Four friendly internationals have been navigated with varying degrees of success, two wins and two draws, since the failure to spot Theirry Henry’s handball had perhaps extinguished Ireland’s hopes of a welcomed extended summer prematurely. Ahead of the opening double header of qualifying matches for the 2012 European Championships, Giovanni Trapattoni’s squad bares a threadbare appearance. “Many players are injured, but we have many options in the squad. We have two players for each position. We don’t feel we need to call in anyone else”, confirmed assistant Marco Tardelli in a press briefing on Tuesday. The withdrawals are an unsettling development for the Italian management team, the decimation of options due to injury mirroring the recent sharp decrease in playing time afforded Ireland’s key international players, primarily at their Premier League abodes.

Contrasting the managerial fortunes of Trapattoni and his predecessor Steve Staunton may appear a mismatch, but a hark back to Stuttgart four years ago to the day, when Staunton made his competitive bow as national manager in a European Championship qualifier against a Germany side also under the guidance of a new man at the helm Joachim Loew. Disputably, the starting eleven Staunton had picked that night bore a true semblance to an ‘England B Team’, a moniker the current selection would struggle to justify, intended compliment or otherwise. Ten of the players (nineteen goal Championship striking sensation Kevin Doyle aside) in green that walked onto the field at the Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion were Premier League regulars: Given, Carr, O’Brien, Dunne, O’Shea, Finnan, Steven Reid, Kilbane, Duff and Robbie Keane. Between them they amassed over four hundred top flight, FA and League cup and European appearances the previous season (2005-06) which included league and league cup triumphs for Damien Duff and John O’Shea respectively. Two thousand and ten, one manager and two futile qualifying attempts later, read a much direr situation for Ireland’s international core.

Only eight members of the team announced today for Friday afternoon’s opener with Armenia in the capital city of Yerevan plied their footballing trade in the Premier League last season, excluding Aiden McGeady who saw out his last year at Glasgow Celtic in the Scottish not-so equivalent, the SPL. Last season, tomorrow’s line up made a total of two hundred and forty eight appearances in the English top flight, a stark decrease in playing time and top level experience when compared to what Steve Staunton worked with on that Saturday night in Germany four years ago. The Dundalk man could even count on the mercurial talents of the maddening Manchester City midfielder Stephen Ireland, albeit for only four games.  It is a testament to the capabilities of the wily Italian manager that the depletion in resources at his disposal has not stalled nor reversed the sides upturn in progress and fortunes. Ireland will enter the campaign with a renewed vigour and hunger, ditching their unadventurous and steady-does-it style in favour of a more rumbustious approach on that night in Paris proves that the potential of this team has not yet reached its peak. The willingness to recompense for that cruel exit indicates the desire to right the wrongs of those others will be undeniable.

Further bad news manifests itself for the Ireland set up when you consider that among the lessening numbers of senior international players securing regular top flight football in England are captain Robbie Keane and his fellow centurion Shay Given. Keane and Given’s benching at Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City are the two highest profile instances that are indicative of a wider problem throughout the squad. Only Richard Dunne, John O’Shea, Kevin Foley, Damien Duff and Doyle, from the twenty five man squad for this week’s matches, can claim with any assurance that they are key men for their Premier League clubs week in week out. Of that squad, just over half are contracted to clubs playing top level football, in England or in Aiden McGeady’s case Russia. These men are squad players in more ways than one. Injuries to wingers Duff and Keith Treacy along with Hull City defender Paul McShane have limited Trapattoni’s options somewhat but the manager is upbeat about the challenges that lie ahead in the wide ranging terrains of Group B. “I feel maybe we can win it”, the former Italy national coach declared this week. If Trapattoni can achieve his goal of leading Ireland to a major tournament, his senior players, first teamers at club level or not, can doff their not inconsiderable number of caps to Il Trap.

Confirmed Rep of Ireland team vs Armenia: Shay Given, John O’Shea, Sean St. Ledger, Richard Dunne, Kevin Kilbane, Liam Lawrence, Glen Whelan, Paul Green, Aiden McGeady, Robbie Keane, Kevin Doyle.

Barry Landy is the man behind the excellent Down In The Box.

The ‘Hurricane’ was the ultimate entertainer in sport. Whatever the rights or, mostly, wrongs of his actions away from the baize, when he played snooker he wanted to be the showman, to entertain and to thrill the audience.

Fundamentally competitive sport is about winning, and everything else is secondary.

But when football fans in the Premier League are paying upwards of £40 a week for a match ticket, do they deserve more than a hard fought, but ultimately inspiring 1-0 win?

There is an argument to say that if your team is winning then that is enough, if a team wins the league at the end of a season then there fans will be delighted, no matter the quality of football played that season.

But it is six years since Arsenal lifted the Premier League under Arsene Wenger, yet still they attract 60,000 fans to every home game, paying some of the highest ticket prices in England, and rarely grumble about their manager, because they know that they are never disappointed when it comes to the style of their football.

The banner behind one of the goals at the Emirates reads ‘In Arsene We Trust’, and Wenger has the loyalty of those fans because of the entertainment he has served up to them in the past.

Such a trophy drought for a manager who didn’t play such attractive football may have ended in a P45 well before now.

Across London, Jose Mourinho was a hero at Stamford Bridge, he gave Chelsea their first league title in 50 years and made them a major European force and was idolised by supporters.

But if you were to ask those same fans now whether they would rather watch Mourinho’s pragmatic winners or Carlo Ancelotti’s swashbuckling entertainers then surely the vast majority would plump for the Italian’s team that has scored 117 goals in 41 league games.

Roman Abramovich certainly would. Winning wasn’t enough, he wanted to do it in style.

Figures such as Abramovich, Florentino Perez and this summer Silvio Berlusconi have been criticised for varying offences, from distorting the transfer market to firing managers without good reason to destroying the game.

But all three just want to see their teams win in style. A collection of Ronaldinho, Robinho, Pato and Ibrahimovic should give the San Siro plenty to shout about this season.

And Real Madrid’s last collection of galacticos have the potential to turn it on every week of the season.

The reason for the caution so often displayed in the game is twofold: money and success.

Last year finishing one place higher in the Premier League was worth £800,000, while a team finishing in mid-table could collect a cool £8million.

When figures like that are at stake it is understandable why managers, often under pressure from chairman, adopt a negative approach.

And then there is the issue of success. When a trophy comes into view then teams almost inevitably take on a safety first strategy.

The trilogy of Champions League knockout duels between Liverpool and Chelsea between 2005 and 2008 were often remarkably dull, because both managers were fearful of losing.

Rather than grabbing the opportunity, the managers shut up shop and hoped to score at the other end.

Having spent seven or eight months in the competition they feared losing more than they embraced the prospect of winning.

It is the reason so many major finals fail to live up to expectations.

Perhaps the greatest commitment to jogo bonito is seen in South America.

Dunga was respected at best in Brazil for winning the Copa America and Confederations Cup, but he was not loved.

Brazilians expect the seleção to perform with style and to entertain. Many fans believed Dunga’s system of using two defensive midfielders to be a betrayal of their history.

And in Argentina they remain obsessed by the playmaker, the No 10, the enganche.

The majority of clubs in the domestic league field an enganche, and youth coaches are encouraged to field formations that would include a traditional No 10, to ensure the country continues to produce such players.

In England there are managers who will stick to their football principles and whose teams aim to entertain whatever their circumstances.

Think Owen Coyle whose Burnley side started so well in last season’s Premier League, before the Scotsman went to Bolton and started to turn around years of boredom witnessed at the Reebok from Gary Megson and Sam Allardyce.

And Ian Hollway’s Tangerine Total Football was a joy to watch as they took the Championship Play-Offs by storm last season. So far he has shown he will stick to the same style in the big league.

But there remain far too many fans being short changed every weekend. For every Coyle, Holloway or Wenger there are two or three Sam Allardyces, whose brand of anti-football has now been a regular feature at three Premier League grounds, the Reebok, St James’ Park and Ewood Park.

Despite being in charge of settled mid-table teams Allardyce has never tried to create a team that is more pleasing on the eye.

If the Hurricane had been a football manager, he isn’t how he would have done it.

Lyon posts another worrying performance

Claude Puel’s team will have to improve drastically in order to compete for Aulas’ number one goal this season, the Ligue 1 title. A second defeat in just 4 games highlighted OL’s defensive weaknesses. French international Jérémy Toulalan, who switched from midfield to central defense this season, is a hot topic in France as Laurent Blanc has decided not to call him up for France’s next two international games. The former Nantes player posted a couple of stellar performances as a defender last season, including some in Champions’ League games, but it seems that the South African disaster has affected him mentally. His pairing with Dejan Lovren has suffered against Kevin Gameiro (included in Blanc’s squad) and Lynel Kitambala’s speed. A handball by Toulalan in the box allowed Gameiro to bury a penalty kick and give Lorient the lead after 9 minutes. Despite Gourcuff’s first game for Lyon (he came in as a sub for an injured Delgado at the 29th minute), Lorient extended its lead to 2-0 during the second half as Kitambala struck from close range.

