Chelsea to put it mildly are a club without class. The little respect that was earned by a hard working and loyal management has now departed with the Special One and Chelsea are scrambling to maintain the illusion that they are now world beaters on a par with the likes of Barcelona and AC Milan.

Chelsea are on a downward spiral helped no end by the continual interference of Mr Abramovich who is playing the longest game of Fantasy Football ever known. Abramovich’s lastest gamble of forcing Mourinho out of the club has done nothing except speed the inevitable decline of a club that have been recently forged on large spending sprees. However, Mr Abramovich, the keen football guru that he is, does not challenge the basic problems such as lack of motivation and his interference in the dressing room but instead finds the answer to all his problems in the form of Ronaldinho and Kaka.

Are there seriously any Chelsea supporters out there that believe that bringing these two superstars to the club will reverse all previous mistakes and finally lead them to Champion’s League glory? In reality if the move goes through Ronaldinho and Kaka will be unveiled as the new saviours only to suffer the consequences of Mr Abramovich’s regime if they don’t immediately make an impact. In the name of God please let them both consider their and futures seriously and ultimately realise that a move to Chelsea is a move into the football wilderness under an ineffectual Russian.

Ballack and Shevchenko were in these young men’s shoes in the not to distant past and they are no longer half the players that they used to be. Lacking drive, confidence and consistency they both have suffered at the Chelsea money making machine. Maybe I’m being cynical but moving in on both Kaka and Ronaldinho suggests that Roman intends on making Chelsea into a worldwide brand and really doesn’t care about their careers as much as making a profit. Next thing you know Beckham will be linked with a move to the Bridge as under Abramovich nothing would surprise me anymore.

Whether you believe that’s the proper way to act or not, I don’t think the board have any other choice than to have a quiet word in Martin’s shell-like and agree a quiet resignation with the necessary payoff to keep his mouth shut and move on to the next taker for the hardest job in football. Liverpool did it with Benitez in for Houllier and won the European Cup, Chelsea did it with Mourinho in for Ranieri and won back-to-back league titles. Sometimes it’s necessary and I’m unapologetic in saying that Spurs have reached that juncture. The one problem that arises then is who comes next?

THE EURO HOTSHOTS: Two UEFA Cups and a Copa Del Rey coupled with the building of an attractive footbaling side at Sevilla mean that Juande Ramos was the perfect first port of call when the board went prospecting last week. He may have been around the block but he’s learnt his lessons and moved a club probably similar in domestic stature to Spurs in Spain into the stratosphere of European football. Big thumbs up from me. Another name thrown into the mix is PSV Eindhoven coach Ronald Koeman. He’s another successful coach having won three Dutch Eredivisie titles with Ajax and PSV and if Jol’s expolits with RKC Waalwijk are to be herladed then surely Koeman is the next logical step up?

THE FANTASY LEAGUE: Three names leap out here simply because they are three of the most successful club and international managers in the history of the game, namely Guus Hiddink, Marcello Lippi and Fabio Capello. I’ll end the dreaming right now and write off all three of them for the simple fact that they are A-list and Spurs are just about B-list at the moment. We need a coach to take us up to the next level of competition and dreaming of pulling one of these three won’t help anyone. Save your money betting on the holy trinity in other words.

THE DOMESTIC CONTENDERS: Martin O’Neill has shown himself to be a small time operator even with a big budget at Aston Villa, content to take average players and try and mould them into a better performing whole which isn’t the Spurs way. Sam Allardyce might enjoy the transfer activity at Spurs for dubious reasons but his style of long ball football employed over time at Bolton wouldn’t entice me into getting him either. The Spurs board may be tempted to bring in their good pal Harry Redknapp and while Harry probably is the best of a bad English bunch there is just too much baggage around him, his sullied reputation, his workshy son’s time at the club and his lack of domestic success. Other than that I’ve only heard Mark Hughes being mentioned and while he’s well regarded as being one of the contenders for Manchester United manager in waiting, he did do quite well with the Wales squad and has his Blackburn team playing in his own image, scrapping for every ball and making the most of their limited talents. Is he a step up from jolly Jol though? I’m not so sure.

THE OUTSIDERS: Let’s bring in the usual list of “others” who might be interested - Kenny Dalglish has been out of the game for too long, Graeme Souness’ early success with Rangers may have brought him twenty years of managerial work but I think the Newcastle job may have finally erased his reputation, Peter Taylor is a Spurs man but hardly up to the task at the top table given his time at Leicester City and Steve Coppell looks content with a small club fighting against the odds at Reading. Realistically who else is there?

