With Chelsea proposing to buy up the shares currently owned by Chelsea Pitch Owners in an attempt to either rebuild Stamford Bridge or move to a new stadium, Spurs angling for a new home after the failed bid for the Olympic Stadium and Liverpool still pondering their next move, does moving stadium guarantee success on the pitch? Or is it purely a money-spinning move?

Arsenal are most certainly the prime example here. They moved to The Emirates in time for the start of the 2006/7 season and then built the Highbury Square development on the site of their old hallowed ground. The theory behind this was that it would help generate funds to help the club further down the line.

The latest accounts released by the club have seen the club generate a healthy £56m pre-tax profit and for the first time since their switch, the club are now making money from the Highbury Square developments.

The sale of the Highbury Square apartments that were part of the move to the Emirates, generated £156.9m and allowed Arsenal to repay in full the £129.6m in bank loans taken to fund the original construction on the site. Along with a small profit from the net sales of players, Arsenal recorded an increase in turnover from £313.3m to £379.9m.

While this is of course an exceptional case – not every side is located on such prime real estate as Arsenal were, in a congested part of North London – the move to the Emirates was sold to fans on the provision of generating more funds for the future purchase of players – a promise most Arsenal fans will feel rightly aggrieved about as it’s simply not been kept.

But the real acid test will be how Arsenal go on from here, Wenger now no longer has any excuses. A failure to spend in the future, now that the money is clearly there for all to see, would be foolish to say the least.

Man City moved to the City of Manchester stadium, now known as the Etihad Stadium (nothing dodgy about this one at all) back in 2003 after it was purpose-built for use at the Commonwealth Games.

However, while Man City certainly increased their attendance from the 32,000 at Maine Road to 47,805 at their new home, Man City finished 16th, 8th, 15th, 14th until they were bought out by former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in 2007. Sven Goran-Eriksson was then appointed manager and allowed to open the chequebook and they went onto finish 9th after a bright campaign.

Moving to a new ground did not solve any of City’s problems, nor did it help them bridge the gap. They finished 9th after winning promotion back to the promised land in 2002/3 under Kevin Keegan at Maine Road.

But, and this is a big but, it did help the club attract more investment, which in turn led to improved performances on the pitch. The club are now undeniably a major force in the top flight since being bought out by the Abu Dhabi United Group in 2008.

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This appears to be the major obstacle that’s stopping clubs like Everton from expanding. Any potential investor in the club will have to fork out the good side of £200m on building a new stadium before they can even think about seeing a return on their investment on and off the pitch – for most investors, it’s a problem that’s far too fraught with danger and it’s regarded as simply too long-term in it’s outreach.

Man City’s new stadium was part of what made them such an attractive proposition, but only the subsequent reinvestment in the playing staff, firstly by Shinawatra and then the Abu Dhabi United Group is what has taken them to the next level.

Building a new stadium does not guarantee success on the pitch, it merely guarantees more profit off the pitch. For Chelsea, the move simply appears to grant them more freedom and control to do as they wish in the future, as they already have wealthy Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich in charge.

For Spurs though, while under the guidance of Chairman Daniel Levy, they are a club that‘s hit a glass ceiling. Although the club can hardly be considered paupers, it’s clear that in order to move up to the next level and secure future investment, they have to address the stadium issue first, which goes some way to explaining to protracted saga involving the Olympic Stadium.

This was Spurs big chance to move up a level, but they missed out to West Ham. To move into a stadium, that while it required adjusting to accommodate a Premier League club, was built and funded by the taxpayer and it would have been worth it’s weight in gold going forward.

Liverpool are still pondering over whether to rebuild Anfield, much like NESV did with Fenway Park, the Boston Red Sox team’s home, or move to a new stadium altogether – a much more costly course of action. NESV are thought to favour redeveloping Anfield simply because it’s a much cheaper option.

