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Since Matt Jarvis got his England call-up, it’s left many of us praising the work of Mick McCarthy and his backroom staff. The manager has consistently picked up practically unknown players for minimal fees and turned them into solid, proven Premiership players.

Let’s look at Jarvis himself for instance. He signed for a mere £600k from Gillingham in 2007, and in just four seasons he has become one of the most feared wingers in the Premier League. As a 20-year old he always had pace and the raw ability, but his game has improved drastically on the whole and he is now a complete winger. His fantastic form this season has led him to being constantly linked with the likes of Liverpool, and a summer move is perhaps on the cards. Signed for: £600k – Potential value: £8m-£10m.

Despite George Elokobi coming under criticism from many, he has undoubtedly improved massively over the past couple of seasons. He initially signed from Colchester for just £200k in January 2008 and became an instant hit. The 25-year old bounced back from a cruciate ligament injury and has made over 50 appearances for Wolves since they got promoted two seasons ago. His recent form this season meant he earned his first International cap for Cameroon last week. Signed for: £200k – Potential value: £2m-£3.5m.

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Karl Henry has captained our side on and off for four seasons and has proven to be an inspiration in the engine room at the heart of our midfield. He certainly has his critics, but the majority can see the work and effort he puts in to keep this Wolves side ticking. After signing with Wolves back in 2006, he has made over 150 appearances for the club. He has proven to be a typical Mick McCarthy signing; he wears his heart on his sleeve and never gives up. Signed for: £100k – Potential value – £3m-£4m.

As aforementioned, it’s not just the manager’s shrewd signings that need to be praised. It’s also the work of his backroom staff. The Wolves Academy has produced some fine players in the past through passion and commitment, and there are many out there within the first-team squad who have worked hard to earn their place at the top.

Wayne Hennessey has really found his feet within the top flight this season. Despite originally being second to Marcus Hahnemann earlier in the season, he kept knocking on the door and eventually got given the chance – and he’s never looked back. Hennessey was a firm fixture in the Wolves side during their promotion campaign and now has his feet firmly in between the sticks as we head into the final stretch of our relegation battle. He is first choice goalkeeper for Wales, and has recently been linked with a summer move to Manchester City. Signed for: N/A – Potential value: £4m-£6m.

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There are several other players that could be mentioned on this subject matter, including the likes of Michael Kightly, Adlene Guedioura & Adam Hammill, but I’ve left them out as they haven’t yet been given the time to prove how much they are truly worth at the top level. However, the early signs are considerably promising, and there are no doubts amongst the Wolves faithful that these players will deliver beyond expectations under our current management team.

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Getafe president Angel Torres has confirmed the sale of the La Liga club to the Royal Emirates Group for a fee of up to 90 million euros.The Dubai-based Royal Emirates Group announced they had completed the takeover last Thursday, before Torres reportedly said the next day that a deal had not been finalised.

After four days of limbo, Torres has now confirmed that the sale will go through, bringing with it a much-needed increase in the club’s budget to approximately 65 million euros.

Getafe finished sixth in La Liga last season, but are down in 14th this time around, just two points clear of the relegation zone with five matches remaining.

“We trust in the people that come so the club can keep growing,” Torres said, referring to the new owners.

“I’m a winner. I’m not content to be in 14th place or suffering like we have this year. I want to be among the top six and in European positions.”

“Neither me or my partners have money or help from the Spanish banks to build a project, or a budget to make that a reality.”

The takeover deal attracted controversy after it emerged that the club was to be rebranded ‘Getafe Team Dubai’ in a publicity stunt from the new ownership.

But the Royal Emirates Group have since confirmed the original name and crest will not change, while the present staff of the organisation will be retained.

Getafe mayor Pedro Castro insisted that he would not allow Getafe use of the public Coliseum Alfonso Perez Stadium if the name change went ahead.

“If I’m here it is to guarantee the social policies – no matter who owns the club,” Castro said.

“If it is not like this, these are municipal facilities and are not going to be used for any other things than these social policies.”

“I say it clearly – they are municipal, 100 per cent of the council, and it is the council who decides how they are used and if these social policies that Getafe have been maintaining are fulfilled.”

It’s coming up to a year since United signed an unknown quantity from Mexico. Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez signed from Guadalajara for an undisclosed fee believed to be just £6 million.

I’ll be honest, when news filtered through that Fergie had snapped an unproved, unheard of, untested striker I was thinking more Manucho – less Solskjaer, another Bellion or Diouf.

He’s surpassed all my expectations, but I’m not alone. It seems Fergie feels the same.