Those with a good memory will know who my personal choice would be, I make no apologies for hankering back to dreams of days gone past when the white knight rode back into White Hart Lane to deliver us from the tyranny of Gooner George’s reign. He may have no man-management skills, he may still be better on the training pitch than most of our midfielders are on the pitch (which is a damning indictment on the current over paid, underworked staff) and the press may hate him but I still dream of the second coming, more out of hope than expectation. Some modern fans have forgotten what Tottenham Hotspur really stands for so take the time to look up a few quotes from Bill Nic and Danny Blanchflower and settle back with a video on YouTube of the last real Spurs legend, the man who could still come back and take us to the promised land. Come home Glenn, still the King of White Hart Lane.

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Stop crying over the indignity of Spurs trying to remove Martin Jol behind his back. He is not the new messiah, not the new Keith Burkinshaw, definitely not the new “Sir” Bill Nicholson and, while Mr. Sugar might disagree, he’s not even as good as old “hand in the till” El Tel. The bleeding hearts on internet message boards such as my favourite, From The Lane, have been incensed by the callous attitude of their board and fellow supporters who have long cried the unimaginable truth that Jol is not fit to take us into the hallowed land of the top four (more on that later) or bring home a long awaited trophy. We’d even take the Carling Cup they cry, he won the Peace Cup you know and finished fifth twice in a row and as far as I can make out that’s the sum total of Martin Jol’s talents. He also looks like he’d give you a nice big cuddle which, I’m told, makes him indispensable as a football coach.

I don’t deny that BMJ seems like a “nice” bloke, always ready with a soundbite and a smile in that easy to listen to Dutch drawl but ask his supporters (who have styled themselves as the “real Tottenham fans” in a People’s Front of Judea/Judean People’s Front way I assume) what he brings to the Spurs party and they resort to the old mantra of fifth place. Forgive my overambitious streak but fifth place means nothing to me. “Best of the rest” is a tag meted out by jealous West Ham supporting hacks and gloating Chelsea pressmen to appease their Spurs supporting readership.

Even the much fabled fourth place means absolutely nothing except a few more quid in the coffers but forgive me again for thinking football was about winning trophies, not collecting money like Monopoly. I don’t support any particular company of property developers for that very reason, there is no glory in seeing a bunch of business men accumulating cash. I want to see footballers banging in goals in exciting games and at the end of the day a Spurs captain lifting a piece of silverware above his head to the cheers of the trophy starved Spurs legions.

The aforementioned Mr. Nicholson never made do with second best, fourth best or, God forbid, fifth best and that’s the best that Martin Jol with his nervous, pant wetting attitude to taking on the “big four” will ever bring us. A run to the cup quarter finals until we meet a decent side then out we go and spending £40m to stay in 5th place in the league.

You’ve had a go Martin, you’ve done your best and been a decent bloke but it’s time to move aside and let a winner take us back to where we are supposed to be and all the wailing and gnashing of teeth from those who think 5th in the league constitutes a successful season won’t change the fact that it really isn’t anything of the sort for a club like Tottenham Hotspur.

The game started with two lacklustre teams put out, with vital vacancies from both. There had been a lot of pre-game banter about this, with both managers having to second-guess each other’s decisions. Neither manager really wanted to exit the FA Cup. Rooney, Ronaldo, Scholes, Vidic, Carrick, and the badge-biting captain Neville all missing from the mighty United. Hunt, Hahnemann, Sonko, Murty, and Harper were gone from the surprisingly resilient Reading.

The goals came quick and fast. 3 flew in Reading’s end in a space of 3 minutes 52 seconds. A long cutting laser from Gabby Heinze was the first to sink in, sliding just under Federici’s body and crawling over the line, like a lizard on it’s belly. The next was a twin hash from Bikey and De La Cruz, when Saha got in between them and turned them both, then snapped away a quick shot past the keeper. He’d been hugging the near post so much that it whizzed past him into the net.

The last of the blitz was a simple piece of genius from Solskjaer. Hanging back level with the defender on the right wing, he was 30 yards from any other defender. Ferdinand swung a long ball in front of the penalty box, and he was in. His composure as an experienced player showed as he put his foot on the ball, looked the keeper in the eye, then curved the ball with the outside of his boot into the net. He smiled at the keeper as he strode away.

