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West Ham midfielder Scott Parker insists his footballer of the year award will lose some of its lustre should the club be relegated this season.It was revealed on Friday that Parker, 30, was this season’s recipient of the Football Writers’ player of the year award, and he will receive the honour at a gala dinner at the Lancaster London Hotel on May 12.

But with West Ham sitting second from the bottom in the English Premier League, two points short of safety with five games to play, Parker said the award will count for little should his side drop to the Championship.

When asked if relegation would tarnish the award, Parker replied: “Yes, I suppose it will.”

“I stated recently the main focus this year is staying in the Premier League with West Ham, and, if we don’t do it after all the personal accolades, it will be very, very disappointing.”

“We have got a very good squad, some very good players, but for one reason or another we haven’t picked up the points we need.”

“If I could put my finger on it I’d be doing everything I can – whether it’s players underperforming, whatever. We need to try and pick up some results.”

Nevertheless, Parker said he was delighted to be recognised for his efforts this season, as he became the first West Ham player since Bobby Moore in 1964 to claim the prize.

“I’m absolutely delighted, it’s fantastic to get the award. When I got the phone call to say I’d won it I was speechless really,” he said.

“I feel like I have been playing some good stuff so I’m just glad that people appreciate what I’ve been doing.”

“I’m probably playing the best football of my career (because of) experience. I’ve stayed away from injuries, and I’m playing in the team regularly. You get a bit older, you learn a lot more. Things become a little more easier for you.”

Birmingham City's Ben Foster has set his sights on becoming England new number one goalkeeper.

Foster has made an impressive start to life at St Andrew's following a £4million summer switch from Manchester United.

The 27-year-old left Old Trafford in search of regular first-team football with the goal of becoming England number one on his mind.

The keeper earned the Blues a 2-1 Premier League victory over Blackburn Rovers on Saturday following a penalty save from Morten Gamst Pedersen.

Foster, who has been capped four times, will compete for the international starting jersey with Manchester City's Joe Hart ahead of next month's European Championship qualifying double-header with Bulgaria and Switzerland.

"When I'm with England I want to be playing, it's as simple as that really," he declared.

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"I want to be playing no matter who I'm with and England's no different."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

According to various sources, Liverpool’s Director of Football Damien Comolli has been keeping tabs on German International Lukas Podolski who is viewed by many as an adept replacement for Luis Suarez whilst he plays out an 8-game ban.

This transfer rumour essentially assumes two things: Suarez’s appeal will fail and Kenny Dalglish has no faith in his misfiring striker Andy Carroll . There’s no doubt that Podolski is a talented forward and a natural goal-scorer, but it’s worth considering whether this would be a good move for Liverpool.

Firstly, we should note that Carroll’s Liverpool career hasn’t been a great success. His impact has been negligible and he has struggled for both confidence and goals. Of course, there’s every chance that he’ll leap on the opportunity created by Suarez’s absence, recover his form and start banging in goals, but on present evidence Liverpool fans won’t be full of confidence.

Then there’s Dirk Kuyt and Craig Bellamy who have impressed sporadically this season, but are perhaps more effective when they’re played out on the wings. One thing Liverpool are desperately lacking at the moment is goals. I wouldn’t be surprised, therefore, if Dalglish felt the need to bring in some forward reinforcement this January.

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In contrast to Liverpool’s strikeforce, Lukas Podolski has enjoyed a fabulous couple of years in the Bundesliga. This season in particular has seen him grab an impressive (and Robin Van Persie-esque) 14 goals in 15 games for Cologne. It’s thought that the Polish born German International would be willing to make a move to the Premier League as despite his efforts his side are currently languishing in 10th place in the German League.

If Liverpool’s interest is genuine, they may well find themselves in competition with Arsenal, who are also desperate to bring in a world class striker.