“I really didn’t expect Hernandez to have this impact,” said Ferguson.

“As we said to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, we thought his first season would be about integration.

“Solskjaer played in a few reserves games and scored a hat-trick against Leeds. After that (coach) Jim Ryan came to me and said he is a first team player. We made him a sub the following week against Blackburn and he scored.

“The only advantage for Hernandez was that he’d played in the World Cup so there was a profile attached to him and he had also come from a much tougher domestic competition.

“Hernandez is fantastic at taking up positions inside the penalty box.

“It is natural. He has the instinct to move around and his timing is terrific..

“There have only been a few top strikers who have had that quality.”

Same with Wayne Rooney. What no-one – least of all Rooney – appreciated at that stage was precisely what value Javier Hernandez was about to bring to the club. On 20 October, he had started only four games and scored twice in competitive games. Against Schalke, the partnership with Rooney looked more irresistible than ever.

Discussing their rapid blend – and his own new role as an old-fashioned No10 operating behind the Mexican – in detail for the first time, Rooney said it was not something he had discussed with Ferguson in advance. “I obviously saw and understood Chicharito and the way he plays and I knew if I was playing up front with him I would have to change and maybe play a bit deeper and try and link the play a bit,”

Rooney said. “It has worked for us. He’s been a fantastic signing and has scored a lot of goals – important goals as well – and I’m enjoying getting on the ball and linking play and getting a few goals.

“Sometimes when you play up front on your own you’re not really in the game as much, you’re sort of waiting for your opportunity to score.”

“When you play in the position, you’re always involved. You can get on the ball and create and score goals. As a footballer you enjoy that.”

Though this United squad have been characterised as an inferior one to those who reached the 2008 and 2009 finals, Rooney believes they are superior in certain areas. “We are controlling games a lot better than we probably were in the lead up to those two [Champions League] finals,” he said. “Then we were about counter-attacking and a lot of pace and now I think we are controlling games a lot more and having a lot more possession.

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The most remarkable thing about Hernandez is not just that he scores goals, but that he scores vital goals.

He has netted seven late winners for United during the campaign, including one against Everton last weekend. But is he the best Premier League signing of the season? RFFH says: YES!

The youngster’s exuberant personality is just one of his many attirbutes that has helped him take the English game by storm and settle in so fast at United.

What’s even better about Chicha is his behaviour off the pitch. Without fail after every home game he’s over to the fans and signs every single autograph asked of him. He’s always got a smile on his face, has an infectious positive attitude and according to the boss is last off the training pitch at Carrington.

Ferguson, and every other manager, take risks signing players from foreign countries and how they will adapt to the pressures and style of play of the Premier League.

Chicharito has come from a very physical league, but, in all honesty, the Primera División de México is not on the same level that is played in Europe or England. Hernandez’s work rate and natural goal scoring ability has enabled him to overcome any of the potential set backs.

Snubbed from winning the PFA Young Player of the Year in favor of Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere, Chicharito has submerged himself in the hearts of the United supporters with timely goals, but also becuase of his unwavering passion to play for the world’s biggest club.

From day one, the very humble Mexican is respectful and cherishes every moment he is able to pull on the famous Red shirt. Today that kind of loyalty is unheard of and Chicharito should be seen as a role model for his playing ability, but also his gentleman mentality off of it.

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Although he was getting a lot of stick for his early goal celebrations for kissing the crest on his shirt, but those actions were heartfelt, and done out of sheer respect for being given an opportunity to fulfill a dream of playing for a club like Manchester United.

Many players today do not fully appreciate, or utilise, their God-given talents to play the sport most people would play for free – but Hernandez does just that.

As Ferguson has found out many times before, natural finishers are hard to find, but Hernandez possesses that and the ability to make smart runs inside the area – which makes him even more of a rare jewel.

The way that he works space for himself in such close corridors is fascinating to watch, and exactly why Ferguson is starting him over more experienced professionals like Dimitar Berbatov and Michael Owen. Hernandez gives real meaning to “fox-in-the-box,” and creates a lot of his goals by outwitting accomplished defenders.

Against Everton, Chicharito faced two very experienced defenders in Phil Jagielka and Sylvan Distin, but he showed composure and calmness thinking of different ways that he could break them down. He used timing, quickness and surreal athletic ability.

Most youngsters can become easily frustrated when they are being hounded by defenders or denied by a string fine saves made by a goalkeeper, but not him. His style of if at first you don’t succeed is typical of a United forward.

That goal, as well as the 11 others he has scored this season, could very well make him a champion in the Barclays Premier League in the first time of asking at Manchester United, and Javier Hernandez has proven that he is worthy of such a lofty title.