Having a brand new stadium is a lot like converting a loft in a house – it adds sell-on value to the club. Clubs all over the land looking to make the leap from also-ran to major player are eyeing up new homes.

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Chelsea, Spurs and Liverpool will not be the last to consider such a course, but until their plans come to fruition, they’ll continue to bang their head against that glass ceiling as they fail to make the most out of the massive potential the Premier League offers in terms of making money.

Football is a business now and a new stadium is a crucial part of that – Man City have provided the model by which others will look to follow in the future.

It reminds me a lot of the line Al Pacino utters in Brain De Palma’s seminal 1983 crime flick Scarface: ‘You gotta make the money first. Then when you get the money, you get the power. Then when you get the power, then you get the women.’ In this analogy, the money is the stadium, the power is the new investors and the women is success on the pitch – the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Stadium’s don’t guarantee success, just look at Arsenal, they are six years without a trophy, but they do lay the groundwork and conditions upon which to build a successful club.

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Manchester United were humiliated in their own back yard as rivals City ran riot at Old Trafford to claim a memorable derby day victory and extend their lead at the top of the Premier League to five points.

Roberto Mancini’s men were simply gorgeous as they inflicted the Red Devils’ heaviest home defeat since 1955 smashing six past the hapless David de Gea to confirm their validity as genuine title contenders. Mario Balotelli continued his recent hot streak with a double whilst Edin Dzeko came off the bench to score twice late on with Sergio Aguero and David Silva getting on the scoresheet as City romped to an unforgettable win. Darren Fletcher did manage a consolation but it was in vain with Sir Alex Ferguson’s side facing an uphill struggle following Jonny Evans’ red card in the second half with the score poised at 2-0. City capitalised though with their slick passing and movement proving too much for the home side to handle with Silva the hub of everything positive about their play. It was surprising to see United take such a battering on their own turf considering they hadn’t lost a game at home since last year.

With both teams unbeaten and scoring goals for fun the game had draw written all over it but the visitors were having absolutely none of that. Their intentions were clear from the kick off and after a tense opening 20 minutes Balotelli showed just why Mancini rates him so highly. The Italian made the headlines for all the wrong reasons again this morning but Monday’s newspapers will tell a different story after he opened the scoring at Old Trafford. Neat build up on the left saw Silva slip the ball into Milner who in turn cut the ball back to Balotelli on the edge of the area. Opening his body out the 20-year-old cooly angled the ball away from De Gea and into the bottom corner and celebrating by revealing a t-shirt bearing the phrase ‘why always me?’ which forced referee Mark Clattenburg to brandish a yellow card.

City took that lead into the break as United continued their patient, probing approach as Vincent Kompany and Joleon Lescott stood defiant in defence thwarting the efforts of Wayne Rooney and co as the hosts desperately searched for an equaliser. Their cause wasn’t helped after Evans was dismissed for hauling Balotelli to the ground as the striker made his way to goal just a minute after the restart. City made their superiority count doubling their lead on the hour mark with Balotelli again benefiting from a superb Milner delivery to tap home is second. They didn’t stop their though and Aguero, who had been uncharaceristically quiet, pounced to turn Micah Richards low cross past De Gea after the superb Milner had played in the full back down the right. Balotelli was then withdrawn with Edin Dzeko his replacement with the Bosnian almost scoring seconds after his arrival on the field.

United continued to look for a way back into the game and Fletcher handed them a lifeline with nine minutes left giving Joe Hart no chance of saving his rasping drive from 20-yards. It was in vain though as City continued to press and a frantic scoring frenzy in injury time put the gloss on a victory that will go down in Manchester Derby history. Substitue Dzeko was the first to get in on the act taking advantage of some good work from Lescott to fire home before Silva’s composed finish gave him the goal he deserved for his world class display. The duo then combined brilliantly to complete the route with the Spaniard setting up Dzeko for his second and City’s sixth of the afternoon.