But will Liverpool be willing to match FC Koln ’s £16.6m evaluation of their player? Liverpool’s owners have already dished out £100m on new signings and arrived at the club with a promise to cut out ‘wasteful spending’. Will they be willing to spend big money on a player who may not be necessary once Luis Suarez returns from his 8-game ban?

Even with his quality, it’s worth considering that Liverpool spent £35m on Andy Carroll only a year ago. Shouldn’t they be trying to get the most of their faltering star? During his time at Newcastle he proved he can get goals and if the club could help him recover his form they wouldn’t have to look to the transfer market and another big money signing.

At the very most Liverpool should look to secure a striker in a loan deal, so that the players they already have don’t get squeezed out over the course of the season. But for now, it doesn’t seem necessary to me that the club pursues Lukas Podolski.

But what’s your take? Would Podolski be a good signing for Liverpool?

Article courtesy of Harry Cloke from This is Futbol

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Following the January signings of Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez, Kenny Dalglish’s replacement of Roy Hodgson as interim manager and Liverpool’s superb recovery to sixth in the Premiership, it has been an eventful few months for new owners the Fenway Sports Group. Whilst previous owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett enjoyed a turbulent relationship with Liverpool fans, the Kop have been far more welcoming to John W Henry. However, having initially appointed ex-Tottenham Damien Comolli as Director of Football Strategy, he recently promoted him to Director of Football outright. And what a risk this could be to Henry’s relationship with the fans given the much-maligned nature of the role.

Several English clubs have adopted a more European approach to their management structures in recent years with the current vogue of appointing Directors of Football to handle certain aspects of scouting, recruitment, and non-team management. The role of the traditional football manager has therefore changed to accommodate these Directors. Instead of handling all transfer dealings, certain managers now find themselves free to focus more on first team management, training and selection. With their extensive network of scouting contacts and deep knowledge of both domestic and foreign leagues, certain Directors have been credited for bringing current stars to our attention. For example, it was Comolli that was credited in large part to the signings of Gareth Bale, Aaron Lennon and Tom Huddlestone at Tottenham. Similarly, Comollli’s predecessor at Spurs, Frank Arnesen, was credited with bringing John Obi Mikel and Salomon Kalou to Chelsea before his departure in February.

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However, for every successful Director there is a Dennis Wise. His ill-fated tenure at Newcastle ultimately contributed to the departure of fan’s favourite Kevin Keegan as manager. Having initially voiced concerns about the management structure of the club following the appointment of Wise, his fears were substantiated when James Milner was sold to Aston Villa against his will. And, the players Wise did sign, such as Spanish striker Xisco, were not only not wanted by Keegan but ultimately failed to live up to their billing.

Comolli also had his run-ins with previous Tottenham manager Martin Jol, whilst Jose Mourinho was regularly disgruntled by owner Roman Abramovich’s senior appointments. The Portuguese manager disagreed with the interference of both Arnesen and Avram Grant and was presented with players such as Andriy Shevchenko and Michael Ballack who he didn’t want but was pressured into fielding.

Admittedly much of the work done by Directors of Football in scouting players is extremely beneficial and does ease much of the workload on today’s managers. But, it should always be remembered that it is the manager that runs the first team and directs selection policy. Therefore, surely it should be the manager who has the final say on transfer dealings?

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One should hope current Liverpool manager Dalglish understands the remit of Director of Football having fulfilled a similar role at Blackburn Rovers and Celtic and is able to work with Comolli to his advantage. But in future club owners should be careful to appoint Directors and outline their exact responsibilities else risk undermining both future managers and fans as with the cases of both Keegan and Mourinho, it was the managers that fans sided with.

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The agent of Internazionale striker Mario Balotelli has angrily denied newspaper reports suggesting that his client's move to Manchester City has hit the rocks due to the player's personal demands.

The 19-year-old was reported to be asking for around £180,000-a-week to join the Citizens, a figure which is disputed by agent Mino Raiola.

He told Sky Sport 24:"It's not true what was written in the British tabloids. I would be preoccupied for the next five years of my life if I respond to such things in the tabloids.