Read more of Saad Noor’s articles at Red Flag Flying High

An injury-time equaliser from Mehdi Ballouchy salvaged a point for New York Red Bulls in a 2-2 draw with the Houston Dynamo in the MLS on Saturday.Jamaican Dane Richards scored in the first minute for New York but the lead did not last long as Brad Davis responded from the penalty spot inside the first 15 minutes.

Houston had not won in the last three matches but continued to press Hans Backe’s side, who were also similarly out of form.

And it was a change from Backe’s opposite number, Dynamo boss Dominic Kinnear, that changed the complexion of the match when Spanish attacker Koke was brought on from the bench with 15 minutes to play.

It took Koke just seven minutes to find the back of the net and as the match headed into injury-time it seemed that there was to be only one winner, until Moroccan midfielder Ballouchy made his late, dramatic intervention.

In other matches, three goals in 11 second-half minutes decided the outcome of the Philadelphia Union’s 2-1 home win over the Chicago Fire.

Defender Sheanon Williams’ 64th-minute opener for the hosts was quickly cancelled out by Ghanaian Dominic Oduro as proceedings were levelled.

But Guatemalan Carlos Ruiz had the final say as he scored with 15 minutes remaining in a win that lifts Philadelphia above New York in the Eastern Conference.

Chris Barrett’s 26th-minute goal gave the LA Galaxy, who top the Western Conference, a 1-0 away win at Chivas USA while defender Jeff Parke’s strike in the third minute of injury-time gave the Seattle Sounders a 1-0 win over Sporting Kansas City.

Goals in the last 20 minutes from Ellis McLoughlin and Bobby Convey gave the San Jose Earthquakes a 2-1 win over the New England Revolution although they had to survive a late scare, while the Portland Timbers recorded a 1-0 win over Columbus Crew thanks to a goal from Eric Brunner.

Sir Alex Ferguson has worn Manchester United’s Champions League defeat to Barcelona well, saying there is no shame in losing to the best.United played hosts of sorts to the final of Europe’s premier club competition on Saturday but were thoroughly outclassed at Wembley, losing 3-1 as Barcelona underlined their credentials as the best team in the world.

Pedro opened the scoring for Barca in the 27th minute, and though Wayne Rooney pulled one back for the English champions before the first half was out United were like mere playthings for Barca.

Lionel Messi, arguably the best player in the world and a deserved man of the match, produced a scintillating finish to restore Barca’s lead in the 54th minute, and David Villa added another 16 minutes later as the Spanish giants clinched their third Champions League title in six years.

Ferguson paid the Spanish champions the ultimate compliment after the match, declaring Barcelona the best team he has faced in his long and storied career.

”We were beaten, there is no other way to address the situation, by the best team,” the 69-year-old told ITV1.

”I expected us to do better but at the end of the day we were beaten by the better team. They are the best team we have ever played; they are at the peak in this cycle of their team.”

”There was good evidence we are a consistently good European team but we were beaten by the best team in Europe and there is no shame in that.”

“Sometimes you come up against a far better team and tonight was one of those nights.”

“In my time as a manager, it’s the best team we’ve faced. Everyone acknowledges that and I accept that. It’s not easy when you’ve been well beaten like that to think another way.”

“No one has given us a hiding like that. It’s a great moment for them. They deserve it because they play the right way and enjoy their football.”

Having lost their second Champions League final to Barcelona in three years after losing in Rome in 2009, Ferguson said United must now regroup and improve to rival the Catalan giants.

“It’s not easy, but it’s a challenge,” Ferguson said.

“You shouldn’t be afraid of a challenge. We’ve got better and better. We want to improve. Of course, next season, we must improve even more.”

“But we have a challenge with Barcelona. We all do. It’s no consolation being the second best team. I don’t enjoy being second best. Any club with the history we have – Real Madrid, AC Milan – they’d say the same.”

France missed a chance to take control of Euro 2012 qualifying Group D after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Belarus on Friday.Laurent Blanc’s France came into the match in Minsk top of the group, four points ahead of second-placed Belarus.

Victory at Dynamo Stadium would have blown the lead out to eight points and – with four matches of the qualification remaining – put France within touching distance of a place in next year’s finals.

But they made hard work of the match from start to finish and proved unable to avenge a 1-0 home defeat in the first meeting between the teams in September last year.

It has been an inspiring end to the season for Eric Abidal, who overcame a cancer scare to be given the honour of lifting the Champions League trophy for Barcelona after their 3-1 win over Manchester United at Wembley in May.