MOTM : Kevin Gameiro (Lorient)

Modeste saves the day for Bordeaux

At first, it looked like it would be an easy win for OM at Stade Chaban-Delmas. With Loic Rémy starting and André-Pierre Gignac on the bench, the visitors scored first thanks to Lucho Gonzalez after 12 minutes. Deschamps’ team dominated the first half but did not manage to beat Carrasso (a former OM player) a second time, as the French international keeper made a couple of stellar saves to keep OM within shooting range. But a reckless tackle by midfielder Edouard Cisse forced the referee to award him a red card after just 36 minutes, thus making the game more balanced. Marseille spent most of the second half defending its one-goal advantage but remained dangerous on counter-attacks, especially with Rémy, who forced Carrasso to dive on his left to avoid another OM goal. However, Bordeaux’s efforts finally paid off as Anthony Modeste headed a Plasil cross to find the back of the net at the 88th minute.

MOTM : Carrasso (Bordeaux)

Paris drowns at Sochaux

Despite playing a very solid game at home against Bordeaux the week before, two corners sealed Paris’ first loss of the season. Kombouaré’s men we looking for a rebound at Sochaux last weekend. But things did not exactly go as planned, as Sochaux was already up 3-0 at halftime. PSG, which failed to land a central defender during the last hours of the transfer market, showed concerns regarding its defense are still vivid. Coupet, Jallet and Camara posted shaky performances, allowing Maïga, Ideye and Perquis to each notch a goal. Despite a goal by international striker Guillaume Hoarau early into the second half, PSG never played well enough to hope for anything better.

MOTM : Nicolas Maurice-Belay (Sochaux)

Toulouse continues its game-winning streak

Despite Gignac’s departure, Toulouse is enjoying a stellar start with four victories in four games. Casanova’s men lead the Ligue 1 rankings and beat Nancy 2-0 last weekend thanks to goals by Etienne Capoue and youngster Franck Tabanou. However, the score does not really reflects the game as Nancy came close to scoring a couple of times, but Valverde (TFC’s second-choice keeper) and the crossbar each denied the local side a goal.

MOTM : Mathieu Valverde (Toulouse)

Rennes, Montpellier, Saint-Etienne, Monaco and Brest get 3 points

Four teams came back home with a victory as Rennes, Brest and Montpellier imitated Toulouse with an away victory. Rennes forced promoted side Arles-Avignon to a fourth loss in four games thanks to a beautiful goal by Montaño, while Montpellier won 1-0 at Valenciennes with a header from striker Olivier Giroud. In a game between two former Ligue 2 sides, Brest beat Caen 2-0.  In the meantime, Monaco notched its first win of the season against Auxerre (goals by Niculae and Aubameyang). Lille remains unbeaten but winless with its fourth draw in four games (1-1 agaisnt Nice)

A few late moves wake up a globally quiet transfer market

Lyon and Marseille were the most active clubs in the last days of the transfer market as they both signed French internationals to double-digit transfer fees. With Captain Mamadou Niang gone to Turkey, Marseille spent 32M€ to land an impressive Gignac-Rémy pair of strikers. A few days later, Lyon agreed with Bordeaux on a 22M€ fee to sign Ligue 1′s best player of the 08-09 season, international playmaker Yoann Gourcuff. The player was presented at Stade de Gerland in front of a crowd of 15 000. Lyon also landed central defender (and former Nancy, St Etienne player) Pape Diakhaté on loan from Dynamo Kiev. Bordeaux lost Fernando Cavenaghi to Mallorca and replaced him by Moussa Maazou (who spent the last 6 months at Monaco) ; Tigana’s men also replaced Gourcuff with talented Valenciennes player Ben Kalfallah.

Hold the Back Page no. 6 has landed, just as the Irish team touch down in Armenia. And it’s it’s right there that we spend most of this week’s Pod.

Your regular host, the Irish Sunday Mirror’s Ciarán Ó Raghallaigh, is joined once more by Neil Ahern of the Irish Indo, to pick through the bones of the thrilling transfer window that was ‘slammed’ shut on Tuesday, with mixed results. They deal with such big name moves as Asamoah Gyan, Rafael van der Vaart and erm, Ian Harte. Anthony Stokes’ move to Celtic also gets a look in.

Then it’s onto the International special and it’s two Ireland players on the line – current centre half Sean St Ledger spoke exclusively to HTBP before jetting off, and tells us just how much alike he and Fabio Cannavaro are.

Former Ireland striker turned pundit Richard Sadlier is also on the line, and gives a great insight to the challenge that Giovanni Trapattoni faces to keep his footballing legacy intact.

Download here, and don’t forget to spread the word.

According to the Deloitte website, the overall spend for Premier League clubs was £350million. This represents a 22 per cent fall from last summer’s figures and ends three years of record growth. Of this £350million figure, Manchester City contributed £125million to the total.

Deloitte reports that spending is also down throughout the major European leagues when compared to 2009′s figures. France, Germany, Italy and Spain have all seen a fall in spending despite big transfer fees being spent on David Villa, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Robinho among others.

Paul Rawnsley, director of the sports business group at Deloitte, revealed a possible insight as to why there was such a drop from last summer. Rawnsley said: “Tax rates for high earners have increased and the pound is not as strong against the euro. Then there is UEFA’s new financial fair play rules which may also be encouraging greater restraint”.

He then went on to add: “In general clubs are more keen to spend money on wages than on transfers”.

Below is the list of this summer’s biggest Premier League transfer deals:

Yaya Toure (left) – Barcelona to Manchester City £28m
James Milner – Aston Villa to Manchester City £26m
Mario Balotelli – Internazionale to Manchester City £24m
David Silva – Valencia to Manchester City £24m
Ramires – Benfica to Chelsea £16.3m
Aleksandar Kolarov – Lazio to Manchester City £16m
Gyan Asamoah – Rennes to Sunderland £13m
Raul Meireles – Porto to Liverpool £11.5m
Jerome Boateng – Hamburg to Manchester City £11m
Chris Smalling – Fulham to Manchester United £10m
Laurent Koscielny – Lorient to Arsenal £8.5m
Kenwyne Jones – Sunderland to Stoke £8m
Bebe – Vitoria Guimaraes to Manchester United £7.4m
Steven Fletcher – Burnley to Wolves £6.5m
Javier Hernandez – Chivas Guadalajara to Manchester United £6m
Ben Foster – Manchester Utd to Birmingham City £6m
Nikola Zigic – Valencia to Birmingham City £6m
Mauro Boselli – Estudiantes to Wigan Athletic £6m
Moussa Dembele – AZ Alkmaar to Fulham £5m

25 Man Squads

Here is the official list for every Premier League team for the coming season directly from the Premier League website. Changes can be made in January when the transfer window re-opens.

Premier League Clubs agreed, from season 2010/11, to introduce the following rules governing squad numbers and Home Grown Players.

• Each Club must submit a squad by 5pm on 1st September containing no more than 17 players who do not fulfill the Home Grown Player criteria. The remainder of the squad, up to a total of 25 players, must be Home Grown.

• For the 2010/11 campaign Under 21 players will have been born on or after 1st January 1989.

Each Club Squad List is attached below as well as an additional list of each Club’s registered Under 21 players who are eligible over and above the squad limit of 25 players.

ARSENAL – 25 SQUAD PLAYERS
Player Home Grown

1 Almunia, Manuel No
2 Arshavin, Andrey No
3 Bendtner, Nicklas Yes
4 Chamakh, Maroune No
5 Clichy, Gael Yes
6 Denilson, Pereka Neves Yes
7 Diaby, Vassiriki Abou No
8 Djourou-Gbadjere, Johan Danon Yes
9 Eboue, Emmanuel No
10 Fabianski, Lukasz No
11 Fabregas Soler, Francesc Yes
12 Koscielny, Laurent No
13 Mannone, Vito Yes
14 Nasri, Samir No
15 Rosicky, Tomas No
16 Sagna, Bacary No
17 Song Bilong, Alexandre Dimitri Yes
18 Van Persie, Robin No
19 Vermaelen, Thomas No
20 Squillaci, Sebastien No

Arsenal – Under 21 players (Contract and Scholars)