"Mario has never asked for anything because he's a guy who isn't only interested in money.

"We have no problems with City nor Inter. We have made an important step forward, but at the table all three parties must be happy."

Meanwhile, Wolfsburg director Frank Aehlig has revealed that City are the only club to have made a formal offer for striker Edi Dzeko, who continues to be linked with Juventus.

Aehlig told Itasportpress.it:"There have been many things said and written for the past few months about Dzeko.

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"Neither Juventus nor any other Italian club have ever made an official offer for the player. Only Manchester City have come forward with a concrete offer.

"Dzeko will remain with us because the season is about to begin and will not be going anywhere."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

After their somewhat lacking start to the season and the simply awful game at Old Trafford, people were questioning both Arsenal and Arsene Wenger, asking if it was time for the Frenchman to move on, and just how much could they actually accomplish this season – in short, times were not happy at the Emirates, and even certain sectors of the fans were voicing dissenting opinions.

Any realistic person would have known that following the departures of Cesc Fabregas, Nasri and Clichy, Arsenal would have struggled initially, having to come to terms with the loss of three very influential players – none more so than skipper Fabregas, who was the creative heart of their side, yet the patience vastly evaporated from supporters, with all kinds of negativity both in the media and stands, and following the humiliation against United, Wenger entered the transfer market in what was perceived as a flurry of panic – something the carefully spending manager had never done before.

In came Arteta, Mertersacker, Santos and Benayoun, and Wenger came out with the usual spiel of how the season was not over, and Arsenal still had plenty to offer. As it turns out, this seems to be the case, with Arsenal going strong in Europe and also making a comeback in the Premier League, with a top four spot looking more than a feasible achievement – especially when you look at the form of Chelsea and wonder if Newcastle can really last the whole season in the top four.

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Now, of course, the dissenting voices have faded away, yet did they really have anything to complain about at all?

Only Arteta out of the new signings has made any kind of significant impact, with Mertersacker in particular struggling with the nature of the Premier League, and whilst both Santos and Mertersacker look like players with potential, only the former Everton midfielder has had an immediate effect, so really did Arsenal have it in them all along?

The simple answer to this question is obviously yes – all teams go through bad patches, and it was unfortunate that Arsenal’s came at the start of the season – but there is plenty of time for their season to be turned around, and they are well on the way to doing that.

It is the all too familiar story of fans and media jumping on the negative bandwagon after a couple of bad results – Chelsea are the latest club to go through this, and after a couple of poor results – should they get them – City will also have to deal with this. It is very easy to forget that the season is 38 games, not 3, and a great start does not mean trophies, nor does a few defeats signify doom. Arsenal fans are realising this, prehaps they should pass it across London to Chelsea fans!

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Arsene Wenger has confirmed that former goalkeeper Jens Lehmann will come out of retirement to sign with Arsenal for the rest of the season.The 41-year-old German joins as a free agent after retiring in 2010 following two seasons with Bundesliga club Stuttgart.Lehmann made 199 appearances for Arsenal between 2003 and 2008, winning the Premier League title in 2004 and the FA Cup in 2005.The move comes after injuries sidelined regular goalkeepers Wojciech Szczesny, Lukasz Fabianski, meaning Lehmann will be used as back-up for first-choice Manuel Almunia.Italian youngster Vito Mannone is out on loan at Hull City and also injured. “He will sign for us for the rest of the season because we have Wojciech out for six weeks, we have Manuel out for six weeks and we have Fabianski out for the rest of the season,” Wenger said.”So, we have no cover of any experience at all in the Premier League and that is why I decided to get Jens back to cover up Almunia and, of course, to give us some experience.”During his previous spell at the club, relations between Lehmann and Spaniard Manuel Almunia were reported to be tense. And Wenger revealed that Almunia was not consulted before the decision was made to bring Lehmann back.”No. You make your decision,” he said.”Much more has been said that what basically happened, like many times.””There is a lot of respect between the two goalkeepers and I personally think that Jens Lehmann will get the best out of Almunia because he will be showing every day that he is ready to fight for his place as he has always been doing and Almunia will be motivated by that.”Wenger confirmed that the former Germany international will be on the bench for the Premier League game at West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has dropped a major hint that he will end his managerial career with the Gunners.

