirks, misconceptions and debatable laws are often something you’ll debate down the pub with your mates, but now you can find out if you were right or wrong. So next time you’re watching the big match you’ll know exactly what decision should have been made!

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Having completed the acquisition of Thomas Hitzlsperger last month, West Ham United look set to make their second major signing of the summer in the form of Mexico international Pablo Barrera. Despite facing stiff competition from Espanyol and Premier League rivals Everton, West Ham United are expected to finalise the signing of the UNAM Pumas man later this week. Although Barrera featured three times for Mexico at the World Cup, little is known in England about the 23-year-old. What can Hammers’ fans expect to see from Barrera next season?

23-year-old Mexican Pablo Barrera is a versatile attacking player. Although he is predominantly used in his favoured right-wing position, Barrera is capable of performing on the opposite flank too. Since making his senior debut for UNAM Pumas in 2005, Barrera has appeared 85 times for the Mexico City-based side, racking up 18 goals over the course of four and a half seasons.

The winger made his international debut in 2007, but established himself as a staple of former manager Javier Aguirre’s squad in 2009, featuring in Mexico’s victorious Gold Cup campaign. So far Barrera has appeared 24 times for El Tri, scoring three goals.

Nicknamed ‘Dynamite’, Barrera’s strongest attributes include his explosive pace and close control, with his qualities typifying those of lightning-fast, touchline-hugging wingers of yore. Barrera is adept at shooting with both feet, and his record at UNAM Pumas indicates that he has a good eye for goal. Prior to the World Cup, Barrera was his club side’s top scorer, a respectable feat for a midfielder and even more impressive when considering the fact that he plays in a more withdrawn role for UNAM Pumas.

Although Barrera is a regular starter at club level, he has primarily been used as an impact sub for his country (his three appearances at the World Cup were as a substitute). Whilst this fact is attributable to former manager Aguirre’s tactical preferences, Barrera has shown glimpses of how devastating he can be when brought on from the bench. During Mexico’s recent World Cup clash with France, Barrera’s surging pace drew a foul from French left-back Eric Abidal, with the resulting penalty securing a crucial 2-0 victory for El Tri.

With Barrera’s fee rumoured to be in the region of £4m, West Ham United may have landed themselves one of the bargains of the summer.

The following clip highlights Barrera’s abilities:

[youtube LT9_4bb_e0k]

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Click on image below to see the Argentinean babes at the World Cup

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The destination of Mezut Ozil come the end of this summer’s transfer window has been the subject of wild speculation ever since the German international sparkling displays at the World Cup. The Werder Bremen midfielder has been linked with a number of Europe’s top clubs including Chelsea, Arsenal, Barcelona and Real Madrid but Manchester United seem to be in pole position to land the talented playmaker whom I believe to be the natural successor to legend that is Paul Scholes once the ginger wizard hangs up his wizened old boots.

Ozil possesses many of the same attributes that Scholes has already perfected in his game such as the ability to pick a killer pass. Ozil formed a formidable partnership with Brazilian Diego in Werder Bremen’s midfield and managed to contribute an impressive 15 assists despite a disappointing 10th place finish in the 2008-2009 Bundesliga. Last season saw Diego leave the Weserstadion for Juventus which left Ozil as the main creative force for Bremen and Ozil made sure that the Bremen faithful didn’t miss Diego too much. Ozil continued his impressive trend of assists, laying on 14 for his teammates while contributing 9 goals from midfield.

Ozil’s ability to get goals from midfield is another facet of his game that is also true of Scholes’. Due to his advancing age, Scholes’ goalscoring exploits aren’t what they used to be but he still has the technique and ability to score from both inside and outside the area. Ozil’s goal against Ghana showed both his eye for goal and his incredible technique as he lashed a left-footed half volley into the corner of the net.

Where the two differ is mainly down to age. Ozil is certainly faster than Scholes as seen in Germany’s fourth goal against England where Ozil roasted Gareth Barry for pace and squared for Thomas Muller to finish past David James. His movement off the ball is excellent and his pace enables him to be able to get in behind opposition defences.

Ozil could prove to be the creative spark that Manchester United need to wrest the title from Stamford Bridge this season. If Scholes isn’t in the squad, United will look to Fletcher and Carrick to play in the central berths. While solid, it lacks the dynamism and invention that Ozil would undoubtedly bring if Sir Alex Ferguson decides to sign him.

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Scholes has proven in Sunday’s Community Shield victory against Chelsea that he has no intentions of slowing down, producing an imperious passing display that Chelsea simply had no answer for. Ozil has a long way to go to be a player of the same calibre as Paul Scholes but he certainly has the potential to do so.