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If ever there was a signal that power is shifting between red and blue this result confirmed it as United’ conceded six goals at home for the first time in 81 years. This is arguably the biggest test Ferguson has faced in his 25 years as manager and how he picks his players up from this is yet to be seen. As for City the sky is the limit at the moment!

Manchester United make the short trip to Merseyside to face Everton just six days after their derby day humiliation.

The Toffees on the other hand found themselves travelling back to Goodison Park with three points after two late goals from Jack Rodwell and Louis Saha saw them past Fulham. That victory on the Thames was first away from home this season and first win in three Premier League games. It’s been an inconsistent start from David Moyes’ men who have failed to put together a decent run of unbeaten fixtures. One of their main problems at the minute is scoring goals with Tim Cahill yet to find the net in 2011. His 10-month goal drought is becoming a real concern for the Toffee’s faithful considering their lack of options up front at present. With Royston Drenthe suspended after his red card against Chelsea in the mid-week Carling Cup tie Moyes’ is shorn of another attacking option. The Dutchman was superb at Craven Cottage last week scoring a stunning goal and proving to be a constant threat throughout. They’ll also be without Johnny Heitinga for the visit of United with the Dutchman struggling with a knee injury. The onus is good for the blue half of Merseyside though with Sir Alex Ferguson last tasting victory at Goodison in 2007.

Victory is the only thing on the Red Devils’ mind after their derby day drubbing at the hands of neighbours City. Ferguson watched his side capitulate during a stormy afternoon in Manchester with six goals going past the helpless David de Gea. Some of the demons from that game were put to rest in the 3-0 Carling Cup win over Aldershot but the rebuilding starts on Saturday. Ferguson claimed in week that his side will be back to it’s best by the New Year but fans will be expecting an instant response at Goodison. Being five points behind City and seemingly second best to the Premier League’s big spenders is sure to motivate United but fears have started to creep in about the strength of the squad. Darren Fletcher and Anderson were dominated in midfield whilst Ashley Young and Nani were marked out of the game. Wayne Rooney and Danny Wellbeck failed to make an impact and it’s likely the latter will be rested with Dimitar Berbatov pushing for a start. The Bulgarian was as majestic as ever against The Shots on Tuesday night but still needs to convince the boss of his worth to the team. He could be just what they need with creativity lacking last week especially considering Everton’s status as United’s bogey team. Phil Jones can expect a recall after Jonny Evans’ red card last week whilst Ryan Giggs is out with injury.

Key Player

Marouane Fellaini – After a period of mediocrity the big Belgian has found his form once again. Ravaged by injuries last season he is back to his best patrolling the Everton midfield. His height will come in handy against United’s defence shaken from last week’s thrashing.

Wayne Rooney – As ever the England striker is Ferguson’s go to guy for inspiration. He’ll be straining at the leash to get out onto the Goodison Park pitch and right the wrongs of the City defeat. A former Toffee himself he can expect a hostile welcome from the Merseyside faithful.

Prediction: 1-1

 

 

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The Toffees covered 115.4km in that game, compared to Fulham’s 115.1km, with Maraoune Fellaini covering the most ground with 11.762km. Fellaini has covered more ground than any other Everton player in six of his seven starts for Everton so far this year, averaging 11.911km per game Jack Rodwell also scored his first goal of the season against Fulham. The young midfielder has been excelling in defensive duties so far this season, making 11 interceptions and winning 87% of tackles attempted Manchester United covered just 106.09km in that game, their second lowest tally of the season, with Darren Fletcher covering the most ground with 11.29k. Everton’s defenders will need to be on their guard, as United have the two most prolific crossers in the league in Ashley Young and Luis Nani, who have both put in 37 crosses so far this season.

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One of the things I have never understood about football fans – apart from why anyone would rate Darron Gibson – is the way people leave before the end, especially when the game is in the balance. Think of the amount of times goals have been scored in the last ten minutes, or even a player sent off or some kind of drama occurring. By leaving football fans miss this, and it was a comment made by under fire Chelsea manager AVB that really got me thinking about the issue this week.