Afobe, Benik
Aneke, Chukwuemeka Ademola Amachi
Angha, Martin Yves
Ansah, Zak Andy
Barazite, Nacer
Bartley, Kyle
Bihmoutine, Samir
Boateng, Daniel
Botelho, Pedro Roberto Silva
Brislen-Hall, George
Bunjaku, Alban
Campbell, James Andrew
Charles-Cook, Reice Jordan
Coquelin, Francis
Cruise, Thomas Daniel
Deacon, Roarie
Eastmond, Craig Leon
Ebecilio, Kyle Stephen Joel
Edge, James Michael
Emmanuel-Thomas, Jay-Aston
Evina, Cedric David
Freeman, Luke Anthony
Frimpong, Emmanuel Yan
Galindo, Samuel
Gibbs, Kieran James Ricardo
Glasgow, Benjamin Luke
Hajrovic, Sead
Henderson, Conor Alan
Hoyte, Gavin Andrew
Lansbury, Henri George
Martinez, Damain Emiliano
McDermott, Sean
Meade, Jernade Ronnel
Miquel-Pons, Ignasi
Monakana, Jeffrey
Monteiro, Elton Almada
Murphy, Rhys Philip Elliot
Nordtveit, Havard
Oldfield Spence-Neita, Nigel Paul
Ozyakup, Oguzhan
Ramsey, Aaron James
Randall, Mark
Rees, Joshua David
Roberts, Philip James
Shea, James
Smith, Steven Robert
Sunu, Gilles
Szczesny, Wojciech Tomasz
Traore, Armand
Vela Garrido, Carlos Alberto
Walcott, Theo James
Watt, Herschel Oulio Sanchez
Webb, Callum Taylor
Wilshere, Jack Andrew
Wynter, Jordan James Cecil
Yennaris, Nicholas

ASTON VILLA – 25 SQUAD PLAYERS
Player Home Grown

1 Agbonlahor, Gabriel Yes
2 Beye, Habib No
3 Carew, John No
4 Collins, James Michael Yes
5 Cuellar Jimenez, Carlos Javier No
6 Davies, Curtis Yes
7 Downing, Stewart Yes
8 Dunne, Richard Patrick Yes
9 Friedel, Bradley Howard No
10 Guzan, Bradley Edwin No
11 Heskey, Emile William Ivanhoe Yes
12 Hogg, Jonathan Yes
13 Lichaj, Eric Joseph Yes
14 Ireland, Stephen James Yes
15 Osbourne, Isaiah George Yes
16 Petrov, Stiliyian Alyoshev No
17 Reo-Coker, Nigel Shola Andre Yes
18 Salifou, Moustapha No
19 Sidwell, Steven James Yes
20 Warnock, Stephen Yes
21 Young, Ashley Simon Yes
22 Young, Luke Paul Yes

Aston Villa – Under 21 players (Contract and Scholars)

Albrighton, Marc Kevin
Baker, Nathan Luke
Bannan, Barry
Barrett, Calum Alastair
Barton, Joshua
Berry, Durrell Joel
Bryan, Richard
Burke, Graham Dylan
Cameron, Courtney Lee
Carruthers, Samir Badre
Clark, Ciaran
Collins, James Steven
Coton, Matthew James
Darkin, Darious Paul
Deeney, Ellis John Paul
Delfouneso, Nathan
Delph, Fabian
Devine, Daniel Patrick
Drennan, Michael Joseph
Flanagan, Calum Reiss
Forrester, Harry Lee
Gardner, Gary
Halfhuid, Arsenio Amerencio
Herd, Christopher
Jenkins, Sebastian Stephen
Johnson, Daniel Anthony
Lampkin, Jason Severiano
Lowry, Shane Thomas
Nelson-Addy, Ebby
Parish, Elliott Charles
Siegrist, Benjamin Kevin
Stieber, Andras
Taylor, Connor
Ward, Charles Patrick
Weimann, Andreas
Williams, Derrick

BIRMINGHAM CITY – 25 SQUAD PLAYERS
Player Home Grown

1 Taylor, Maik Stefan No
2 Carr, Stephen Yes
3 Murphy, David Paul Yes
4 Bowyer, Lee David Yes
5 Johnson, Roger Yes
6 Ridgewell, Liam Matthew Yes
7 Larsson, Sebastian Bengt Ulf Yes
8 Gardner, Craig Yes
9 Phillips, Kevin Mark Yes
10 Rana-Jerome, Cameron Zishan Yes
11 O’Connor, Garry Lawrence John No
12 Ferguson, Barry No
13 Doyle, Colin Yes
14 Derbyshire, Matthew Anthony No
15 Dann, Scott Yes
16 McFadden, James No
17 Madera, Miguel Marcos No
18 Fahey, Keith Declan Yes
19 Zigic, Nikola No
20 Parnaby, Stuart Yes
21 Hleb, Alexander No
22 Beausejour Coliqueo, Jean Andre E No
23 Foster, Ben Yes
24 Jiranek, Martin No
25 O’Shea, James No

Birmingham City – Under 21 players (Contract and Scholars)

Asante, Akwasi
Bogle, Omar
Butland, Jack
Delfouneso, Emmitt Daniel
Dunphy, Jamie
Fleet, Reece
Gascoigne, Brad Lee
Gombala, Julius
Hancox, Mitchell John
Hawker, Joshua Michael
Hronec, Jacub
Hubbins, Luke Anthony
Hutchison, Graham William Robert McDonald
Jervis, Jake Mario
Kerr, Fraser
McPike, Mitchell Leslie
Mutch, Jordon James Edward Sydney
Newbury, Adam Lee
Ntambwe, Brice
Preston, Daniel Sean
Redmond, Nathan Daniel Jerome
Reilly, Callum
Rowe, Luke Jonothan
Sammons, Ashley George
Valles Prat, Enric

BLACKBURN ROVERS – 25 SQUAD PLAYERS
Player Home Grown

1 Robinson, Paul William Yes
2 Olsson, Martin Tony Waikwa Yes
3 Samba, Veijeany Christopher No
4 Givet-Viaros, Gael No
5 Nelsen, Ryan William No
6 Emerton, Brett Michael No
7 Dunn, David John Ian Yes
8 Kalinic, Nikola No
9 Diouf, El Hadji Ousseynou No
10 Grella, Vincenzo No
11 Pedersen, Morten Gamst No
12 Bunn, Mark John Yes
13 Nzonzi, Steven Nkemboanza Mike C No
14 Andrews, Keith Joseph Yes
15 Salgado Fernandez, Miguel Angel No
16 Brown, Jason Roy Yes
17 Fielding, Francis David Yes
18 Chimbonda, Pascal No
19 Diouf, Mame Biram No
20 Mwaruwari, Benjani No
21 Roberts, Jason Andre Davis Yes

Blackburn Rovers – Under 21 players (Contract and Scholars)

Ajagbe, Damilola Mubarak
Aley, Zachery George
Banton, Jason
Billington, Alexander Ross
Blackman, Nicholas Alexander
Bowen, Jordan Dale
Doran Cogan, Aaron Brian
Edwards, Ryan Christopher
Evans, Micah
Gunning, Gavin
Hall, Jadan
Hands, Reece
Hanley, Raheem Shaquille Rushan
Hanley, Grant
Henley, Adam David
Hitchcock, Thomas Joseph
Hoilett, David Wayne
James, William Sebastian Graveson
Jones, Philip Anthony
Kean, Jacob Kendall
Knowles, James John
Lindsay, Cameron Melrose
Linganzi Koumba, Amine
Lowe, Jason John
MacLaren, Jamie
Marrow, Alexander James
Morris, Joshua Francis
O’Connor, Callum Anthony
O’Connor, Anthony Dean
Osawe, Osayamen
Parry, Andrew James
Pearson, Matthew Joe
Pivkovski, Filip
Potts, Michael Craig Thomas
Ramm, Jackson Wayne
Rustemaj, Besnik
Santa Cruz Cantero, Julio Eduardo
Todd, John Anthony James
Urwin, Matthew William
Vastic, Toni
Wylie, Peter James John

BLACKPOOL – 25 SQUAD PLAYERS
Player Home Grown

1 Adam, Charles Graham No
2 John-Baptiste, Alex Yes
3 Basham, Christopher Paul Yes
4 Crainey, Stephen Daniel No
5 Martin, Malaury No
6 Coid, Daniel John Yes
7 Demontagnac, Ishmel Yes
8 Eardley, Neal Yes
9 Edwards, Robert Owen Yes
10 Euell, Jason Joseph Yes
11 Evatt, Ian Ross Yes
12 Gilks, Matthew Yes
13 Grandin, Elliot No
14 Harewood, Marlon Anderson No
15 Keinan, Dekel No
16 Ormerod, Brett Ryan Yes
17 Southern, Keith William Yes
18 Sylvestre, Ludovic No
19 Taylor-Fletcher, Gary No
20 Varney, Luke Ivan Yes
21 Vaughan, David Owen Yes
22 Campbell, Dudley Junior Yes
23 Carney, David Yes
24 Kingson, Richard No

Blackpool – Under 21 players (Contract and Scholars)

Almond, Louis James
Barkhuizen, Thomas John
Cathcart, Craig George
Challoner, Matthew David
Dodd, Adam John
Eastham, Ashley
Francis-Reynolds, Kingsley
Gratton, Ryan
Halstead, Mark James
Husband, Stephen
Jobe, Pa Modou
Kettings, Christopher David
MacDonald, Joseph Thomas
Mitter, Adam Thomas
O’Connor, Dillan Ryan
Phillips, Matthew
Roberts, Joshua James
Tarney, Elliott Preston
Tchobanian, Garen Hagop
Thompson, Curtis Stephen
Tomsett, Liam Richard
Younda, Biko Gauche