The Magjeski stadium was quiet, almost a remembrance day silence. A tumbleweed slowly floated by. Coppel stood, floodlights reflected in his eyes, and formed a plan.

He moved Shorey into the back 4, and allowed Seol to run up the wings. It was back to old-style 4-4-2, and something magical happened. They started playing football. But real football. Not spanish football, all ‘Itsy Bitsy Spider’. Not Italian football, all ‘Here’s some money to win’. But real English football.

They took the ball in the midfield and ran at people. The full backs of United were turned inside out by Seol and Oster. O’Shea and Fletcher were running round in circles trying to spot Ingimar/Gunnarsson’s runs, and the goal came quickly.

After 23 minutes of play, Gunnarsson headed a ball across the 6-yard box to the unmarked Kitson, who obliged with a simple header into the net. As the net rippled, you saw the players be consumed by some inner light. Some inner desire. Some inner hope. This I will try to explain to you now, because I’ve found the answer.

It’s called Coppelism. It’s the football way of life, like Buddhism. No running up to referee’s, no diving, no being stupid, and no nonsense. This Coppelism has great rewards. At any time on the field, Coppelists can conjure up great hope for each other, and they can make great things happen. British football used to be Coppelist, but now we’re more Abramovists. More Drogbists. Which is annoying. We need more Coppelists out there. Get the word out. Tell your friends. They may not know what you’re talking about, but tell them anyway.

Ok, rant over. The Madjeski stadium built up and built up, consumed by Coppelism. The players started to function like a machine, and Manchester United were driven back. In the 68th minute, changes started to happen. Seol was brought off for Little, who ran havoc down the right wing. Then Doyle was brought off for Lita, the king of big occasions.

Alex Ferguson was getting worried. But talk about strength in depth. On the bench he had Rooney, Ronaldo, and Scholes. He brought on the very former, looking to spice up the front line and try and get the game away from the Coppelists. But it didn’t work.

On the 84th minute, Lita dove backwards in the penalty area, somehow connecting his head to the ball. It flew past Van Der Sar into the net, and the Madjeski stadium roared until the goalposts shook. You could see a light in every player’s eyes now, and the body language showed the desire and the passion.

But then the weapon started taking his ear-rings out, getting ready to get on the field. The Premiership’s best on-form player. It was like watching someone trying to rob a hobo with 11 shiny knives, only for him to get out a nuclear missile and point it at their face.

But the light of Coppel still shined brightly in every face. Undeterred by the nuclear missile, they carried on stabbing the hobo. In one final motion, they hit the bar from a pistol-whipping shot from the centre midfield. But that was it.

3 long minutes passed, and Howard Webb blew his whistle. The stars were out, and so were Reading. However, the fans left the stadium bashfully aware of the brilliance of the FA Cup. The press and FIFA have begun to doubt it, but when I see the light of Coppel shining in every man’s eyes, I know the old cup is still alive and well.

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Billy Lacey was no stranger to success. A member of Liverpool’s title winning teams of 1922 and 1923, he was also an integral part of the 1914 British Championship team. It was the first time the honour had come to Belfast, and it didn’t return until a Noel Brotherston goal against Wales in 1980 saw Billy Bingham’s men lift the trophy. Born in Co. Wexford at a time when the Irish FA could select any player from the whole island, Lacey went on to win 23 caps, scoring 3 times. He didn’t represent the FAI until the ripe old age of 37, and remains their oldest player to make a debut and their oldest player of all time on his last appearance, aged 41.
A tricky winger, he made 230 league appearances for Liverpool after his transfer from local rivals Everton. Not renowned for his goal-scoring ability, scoring only 18 league goals, he clearly had an affinity with the FA Cup, scoring 11 times in just 28 matches. Lacey left for New Brighton in 1924, leaving behind his international colleague, Elisha Scott, arguably the greatest goalkeeper to play for the Reds. Joining Liverpool in 1912, he remains the longest serving player in their history, playing for over 20 years. His ability cannot be questioned, nor should it be forgotten. One contemporary reporter wrote of him; “He has the eye of an eagle, the swift movement of a panther when flinging himself at a shot and the clutch of a vice when gripping the ball.” He was held in high esteem by the Kopites, and in 1924 when he pulled off a spectacular save against Blackburn, one supporter ran onto the pitch to kiss him! He had a good friendship with record breaking Dixie Dean, who was a great goal-scorer for Everton. Their battles on the pitch were great spectacles and well anticipated, much like the great Ian Wright versus Peter Schmeichel contests of the late 90s. One story tells of Scott and Dean meeting each other in town one day. When Dean nodded to Scott in acknowledgment, Scott dived through a shop window to save the imaginary ball! After leaving Liverpool he returned to Belfast as player manager of Belfast Celtic, and was in charge of their farewell tour in America in 1953, where they famously beat Scotland – A feat the international team of that time couldn’t achieve.