AVB questioned why Chelsea have lost points in games this season through late goals, when teams such as United usually end up winning games near the end – or during the aptly named ‘Fergie time.’ Well unfortunately for AVB the answer is fairly simple – until his Blues side learn to defend they will always be susceptible to conceding late goals, and having Torres as your number nine does not make you likely to score them either.

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It is in the Champions League this has cost Chelsea the most, with a late penalty given by Kalou at the Mestalla and then after having the lead, two cheap goals to Bayer Leverkusen, one of which was in the dying seconds. It is goals like this that cost teams, and had Chelsea held on for the point, or even the victory against Valencia, instead of conceding needless goals, they would be in a far better position in their group, not looking ahead to fun filled Thursday night fixtures.

It was not always the case for Chelsea, under Mourinho they had the knack of scoring late goals – memorably the opening fixture of the 2005-2006 campaign against newly promoted Wigan, when Crespo broke all hearts with a goal at the death, or to save their unbeaten home record against Arsenal with an Essien stunner.

It is the mark of a good team that they are able to do this, and even if things look over – and fans decide to leave to spare themselves the pain and humiliation – or just to get a head start in the queue for the journey home – they can miss the best moments in a game.

Think back to the 99 Champions League final between United and Bayern – going into injury time United were losing and all looked lost – they managed to score two goals and win the game. Much the same with Iniesta who scored against Chelsea to take Barcelona through on away goals to the 2009 final. For all the fans who headed to the tube none the wiser, they would have suffered a nasty shock when turning on sky sports news at home.

Yes, football is a game of 90 minutes, and if your team are 3 down at half time –unless you are Liverpool – it is probably safe to say you can go home, or at least get in the line for a pie before returning, but the last ten minutes seem to bring out a different side of teams. Call it what you will – desperation, heart, passion – but a shocking amount of action can happen in the dying minutes of an otherwise dull game, and change the course of a season or win a team a trophy.

It does seem to be the same teams popping up over and over again with these late goals – Liverpool and United have a history of comebacks, and perhaps it is the so called ‘best teams’ who change games late on more than others, but I can guarantee no matter who you support, from Liverpool to Luton, you can think of an example when your team have scored in the dying seconds to win a game. You can probably think of a time when you have lost either a goal or a man as well, but the point remains the same – the last ten minutes can often be the most important in the whole game – just make sure you’re not hearing about them from the car park!

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I was standing inside Upton Park on Monday afternoon watching a dire game of football which West Ham managed to win 1-0 over the Championship’s bottom side Coventry City; when I looked around and saw scenes that I thought would be irrelevant this season.

As Kevin Nolan headed home a deserved winner for the Hammers, there were nail-biting conversations circling around the ground, desperately trying to find out the scores from other Championship games. What a difference a year has made to the mentality of the everyday West Ham fan. The announcement that both Southampton and Middlesbrough had lost was met with just as bigger cheer as the one that met Nolan’s goal and that made me extremely worried.

It felt like it was the final game of the season and the club were depending on other teams’ results to sneak into the promotion places, but the fact that it is the beginning of January shocked me. It is now that the majority of Hammers fans have realised that not only are West Ham a Championship side but the fact that promotion is anything but guaranteed.

Sam Allardyce is desperately hoping to add numbers to his remarkably thin squad in January but the names linked with the club once again show what level the club is now on. The likes of Billy Sharp and Peter Whittingham are two of the top targets branded about in the media in the past few days, and they would probably get into the majority of Championship sides and as of this week, West Ham fans have realised they are no longer above that sort of signing. A modest attitude is now a must from everyone surrounding the clubs as they are no longer a big fish in a small pond.