BOLTON WANDERERS – 25 SQUAD PLAYERS
Player Home Grown

1 Blake, Robert James Yes
2 Bogdan, Adam No
3 Cahill, Gary James Yes
4 Cohen, Tamir No
5 Davies, Kevin Cyril Yes
6 Davies, Mark Nicholas Yes
7 Davis, Sean Yes
8 Elmander, Johan Erik Calvin No
9 Gardner, Ricardo No
10 Holden, Stuart Alistair No
11 Jaaskelainen, Juusi Albert No
12 Klasnic, Ivan No
13 Knight, Zatyiah Yes
14 Lee, Chung Yong No
15 Muamba, Fabrice Ndala Yes
16 O’Brien, Andrew James Yes
17 O’Brien, Joseph Martin Yes
18 Petrov, Martin No
19 Ricketts, Samuel Derek Yes
20 Robinson, Paul Peter Yes
21 Samuel, Jlloyd Yes
22 Steinsson, Gretar Rafn No
23 Taylor, Matthew Simon Yes
24 Al-Habsi, Ali No

Bolton Wanderers – Under 21 players (Contract and Scholars)

Alonso Mendoza, Marcos
Battersby, Nathan Paul
Bennett, Rhys Gordon
Blakeman, Adam John
Burns, Andrew John
Campbell, Javlon
Caton, James Alan Kenneth
Connolly, Mark Gerard
Dennis, Elliott Ben
Duyile, Raphael
Eaves, Thomas James
Eckersley, Thomas Scott
Fielding, Lewis
Hampson, Benjamin Christopher
Irwin, Liam Joseph
Kellett, Andrew Paul
Lainton, Robert
Lynch, Jay
MacGregor, Graeme Douglas
McGeechan, Maison Sean
McQuade, Alexander Michael
Moreno Machado, Rodrigo
Obadeyi, Temitope
Odelusi, Oluwasanmi
O’Halloran, Michael Francis
Popoola, John
Proudfoot, Lewis Steven
Riley, Joseph
Sampson, Jack
Sheridan, Samuel
Stayte, Ryan
Threlkeld, Oscar George
Turner, Thomas David
Vela, Joshua James
Ward, Daniel Carl
Premier League

CHELSEA – 25 SQUAD PLAYERS
Player Home Grown

1 Cech, Petr No
2 Ivanovic, Branislav No
3 Cole, Ashley Yes
4 Essien, Michael No
5 Santos Do Nascimento, Ramires No
6 Lampard, Frank James Yes
7 Benayoun, Yossi No
8 Drogba, Didier No
9 Mikel, John Obi No
10 Malouda, Florent Johan No
11 Bosingwa Da Silva, Jose No
12 Zhirkov, Yuriy No
13 Ferreira, Paulo Renato Rebocho No
14 Kalou, Salomon No
15 Turnbull, Ross Yes
16 Terry, John George Yes
17 Dias Costa, Alex Rodrigo No
18 Anelka, Nicolas No
19 Sampaio, Henrique Hilario Meireles No

Chelsea – Under 21 players (Contract and Scholars)

Affane, Amin
Ashton, James Alexander
Bertrand, Ryan
Blackman, Jamal Clint-Ross
Borini, Fabio
Clifford, Billy
Clifford, Conor
Cork, Jack Frank Porteous
Deen-Conteh, Abdul Aziz
Delac, Matej
Devyne, Bobby
Djalo, Aliu
Gordon, Benjamin Lawrence
Hutchinson, Samuel Edward
Ince, Rohan
Kakuta, Gael
Kane, Todd Arthur Lucien
Lalkovic, Milan
Loudon, Reece
Magnay, Carl
McEachran, Joshua Mark
Mellis, Jacob Alexzander
Mitrovic, Marko
Na Bangna, Buomesca Tue
Nkumu, Archange
Pappoe, Daniel Mills
Phillip, Adam
Philliskirk, Daniel
Prosenik, Philipp
Rajkovic, Slobodan
Rodgers, Anton
Sala, Jacopo
Sampayo, Ben Jordan
Saville, George Alan
Sebek, Jan
Stenning, Daniel
Sturridge, Daniel
Taylor, Rhys Francis
Tore, Gokhan
Van Aanholt, Patrick John Miguel
Van Homoet Bruma, Jeffrey kevin
Walker, Samuel Colin
Woods, Michael James

EVERTON – 25 SQUAD PLAYERS
Player Home Grown

1 Hibbert, Anthony James Yes
2 Baines, Leighton John Yes
3 Jagielka, Philip Nikodem Yes
4 Neville, Philip John Yes
5 Osman, Leon Yes
6 Beckford, Jermaine Paul Alexander Yes
7 Cahill, Timothy Yes
8 Anichebe, Victor Chinedu Yes
9 Vaughan, James Oliver Yes
10 Arteta Amatriain, Mikel No
11 Turner, Iain No
12 Pienaar, Steven No
13 Howard, Timothy Matthew No
14 Coleman, Seamus No
15 Yakubu, Ayegbeni No
16 Fellaini-Bakkioui, Marouane No
17 Mucha, Jan No
18 Saha, Louis Laurent No
19 Heitinga, John Gijsbert Alan No
20 Bilyaletdinov, Diniyar No
21 Distin, Sylvian No

Everton – Under 21 players (Contract and Scholars)

Agard, Kieran Ricardo
Akpan, Hope
Barkley, Ross
Barrow, Jordan Joseph
Baxter, Jose
Bidwell, Jake
Browning, Tyias
Craig, Nathan
Cummins, Adam
Davies, Adam Rhys
Dobie, Luke Jeffrey
Donegan, Thomas David
Duffy, Shane Patrick Michael
Fitzgibbon, James Thomas
Forrester, Anton
Forshaw, Adam
Garbutt, Luke
Gueye, Magaye Serigne Falilou Dit Nelson
Hammar, Per Johan Gustav
Harris, Matthew Bret Stephen
Heneghan, Benjamin John
Higgins, Ryan Leslie
Hope, Hallam Robert
Kinsella, Gerard
Lundstram, John David
McAleny, Conor Michael
McArdle, Lee J
Murphy, Daniel
Mustafi, Shkodran
Nsiala, Aristote
Orenuga, Femi Kenny
Pereira Da Silva, Joao Pedro
Roberts, Connor Stuart
Rodwell, Jack
Thomas, Adam Christopher
Thompson, Zac
Wallace, James Robert
Watson, Ryan

FULHAM – 25 SQUAD PLAYERS
Player Home Grown

1 Schwarzer, Mark No
2 Stockdale, David Adam Yes
3 Pantsil, John No
4 Stoor, Frederick No
5 Kelly, Stephen Michael Yes
6 Gera, Zoltan No
7 Dempsey, Clinton Drew No
8 Riise, Bjorn Helge Semundseth No
9 Hughes, Aaron William Yes
10 Baird, Christopher Yes
11 Halliche, Rafik No
12 Etuhu, Dickson Paul Yes
13 Dikgacoi, Kagisho No
14 Johnson, Andrew Yes
15 Kamara, Diomansy No
16 Dembele, Moussa No
17 Hangeland, Brede Paulsen No
18 Murphy, Daniel Ben Yes
19 Greening, Jonathan Yes
20 Zamora, Robert Lester Yes
21 Elm, David No
22 Johnson, Edward No
23 Salcido Flores, Carlos Arnoldo No
24 Davies, Simon Yes
25 Duff, Damien Anthony Yes

Fulham – Under 21 players (Contract and Scholars)

Bangura, Suliaman
Banya, Charles
Bettinelli, Marcus
Briggs, Matthew
Brister, Alexander Keith
Cosgrove, Jonathan Graham
Dalla Valle, Lauri
Dean, Jack
Etheridge, Neil
Frei, Kerim
Harris, Courtney
Hoesen, Danny
Jorenen, Jesse
Joronen, Jesse Pekka
Kacaniklic, Alexander
Kamau, Michael
Maloney, Robert John
Marquez-Sanchez, Cristian
Marsh-Brown, Keanu
Minkwitz, Ronny
Monguel, Oliver
Owusu-Ansah, Albert Junior
Peniket, Richard James
Pierre, Aaron
Pritchard, Joshua Philip
Reece, Matthew
Saunders, Matthew
Smith, Alex
Smith, Grant Ashley
Toure, Cheick Sekou
Trotta, Marcello
Premier League

LIVERPOOL – 25 SQUAD PLAYERS
Player Home Grown

1 Jones, Bradley Yes
2 Johnson, Glen McLeod Cooper Yes
3 Agger, Daniel Munthe No
4 Aurelio Rodrigues, Fabio No
5 Gerrard MBE, Steven George Yes
6 Torres Sanz, Fernando Jose No
7 Cole, Joseph John Yes
8 Jovanovic, Milan No
9 Kyrgiakos, Sotiris No
10 Rodriguez, Maximiliano No
11 Kuyt, Dirk No
12 Pezzini Leiva, Lucas No
13 Carragher, James Lee Yes
14 Reina Paez, Jose Manuel No
15 Spearing, Jay Francis Yes
16 Darby, Stephen Yes
17 Skrtel, Martin No
18 Poulsen, Christian No
19 Babel, Ryan Guno No
20 Konchesky, Paul Martyn Yes
21 Meireles, Raul Jose Trindade No