Aghadowey-born Sam English completes the trio of connections. Having scored 44 goals in the 1931/32 season for Glasgow Rangers, a club record which is still held today, he left Scottish football after a freak accident with Celtic goalkeeper Johnny Thomson which left the latter dead. Hounded out by opposition fans who refused to recognise his innocence, the centre forward joined Liverpool in August 1933, and went onto score 26 goals in 50 appearances. His goal ratio carried through to international football, being capped twice by the Irish FA and scoring once, against Wales.

Next time you find yourself on a plane to Liverpool; don’t expect to be travelling with some local footballers, ready to make their mark at Anfield. Somehow, I don’t think Rafa Benitez is planning on using his Dubai investment to send some scouts over to Linfield versus Limavady. Apparently the Spanish don’t like Windsor Park . . .

For the long suffering fans of Tottenham Hotspur, last night was just another chapter in a miserable catalogue of underachievement and disappointment. 20 minutes of scintillating, breathtaking, poetic football thoroughly spoilt by 190 minutes of dogged defending, dodgy tactics and the inability to double-check a team sheet. Only Spurs.

The kneejerk reaction of a minority has already started to call for the head of Martin Jol, something that is as unlikely as it is ridiculous, but the thought that the great man himself might be scratching his head this morning over another heart wrenching derby defeat is worrying to say the least.

This tie should have been out of sight by the end of the 1st leg, perhaps even the 1st half of that game. The so called ‘youth team’ of Arsenal possess a great deal of talent yet their limited experience should have been punished in front of a White Hart Lane crowd baying for blood after Julio Baptista scored the first of his unorthodox hattrick last Wednesday. They should have been buried by a side keen to show that they would not tolerate facing a second XI in a domestic cup semi final.

Instead, we put the brakes on, a tactical switch that would prove all the more costly considering our two attacking focal points, Lennon and Berbatov, would play no further part in the 2nd leg. It should be abundantly clear that, when fielding an inexperienced side that had already proved themselves in reaching a semi final, Wenger’s brief would be that they had nothing to lose. “Go get those goals back”.

The advantage was lost pitifully and very rarely has a draw tasted so authentically like the bitterest of defeats. Baptista got his 2nd and 3rd goals of the evening, Spurs groaned and Arsenal sang. And when that happens, it really must be going their way.

Yesterday began even better than most ‘big game’ days. ‘Sheringham heading back to Spurs’ read the tabloids, along with 3 or 4 promising names that had been mooted for several weeks. Had we known at the time that none would have signed by the stroke of midnight, it might have been translated as an inadvertent message from the cruel red top hacks that it would have been better off staying in bed.

No Lennon, no pace. No Berba, no physical presence upfront. No attacking changes until a goal down, no ambition. Even passion, surely inherent during a cup semi against your local rivals was lacking from so many of the players. Are Jermain Defoe and Jermaine Jenas REALLY as upset as the fans this morning? I hate to say that I don’t think they are.

What Tottenham need is a battler, an Edgar Davids minus a few thousand miles. Nolan, Barton, even Savage, all wear their heart on their sleeve, run for ninety minutes and, perhaps most importantly, aren’t shirt swapping and hugging their local rivals after losing a cup semi final. And that’s why they are so adored by their fans and so despised by the opposition: they want to win.

All is not lost for THFC and this defeat will be nothing more than a minor blip should our cup form continue and the final victory of the season takes place at Wembley or Hampden Park. But if the current incumbents of that famous white shirt aren’t motivated for a game like Wednesday then it could all be a little too familiar when the silverware is handed out in May.

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Chelsea, this season, have been firstly unfortunate with some injuries to key players, obviously every Club deals with it some way or another, whether it be new signings or utilising their full squad and of course some teams crumble in the wake of this, some teams consolidate, but Chelsea have just defied the odds!