A naivety that was lingering around before has been dismissed and the supporters are now set for  a long, tough second half of season where the club will do everything it can to return to the top flight at the first attempt. On paper the East Enders have the best side in the division, but the opening few months of the season has shown anything but that and although the club moved back into the top two on Monday, they are a million miles from any Premier League quality.

This time last year West Ham secured the signing of Demba Ba, who as everyone knows has gone on to have a stunning 12 months and with the likes of Wayne Bridge and Robbie Keane also coming through the door last January, you can understand the underwhelming attitude towards the prospect of Doncaster’s Sharp’s possible arrival. But West Ham fans are a realistic bunch and Allardyce appears to have the full backing of both the board and the fans for the first time in a while to drag the club from the doom and gloom of waiting on Middelsborough’s results to the thrill of hosting Manchester United and Chelsea next year.

Will West Ham return to the Premier League at the first attempt? Let me know on Twitter: @Brad_Pinard

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A mixed week for Manchester United started with a fantastic Premier League victory in North London, only to be disappointed by an FA Cup defeat against the old enemy this afternoon. While Sir Alex Ferguson will be disappointed at the club’s exit, it must be said that it could perhaps prove a blessing in disguise for United and allow them to put all their emphasis in catching City at the top of the Premier League table.

Elsewhere this week Fergie has been talking about his class of 2011 and how he believes that it could create a legacy similar to the infamous cast of 1992. Sir Alex has highlighted the two Keanes (Michael and Will), Larnell Cole, Jesse Lingaard, Zeki Fryers, Paul Pogba and young Ryan Tunnicliffe as the future of United and who will all have big futures within the game.

This week at FFC we have seen a mixed bag of blogs that include why United should fight for Morrison; Pogba would be crazy to leave, while Dortmund ace dismisses United link.

 

Best of FFC

Why United should fight for Ravel Morrison

Are these players more trouble than they’re worth?

Mad to leave Old Trafford?

Why are Premier League clubs ‘missing the boat’ in the transfer market?

Is trial by TV bordering on the ridiculous?

Simply detrimental to the Premier League starlets

Dortmund ace dismisses United transfer talk

Man United’s Social Network: Whatever next?!

Manchester United’s top TEN ‘Cult Heroes’ of all time

Lazio’s Keisuke Honda admission alerts Prem trio

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Best of WEB

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What Is A Manchester United Fan? – Red Flag Flying High

Twitter and Footballers – 7Cantanas

Welbeck: from awkward kid to United’s star turn – United Rant

Wall hits Fan: Manchester United Star Does A ‘Cantona’… 100 Years Ago – RoM

Documentary: A Look At United’s 26 Years In The Wilderness – The Busby Way

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Quote of the Week

“The issue with him now is the physical side. When he was 16 he had problems with his knees because he was growing, then he had some thigh problems. It was nothing serious, just a matter of waiting for him to develop into a man, which we are seeing the signs of now. He has a great physique but there is still more to come.” – Fergie talking about Danny Welbeck to Sky Sports

The Week That Was

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Arsenal 1-2 Manchester United

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Liverpool 2-1 Manchester United

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After a surprisingly quiet January transfer window in which none of the traditional big four sides in the England made any business worthy of note, and those looking to cement or capture a European place also moving only slightly on the transfer front, what was the reason for such a quiet winter market?

Are club’s finally coming to terms with Uefa’s Financial Fair Play ruling and attempting to cut down on their losses over a season? The final threat of exclusion from European competition would be a bitter blow to clubs who are looking to take as much revenue from the Champions League. But I don’t believe the lack of movement is wholly reflective of the Uefa ruling which will soon come into effect.