The 61-year-old Frenchman has only another 12 months left on his current contract, but says that extending his reign at the Emirates Stadium is the most likely scenario.

He told The Observer:"I am at a stage where if I extend my contract it means I will finish my career at club level at Arsenal.

"If I go for a different challenge – I have been offered many challenges you know – it has to be now.

"That's a decision I have to make. But basically I have no desire to change from here. I have one more year and we are maybe thinking about extending it.

"I cannot see that my enthusiasm will drop, but I am not necessarily the same resistance physically as Alex Ferguson.

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"At 65 I will certainly move to some different job, unless I still feel like I feel today."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

Chelsea manager Andre Villas Boas has denied charges of improper conduct handed down by the FA in relation to comments made after defeat to QPR a fortnight ago.

The Portuguese coach was incensed by referee Chris Foy during the 1-0 defeat, as the official sent off both Jose Bosingwa and Didier Drogba, and awarded the home side a penalty.

“The ref was poor, very very poor. And it reflected in the result. I spoke to him at the end and I was very aggressive to him. I don’t care if he’s OK or not,” Villas Boas said as part of his post-match interview at the time.

The FA investigated the ex-Porto trainer’s comments, and deemed them to be fitting of improper conduct, with the charges handed down earlier this week.

However, the Stamford Bridge club have rebuffed the charges, with Villas Boas making a retort to the governing body.

“With regards to the FA charge against Andre Villas-Boas for remarks he made after the QPR game, the manager is denying the charge against him and has submitted his response to the Football Association,” a statement from Chelsea reads.

The game was shrouded in controversy, as John Terry was accused of making racist comments aimed at Anton Ferdinand in the same fixture.

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By Gareth McKnight

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The new season of the Chinese Super League kicked off in uncertain fashion on Friday – without a major sponsor.Tyre manufacturer Pirelli ditched its contract with the league and national broadcaster China Central Television is refusing to show the matches.

The league has been hit by a series of scandals in recent years.

Several senior officials from the Chinese Football Association have been arrested over match-fixing allegations.

Top referees have been sacked for taking bribes and even players have been tainted by claims of corruption.

The national team has not helped either – years of poor results have seen China drop to 76 in the FIFA rankings.

Highlights of the opening round included home wins for Hangzhou Lucheng and Tianjin Teda.

Defender Marko Zoric scored the only goal in the 34th minute as Teda beat Shenzhen Ruby 1-0.

Hangzhou Lucheng scored a goal in each half in their 2-0 win over Nanchang Bayi.

Uruguayan midfielder Paulo Pezzolano opened the scored in the 12th minute and veteran Honduras midfielder Ramirez made it 2-0 in the 58th minute.

Han Pen gave Shandon Luneng a first minute lead in the 3-3 draw with Chengdu Blades.

Australian midfielder Brendon Santalab equalised in the 11th minute but Wang Yongpo restored Luneng’s lead with a goal on the half-time whistle.

Santalab struck again in the 65th minute but Brazilian striker Obina made it 3-2 to Luneng three minutes later.

Blades ensured a share of the spoils when Australian Adam Kwasnik equalised 11 minutes from time.

Shanghai Shenhua and Qingdao Jonoon also shared the points in a 3-3 draw.

Argentine striker Luis Salmeron scored twice for Shenhua, in the sixth and 48th minutes with Brazilian striker Eber responding for the visitors in the 38th minute.

Leo San made it 2-2 in the 67th minute before Colombia’s Duvier Riascos restored the home side’s lead in the 70th minute.

Zou Zheng earned Jonoon a point with a goal in the last minute.