Petr Cech and Carlo Cudicini, our two first choice goalkeepers were both out for quite lengthy spells there, third choice Henrique Hilario stepped into the team and done his job in goal, yes of course he let a few goals in here and there but he saved us quite a number of occasions too and he done good in my book. Now we have Petr Cech back in goals, three clean sheets on the bounce and he’s taken back to football again like a duck to water.

We also lost our most influential player and the heartbeat of the team, our Captain John Terry. He is now back training and should be back in the team within a matter of weeks. Although we did not sign any new players in the January transfer window to boost our squad further JT will be like a brand new signing once back in the Chelsea side.

If losing John Terry was bad, we then lost our replacement Centre Back Khalid Boulahrouz too. Admittedly Chelsea left themselves somewhat exposed in terms of defensive cover and we have no one to blame but ourselves on this one but it’s just been unreal where the injuries have hit us!

Added to that we can now add Ashley Cole to the treatment table after a painful looking incident last night. I watched the game against Blackburn and it didn’t look good for Ashley but lets hope to see him back as soon as possible. He has been in great form this season for Chelsea and I have been surprised by how well he has adapted to the team. Obviously I never doubted Ashley’s ability but I thought maybe the lucrative deal he got may have went to his head a little but not with Ashley. I am thankful though we do have the prefect replacement in Wayne Bridge, a player who I admire very much and I think he will step in and do just a good a job if not better than Ashley Cole.

Another major injury that we have had to deal with but one that many people have completely forgotten about has been Joe Cole’s. An injury to his knee in pre-season followed with a foot injury when he came back and he has been sorely missed in my opinion. I was reading just the other day in an interview that he sees a few games in himself this season. I just hope it is sooner rather than later. Joe has been a revelation under Jose Mourinho and has been a key factor in Chelsea’s success over the past couple of years. It’ll be a massive boost should he make it back for a few games at the end of the season.

Chelsea admittedly have not been at their best attacking this season, I think Joe Cole’s injury plays a part in that but also our attacking players this season include the likes of Michael Ballack, John Mikel Obi, Soloman Kalou and Andriy Shevkchenko who are only in their first season with Chelsea and are obviously still trying to fully adapt to life in this country. I believe in time that will happen for all of them.

I have heard people talk all season about Michael Ballack and his supposed laziness and money grabbing antics. I heard Alan Hansen sum him up perfectly last night though by saying he looks as if he going round the pitch with a cigar in his mouth the whole time but that’s just the type of player he looks on the pitch. Controlled and relaxed on the ball with two great feet, quick and powerful and a threat in the air. He of course hasn’t fired on all cylinders to the level we all know he’s capable of but he’s dug in deep and his performances recently have started showing his critics he’s here to fight and wants to do well for Chelsea.

As for John Obi Mikel and Salomon Kalou, well they were somewhat of unknowns to all of us when they first arrived but they have both found their way in and out of the team this season chipping in with some useful performances and goals. Both these players are of course still very young and both still have a lot to learn before we can really judge them in my opinion but so far so good.

The hype though this season has been about Andriy Shevchenko and I believe a lot of it has been unfair criticism aimed at the Chelsea striker. Of course he hasn’t scored as many goals as he, Mourinho, us Chelsea fans and a few who had him in their Dream Teams would have liked but coming to a different country after seven seasons in Italy, not knowing a word of the English language, playing a different style of football, it’s going to take time to fully adapt. There is no doubting Sheva’s ability, he just needs a little rub of the green but thus far that hasn’t happened for him but he’ll come good. It wasn’t long ago people were talking about the money Chelsea supposedly ‘wasted’ on Didier Drogba, well I am sure if any of you have Dream Teams this season he’s more than likely now your main Striker in it. He’s in mine anyway! He has quite simply proved everyone wrong and turned a few heads in the process! I’ll just add on top of that, Michael Essien who was also dubbed as a ‘waste’ too last season but after a terrific World Cup for Ghana just look at him go this season. It’s been unfortunate that lately he has been playing at Centre Back due to JT’s injury. The man is just full of energy. I think the role at Centre Back has saved his legs a good bit and he’ll also prove to be just like a new signing in that Midfield when JT is back to full fitness. But my point is sometimes it can take players time to adjust to life in a different country and indeed adjust to a new teams style of play.