The approaching Euros have most certainly played a part in footballers’ decisions on whether to stick with their clubs or move on and risk a poor second half to the season. As has been the case with players wishing to move to perhaps gain a place in the final squad for the tournament, there are many European players who have caught the eye in France and Germany particularly. Lukas Podolski and Loic Remy have been rumoured to be at the top of a number of club’s winter wish list, notably Arsenal and Tottenham, largely due to their impressive form at this point in the campaign. Notably, the French and German national teams will have much competition for places, with Joachim Low’s talent pool looking particularly impressive. The Marseille and Koln strikers are placed high in consideration for an opportunity at the tournament, Podolski especially due to his experience and form with the national side. And yet, why disrupt that almost certainty to be part of the tournament in Poland and Ukraine?

Similarly, an extreme measure of caution may have been taken on the part of many clubs in England and across the continent as to why extremely little business has done . The two stand-out transfers in England last January have seen both Chelsea and Liverpool take a huge hit on their purchases of Fernando Torres and Andy Carroll. At this stage with European clubs’ losses exceeding 1bn euros, there is little room for gambles from bigger clubs looking to make the final hurdle in the league. Of course there is also the issue of ineligibility in European competition for many of the targets who were rumoured to be on the move. Another stumbling block for buyers?

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Manchester City surprisingly only went for a loan deal for Roma’s David Pizarro and Liverpool failed to bring in another striking option which they were rumoured to be after. Both clubs backed by considerable spending power and yet neither willing to take the gamble. But it definitely isn’t representative of a lack of options in a buyers market; Newcastle managed to get a smart piece of business done early in their purchase of Papiss Cisse and Borussia Dortmund signed Marco Reus to a pre-contract ahead of his move in the summer. Both of those signings represent very good value for money, would not command huge wages and have the qualities to make an immediate impact.

There is a suggestion of fear or uncertainty on the part of big club’s to spend in January, but I don’t see it as something new. Barcelona and Real Madrid rarely do business in the winter window, nor have Manchester United made any significant purchases in January recently either. Alex Ferguson has been quoted as saying “big clubs do not spend in January.” And that might just be the end of it. They get their squads prepared in the summer because there is less sense of urgency or panic surrounding the summer market.

The upcoming Euros have played a big part in the lack of spending this January and has caused many players to question whether a move to a far more prestigious club is right for them at this point. An eye on the FFP in the near future from clubs yes, but not enough to have a resounding effect on what clubs need for their immediate future. Footballing factors have taken the front seat over what Uefa want to see this time.

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You must learn to crawl before you try to walk, a famous proverb that accurately summarises the current state of the modern game. Blinded by pound signs, swayed by insatiable agents and conned by false promises, many of England’s brightest stars have faded from the limelight.

Crystal Palace boast a long-standing tradition of consistently producing exciting players from their highly regarded academy. Over the past decade the team’s nucleus has been built from local talent, helping to create a real sense of community and pride from within the club.

Sadly though, the rapidly inflated wage packets currently being offered by Premier League outfits are causing young players to abandon their parent clubs. You need look no further than John Bostock as an example of how the young can be lead astray.

I was fortunate enough to be at Selhurst Park on the 29th of October 2007 when at the tender age of 15, John Bostock became the youngest ever player to represent Palace. It was a crisp Monday evening, the team were two nil down against high-flying Watford and seemed resigned to defeat. As the groans of discontent echoed round the ground, the crowd were suddenly buoyed to see the youngster warming up on the touchline.

Although he was only on the pitch for a few minutes, every successful pass and surging run was greeted with a deafening cheer. The introduction of Bostock helped inject a real buzz of excitement amongst the supporters and masked an otherwise uninspired performance.

As with many fairytales, this one wouldn’t have a happy ending. After making three further appearances for the club Bostock announced he would be joining Tottenham at the end of the season, with the fee going to a tribunal. The club were awarded an initial fee of £700,000, described at the time by owner Simon Jordan as the equivalent of ‘a packet of crisps’, which would rise by a further £1.5m depending on his future number of appearances.

Since then Bostock has endured a torrid time at Spurs and has only made one competitive appearance for the club this season. He’s shown brief glimpses of his potential during loan spells at both Brentford and Hull but it remains increasingly obvious that he would have been better served continuing his development at Palace.