But the full-back was brought back to reality on Friday when, under pressure from BATE Borisov’s Maksim Bordachev, he conceded an own-goal to put France behind 20 minutes into the match.

Chelsea winger Florent Malouda spared his former Lyon teammate’s blushes with the equaliser just two minutes later.

Malouda was played in by fellow ex-Lyon man Karim Benzema, but it would prove to be the Real Madrid striker’s only worthwhile contribution of the night as France struggled to threaten the home side.

While hardly a disaster, the lacklustre draw keeps France four points clear of Belarus and five ahead of third-placed Romania, with work yet to do if they are to secure passage to the Ukraine and Poland.

“It was a disappointing match, especially in the first half. We lacked a bit of freshness – I don’t think we deserved to win tonight,” Blanc said.

“They’ve taken four points off us in two matches and that’s a lot – yet they are not a better team than us. We came for three points and we didn’t get them.”

After already angering supporters with the recent announcement that Player of the Season Joey Barton would not be offered a new contract, Newcastle United’s chiefs are again suffering the wrath of the fans after controversially selling club captain Kevin Nolan to recently relegated West Ham. However, are some ’Toon Army’ fans reacting prematurely in deciding this is a bad move for the club? My opinion is yes, they are.

Being a Geordie and lifelong fan of the club myself, I too understand the passion that surrounds NUFC, I too had my heart ripped from my chest when we were relegated in 2009 with a 1-0 defeat away to Aston Villa, and I too felt as proud as every other supporter when we were promoted straight back to the EPL after dominating The Championship the following season.

I also know that without any question there has been many major errors made at the club since the arrival of owner Mike Ashley and his ‘cockney mafia’, yet this time, I don’t believe they are making the same mistakes as in previous years. This time I believe the club are finally looking like they can progress to the next level, and if the fans get behind the team, rather than against, I believe the future looks to be a bright one at St James’ Park.

No follower of football would argue that ‘super’ Kevin Nolan hasn’t been a truly inspiring player in his last two seasons for Newcaslte, as well as being a great role model to all youngsters at the club. This will quite rightly see that he is remembered as one of the top captains in the club’s recent history, which is no understatement.

In our Championship campaign just a mere two seasons ago, Nolan scored an impressive 17 goals and was named as Championship Player of the Year at the Football League Awards, his goals and all round play were a key reason for the team making a quick return to England’s top flight. His brilliant season didn’t stop there, though; he followed that up with an outstanding 12 goals in the Premier League this year and hit an historical hat-trick against fierce rivals Sunderland, leading us to a respectable 12th place finish and winning him a place in the hearts of all Geordies across the world.

After reading that, it becomes very clear why so many loyal supporters have been infuriated at his reported £3m sale, yet my theory is that the club have offloaded a player, who although brilliant in recent years, will now surely see his playing attributes starting to decline. Nolan, who turns 29 in just a week’s time, has never been a player of great stamina levels, yet he was reported to be seeking a 5 year contract at St James’, which would take him up to the age of 34 and still see him earning a massive £50k per week, a wage that the Newcastle bosses understandably didnt think was warranted.

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Many fans will never forgive Sports Direct and United owner Ashley for the errors he has made in the past, me being one of them, yet I can’t help but think that many supporters now simply set out to aim abuse at him, and will use any excuse possible to do so, this being one. To sum it up, the way I look at this sale is simply that we have lost a cracking player, but having already signed a top class player in Yohan Cabaye from French champions Lille on a long term deal, and with the optimism now surrounding the club in the current transfer window, it won’t be too significent.

Some fans seem to have forgotten that we still have the massive £35m from the sale of Andy Carroll to Liverpool, which manager Alan Pardew has been promised is available to spend, and having already named a wealth of targets in mind, such as Swiss star Tranquillo Barnetta, Senegalese striker Demba Ba and Turkish international Mevlut Erding, the 2011-12 Premier League campaign may yet prove to be a very promising one for us Magpies.

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I may not have changed the opinion of many loyal supporters with this article, yet I can’t understand what is to be achieved by causing unrest or starting yet another protest against Mike Ashley. This time, I hope all of our amazing fans can simply get behind the whole club, and who knows, maybe propel us to challenge for a European spot in the forthcoming campaign. After all, who has as great an influence on their team as our famous black and white army?

Article courtesy of Gary Watson from This is Futbol

With Birmingham City owner Carson Yeung’s assets frozen, acting chairman Peter Pannu admits he may have to sell players to keep the club afloat.Yeung, who completed a protracted takeover of Birmingham in October 2009, was arrested in Hong Kong on June 29 charged with five counts of money laundering.