I think the biggest joke of it all though is the press taking constant swipes at Sheva when he’s noticeably down on confidence by saying he’s the scapegoat and cause of Chelsea’s mounting ‘internal problems’. Just because he’s from Russian origin doesn’t mean he’s best buddies’ with Roman Abramovich nor can he go crying to him to get a place in the team. Ok so he can speak a word or two in Russian but to go and imply what they have is ridiculous. Running out of a story to tell is what I say! Let’s all just give Sheva his time so he can prove to all his critics his worth!

And as for Jose Mourinho leaving Chelsea because of a fall-out with the Chelsea hierarchy you must be joking! I believe the only way Jose Mourinho will leave Stamford Bridge is by being offered the Portuguese national job. That’s my biggest fear! He has said it himself on so many occasions that it’s the only thing that he would find too hard to turn down. Until that happens I suggest to the football storytellers to wind their necks in and talk about something more positive within the game!

Even after all that commotion Chelsea are currently placed second in the Premiership, six points behind Manchester United, into the 5th Round of the FA Cup, in the knockout stages of the Champions League and also in the Final of the Carling Cup. Fair play in my opinion to the manager, the coaching staff and of course the Chelsea players who have stuck together through thick and thin this season. I believe the way the team has battled over the season just further enhances how strong the mentality is through the whole squad. Of course Chelsea have won nothing yet this season and there is still a lot of football left to play but we are in a pretty decent position. I would say there are a number of rival supporters who would give their right arm to be in the position we are in at this stage. I think if we can keep free of injuries, suspensions, keep battling and enjoy our bit of luck if and when it comes (always needed to win anything by the way) then we’ll enjoy some success come the end of the season.

Keep the blue flag flying high!

There are a handful of players who are being linked away from the club, largely players who are currently on the fringes of the first team and some being youngsters who are looking unlikely to make an impact at first team level. With finances still incredibly tight at Portman Road any signings Town make will need to be balanced out with a player departure.

Youngster Darryl Knights looks likely to leave his hometown club after a successful trial spell with Scottish Premier League side Falkirk before Christmas. The England Youth international is likely to move permanently to the club with the striker likely to command a nominal fee for his services. Another Academy youngster Oscar Petursson has returned to his native Iceland after a difficult time in Suffolk. His two-year spell has been riddled with wrist problems that have hampered his progress.

More senior players could be on the move in the near future as well with Magilton keen on continuing the shake-up of players that he started at the beginning of the season. The future of Darren Currie is unclear at present with the ‘slow winger’ seemingly set for a permanent move to Coventry City who he had spent time with on loan, but the sacking of Sky Blues boss Micky Adams has put this move into doubt. Long-serving Dutchman Fabian Wilnis appeared to be leaving for a loan spell away from the club in the January window but a broken toe for Jason De Vos has left Magilton with no choice but to keep the veteran on as an able squad player.

One departure which would disappoint the majority of Blues fans is that of Welsh midfielder Gavin Williams. The former West Ham man has been one of Ipswich’s best performers in the last twelve months and is seen as an indispensable part of the team by supporters. However, since going on an unauthorised trip to Amsterdam with a handful of other players, Williams’ relationship with Magilton has frayed somewhat with the Northern Irishman revealing that he would be forced to accept a good offer for Williams’ signature.

Magilton has already made a handful of signings this month with the permanent capture of winger Gary Roberts from Accrington Stanley after a successful loan spell. Roberts failed to make the grade with Premiership side Liverpool as a trainee and has had to force his way through the lower leagues to get his chance again in professional football. David Wright has also arrived from Wigan Athletic in a £200k deal which naturally strengthens the defence with the former Crewe defender being adept in any position across the back four.

The final signing to date was the drawn out saga of Irish midfielder George O’Callaghan’s switch to Portman Road from League of Ireland side Cork City. O’Callaghan has spent three months in Suffolk for an extended trial and negotiations for a permanent deal have continued for around a month with the Ipswich boss unwilling to pay over the odds for the former Port Vale playmaker. Eventually a fee of around £60k was agreed and O’Callaghan will hopefully fit the bill of a goalscoring midfielder that Town have missed since the departure of Tommy Miller to Sunderland.