Bostock is not the only player to suffer disappointment since his departure from the Eagles. Wayne Routledge is only just finding his feet at Premier League newcomers Swansea having become somewhat of ‘journeyman’ over recent years. His time on the football club merry-go-round has been long and arduous, having been initially seduced by the bright lights of White Hart Lane back in 2005.

Lets not forget Tom Soares, who has recently been dumped on loan at SPL strugglers Hibernian after failing to impress Tony Pulis at Stoke. Ben Watson and Victor Moses are arguably the exception to the rule but despite their growing number of first team appearances for Wigan, it looks like they too will be playing for a Championship side next season. Are you reading Wilfried Zaha?

There is a strong sense that this ugly trend will continue to be a focal point in the sport, with the introduction of the new Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP).

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The idea behind the scheme is that the best players are developed by the finest coaches at clubs using state-of-the-art facilities. This will in turn allow a greater number of youngsters to realise their potential and ultimately benefit the national side. Whilst on paper this scheme seems beneficial, it stems from deluded logic that will have a significant impact on clubs outside the Premier League.

If you ask any teacher, they will inform you that the best learning environments are intimate and structured to engage with the varying personalities of each student. Herding the cream of the crop into one giant pen will not aid their development. Clubs will be bursting at the seams with handpicked players, who will slowly drip feed them back down the leagues as they inevitably fail to excel in such a chaotic atmosphere.

There seems to be very few incentives for clubs who fall shy of the financial requirements in order to be a ‘category one’ club. Palace chairman Steve Parish has recently slammed the scheme in the media suggesting that:

“As far as the Premier League is concerned, we’re here for their benefit. Are we meant to spend all our time and money finding talent and educating kids, only to give them to Chelsea?” (The Sun)

It’s easy to understand his reasons for complaint. Under these new regulations Palace would have received a poultry £130,000 for the services of John Bostock and whilst at present that figure looks like an over-valuation of the player, it offers a terrifying glimpse into the future.

It appears that the FA are hell bent on moulding top English sides to match the achievements of Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona. But do we really want to see Premier League mutate into La Liga? With the same clubs trading blows at the top in an all too predictable and dull affair.

As a fan of a Premier League club, do you currently value your own academy? Do the ends justify the means if it brings success on the international stage?

If you’re a fan of a club outside the top flight, do you feel bullied by financially superior clubs? Do you fear these new rules will impact on the very existence of your club?

Leave your comments below and join in the debate on Twitter @theunusedsub

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Two weeks ago I went on record stating that if Shrewsbury could pick up a victory away at Morecambe and at home against Port Vale then we would be celebrating promotion come May.

Well this was nearly the case, after successfully picking up three points on the road at Morecambe, we then played host to Port Vale.

We took the lead in the 50th minute through a James Collins goal, only for the game to be dramatically called off fifteen minutes later due to a fire in the family stand.

So now I now have to rejudge my earlier prediction. This weekend we had Dave McCalister sent off in our disappointing 1-1 home draw with Aldershot. This was the second sending off we have seen in our side in the last two games (not counting the abandoned game with Vale). This could not have come at a worst time in the season for us with two massive games in the space of three days coming up.

Over the easter weekend we face two teams who are looking to face a survival battle come the final month of the season, obviously this could go eitherway.

First we travel to Moss Rose this Friday to take on second from bottom and in serious danger of relegation Macclesfield Town. Moss Rose has been kind to us over the last two seasons, with us registering two victories in our last two encounters. With a big turn-out expected in the away end, I feel as though we can pick up a victory here, even with a number of key players missing through suspension.

The following Monday we face struggling Bradford City at home and for me this is a crucial game for us as Torquay travel to an in-form Oxford. This means they could face a real task to get something from that game. If the Gulls fail to pick up three points and we do, it puts in a position of power come the final run-in.