Liverpool – Under 21 players (Contract and Scholars)

Adorjan, Krisztian
Amoo, David Oluwaseun Segun
Ayala, Daniel Sanchez
Aylmer, Peter
Belford, Tyrell
Bouzanis, Dean Anthony
Brito E Silva, Toni
Bruna, Gerardo Alfredo
Chamberlain, Deale
Clair, Karl
Coady, Conor David
Cooper, Alexander Douglas
Eccleston, Nathan
Emilsson, Kristjan Gauti
Flanagan, John
Gomis Mendy, Emmanuel Henry
Gulacsi, Peter
Hadju, Adam
Hansen, Martin
Hatch, Lewis William
Highdale, Sean
Ihiekwe, Michael
Ince, Thomas
Insua Zapata, Emiliano
Irwin, Steven Alan
Kelly, Martin Ronald
Kohlert, Nicolaj Beier
Mavinga, Chrys
McGiveron, Matthew Lawrence
Morgan, Adam Joseph
Mukendi, Henoc John
Ngog, David
Ngoo, Michael
Pacheco Lobato, Daniel
Palsson, Gudlaugur Victor
Poor, Patrik Peter
Rafferty, Joseph Gerad
Regan, Matthew George
Roberts, Michael James
Robinson, Jack
Roddan, Craig
Sama, Stephen
Saric, Nikola
Shelvey, Jonjo
Simon, Andras
Smith, Bradley Shaun

Liverpool – Under 21 players (Contract and Scholars)

Sokolik, Jakub
Stephens, James Edward
Sumner, Joshua Andrew
Walsh, Thomas
Whittle, Alex
Wilson, Daniel
Wisdom, Andre

MANCHESTER CITY – 25 SQUAD PLAYERS
Player Home Grown

1 Hart, Charles Joseph John Yes
2 Given, Shay John James Yes
3 Taylor, Stuart James Yes
4 Logan, Shaleum Yes
5 Richards, Micah Yes
6 Zabaleta Girod, Pablo Javier No
7 Kompany, Vincent No
8 Boateng, Jerome No
9 Lescott, Joleon Patrick Yes
10 Toure, Kolo Abib No
11 Bridge, Wayne Michael Yes
12 Kolarov, Aleksandar No
13 Johnson, Adam Yes
14 Barry, Gareth Yes
15 Toure, Gnegneri Yaya No
16 Vieira, Patrick No
17 De Jong, Nigel No
18 Milner, James Philip Yes
19 Johnson, Michael Yes
20 Jimenez Silva, David Josue No
21 Wright-Phillips, Shaun Cameron Yes
22 Tevez, Carlos No
23 Adebayor, Emmanuel No
24 Santa Cruz, Roque Luis No
25 Silva, Joao Alves De Assis No

Manchester City – Under 21 players (Contract and Scholars)

Ball, David Michael
Balotelli, Mario Barwuah
Benali, Ahmed
Boyata, Anga Dedryck
Bunn, Harry
Chantler, Christopher Steven
Clowes, Paul Allan
Coulson, Luke
Cunningham, Gregory Richard
Drury, Adam
Elabdellaoui, Omar
Guidetti, John Alberto
Halsall, Thomas Charles
Helan, Jeremy
Henshall, Alex Charles
Hippias, Emerick
Huws, Emyr Wyn
Ibrahim, Abdisalam
Johansen, Eirik Holmen
Karius, Loris Sven
Kay, Scott John David
Kennedy, Kieran
King, George Liam
McDermott, Donal
McGivern, Ryan
Mee, Benjamin
Meppen-Walters, Courtney
Morrissey, Conor Patrick
Poole, James Alexander
Robinson, Bradley
Roman Olle, Joan Angel
Rusnak, Albert
Skogsrud, Kim Eugen
Skogsrud, Tom Even
Smith, Thomas George
Tchuimeni-Nimely, Alex
Trippier, Kieran John
Tse, Sean Ka Keung
Tutte, Andrew William
Veseli, Frederic
Vidal, Javan
Wabara, Reece
Weiss, Vladimir
Wood, James Robert Fraser
Premier League

MANCHESTER UNITED – 25 SQUAD PLAYERS
Player Home Grown

1 Van Der Sar, Edwin No
2 Almedia Da Cunha, Luis Carlos No
3 Neville, Gary Alexander Yes
4 Evra, Patrice Latyr No
5 Evans, Jonathan Grant Yes
6 Ferdinand, Rio Gavin Yes
7 Brown, Wesley Michael Yes
8 De Abreu Oliveira, Anderson Luis No
9 Berbatov, Dimitar No
10 Rooney, Wayne Mark Yes
11 Giggs, Ryan Joseph Yes
12 Park, Ji-Sung No
13 Vidic, Nemanja No
14 Carrick, Michael Yes
15 Scholes, Paul Yes
16 O’Shea, John Francis Yes
17 Fletcher, Darren Barr Yes
18 Valencia Mosquera, Luis Antonio No
19 Gibson, Darron Thomas Daniel Yes
20 Kuszczak, Tomasz No
21 De Laet, Ritchie Ria Alfons Yes
22 Hernandez Balcazar, Javier No
23 Owen, Michael James Yes
24 Hargreaves, Owen No

Manchester United – Under 21 players (Contract and Scholars)

Ajose, Nicholas
Amos, Benjamin Paul
Blackett, Tyler Nathan
Brady, Robert
Brown, Reece
Chester, James Grant
Cleverley, Thomas William
Cofie, John Erzuah
Cole, Larnell James
Coll, Joseph Aloysious
Devlin, Conor
Dias Correia, Tiago Manuel
Drinkwater, Daniel Noel
Dudgeon, Joseph Patrick
Eikrem, Magnus Wolff
Ekangamene, Charni
Evans, Corry John
Fornasier, Michele
Fryers, Ezekiel David
Gill, Oliver David
Hendrie, Luke John
Hussain, Etzaz Muzafar
Jacob, Liam David
James, Matthew
Johnstone, Samuel Luke
Keane, William David
King, Joshua Christian Kojo
Lawrence, Thomas Morris
Lingard, Jesse Ellis
Macheda, Federico
Massacci, Alberto
McCullough, Luke
McGinty, Sean Andrew
Morrison, Ravel Ryan
Norwood, Oliver James
Obertan, Gabriel Antoine
Pereira da Silva, Rafael
Pereira da Silva, Fabio
Petrucci, Davide
Pogba, Paul Labile
Smalling, Christopher
Stewart, Cameron Reece
Thorpe, Thomas Joseph
Tunnicliffe, Ryan
Vermijl, Marnick Danny
Welbeck, Daniel
Wootton, Scott James

Newcastle UNITED – 25 SQUAD PLAYERS
Player Home Grown

1 Campbell, Sulzeer Jeremiah Yes
2 Taylor, Steven Vincent Yes
3 Ameobi, Foluwashola Yes
4 Barton, Joseph Yes
5 Guthrie, Danny Sean Yes
6 Lovenkrands, Peter Rosenkrands No
7 Sanchez Diaz, Jose Enrique No
8 Smith, Alan Yes
9 Best, Leon Julian Brendan Yes
10 Coloccini, Fabricio No
11 Gutierrez, Jonas Manuel No
12 Harper, Stephen Alan Yes
13 Nolan, Kevin Anthony Jance Yes
14 Routledge, Wayne Neville Anthony Yes
15 Simpson, Daniel Peter Yes
16 Taylor, Ryan Anthony Yes
17 Williamson, Michael James Yes
18 Jiminez Tejada, Francisco No
19 Forster, Fraser Gerard Yes
20 Krul, Timothy Michael Yes
21 Perch, James Robert Yes
22 Tiote, Cheik Ismael No
23 Ben Arfa, Hatem No

Newcastle United – Under 21 players (Contract and Scholars)

Adjei, Samuel
Airey, Philip
Alnwick, Jak
Ameobi, Samuel
Carroll, Andrew Thomas
Donaldson, Ryan Mark
Dummett, Paul
Edmundsson, Joan Simun
Evans, Nathan
Ferguson, Shane Kevin
Folan, Stephen
Gosling, Daniel
Grieve, Matthew Andrias
Henderson, Liam Alexander
Henderson, Jeffrey
Hoganson, Michael George
Inman, Bradden
Ions, William
Kadar, Tamas
Knight, Dennis Peter
Lualua, Kazenga
Maddison, Marcus Harley
McDermott, Greg
McGorrigan, Ryan Anthony
McLaughlin, Patrick Joseph
Mogwo, Andy
Newton, Conor
Nicholson, Alex Jack
Nzuzi, Patrick Nime
Page, Ryan James
Ranger, Nile
Richardson, Michael
Riley, Michael Liam
Robinson, Benjamin Gary
Sayer, Ben
Smith, Jamie Paul
Soderberg, Ole Petter
Spear, Aaron Robert
Storey, Louis Alan
Tavernier, James Henry
Taylor, Daniel Scott
Toland, Lee
Tozer, Ben Peter Anthony
Vuckic, Haris
Zamblera, Fabio