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What is it with Newcastle United and central defenders? Error-prone centre-halves with the tendency to make costly mistakes at vital times have become common viewing on Tyneside in recent seasons. The names Titus Bramble, Claudio Cacapa and Jean-Alain Boumsong sends shivers down the backs of most Magpies fans and the club know central defence is a position they must get right if their return to the Premier League this season is going to be a successful one.

For a while it looked as though Argentina international Fabricio Coloccini’s name would be added to the unfortunate list of defenders who have failed to live up to expectation during their ill-fated spells at St James’ Park. A product of the famed Boca Juniors youth academy, the scraggly haired defender arrived at Newcastle in 2008 with a massive reputation following a hugely successful four year spell with Spanish side Deportivo La Coruña. After a promising start, the £10.3m defender’s performances, much like Newcastle’s, began to go rapidly downhill. A defensive horror show in a 5-1 defeat at home to Liverpool in December of that season was the sucker punch the Argentine failed to recover from as Newcastle were relegated from the Premier League.

The 28-year-old was expected to be one of the first major casualties in a Newcastle summer clear-out as the club came to terms with the reality of life in the Championship. The club were keen to save on the player’s reported enormous £70,000-a-week wages and were actively seeking a buyer. Newcastle’s inability to push through a cut-price exit highlighted just how badly Coloccini’s reputation had taken a battering following his dismal first season in English football.

It’s amazing what a year in the Championship can do to a player however and Coloccini came through a potentially testing time in English football’s second tier with flying colours. The centre-back, known more for his classy style of defending than his physicality, dealt admirably with the uncompromising style of play renowned in the Championship. His sterling performances at the back last season has seen him become a firm fans’ favourite in the North East, helping Newcastle lift the title with the meanest defence in the league. His performances also seen him named in the Championship Team of the Year and manager Chris Houghton has tipped his defender to shine on his return to the top flight.

“Colo had a very, very good season, along with the other players. It’s important he carries that form into the Premier League season,” Houghton told The Chronicle.

“He was a foreign player coming to England two years ago, and the settling-in period is never easy. But now it’s about him and the other players maintaining the form that they showed last season.”

The pressure will be on the Argentine to deliver in the Premier League this season, even more so following the news his regular defensive partner Steven Taylor will miss the opening three months of the season with a dislocated shoulder. Coloccini will be Houghton’s automatic first choice in central defence, most likely alongside new signing Sol Campbell, with Mike Williamson providing cover until Taylor returns from injury. The Argentine still has a lot to prove and the pace of the Premier League will again test Coloccini’s top flight credentials. Coloccini certainly has all the attributes to be a hit in the Premier League and the two years of experience in English football will be a major benefit to Newcastle as they look to consolidate their position in the top flight this season.

Like this blog? Read more from this author below-

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Liverpool set for challenging season

Premier league clubs curb spending

Why Hodgson deserves better than Fayed cheap shot

Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger have never enjoyed the most cordial of relationships, but Mourinho’s latest verbal assault against the Arsenal manager came completely out of the blue. The Independent quotes Mourinho as stating,

“If you don’t play well you don’t win. It is hypocrisy to say: ‘We played well but we did not win.’ They claim they had bad luck, that they had 90 per cent of possession or lost a goal to a last-minute set-piece. I sometimes think these coaches must be so much more intelligent than me. When I lose I always find the reason why. We lost because we played badly, because we made mistakes or because the opposition was better.”

Although Jose refused to name the coach he was referring to, it was clear that Mourinho was talking about Wenger, but just to clarify matters he went on to say,

“There is a coach whose teams have been playing fantastically for 10 years and his players are always young. It is always a very young team that never wins anything. For me this is hypocrisy.”

Mourinho has the right to say what he wants, but he is managing in Spain not England now and thus the comments he has made seem totally uncalled for, but Mourinho obviously misses his spats with Wenger and wants to get a rise from the Frenchman. One generally makes these kind of comments when a meeting between sides is imminent, but it is unlikely that Arsenal and Real Madrid will meet at all this season and Mourinho might be better off concentrating on his own teams quest to dethrone Barcelona.

Mourinho and Wenger experienced an ignominious relationship when the former managed Chelsea, with constant stinging comments being exchanged between them in the media. The war of words came to a head when Mourinho infamously called Wenger a ‘voyeur’. The Arsenal manager was understandably upset with these words and even Mourinho realised he had gone too far, and almost went as far to apologise for the incident. When Mourinho left these shores the rocky relationship cooled for obvious reasons, but now it seems that Mourinho is ready for another round of verbal jousting and it will be interesting to see if Wenger responds.