Following this we have two home games and with our home form being as good as it is, it wouldn’t be too stupid to presume we can pick up the points needed to help us seal automatic promotion.

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However as a Shrewsbury Town fan we all know it never quite runs that easy. Lets just hope for no more fires.

You can follow me on Twitter: @LiamHoofe

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We have seen it very rarely over recent seasons; probably because the demand for success or survival is simply so high nowadays. But playing players out of position is a dying trend in the Premier League and on the few occasions it does happen, fans and punditry panels alike are quick to undermine the decision, giving it little airtime as a rash and brainless dabbling of the system. One of the most extreme changes of position was that of Blackburn’s Christopher Samba last term as the centre back was deployed in a forward’s role to hold the ball up and give Rovers more of a physical presence or should I put it more bluntly; battering ram up top. The decision, although eyebrow-raising at the start was a relatively successful one with Samba possessing a surprising good touch and an astute holding up of the ball.

More successful shifts in position famously include Gareth Bale who has forged a reputation as one of the finest wingers in the Premier League following advancement from the left full back berth. Perhaps the most recent example of a positional change has been Martin Jol’s decisions to deploy Moussa Dembele in a central midfield berth for Fulham. The natural second striker has been dropped deeper for his dribbling abilities and ease on the ball and it seems to have paid off with the Belgian flourishing in his new role over the past month or so.

So why don’t managers execute positional changes far more often? It must be contended that for every first choice there is a usually a backup squad player and it would frustratingly resemble an insult to play a player out of position rather than deploy a natural replacement. Nevertheless, with the modern breed of full backs raiding down the channels more greatly than ever before, surely there are more ‘Bale’s’ out there in the sense that the pacy full back is almost a second winger anyway. For example, Aaron Lennon at Tottenham has been injured in spells this term and has often had to be replaced by Niko Kranjcar or an unpopular decision to shift Luka Modric to the flank, where it is understandable that he isn’t best suited here. Kyle Walker would be adept at fulfilling Lennon’s role in that he is fast, can whip a cross into the box and is direct in his attacking of the opposition full back. Whilst we must accept Spurs let go of their replacement right back Vedran Corluka in January and need Walker’s consistent abilities at full back in this particular scenario, you see the point I am trying to make.

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It has been noticed at Manchester United also, that Antonio Valencia is an unorthodox, yet trusty full back when widespread injury strikes. The fact the Ecuadorian is one of the Premier League’s hardest working players, possessing substantial upper body strength and good tracking back skills, means he can drop back into the full back position and achieve an assured performance as a Rafael or Fabio might do for example. Of course, United have flourished recently using Valencia’s excellent crossing abilities to create many assists further up the pitch, but by discovering players’ hidden versatility and looking even closer at their exploits, costly decisions to carelessly wade into the transfer market just might be avoidable.

Undeniably, the monetary repercussions of football nowadays mean experimenting and dabbling with positional changes usually occur in an involuntary sense; whereby a manager is forced into the decision, as the pitfalls or dissenting abuse for a positional gamble or risk are huge. Perhaps pre-season friendlies could employ more of a focus on positional changes but such an idea would be met by likely dissent.

Centre backs transformed to full backs are generally accepted as a fairly safe transition with many of the tackling and strength attributes being required at full back also. Branislav Ivanovic has probably been the best example of this. Also defensive midfielders moving to centre half have been met by some applause with Alex Song and Javier Mascherano at Barcelona representing that this positional change can breed relative success.

But cavalier decisions such as Dembele and Samba are still of the rare variety and positional changes still have that ‘emergency’ tag when they could be judged with more astuteness. Only time will tell, and the random nature of the Premier League means we just may uncover a hidden gem who currently is yet to find his new prosperous role.

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Are these points too radical or can you see the benefit in such decisions? Follow me @ http://twitter.com/Taylor_Will1989

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