STOKE CITY – 25 SQUAD PLAYERS
Player Home Grown

1 Begovic, Asmir Yes
2 Collins, Daniel No
3 Delap, Rory John Yes
4 Etherington, Matthew Yes
5 Higginbotham, Daniel John Yes
6 Huth, Robert Yes
7 Nash, Carlo James Yes
8 Pennant, Jermaine Lloyd Yes
9 Pugh, Daniel Adam Yes
10 Shawcross, Ryan James Yes
11 Shotton, Ryan Colin Yes
12 Soares, Thomas James Yes
13 Tonge, Michael William Eric Yes
14 Walters, Jonathan Ronald Yes
15 Whelan, Glenn David Yes
16 Whitehead, Dean Yes
17 Wilkinson, Andrew Gordon Yes
18 Diao, Salif No
19 Faye, Abdoulaye Diagne No
20 Fuller, Ricardo Dwayne No
21 Gudjohnsen, Eidur Smari No
22 Jones, Kenwyne Joel No
23 Sorensen, Thomas No
24 Sanli, Tuncay No
25 Wilson, Marc David* Yes

Stoke City – Under 21 players (Contract and Scholars)

Agbaje, Jordan Patrick Adetunji Adewale
Bossman, Allen
Brunt, Ryan Samuel
Clarkson, Michael Thomas
Cuvelier, Florent
Dawson, Lucas Jay
Foster, Zack
Galloway, Jordan
Gray, Travis Edwin
Hall, Andrew Stephen
Harrison, Jack
Hedley, Alexander
Jackson, Nicholas William
Koroma, Unpha
Lund, Matthew Charles
Marshall, Ben
Mitchell, Cameron Jake
Moult, Louis Elliot
Musungu, Andrew
Parton, David
Richardson, Jordan
Roberts Nurse, Connor
Sinclair, Craig
Whitehurst, Sam Ashley
Wint, Laton

SUNDERLAND – 25 SQUAD PLAYERS
Player Home Grown

1 Angeleri, Marcos No
2 Bardsley, Phillip Anthony Yes
3 Bent, Darren Ashley Yes
4 Bramble, Titus Malachi Yes
5 Campbell, Fraizer Lee Yes
6 Carson, Trevor Yes
7 Cattermole, Lee Barry Yes
8 Da Silva, Paulo No
9 Eissa, Ahmed Elmehamady Abdelfa No
10 Ferdinand, Anton Julian Yes
11 Gordon, Craig No
12 Healy MBE, David Jonathan Yes
13 Malbranque, Steed No
14 McCartney, George Yes
15 Mensah, John No
16 Mignolet, Simon No
17 Onuoha, Chinedum Yes
18 Reid, Andrew Matthew Yes
19 Richardson, Kieran Edward Yes
20 Riveros Nunez, Cristian Miguel No
21 Turner, Michael Thomas Yes
22 Weir, Robert James Yes
23 Zenden, Boudewijn No
24 Gyan, Asamoah No

Sunderland – Under 21 players (Contract and Scholars)

Adams, Blair
Armstrong, James
Bagnall, Liam
Brace, James Henry
Callaghan, Anthony
Colback, Jack Raymond
Cook, Jordan Alan
Dixon, Joel Stephen
Egan, John
Elliott, Brett
Fletcher, Matthew
Gorrin, Alejandro Rodriguez
Harrison, Andrew Ray
Henderson, Jordan Brian
Kay, Michael Joseph
King, Lewis Andrew John
Laidler, Jordan Lee
Laing, Louis Mark
Lamb, Michael John
Lavender, Jordan
Liddle, Michael William
Luscombe, Nathan John
Lynch, Craig Thomas
Madden, Daniel Richard
Marrs, Liam
Meyler, David
Mitchell, Adam John
Noble, Liam Thomas
Noble, Ryan
Oliver, Connor
Pickford, Jordan Lee
Reed, Adam Michael
Tounkara, Oumare
Waghorn, Martyn Thomas
Watson, Jordan
Welbeck, Daniel
Wilson, Nathan
Wilson, Ben

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR – 25 SQUAD PLAYERS
Player Home Grown

1 Assou-Ekotto, Benoit No
2 Bassong Nguena, Sebastian Aymar No
3 Bentley, David Michael Yes
4 Corluka, Vedran No
5 Crouch, Peter James Yes
6 Cudicini, Carlo No
7 Gomes, Heurelho Da Silva No
8 Dawson, Michael Richard Yes
9 Defoe, Jermain Colin Yes
10 Gallas, William No
11 Huddlestone, Thomas Andrew Yes
12 Hutton, Alan No
13 Jenas, Jermaine Anthony Yes
14 Kaboul, Younes No
15 Keane, Robert David Yes
16 King, Ledley Brenton Yes
17 Kranjcar, Niko No
18 Lennon, Aaron Yes
19 Modric, Luka No
20 Naughton, Kyle Yes
21 O’Hara, Jamie Darryl Yes
22 Palacios Suazo, Wilson Roberto No
23 Pavlyuchenko, Roman No
24 Pletikosa, Stipe No
25 Van Der Vaart, Rafael No

Tottenham Hotspur – Under 21 players (Contract and Scholars)

Angol, Lee Anthony
Archer, Jordan Gideon
Bale, Gareth Frank
Barthram, Jack Patrick
Bostock, John
Butcher, Callum James
Button, David Robert Edmund
Byrne, Nathan William
Carroll, Thomas James
Caulker, Steven Roy
Champion, Frederick
Cordiero, Sandro Raniere Guimaraes
Day, Daniel
Dos Santos Ramirez, Giovanni
Durojaiye, Olumide Scott
Ekong, William Paul
Francis-Angol, Zaine
Fredericks, Ryan
Hawkins, Ronnie
Jansson, Oscar
Kane, Harry
Lancaster, Cameron Paul
Lassen, Jesse Waller
Livermore, Jake Cyril
Mason, Ryan Glen
McBride, Paul
Miles, Jonathan David
MPoku Ebunge, Paul-Jose
Munns, Jack Frederick
Nicholson, Jake Charlie
Obika, Jonathan
Oyenuga, Kudus
Parrett, Dean Gary
Pritchard, Alex David
Ranieri, Mirko
Rose, Daniel Lee
Sheriff, Ramil
Smith, Adam James
Stewart, Kevin Linford
Tapping, Callum
Townsend, Andros
Walker, Kyle Andrew
Yeboah, James

WEST BROMWICH ALBION – 25 SQUAD PLAYERS
Player Home Grown

1 Barnes, Giles Gordon Yes
2 Bednar, Roman No
3 Brunt, Christopher Yes
4 Carson, Scott Paul Yes
5 Cech, Marek No
6 Cox, Simon Richard Yes
7 Dorrans, Graham No
8 Fortune, Marc-Antoine No
9 Ibanez Tebar, Pablo No
10 Jara Reyes, Gonzalo Alejandro No
11 Kiely, Dean Lawrence Yes
12 Meite, Abdoulaye No
13 Miller, Ishmael Antony Yes
14 Morrison, James Clark Yes
15 Mulumbu, Youssouf No
16 Myhill, Glyn Oliver Yes
17 Odemwingie, Peter No
18 Olsson, Jonas No
19 Reid, Steven John Yes
20 Scharner, Paul No
21 Shorey, Nicholas Yes
22 Tamas, Gabriel Sebastian No
23 Thomas, Jerome William Yes
24 Tchoyi, Somen No
25 Zuiverloon, Gianni No

West Bromwich Albion – Under 21 players (Contract and Scholars)

Allsop, Ryan
Berahino, Saido
Brown, Kayledene
Connolly, Luke
Daniels, Donervorn Joseph
Dawson, Craig
Downing, Paul
Elford-Alliyu, Lateef
Fowler, Charles Edward
Garmston, Bradley
Gayle, Cameron Gordon
Goldsmith, David
Grier, Akil Akeme Anthony
Haber, Marcus
Hingley, Mark David
Hurst, James
Lewis, Shane
Manesio, Sergio
Mannion, Ethan Ives
Mantom, Samuel Stephen
Mattock, Joseph William
Mulholland, Gerald Davies
Nabi, Adil
O’Neil, Liam Christian James
O’Sullivan, Mani
Roofe, Kemar
Sawyers, Romaine Theodore
Tebbutt, Jordan Daniel
Thorne, George Louis Elliot
Tunnicliffe, Jordan
Turton, Thomas Dale
Wellington, Niall
Wood, Christopher