The fact is that despite what he says about Arsenal, Mourinho may well experience his own problems at Real Madrid this season. The expectation levels at the Bernabeu are unmatched anywhere across Europe, not only must the team win every trophy going for the board to be happy, but they must do it in style as well. At Real Madrid Mourinho may face the biggest difficulties of his career to date. There is no doubting his ability to win trophies, but his style of play is certainly on the more defensive side of the scale. He may bring trophies to Real Madrid, but he might have a harder time convincing fans who demand stylish attacking football that his is the best way. In the opening game of the season his side have already dropped points on Barcelona, drawing away at Mallorca. There will be easier games than this for Mourinho but it just might be worth his while to concentrate on his job at Madrid, rather than concerning himself with Arsene Wenger and goings on at Arsenal.

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Stricken Manchester United winger Antonio Valencia could be back in action as early as February, according to manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

The Ecuador international's season was thought to be over after he picked up a horrific ankle injury during Tuesday's goalless Champions League draw with Rangers.

The 25-year-old is still facing a long spell on the sidelines after dislocating and fracturing his ankle, but Ferguson has given an upbeat reassessment of the injury following surgery on Thursday.

"Antonio had his operation and it was successful," he said."The break was clean and we were delighted to announce that. It was a major concern for us at the time.

"There's ligament damage but we're looking at the end of February, which is better than we thought on Tuesday night.

"He's a strong boy and he's very positive about it – being positive helps in these situations."

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Meanwhile, Ferguson has backed his squad to cope with the absence of Valencia in the coming months, adding:"It's a blow losing good players but, in the context of the kind of squad we have, we should be able to cope with it.

"You always fear when you have a good player out of your team it's going to be a loss. But having players like Nani, Ryan Giggs and Park Ji-Sung, plus Gabriel Obertan and Bebe means we have options."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

It seems that Ross Turnbull is unable to put a foot right. Chelsea’s back-up goalkeeper started his first and only game of the season against Newcastle in the Carling Cup last month and was beaten four times. Ever since joining the club from Middlesbrough on a free transfer in 2009, Turnbull has been nothing more than back-up to Petr Cech and Hilario in the Chelsea goal and he looks set to remain that way for the foreseeable future.

Turnbull has not progressed during his time at Stamford Bridge and Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has apparently lost patience with the Englishman. Reports have linked Turnbull with a move to Stoke as part of a deal which would see young Bosnian goalkeeper Asmir Begovic join the club in the next transfer window.

The omens were not good for Turnbull, even at the beginning of his Chelsea career. He was handed his first Chelsea start against Aston Villa in a reserve team fixture. During the game, Turnbull made a series of bad errors which resulted in a humiliating 4-0 loss.

Things were not to get better for Turnbull. During Chelsea’s pre-season, Turnbull turned in yet another error-strewn performance against Ajax. He dropped a massive clanger for Ajax’s second goal when he slid to meet the ball on the edge of the area. However, he misjudged his momentum as it would take him and the ball outside of the area. He proceeded to let go of the ball which allowed Ajax midfielder Siem de Jong the easy task of rolling the ball into the open net.

Apparently, being an English goalkeeper at a “top” club is something of a poisoned chalice as Scott Carson and Ben Foster were to find out.

Scott Carson joined Liverpool back in 2005 but his time on Merseyside was fraught with frustration. He played only 9 times in 3 years with Liverpool and was sent on loan three times. Carson went on loan to Sheffield Wednesday on a one month deal in March 2006 and was  integral in helping the Owls escape relegation that season.

He returned to Liverpool at the end of the season only to be loaned to Charlton for the whole of the 2006-2007 season. During his time at the Valley, Carson was a regular in the Charlton goal, playing all 36 games in the Premier League that he was permitted to (he missed the two games with Liverpool as part of the loan agreement).

The next season was much of the same for Carson. He was considered back-up to first-choice goalkeeper Pepe Reina and was sent on loan to Aston Villa. At Villa Park, Carson was once again a mainstay in goal, playing 35 times for the Villians as they finished 6th in the league.

Once again, Carson returned to Liverpool but enough was enough. He decided to move to West Brom in search of regular first-team football which the Baggies could provide him.

By joining West Brom in 2008, Carson has managed to gain a semblance of stability in his career after playing for 4 different clubs in 3 years.

Like Carson, ex-Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster came to Old Trafford with the hope of eventually unseating Edwin van der Saar as United’s number one goalkeeper but eventually grew tired of waiting for his opportunity and decided to move to Birmingham City this summer.

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For Foster and Carson, it was a case of unfortunate timing as to why they failed to make the cut at Liverpool and Manchester United. It was not that they weren’t talented enough. It’s just that they had established world-class goalkeepers ahead of them in the pecking-order. To stick around and wait for their opportunity would be detrimental to their careers so they did the sensible thing and moved to secure first-team football elsewhere.

Both Carson and Foster have been vindicated in their decision to move. They both start week-in week-out for their respective clubs. If they continue their good form, who knows? There could be a chance that they could earn a move back to one of the “top” clubs sooner rather than later.