Trade in the shares of Birmingham’s holding company have been suspended, paralysing the club following their already damaging relegation from the English Premier League last season.

And Pannu has now indicated that he may have to offload some of the team’s better players in order to stave off the demands of Birmingham’s creditor, HSBC.

“Upon my return I may have to make some unpopular decisions and I hope the fans will understand that I effectively don’t have a choice,” Pannu told the Daily Mirror.

“The club may need to do what is right and to buy time until Carson’s assets are dislodged from the clutches of the courts in Hong Kong.”

“But I am not aware of their plans as to how they propose to fulfil the financial distress posed by the relegation scenario and the freezing of Carson’s assets in Hong Kong.

“Carson had been trying hard to find new investors but the money laundering charges understandably meant that the progress had been slow.”

Birmingham, who appointed Chris Hughton to replace Alex McLeish as manager in June, begin life back in the Championship away to Derby County on August 6.

Arsenal face a challenging examination against Udinese in the Champions League play-offs, while Bayern Munich are set to meet FC Zurich.Champions League regulars who have lost in the knock-out stages to Barcelona in each of the last two seasons, Arsenal have been forced to qualify after finishing fourth in the English Premier League last season.

And in Serie A side Udinese, they face arguably the toughest opponent of the unseeded teams featured in the ‘League’ route of Friday’s draw in Switzerland.

The first leg of the tie will be played at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium.

Bayern, who finished third in the Bundesliga last season, are also at home after a kinder draw paired them against Swiss club FC Zurich.

Danish side OB have a daunting engagement with Spanish club Villarreal, another team to feature regular in European competition.

In two more evenly-matched ties, Dutch side FC Twente face off against Liga Sagres runners-up Benfica.

And French Champions League experts Lyon tackle Russian club Rubin Kazan, noted for their admirable record of one win, one loss and two draws in four meetings with Barcelona between 2009 and 2010.

In the ‘Champions’ route to the group stage, contested between national champions in minor European leagues, Belgian title holders Genk are up against Israeli outfit Maccabi Haifa.

Swedish side Malmo are rewarded for their third-qualifying round triumph over Glasgow Rangers with a tie against Croatians Dinamo Zagreb.

Danish champions Copenhagen take on Czech newcomers Viktoria Plzen.

Polish club Wisla Krakow play Cypriots APOEL, and Belarusian side Bate Borisov tackle Austrians Sturm Graz.

England stand little chance of lifting the World Cup in Brazil in 2014, Frank Lampard has admitted.The Three Lions have been drawn against Montenegro, Ukraine, Poland, Moldova and San Marino in what has been seen as a relatively straightforward qualifying group for the tournament.

But Lampard believes that even if England make it to Brazil, the climate and quality of opposition they will face means their chances of success are minimal.

“It will be very difficult for an English team to win it over there,” Lampard told reporters as Chelsea ended their pre-season tour of the Far East in Hong Kong.

“In their own back yard, with the strongest teams in the world there, and the climate. But what a great challenge it will be for whatever team that goes over there.”

Despite his pessimism over the country’s chances, however, Lampard revealed he wants to remain part of the England set-up for as long as possible, even though he will be 36 years old by the time the next World Cup comes around.

“I take every year as it comes,” he added.

“It will be difficult, but it’s great to see young players coming through, to see the Jack Wilsheres and the Josh McEachrans getting their chances, and I’d hope to be involved for as long as possible.

“I’d certainly be happy if I was [at the 2014 World Cup], but I can’t call that one.”

If Lampard wants to remain in contention for a place in the national side he knows he will have to rediscover his best form with Chelsea this season, under new manager Andre Villas-Boas.

The Portuguese tactician’s relatively young age has led to suggestions he may have problems earning the respect of senior players at Stamford Bridge, but Lampard disagrees.

“I read that he has to gain our respect instantly, and it’s never like that at football clubs,” said the midfielder.

“It certainly isn’t for me personally, and it wouldn’t be for John Terry.

“You want to impress. I want to impress him now at the age of 33 just the same as I did when I was 22. Simple as that.

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“We are here to impress as individuals, and we want to make the group successful. We will always respect the manager, and that applies with any manager we get.”

Under Villas-Boas’ guidance, Lampard says he is optimistic about the Blues’ prospects of success this season.

“I think there is a nice freshness about the team and the squad and the players who maybe were not sure they were going to stay, or players that were on loan, or young players that have come through and are getting a sniff now,” he added.

“I think we have got a strong squad, and if the manager adds to it and it makes us stronger then we will all be happy, I certainly will be. It remains to be seen in the time to the end of the window.”