WEST HAM UNITED – 25 SQUAD PLAYERS
Player Home Grown

1 Green, Robert Paul Yes
2 Gabbidon, Daniel Leon Yes
3 Spector, Jonathan Michael Paul Yes
4 Parker, Scott Matthew Yes
5 Cole, Carlton Yes
6 Dyer, Kieron Courtney Yes
7 Noble, Mark James Yes
8 Upson, Matthew James Yes
9 Barrera Acosta, Pablo Edson No
10 Behrami, Valon No
11 Ben Haim, Tal No
12 Da Costa, Manuel Trindade No
13 Faubert, Julien No
14 Hitzlsperger, Thomas No
15 Ilunga, Herita No
16 Kovac, Radoslav No
17 Mccarthy, Benedict No
18 Piquionne, Frederic No
19 Reid, Winston Wiremu No
20 Boa Morte Pereira, Luis No
21 Obinna, Victor Nsofor No
22 Jacobsen, Lars Christian No
23 Boffin, Ruud No
24 Hines, Zavon Yes
25 Collison, Jack David Yes

West Ham United – Under 21 players (Contract and Scholars)

Abdullah, Ahmed Mohamed
Brown, Jordan
Cowler, Samuel Paul
Craig, Paco
Driver, Callum
Edgar, Anthony James
Eyjolfsson, Holmar Orn
Fanimo, Matthias Olubori
Fry, Matthew
Hall, Robert
Hunt, Declan
Hurley, Lamar Aaron
Larkins, Jake
Lee, Kenzer
Lee, Oliver Robert
McNaughton, Callum James
Mehmet, Deniz Dogan
Modelski, Filip
Moncur, George
Monsergas Sanchez, Sergio
Montano Castillo, Cristian Alexis
Nouble, Frank Herman
Potts, Daniel
Powell, Jack Patrick
Purdy, Daniel
Sears, Fred
Spence, Jordan
Stanislas, Junior
Stech, Marek
Street, Adam Owen
Subuola, Daniel
Tombides, Dylan James
Tomkins, James Oliver Charles
Turgott, Blair Sebastian
Vose, Dominic Jack Spencer
Wearen, Eoin Patrick
Werndly, Jack
Wootton, David
Young, Jake
Premier League

WIGAN ATHLETIC – 25 SQUAD PLAYERS
Player Home Grown

1 Kirkland, Christopher Edmund Yes
2 Pollitt, Michael Francis Yes
3 N’zogbia, Charles Yes
4 Boyce, Emmerson Orlando Yes
5 Caldwell, Gary Yes
6 Watson, Ben Yes
7 Caldwell, Steven Yes
8 Thomas Suazo, Hendry Bernardo No
9 Stam, Ronnie Theodorous No
10 Gomez Garcia-Penche, Jordi No
11 Rodallega Martinez, Hugo No
12 Diame, Mohamed No
13 Figueroa Rochez, Maynor Alexis No
14 Gohouri, Steve No
15 De Ridder, Daniel No
16 Al-Habsi, Ali No
17 Alcaraz, Antolin No
18 McArthur, James No
19 Boselli, Mauro No

Wigan Athletic – Under 21 players (Contract and Scholars)

Astles, Ryan Stephen
Boothman, Steven Geoffrey
Breeze, Jonathan William
Buxton, Adam Mark
Chow, Timothy Alexander
Cleverley, Thomas William
Di Santo, Franco
Girvan, Michael
Golobart Benet, Roman
Holt, Joseph
Lambert, Daniel Thomas
Langley, Joshua
Lewis, Connah Lee
Lynch, Jonathon Paul
McCarthy, James
McManaman, Callum Henry
Morris, Callum Neil
Moses, Victor
Mustoe, Jordan David
Myler, Sean Francis
Nicholls, Lee Anthony
Oakes, Thomas Philip
Phillips, Jack
Redmond, Daniel Stephen
Routledge, Jonathan
Rugg, Jordan
Serrano Davila, Abian Jose
Sheego, Abubakar Ahmed
Waters, Darius Josef
Williams, Callum James
Willis, Liam

WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS – 25 SQUAD PLAYERS
Player Home Grown

1 Hahnemann, Marcus Stephan No
2 Van Damme, Jelle Francois Maria No
3 Elokobi, George Nganyuo Yes
4 Edwards, David Alexander Yes
5 Stearman, Richard James Yes
6 Craddock, Jody Darryl Yes
7 Henry, Karl Levi Daniel Yes
8 Ebanks-Blake, Sylvan Yes
9 Fletcher, Steven Kenneth No
10 Ward, Stephen Robert No
11 Hunt, Stephen Patrick Yes
12 Hennessey, Wayne Robert Yes
13 Jones, David Frank Llwyd Yes
14 Halford, Gregory Yes
15 Berra, Christophe No
16 Jarvis, Matthew Thomas Yes
17 Bent, Marcus Nathan Yes
18 Milljas, Nenad No
19 Mancienne, Michael Ian Yes
20 Mouyokolo, Steven Stefan Fabrice No
21 Zubar, Ronald No
22 Doyle, Kevin Edward No
23 Ikeme, Carl Yes
24 Foley, Kevin Patrick Yes
25 Guedioura, Adlene No

Wolverhampton Wanderers – Under 21 players (Contract and
Scholars)

Bashford, Oliver
Batth, Daniel Tanveer
Carvalho-Landell, Andre
Cotman, Aljaz
Cranston, Jordan Christopher
Davis, David Lowell
Doherty, Matthew James
Dunleavy, John Francis
East, Daniel Joseph
Ebanks-Landell, Ethan Reid
Forde, Anthony
Gorman, Rory John
Griffiths, Samuel Anthony
Harris, Louis David
Hemmings, Ashley Josiah
Ismail, Zeli
Keane, Jordan Michael
Kempton, Jake Anthony
Kostrna, Kristian
Malone, Scott Liam
McAlinden, Liam
McCarey, Aaron
McGroary, Brian
Mendez-Laing, Nathaniel
Mujangi, Bia
Parsonage, James Mitchell
Price, Jack Alexander
Reckord, Jamie
Rooney, Nathan Charles
Shepherd, Josh Liam
Spray, James Michael Kenneth Tony
Vokes, Samuel Michael
Whittall, Sam
Winnall, Sam Thomas

Mark Jepson

Instead, we were left to mull over Sunderland smashing their transfer record for a striker who is best known for skying a penalty in the 120th minute of a World Cup quarter final, Jermaine Pennant’s return from his Spanish adventure, and Harry Redknapp’s latest attempt to dispell the common perception that he’s a wheeler dealer.

The biggest news of the day came from Serie A where Robinho jetted in to complete his move from Manchester City for a reported fee of £18 million plus add ons. It was almost two years ago to the day that the Brazilian headed for Eastlands on what was arguably the most exciting deadline day to date.

Robinho, who will wear the number 70 shirt for the Rosseneri, was all smiles as he tends to be when joining a new club, and promised to give his all for the cause. “I hope to satisfy all the Milan fans, I’ll train hard to make it happen,” he said. ”I want to make them all happy.” He will join fellow new recruit Zlatan Ibrahimovic and international colleagues Ronaldinho and Alexander Pato to form, potentially, one of the most exciting forward lines in the world. The deal was only able to take place however once Marco Borriello had left for Roma in a deal worth £1.6 million for a season-long loan with a view to a £13 million permanent move next summer.

Back on UK soil, Spurs have yet to complete the signing of Real Madrid’s Rafael Van der Vaart at the time of writing, and they may not at all with reports that the necessary paperwork was not submitted in time. One deal that did go through at White Hart Lane was the loan signing of Croation goalkeeper Stipe Petiklosa who will act as cover for Heurelho Gomes.

Sunderland smashed their transfer record to swoop for Ghanaian international Asamoah Gyan for a fee believed to be in the region of £13 million. The 24 year old has signed a four year deal at the Stadium of Light and replaces Kenwyne Jones who joined Stoke City in the summer.

Speaking of Stoke, they were quite busy themselves, picking up Marc Wilson from Portsmouth, Eidur Gudjohnsen from Monaco, and Jermaine Pennant from Real Zaragoza. The latter two are loan deals, while striker Dave Kitson and midfielder Liam Lawrence left for Pompey as part of the Wilson deal.

Birmingham City look to have been the real winners from yesterday, picking up three solid signings in the shape of former Arsenal man Alexander Hleb on loan from Barcelona, Chilean international midfielder Jean Beausejour, and defender Martin Jiranek from Spartak Moscow.

It was a case of one in, one out for Liverpool in terms of left backs as Paul Konchesky completed his move from Fulham and Emiliano Insua headed for Galatasary on loan until the end of the season. Wigan snapped up Franco Di Santo from Chelsea on a three year deal and highly rated Manchester United winger Tom Cleverley on loan, while DJ Campbell has joined Blackpool.