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It is an old adage that when one door closes another opens, and this has certainly been the case for Tottenham Hotspur. In the club’s failure to secure the signature of one playmaker, in the shape of current Liverpool midfielder Joe Cole, Spurs managed to snap up disgruntled Real Madrid Dutch international Rafael van der Vaart. But are the north London outfit regretting their missed opportunity to sign the 28 year-old England international? Not a chance. A more pertinent question, however, might be; is Cole regretting the same missed opportunity?

The fortunes of Cole and van der Vaart’s new clubs couldn’t have been more disparate since their respective transfers, with Liverpool languishing in the relegation zone of the Premier League, and Spurs looking not only to challenge once again for the much coveted fourth Champions League spot, but also to extend their stay in this season’s competition into the new year.

On an individual level Cole and van der Vaart have also led very different lives following their transfers. Having been sent off on the opening day of the season against Arsenal at Anfield, Cole has since flattered to deceive with his performances for the Merseysiders, and has issued a statement in The Sun today stating;

“I’m not playing well. I’m not going to say otherwise…Whenever you have periods like we’ve had you have to deal with it…You have got to stand up and be counted, be a man. I haven’t started as well as I would have liked but I will turn it around…With every breath I take, I’m thinking of how I can change it.”

Obvious reference to The Police aside, these are not the words of a man who fits his new club like a glove. On the other hand, van der Vaart, although having also received his marching orders in front of his new home faithful, has scored every time he has donned the Spurs shirt at White Hart Lane and is rapidly gaining a cult following in the white half of north London.

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So Tottenham have clearly moved on from their brief summer flirtation with Cole, but what of the player himself? Does his mind still linger on what could have been? With interest reportedly coming from both sides of north London over the summer months, Cole certainly had choices to make, but did he make the right one?

At the moment he clearly thinks not. But in his own words he is going to “be a man” and stick it out with Liverpool, hoping to improve both his, and the team’s performances. However, within the defensively minded set-up Roy Hodgson is playing at Anfield, their more offensive players are suffering; namely Joe Cole and Fernando Torres. In a more attack-minded Spurs side I believe Cole would have flourished, and under the guidance of former mentor Harry Redknapp, Cole may have experienced a renaissance in his play. I am not suggesting that Tottenham would have played better or worse with Cole, rather than van der Vaart in their side, although similar, they are in no way the same player, but I do believe Cole would certainly have succeeded far more on a personal level at Spurs than he has done so far at Liverpool.

So while Spurs have proven there is life after a summer love gone wrong, Cole may well still be dwelling over a love lost, gazing up at erstwhile and prospective employers from the foot of the table, lamenting over decisions made, kicking an imaginary football into an imaginary goal, pretending to be Rafael van der Vaart.

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With all the money that is around in the modern game, it is easy to overlook some of the other issues that are evident in the world of football.

Playing professional sport with an illness is something that should not be taken for granted. When people mention ‘asthma’, most people overlook it as a ‘minority’ illness and something that isn’t very serious.

How do I know this? Well, I myself am a sufferer and have been all my life. Every time I play sport, I go through the routine of warming up, doing my one inhaler and making sure my other inhaler is near by in case I need it.

Why is this relevant to football? Well, few people know that many professional footballers have to go through the same routine before matches and training. It may surprise many people of some of the names that suffer with asthma, and how they have done so well to overcome the problems it carries.

Chelsea and England midfielder Frank Lampard confirmed he suffers from it and has spoken out to ensure that it should be treated properly, and not be overlooked. He says it shouldn’t hold youngsters back from wanting to enjoy the game.

Manchester United veteran Paul Scholes has played with the condition all of his career, and has not let it stop him playing at one of the best clubs in the world…not to mention picking up all those medals along the way.

Louis Saha, Paul Gascoigne, Ian Wright and Robbie Fowler are just some of the other well-known names that overcame the condition and go on to become very successful in the footballing world.

One player that only confirmed he suffered from asthma last year was former-England captain David Beckham, who was photographed using an inhaler during LA Galaxy’s MLS Cup Final defeat to Real Salt Lake. Beckham, who has carved out massively successful careers in sport, advertising and merchandising (to name but a few) has never let the condition hold him back.

His agent, Simon Oliveira, was keen to point out that Beckham never wanted to make it public that he suffered from asthma, but youngsters should instead use it as an inspiration and follow in his footsteps.

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“David has suffered with this since he was a young boy but obviously it has had no effect on his performance.

“He has never sought to make it public but, if it does inspire any sufferer to think they can achieve great things, then so much the better.”

Although it’s way too late for me to consider a career in sport, players like this can act as an inspiration to youngsters that have asthma…not just in this country, but all over the world. The condition stops us from breathing properly, but it is fantastic to see so many great players shrug off the condition and battle against it to achieve what they have.