With loan striker Jon Macken going back to parent club Crystal Palace the Tractor Boys are certainly light in the striking department at present and that is an area which is still be to be addressed in this transfer window. A number of names have been bandied about who fit the bill with the likes of David Healy, Steve Kabba and Andy Bishop mentioned. A regular goalscorer does not come cheaply however and this is the stumbling block that the club faces as they bid to ease the workload on leading goalscorer Alan Lee. Talk of Magilton switching his attention to the continent for a new striker has been rife and it would not be a surprise to see a foreign face arrive through the Portman Road doors. Some supporters have even mentioned the return of former fans favourite Pablo Counago from Spanish second division side Malaga, but this would appear to be rather a pipe dream.

With around a week of the window to go there are still plenty of twists and turns left, but the Ipswich supporters should feel confident that Magilton will bring in the right players at the right price. He has proved with the likes of Alex Bruce, Dan Harding, Gary Roberts and George O’Callaghan that he is capable of finding a bargain to fit the bill and his shrewd transfer dealings will hopefully pay off as the season progresses.

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Cor blimey guvnor! Whatever line will modern day professional footballers feed us next?

Everyone knows exactly why Lucas Neill signed for West Ham over Liverpool and it’s all to do with around a reputed 50,000 Queen’s finest finding their way into his bank account each and every week. Well, until West Ham are relegated that is by which time he’ll have decided that leaving with no dignity and a large payoff will also please the 1966 World Cup triumvirate (and Mr. Bonds) and disappear off to whichever other club offers him the largest wedge.

Tell us you grew up on Bondi Beach wearing the claret and blue and pretending to be Alan Devonshire if you must Lucas but don’t go dragging the memory of players fans from all clubs and nationalities can quite rightly hold fond memories of to try and make out like it’s all about the heritage for you. We aren’t mugs and you’re treating West Ham fans especially like they are.

Keep them up and they’ll celebrate you, step in for a few quid and a Lee Bowyer like escape clause a few years ago and they’ll let you know exactly what Bobby Moore would have thought of you.

Watching football as I also do is becoming eerily similar especially as the January transfer window gets into full swing and silly season is well and truly under way.

I wrote a post a few days ago about Arsenal’s lack of English players and Arsene Wenger’s long list of excuses for why he doesn’t buy British and one which I glossed over a little was the fact that transfer prices in England are exorbitant. I don’t think anyone can argue with that logic when we’ve seen players with only a year or two’s first team experience such as Glen Johnson and Shaun Wright Phillips move for astronomical sums and then fail to even make the bench for the purchasing club although the Chelsea / Abramovich factor certainly hasn’t helped matters.

After the financial difficulties faced by clubs such as Leeds United, Chelsea (under Ken Bates they were reputedly weeks, if not days, away from bankruptcy before the Russian stepped in) and many lower league clubs, transfer fees had begun to come back down to Earth until Chelsea’s chequebook was opened and things started getting ridiculous again. Many pundits say that the Chelsea money has been good for the game overall as it spreads money out to other clubs such as West Ham and Manchester City but this ignores the fact that it pushes up prices for everyone else at the same time.

If a club chairman sees rookie Glen Johnson move for £9m and then gets an offer of £2.5m for his experienced international centreback from another club, he’s not going to accept a second rate offer when fee inflation has risen to Chelsea style levels and it’s in this second tier area of the Premiership where problems are starting to occur.

West Ham’s final accepted bid for Watford’s young striker cum winger Ashley Young was a reported £9.65m when the player hasn’t exactly set the Premiership alight and has only a few months top flight experience under his belt. Having signed the infinitely more experienced and tried and tested Luis Boa Morte for half that amount I’m sure West Ham fans are wondering where the difference is made up. Is it because Young is English or just because he’s young (boom, boom)?

I can’t blame Watford for holding out for as much money as they can get (until the player turns the deal down of course) but this is one concrete offer in a long line of inflated fees touted over the past fortnight. We’re always sceptical when it comes to paper talk but when rumours of £25m offers being needed to prise one season wonder Darren Bent from Charlton and £20m for young defender Micah Richards from Manchester City, not to mention £12m for Curtis Davies from West Brom, a player who has taken so many backward steps since arriving at The Hawthorns that he’s in danger of regressing completely, it’s easy to see how scaremongering talk of an English transfer market bubble is able to grow.

West ham need something to invigorate their season but if they start flashing their new chairman’s cash in such large amounts for very little proven return player-wise they may find themselves in even worse trouble next season, regardless of whether they survive or not this year.

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