Three players leaving England temporarily are Everton’s Joseph Yobo, Manchester City’s Felipe Caicedo and Arsenal’s Armand Traore who have joined Fenerbahce, Levante and Juventus respectively.

Other notable deals on the continent included Mikael Silvestre joining Werder Bremen, Jose Manuel Jurado swapping Atletico Madrid for Schalke where he will be a team mate of Klass-Jan Huntelaar, and 2006 World Cup winner Mauro Camoranesi leaving Juventus to sign a one year deal with Stuttgart.

Fax machines around Europe struggled under the weight of expection as the clock ticked over to the closure of the window, and my 17 hour stint of transfer action finally came to a close.

Was it worth it? Definitely not. Will I do it again come January? Absolutely.

The opening weekend of La Liga was all about Real Madrid but while Jose Mourinho’s men limped to a 0-0 draw with Mallorca, city rivals Atletico cruised to a resounding 4-0 over Sporting Gijon on Monday night.

Atletico caused a surprise in their first big hitout of the season by defeating Inter Milan in the European Super Cup on Friday thanks to goals from Jose Antonio Reyes and Sergio ‘Kun’ Aguero and followed it up with a masterful display in front of a packed Vincente Calderon.

World Cup Golden Ball winner Diego Forlan picked up where he left off in South Africa, netting twice either side of strikes by Jose Manuel Jurado and veteran Simao Sabrosa.

Before the game, head coach Quique Sánchez Flores urged his side not to be complacent after their win over Inter but he need not have worried as his side hit the front with just eleven minutes gone when Jurado fired home from Raul Garcia’s pull back.

Gijon pressed for an equaliser but were denied by the excellent David De Gea in the Atletico goal, and they were undone again when Forlan struck from inside the area.

The Uruguayan bagged his second and Atletico’s third to put the game beyond doubt, and there was still time for substitute Simao to fire home a superb fourth in the final minute.

While Real yet again hogged the limelight in Spain with their seemingly endless summer spending, Atletico looked at building on the solid foundations laid during the second half of the 2009/10 season.

They went about their off season business quietly, keeping hold of stars  Forlan and Aguero while adding Fran Merida of Arsenal to their ranks and renewing Tigao Mendes’ loan deal from Juventus.

An horrifc start to the 2009/10 season saw left them languishing in 17th place after twelve rounds, but they recovered well to finish in 9th and picked up a first European trophy in 48 years.

Flores has many exciting options at his disposal and, on this evidence, Atletico will no doubt be looking to push for a finish in the Champions League qualification spots come May.

Tomas Rosicky – Arsenal

For Arsenal to mount a serious title challenge they need all their big guns firing and in Tomas Rosicky they have a potent weapon. A spate of injuries over the last couple of seasons has resulted in him just playing a peripheral role at Arsenal, however the limited time that has been on the pitch he has shown flashes of brilliance that has left the Arsenal fans wanting more. In terms of pure skill, creativity and vision there are a few who can match him on the football field, ask anyone in Germany where Rosicky rose to prominence at Dortmund playing in the hole behind Jan Koller and decimating opponents in a title winning year. The competition for places is high at Arsenal and with the constant threat of injuries hanging on a young squad, Rosicky needs to step up and provide the creative force in the absence of Nasri or Fabregas. This year is pivotal for Arsenal and for Tomas Rosicky.

Michael Carrick – Manchester United

Michael Carrick joined Manchester United amidst big fanfare inheriting the No. 16 jersey of the club legend Roy Keane; those were big shoes to fill and in all fairness Carrick has failed to live up to those expectations. Falling further down in the pecking order, the situation is looking grim for the ex West ham and Tottenham Star. With Paul Scholes in vintage form and Owen Hargreaves returning back to fitness, Carrick’s position in the centre of midfield is under pressure from the likes of Fletcher, Anderson and Co. It is rumoured that even Darren Gibson is expected to play a bigger role than Carrick this year at United. Coming off the back of a poor season, Michael Carrick needs to find his mojo this year and ensure that the kind of form he showed at Tottenham is quickly replicated. Carrick needs United and a poor season this term might just persuade Ferguson to get dip in the transfer market for a replacement.

Joey Barton – Newcastle United

Love him or hate him, you cannot ignore Joey Barton. Behind all the shenanigans, controversies and disciplinary issues, Barton is a real quality player. To be fair, Joey Barton has showed tremendous restraint and determination over the last year to get his career back on track. Newcastle have a tough year ahead of them and in Joey Barton they have a player who could resurrect their stature as a top flight club. Purists argue that Barton can have the similar impact as the club legend Gary Speed did, the jury is out on that one but surely there is no doubting his ability. The time is right for Joey Barton to step up and a couple of years of under-achievement has hardly helped his cause. An inspired year and he could certainly be the answer to England’s prayers in the centre of the Three Lion’s midfield.

Garth Bale – Tottenham Hotspur

For a player whose first 24 starts for his club ended in defeats, Bale has been playing like a man possessed. The modest left back at Southampton has turned into a fine left winger under the tutelage of Harry Redknapp and if the last season is anything to go by, Tottenham have a potential mega star in the making. Lucky to get into the side after Assou-Ekotto got sidelined due to injury, Bale has not looked back since. Bale has started the season in the same vein as he ended the last and with upto six teams competing for the continental positions for next year, it is extremely imperative for both him and Tottenham that he maintains this rich vein of form.

Joe Cole – Liverpool

The expectations are high at Anfield amidst turbulent times. Joe Cole’s arrival is being touted as the much needed Spark that is going to reignite their title challenge after the aberration that was last year. Some of his new teammates already consider the signing to be a success partly because it came without a transfer fee and partly due to the fact that it helped Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres from moving wanting a move away. Joe Cole has consistently been touted as probably the most skilled British talent to come out in the last decade or so. Product of the famed West Ham youth academy, Cole has always caught the eye with his remarkable brilliance whenever he has played for club and country. A move to Chelsea might have done him more harm than good as he had always been played out of his preferred position by Mourinho and his subsequent successors. But with Liverpool all that is expected to change, as Roy Hodgson might just give him the position from where he can orchestrate the Liverpool midfield. Coming off an inconsistent season last year and a shambolic World Cup, Joe Cole needs a big season to reignite the pride and passion at Anfield and his international chances.

Central Coast debutant Patricio Perez was the hero for his new club, coming off the bench to earn and score a penalty which earned his side a point against Sydney FC in a 1-1 draw. Hosts Sydney had taken the lead shortly after half time when 18 year old Mariners keeper Matthew Ryan fumbled Sung-Hwan Byun’s cross and Rhyan Grant was on hand to score. Perez’s equaliser was a huge talking point with Sydney keeper Liam Reddy seeing red for the challenge that resulted in the awarding of the spot kick. Perez later had a header incorrectly ruled out for offside, though defeat would have been harsh on Sydney.

A controversial injury time penalty converted by Robbie Fowler gave Perth Glory a share of the spoils in their clash with Melbourne Heart at AAMI Park. There looked to be little contact between Glory substitute Michael Baird and Heart defender Kliment Taseski in the area as the game headed into injury time but referee Kurt Ams pointed to the spot and Fowler sent Clint Bolton the wrong way from twelve yards. Melbourne twice led in the game through Gerald Sibon and Nick Kalmar but are still left searching for their first A-League win. Glory meanwhile stay joint top of the ladder.

Melbourne Victory claimed an excellent 1-0 win over Gold Coast United thanks to a strike from returning striker Robbie Kruse. He linked up well with last season’s Player of the Year Carlos Hernandez in the 20th minute to give Victory a much needed boost after an indifferent start to the season. United will be disappointed with their efforts and are winless from their three games so far.

Brisbane Roar join Perth and Adelaide as the three remaining unbeaten sides thank to a single goal win over Wellington Phoenix. Kosta Barbarouses was the hero at Suncorp Stadium, scoring against his former club. Both sides squandered chances before Barbarouses fired home in the 73rd minute.

Round 5 -

Friday, 3 September 2010

Central Coast Mariners v Melbourne Victory

Saturday, 4 September 2010

Melbourne Heart v North Queensland Fury

Sydney FC v Adelaide United

Sunday, 5 September 2010

Newcastle Jets v Brisbane Roar

Perth Glory v Wellington Phoenix

Gold Coast United BYE

Hold the Back Page episode five is upon us, and we hope you’re smiling more than the Greater Manchester Police were when they saw the Champions League draw this week!

Your regular host Ciarán Ó Raghallaigh of the Irish Sunday Mirror is joined in the studio by Neil Ahern for the usual informed chit chat, which this week deals with the EPL’s big clubs bullying in the opening two weeks, as well as a look at that other top heavy league, La Liga, which kicks off this weekend.

Paddy Power’s Chris McWilliams joins in on the fun with some tips and a look ahead to the league races in Spain and Italy.

Then, there’s a special guest slot, with Bohemians skipper Owen Heary giving a wide ranging interview on the state of domestic soccer in Ireland. The former Shels man shares his thoughts on the current Airtricity League as well as revisiting his career highlight with Shelbourne.
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